Saturday, June 7, 2025

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Top 5 Things to Eat at Korean restaurant Seoul Garden in Maitland

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Often overlooked, this little restaurant in the heart of Maitland cooks up some of the best dishes from the Korean peninsula. It’s located right off of US 17/92 on Horatio Avenue and has decor reminiscent of a past French restaurant that once occupied the space prior.

Their dishes for dinner are excellent and I love their lunch bento specials, too.

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Here’s 5 things I recommend ordering here at Seoul Garden:

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Japchae – Kind of like a Korean lo mein noodle stir fry – this dish consists of veggies, clear buckwheat noodles, and a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil. It’s a little sticky, but fun to eat and share as an appetizer.

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Kalbi – I think the award for best Kalbi, or Korean marinated beef short ribs, goes to Seoul Garden. Their beef ribs have always been of excellent quality with a nice sweet flavor and char from the grill.

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Banchan – These are the Korean side dishes that come when you order a main dish like Kalbi or Bulgogi. The dishes consists of a variety of pickled vegetables and small plates of whatever is made fresh that day – sometimes mashed potatoes Korean style, pickled kimchi radish cubes, or sliced pickled cucumbers, tofu, and more. They’re great to provide some spicy, salty, sour complexities to complement your main.

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Soon Dobu – Spicy silken tofu soup – this is about an 8 or so on the spice meter, so be ready for some heat in more ways than one – it’s served piping hot, too, boiling in a stone cauldron as it arrives to the table. Inside you’ll find anything from silky tofu to kimchi and pork or seafood, depending on the variety you choose. Great over rice.

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Cinnamon tea – For dessert, this little cup of cool, sweet cinnamon tea with dash of a rice puff is quite the refreshing drink to end the meal.

Haemul pajun - seafood pancake!
Haemul pajun – seafood pancake!
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goofballs
Kalbi beef
Kalbi beef

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Chef’s Night at Second Harvest Food Bank with The Rusty Spoon

On June 25th, Second Harvest hosts Chef Kathleen Blake from The Rusty Spoon for the Chef’s Night Series and Catering for Good program.

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Each Chef’s Night brings local top chefs into Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to celebrate delicious food and raise money for a good cause. All proceeds benefit Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program, which provides students with the skills and inspiration they need to obtain an entry-level position in a food service establishment.

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The evening began with tasteful conversations and delightful Amuse-bouche. In my opinion, the item on the left has more texture compared to the item on the right. However, both have their own reasons for praise. Also, the left is more dessert like than the right because it reminds me of cinnamon apples (on top of potato). The right is flavored sweet barbecue, but it is a bit too sweet for my preferences.

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The first course consisted of Charred squid and octopus with Frog Song organic watermelon two ways with house pickled peppers and arugula. So many flavors danced together and made a well balanced salad from the sweet notes of the watermelon, savory squid and octopus, the tart and spicy pickled peppers to the fresh, yet bitter arugula.

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Next came sweet corn, chorizo and local oyster mushrooms with fettuccine paprikash. This was my favorite dish as I’ve always been a fan of chorizo and oyster mushrooms. Among the many flavors, the broth was almost bland, but the chorizo added the saltiness it needed.

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Lake Meadow roasted poussin with butternut squash skordalia and natural jus reminded me of a homely meal. The poussin was moist and tender, while the carrots provided a crunch. I adored the sweetness of the skordalia and fancied topping my poussin with it for almost every bite. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to go primal and use my hands to eat this course, but that isn’t lady-like, is it?

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Last, but not least, is the peach cobbler with muse butter pecan gelato. Peach cobbler is one of my favorite desserts. Although the peaches were a bit too sweet for my liking, I still enjoyed this dessert and would have had seconds if I was not so full.

This visit was one of the best as the dishes were on point with my tastebuds on the flavors and textures I loved most about food. I not only love food but I love helping the community as well, which is why Second Harvest is such a great cause to work with.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida offers more Chef’s Night and events like Dine in the Dark to connect guests with local foods and charities. If you’d like to learn more about Second Harvest, please feel free to click on the hyperlink.

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I highly recommend volunteering with Second Harvest and have your events catered by their chefs. Not only would you have a great experience and enjoy delicious food, you will also be helping a cause as the funds will benefit Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program and our local community.

Kings Bowl Orlando presents new dishes

Last Wednesday, we decided to visit Kings Bowl on International Dr. in Orlando, FL. It was a spacious venue with plenty of bowling lanes, pool tables, and bars. What’s more is that they also have a restaurant inside of Kings Bowl. This summer, Kings Bowl decided to add around 14 dishes and 5 drinks to their menu. Fair warning, the lighting wasn’t great for photography so we may not have photos for every dish and drink. Also, many of their 14 dishes are meals split up separately (i.e. a chicken dish may also have the quinoa salad, but the salad is also sold on its own); therefore, grouping will occur in this post.

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The Drunken Bear Martini is a sweet drink that contains raspberry vodka, peach liqueur, sour mix, lime juice, and it is garnished with gummy bears. Along with it is an Orange You Old Fashioned?, which is a bourbon drink with orange liqueur, simple syrup and orange bitters.

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The Apple Raisin Chicken Salad and sandwich contains mostly the same ingredients plus or minus the toasted multigrain bread. Instead of bread, the sandwich can be served as a lettuce wrap instead. The salad is very delightful as the mixture of apples, raisins and chicken is always refreshing.

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The Turkey, cranberry and brie sandwich contains toasted multigrain bread that may have a weird smell because the oil it was toasted with was cooked incorrectly. I couldn’t get past the smell to enjoy the sandwich.

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The chicken wings can be Teri-Dactyl (Spicy BBQ and Teriyaki sauce) or Kings’ Famous Baked Caribbean Jerk wings. I prefer the Caribbean Jerk sauce over the Teri-Dactyl because the latter is very sweet and overpowering. Nevertheless, the wings themselves are very moist and cooked well.

