A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending The Whiskey’s Masters Series Chef’s Table. It was a delightful evening featuring five uniquely crafted courses with perfectly poured pairings. The Whiskey usually specializes in gourmet burgers so this Chef’s Table event was a great way for the fantastic chef and kitchen staff to spread their creativity. Each course was paired with a craft cocktail featuring Brown-Forman liquors, and while there were no Ubers that needed to be called, a pleasant buzz surrounded the evening as each pairing was delicious. Keep an eye out for tickets regarding the next Chef’s Table event as there is typically one each quarter.

We started with a Ratatouille Napoleon, which featured a roasted garlic and pepper sauce and was accompanied by a rolled cucumber salad, bacon jam, and a pipette of elderflower dressing.

Paired with the Ratatouille was the Irish Maid, a cocktail featuring Slane Irish Whiskey, elderflower liquer, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and cucumbers which combined for a sweet and refreshing cocktail. I enjoyed how the elements of elderflower were present in both the dressing and cocktail during this course.

The second course was a Seared Foie Gras, resting on a pumpkin french toast, berry streusel crunch, and a bourbon maple drizzle.

The richness of the foie gras was paired with a cocktail called The Brown Derby. Made with Woodford Reserve, honey simple syrup, and grapefruit juice, it was just the bit of acidity and sweetness to complement the course.

The third course was a Chicken Confit Ball, with a barrel smoked mushroom duxelle and quail egg. My favorite part was the barrel smoked mushroom duxelle, it was full of flavor and unique.

We paired the third course with BenRiach 10 year, over ice. Speyside Scotch over ice is one of my favorite simple pleasures, so I thoroughly enjoyed this drink.

The main course of the night was Coffee Braised Pork Cheek, with truffle crispy shaved brussels and au gratin stack. I was very happy to see Pork Cheek introduced as cheek is an underrated cut. Growing up fish cheeks was a favorite dish but always sounded off-putting to others. The shaved brussels was a favorite among many diners, who all enjoyed the crispiness.

A bread side cart with smoked honey butter was a pleasant surprise, with one of the breads resembling a bao bun and the other pita chips. I really enjoyed the smoked honey butter, as I have a soft spot for smokey sweet flavors.

The Rob Roy cocktail was the pairing for the main course. Comprised of Glendronach 12 year, sweet vermouth, and filthy cherry juice, this classic cocktail, sometimes referred to as the Scotch Manhattan, was new for me, and I will definitely be drinking more of these in the future.

The night ended with a dessert trio of chocolate orange truffle, strawberry cheesecake crunch, and old fashioned bread pudding with a filthy cherry sauce. Bread pudding is a staple of southern fare, and the old fashioned twist incorporated the flavors well.

The final drink pairing was “The Whiskey” Old Fashioned, featuring Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, rhubarb bitters, orange bitters, raw cane sugar, and filthy cherry juice. An old fashioned is one of the most popular whiskey cocktails and a fitting way to end the night at The Whiskey.

The Whiskey is located in The Fountains at Bay Hill (7563 W Sand Lake Rd, Orlando, FL 32819) and open from 11 AM – 2 AM daily.

Chef Nick of Ocean Prime in Orlando, FL sat down with us and answered a few questions about himself. Would you like to get to know your local chef a little better?

• Where did you grow up?
  I grew up in Winter Springs, Florida, but was born in Miami.

• Who/what inspired you to become a chef and why?
  My father and grandfather both worked in the industry and worked in the kitchen as chefs. My father decided to go a different path, but he was a chef for quite some time. I also wouldn’t be in this field if my mom didn’t give me a little nudge to go a different route in my life. Where I was wasn’t really working out, and she said “Well, you’ve been in kitchens since you were 15 and I think it’s something you should try to pursue.” So I owe a lot of my experience to my mom, because I don’t know if I would have gone after this path without her.

• What is your all-time favorite dish in general?
  Anything my Cuban grandmother cooks.
• What is your all-time favorite dish at Ocean Prime?
  That’s not an easy choice for me to make when I’m so personally proud of all of the dishes we serve.  If I had to pick one though, I’d say the local Florida Grouper that’s served with lobster and gnocchi.  I love that it combines two premium seafood items into one dish and that the local grouper and the lobster work so well together making for a really balanced dish that is savory with a touch of sweet.   I recommend it with a glass of sauvignon blanc.

• What is your go-to meal when you’re low on time?
  A hot, pressed sandwich with a good amount of butter. Something Cuban-esque.
•  What ingredient can you not live without?
  Salt. I think everything needs a little bit of salt to help bloom all the flavor as much as possible.
• How would your culinary team describe you in 3 words?
  Team player. Passionate. Humble.
• How do you get your inspiration?
  I try to keep up-to-date on the chefs that I admire the most and see what they’re working with, what’s in style, what’s in season, and any other techniques I can pick up from them and implement here in our restaurant.
• What is the best piece of advice you would give a home enthusiast?
  Do a lot of research. Don’t rush. Keep trying and trying. If it doesn’t come out perfect, try again. And have fun. Once it comes out perfect, it’s an experience you can’t take away from anybody.

