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Inside Look: Gelato-go in Winter Park, FL

Katherine Nguyen
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Inside Look: Gelato-go in Winter Park, FL

Gelato-Go makes their own Gelato base daily with fresh ingredients. Their secret is the meticulous search of the ingredients used in each of the recipes, imported from their homeland of Italy and from all over the world.

Some of the ingredients used in the production of the Gelati are pistachios from Bronte, Sicily, hazelnuts from Langhe, Piedmont, and Vairhona chocolate, which sources cocoa beans of the finest variety from a plantation in Venezuela.

They serve you a healthier product by using milk which does not contain artificial hormones or antibiotics.

Here, there’s the pistachios and dark chocolate sorbet. Both create such a rich mixture that dances well on your palate. It’s not too sweet, which makes it great.

They also make every effort to obtain fruits grown by local farmers for their SORBETTI. And since it’s non-dairy and fatfree, sorbetti is a perfect treat for those who may be lactose intolerant. The sorbetti do not contain any colorings or preservatives whatsoever and this is what makes it a true and refreshing treat.

Photographed is the dragon fruit sorbet, which is also light in flavor. Slightly tart and all around delicious, especially with a little macaroon to top it off.

Gelato-go helped me in creating this mountain of Gelati, which includes coffee, dark chocolate, stracciatella, and more! So delicious and quick to melt on a hot summer day in Florida.

For more information, check out Gelato-go in Winter Park for yourself. 513 S Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789

Del Frisco’s Debuts New 2019 Prime Pair Menu, 3-Courses for $59 All Summer Long Plus Interview with Executive Chef Greg Thompson

Tiffany Nguyen
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Del Frisco’s Debuts New 2019 Prime Pair Menu, 3-Courses for $59 All Summer Long Plus Interview with Executive Chef Greg Thompson

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse started in 1981 with a bold vision to embody the rich tradition of the classic American steakhouse.

Starting now through September 2nd, guests at Del Frisco’s can enjoy the 3-course Prime Pair menu for $59.  The special menu includes salad, a fresh steak or fresh seafood entrée paired with Del’s infamous jumbo lump crab cake and a side dish.

Del Frisco’s Executive Chef is Greg Thompson, who brings more than 18 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Most recently, he served as vice president of food services at Hope Haven, Inc. He also worked with Morton’s The Steakhouse, SFUZZI and Loews Hotels. Thompson’s skills in the kitchen come from formal training, graduating from the Culinary Institute of America.

We were recently invited to try out the new Prime Pair menu.

Here are our Favorite Dishes from the Prime Pair Menu at Del Frisco’s:

1. Del’s Salad

Mixed greens, tomatoes, shaved carrots, croutons & crisp bacon.  The dressing is made with avocados and it was so good I had to stop myself from licking all the dressing off my plate.

2. Blue Cheese Lettuce Wedge

Cherry tomatoes, crisp bacon & danish blue cheese dressing.  Loved the presentation of this salad.  It was crisp and fulfilling.

3. Hand-cut filet 8 oz. & Del’s jumbo lump crab cake with cajun-lobster cream sauce

Tender, juicy, seasoned steak paired with a succulent crab cake.  Delicious!

4. Fresh salmon with Himalayan sea salt & Del’s jumbo lump crab cake with cajun-lobster cream sauce


The salmon was fresh and excellent.

Side dishes: Château mashed potatoes, seasonal asparagus, creamed spinach, baked potato


These château mashed potatoes were creamy and well-flavored.  Solid side dish!

Dessert:

The following desserts are from their regular menu and they were so good, I just could not pass up sharing with everyone.

1. Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Bar

Chocolate pearls, vanilla rum sauce, ganache.  It is like a crunch bar version of a Ferrero Rocher then decorated in some chocolate pearls.  So good!

2. Butter Cake

Butter pecan ice cream, fresh whipped cream & caramel.  Another great dessert.

Interview with Del Frisco’s Executive Chef Greg Thompson

As executive chef for Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, Thompson is responsible to maintain complete control of the kitchen at all times and to maximize the productivity of the kitchen staff. He maintains impeccable safety and hygiene standards in the workplace.

TastyChomps: What are some of the greatest influences in your life in becoming a chef?

Chef Greg Thompson: Years spent at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY were the foundation that I have built my house upon.

TastyChomps: What are some of your favorite food memories growing up?

Chef Greg Thompson: Steak and potatoes and anything Italian!

TastyChomps: What are some of the most popular dishes right now at Del Frisco’s?

Chef Greg Thompson: I am a huge fan of the “16oz Dry aged ribeye” it’s literally in my top 10 best steaks in the world!

TastyChomps: What are some of your favorite dishes on the menu that people should try?

Chef Greg Thompson: We have a Wagyu Beef Carpaccio that is amazing one of my favorite items on the menu!

TastyChomps: What is the secret to a great steak?

Chef Greg Thompson: A very hot grill and perfect seasoning we use kosher salt and black pepper.

TastyChomps: What are some “kitchen” tools that you can’t live without?

Chef Greg Thompson: A really good set of tongs because they are like an extension of the arm!

TastyChomps: What are some ingredients that you love working with right now?

Chef Greg Thompson: We use a fantastic King Salmon flown in from New Zealand called Ora-King that is some of the best salmon I have ever had. It’s extremely succulent and rich.

TastyChomps: What is the best knife to get for cooking?

Chef Greg Thompson: I like the Wusthof Grand Prix Chefs Knife in the 10-inch length – perfection.

TastyChomps: What are some upcoming changes guests can expect at Del Frisco’s?

Chef Greg Thompson: We just rolled out a new bar menu and it is all winners not a dog in the bunch!

TastyChomps: Where do you go to eat when you aren’t working?

Chef Greg Thompson: I usually grill on a weber kettle with charcoal at home!

TastyChomps: What do you make when you have no time or when it is really late at night – something that just hits home?

Chef Thompson: Gourmet Hot dogs, uncured, top sliced roll, all the toppings, pickles, avocado, sauerkraut, mustard and mayo.

TastyChomps: Favorite thing about Orlando?

Chef Thompson: The people of course.

For more information, please visit: delfriscos.com/promotions/prime-pair-summer-steak-crab/

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House
9150 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-5074
http://delfriscos.com

Inside Look: TastyChomps x Christner’s Macallan Scotch Dinner

Ricky Ly
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Inside Look: TastyChomps x Christner’s Macallan Scotch Dinner

On Friday, June 21, we here at TastyChomps and Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster partnered up to host The Macallan Scotch Dinner.

Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster has been owned and operated by the Christner family since 1993 and remains an award-winning favorite of the Orlando community featuring the finest USDA Prime steaks in town, as well as fresh seafood and outstanding wine and spirits.

Erin Yesser of Edrington gave us a rundown on The Macallan and its rich history.

Originally, The Macallan was matured only in oak sherry casks brought to the distillery from Jerez, Spain.  The Macallan works closely with fully integrated ‘tree to finished seasoned cask’ companies in Spain; to identify the oak trees in the forests of northern Spain, fell the trees, saw and air dry the oak staves before shipping them to the south for further air-drying to reduce the moisture even more. The casks are then seasoned for 18 months before making the journey to Scotland where they are filled with The Macallan ‘new make’ spirit.

All of The Macallan whiskies take 100% of their color from the wood in which they are matured. As wood is a natural product, each tree is different and in turn, imparts different flavors and colors to the whisky during maturation.

Here is An Inside Look At The Macallan Scotch Dinner presented by TastyChomps and Christner’s

Onion Ring Stuffed with Fried Oysters

Beefsteak Tomato with Sliced Onions

USDA Prime Ribeye with Chateau Potatoes and Asparagus

Carrot Cake

Featured Scotch

Macallan 12 Year Sherry Cask

Macallan 12 Year Double Cask

Macallan 15 Year Triple Cask Mature

Macallan Rare Cask Batch No. 3, 2019 Release

Stay tuned for more meetup and dining events to come!

First Look: New Happy Hour Menu at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill in Disney Springs

Tiffany Nguyen
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First Look: New Happy Hour Menu at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill in Disney Springs

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Disney Springs has officially launched a happy hour called Social Hour.

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Disney Springs, which recently re-opened, modernizes the traditional “bar and grill” concept and is inspired by traditional farmhouses and a touch of California elegance, made popular by Puck himself with his flagship restaurant, Spago.  Designed by Tony Chi, the menu here highlights the best of Wolfgang’s signature dishes with Mediterranean influences, innovative takes on comfort food classics, and handcrafted specialty cocktails, beer and wine.

From Monday through Thursday from 3pm to 6pm, guest can enjoy signature cocktails for $12, glasses of wine for $7 and draft beers for $5 and favorite bites at special prices.  Available at the bar only.

Happy Hour will also feature a special cocktail of the day.

Here are Our Favorite Plates From The New Happy Hour Menu at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill:

1. Italian Sausage Pizza – pickle peppers, roasted fennel. $14


A delicious, flavorful pizza.  Every bite was perfection.

2. Tempura Calamari – olives, zucchini, lemon aioli. $12



The tempura calamari, zucchini, and olives was light and crisp and tasted great dipped in lemon aioli.

3. Truffled Potato Chips – blue cheese sauce. $7

The best truffle potato chips.


4. Bruschetta – tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto, ciabatta. $9

The ciabatta bread was soft, and the toppings complimented it very well.

5. Roasted Meatballs -Tomato sauce, ricotta, basil. $10 

These meatballs were delicious!

5. Tuscan Roasted Potatoes – garlic, chili. $5

I was surprised how crispy these potatoes were.  They were addicting.

 

Dessert:

The “Campfire Sundae” is not on their Happy Hour menu, but it is so good, I just could not pass up sharing with everyone.  Made with salted caramel gelato, chocolate cookie crunch gelato, pretzel sticks, mini marshmallows, chocolate cheesecake, marshmallow fluff, and caramel popcorn.  Highly recommended!

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill – Disney Springs
1780 Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
407-815-2100
disneysprings.com/dining/wolfgang-puck-bar-grill/

 

Umi on Park Avenue launches $10,000 Christmas in July Giveaway

Katherine Nguyen
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Umi on Park Avenue launches $10,000 Christmas in July Giveaway

From July 1, 2019 through August 22, 2019, Umi Japanese Restaurant is hosting a $10,000 Christmas in July giveaway with some red envelopes.

We were able to stop in to taste some of the local favorite dishes as well as hear more about the red envelope giveaway!

With all of the red envelopes, the giveaway totals up to $10,000 worth of quality food.

