Meet Ashley and Israel, the dynamic duo behind Phat Ash Bakes! This power couple left behind the hustle and bustle of New Jersey to make their cookie dreams a reality in Florida. Combining Ashley’s passion for baking with Israel’s career in management, they have created an incredible community centered around their mouth-watering cookies.

Starting with Ashley’s famous oatmeal raisin cookie, The OG, their business has grown to become a beloved local favorite. Not only do they get to indulge in their love of baking every day, but they also give back to the community through monthly donations.

Recently, Orlando’s very own Phat Ash Bakes & Foxtail Coffee launched their newest collaboration: Cookie Phactory – a curated collection of your favorite cookie flavors at the Foxtail Coffee location at 3122 E Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL 32803.

Read on to discover how their passion for baking has turned into a thriving business.

Tasty Chomps Q and A with Phat Ash Bakes Owners Ashley and Israel

TastyChomps: How did you come up with the idea and inspiration to start Phat Ash?

The combination of Ashley’s love of cooking, and hard-knocks-necessity. Ashley was working two jobs; at Lululemon in Winter Park and Winter Park Fish Co. while Israel was starting a new career with Atrium Management. Baking was Ashley’s outlet. We remember one time having to make the choice of treating ourselves to pizza for dinner, or buying butter to test bake. I’m sure you can figure out which choice won! We’ve had the opportunity to create an incredible community with Phat Ash Bakes, that allows us to bake cookies everyday (what a dream!) and give back to the community through our monthly donations. Double win for us!

How long have you been baking cookies and what motivated you to turn it into a business?

We’ve been baking cookies since the end of 2019. Ashley obsessed over creating a recipe for her first cookie – The OG, an oatmeal raisin cookie loaded with chocolate chips, shredded coconut, macadamia nuts and maldon salt. After testing 3,485,798 (totally exaggerating) test batches, her friends & co-workers encouraged her to have a bake sale. Once I realized that I was making more money than my 9 to 5pm, we began to take things seriously. We transitioned from a Cottage Food License to a fully licensed and insured kitchen.

What makes your cookies unique and stand out from others in the market?

Our cookies are unique because they’re big, fat, and full of our favorite snacks! Pop tarts, Oreos, M&M’s … you name it, we’ve probably tried to use it! But aside from unique flavors, we are proud to be able to give back to our community; one of the pillars of Phat Ash Bakes. We choose a different charity each month to partner with by donating $1 per sale of one of our Phat Chocolate Chip cookies. Local charities we have worked with are The Zebra Coalition, SALT, NextStep Orlando, Stand Up Survivor and The Primrose Center.

How do you source your ingredients and ensure their quality for your cookies?

We source our junk food wherever and whenever we can. A lot of our mix-ins are seasonal so we are always looking out for the newest flavor drops everywhere we go!

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

Imposter Syndrome is a real thing! Ashley has definitely had her moments of doubt – “what am I doing here? … am I really a baker? … why would people want what I am making?” But that is why we are such a dynamic and amazing team; Israel has always stepped up in those moments to love, encourage and support. Our entire relationship is rooted in love and support, and so even when things are challenging we are definitely there to lift each other up & overcome.

How do you decide on your cookie flavors and variations, and how do you keep them fresh and interesting for your customers?

We started with 5 flavors on the menu, and have made over 200 flavors at this point! Since we change the menu weekly, aside from our Phat Chocolate Chip, we’ve been able to keep it fresh. Ashley and her team of amazing bakers come up with cookie flavors by browsing the supermarket aisles & eating different desserts. It sounds silly, but we can find inspiration in so many places. We have also definitely gotten some great ideas from guests at our Bake Nights! A 90 minute experience at our Speakeasy Bakery where star bakers can come to whip up some wild cookie creations! We provide the dough, a large variety of mix-ins, fillings & glazes and then they take it from there.

Can you share some of your proudest moments or achievements on this journey thus far? What can be done with a delicious cookie, other than eat it?

Well, with our chocolate chip cookie we were able to collect over 500 pairs of shoes for SALT Outreach – a community resource center helping those experiencing homelessness in Orlando & Central Florida. We’ve also recently partnered up with Foxtail Coffee Company to introduce our cookies to coffee lovers around Florida and beyond. They are expanding quickly and we are proud that our cookie company has made so much noise that they wanted to offer our flavors to their customers. Keep your eyes out for The Cookie Phactory by Phat Ash Bakes at Foxtail Coffee East Colonial.