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There wasn’t anything specifically special about the BBQ Pulled Pork Wontons. They were tasty, but oily.

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The Mango Lime Grilled Chicken Breast is served with a mango salsa, avocado, sour cream, Southwestern quinoa, and steamed broccoli. The Southwestern quinoa can also be ordered as a salad and the only difference is that it includes kale, Feta, carrots, and a cilantro lime vinaigrette. The chicken breast is cooked well and is still juicy on the inside. There isn’t anything really special about the quinoa side or salad.

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The Turkey and Hummus Wrap is packed with protein and veggies. It’s a nice item if you’d like a refreshing dish on a hot summer day.

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The Ginger Soy Glazed Salmon is a bit dry, but the flavors are delicious. The baby bok toy is extremely salty and the brown rice is ok. However, the glazed baby carrots are delicious and I could eat them all day.

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The marinated artichoke and spinach pizza was interesting and delicious. The downside is how oily the pizza and the crust was.

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This pizza is basically an Americanized taco spread out. Another way of thinking is if Taco Bell made a pizza. My favorite part of this dish is the crust, which is more crunchy as well as still a bit chewy.

The burgers weren’t photographed, but they are essentially the same thing with one or two different items switched around for each burger. The most interesting is the burger that contains peanut butter, bacon, grilled pineapple, and Sriracha. The peanut butter works well with the beef where the bacon adds a salty and savoriness to the burger. The grilled pineapple is new and adds a sweetness to it as well.

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The “homemade” health bar cake is served with whipped cream and a rum caramel sauce. The lower portion of the cake is dense and chewy, while the top is creamy and smooth. I prefer the top portion as it isn’t as sweet as the cake portion. Eating it together is the best way even though it is fun to dissect it and take it apart.

Feel free to visit Kings Bowl America – Orlando for more information on their menu and summer bowling deals.

Breath Free Campaign in Winter Park at Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen

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Winter Park restaurants encouraged to join ‘Breathe Free’ and ban smoking on outdoor patios as Winter Park becomes first city in Central Florida to ask restaurants to voluntarily prohibit patio smoking.

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Leaders from Winter Park’s health and business communities are excited to announce the launch of “Breathe Free Winter Park,” an initiative aimed at voluntarily banning smoking — inside and out — of restaurants in the city.

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While smoking isn’t permitted inside Florida eateries, diners can smoke at restaurant patios. Secondhand smoke is not only bothersome, but it can trigger asthma attacks, migraines and sinus issues.

Already, more than 20 restaurants have joined Breathe Free, including Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Outback Steakhouse, Bosphorous and others. Breathe Free organizers hope these model restaurants — and residents who advocate smoke-free dining — will encourage other eateries throughout Winter Park and all of Central Florida to go smoke-free.

Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary
Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary

“Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen is pleased to participate in Breathe Free Winter Park,” said Jonathan Smiga, CEO of
Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen. “We think our guests appreciate a clean and healthy environment in which to enjoy our specialty coffees and espresso drinks — along with our local, farm-to-table cuisine. Breathe Free Winter Park is a breath of fresh air.”

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Breathe Free is an initiative of Healthy Central Florida (HCF), a community-based partnership founded by Florida Hospital and the Winter Park Health Foundation. HCF partnered with the American Lung Association, the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, Rollins College and others to take one more step on the road to becoming the healthiest community in the nation — the goal of Healthy Central Florida. With the launch of Breathe Free, Winter Park becomes the first city in Central Florida to ask all restaurants to fully ban smoking on their property.

Research shows only 10 percent of Winter Park residents smoke, and fewer than 8 percent smoke daily. That means restaurants are catering to a small group by allowing smoking on their patios.

“We want to stress that this program is entirely voluntary,” said Jill Hamilton Buss, executive director of Healthy Central Florida. “We’re simply making restaurant owners/managers aware of how few people actually smoke, and helping them go smoke-free if they choose to do so. And, we’re offering full support for the transition if they sign on, including providing a toolkit, signage, advertising and promotion and even staff training.”

Individuals, not just restaurants, also have a role to play.

Executive Chef Camilo Velasco of Barnie's CoffeeKitchen
Executive Chef Camilo Velasco of Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen

“Anyone who prefers a smoke-free patio is encouraged to speak up and let restaurant owners/managers know they would prefer to dine smoke free,” added Hamilton Buss. “If they don’t hear from you, they don’t know.”

For a full list of restaurants that already signed up for Breathe Free and to learn more about Health Central Florida, visit healthycentralflorida.org.

Restaurant managers and owners who are interested in joining Breathe Free can contact Hamilton Buss at
jhamiltonbuss@healthycf.org or 407-644-2300.

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Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen CEO Jonathon Smiga speaks on the importance of Breathe Free SONY DSC

 

 

Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbakoa – Home of the Best Ribs in Orlando

This Latin, Asian, and Southern American BBQ fusion joint in Orlando’s Mills 50 district has a nice list of bites, including Matambre smoked brisket sandwiches topped with egg, Indian Butter chicken tacos and the Latin plantain and fried yuca sides.

But it’s all about the Oakwood Smoked St. Louis Barbecue Ribs here. Succulent. Juicy. Sweet, yet refined. Delicious. When you can get it, it’s really good. The problem is that it is can sell out fast, so call ahead and make sure they’ve got some ready for you.

Founded by Thomas “Tito” Ward Esteves, the founder of the Treehouse Truck, one of the first so called gourmet food trucks in Orlando, Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbakoa is a an ode to his family’s deep love for food. Barbakoa is a form of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean with the Taino people, from which the term “barbecue” derives.

The menu consists of sandwiches, tacos, platters, and sides, all done very well.