When dining at Umi July 1 – August 22, 2019, you’ll receive a red envelope at random once get your bill.

Come back within this time period with the UNOPENED red envelope to claim one of their great secret prizes.

The prize you may win could be gyoza, a five course dinner for 2, robata charcoal grill, a give course dinner for 4, edamame, or the chef selection for Sea of Japan!

Before showing you what the Sea of Japan dish is, I’m going to ease you into Umi with other beautiful and delicious dishes including this one – Scallop Carpaccio (raw).

The scallops are served with an Asian salsa verde, micro greens, berry ponzu gel, ikura, red tabiko, sakuri, and orange zest.

This dish, like all of the other dishes we’ve had at Umi, was very fresh with well balanced tastes in each bite.

Another cold plate we choose to try was the Spicy Kimchi, which is made in-house.

I’m not a big fan of Kimchi myself, but this was pretty good! I’d order this again at Umi for sure.

As you may have noticed, many Asian restaurants have edamame. However, not many have the flavors like Umi does. From the common sea salt to 3 other unique flavors, Umi also has spicy kimchi, garlic lime, and truffle salt edamame for you to try and share. Here shows truffle salt edamame and it was definitely tasty. The truffle salt adds an earthy note to each bite.

Next on the menu, you may notice Hot Stone Wagyu Ishiyaki and you may not know what it is. Well, here it is.

You’d receive 3oz of Wagyu steak, shiitaki mushrooms, shishito peppers, yellow onion, and a dish of yuzu vinaigrette sauce to dip each item into before placing it onto a table top hot stone.

This is a fun dish to order when on a date for you two to cook together.

The wagyu is best if you only leave it for a few seconds and the inside is still pink when you take it off the stone.

Be careful with the shishito peppers, some can be spicy so you’d be playing a little Russian roulette.

As you may have noticed, Umi provides many different and unique options.

Therefore, they do not shy away from that concept of being unique with their sushi.

Hearing that we weren’t sure of which to order but still want to try eel, they decided to give us a common roll with a twist to it created on the spot by the Chef.

Here, you see the California roll with tempura eel on top.

It was fresh and crispy with the tempura eel on top of the California roll that Umi makes with snow crab, cucumber and avocado.

The other roll we tried was the Hokkaido (raw). This roll is pretty and creative.

The Hokkaido consists of fried shichimi-breaded calamari, Hokkaido scallop, thinly sliced lime, yuzu tobiko, truffle ume vinaigrette, and shredded nori.

I mainly tasted the freshness of the scallops and calamari, crispy texture of the shichimi-breaded calamari, and citrus zest of the lime. All of these pinpoints made this sushi one of my all-time favorites.

This may be what you’ve been waiting to hear about… the “Sea of Japan”! Umi’s Itamae masterfully prepares a selection of 20 pieces of Sashimi, 20 pieces of Nigiri and 3 signature rolls.

Creating this masterpiece requires at least 30 minutes to prepare for you. It will comfortably feed up to 4 people.

Each item is made with fresh seafood and lined up beautifully, which requires the lengthy preparation time.

Yet, you may not want to order anything else if you’re going to get the Sea of Japan unless you’re with a group because it will definitely fill you up.

My favorite Sashimi will have to be Tako (Octopus) with the thinly sliced lemon that comes with it.

The lemon adds that citrus note that I love so much with the tasty texture of the tako.

Whether or not you get the Sea of Japan, be sure to make room for desserts like this delicious creme brûlée. I’m not a fan of sweets, but I do fancy this dish because it isn’t very sweet at all. The sugar crust is crispy and adds a crunchy texture to each bite of the smooth custard.

Stop in for any of the dishes I tried (and more) as well as to check out their new happy hour menu.

For more information, please visit their website.

Monsieur Paul at Epcot’s France Pavilion Launches Secret Special Discovery Menu till Sept 27

Ricky Ly
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Monsieur Paul at Epcot’s France Pavilion Launches Secret Special Discovery Menu till Sept 27

Starting this Friday, July 19th, Monsieur Paul, the gourmet French restaurant at the France Pavilion in Epcot is launching a Secret Special Discovery Menu.

Located just upstairs from Les Chefs de France, this special menu for Monsieur Paul will be served until September 27th, but this is such a great deal that it will be only offered by request.

Chef Paul Bocuse first opened Les Chefs de France at Disney’s Epcot in 1982—it was the first Bocuse-affiliated restaurant in America. His son, Jerome Bocuse, owns the company behind Monsieur Paul.

Named Best French Craftsman in 1961 and Chef of the Century in 2011 by the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Bocuse has achieved extraordinary culinary honors throughout his career. He achieved 3 Michelin stars for 48 straight years at his famous Lyon restaurant, Auberge du Pont de Collonges.

The new menu is created by Chef Nicolas Lemoyne, who previously practiced his craft at l’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, the 3-star restaurant from Paul Bocuse.

Monsieur Paul’s Secret Special Menu

Available by Request Only – July 19 – September 27, 2019

First Look: Melts On Main in Downtown Winter Garden

Stephanie Scelsi
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First Look: Melts On Main in Downtown Winter Garden

Melts on Main is the latest addition to the Downtown Winter Garden area. Formally known as MOMS, Melts on Main has undergone a revamp under the new manager, Ashley. Ashley is a 22-year-old entrepreneur that immediately knew the once ’70s inspired eatery had potential to become a beautiful, home-y restaurant for friends to gather.

Using locally sourced ingredients, Melts on Main aims to bring delicious and healthy food for everyone. They offer everything from soups and salads to melts and desserts with gluten free and plant-based cheese options.

If you like a classic tomato bisque, then you will love their’s topped with basil, parmesan, and parsley. It goes perfect with any salad or melt!

The Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad or Mediterranean Salad are great options. The Chicken Avocado Caprese Salad is a spring mix based completed with grilled chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, avocado slices and basil. What’s not to love about this fresh and colorful salad?!

 

If you do not eat meat or want an option without it, then the Mediterranean Salad is for you. For this salad, quinoa is mixed with cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, olives, feta cheese, and basil.

The two most popular items on the menu are the Spicy Chicken Avocado Melt and Caprese Melt. I chose the Spicy Chicken Avocado and it was perfection in every way. The Swiss cheese and bacon really stepped up this sandwich, but my favorite part was the Sriracha  spicy mayo. It gave the melt a nice flavor and a slight heat which I enjoyed.

The Caprese Melt is a colorful combination of fresh tomato, sliced mozzarella, arugula, parmesan, and pesto puree. Also, every melt comes with a side salad and chips. The kettle cooked chips were very tasty and crispy!

You can finish off your meal with one of their pastries which change depending on availability. The cupcakes and cookies caught my attention! The chocolate chip cookie was good and soft. But next time, I would ask them if they could heat it up first to get it warm.

Melts on Main is located at 108 South Main Street in Winter Garden, and opened from 9 AM to 8 PM Monday thru Friday and 10 AM to 6 PM on Saturday.

 

 

The Best 6 Chinese Hot Pot Restaurants to Try in Orlando

Tiffany Nguyen
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The Best 6 Chinese Hot Pot Restaurants to Try in Orlando

First off, What is Chinese Hot Pot?

It’s been said that the origin of hot pot started in East Asia when the Mongolians, those famed nomadic steppe warriors, each had their own personal pot and prepared a simple broth served with horse meat and sheep meat. Yes, the Chinese tried to keep the Mongolians and their so-called barbaric kin out of their “Middle Kingdom” with their Great Wall, but alas not even Matt Damon could help fight off these invaders forever, their tastes for hot boiling broth included.

Eventually, this cooking method became widespread throughout China and became a part of their own “melting pot”, growing in popularity because of its fun, interactive experience of communal dining among friends and family.   Hot pot has the power to enhance friendships and unite family members and the warm air will make you feel comfortable. Think of it as Chinese fondue, but with delicious soup broth instead of cheese, oil, or chocolate.

Nowadays in China, a popular style is the Sichuan Chongqing mala “numb spicy” hot pot. There are even popular hot pot chains in Asia, most notably the Haidilao chain (which made over $6 billion this year) and Little Sheep hot pot franchises. In Japan, the dish is known as shabu-shabu or sukiyaki, while in Vietnam it is known as lau.

Several local Orlando restaurants feature hot pot as a single dish cooked to order, but full hot pot restaurants have the option to have individual ingredients and broths for you to cook at your table. Yes – cooking is half the fun with hot pots – it is part of the experience!

So, How Do You Eat Chinese Hot Pot?

  1. Once the soup gets to a good boil, start by gradually dropping in ingredients such as thinly sliced meats, leaf vegetables, noodles, mushrooms, dumplings, tofu, and seafood in a simmering pot of soup broth heated by an induction burner.
  2. When the ingredients are done cooking, use the ladle to pick up them and transfer it into your bowl.
  3. Dip the cooked food in your choice of sauce and eat it.
  4. Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients.
  5. Some hot pot restaurants will have a buffet table and/or conveyor belt of fresh ingredients for you to choose from.
  6. Your server will occasionally come by with a pitcher of broth to replenish your hot pot.

Finally, Where Are the Best Places to get Chinese Hot Pot in Orlando?

1. Hotto Potto

Photo courtesy of Hotto Potto
Photo courtesy of Hotto Potto

Hotto Potto is nestled in a plaza off of Semoran Blvd, near Baldwin Park.  They offer a wide variety of ingredients including but not limited to: Wagyu beef, lamb slice, marble pork, razor clams, lobster tail, jumbo prawns and dumplings made in house with fresh ingredients.  They also have milk tea boba made in ten different flavors and topped with an in house tea mix brewed for two hours.  They are open till 2am from Monday through Saturday and till midnight on Sunday.  Be sure to follow them on their social media channels to stay up-to-date on their current specials! They are also probably most famous for their 4/20 (April 20) free “pot” of soup deal.

Hotto Potto
1700 N Semoran Blvd #118, Orlando, FL 32807
hottopotto.com
(407) 930-5366

2. Volcano Hot Pot & Bbq

This awesome new hot pot restaurant is actually located in Kissimmee, across the street from Old Town.  They just opened in the beginning of June 2019.  The restaurant is very spacious and clean and there is a variety of fresh ingredients to choose from at the buffet table and conveyor belt.  At the dining table, you each have your own soup pot and a grill to share for Korean style barbecue if you so choose.