From a culinary standpoint, one of Ashley’s proudest moments has been creating our dough recipes from scratch. Baking is science! And let us tell you, there were LOTS of experiments! And some … not so great. But after countless test batches, meltdowns, & recipe revisions we landed on the recipes that create cookies that WE love – soft, thick, and packed with flavor.

One of her other proudest moments has probably been that esteemed Pastry Chef, Stuart Whitfield, is one of our OG supporters. I remember he ordered cookies back when we were running this out of our apartment. After handing him his cookies and closing the door, a friend at our house asked her if I knew who he was. When she told me, I didn’t even know what to do with myself! It’s been 3 years, and I will forever be honored every single time I see him at one of our events. There really aren’t words to describe how it feels to have a chef with such culinary experience support you. Sorry Stuart, we had to put you on blast with that one!!! lol!

What are your plans for the future of your cookie enterprise?

We don’t know what the future holds. The Universe will provide us with whatever we are supposed to be doing, whenever things are supposed to happen. One thing we know is that we have to always enjoy what we are doing and have fun. Life is too short!

What are your most popular cookie flavors right now?

Ube N’ Cream; an ube and cookies & cream combo. Campfire Cookie Butter; inspired by cookie butter-s’mores. and Miss Betty Lee; lemon creme & raspberry

What are some upcoming plans for the menu?

As always we’re going to be keeping it fresh and full of surprises!

Thank you Ashley and Israel of Phat Ash Bakes for speaking with us at Tasty Chomps!!

For more info, visit: phatashbakes.com

Photos by Tiffany Nguyen @bytiffanynguyen

In February 2003, Darden Restaurants’ Seasons 52 opened the doors of its very first restaurant in Orlando.

It was also that same year that Steven Pham and Nav Manwani began their careers with the brand, as a food runner and a host, respectively.

Fast forward to today, 20 years later. Steven is now the Managing Partner and Nav is one of the managers at that very same restaurant on Sand Lake Road.

Today, Seasons 52 has also grown to 45 restaurants.

The brand itself has evolved but has stayed true to the basics: promising guests that any menu item they choose will be 595 calories or less and never once adding a fryer to the kitchen even after all these years.

Nav Manwani joined Seasons 52 on Sand Lake in Orlando, FL in 2003 as a host. From there, he held a variety of different positions in the restaurant, but spent the majority of time as a server for 15+ years of his career. Nav became the Beverage Manager at Seasons 52 in March 2019.

Nav graduated from Valencia College with an associate’s degree (AS) in Business Finance and completed the Introductory Court of Master Sommeliers in 2006.

Steven Pham joined Seasons 52 on Sand Lake in Orlando, FL in 2003 as a food runner. Wanting to ultimately advance his career, Steven rotated through many roles in the restaurant including sous chef and various front of house positions. Steven was on the opening team for multiple Seasons 52 restaurants: Altamonte Springs, FL in 2010 as Service Manager, two restaurants in Houston, TX between the years of 2012-2014 as Sales or Service Manager, and Memphis, TN in 2014 in his first Managing Partner role. Steven returned to Altamonte Springs as Managing Partner in 2016 before ultimately ending up back at the Sand Lake location as Managing Partner in 2018 where he remains today.

Steven graduated from Valencia College with an associate’s degree (AA) in General Studies and has completed the Introductory Court of Master Sommeliers.

We recently spoke with Steven and Nav about their experiences with Seasons 52 and how things have changed over time.

Tasty Chomps Interview with Steve and Nav of Seasons 52

Ricky Ly, Tasty Chomps: What was it like working at Seasons 52 when they first opened in Orlando? What were your favorite memories?

Nav Manwani, Beverage Manager – Seasons 52 in Orlando, Fla:  There were a couple things that really made Seasons 52 stand out to me in the beginning. I served tables for 15 years and Seasons 52 was able to accommodate my schedule as a parent, which allowed me to be present in raising my kids. We also had what they called family meal, which was a meal made by our Chef for the entire team once a week. Now, we are proud to offer family meal every single day. I have loved the culture and work-life balance since the beginning, which you just couldn’t find at other restaurants at the time.

My favorite memories always center around our guests. We have a guest whose wife’s favorite restaurant was Seasons 52. When she became terminally ill and too sick to come dine with us, he came in every day to get her Cedar Plank Salmon. Years after she passed away, he got remarried and reached out to us to have his wedding at our restaurant. These meaningful connections with our guests make us all part of a family.

