Docked inside the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, you will find a 60-foot sailboat floating in an indoor saltwater lagoon that is a landmark to the resort’s newest dining concept, MOOR. MOOR focuses on fresh seafood with regionally-inspired dishes and Chef Phillip Fisher works with local farmers and fishmongers to find sustainable and seasonal ingredients.
MOOR came to fruition through the desire to serve fresh local food in a lifestyle casual dwelling. The story began organically with the relationships the resort’s chefs have built with local purveyors and fishmongers through their own farming and fishing expeditions. Chef Paul Player, the resort’s Executive Sous Chef, is deeply involved in the local farming movement, serving integral roles in the following community-based food clubs: Slow Food Orlando, Osceola County Grown and Eat Florida Fresh.
“Serving fresh, local and seasonal ingredients isn’t a fad. It’s simply the way we cook,” says Chef Paul. “We want to share the bounty of our regional fare with the world.”
MOOR is proud to offer guests an ever-changing menu complete with a blackboard of daily specials including line-caught fish, fresh cuts of local beef and signature delights such as rock shrimp cocktail with tomato chow chow and seasonal risotto.
Specialty Chef Phillip Fisher, who will be overseeing the restaurant’s kitchen, designed the menu in its entirety. Prior to opening MOOR, Fisher was the Executive Chef for Ocean Key Resort and Spa in Key West, Florida. Fisher was born and raised in North Carolina where he spent the bulk of his childhood honing his future career in the kitchen.
”I learned at a young age that fresh food tastes better,” says Chef Fisher. “I am thrilled to be a part of a team that cares about where their food is sourced and how it is ultimately served to our guests.”
MOOR features an open floor plan, 60-foot sailboat, layers of neutral tones, elegant wood flooring and several private dining areas including a chef’s table with interactive capabilities. The bar area extends into an outdoor terrace that overlooks the property’s beautiful 12,000 square foot Coquina Lawn.
The opening of MOOR also marks the launch of Gaylord Palms’ movement to grow and source their own food. The hotel is working with local farmers to incorporate an on-site garden and a boxed produce program for their STARS (Gaylord Palms employees). This project is slated in three phases with the first phase to include a culinary garden and outdoor kitchen, and the second and third phases to include a multitude of gardens, herb sculptures and flowering trees.
“We currently have over 500,000 live plants including an herb garden and fruit trees inside of our glass-enclosed atrium,” says Johann Krieger, General Manager of Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. “It just makes sense for us to expand our home-grown resources to support our restaurants.”
MOOR’s Select Vendors:
Crooked Can Brewing Company (Winter Garden, FL): Built upon the founder’s passion for craft beer, Crooked Can Brewing Company is an upstart craft brewery located inside Plant St. Market, in Historical Downtown Winter Garden, Florida.
Douce France Bakery (Winter Garden, FL): Started as a wholesale-only bakery, but since the business moved to the newly built facility in Winter Garden, the company made room for an amazing retail store where customers can find succulent freshly baked goods as well as a full lunch menu.
Funky Buddha Bakery (Oakland Park, FL): Founded in 2010 in Boca Raton, Florida, and is committed to producing bold craft beers that marry culinary-inspired ingredients with time-honored techniques.
Gary’s Seafood & Specialties (Orlando, FL): Started in 1989 by Gary Reed with a loan from his wife’s parents, he purchased one truck and drove away with a dream to offer the best fish to the best chefs in Florida. Twenty two years later, Gary’s Seafood & Specialties is known worldwide for their Gold Ribbon standard of having the highest quality fish.
My Yard Farm (Winter Park, FL): Founded over seven years ago to provide grown local, grown sustainably, beyond organic food to communities at large, small and everything in between.
Premier Beverage Company (Fort Lauderdale, FL): One of the largest distributors of wines, spirits, and other beverages in Florida. The company’s distribution facilities are located in Miramar and Tampa with cross-docks in Pensacola, Jacksonville, and Orlando.
Bottom (L to R): Pork Belly Sliders, Crooked Can Brewing Co., Funky Buddha Brew
Hydopronic fennel grown on-site, Cucumbers (Mt Dora, FL), Clams (Cedar Key, FL)
Watermelon Radishes (Sebring, FL), Pork (Avon Park, FL)
Hydroponic Watercress grown on-site, Cucumbers (Mt. Dora, FL), in-house Burrata
Florida Atlantic-caught Blue Crabs, Hydroponic Chives grown on-site
Carrots (Sebring, FL), Gulf Coast grouper
Hydroponic Red Sorrel grown on-site, Sweet Corn (Zellwood, FL), Tilefish (Fort Pierce, FL)
MOOR is in the Key West Atrium at Gaylord Palms Resort located at 6000 West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746. The restaurant is open daily for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The bar is open 11:00 a.m. to midnight. For more information on MOOR, please visit www.facebook.com/DINEMOOR, www.GaylordPalms.com or call the restaurant directly at 407-586-1101.