Prices for adults & kids:
$24.99 hot pot, $10.99 hot pot
$27.98 hot pot & bbq, $12.49 hot pot & bbq

Volcano Hot Pot & Bbq
5877 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Kwy, Kissimmee, FL 34746
(407) 986-5559

3. Nine Spices Hotpot

Photo courtesy of Nice Spices Hotpot

This hot pot restaurant is located a little over a mile from Universal Studios.  With a convenient conveyor belt bringing the freshest ingredients straight to your table, you don’t even have to leave your seat.  They offer seafood hot pot, chicken hot pot, pork hot pot, lamb hot pot, beef hot pot, vegetable hot pot, or all you can eat hot pot within a 2 hour limit.  They also have boba teas.  Hours are 11:30 AM – 1:00 AM every day.

Nine Spices Hotpot
5320 S. Kirkman Road, Orlando, FL 32819
ninespiceshotpot.com
(407) 704-1033

4. Juicy Pot


This is the newest hot pot restaurant in town which has been open for a little over two weeks.  Located in front of 1st Oriental Supermarket on West Colonial Drive, they offer a variety of fresh premium ingredients to choose from off the menu and conveyor belt.  The broth flavors here are Vietnamese influenced – such as the goat broth and the sweet and sour soup style aka canh chua broth.  What makes Juicy Pot stand out from the rest is that it is affordable.  Instead of being all you can eat, it’s pay for what you eat.  Plates are color-coded to represent price points ranging from $1- $10.  My friend & I ate there on their grand opening day and our bill was under $12!  Our broth was free since it was their grand opening special which saved us $8.  They are currently running a special for 10% off your bill in July.

Juicy Pot
5206 West Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32808
(407) 704-4934

5. Noodles & Rice Cafe

Photo courtesy of Noodles & Rice Cafe
Photo courtesy of Noodles & Rice Cafe

Noodles & Rice offers a full menu of great Asian food including hot pot. Hot pot flavors include: Beef, Chicken, Szechuan (spicy), Fish, Herbal, Miso, and Thai. They also now have two locations in Orlando, Mills 50 and Avalon Park.

Noodles & Rice Cafe

3891 Avalon Park East Blvd. Orlando, FL 32828
321-270-8888

Mills location has closed.
noodlesandricecafe.com

6. Top Top Hot Pot

Top Top Hot Pot is located in East Orlando near Waterford Lakes and features all you can eat as well as a la carte hot pot.  There is a wide variety of ingredients to choose from their conveyor belt, including noodles, shrimp, and beef, as well as spicy and non-spicy broth options, and a “make your own sauce” bar.  Our favorite dish here is the special chef’s shrimp balls that are made fresh in house.

Top Top Hot Pot
504 N Alafaya Trail Suite 119, Orlando, FL 32828
(407) 901-8888
http://www.toptophotpot.com/

Inside Look: The Whiskey on Sand Lake with Chef Chastity Harvey

Tiffany Nguyen
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Inside Look: The Whiskey on Sand Lake with Chef Chastity Harvey

The Whiskey, located on Sand Lake’s “Restaurant Row”, offers gourmet burgers that are always ground fresh and cooked to order as well as craft cocktails.

Their culinary team led by Executive Chef Chastity Harvey continually strives to put out the most visually stunning plates, while offering an elevated twist to your palate.

To accomplish this, they use local ingredients from their eggs, produce, grass fed game meats, hormone & range free chicken and organic produce.

As you may expect from an establishment named The Whiskey, the restaurant proudly serves over 200 kinds of its namesake whiskey, including Bourbon, Scotch, & Rye so guests can explore the whiskeys of the world.

Executive Chef Chastity Harvey tells us one of the most popular dishes at The Whiskey is The Salty Pear; which is her “absolute favorite on the menu.” It’s a juicy freshly ground burger with poached bourbon pear, maplewood smoked bacon, creamy brie, whiskey onions, and a drizzle of garlic aioli. The BBQ Smoke House (with sliced smoked brisket) and the Southerner (with fried green tomato) are also popular burgers.

“Our namesake Whiskey Burger” sells very well because it is as awesome as the business its name’s after.  Our pimento cheese is hands down one of the best in town, so I suggest if you are a fan get it on your burger, mmmmm.  Truffle parmesan fries are the biggest side accompaniment.  Truffle is just great with everything.” – Chef Chastity.

Here Are 6 of Our Favorite Dishes at The Whiskey:

1. Tuna Poke
Ahi tuna, diced mango, sesame seeds, avocado cilantro aioli, wonton chips.  Fresh ahi tuna with crispy wonton chips – what’s not to love?

2. Bangin’ ShrimpLightly tempura battered, fried, sriracha aioli, scallions, sesame seeds.  The shrimp was crispy and the sauce had a nice kick to it.

3. Whiskey Chips House cooked chips, Gorgonzola Cream sauce, Gorgonzola crumbles, bacon crumbles, balsamic glaze, diced tomatoes, and scallions.  These house cooked chips held their crispiness pretty well.

4. Pork Belly SlidersCrispy pork belly, fried green tomatoes, house pimento cheese, balsamic glaze on sweet Hawaiian rolls.  The sliders were fun to eat and pretty good.

5. The Salty Pear Burger House patty, arugula, tomato, whiskey onions, bourbon poached pear, maplewood smoked bacon, creamy brie dollop, garlic aioli and parmesan truffle fries.  Juicy and meaty burger with the perfect compliment of sweet and savory.

6. The Royale BurgerWagyu, arugula, tomato, whiskey onions, pork belly, shredded gruyere, garlic aioli and sweet potato waffle fries.  This was my favorite dish out of everything we tried.  The wagyu and pork belly combination really took this burger to the next level.

Interview with Chef Chastity Harvey of  The Whiskey

What inspired you to become a chef?

In the early/mid-nineties my favorite pass time was the godfather of television cooking, Emeril Lagasse.  I was blown away, and completely smitten with how he was interacting with the crowd.  I would practice his BAM! at very inappropriate times and hours.  I would keep his Mrs. Dash seasonings in my room until my family had to convince me it was not the best idea.

When Crest brought him in for his own toothpaste line… I bought every flavor tube you could find.  I loved how Emeril could command everyone’s attention, make everyone laugh, and practically melt with his culinary creations.

I wanted to provoke that in others – A genuine positive culinary religious experience.


Chef Chastity Harvey of The Whiskey

What are some of your earliest childhood food memories?

I unfortunately did not grow up in a household where cooking or preparing food was something my family grasped.  My grandmother, Nunni, use to mix flour and water and throw it in a pan… boom… fried bread.  Her name sake though was cutting cauliflower and drowning it in Italian dressing.

A majority of my childhood and growing up I was vegetarian/vegan.  My food world did not officially open up until around 2009 (right before culinary school).  A highlight of my childhood was every Friday night my dad and I would go to the movies and then would go to Denny’s and get a Boca Burger.  That was honestly one of my favorite restaurants, maybe because of the Boca Burger, but it definitely put greasy diners on my food map and in my heart.

Tell us about your culinary background and education/experience.

I have been in Central Florida most of my culinary career.  I attended college at Rollins, and weeks after graduation signed up for classes at Johnson and Wales University (JWU) for Baking and Pastry and Food Service Development.  I returned to Orlando and went to Le Cordon Bleu for Culinary Arts Certification where I was on the competition team and learned urgency and mingled with other students whose drive matched mine.

I then worked for numerous well known establishments and chefs; Le Coq Au Vin, The Alfond Inn at Rollins, Dexter’s, and have worked with some great chefs in our community, but the biggest influence I’ve had has been from Jason Klingensmith, Executive Chef of The Doctor Phillips Performing Arts Center.

My time working with him at The Alfond Inn awarded me opportunities to learn from someone with such an elegant sexy style, but also push my own boundaries and try things.  He was a great influence in busting me out of my shell, helping me instill confidence in not only myself, but my food.

If it was not for him I would not be where I am today, and I am quite pleased with how it’s all turned out as of now.

What are some challenges you had to face and overcome over the years?

I am sure we all watched Hell’s Kitchen and thought, “Hey chefs scream at people, they are jerks.  Period.”  Well sometimes people conform to terrible stereotypes.  I had to learn something very crucial; this business has nothing to do with food, but how you treat people.  I could be the best chef ever but it could all be for nothing if I could not inspire great things from others because they feel mentally held hostage.  I had to learn “it is not what you say, but how you say it.”

I had a ‘tude, and was pretty rude.  Black and white with how things are and refusing to live in the many shades of grey and color.

It took patience, understanding my shortcomings, becoming a stronger teacher, and taking more pride in my staff and not only putting it into my food.  If people are happy and they enjoy being around you; they will have your back completely.  Attitude is everything.

What is your “food philosophy”?

Live well.  Do good.  Be great.  Eat like a queen and create like a boss.

What makes The Whiskey special?

The Whiskey, we are like a family.  You have your siblings, your aunts, that uncle who talks too much, the know it all, the smart a**, the joker, the bouncer, and it makes us unique and extremely fun.  Some of the people we have on staff have worked together for over a decade.  There is a sense of family that comes out when working here and I see it bringing the essence everyone has grown to love.  We are a genuine Motley Crew.

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

Truffle, mushrooms, fruit has been a huge influence in my menu creation recently.  I am a sucker for sweet and savory.

What are some upcoming plans for The Whiskey this year?

We have some new exciting “Southern Contemporary” entrees coming out in the fall.  We are also working on some chef’s tables and whiskey tasting events.  Stay tuned!

What is your favorite meal to eat when you want some “comfort food”?

I am a huge fan of handhelds.  Most comforting food to me: subs, hot dogs, ice cream, tacos, nachos, fries, etc.  Hot dogs… one of my go-to comfort foods.

The Whiskey
7563 W Sand Lake Rd. Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 930-6517
downatthewhiskey.com

Tasty Chomps x Orlando Foodie Forum Friday Lunch at First Watch – Summer 2019

Ricky Ly
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Tasty Chomps x Orlando Foodie Forum Friday Lunch at First Watch – Summer 2019

To celebrate their limited-time summer menu, First Watch is partnering with Tasty Chomps and the Orlando Foodie Forum to host a special lunch- show this post or mention you are with the Orlando Foodie Forum (join us on facebook at facebook.com/orlandofoodieforum), to unlock a special Buy One Get One Free Entree offer, only on Friday July 19th, 2019 at any Orlando-area Florida First Watch location.

You can use this special promo code anywhere in Orlando but if you would like to join us for a group meetup lunch, we will meet at the Mills Park (1414 N Mills Ave Suite 180, Orlando, FL 32803) location at noon on Friday July 19th. Feel free to organize your own foodie brunch for lunch meetups that Friday in the location that works best for you!