Steven Pham, Managing Partner – Seasons 52 in Orlando, Fla: The excitement of working in a new concept like Seasons 52 was amazing. It was and still is the place to dine! Our calorie conscious and naturally flavorful menu was intriguing to all our guests, it wasn’t something they had seen before.

My favorite memory at the start of Seasons 52 was our seasonally changing menu. We still change our menu with the seasons four times each year, but I can remember the fun and excitement when I first joined the team of seeing what new items were being added to the menu.

What was the food scene like in Orlando back then? What were the most popular / best restaurants that you remember at that time?

Nav: The food scene back when we opened was almost nonexistent. There were a few chain restaurants, but nothing like there is now.

Steven: There was not much of a food scene at the time, and especially nothing that compared to Seasons 52. We had restaurants like Timpano’s, now Eddie V’s, and Samba Room, now Rocco’s Tacos, that were our neighbors at the time. There were also steakhouses nearby like Ruth’s Chris, Roy’s, and Moon Fish. The success of Seasons 52 is directly related to continued support from our local and out of town guests that helped us stand the test of time.

How do you think Seasons 52 changed the restaurant scene for Orlando when they first opened?

Nav: Seasons 52 made a huge impact on the restaurant industry being one of the few that began printing and actively promoting the caloric value of each menu item. It has become a norm throughout most restaurants today, but we were able to differentiate ourselves early on for being proud of the calories we printed since nothing on our menu exceeded 595 calories.

Steven: Seasons 52 changed the food scene in a couple ways. We proved that naturally lighter and flavorful dishes were possible, which influenced and even encouraged other restaurants to explore delicious, calorie conscious options. We were also one of the first wine bars and were able to make wine interesting again. Our wine list was created with different wines from all over the world, offering 52 wines by the glass. The excitement in the wine industry over our wine bar concept allowed us to get the best wine makers to work with us from the start, some who are still working with us today!

 What were some of the inspirations behind why Seasons 52 started?

Steven: Seasons 52’s entire reason for existing stems from our wish to offer people a balanced approached to food and wine, without sacrificing in taste, style or value. We started at a time where massive portion sizes and fast-food offerings were becoming the norm and there was a rising interest in healthier dining options. There was a large misconception, however, that healthy food didn’t taste good, so we set out to open a restaurant that had both great service and great tasting healthier food. When we opened, we really exceeded expectations and quickly became one of the most popular restaurants in Central Florida. We help give guests the freedom to enjoy everything on the menu, because every choice is one they can feel good about.

How has Seasons 52 evolved or changed with the times? What are some things you have noticed?

Steven: With the menu changing every season, it’s natural for Seasons 52 to evolve with the times. We can easily shift when food trends arise. We have had multiple items come on and off the menu including branzino, halibut, a tuna noodle bowl, turkey skewers, and even sushi rolls. Since we can do this, it allows us to keep or even bring back some of our guest favorites when we get positive feedback, like with our Cedar Plank-Roasted Salmon or more recently the Wood-Grilled Pork Chop. With a business model that allows us to make changes to our menu on a quarterly basis, it helps us evolve and stay current with what our guests like and what is in its peak flavor that season.

Nav: I think it’s also important to notice the things that haven’t changed. We have been brick-oven roasting and oak-fire grilling since day one. We’ve never once had a fryer in our kitchens in 20 years. Flatbreads and Mini Indulgences have been the bookends of a Seasons 52 dining experience since the day we opened. So, although our menu evolves and changes frequently, we never forgot our core value and purpose to continue providing the guest experience we sought to provide when our doors first opened.

How did the pandemic effect the restaurant and how did it meet the challenges from that time? how is the restaurant doing now?

Nav: Our guests are part of our family too, and we helped each other get through the pandemic. Being a part of this brand is a huge source of pride for me, and the way our team came together during the pandemic to take care of each other is more proof of how loyal and dedicated we are. We’ve seen return guests come in more frequently post-pandemic, and I think that is a testament to getting through that time together.

Steven: Although it was a tough time with a lot of unknowns, we came out with a lot of positive, too. Everyone was willing and able to do more than the call of duty. I truly believe the restaurant is positioned in one of the best times that Seasons 52 has seen in the past!

What makes Seasons 52 special to you?

Nav: I started as a Host 20 years ago, and in the time since, Seasons 52 has quite literally become my family. We run 5k’s and spend holidays together. We go on group outings like paintball, laser tag and dodgeball. All of that has created a very close bond. We lost a team member a few years ago, and nearly the entire Sand Lake team went to attend the funeral. Team members from our Altamonte location happily covered those shifts for us. The list goes on and on, but things like that speak volumes to how close of a family we have become.