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The Oak-smoked St. Louis ribs (half-rack $14.99, full $22.99) are truly among the best, if not the best, ribs in all of Orlando – slow-cooked with a crispy surface yet tender, fall of the bone meat within and a nice sweet flavor. Try it with the crispy sweet fennel apple salad.

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The Indian butter chicken ($2.95), flavored in Indian an orange tikka currry sauce and topped with pepitas, jalapeno and cilantro – this was a favorite and definitely would order again.

 

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The open faced Matahambre sandwich ($8.99), features slices of Oakwood smoked brisket with dabs of chimichurri sauce,  grilled tomatoes and topped with an over easy fried egg – and slathered a bit too much with mayonaisse. Accompanied with grilled corn on the cob, smokily charred and sprinkled with pepper, lime and salty Mexican cotija cheese

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Late Night Ramen Thursdays at Cask and Larder – Winter Park

Winter Park’s Cask and Larder, the Southern Pubhouse, recently debuted a late night menu featuring some “Asian” influenced creations from the Japanese style Shoyu and Miso Ramen to Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches, all created with the careful attention to quality that the Ravenous Pig restaurant group has come to be known for.

I came by around 10:15pm on their debut night and the bar area where the menu is available was already packed with people. I ordered the Shoyu ramen (misspelled as Shyoyu on the menu?) which is a soy sauce based broth – the rift here on it was the delightfully crispy pork belly and a 60 minute sous vide egg, as well as house pickled daikon and collard green kimchi. The kimchi gave the broth a nice spicy finish and the ramen noodle soup itself was quite delicious. My favorite part of the dish was the excellent crispy pork belly!

By the time I finished my soup, around 10:45pm, the house had 86-ed (or sold out of) all their late night menu items. Quite the successful test venture with this menu, I’d say.

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The Late night Menu – available only at the Bar

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The Shoyu Ramen with 60 minute egg, pork belly, house pickled kimchi and daikon, kombu seaweed.

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BRAVO! Cucina Italiana offers Summer Fixe Menu

This week, Tasty Chomps was invited to BRAVO! Cucina Italiana to try meals from their Summer Fixe Menu, which offers a salad, an entrée and a dessert for each meal. To say the least, our visit was delightful.

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The staff was welcoming, accommodating and genuine from having small talk to offering recommendations for their favorite dishes. Also, when he was available, Chef Matt Grimes came to our table to present our dishes to us. I managed to convince Chef Grimes into taking some portraits.

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While we waited for our dishes, bread was served fresh from the oven with a herb oil dip. The bread was so warm, moist, fluffy, and a little chewy to my liking. How did Bravo! know my preferences? I’m not sure. Needless to say, we had a few baskets of this delicious bread.

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The Chopped Salad included chopped greens, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, olives, Feta, and red wine vinaigrette. It is the essential and basic salad for a simple choice with very fresh ingredients.

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The Insalata Della Casa consisted of chopped greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, bacon, crispy pasta, and Parmesan dressing. I prefer this salad as the smokey bacon adds more texture, while the Parmesan dressing was tossed with the right amount.

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The Pasta Fra Diabolo was made up of a spicy tomato cream sauce, campanile pasta and shrimp. The cream sauce is made by mixing Marinara and Alfredo sauce to obtain its silky smooth texture. The pasta was cooked to perfection and there was a generous number of shrimp. Finding out that I am allergic to shrimp, Chef Grimes offered to make me a portion to try without shrimp and went back into the kitchen to make me some right away – now that is service. I am so glad I was able to try this entrée as it made my day and was my favorite main course item.

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The Chicken Milanese is a Romano-crusted chicken breast with Mozzarella served on a Pomodoro sauce and herb linguini. The Comodoro sauce is mild and does not overpower the flavors of the linguini. The linguini was also prepared correctly and seasoned by herbs for a nice fresh flavor. I believe the chicken was moist, but a bit salty; I suggest eating it with the Pomodoro sauce as a balance.

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Chef Brittany’s Cannoli Crumble is a deconstructed Bravo!’s twist on the traditional cannoli. There’s lightly  sweetened ricotta filling with chocolate chips and cannoli pastry crumble. The filling was smooth, dense, cooling, and delicious. In contrast, the crust crumble provided the opposite texture similar to that of the semisweet chocolate chips. This take is creative, easier to share and less messy than the traditional cannoli.

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The Vanilla Bean Créme Brûlée is a decadent vanilla bean custard with a caramelized sugar crust. I love this dessert because of how creamy, milky and sweet it is and how cooling it is to my palate. It is easy to eat, but dangerous for the same reason after a long day of work where you may devour more than a serving size.

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Along with our meals, we decided to try the Sangria Rose and Cucumber Basil Gimlet to go along with our summer theme. The Sangria Rosa consisted of Sobieski Raspberry Vodka, fresh muddled pineapple and strawberry, Fizz 56 Brachetto d’Acqui, and is served on the rocks. It isn’t overpoweringly sweet and leaves notes of pineapple dancing on your tongue.

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The Cucumber Basil Gimlet is made up of Grey Goose Vodka or Hendricks Gin, fresh basil, crushed cucumber, bitters and fresh lemon and lime juices, served on the rocks. We had it with Grey Goose Vodka and it is a strong drink, but refreshing for the summer at the same time. You know it is truly fresh when you can taste all the ingredients of the basil, cucumber, etc.

Sad to say, but this concludes our visit to BRAVO! Cucina Italiana. Please feel free to browse their website and make a reservation! You will not be disappointed.

 

Easy Toaster Oven Georgia Peach Cobbler #SweetGeorgiaPeaches

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This is a recipe from my friend, Chelsea R. With limited materials and time, she was able to whip up a wonderful, tasty Georgia Peach Cobbler in less than 30 minutes.

We were graciously sent some ripe Georgia Peaches from The Georgia Peach Council since June and July is peak Georgia peach fruit season – check them all out by visiting #sweetgeorgiapeaches on social media.