One of my favorites on the new menu include the corn bread pork carnitas bowl topped with fresh eggs. As always, there’s a new seasonal fruit drink available and this season’s Summer Blush – a mix of refreshing watermelon, pineapple, Fuji apple, lemon, cane sugar, and mint – is something to certainly gush about!

Here is an Inside Look at the Limited-Time First Watch Summer Menu for 2019:

MILLION DOLLAR BACON
Four slices of First Watch’s signature hardwood smoked bacon baked with brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne and a maple syrup drizzle.

SUMMER CRAB OMELET
Fresh crab, house-roasted corn and red peppers, Jack cheese and scallions. Topped with hollandaise and Cholula hot sauce. Served with lemon dressed organic mixed greens, whole grain artisan toast and all-natural preserves.

CORNBREAD CARNITAS BOWL
Savory pork carnitas and grilled cornbread topped with two poached cage-free eggs, black beans, pico de gallo, Cotija cheese, fresh avocado, lime crema and fresh cilantro.

TRIPLE BERRY ACAI BOWL
Organic Sambazon ACai topped with fresh strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and First Watch’s housemade granola. Served with whole grain artisan toast topped with almond butter and Maldon sea salt.

SUMMER BLUSH
Watermelon, pineapple, Fuji apple, lemon, cane sugar and mint.

New Happy Hour Menu at American Kitchen Bar & Grill on Lake Buena Vista

Tiffany Nguyen
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New Happy Hour Menu at American Kitchen Bar & Grill on Lake Buena Vista

American Kitchen Bar & Grill is a full service, family-friendly restaurant known for its farm-to-table concept sourcing local and sustainable product whenever possible. Just like America, their menu is a melting pot of multiple influences and techniques.  They take an artisan approach to numerous items on their menu which give them the opportunity to share a unique spin on New American Fusion Cuisine.

We were invited to check out their new daily Happy Hour menu prepared by Executive Chef Venoy Rogers III (pictured in the middle), winner of Food Network’s Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell.

Happy hour is available every day from 5:00 – 7:00pm.

Drinks:
1/2 off domestic/draft beers
1/2 off house wines
1/2 off house liquors

Food:
1/2 off everything from the menu below, including their Small Bites Tour:

For my Small Bites Tour, I choose my top 3 favorites: Tempura Avocado, Korean Glazed Pork Ribs, and Fried Chicken “Oysters”.  The presentation and flavors in each of these appetizers were on point.

Here Are The New Happy Hour Dishes at American Kitchen Bar & Grill:

1. Tempura Avocado
Tomato-chipotle jam and cilantro-lime crème fraiche.  The avocado was creamy and had a great crunch.

2. Korean Glazed Pork Ribs
Chinese carrot cabbage slaw, sweet soy glaze, radish and sesame.  The ribs were sticky, sweet and succulent.

3. Fried Chicken “Oysters”
Tender chicken morsel, house aioli, crispy kale, lemon, buttermilk.  The fried chicken was crispy and seasoned well.

4. Grilled Chicken Wings
Bourbon bbq, signature buffalo, or honey jerk glazed.  These wings were solid.

5. Firecracker Cape Canaveral Rock Shrimp
Pepperoncini, chili garlic aioli, gochujang, toasted sesame.  The rock shrimp bursted with flavor in every bite.

6. Carne Con Queso Eggrolls
Slow braised certified Angus beef, pepper jack cheese, au jus.  The eggrolls were crispy and satisfying.

American Kitchen Bar & Grill is located inside B Resort & Spa, just a mile away from Disney Springs.  Parking is free when dining at the restaurant.

American Kitchen Bar & Grill
1905 Hotel Plaza Blvd, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
(407) 827-3080
americankitchenbarandgrill.com

First Look: New Ceviche Bar Opens at Don Julio Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar

Tiffany Nguyen
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First Look: New Ceviche Bar Opens at Don Julio Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar

We were invited to check out the newly expanded Don Julio Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, located in the Publix plaza on Chickasaw Trail & Lake Underhill Road.

They have expanded their dining area and added a ceviche bar, more tables, booths, and paintings on the wall.  The painting of the beautiful women on the right is a tribute to the owner Larry’s late mother.

The new ceviche bar made its debut three day ago and is spearheaded by Food Network Chef, Chef Roberto Treviño.

What is ceviche?  Ceviche originated in Peru is made with fresh raw seafood marinated in vinegar or citrus juice from lemon or lime.  The citric acid effectively “cooks” the seafood even though there is no heat involved.

Here are our favorite dishes from their new ceviche bar:

1. Huachinango Mango
Fresh raw snapper, marinated in lime juice, onions, jicama, pepita seeds & mango in chamoy chile

2. Fresh Ahi TunaRaw tuna cubes with lime, marinated vegetables, fresh avocado, chopped peanuts & served with chicharrones

3. Classic Shrimp Agua ChileRaw shrimp, marinated in red onions, lime, cucumber, agua de serrano, cilantro & chile

4. Conch De Choncha Tender conch served in an lemon onion, escabeche with red pepper & cilantro

They have another location in Lake Mary and plan on opening up three more restaurants within the next few months in Waterford, Lake Nona, and Orlando International Airport.

Specials:
Marg Monday – $3 margaritas all day
Taco & Tequila Tuesday – $2 tacos, $2 tequilas
Imported Beer Draft Wednesday – $2 all day
Live Mariachi Band Thursday – 7:00 – 10:00pm
Live DJ Friday – 7:00 – 11:00pm
Live DJ & Band Saturday – 7:00 – 11:00pm

Huge thank you to Larry for having us!

Don Julio Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar
551 S Chickasaw Trl Orlando, FL 32825
407-930-3735
donjuliobarandgrill.com

First Look: Flippers Pizzeria opens in Oviedo

Tiffany Nguyen
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First Look: Flippers Pizzeria opens in Oviedo

Flippers Pizzeria will open their newest location in Oviedo’s Stonehill Plaza on Tuesday, July 9th.

Flippers Pizzeria was founded back in 1987 by two college graduates who were seeking fresh, high-quality pizza in a fast-casual environment in Orlando and could not find many options in the area.  They opened their first location near Sea World.

Fast forward to present day, Flippers Pizzeria now has 14 locations across Central Florida.  We were also informed that they will be closing their UCF location to focus on this new location.

The new Flippers Pizzeria is conveniently located in corner of Mitchell Hammock and Alafaya Trail, just miles away from UCF.

Pictured: Flippers Pizzeria COO Ben Richardson has been with the company for 21 years.

Pictured: Chef Jack Johnson

Their dedicated pizza chefs take pride in handcrafting fresh dough daily using unbleached artisan flour and extra virgin olive oil.  From their fresh-packed, San Joaquin pizza sauce and crushed imported DOP San Marzano tomatoes to their 100% Wisconsin whole milk mozzarella and BelGioioso fresh mozzarella, they obsessively seek out the finest ingredients.  Their meats are all-natural, spices are hand-picked, and their vegetables are hand-chopped, sliced, diced, and roasted in-house.  You won’t find artificial colors, flavors or preservatives in anything they serve.  Pizzas are baked at 600 degrees in their brick oven.

Breadsticks – garlic butter, romano, side of pizza sauce

This is one of their most popular pizzas that I highly recommend getting with thin crust to really enjoy the flavors of the fresh ingredients.  Pig & Pesto – EVOO, organic spinach, smoked bacon, prosciutto, ricotta dollops, fresh mozzarella, basil pesto drizzle.

Flippers Big Pie – pepperoni, Italian sausage, smoked bacon & ham, baby portabella mushrooms, green peppers, red onions & black olive

California Classic – aged mozzarella, basil pesto sauce, organic spinach, red onions, roasted red peppers, grape tomatoes & artichokes

BBQ Chicken BBQ – sauce, chicken breast, smoked bacon, red onions, aged mozzarella & sharp cheddar

Flippers All Meat Pie – pepperoni, Italian sausage, smoked bacon, ham and meatballs

Bacon Honey Buns – smoked all-natural bacon, hand-rolled dough, cinnamon glaze, local honey & powdered sugar

Flippers Pizzeria
45 W Mitchell Hammock Rd. Suite #1361
(407) 890-9001
flipperspizzeria.com

Inside Look: Tasty Chomps x Orlando Foodie Forum Lunch Crawl at Disney Spring’s Terralina and Paddlefish

Ricky Ly
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Inside Look: Tasty Chomps x Orlando Foodie Forum Lunch Crawl at Disney Spring’s Terralina and Paddlefish

On June 29th, we held our very first Orlando Foodie Forum lunch crawl at Disney Spring’s Terralina Crafted Italian and Paddlefish – where over 25 guests came to enjoy a delicious three-course lunch with Terralina’s Executive Chef Justin Plank who shared some of his favorite dishes in celebration of the restaurant’s one year anniversary.

Afterwards, we headed over to Paddlefish for a complimentary Buzz Pop cocktail tasting (located conveniently next door) on the top floor outdoor patio with beautiful views overlooking Disney Springs.

Truly an outstanding lunch event with great dishes and great company!

Also  – Terralina just celebrated its first anniversary and both Terralina and Paddlefish restaurants have many special events (from ravioli making classes to special wine dinners) going on every week and a very full calendar of unique opportunities to take advantage of on their websites (https://www.terralinacrafteditalian.com and https://paddlefishrestaurant.com/).

Look out for more events to come for our foodie meetups in the near future, including one in partnership with First Watch to celebrate the debut of their new summer menu – save the date for that one on Friday July 19th for lunch.

Here’s an Inside Look at the Tasty Chomps x Orlando Foodie Forum Lunch Crawl at Disney Spring’s Terralina and Paddlefish

1st Course – Family-Style – Appetizers

Antipasti Towers

Crispy Eggplant Fries

2nd Course – Entrees

Ravioli Gigante

Chicken Parmesan

Citrus Marinated Half Chicken

Mahi Peperonatta

3rd Course – Dessert

Lemon Panna Cotta

Chocolate Dipped Gelato Sandwich

Paddlefish – Buzz Pop Cocktails

Inside Look: Hinckley’s Fancy Meats with Chef Matt Hinckley

Ricky Ly
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Inside Look: Hinckley’s Fancy Meats with Chef Matt Hinckley

Earlier this year, Chef Matt Hinckley opened up his highly anticipated Hinckley’s Fancy Meats sandwich and charcuterie shop inside East End Market, our local Orlando food hall and a kind-of start-up incubator for food concepts. In addition to sandwiches, the meat shop also offers up cured meats, sausages, and all sorts of meaty delights for purchase.