Steven: Seasons 52 was a part time job for me while I was going to school. I started as a food runner about 20 years ago. I never thought I would find a career in the restaurant industry, but the culture is different here. My leadership at the time gave me the drive to develop in other areas as I worked as a server, bartender, and even a line cook. I had leaders who saw potential in me and assisted with my growth into a manager, sous chef, and now currently a Managing Partner. Working for Darden, the growth potential continues. With the support and development of both my leadership and team members that I have, it feels more like a family to me than co-workers.

Steven and Nav are thankful to have grown alongside the brand, and forever grateful to the community of Orlando for trusting them to host their dining experiences for the last 20 years.

For more info, visit seasons52.com 

Local Central Floridian Wess St. Victor fell in love with making barbecue and never looked back. Recently, he opened a new place on North OBT near College Park – a small hole in the wall type place which is an upgrade from his food truck called St. Vic’s Smoke Shack.

The place has some of the best collard greens I’ve had in town as well as excellent smoked ribs, pulled pork, and chicken – with a fantastic lunch sandwich deal.

We dropped by recently to check out the shop and also catch up with Wess as he starts off his business serving up some of the best barbecue in Orlando.

Tasty Chomps Interview with Wess St. Victor’s of St. Vic’s Smoke Shack

What inspired you to become a chef and how did you get started in the culinary industry?

Wes St. Victpr: I’m not a chef, I’m just someone who loves to make BBQ. It started with the search for good BBQ in central Florida.

What’s the most popular dish at your restaurant and why do you think it’s so popular?

Wess:  I’d have to say the brisket. Our brisket has a completely different flavor profile than anyone else’s in central Florida and I believe that’s why people keep coming back for it.

If you had to choose one ingredient to cook with for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Wess: Garlic! I love the flavor profile of garlic and how it can completely change a dish based off the amount you put into it.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned as a chef that you wish someone had told you when you first started?

Wess:  ‘Nothing worth having comes easy’

Why is Orlando a special place for you to start your business?

Wess:  Orlando is home, and Orlando deserves good BBQ

Can you share any tips for home cooks who want to improve their culinary skills especially those interested in barbecuing and smoking meats?

Wess:  ‘Low & slow and ‘Flavor matters’ Low & Slow consists of time and patients and Flavor Matters just means to understand the protein and ingredients you are working with.

What are some of the challenges you faced when first opening, and how do you overcome them?

Wess:  Marketing is the hardest challenging. We’re currently still working on how to properly market and let people know that we’re out here.

St. Vic’s Smoke Shack
1858 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32804
https://www.facebook.com/stvicssmokeshack/
https://www.instagram.com/stvicssmokeshack/?hl=en

Jeff’s Bagel Run today announces the location of its newest store in O-Town West, a new mixed-use community in southwest Orlando.

Joining the 350 acre development, Jeff’s Bagel Run will bring the same delicious bagels and welcoming atmosphere to this location but with a new look and feel.

The store is the first addition since the recent announcement of the strategic partnership with 1337 Capital.

Opening later this year, the new location is 1,200 square feet and features an open kitchen concept with bar seating so guests can watch the bagel making magic. Just like the other two existing locations, the bagels are made from scratch on-site, but in this location you can watch the process of mixing, forming, boiling, topping, and baking.

The cream cheese is still whipped on site but at this new location it will be displayed in a gelato style cabinet making it easier for guests to pick and choose their favorite flavors.

Finally, they will be substantially enhancing their coffee menu by introducing an array of espresso-based beverages, providing a diverse assortment of both hot and cold coffee choices to perfectly accompany their warm, delectable bagels.

“As we looked for our next location, O-Town West was the ideal spot,” said Justin Wetherill from Jeff’s Bagel Run. “This new development will serve residents and visitors – giving us the opportunity to share our bagels with a new community. We are thankful to Chuck Whittal and the Unicorp team for allowing us to showcase our store of the future in their world class O-Town West development. We are excited to unveil our open-concept inviting guests to see our bagels come to life later this year!”

The O-Town store joins the existing stores located in Ocoee and College Park.

Officially founded in August of 2019, Jeff’s Bagel Run bakes small batch, hand-crafted New York style bagels to order, using the highest quality ingredients and old world technique.