• What is your favorite wine?
  I’ve only recently gotten into drinking a lot of different wines and figuring out exactly what I like. I’d have to say a cabernet is my go-to because I know it’s nice and safe for me. If I’m not drinking wine, I’ll go after some dark rum.
• What foodie destination have you been to and is your favorite?
  I don’t travel too much, but I’d say Miami. There’s so many cultures there and you can grab so many different types of food that are executed very well.
• What foodie destination do you have in mind for future travels?
  Spain. My heritage goes back to the Spaniards, and I’d like to go over and see the different variations of food they produce. There’s a lot of open markets readily accessible any day of the week and not just Sundays like they typically are here.

• What would your “last supper” meal be?
  A really big steak with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. Who can say no to steak and potatoes?
• Is there a dish you really dislike?
  As I’ve progressed in my career as a chef, I’ve found it hard to find a dish that I completely dislike. As of now, I haven’t found anything that I don’t like, and I’ve eaten tons of stuff.

For more information on Chef Nick or Ocean Prime, visit their location in Orlando, FL or their website.

Chicken Fire is a new vendor coming to Orlando, FL bringing soulful Nashville hot chicken. Nashville hot is a different type of hot with a load of cayenne. The chicken is covered in crispy batter, cayenne and other spices before it is deep fried.

Kwame is the proud owner of Chicken Fire. From helping to make his chicken to greeting guests, he makes sure everyone is enjoying their time and his chicken.

I asked Kwame for his favorite and he brought us a Hot Box with a hot spice level. The Hot Box has 2 jumbo chicken tenders served with bread, pickles, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, and their Signature Fire Sauce.

The Signature Fire Sauce isn’t hot like the name implies. Instead, it actually helps in cooling the fire in your mouth created by the hot spice level! Although you may be accustomed to hot spices, I am warning you that this is an entirely new level and will burn if you accidentally get it on your face like I did.

Enjoying it with some toast helps in cooling down your mouth. However, you may still want to bring a glass of milk with you.

Another option you could order is the Big Box, which I ordered with medium hot sauce. Again, my lips were on fire. However, it was worth it because it was so amazing. The crispy coating is flavorful and the chicken on the inside is absolutely tender and moist.

If you’re not into spicy, but still want to try Kwame’s chicken, check out the soulful heat level. The soulful heat level is not spicy whatsoever. Instead, it has sweet honey notes to it. This level definitely helps in mellowing out the fire the other heat levels create.

Soon, Chicken Fire will have their own location for you to stop by whenever you want instead of looking for pop ups. Until then, follow them on Instagram or follow them on Facebook. I can’t wait to check out another pop up so I can try the mild heat level – the only level I haven’t tried yet.

Tijuana Flats offers double stacked cheesy tacos for a limited time until Nov 4, 2019.

You have a few days left to grab this amazing offer for only $7.99.

The double stacked cheesy tacos consists of a hard shell and soft shell with cheese in between!

The ingredients inside of the middle taco (hard shell) are the same as what they usually have for dos tacos and you can adjust the topics according to your preferences.

Speaking of dos tacos, have you tried their crispy fish? It’s unique and add a crunch to the bite, especially if you went with the soft shell like I did.

Of course, I can’t go without having the usual beef dos tacos at my visit. However, I made it megajuana this time, which means it has double the meat.

At Tijuana Flats, they also offer bowls like this one with steak. Next time, I want to try it with the crispy fish. I think it’ll be great with the flavors of the rice itself.

After ordering, don’t forget to stop by the sauce bar and grab as many sauces you’d like to try on your tasty dishes. Also, each Tijuana Flats is unique in their decorations and artwork.

For more information and to find a Tijuana Flats close to you, visit the website.

North Orlando’s block party and nightlife destination is back to do what they do best — put on another spectacular block party.  Liam Fitzpatrick’s Restaurant and Irish Pub joins together with Colonial Town Park plaza neighbors Graffiti Junction, Dexter’s of Lake Mary, Duffy’s Sports Grill, and F&D Cantina to throw the 11th annual “Halloween Block Party” on Saturday, October 26, 2019 starting at 8pm. 

Trick or treat yourself to the free event open to the public.  All guests (21 & up) are invited to drink, dance and show off their scariest looks outside Liam Fitzpatrick’s and around the festive plaza, while enjoying two live DJ’s spinning throughout the night, tasty brews and bites and the area’s biggest costume contest awarding $1000 in cash prizes for the winners.

Liam’s Halloween Block Party supports Orlando City Youth Soccer, who will be on site collecting donations and receiving 100% of proceeds from a specialty Halloween shot available all night at their tent.  Orlando City Youth Soccer is the preeminent youth club in Central Florida, whose core values are player development, parental guidance, coaches education and community outreach.

“Our block parties are a must-see in Central Florida, and we are excited to bring the community another round of delicious drinks, food and Halloween fun,” says General Manager Dominick Coloni.  “We are happy to join back together with our plaza neighbors and support Orlando City Youth Soccer, and we look forward to seeing all of our patrons come out for another unforgettable event.”

Experience the 11^th annual Halloween Block Party hosted by Liam Fitzpatrick’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at Colonial Town Plaza located at 951 Market Promenade Ave., Suite 1115, Lake Mary, FL 32746.  For more information, call 407-936-3782 or visit www.liamfitzpatricks.com.