Big news this week for Orlando’s restaurant scene as for the first time ever, The MICHELIN Guide will discover and celebrate culinary gems across Florida, starting in 2022.  

Thanks to a partnership between Visit Florida, Visit Orlando, Visit Tampa Bay and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Florida will be only the fifth U.S. destination Michelin has ever rated — New York, Chicago, California and Washington, D.C., being the others.

Orlando’s dining scene has continued to evolve in quality and diversity over the past few years, so hopefully with the Michelin Guide coming this will give our industry the recognition they deserve.

We asked several local Orlando restaurant owners, chefs, and diners about the news – here are some initial reactions about the Michelin Guide coming to Orlando – 

“First off, this is great for the state of Florida and Orlando, Miami and Tampa. The Michelin Guide is the hallmark for culinary excellence and Florida continues to show how our state continues to raise the bar in the culinary arena. It is exciting to see that our amazing culinary talent has the potential of being recognized in a Michelin Guide. This news should also be a rallying cry for our culinary talent to raise their game. Tourism is a huge part of the Florida economy and now we will add culinary tourism to our list of must visits.” – Jon McGavin, Area General Manager, Grande Lakes Orlando Resort

“This is a great thing! Operating a restaurant at a luxury resort is a team effort and recognition on that level would be a tremendous accomplishment for all our chefs. Grande Lakes Orlando’s culinary team has been awaiting this opportunity and everyone is excited for the potential to be acknowledged by such a respected rating system.” – Chef John Tesar, Knife and Spoon at The Ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes Orlando

“I feel this is a good thing. It will be an excitement for consumers to go check out the restaurants that get picked by the Michelin Guides. And it will be a motivation for the restaurant teams to improve their culinary offerings so they get picked.” – Owner Nora Jain, Tabla Cuisine

“It’s really exciting for Orlando and it speaks to the level of growth we’ve had in the food industry our community. The Orlando food scene has become more diverse and informed over the years. Michelin guide would create more friendly competition to the Orlando food culture by raising the standard and service as well as inspiring and push others to bring something different our community.  Positives – it will attract more people to Orlando and raise awareness of the Orlando food scene. There’s a stigma about Orlando food culture as being known for “park food” or the city of “chain restaurants,” however with the addition of the Michelin guide it can help brand Orlando as not only a park destination, but a food destination as well. Conversely, it could bring in more tourists to our local community causing traffic and pollution, but it would help with our economy overall as well!” –  Lewis Lin, Owner/Chef – Susuru and Susuru Juju which will open in late January 2022

“Welcome to Orlando, MICHELIN Guide! My hope is that the writers highlight the restaurants we all know and love, but also consciously drive beyond “comfort bubbles” to explore little-known gems and restaurants worthy of celebration.” – Katerina Coumbaros, owner of Tapa Toro and Taverna Opa Orlando

“We could not get more excited about such great news, for AVA MediterrAegean coming to Winter Park, FL in January. We will continue raising our culinary and operation standards, as a team and as individuals, breathing through that exciting fire every single day moving forward, to create the best experience for our guests while targeting the excellence that a Michelin Star would require.” – Chef Hung Huynh, Executive Chef of AVA MediterrAegean opening in Winter Park, Orlando in January 2022

“Huge future implications for our scene as long as they don’t ditch us like they did Vegas & LA back in the day.” – Local food enthusiast Aldo Ferrari

“Can’t wait! With our exciting culinary scene, we need a prestigious recognition to match it. It’s been looooong overdue. Too many great restaurants not getting the credit they deserve. We need this validation to get rid of the awful reputation of being only chain restaurants. I’ve always said that if any restaurant here deserves it, it should be Kadence.” –  Local food enthusiast,  Thao Tran

Press Release:

MICHELIN Guide inspectors will discover and celebrate culinary gems across the Sunshine State in 2022

Florida expansion represents The MICHELIN Guide’s fifth destination in the United States

Michelin and VISIT FLORIDA today revealed an expansion of The MICHELIN Guide, with the announcement of The MICHELIN Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa.

The partnership combines VISIT FLORIDA’s strength in tourism with Michelin’s 120-plus years of experience in gastronomy.

“MICHELIN Guide inspectors look forward to discovering the world-class culinary landscape in Miami, Orlando and Tampa,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guides. “From the excitement and glamour of Miami to Orlando’s iconic attractions and the rich culture of Tampa’s Gulf Coast, Florida’s gastronomy is unique, diverse and intriguing for locals and travelers across the globe.”