Jeff’s Bagel Run, founded by Jeff and Danielle Perera, is a fast-growing bagel shop which has quickly become a beloved local brand with a loyal following. Through franchising, Jeff’s Bagel Run aims to share its delicious bagels and warm community spirit with customers across the nation. For more information about Jeff’s Bagel Run visit www.jeffsbagelrun.com.

1337 Capital, led by Justin Wetherill, recently announced a strategic partnership with Jeff and Danielle Perera, founders of Jeff’s Bagel Run, with plans to expand the brand nationwide.

The expansion to O-Town West is a part of their plan for at least four additional stores in the Central Florida market in 2023.

Prior to founding 1337 Capital, Justin Wetherill was a co-founder of uBreakiFix that started in his bedroom and has grown to over 700 locations throughout North America. “Since stepping back from the day to day at uBreakiFix, I have had the opportunity to be picky and work on projects that really get me excited,” said Justin Wetherill, founder and President of 1337 Capital. “When I met the team at Jeff’s Bagel Run, it checked all the boxes and I knew I had to find a way to be involved. Jeff and Danielle have built a beloved brand in the Orlando community and I look forward to partnering with them to bring it to other communities.”

Soseki  led by Chef Mike Collantes is known for their sushi and globally inspired seasonal dishes that takes diners on a culinary journey. Since Soseki means “foundation” and Omakase means “leave it to the chef”, guests can expect a Japanese forward menu that includes a piece by piece sushi nigiri with a modern take on European dégustation service.

In 2022, Soseki was awarded One Michelin Star in the inaugural Michelin Guide Florida awards. Here is what Michelin Guide had to say about Soseki:

“One MICHELIN Star: High quality cooking, worth a stop!

Chef’s Corner: Catching up with Soseki’s Chef Mike Collantes – Spring 2023

How would you describe Soseki to people who have never been before?

Can we call Soseki a sushi bar? We have sushi as an element of the experience and we use Japan sensibility when it comes to the rest of the menu, but of the 20+ bites, the sake and the dining experience is just built on what we think is the best for the guests and putting it out there 4 nights a week. With Soseki meaning cornerstone or foundation we hope to build long lasting roots in Winter Park.

Ricky Ly, TastyChomps: How is business going since the Michelin star?

Chef Mike Collantes: Amazing! We are seeing some amazing new guests coming from all over the world to our little shop in the middle of Orlando and get to really showcase the 44+ local vendors, farmers, and growers we are in rotation with annually. As well the local seen has really taken to our concept and get to explore local Orlando in a new way and experience sake for the first time during our sake classes.

How have things changed or not changed at Soseki?

We have added to the original team and have been able to grow into additional space in our building, with that we are currently only 4 days a week to allow a day for RnD. When Soseki received our first star we were barely 1 year old and still creating our voice and ideals, while we do change our menu like we change socks, the team has really built their own voice within fine dining. This flows down to the service and beverage program, trying to create a unique and personal experience.

 Tell us about the project at AVA – what is that like for you so far?

AVA MM Club is a 41 seat private members club set underneath the AVA bar, down some narrow staircase. I came on board with RDG to help consult and get the program going and have stayed as the culinary director for herre and Mila MM Club in Miami. Don’t let the private members club scare you, they are constantly adding new members and creating nightly programs for the members. It has been a great experience working with a big group with a lot of top tier talent to bounce ideas with like the culinary partner Chef Michael Michaelidis who spent the better part of 16yrs with Joel Robuchon.

What are some of your upcoming plans for your restaurants?

We are in the process of opening an ala carte sake and wine focused experience next door. Just adding 25 seats for another intimate experience but will allow us to have the occasional walk in business as well. This really came out of wanting to do more with our guests who frequent Soseki, hoping to do more with the exploration of sake down the road.

How have things changed since you were young growing up in Orlando?

Well coming from a 16 year old kid starting out at Sbarro’s in the Fashion Square mall with all this I would say, we are doing alright. I do miss my Fazoli’s, Rangetsu’s and Ming Courts I have seen this city really and food scene really grow into something uniquely Orlando.

What are some of your favorite ingredients to work with now?

At Soseki we are sourcing amazing fish from Japan but also staying about 90% local within, eggs, produce, dairy, cheese. So creating utilizing what is only around us and in season has its challenges, but it is the story we want to tell. Strawberry season starts in December and has been going strong and I think one of the best things we produce locally. You will find my family out at the U pick farms gathering strawberries for the season at Soseki from green ones to ferment and pickle to the plump ripe ones we get from Southern Hills and Big Daddy’s. It is my favorite ingredient because I get to share the experience with my kiddos. 