The sandwiches and charcuterie here, in my opinion, are some of the very best Orlando has to offer – the quality of the ingredients and the wonderful flavors that Chef Hinckley is able to create and craft together are truly top notch.

The menu at Hinckley’s includes:

SANDWICHES MENU

PORCHETTA Salsa Piccante. Broccoli Rabe. Roasted Peppers. Ciabatta. $14

PASTRAMI ON RYE Russian Dressing. Fresh Horseradish. Cabbage. Havarti. $14

CHICKEN SALAD Roasted Chicken. Citrus Aioli. Celery. Arugula. Croissant. $13

THE CUBAN Apple Wood Ham. Mojo Pork. Swiss Cheese. Yellow Mustard. Pickles. $13

FRENCH DIP Grass Fed Roast Beef. Caramelized Onion. Gruyere. Bone Broth Jus. $15

BLT Apple Wood Smoked Bacon. Bacon Jam. Tomato. Lettuces. Smoked Paprika Aioli. Brioche. $15

BANH MI Country Pâté. Duck Liver Pâté. Pickled Veggies. Radish. Cilantro. French Baguette. $14

THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO Grass Fed Roast Beef. Apple Wood Smoked Ham. Mojo Pork. Provolone. Fresh Greens. Pickled Veggies. Radish. Lemon Vinaigrette. $15

Chef Hinckley has literally traveled the world honing his craft from Africa to New Zealand before returning to Florida. Driven by a food philosophy committed to “respectful farm-to-table cooking, sourcing locally and honoring the quality of fresh ingredients” and “zero waste”, he has since accumulated over 15 years of culinary experience including leadership positions in both James Beard award-winning and Michelin-starred kitchens.

Notably, Chef Hinckley’s Charcuterie Box has been featured recently in the New York Time’s Holiday gift guide for their fabulous sausages and smoked meats.

BANH MI Country Pâté. Duck Liver Pâté. Pickled Veggies. Radish. Cilantro. French Baguette. $14

In Miami, he worked with James Beard award-winning Michael Schwartz at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.  In New York City, he worked with Brad Farmerie first at Saxon + Parole and then at the helm of the Michelin-starred flagship, PUBLIC.

“I learned a lot of new techniques in both kitchens and had the privilege of working next to some very talented cooks and chefs. We maintained the Michelin star and I moved on once again. This time headed back, full circle, to Orlando where the adventure began,” chef Hinckley said.

“I want to bring all of the knowledge that I gained, all of the technique that I learned, all of the responsible farming practices I became familiar with, and all of the stories that I picked up along the way back home so that I can share them with my friends and family.”

Ricky Ly of Tasty Chomps: Tell us about your background – what inspired you to become a chef?

Chef Hinckley: I spent the early part of my life trying to find “real jobs”. I’d get frustrated with cubicle work and rebound to the hospitality industry where I could make quick cash bartending or waiting tables. I fell in love with the people that gravitated to this industry, but the pirate-like camaraderie of the back-of-house was ultimately better suited to me. I found inspiration by looking up to the chefs who came before me.

PASTRAMI ON RYE Russian Dressing. Fresh Horseradish. Cabbage. Havarti. $14

Tasty Chomps: What are some of your most memorable moments in the kitchen through the years?

Chef Hinckley: I’d say that the most memorable moments in the kitchen for me come from mistakes. Either mistakes that I’ve made or mistakes that I’ve seen other chefs make. You become better at anything by recognizing your weaknesses and learning from your failures. Any success that I have in the kitchen has a long history of mistakes and failures behind it. It’s important to remember that and to stay humble.

Tasty Chomps: What made you want return to Orlando?

Chef Hinckley: My family moved to Orlando in the 1980’s. I left for about 12 years to work and travel both internationally and here in the States. When I was in NYC trying to figure out where to put roots in the ground with my own business, setting up shop close to family was really the only option.

Tasty Chomps: What is your favorite thing about living here in Orlando?

Chef Hinckley: There’s a true southern hospitality in Orlando. At our core, we are friendly, hospitable, and full of empathy. You don’t notice it when you’re stuck in traffic on I-4. But I saw an outpouring of love and a sense of community after Pulse that I’ve never seen anywhere.

PORCHETTA Salsa Piccante. Broccoli Rabe. Roasted Peppers. Ciabatta. $14

Tasty Chomps: What are some of your favorite cuts of meat to work with right now?

Chef Hinckley: I’m drawn to the “fifth quarter”. I like using livers, gizzards, tongues, etc. And I like using off-commodity proteins – things you won’t find in Publix – like elk, antelope, wild boar, etc. I think that the mark of a great chef is in taking what other chefs discard and turning it into something extraordinary. That’s what I’m all about. I just got in some elk hearts this week.

So the contest is not to make them palatable, so that someone can say, “Look Instagam! I ate an elk heart! And lived!”. I want people to taste that and think, “Holy shit! Why haven’t I been eating elk heart my whole life!”. Just meeting peoples expectations makes for a pretty dull career.

When someone is apprehensive about ordering something that’s outside of their comfort-zone, and you supersede their best possible expectations, as a chef, you win.

Tasty Chomps: What are your most popular dishes right now at the shop?

Chef Hinckley: The most popular sandwich is the Pastrami on Rye. The most popular thing in the deli case is Duck Liver Pate.

Tasty Chomps: What are some dishes you like that more folks should try?

Chef Hinckley: I’d encourage folks to step outside of their comfort zones. Try new things. Explore. Don’t get into routines of always eating the grilled chicken with a Diet Coke. Eat the headcheese. Try the Smoked Antelope Sausage. Maybe some Duck Liver Pate. You might love it! And even if you don’t, we’ve got all sorts of craft beers that you can cleanse your palate with. We promise you’ll survive.

Tasty Chomps: What is the secret to a really good sandwich?

Chef Hinckley: Ingredients. Ingredients. Ingredients. Every single one down to the salt. No technique can mask inferior quality ingredients. Start with the best ingredients that you can source (or grow yourself!) and keep it simple. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated. If it’s an ingredient that your grandmother wouldn’t recognize, get it off the plate.

Tasty Chomps: What is your first memories around food growing up?

Chef Hinckley: My family always throws down around the holidays. So my earliest food memories go back to sitting around the table, impatiently waiting to open presents.

Tasty Chomps: What are some problems with the current food system you see right now that you would like to see fixed?

Chef Hinckley: We rely too much on other people to fix our food system. By the time the government enacts change it is too late. Corporate lobbyists essentially write in policy and law. If you want change in the food system it has to happen on your plate. The market will respond to consumer demand. Rather than rely on votes cast in the voting booth, we need to vote three times a day with our fork. Spend your money at places that treat their land, people, and animals well. The real power in this country belongs to the people.

Tasty Chomps: What are some of your favorite places to eat around Orlando right now?

Chef Hinckley: I love Chef Blake’s food over at Rusty Spoon. Ken’s sushi at Shin is awesome and close to home.

Tasty Chomps: I hear you like Chinese food – what are some favorite Chinese places for yourself?

Chef Hinckley: Little Giant regional Chinese cuisine pop-ups are the best Chinese food I’ve had in Orlando. Kristine’s breaking away from the typical American Chinese food and offering up something new and exciting.

Tasty Chomps: Favorite dish to cook at home after a long day – some comfort food?

Chef Hinckley: One pot wonders! People think that I eat meat like a Flintstone because I own a meat shop. Truth is my wife and I eat mostly veggies and whole grains at home. We mostly use meat as a component in a dish rather than the star of the show.

Tasty Chomps: Upcoming plans for Hinckley’s Fancy Meats this year?

Chef Hinckley: We’re settling in to our new home at East End Market for the time being. We’re exploring options beyond that. But for the time being, we just want to perfect what we’ve started.

For more information, visit https://www.hinckleymeats.com/ or at their shop at East End Market at 3201 Corrine Drive, Orlando, FL.

Talk of the Town Restaurant Group Raises over $110,000 at John’s Challenge 2019 for Kids Beating Cancer

Ricky Ly
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Talk of the Town Restaurant Group Raises over $110,000 at John’s Challenge 2019 for Kids Beating Cancer

Founded in 1974 by the father and son team of Charley and Ron Woodsby, Talk of the Town Restaurants, Inc. now encompasses ten restaurants in the Central Florida area including Charley’s Steak House, FishBones, Johnnie’s Hideaway, MoonFish, Texas Cattle Company and Vito’s Chop House.

According to the restaurant’s history, from 1963 to 1983, Charley Woodsby was a co-owner of Gary’s Duck Inn on Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando. In 1968, Charley, along with William Darden, opened the first Red Lobster in Lakeland. They expanded the restaurants to five in Florida with franchises in Georgia and South Carolina. In 1970, they sold Red Lobster to General Mills, Inc. Red Lobster went on to become one of America’s favorite seafood restaurants with over 680 locations in the United States and Canada.

The Woodsby’s continued their entrepreneurship by opening a steakhouse in 1973 in Lakeland named Talk of the Town and later expanded to four other locations in Winter Haven, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Orlando.

In 1984, the names of the restaurants were changed to Texas Cattle Company and the Orlando location was renamed Charley’s, after the family’s patriarch. The corporate office took on the name Talk of the Town Restaurants, Inc. and today has over 1000 employees with 64 million dollars in sales among ten restaurants.

The Woodsby’s have been personally generous to local charities and have decided to take it a step further in 2016. In keeping with the family tradition of giving back, Clark Woodsby, Senior Operating Partner, has joined his father and grandfather to create a private charity called Talk of the Town Restaurant Group Foundation.

All of the restaurants currently participate in a “Round Up for Charity” program, each month asking guests to round up their checks to the nearest dollar to support local charities throughout Central Florida. Some of these charities in the past have included the Ronald McDonald House, Orlando Magic Foundation, Special Olympics, Coalition for the Homeless, Habitat for Humanity, and more.

This March, through the “Round Up for Charity” program, the restaurants raised $40,108.95 for the Kids Beating Cancer charity.

Kids Beating Cancer is a local Orlando based charity that helps advance cures while providing resources and support for children with cancer, leukemia and related life-threatening diseases throughout the treatment process. The organization pays for the transplant testing and donor identification, costs never covered by Medicare and only partially covered by insurance for the children. By removing these financial barriers any child can have access to bone marrow and stem cell transplantation at the Kids Beating Cancer Pediatric Transplant Center located at Florida Hospital for Children, “the best-and-only hope for a cure”.