The inaugural edition of The MICHELIN Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa will be announced in 2022.

“Orlando’s dining scene continues to evolve in both sophistication and diversity with nationally recognized chefs, international cuisines and plentiful options for every budget and taste,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “Having the MICHELIN Guide inspectors visit Orlando to experience and rate our restaurant offerings will raise the visibility of our destination’s culinary superstars on a global scale.”

“VISIT FLORIDA, along with our destination partners, Visit Orlando, Visit Tampa Bay and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, are thrilled to partner with Michelin to develop a MICHELIN Guide to further establish Florida as a world-renowned culinary destination,” said Dana Young, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. “This gives Florida the opportunity to highlight the dynamic and unexpected culinary adventures the Sunshine State has to offer from locally-grown produce and fresh seafood to unique fusions from cultures around the world.”

The new restaurant selections will join Michelin’s selection of extraordinary hotels in Florida, curated by Tablet Hotels, the hotel experts at the MICHELIN Guide.

About Michelin North America Inc.

Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its customers’ mobility, and sustainably; designing and distributing the most innovative tires, services and solutions for its customers’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Michelin North America has approximately 23,000 employees and operates 34 production facilities in the United States and Canada. (michelinman.com)

About Visit Orlando

Visit Orlando is The Official Tourism Association® for Orlando, the most visited destination in the United States and Theme Park Capital of the World®. Visit Orlando connects consumers with every segment of Central Florida’s travel community whether for a vacation or meeting. Home to seven of the world’s top theme parks, refreshing water parks, outdoor thrill rides, activities to connect with nature, and a dynamic dining and entertainment scene, Orlando is welcoming to travelers of all ages. With 450 hotels, visitors have choices from multi-acre resorts to themed boutique hotels. Orlando’s trusted theme parks, attractions, hotels and businesses have developed comprehensive safety measures and worked closely with medical experts to create safe travel experiences. Find more information at VisitOrlando.com.

About VISIT FLORIDA

As the Sunshine State’s No. 1 industry, tourism was responsible for welcoming 79.8million visitors in 2020, a decrease from the record 131.4 million visitors in 2019, attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the latest economic impact study, Florida visitors contributed $96.5billion to Florida’s economy and supported 1.6million Florida jobs in 2019. According to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, for every $1 the state invests in VISIT FLORIDA, the official tourism marketing corporation for the State of Florida, $3.27 in tax revenue is generated. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves more than 13,000 tourism industry businesses, including major strategic alliance partnerships with Busch Gardens Tampa, Disney Destinations, Hilton, LEGOLAND Florida Resort, SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando and Universal Orlando Resort. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA follow @FloridaTourism on Facebook and Twitter or visit www.visitflorida.org.For inspiration from the Sunshine State, follow @VISITFLORIDA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visitwww.visitflorida.com. For media resources, visit www.visitfloridamedia.com.

Today, Grills Lakeside Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar owner Joe Penovich posted a social media letter to Joe Biden regarding vaccination, Biblical narratives, and prophecies regarding mandates. See below for more –

Grills Lakeside in Orlando Florida is the third restaurant for the Grills group, in addition to Port Canaveral and Melbourne locations.

Disclaimer: Please consult the CDC and other official health organizations regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

“Dear @joeBiden These are a few of the many employees of Grills who for their own reasons have decided not to get this vaccine. They are amazing, hard working, responsible people. They have been on the front lines serving the public from the start of this pandemic.
There is a moral and ethical compass severely out of calibration in suggesting they should be fired for their convictions. This vaccine does not stop spread, does not prevent infection and its ability to mitigate serious illness wanes far quicker than originally anticipated. Additionally there are significant known risks and anyone who has had Covid (like most of these pictured) now have the best God given immunity available! So why sir are these people being threatened and vilified for their own convictions and concerns about taking it?
In a desperate attempt to give you the benefit of the doubt and not politicize this thing, perhaps you yourself are being deceived by a narrative designed to ensure the continued flow of billions of dollars towards a few pharmaceutical companies?
I pray it’s that simple.
But perhaps the deception is more significant and sinister than a money grab. As a professing Christian yourself, you must be aware of the Biblical narrative that tells of ultimate control by government over citizens of the world, to the extent that they cannot buy or sell anything unless they comply with a certain mandate. Whether this is a beta for that prophecy or the final chapter, I don’t know. But it is aligning quickly. I fear for anyone who is complicit in bringing about that narrative. Praying for you sir.
Respectfully.
Joe Penovich
Grills Restaurants”