Ripe Georgia Peaches
Ripe Georgia Peaches

So we had 4 peaches, and pretty much things left over in the pantry – some vanilla extract, some sugar, a box of cake mix from Betty Crocker – and a toaster oven.

Peeling the peaches
Peeling the peaches

Ingredients
– 4 Georgia Peaches, peeled and sliced
– 2 tablespoons of sugar
– 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
– 1 box of cake mix
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 2 tablespoons of butter

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Directions

– Set oven to 375 degrees F

– On a hot pan, sautee the sliced peaches and add 1 tablespoons of sugar to get to a nice brown

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– Transfer to a glass ceramic pan or oven ready pan

– Add cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar

– Cover cover with cake mix

– Melt butter on pan and cover top of peach cobbler with butter

– Transfer to oven and set for 30 minutes

– Let cool for 15 minutes in oven

– Enjoy

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Video instructions on youtube:

Sugarbuzz Dezert Company

Sugarbuzz Dezert Company is a new and upcoming bakery known for their delicious desserts, especially their cookies and pies. Ron James, the founder and owner, attended the San Francisco Baking Institute before starting his business while working full-time at another job. Ron invited us into his bakery and we were more than happy to take a little tour of their bakery, hear about the history and the making as well as photograph some delicious treats. Our visit consisted of a pleasant conversation and desserts with flavors that lived up to their beautiful presentation.

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They are known for their pies and cookies, but they also sell cupcakes and slices or whole cheesecake and cakes. All of Ron’s desserts are made from scratch – including the delicious caramel for the cookies you’ll soon see below.

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The Peanut Butter Pie is absolutely creamy in every bite in contrast to its chocolate crust and dark chocolate sauce on top. Alone, this reminds you of chocolate peanut butter cup candies, but whipped cream and shaved chocolate peanut butter candy bar is actually added to amplify the heavenly taste.

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The Key Lime Pie is a classic charmer that is tasteful for a hot summer day. It’s a sweet and tart dessert due to its fresh squeezed key lime juice.

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The Chocolate Cream Pie is perfect for any chocolate lover because it has dark chocolate filling on a chocolate sandwich cookie crust (before topped with whipped cream).

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The Chocolate Cheesecake is an alternate to the Chocolate Cream Pie and it has gluten free options available. It’s also made with deliciously rich dark chocolate and a chocolate cookie crust. This is one of my favorites because I love creamy dark chocolate and have been looking for a nice chocolate cheesecake to savor.

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At Sugarbuzz Dezert Company, a variety of cookies are created including the Snickerdoodle above and the cookie below with pecans, caramel and sea salt, which contains the caramel Ron made from scratch.

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Sugarbuzz Dezert Company is found in a little nook next to a nail salon.

Address:

  • 4339 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804

Hours:

  • Tuesday-Friday 10:30am-6pm
  • Saturday: 10:30am-5pm

TASTY TRENDS IN TODAY’S FOOD at WMFE plus other upcoming Foodie Events

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tasty-trends-in-todays-food-event

DATE: Tuesday, June 30, 2015

TIME: 7 p.m.

LOCATION: The WMFE Studios, 11510 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32817

This panel of Central Florida food experts engage in a free-wheeling discussion on popular area restaurants, what is new or enduring on the Central Florida food scene, and other tasty food-related topics that may emerge. It’s moderated by WMFE reporter and All Things Considered host Crystal Chavez. It’s free and open to the public.

Current panelists include Mark Baratelli of The Daily City Food Truck Bazaar, chef and culinary educator, Emily Ellyn and Tasty Chomps food blogger, Ricky Ly.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The event is free and open to the public but RSVP is required!

How is seating determined? Seating not assigned. Seating is first-come, first served.

How do I contact the WMFE Member Services? Either via phone at 407-514-1750(Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.) or by email: wmfe@wmfe.org.

 

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Chef Kathleen Blake, 2015 James Beard award nominee and owner of The Rusty Spoon in downtown Orlando, will prepare dinner at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’sCommunity Kitchen as part of the Chef’s Night series and Catering for Good program. Guests will enjoy a four-course dinner featuring a locally sourced pub-style menu of American cuisine rooted in European flavors. Chef’s Night brings local top chefs into Second Harvest’s Community Kitchen to celebrate delicious food and raise money for a good cause.

All proceeds benefit Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program, which provides students with the skills and inspiration they need to obtain an entry-level position in a food service establishment.For more on our first Chef’s Night with John Rivers, click here.

MENU:

  • Passed Appetizer: Amuse-bouche
  • First Course: Charred squid and octopus with Frog Song organic watermelon two ways with house pickled peppers and arugula
  • Second Course: Sweet corn, chorizo and local oyster mushrooms with fettuccine paprikash
  • Third Course: Lake Meadow roasted poussin with butternut squash skordalia and natural jus
  • Dessert: Peach cobbler with muse butter pecan gelato

WHEN: Thursday, June 25, 2015 from 6-9 p.m.

WHERE: Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, 411 Mercy Drive, Orlando, Fla. 32805

COST: $75 per person

TO REGISTER:  Purchase tickets at www.foodbankcentralflorida.org or call 407-514-1048 for more information.

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Photo Credit: Jeffrey A McDonald
Photo Credit: Jeffrey A McDonald

Expand your palate. Make Rolls. Not War. Celebrate International Sushi Day on June 18 at Dragonfly.

Guests become the chef at the “Craft Your Roll” day through the five step prep of roll creation allowing guest to pick: the canvas; farm product; pairing; topping and sauce. Adding to the mix, guests are encouraged to name their dish and share socially using the hashtag #HowIRoll.

