What I hate about Orlando is just to many dam franchise type places. Where are the great diners and home style places. Where are the spots where people are serving you the food there moms and grand moms made. Wheres a dam place to go get legit chicken and dumplings. where can I go get some serious chicken fried chicken with white pepper gravy.
Come on, man...yes, there are a ton of franchise places due to the tourism industry. But there are a TON of smaller places everywhere, staffed by people who learned how to cook and learned how to wait tables in the Orlando service industry.
I have a friend who I went to high school with, he retired from the Navy, he is constantly posting things on Facebook about diners he's hitting for breakfast. Maybe not downtown, but definitely places in the surrounding towns.
Go to OrlandoWeekly and start researching. There is also a Facebook group for Orlando foodies, and people swap info constantly.
If you are talking about southern-style places, try:
Coop (Winter Park)
Briarpatch (Park Ave, Winter Park)
The Southern Deli (436 and Wekiva-Piedmont, on the way to Apopka)
SoCo (Thornton Park)
Nikki's Place (Parramore)
Se7en Bites (Milk District)
Tibby's (Winter Park and Altamonte Springs locations, New Orleans food)
Ravenous Pig (Winter Park)
Git-N-Messy BBQ (in a Citgo gas station off of Aloma and Howell Branch)
Dixie Belle's Cafe (Belle Isle)
Brick & Spoon (Maitland)
Cook's (Deland)
and, per my HS friend:
Osteen Diner (Osteen)
Gram's Kitchen (Orange City)
If you need more ideas, PM me.
Oh, and hit up some places out in Plant City.