Address: 4301 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32804

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One of the most important traditions in the Passover holiday is the Seder meal. According to Judaic traditions, this meal commemorates the mercy that God bestowed on the Jews when He spared them from the plague of death that was to befall the first-born sons in Egypt. God then delivered the Jews out of Egypt, led by Moses. All major Passover programs are offering huge range of Seder meal options for the guests, from completely Vegan Seder meals, traditional Ashkenazi or Sephardic menus, and special menus for diabetic, gluten and other food allergies. Different level pf Kashrut are also observed, but most programs are offering kitniyot free, as well as non-gebrochts, in order to attract a wider range of guests.

Preparing for and planning the Passover Meal
The seder plate must be present on the table. The plate must contain certain elements as representations for specific things.

1) A roasted shank bone represents the Pesach sacrifice [Zeroah]
2) The egg on the plate is a symbol for the circle of life and spring when life awakens after the winter [Beitzah]
3) The bitter herbs on the plate represent the bitterness of slavery [Mar’or}
4) The haroset, made of wine, nuts, apples and such is a representation of the mortar that the Jews in Egypt used [Haroset]
5) The greens, usually parsley, represents spring [Karpas]
Present on the table there should also be:
a) Three pieces of unleavened bread or matzah to represent the bread that the Israelite people took with them.
b) Salt water to represent the tears shed by the Israelites
c) Four cups of wine should be consumed during the seder and in some families a cup of water is set out to represent Miriam the sister of Moses.

The Meals
The food served at the seder will change to some degree according to family preferences, location and availability of certain items. There will not be any leavened food made from grain. There will be no pasta, cookies, or cereal served.

Dishes you might see:
• Matzo ball soup
• Gefilte fish
• Beef briskets
• Chicken
• Potatoes

Vegetables:
There are some vegetables that are better served during the Passover meal.

These include:
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Cauliflower
• Red cabbage
• Grilled eggplant
• Okra
• Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Radicchio
• Treviso
• potatoes

Peas, corn and beans are often eliminated from the menu options because they can be pulverized into a flour substance. These are referred to as kitniyot and rice, peas, corn, millet, seeds, legumes and beans are usually left off the menu.

The main dish or the meat of the dinner has a lot of opportunities. Roasted chicken and beef brisket are two of the most popular meats served at Passover seder. Often the brisket is prepared with a chili sauce or a cola to create a sweet brisket.

Desserts
Cakes and cookies served during seder must be gluten free deserts Many of the Jewish families serve dried fruit compete, fresh berry salads and other deserts that eliminate the need for any flours of leavening agents to be prepared.

Poached pears or grilled pears are fabulous endings to a seder meal. The pears are delectable and almost everyone enjoys them. You might also consider serving a fig, pistachio and carrot salad topped with s sweet fig vinaigrette.

The main thing to remember about the dessert is it is ending a perfect meal. Mild flavors from fruits and natural sweets from the fruits will be fabulous after the richness of a beef brisket.

Plan ahead
The main thing you must remember about the seder menu is you need to plan ahead so you can make sure and have all of the ingredients you need on hand before it is time to prepare the food. You can also make as many of the dishes as possible ahead of time so cooking the meal on the first day of Passover will not wear you out and leave you frazzled. The cook also has to enjoy the holiday.

Enlist the help of friends and family. Let all of the families who will be attending the dinner contribute something to the festivities. Letting other cooks help you prepare the food, and shop for the food will take some of the pressure off of your shoulders.

Keep it Simple
Not every dish you serve has to be something that takes hours to prepare. Remember that you want to enjoy the holiday meal with your family. Consider doing things like scrambled eggs and matzo that can be served with a sweet jam or with maple syrup.

Roast a chicken with currants and apricots and get the sweetness, the exotic flavors and the roasted chicken all at the same time. It will taste like you spent hours preparing it but you will know that it was simple and quick.

Potatoes are great for filling people up and adding bulk to the table. Roast them with lavender, make them into a kugel, make latkes, or serve them how your family likes them most.

Final Thought
The traditional Jewish Passover foods are unleavened because when the slaves left Egypt they did not have time to let their bread rise. Everything about the meal has a purpose and significance, be sure you share the stories and significance with the younger people at the table so they can continue the tradition.