 How is the Orlando food scene doing right now in your opinion?

On Fire! I think Michelin helped bring an awareness of local restaurants, chefs and restaurateurs who have been working at this scene for some time. With Chef Henry Moso now being the first to secure a Finalist spot with James Beard, VnA back at full swing and even hearing amazing things from the recently reopening of Norman’s, not to mention my former team at Omni Group by the Tung brothers opening some incredibly unique concepts in the upcoming year.

Soseki

• 955 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 32789, USA

• info@sosekifl.com

Photography credit: John Cheng – Follow Him at @thejohncheng on Instagram

UPDATE 4/20/2023:

The owner of Grills has posted a new letter on Facebook directed to Anheuser-Busch Corporation, “the epitome of Evil”, encouraging the use of cannabis over alcohol, and replacement of AB marketing materials:

04/20/2023

This is updated from a copy obtained by The Space Coast Rocket here in which the owner used expletives and called Anheuser Busch “of the Devil”. Read here: https://thespacecoastrocket.com/fck-you-you-are-of-the-devil-grills-owners-flaming-letter-to-anhueser-busch/

According to a story by The Space Coast Rocket, Grills Seafood has pulled Bud Light from their offerings. The restaurant has locations in Orlando, Port Canaveral, and Melbourne.

We called the Orlando location to confirm, and management confirmed that they o longer serve Bud Light, but would not say why.

Some speculated that this is due to Anheuser-Busch’s recent marketing campaign that featured transgender activist, Dylan Mulvaney. Mulvaney posted on April 1 about a $15,000 giveaway that the company had sponsored during March Madness, mentioning that she had been given a special tallboy can with her face on it to celebrate a full year of her “Days of Girlhood” series documenting her transition online.

In a statement, Anheuser-Busch said it works with “hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics” and that it sometimes sends commemorative cans to influencers as a gift. The cans are not available for purchase by the public.

Yesterday, Grills restaurant owner Joe Penovich released a statement on the decision.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.

Great news from the James Beard Foundation this year with Kabooki Chef Henry Moso named as a finalist this year for Best Chef of the South. Many of our Orlando chefs and restauranteurs have been named as semi-finalists before and this is a first in a long time for one of our own to advance to the finals.

This week, Good Salt Restaurant Group led by Sue and Jason Chin (past James Beard Award nominees for Best Restauranteurs) is proud to welcome the James Beard Foundation back to Orlando at The Monroe on April 19th. Good Salt Restaurant Group is renowned for delicious concepts, thoughtful and inclusive leadership, as well as great culinary talent.

Their talented chefs from all four Good Salt restaurants (The Monroe, The Osprey, Reyes Mezcaleria, and Seito Baldwin Park) feature dishes inspired by the concepts that they helm as well as from their respective cultural backgrounds in a lively reception style setting.

Also included are cocktails, spirits, wine and local beer tastings, desserts from pastry chefs and live music in support of #goodfoodforgood.

Friends of James Beard Benefits provide critical funding for programs, to help JBF achieve its mission to celebrate, support, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture, and champion a standard of Good Food for Good anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability.

Evening Hosts/Owners
Sue and Jason Chin
Good Salt Restaurant Group, Orlando, FL

Featured Participants

Executive Chef Nikk Burton
Pastry Chef Robbie Lamison
The Monroe, Orlando, FL

Executive Chef Michael Cooper
The Osprey, Orlando, FL

Chef/Partner Wendy Lopez
Pastry Chef Denise Newberry
Reyes Mezcaleria, Orlando, FL

Chef/Partner Huy Q. Tin
Seito Sushi, Orlando, FL

Beverage Director Lorena Castro
Good Salt Restaurant Group, Orlando

MENU

Tickets: https://www.jamesbeard.org/events/fojbb-orlando#

Izabela Wojcik, Director, Friends of James Beard Benefits, will be traveling to Orlando to represent JBF at the event. We spoke with her via e-mail about the upcoming event – read on!

Tasty Chomps Interview with Izabela Wojcik, Friends of James Beard Benefits

Ricky Ly, TastyChomps: What are some big plans for the James Beard Foundation this year

Izabela Wojcik: The James Beard Foundation’s mission as a national organization is to celebrate, support, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture and champion a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability. In that capacity, we look to engage with culinary partners across the US to highlight great talent, engage with those businesses in joining and supporting our mission, and inspiring and educating consumers to celebrate and support their local food scene as well support our mission.