Crafting its role in the community, Dragonfly will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the following charities:

  • Orlando: Community Food and Outreach Center
  • Gainesville: Ronald McDonald House

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Here’s 8 Ways to Know You’re at an “American” Chinese restaurant

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In the United States, there are more Chinese restaurants than McDonald’s, Burger Kings and KFCs combined. As with any immigrant cuisine, the food often takes on characteristics popular to the host country’s own culinary tastes.

In South America, Peru has its own version of fried rice called chaufa, stir fried beef with potatoes called lomo saltado, and countless other Chinese dishes adjusted and adapted for Latin tastebuds.

In Japan, even, the lowly la mien, or noodle soup, has become adapted and converted into a very Japanese dish known around the world as ramen. Here in the US, we’ve got General Tso’s chicken and bourbon chicken. Syrupy sweet and fried, it’s the American way.

The history of Chinese immigration dates back to the mid-1800s when Chinese workers arrived in the United States to work as miners, railroad builders, farmers, and laborers.

The first Chinese restaurants were not opened by professionally trained chefs, but by immigrants who were denied work elsewhere or simply wished to feed their own communities. The Chinese restaurant business continued to expand throughout the early 1900s as Americans became intrigued with new exotic flavors at an inexpensive price.

Chinese restaurant-owners found ways to combine their traditional recipes with Western flavors in order to attract more American customers. As most of the immigrants came from the Guangdong region of China, most of the “Chinese” cuisine we know today in the US is heavily influenced by this region’s cuisine.

The Immigration Act of 1965 and Richard Nixon’s Visit to China in 1972 also increased both the diversity and popularity of Chinese cuisine among the American populace – but many of us have never tried true traditional Sichuan, Hunan, or Zhejiang cuisine. (Source: Smithsonian Institution: Sweet & Sour Showcase)

Here are 8 ways to know you’re at an American Chinese restaurant:

 

 

1. They serve General Tso’s Chicken

Source: http://www.china1togo.com/
Source: http://www.china1togo.com/

This sweet, slightly spicy, deep-fried chicken dish is named after General Tso Tsung-tang, or Zuo Zongtang, a Qing dynasty general and statesman, although there is no recorded connection to him.

In The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer Lee, descendants of General Tso still living in Xiangyin, when interviewed, say that they have never heard of such a dish.

Stories say it was developed by a chef in Taiwan, another in New York. Whatever the case, this dish is quintessential in the American Chinese restaurant menu.

 

 

2. Their name is some combination of the words “Dragon”, “Golden”, “Wok”, “Palace”, “China”, etc.

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Dragons are considered royal, magical, and lucky. It’s generally considered to be a rain god as well, so Chinese restaurant owners love being associated with this powerful mythical creature.

I guess it helps to know you’re going to a Chinese restaurant if the name has China or Wok in it as well.

Palaces, also, quite a popular and imperial place to be, quite flattering for the diners I suppose. The number 8 is also very popular, and double or triple 8’s even more so because 88 sounds like (a homonym) for “get rich” in Chinese.

 

 

3. They use Broccoli (also known as western broccoli)

 

Source: http://kungfubistro.com/
Source: http://kungfubistro.com/

Traditional Chinese restaurants would use Chinese broccoli also known as gailan rather than western broccoli which originated in Italy and the Mediterranean.

 

 

4. Everything is Fried and Sweetened – it’s the American Way

 

Source: http://www.whatscookingmaui.com/
Source: http://www.whatscookingmaui.com/

Traditional Chinese cooking has a lot less deep frying and more stir frying, baking, or steaming involved.

 

5. They serve Crab Rangoon

Source: http://kleberly.com/
Source: http://kleberly.com/

Going on the fry theme – Rangoon’s not even a city in China – it’s named after Rangoon the former capital of Myanmar, now known as Yangon in Burma. Cream cheese is definitely not a Chinese ingredient. It was probably invented from a Burmese recipe in the US and adopted en masse by Chinese restaurants.

 

 

6. Fortune Cookies – they’re American as Apple pie. Actually they’re Japanese.

 

Source: http://www.popsugar.com/Make-Homemade-Fortune-Cookies-Happier-Chinese-New-Year-33841236
Source: http://www.popsugar.com/Make-Homemade-Fortune-Cookies-Happier-Chinese-New-Year-33841236

Fortune cookies are often served as a dessert in Chinese restaurants in the United States and some other countries, but are absent in China. The exact origin of fortune cookies is unclear, though various immigrant groups in California claim to have popularized them in the early 20th century.

As far back as the 19th century, a cookie very similar in appearance to the modern fortune cookie was made in Kyoto, Japan; and there is a Japanese temple tradition of random fortunes, called o-mikuji. The Japanese version of the cookie differs in several ways: they are a little bit larger; are made of darker dough; and their batter contains sesame and miso rather than vanilla and butter.

They contain a fortune; however, the small slip of paper was wedged into the bend of the cookie rather than placed inside the hollow portion. Makoto Hagiwara of Golden Gate Park’s Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco is reported to have been the first person in the USA to have served the modern version of the cookie when he did so at the tea garden in the 1890s or early 1900s.

The fortune cookies were made by a San Francisco bakery, Benkyodo. Fortune cookies moved from being a confection dominated by Japanese-Americans to one dominated by Chinese-Americans sometime around World War II.

One theory for why this occurred is because of the Japanese American internment during World War II, which forcibly put over 100,000 Japanese-Americans in internment camps, including those who had produced fortune cookies. This gave an opportunity for Chinese manufacturers. From Jennifer Lee’s article in the New York Times: Solving a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside a Cookie

 

 

7. The menus look like this:

 

 

Source:  http://www.goarlo.com/
Source: http://www.goarlo.com/

Apparently all made by the same few menu companies in New York.