This March, the Talk of the Town Restaurant Group took it a step further by organizing their annual special fundraising dinner called “John’s Challenge”, where 10 teams competed to raise $10,000 each for Kids Beating Cancer. The challenge is named in memory of John Voight, son of Kids Beating Cancer founder, Margaret Guedes, who lost his life to leukemia at the age of 9.

This year, the “John’s Challenge” helped fundraise an additional $115,860 for the charity, an amazing feat by any measure.

In the last two years, the Talk of the Town Restaurant Group raised $290,666.81 for Kids Beating Cancer through our Round Up for Charity and John’s Challenge campaigns. Since 2016, they have raised almost $1 million, a total of $893,919.57 and counting for local charities in Central Florida!

Their John’s Challenge dinner took place on June 6th, 2019 at Charley’s Steakhouse and we were graciously invited to have an inside look. The evening began with beautiful electric violin music from Michelle Jones of Violectric and passed hors d’ouevres including fried butterfly shrimp and roast lamb chops. The menu included appetizers such as Crispy Portabella Mushroom Fondue and Bacon Wrapped Diver Scallops, entrees – Citrus and Oak Grilled Filet Mignon, Caribbean Lobster Tail, Au Gratin Potatoes, and for dessert – Grand Marnier Chocolate Cake and Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Here Are Scenes Inside The Talk of the Town Restaurant Group Foundation’s John’s Challenge Dinner for Kids Beating Cancer 2019:

The night began with some beautiful electric violin by Michelle Jones of Violelectric music.

The special drink of the night made with fresh watermelon.

Passed hors d’ oeuvres included butterflied fried shrimp….

…and roasted lamb chops with mint sauce.

The Menu included…

Crispy Portabella Mushroom Fondue

Bacon Wrapped Diver Scallops

Citrus and Oak Grilled Filet Mignon

Caribbean Lobster Tail

Au Gratin Potatoes

Grand Marnier Chocolate Cake and Salted Caramel Cheesecake

From Left to Right – Brittanie Olavarria – Director of Marketing at Talk of the Town Restaurant Group, Sam Azar – COO & Chairman of the Board at Kids Beating Cancer, Margaret Guedes – President, CEO & Founder at Kids Beating Cancer, Seth Miller – VP/COO at Talk of the Town Restaurant Group

For more information, visit:

Greenery Creamery and Nerd Nite Celebrate Apollo 11 With Space-Themed Ice Cream

Ricardo Williams
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Greenery Creamery and Nerd Nite Celebrate Apollo 11 With Space-Themed Ice Cream

The Greenery Creamery and Nerd Nite are once again collaborating on an assortment of space-themed ice cream flavors, called THE GALAXY COLLECTION, vol. 2.

The flavors, which are available for a limited time, celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission; the spaceflight that landed the first two humans on the moon.

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The Greenery Creamery is an ice cream boutique in downtown Orlando.

Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking presentations.

THE GALAXY COLLECTION, vol. 2 are vegan ice cream flavors [listed below] with coconut cream as the base. They will be available for purchase at the Greenery Creamery between July 8th-12th and again on July 20th for the Nerd Nite Ice Cream Party**

The Greenery Creamery, 420 East Church St, Unit #112, Orlando, FL, 32801
Blue Moon
[coconut, soy, and gluten; colored with blue spirulina]
A phenomenon of blue vanilla ice cream with scattered Oreo chunks.

Coffee & Crater
[coconut, soy]
A blast of coffee-flavored ice cream and chocolate chips.

Spoon Landing
[coconut, soy, and gluten]
Pink vanilla with an adventurous mix of caramel swirl and chocolate cake chunks.

The Starman
[coconut; colored with spirulina]
A bridge between the worlds of green mint and chocolate fudge swirl.

Watch the announcement of THE GALAXY COLLECTION

**To check availability of certain flavors on other days, be sure to call ahead of time (407) 286-1084

Facundo Rum Dinner at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort

Ricky Ly
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Facundo Rum Dinner at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando has begun featuring special rum pairing dinners several times a year, tying in perfectly with their Caribbean theme and lush waterfall setting. Rum is the islands’ drink of choice, historically made in the Caribbean and Latin America from sugarcane byproducts, such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels.

The evening begins with a reception with light hors d’oeuvres such as pork belly sliders, a swaddle of refreshing rum punch, and live entertainment on Amatista Cookhouse’s outdoor terrace overlooking cascading waterfalls – before heading inside for a five-course dinner.

The hotel’s mixologist guides guests through each pour, which are paired with each dinner course, introduced by Amatista’s executive chef.

Most recently, the dinner featured the special Facundo, part of Bacardi family on the “premium” end, and named after founder Don Facundo Bacardi Massom, who founded Bacardi in 1862 in Santiago, Cuba.

Here’s a Look Inside the Facundo Rum Pairing Dinner at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort

First Course

Octopus Salpicon
Yukon Potato Croquette, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Black Garlic-Lime Aioli.
Featuring FACUNDO NEO
Daiquiri #3

Second Course

Bronzed Florida Snapper
Saffron Farro Risotto, Braised Fennel, Romanesco, Pancetta, Watercress Vin Blanc.
Featuring FACUNDO NEO and FACUNDO Eximo
1944 Mai Tai

Third Course

Mojo Pork Cheek Tacos
Slow Roasted Mojo Pork, Pickled Radishes, Cotija Cheese, Ají Amarillo-Corn Coulis, Avocado, Corn Tortilla.
Featuring FACUNDO Exquisito
Last Typhoon – a Strong Water Tavern favorite!

Fourth Course

Bone Marrow with Beef Tenderloin Tartare*
Poblano-Caper Emulsion, Jicama, Dry Cured Egg, Horseradish Cheddar, Grilled Cuban Bread.
Featuring FACUNDO Paraíso
Served Neat

Fifth Course

Pineapple and Chocolate “Trifle”
Compressed Pineapple Cubes, Coffee-Chocolate Sauce, Banana Whipped Cream, Roasted Coconut Soil, Torn Rum Cake.
Featuring BACARDÍ Reserva Limitada
Iced Latte

The next Rum Dinner is set for Saturday, Sept. 21 and will feature Plantation Rum, including reception, five-course dinner with rum pairings, afterglow event and parking. Tickets are available at https://sapphirefalls.tix.com/Event.aspx?EventCode=1141005.

Facundo Rums – Tasting Notes

10th Annual Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic Returns Nov 8-9 2019

Ricky Ly
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0
10th Annual Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic Returns Nov 8-9 2019

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has revealed the menu and themed areas for the 2019 Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic, taking place Friday, November 8, and Saturday, November 9. The menu features recurring festival favorites alongside delightful new dishes.

At this epic food and wine event, guests can sample wines from around the world and savor culinary artistry from pastries to pasta. The 10th annual event also offers eleven educational seminars if you would like to impress friends with your knowledge of wines, cocktails, beer, pasta-making, cheese pairing or the fine art of sushi and sake. Most seminars begin at 4:30pm and last approximately one hour. Causeway event tickets are now available for $145 which includes the Beer Garden upgrade! Check out our post recapping 2018’s Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic event here.

Fans can now visit www.SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com to view the 2019 food menu as well as purchase tickets and overnight packages. More information on the special celebratory additions for the event’s 10th year will be announced later.

Notable new dishes on the 2019 menu include:
• Pan-seared rock fish with cotechino, toasted fregola, romanesco with Lambrusco from Todd English’s bluezoo
• Vegan pho with rice noodle, bok choy, carrot, bamboo shoot, hoisin and sriracha from Fresh
• Organic Kabocha Squash Ravioli with pumpkin seed and sage gremolata, pumpkin crema and pecorino from Il Mulino
• Poutine, French fries and cheese curds topped with gravy at the Beer Garden
• Barbacoa beef taco with ancho Chile braised beef, minced red onion, lime wedge, lime cilantro and “chimichurri” sauce from Picabu
• Seared Salmon with caramelized cabbage, sauce soubise, chestnut gnocchi ossolani from Garden Grove
• Vegetarian rice bowl with roasted vegetables, seasoned sushi rice, tempura crunch from Cabana Bar and Beach Club

Returning favorites include:
• Oven-roasted angus beef tenderloin with Idaho mashed potatoes, caramelized field mushrooms, sauce bordelaise from Shula’s Steakhouse
• Dynamite Rock Shrimp from Todd English’s bluezoo
• Kimonos and Dragon sushi roll from Kimonos
• Funfetti fried Oreo cookie with dark chocolate ganache at Carnival Corner
• Traditional Earth baked kalua pork at The Pig & The Poke
• Yu Chen’s crispy duck at Chinatown
• Kentuckyaki chicken wings with cilantro-lime dipping sauce at the Beer Garden

The Pig & Poke, the fan-favorite Hawaiian Luau themed area debuted in 2018, will make its return in 2019 along with the other themed areas:
• Carnival Corner, carnival games and food with a twist
• Chinatown, cuisine and beverages inspired by San Francisco’s noted neighborhood
• Bubble Lounge, a sophisticated atmosphere serving sparkling beverages with perfectly paired hors d’oeuvres
• Beer Garden, craft beers with dishes inspired by Oktoberfest

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort Executive Chef Dan Herman will feature his personal barbecue favorites at Smokin D’s Barbecue, while original dessert offerings will once again be served by the resort’s executive pastry chef and World Champion Pastry Chef Laurent Branlard.

For a full list of current menu offerings, please visit
www.swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com/eat/menu/all.html

The Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic offers guests unlimited tastings at more than 90 stations featuring culinary selections from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants and wine from more than 60 wineries amidst a festive backdrop of live entertainment on the hotel’s scenic causeway. This year, causeway tickets include access to the Beer Garden. The event also includes hands-on seminars with the hotel’s chefs and certified beverage experts.

With 17 restaurants and lounges, and a distinguished culinary and beverage team, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel continually earns national recognition for its food and beverage program. The hotel features more than 70 certified wine sommeliers and 1,400 wine selections

For the latest information about the event or to book overnight package options, guests can visit www.SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com, like www.facebook.com/swananddolphin or call 1-800-227-1500.

Inside Look: Kobe Steakhouse Celebrates 35 Years in Orlando on July 4th

Ricky Ly
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Inside Look: Kobe Steakhouse Celebrates 35 Years in Orlando on July 4th

This Thursday July 4th, Kobe Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse celebrates their 35th Anniversary with flashback prices from the 80’s starting at only $9.95 starting at 5pm. With over 11 Central Florida locations, locally family owned and operated Kobe Steakhouse employs over 600 incredible, hard-working, and dedicated employees today. This summer they will open their new St. Pete location, and then a new South I-Drive location soon after.