James Beard Foundation has just launched (on April 1st) an exciting new, mission-driven event space and hub for all activities in NYC, Platform by JBF and Good to Go kiosk at Pier 57.

As we say, it’s the ultimate culinary experience where culture, pleasure and purpose meet.

James Beard has also just launched our partnership with the US State Department on Culinary Diplomacy and are gettting ready to host the next cohort of chefs in mid-may at our next Chef Boot Camp for Policy and Change in Albuquerque, a decade-long program that has provided tools and resources for over 400 chef advocates.

And that is just for starters!

Why is this event important to the Orlando community?

Our hope is that Friends of James Beard events in general, and this one in particular with Good Salt Restaurant Group, put a spotlight on amazing culinary talent, which makes everyone from the culinary side, to front of house to management feel validated and recognized. Diners recognize the James Beard Foundation affiliation is an honor and feel a sense of excitement. And our goal is to provide meaningful engagement with James Beard Foundation, looking to build a relationship and highlight Orlando as a dining destination.

What makes the Good Salt Restaurant group a special highlight for the Foundation this year?

JBF has enjoyed a long relationship with Good Salt Restaurant Group through the years, with showcase events at both the Beard House in NYC as well as in Orlando, and have always been stellar stewards of culinary talent, and warm hospitality. We are especially delighted to be coming back to Orlando, engaging with all their chefs, and getting a taste of all their concepts while reflecting the chefs’ individual heritage and style. That is truly in keeping with our mission to highlight the people that are shaping our food culture.

Tickets: https://www.jamesbeard.org/events/fojbb-orlando#

The MICHELIN Guide today announced 11 additions to the selection in Florida – eight in Orlando and three in Tampa. Eight Miami additions were announced in February.

The MICHELIN Guide reveals culinary gems throughout the year. Some of these restaurants could be awarded Bib Gourmands or Stars. For now, these establishments are highlighted as “New” on guide.michelin.com and the MICHELIN Guide app to help food lovers enjoy these new discoveries before the full selection is revealed May 11.

“By revealing some of the new additions made by our inspectors throughout the year, we enhance our digital tools to further strengthen the ties that bind us to food lovers,” Poullennec said. “We hope that these regular revelations and updates to the selection throughout the year will provide opportunities to highlight the profession and invite everyone to discover and support the restaurants around them.”

The 2023 MICHELIN® Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa will be unveiled at 6 p.m. May 11 at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Chefs and restaurant teams will learn in real time whether their establishments have received culinary distinctions such as MICHELIN Stars, Bib Gourmands or other professional award distinctions. The event is by invitation only.

“We are eager to share the 2023 edition of the MICHELIN Guide in Miami, Orlando and Tampa,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “Florida’s finest flavors continue to impress the inspectors, who have enjoyed their visits to the Sunshine State. The restaurant teams are clearly inspired to serve the most delectable cuisine to food lovers – day in and day out. We are excited to celebrate their accomplishments and can’t wait to share those new discoveries with gourmets and travelers.”

The eight Orlando restaurants added to the Michelin Guide recommendations include:

• Edoboy (Sushi
• Toledo (Spanish)
• Twenty Pho Hour (Vietnamese / Asian)
• Victoria & Albert’s (Fine Dining)
• Doshi (Modern Korean)
• Otto’s High Dive (Cuban / Rum)
• Kaya (Filipino)
• Juju (Japanese)

Sonny Nguyen, owner and chef of Domu, Tori Tori, and Edoboy tells us, “We are ecstatic about being included in the Michelin Guide and I know that our team will be celebrating tonight! I am so proud and happy for everyone included on that list today and it goes to show that Orlando/Florida is here to show out to the world. Let’s all keep pushing each other up! This is what it is all about!–”

A refresher for those wondering why a tire company is giving out awards to restaurants – The guide was first published by the French tire company Michelin in 1900 as a way to encourage more people to drive and thus buy more tires. It was initially focused on France but has since expanded to cover numerous countries worldwide. Today, the Michelin Guide is a prestigious and influential annual guidebook that reviews and rates restaurants and hotels in select cities around the world.

The Michelin Guide uses a three-star rating system to evaluate restaurants, with three stars being the highest honor. One star signifies “a very good restaurant,” two stars mean “excellent cooking that is worth a detour,” and three stars indicate “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.” The guide also includes “Bib Gourmand” distinctions for restaurants that offer high-quality food at a reasonable price, as well as various other awards and recognitions. The Michelin Guide is highly respected in the culinary world, and receiving a Michelin star or other recognition can greatly enhance a restaurant’s reputation and business.