 

 

8. The soy sauce packets looks like this:

Source: https://patapete.wordpress.com/tag/kari-out-soy-sauce-is-the-devil/
Source: https://patapete.wordpress.com/tag/kari-out-soy-sauce-is-the-devil/

“Packaged soy sauce is often a cocktail of processed ingredients that resemble the real thing: water, salt, food coloring, corn syrup, MSG, and preservatives. But soy sauce, strictly defined, refers to a fermented combination of soybeans and wheat whose earliest direct predecessor was first mentioned in writing in the year 160.”

Bonus:

Source: http://www.kusinanimaster.com/
Source: http://www.kusinanimaster.com/

Chop suey – it’s an American invention.

Meaning “miscellaneous leftovers”, it consists of meat (often chicken, fish, beef, prawns, or pork) and eggs, cooked quickly with vegetables such as bean sprouts, cabbage, and celery and bound in a starch-thickened sauce. One account claims that it was invented by Chinese American cooks working on the transcontinental railroad in the 19th century.

Another tale is that it was created during Qing Dynasty premier Li Hongzhang’s visit to the United States in 1896 by his chef, who tried to create a meal suitable for both Chinese and American palates. Another story is that Li wandered to a local Chinese restaurant after the hotel kitchen had closed, where the chef, embarrassed that he had nothing ready to offer, came up with the new dish using scraps of leftovers.

If you want to learn more about Chinese food in America, check out Jennifer 8. Lee’s great book “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles.”

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“Lee takes readers on a delightful journey through the origins and mysteries of the popular, yet often overlooked, world of the American Chinese food industry. Crossing dozens of states and multiple countries, the author sought answers to the mysteries surrounding the shocking origins of the fortune cookie, the inventor of popular dishes such as chop suey and General Tso’s chicken, and more.

What she uncovers are the fascinating connections and historical details that give faces and names to the restaurants and products that have become part of a universal American experience. While searching for the “greatest Chinese restaurant,” readers are taken on a culinary tour as Lee discovers the characteristics that define an exceptional and unique Chinese dining experience.

Readers will learn about the cultural contributions and sacrifices made by the Chinese immigrants who comprise the labor force and infrastructure that supports Chinese restaurants all over the world.”

Check out her TED Talk on her Hunt for General Tso:

Reporter Jennifer 8. Lee talks about her hunt for the origins of familiar Chinese-American dishes — exploring the hidden spots where these two cultures have (so tastily) combined to form a new cuisine.

Dragonfly: The Robata Grill

I was invited to Dragonfly last week to try out a few items that are featured in the Robata Grill section of the menu.

Robata method for cooking has been growing popular exponentially, however, Orlando is still new to style. To put it simply, Robata (short for Robatayaki) is a Japanese grilling style  that roughly translates to ” fireside-cooking”.

What’s amazing about Dragonfly’s Robata grill is that they import specialize coal from Japan, the Bincho-tan. Which is a white coal with the raw material being oak, this emits less carbon and is able to retain 1000 degrees in heat for a long time.

With such an unique grill, the seasoning for the meats and vegetables are really simple- a little salt, a little pepper, and some tare/teriyaki glaze. This allows the true flavors of the grill items to really be enhanced.

DSC01052Chicken thigh (6)

Chicken usually just taste like…..chicken….unless being thrown into a ton of spices and dipped in gallons of sauce. However, this skewered chicken thigh had natural sweetness that’s been drawn out by the light dash of salt, and incredibly tender. I was thoroughly impressed by the chef’s ability to time it on such a high heat grill.

A Shade of Blackberry (10)
Hatsumago Kimoto Sake, Blackberry gastrique, and ginger syrup.
A sweet summer drink, refreshing, light, with a little tang of ginger that pairs so beautifully with the chicken.

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Tontoro (7)

Pork cheeks, with a side of sesame oil and salt. You’ve probably had the korean barbeque pork belly- well, this is the spruced up version of it. It has a pleasant texture, soft, but there’s a bit of crunch towards the end bite.

Hot Kagoshima Daze (10)
kaikouzu Kurikogane Shochu, fig-infused bourbon, lillet blanc, togarashi syrup.
My guest really enjoyed this drink. The strong bourbon flavors, with a little bit of spice towards the end. Perfect to cut through the pork fat.

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Corn (5)

Sweet corn. Reminds me of the Mexican corn on the cob (elote) that you find from street vendors. Grilled, with spicy seasoning, sharp parmesan cheese, and cilantro.

Shochu Mojito (10)

I was a baby and couldn’t handle the taste of bourbon so they brought me a mojito instead. This muddled-cherries mojito gave a little twist to the classic mojito, a little tangier but you still get the sweet and refreshing notes.

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Enoki Mushrooms (6)

Stringy white mushrooms, with subtle flavors so the bacon adds a nice touch.

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Whole grilled Branzino

European sea bass, with a ginger scallion pesto on top. The entire fish is grilled and glazed in yuzu butter. Light, savory, and juicy…. we couldn’t stop eating it.

DSC01086The result.
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We ended with a summer special dessert- matcha pound cake with blueberry jam.

A a little Q&A with one of the grill masters, Jeff :

How long did it take you get used to the Robata Grill?
It took me a month in training.

What would you say is the most challenging thing about the Robato grill?
Timing, because the grill is so hot it can overcook easily.

What’s the biggest difference from a regular grill and the Robata Grill?
The coal, the special bincho-tan coal really makes a difference.

Dragonfly Robata Grill & Sushi

7972 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 370-3359

First Look: Pier 407 Cajun Crab and Seafood in East Orlando

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Pier 407 is a new Cajun and seafood restaurant recently opened on East Colonial just west of Rouse Road. It’s a family owned and operated restaurant that “strives to serve authentic Louisiana cuisine at affordable prices.”

I dropped by recently to eat dinner with family and friends and was charmed by the friendly owners and their family. I guess you can add this to the list of many Vietnamese owned Cajun restaurants around town, many who have started after leaving Louisiana in the midst of Hurricane Katrina’s destructive wake.