Kobe is probably best known for their live dinner cooking show featuring chefs who perform teppanyaki grilling. This involves using a flat iron griddle where teppan chefs slices and dices vegetables, igniting little volcanoes made of onion and cooking oil, stirring up fried rice and noodles, steak, shrimp, chicken – and of course, a ladle of the special house white sauce.

Though they specialize in teppanyaki cooking, there is also quite an extensive sushi and bar menu at Kobe Steakhouse, too.

Sometimes in the US, we mistakenly call this style of cooking hibachi. However, hibachi involves grilling over small, portable barbecue grills that are made from cast iron, commonly using charcoal as their heating source – kind of like what we know as “Korean barbecue” grilling nowadays.

We recently visited to get an inside look at Kobe Steakhouse at the Alafaya East Orlando location.

Here’s what it’s like to eat at Kobe Steakhouse:

Step One: Order from the list of Teppanyaki Entrees including steak, chicken, scallop, shrimp, lobster tail, and more

Step Two: The Server Brings Out Japanese Clear Onion Soup with Mushrooms and House Salad with Ginger Dressing

Step Three: The Teppanyaki Chef Rolls out with His Cart and Confirms Your Orders

Step Four: The Teppanyaki Chef (our chef was named Chef Vu) Begins Cooking the Fried Rice

Aw, look it’s fried rice in the shape of a heart!

Step Five: The Teppanyaki Chef Begins Cooking the Vegetables

Here, a dash of soy sauce is all the seasoning these veggies need!

Step Six: The Teppanyaki Chef Plays With Fire – The Onion Ring Volcano

Chef Vu seems to enjoy playing with fire! A lot!

Step Seven: The Teppanyaki Chef Begins Cooking the Proteins including Shrimp, Scallop, Chicken, and Steak

Some more fire play ….

Step Eight – The Final Step: The Teppanyaki Chef Plates Your Meats 

Enjoy the meal!

Kobe Steakhouse

for more information, visit
https://kobesteakhouse.com/

Perfect Summer Wines for 2019

Ricky Ly
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0
Perfect Summer Wines for 2019

By Brittney Coutts

With Florida summer fast approaching, let’s be real – summer is already here in Florida. It’s well above 90 degrees today. I really wish instead of sitting at my desk waiting on my next rep to walk through the door, I want to be on the beach, lathered in SPF 50 sunscreen, eating some watermelon, and sipping on a lightly bubbly rose out of my discrete McDonald’s cup so I don’t have to worry about another ticket like that one time in college. So maybe the beach is a tricky place to enjoy your favorite rosé or lager of choice, but by your pool is a worry free and definitely less problematic place to enjoy your favorite rosé or lager of choice.

So let’s talk about the wines that leave me daydreaming here at my desk.

Florida summer and cookouts go hand in hand with rosé. It doesn’t matter where it’s from, rosé is just darn good in the Florida heat. One of my favorite rosés right now is Delinquente Rosato. It’s made from Nero D’Avola which is a grape that is indigenous to Italy, but Delinquente is an Australian producer. The wine is as natural as they come, meaning there is little winemaker intervention, and their pesticides and production is all naturally based. It’s a fuller bodied rosé, making it perfect for that grilled chicken breast or even your burger. $20.99/Bottle @ The Wine Barn

Another rosé keeping me on my toes is the crisp freshness of Les Lauzeraies Tavel Rosé, it’s a darker color rosé and a nose full of fully ripe strawberries, raspberries. It’s super fresh and has a nice balanced acidity with a slight touch of salinity. They give this wine a longer maceration and it’s a blend of free run juice and pressing juice to hold structural integrity. According to my rep and their website, this one is made from Black Grenache (50%, softness and high aromatic potential) – Mourvèdre, old Carignan and Syrah (17%, color, spicy aromas and fullness) – Clairette (6%, floral aromas) – Picpoul and Bourboulenc (7%, flower aromas and liveliness) – Cinsault (20%, delicacy). $15.99 @ The Wine Barn

We’ll step out of rosé for a second and tap into some awesome white wines. First up is Bosman Family Vineyards Chenin Blanc Pet Nat. Bosman Family is located in South Africa. Honestly I’m a little obsessed with natural wines, so a basically naturally occurring sparkling wine is right up my alley. Bosman Family has a female winemaker, and is focused on organics. Organic wine that tastes good is hard to come by, so this one is what I like to call a unicorn wine. It’s got pear, light hints of vanilla, and some green tropical fruit. It’s crisp and fresh. $32/bottle @ The Wine Barn

Okay, back to rosé! My last recommendation is going to be sparkling. To continue with the theme of organics, Domaine Bousquet which is owned by an extremely nice gentleman named Labid and his wife Anne. Bousquet has a very high tone fruit forward nose, lots of clean crisp strawberry, and a very fresh fine bubble to it. The Bousquet vineyard is an all organic vineyard in Argentina. This specific sparkling rosé is made using traditional champagne grapes, which are pinot noir and chardonnay. In order to achieve the light pink rosey color, they expose the pressed juice to the skins of the pinot noir. This wine is also vegan friendly, which means the method of filtration is most likely diatomaceous earth. This wine comes in at $21.99 @ The Wine Barn

Hopefully this helped point you in the right direction of a great bottle of wine to enjoy. I know for a fact I’ll be drinking some if not all of these bottles mentioned above this summer. As I mentioned above the place you can find all these bottles and more is The Wine Barn in Winter Park. They just added fresh pastas and as always the wood fired pizzas. They carry 400+ labels so I’m sure you will be able to find anything that you are looking for.

ABOUT BRITTNEY COUTTS

Brittney Coutts was born and raised in Orlando. From her first job in the restaurant industry, she knew there was something magical about the pairings of food and wine that brought joy to the staff and patrons alike.

At the tender age of 18, she began independent study of wine, and the sciences behind it. While serving at a restaurant, and not being able to taste the wine there. She did what any teenager would do, and asked her friends older sibling to purchase the wine she was looking for. While her friends were in it for the free booze, she was in it for the study. At the age of 22 she received her WSET Level 1 and at age 23 she received WSET Level 2 with Merit.

As of now, Brittney is focusing on educating the public on wine, as well as her brand new online wine retail store called Natty Daddy Wine. Her selection focuses on wine that focuses on sustainable and transparent winemaking methods, and bringing attention to why these wines are important.

Since working for a distributor, a few restaurants, and a retail entity, Brittney has worked every angle aside from production of wine. She brings a fresh approach to the education and enjoyment of some of the world’s lesser known wine regions. She brings her pairing skills from her time working in a restaurant kitchen and uses that to help make some of the most seamlessly paired wine dinners.

When she’s not talking about wine, she can be found at the beach with her fiancé and her daughter soaking up the Florida sun.

First Look: Juicy Pot opens on West Colonial

Tiffany Nguyen
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0
First Look: Juicy Pot opens on West Colonial

We were invited to the soft opening of Juicy Pot, located in front of 1st Oriental Supermarket on West Colonial Drive.  The restaurant was modern and clean and there was a variety of fresh premium ingredients to choose from off the menu and conveyor belt.  Each booth had 4 personal hot pot cookers.

The unique thing about Juicy Pot is the broth styles here are very Vietnamese influenced – such as the goat broth and the sweet and sour soup style aka canh chua broth.

What makes Juicy Pot stand out from the rest is that it is affordable.  Instead of being all you can eat, it’s pay for what you eat.  Plates are color-coded to represent price points.

How to dine at Juicy Pot:

1. Choose your broth and fresh ingredients from the menu and conveyor belt.


2. Bring broth to a boil and slowly add in all your ingredients.

3. Use soup ladle to move ingredients into your bowl.  Then enjoy!

Grilled scallops from the kitchen.  Perfectly flavored.  So delicious!


They also have boba teas.

Green tea matcha and taro boba tea.

Be sure to check them out next time you are in the West Colonial area!

Juicy Pot
5206 West Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL 32808
(407) 704-4934

Orlando Weekly’s Bite Night 2019 Benefiting Edible Education Experience

Tiffany Nguyen
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Orlando Weekly’s Bite Night 2019 Benefiting Edible Education Experience

The 6th Annual Bite Night presented by Publix Aprons Cooking School was held at Orchid Garden & Ballroom at Church Street last Thursday.  The event featured over 25 of the city’s top local restaurants and chefs serving bite-size samples of their most creative dishes, an open bar, an exciting bite fight featuring Orlando Meats, Pizza Bruno, & La Femme Du Fromage, live entertainment from Violectric (pictured above), Salvador Live!, Robotman + Brian Hayes, all benefiting Edible Education Experience.

More pictures below:

Publix Aprons Cooking School

Chroma Modern Bar & Kitchen

Oyster Bob’s

Nicole Macaron

La Femme Du Fromage


Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company

Cafe Tu tu Tango

Terralina Crafted Italian

Paddlefish

Mia’s Italian Kitchen

Omelet Bar

La Boucherie

The Paleo Bakery

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits

SUSURU

Gideon’s Bakehouse

Le Ky Patisserie

Andretti Indoor Karting & Games Orlando

Sweet by Holly

Hard Rock Cafe

Castle Hotel/ Antler’s Lounge

Eden Bar

The Outpost

Reel Fish

Felipe Rodriguez Tequila House

Poke Hana

Chela Chroma Modern Bar & Kitchen

Corwin’s Catering

Orlando Meats

Hawker’s Asian Street Fare

Homestyle Chicken & Waffles at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen

Katherine Nguyen
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0
Homestyle Chicken & Waffles at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen

Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen added a few new and limited time items to their menu and we enjoyed our chance trying a handful. This includes their limited time Chicken & Waffles.Stop by now through July 21st to get yours!

This dish comes with 4 crispy tenders on top of 3 mouthwatering waffles with powdered sugar and a side of syrup for only $8.99.

The chicken is tender, moist and coated with a crispy coat. It balances out the sweet waffles that is slightly dry. The waffles soaks the moist savory bite of the chicken…as well as your drool at the thought of Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Homestyle Chicken & Waffles.

Aside from chicken & waffles, we tried more delicious dishes. Who wouldn’t want a plate of Honey Butter Croissants after a long day? I’d love it any day – long or not. Golden brown and drizzled with house-whipped honey butter is my favorite way to enjoy a buttery croissant that melts in my mouth with each bite.