Stay tuned for the Michelin Guide Florida 2023 debuting on May 11. For now, read about the new eight restaurants recommended in Orlando.

Orange County Government, The City of Orlando and Visit Orlando Celebrate #407Day (April 7) to Support Local Businesses

Orange County Government, The City of Orlando and Visit Orlando have announced the return of #407Day this Friday, April 7, 2023, for residents to celebrate their hometown pride and support local area businesses.

This special campaign, inspired by the destination’s longtime area code, encourages residents to support their favorite restaurants, bars, shops, boutiques, services and other locally owned businesses by sharing posts and photos on their social media channels using the hashtag #407Day.

Where will you be going that day to support our local Central Florida / Orlando businesses?

We at Tastychomps.com will also be partnering with Visit Orlando for a very special, mega-giveaway (details to come).

In 2023, #407Day will continue to evolve as a day of pride and support for Orlando and Orange County.

The central event for this year will be the unveiling of the Unbelievably Real mural on Friday, April 7. After being displayed in key markets, the mural is finally coming home to Orlando. The mural is a visual representation of everything that makes Orlando unique, inspiring residents and visitors to embrace all the elements within the mural, ranging from innovation, technology, dining, arts and culture and more.

Celebrate #407Day with Local Orlando Dishes including…

McCoy’s Bar & Grill & Hemisphere at Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport
Restaurant Address: 9300 Jeff Fuqua Blvd. Orlando, FL 32827
Local Dish Highlight: Crawfish Chowder – Legend has it that when Shaq was drafted to the Orlando Magic, the restaurant wanted to create something with all the hype coming to the city.  So, with his LSU background the Cajun crawfish chowder was born

 The Whiskey
Restaurant Address: 7563 W. Sand Lake Rd. Orlando, FL 32819
Local Dish Highlight: The Southerner
Regular Menu Item or Special Limited Time? Regular menu item

Maxine’s on Shine
Restaurant Address : 337 Shine Ave – Orlando
Local Dish Highlight: Squid Ink Linguine w/ Seared Gulf Shrimp and tomato lobster butter, served w/ Fava Beans Spinach and grape tomatoes – All ingredients used on the pasta dish are locally sourced.
It’s a Special for the whole week

 Café Tu Tu Tango
Address: 8625 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819
Local Dish Highlight: SPICED ALLIGATOR BITES- crispy wild caught Florida gator, key lime mustard – gator from Central Florida Trophy Hunts in Cocoa.

The Chef and I Orlando
Restaurant Address: 1412 Alden Rd. Orlando, FL 32803
Local Dish Highlight: Apple Arugula Salad –  locally grown arugula tossed with granny smith apple matchsticks, crumbled feta cheese, roasted peppers, and candied pecans in a local honey and chile vinaigrette and finished with extra virgin olive oil -The arugula for the salads is from B&W out of Fellsmere https://bwqualitygrowers.com

Paddlefish, Disney Springs:

Craft Beer Selection – Voted best rooftop bar/view of Orlando many times! Paddlefish’s key lime pie is made with the classic regional brand of Nellie & Joe’s Key lime juice out of Key West.

4 Rivers Smokehouse, several Orlando locations

Barbocoa Bowls (Shredded lettuce, white rice, black beans, cilantro lime creme fraiche, guasacaca, cilantro onion salsa, queso fresco, and squeeze of fresh lime juice with your choice of sazon pork or sazon brisket) Onions are from Pexco Farm, Plant City, FL; tomatoes are from Lipman Family Farms with multiple FL locations.

Nola Avalon Park at Marketplace at Avalon Park – 3801 Avalon Park East Blvd Orlando FL 32828

407 Day Downtown
Looking for a fun-filled evening to celebrate 407 Day? Look no further than the 407 Day Game Night at Orlando’s signature park on Friday, April 7, 2023 from 4-8pm. Join DTO for this free event at Lake Eola Park on the East Lawn for an evening of games, food, and fun for everyone. There will be a variety of games onsite to kick off your weekend – or feel free to bring your own! Discover Downtown is currently having a sale on 407 merch so you can look ready for the part.

‘Unbelievably Real’ Mural in Downtown Orlando

‘Unbelievably Real’ Mural at 96 Whitechapel in the United Kingdom

‘Unbelievably Real’ Mural on Thomas Street in the United Kingdom