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They did a great job remodeling the space, which was rather sparse before with a few posters of Indian films, now the space has as an urban, rustic harbor warehouse feel.

The menu is hand-written, quite decoratively, on a chalk board, listing out their seafood dishes and specials from fried to steamed, po boy sandwiches, gumbo and jambalaya. The jambalaya was hearty and flavorful, yet somehow reminiscent of fried rice – delicious all the same.

I noticed the seasonings here give the seafood a more fresh taste, less heavy handed as some places can be. We ordered the $19.95 special that can with queen crab legs, crawfish, and shrimp. We also ordered the fried shrimp platter and the awesome mini beignet desserts. Really enjoyed the fried shrimp, but especially enjoyed the delightful panko crusted and seasoned fried potatoes that accompanied them.

It’s open from 3pm till 9pm daily now, but they hope to expand to lunch hours in the future.

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Gumbo

Gumbo at Pier 407

Fried Soft Shell Crab
Fried Soft Shell Crab
Fried Shrimp plate
Fried Shrimp plate
Jambalaya rice
Jambalaya rice
Seafood combo special
Seafood combo special

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Fried Beignet Donuts
Fried Beignet Donuts

Pier 407 Cajun Crab and Seafood
10725 E Colonial Dr
Orlando, Florida
(407) 734-5997
For more info, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pier-407-Cajun-Crab-Seafood/789990021079617

Orlando Whiskey Festival 2015

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Scenes from the event this Saturday June 13th, 2015 at the Mercedes Benz dealership in Maitland.  Proceeds of the event benefit the Lovely Project which helps underprivileged girls in the community. Lots of local as well as national and international whiskey brands, but the most amazing thing we saw last night was the 50 pound salt crusted smoked wreck fish from The Ravenous Pig team – just wow. Restaurants featured at the event included: 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, The Ravenous Pig, Luma on Park, Cask and Larder, Prato, The Coop, and K Restaurant.

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Gaylord Palms Resort Opens New Regionally Inspired Restaurant: MOOR

Docked inside the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, you will find a 60-foot sailboat floating in an indoor saltwater lagoon that is a landmark to the resort’s newest dining concept, MOOR. MOOR focuses on fresh seafood with regionally-inspired dishes and Chef Phillip Fisher works with local farmers and fishmongers to find sustainable and seasonal ingredients.

MOOR came to fruition through the desire to serve fresh local food in a lifestyle casual dwelling. The story began organically with the relationships the resort’s chefs have built with local purveyors and fishmongers through their own farming and fishing expeditions. Chef Paul Player, the resort’s Executive Sous Chef, is deeply involved in the local farming movement, serving integral roles in the following community-based food clubs: Slow Food Orlando, Osceola County Grown and Eat Florida Fresh.

“Serving fresh, local and seasonal ingredients isn’t a fad. It’s simply the way we cook,” says Chef Paul. “We want to share the bounty of our regional fare with the world.”

MOOR is proud to offer guests an ever-changing menu complete with a blackboard of daily specials including line-caught fish, fresh cuts of local beef and signature delights such as rock shrimp cocktail with tomato chow chow and seasonal risotto.

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Specialty Chef Phillip Fisher

Specialty Chef Phillip Fisher, who will be overseeing the restaurant’s kitchen, designed the menu in its entirety. Prior to opening MOOR, Fisher was the Executive Chef for Ocean Key Resort and Spa in Key West, Florida. Fisher was born and raised in North Carolina where he spent the bulk of his childhood honing his future career in the kitchen.

”I learned at a young age that fresh food tastes better,” says Chef Fisher. “I am thrilled to be a part of a team that cares about where their food is sourced and how it is ultimately served to our guests.”

MOOR features an open floor plan, 60-foot sailboat, layers of neutral tones, elegant wood flooring and several private dining areas including a chef’s table with interactive capabilities. The bar area extends into an outdoor terrace that overlooks the property’s beautiful 12,000 square foot Coquina Lawn.

The opening of MOOR also marks the launch of Gaylord Palms’ movement to grow and source their own food. The hotel is working with local farmers to incorporate an on-site garden and a boxed produce program for their STARS (Gaylord Palms employees). This project is slated in three phases with the first phase to include a culinary garden and outdoor kitchen, and the second and third phases to include a multitude of gardens, herb sculptures and flowering trees.

“We currently have over 500,000 live plants including an herb garden and fruit trees inside of our glass-enclosed atrium,” says Johann Krieger, General Manager of Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. “It just makes sense for us to expand our home-grown resources to support our restaurants.”

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MOOR’s Select Vendors:

Crooked Can Brewing Company (Winter Garden, FL): Built upon the founder’s passion for craft beer, Crooked Can Brewing Company is an upstart craft brewery located inside Plant St. Market, in Historical Downtown Winter Garden, Florida.

Douce France Bakery (Winter Garden, FL): Started as a wholesale-only bakery, but since the business moved to the newly built facility in Winter Garden, the company made room for an amazing retail store where customers can find succulent freshly baked goods as well as a full lunch menu.

Funky Buddha Bakery (Oakland Park, FL): Founded in 2010 in Boca Raton, Florida, and is committed to producing bold craft beers that marry culinary-inspired ingredients with time-honored techniques.

Gary’s Seafood & Specialties (Orlando, FL): Started in 1989 by Gary Reed with a loan from his wife’s parents, he purchased one truck and drove away with a dream to offer the best fish to the best chefs in Florida. Twenty two years later, Gary’s Seafood & Specialties is known worldwide for their Gold Ribbon standard of having the highest quality fish.

My Yard Farm (Winter Park, FL): Founded over seven years ago to provide grown local, grown sustainably, beyond organic food to communities at large, small and everything in between.