The Texas-Sized Nachos is a new appetizer on the menu. You get a choice of chicken or ground beef with queso, black beans, jalapeños, cilantro, corn, fresh pico de gallo, and a drizzle of honey BBQ and ranch. It is served with queso and salsa on the side. We decided to make it a vegetarian friendly dish and opted out of having chicken or ground beef. Each bite, with or without dipping a loaded chip into queso or salsa, was an explosion of flavor. The honey BBQ adds a surprisingly enjoyable sweetness to the dish.

The Blackened Salmon Salad is a lighter option from the fried dishes on their menu. It consists of blackened salmon, fresh greens, tomatoes, carrots, Parmesan cheese, glazed pecans, and homemade croutons served with pomegranate vinaigrette. The salmon is a flavorful protein that was made well. The greens add a nice crunch and the glazed pecans add a sweetness. Each ingredient adds its own uniqueness like a texture and/or flavor.

My not so favorite new dish I tried was the Better Than Mom’s Meatloaf, but that’s because I am not too fond of meatloaf or sweetness on my meatloaf. Two thick slices of tender meatloaf is baked with a tomato glaze served over a bed of mashed potatoes and one side.

Two new mini cakes hit the dessert menu – the Chocolate Raspberry Mini Cake and this Cheddar’s Painkiller Mini Cake. The Cheddar’s Painkiller Mini Cake is a homemade coconut cake filled with Pusser’s Rum-Butter sauce and topped with whipped cream, freshly toasted coconut and a cherry. This mini cake is like a bread pudding with how warm it is, but with whipped cream instead of ice cream. I’m not fond of sweets, but I’d love this again!

When you’ve reached your maximum limit of 2 Cheddar’s Painkiller cocktails, try another craft cocktail. Tito’s Watermelon Vodkarita (left) is another limited time item that can be served on the rocks or as a slushy. It comes with a fresh and sweet slice of watermelon. Spicy Mango Mojito (right) is Cruzan Mango rum with fresh mint and lime juice. Both are on the sweet and refreshing side for a hot summer day that’s basically year round in Florida.

For more information on Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, visit their website and find your location for a visit.

Christmas in July: A Barnie’s Coffee x Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream Collaboration

Stephanie Scelsi
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Christmas in July: A Barnie’s Coffee x Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream Collaboration

Ice cream and coffee are possibly one of the best combinations. And chances are if you don’t like one of those, you like the other! Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream is a classic and very popular spot around Orlando. So what better way to celebrate half-way to Christmas by a Barnie’s Coffee and Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream collaboration?

Santa’s White Christmas has been a long-time fan favorite at Barnie’s, so they knew this was the flavor they had to go for. For Christmas in July, Barnie’s and Kelly’s have released three treats available exclusively at Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream starting July 1st.

The first item is the classic Santa’s White Christmas Ice Cream. Barnie’s Santa’s White Christmas coffee is coconut, vanilla, and sweet caramel flavored coffee, so you could imagine that it would have to be delicious in ice cream form as well! If you are a caramel lover, you will love this July flavor!

Barnie’s Cold Brew Float was my personal favorite. A scoop of Santa’s White Christmas ice cream in a cup of Barnie’s Cold Brew coffee is sure to give you that afternoon pick-me-up. The sweetness of the ice cream balanced so well with the bitterness of the cold brew. It was a super tasty, not as sweet treat!

Lastly, there will be a Santa’s White Christmas Milkshake. Using Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream with Barnie’s Christmas flavoring, it is a wonderful treat during the hot Florida summer!

Barnie’s Coffee will be having a special tasting at their cafe in Winter Park this Sunday, June 30th from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. And be sure to stop by Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream throughout July to try all of these special offerings!

 

 

 

 

1921 Mount Dora with New Executive Chef Josh Oakley

Ricky Ly
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1921 Mount Dora with New Executive Chef Josh Oakley

Chef Josh Oakley – known for his impressive house-made charcuterie and a veteran of Central Florida hot spots such as Smiling Bison, Cask & Larder, Ravenous Pig, and Rusty Spoon – has recently joined 1921 Mount Dora as Executive Chef.

“The food scene in Central Florida has come so far in my nearly 20 years here. It’s been an honor and a joy to have been a part of it,” says Josh. “And I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity to continue pushing it forward in such an amazing restaurant and town.”

Pastry Chef Rachel Jenkins and Chef Josh Oakley of 1921 Mount Dora

The restaurant embraces sustainable practices working closely with local Mount Dora farms, purveyors, and food artisans in Central Florida. With an acclaimed wine collection and craft cocktail menu, 1921 Mount Dora sets the bar for exceptional dining experiences. A feast for the eyes, as well as the palette, the restaurant features an extensive collection of art, with select pieces on loan from the adjacent Modernism Museum.

On changes to 1912 since he took the reins, Chef Josh Oakley tells us, “We’re producing all sorts of house-made charcuterie right now, which is new for 1921 Mount Dora.”

Chef Oakley is striving to keep the menu creative yet approachable and also to use the best ingredients they can get our hands on. “I try to keep a nice balance of some classics and some more adventurous things on there, in hopes of appealing to as many folks as possible.”

We were recently invited to try some of Chef Oakley’s new tasting menu items – a showcase of chef’s wheelhouse full of delicious delights.

Some of my favorites of the evening included crispy pork belly with blood orange mojo, the house chicken liver mousse, and the Diver Scallop ceviche – all deftly cooked and seasoned by chef Oakley and his team.

House Chicken Liver Mousse
Crispy Pork Belly with Blood Orange Mojo and Brussel Sprouts
Grilled Octopus Pizza with Romesco, Olives, Piquillo Peppers
Diver Scallop Ceviche
Pork and Duck Country Terrine
Ponce Inlet Cobia with Vegetable Cream, Peas, Asparagus, Trumpet Mushrooms and Wild Ramps
Wood Grilled Teres Major Steak with Alba Mushrooms, Broccoli, and Black Garlic Hollandaise
Glazed Orange Cake with Triple Berry Compote, Candied Almonds and Whipped Cream

Pastry Chef Rachel Jenkins also crafts a lovely repertoire of desserts, including a fantastic glazed orange cake with triple berry compote. I am still salivating at the thought of all these fantastic dishes at 1921.

Interview with Chef Josh Oakley – 1921 Mount Dora – Chef’s Profile

Tasty Chomps: Tell us about your background. What inspired you to become a chef?

Chef Josh Oakley: It kind of just happened really. I’ve always loved cooking and learning about food, but never really had plans to do it as a career. I was a psychology major in college – fascinating stuff to me but not something that really ended up inspiring me to pursue it as a career. I worked at a fast food place in high school and also washed dishes at a fine dining place in my hometown. I loved the unique blend of precision and structure along with the chaos and occasional debauchery required to make it in this business.

Tasty Chomps: What are some of your favorite childhood memories around food?

Chef Josh Oakley: So many it’s hard to pick! We had a pretty big garden on our land growing up and in season, one night a week we had an entire meal using only ingredients from it.

Also my grandmother on my Dad’s side made the most amazing fried chicken ever. In a cast iron skillet with Crisco. I can taste it right now just thinking about it.

My Mom’s family is all Polish. I remember watching my 90 year old great grandmother boiling off pierogies when I was probably 6 or 7. When I asked her how long she cooked them for she replied ” ’til they’re done.” I didn’t get it at the time, I figured there had to be a certain time attached to it. In retrospect it was a pretty profound lesson in using your instinct and powers of observation and not strictly adhering to a recipe all the time. There are so many variables in cooking and you have to go with your gut sometimes.

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

Chef Josh Oakley: I really love making and eating pasta. So we’re doing a lot of that. And whatever fish we get in from Kris and Kelly seafood. They bring it straight from the docks to us twice a week. It couldn’t be any fresher. It’s a joy to work with such consistently fresh seafood. It baffles me sometimes that it’s so hard to find places using fresh Florida seafood when it’s so abundant in these parts. We’re definitely very proud to be able to offer that to our guests. Beyond that it changes every day. I guess I get bored easily and love changing things up often.

Current dining guest favorites on the menu?

Chef Josh Oakley: The fish dish whatever it may be is always quite popular. We have a great scallop dish on that is the last remaining holdout from the menu I inherited when I got here. It’s going to be hard to take it off the menu some day because people love it so much.

It’s been about 3 months now since you have joined 1921, how are things going now and what do you have planned for the near future?

Chef Josh Oakley: It’s going great. I couldn’t be happier. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made to leave The Bison. It was my baby. But I feel like I’m right where I belong for now. I feel like I’m barely getting started here, finally getting the lay of the land. Summer is traditionally the slowest time of the year so we’re utilizing the down time to get everything tweaked to where we want it and be really ready to roll when the busy season comes back around.

That chicken liver mousse you made for us was divine! Tell us about your passion for charcuterie – what is your philosophy behind the food you make?

Chef Josh Oakley: Growing up Polish, I’ve always loved sausage. It’s one of the perfect foods I think. Takes a lot of skill and utilizes the off cuts a lot of the time. It’s important to use everything. Some of the best dishes I’ve come up with have been born out of the necessity to use absolutely everything. The steak on our menu is great, but I’ll take the Bolognese or sausage we make out of its scraps and trim every time! Philosophy wise I like to keep it simple and clean and pay attention to detail. You don’t have to set out to create some revolutionary new dish every time, you’ve just got to make sure it’s great and executed properly no matter what it is.

What is the secret to a really good mousse?

Chef Josh Oakley:  If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret.

When you are hungry for something late at night, what do you find yourself making at home?

Chef Josh Oakley: I really don’t cook much at home, so maybe a BLT or some hot dogs, or some toaster oven nachos. It’s a misconception that chefs only eat fancy food. I love splurging for a great meal at Luma on Park or The Ravenous Pig whenever I can, but I’m always just as down for some doctored up instant ramen or a good PB&J!

As a native of Buffalo, will you or do you have any influences from this region on the menu?

Chef Josh Oakley: We have a Beef On Weck on the lunch menu, that’s as popular as Chicken Wings are up there, if not more so. Beyond that I don’t think so really. I think the South is the Cradle of American food, country ham, fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, etc. Buffalo is a great food town beyond the wings and weck, but culinarily I don’t know that the food up there has too awful much to do with my mindset as a chef.

1921 Mount Dora is located in the heart of the town’s historic district at 142 East 4th Avenue, Mount Dora, Florida. Call (352) 385-1921 for reservations. Web: www.1921mountdora.com

Hours:
Brunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday & Sunday
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday
Happy Hour: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 2-6:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Dinner: 5 p.m. to close Tuesday-Sunday

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