Premier Beverage Company (Fort Lauderdale, FL): One of the largest distributors of wines, spirits, and other beverages in Florida. The company’s distribution facilities are located in Miramar and Tampa with cross-docks in Pensacola, Jacksonville, and Orlando.

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Top (L to R): Gary’s Seafood & Specialties, My Yard Farm
Bottom (L to R): Pork Belly Sliders, Crooked Can Brewing Co., Funky Buddha Brew
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Douce France Bakery
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Blonde Key Lime Daiquiri // Papas Pilar Blonde Rum, Fresh Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Key Lime Curd
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AMUSE-BOUCE // Grilled Cedar Key Clams // Jalapeño Mignonette, Cucumber, Fennel
Hydopronic fennel grown on-site, Cucumbers (Mt Dora, FL), Clams (Cedar Key, FL)
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COURSE 1 // Pork Belly // Peanut Butter, Pickled Watermelon Radish
Watermelon Radishes (Sebring, FL), Pork (Avon Park, FL)
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COURSE 1 // Old Fashion // Basil Hayden, Citrus Bitters, Florida Sugar Cane Syrup
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COURSE 1 // Tuna // Peanut Butter, Pickled Watermelon Radish
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COURSE 2 // Spring Vegetables // Watermelon, Burrata, Olive Oil
Hydroponic Watercress grown on-site, Cucumbers (Mt. Dora, FL), in-house Burrata
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COURSE 2 // MOOR SECRET COCKTAIL
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COURSE 3 // Blue Crab Soup // Sherry, Chive
Florida Atlantic-caught Blue Crabs, Hydroponic Chives grown on-site
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COURSE 4 // Grouper Cheeks // Heirloom Carrots, Spring Peas, Morel Mushroom
Carrots (Sebring, FL), Gulf Coast grouper
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COURSE 5 // Tilefish // Course Grits, Apples, Red Sorrel
Hydroponic Red Sorrel grown on-site, Sweet Corn (Zellwood, FL), Tilefish (Fort Pierce, FL)
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COURSE 6 // Chef’s Desserts // Peanut Butter Cup, S’mores, Strawberry Shortcake, Key Lime Pie
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S’mores and Strawberry Shortcake Cups were the winning desserts of the evening!

MOOR is in the Key West Atrium at Gaylord Palms Resort located at 6000 West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746. The restaurant is open daily for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The bar is open 11:00 a.m. to midnight. For more information on MOOR, please visit www.facebook.com/DINEMOOR, www.GaylordPalms.com or call the restaurant directly at 407-586-1101.

Appetite for Arches Raised Nearly $180,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida

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Orlando, FL (March 18, 2015) – Sixteen chefs from some of Central Florida’s best restaurants accepted a unique challenge issued by Ronald McDonald House Charities®of Central Florida for their Appetite for the Arches fundraiser held on March 7 at the Orlando World Center Marriott. The concept? Use McDonald’s® ingredients to create a signature dish. In the event’s second year, over 500 guests sampled gourmet creations such as filet of fish tacos and fried chicken terrine with truffled egg puree, each served with a wine pairing. Additionally, mixologists from Cask & Larder and The Ravenous Pig prepared signature cocktails with McDonald’s® ingredients.

Participating restaurants included:

· 4Rivers Smokehouse
· Cask & Larder
· Orlando World Center Marriott
· Paxia Modern Mexican & Tequila Lounge
· The Smiling Bison · Ravello Restaurant at Four Seasons Orlando
· Cuisiniers Catering
· Emeril’s Tchoup Chop
· SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando
· Hamilton’s Kitchen at the Alfond Inn
· The Ravenous Pig
· K Restaurant
· The Rusty Spoon
· Chef’s Table at the Edgewater
· LUMA on Park · Txokos Basque Kitchen

 

The event, presented by the Central Florida McDonald’s Association, raised nearly $180,000 for the two Ronald McDonald Houses in Orlando and the families they serve. One of those families was there to talk about how the charity has been a part of their healing process. Sixteen year old Emma Kleckner, who was diagnosed with a rare condition that causes debilitating pain, addressed event guests and shared how her experience staying at the Ronald McDonald House helped put her on the road to recovery. “Being at the Ronald McDonald House, I was able to stay focused on getting better. I was able to have the support of other families. Likewise, we were able to support them,” said Emma.

Families who stay at Ronald McDonald House are asked to make a small donation of $20 per night. However, 70 percent of families are unable to contribute anything towards their stay. The organization promises to never turn away anyone due to an inability to donate— a promise that is upheld thanks in part to funds raised at Appetite for the Arches.

 

SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando // Chef Hector Colon
Mac Daddy Godzilla Roll: Fried maki roll stuffed with shrimp, cream cheese, and shredded carrots topped with Wasabi Big Mac Sauce

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Ingredients: Spring Mix, Big Mac Sauce, Cream Cheese

Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder Chop Salad: Crispy greens, bacon, cheese, diced tomato, burger bun croutons, grilled and diced quarter pounder burger tossed on a Habanero Ranch dressing

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Hamburger, Bacon, Lettuce, Sesame Buns, Ranch Dressing, Tomatoes, Cheddar Jack

K Restaurant // Chef Kevin Fonzo
Cola BBQ Meatballs: Smoked meatball, Coca-Cola BBQ sauce, pickled cucumber

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Steak, Hamburger, Bacon, Pork Sausage, White Onions, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Buns, Ketchup, Coca-Cola

Rusty Spoon // Chef Kathleen Blake
“Red Devil” Eggs: Candied bacon, dill, aioli

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Bacon, Tomatoes, Eggs
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McDonald’s Ingredients: Bacon, Tomatoes, Eggs

Paxia Modern Mexican Cuisine // Chef Patricio Estrella
Mexican Meatball: Southwest vegetables

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Southwest Veggie Blend, Steak, Eggs, White Onions, Tomatoes, Tortilla Strips

Ravello at Four Seasons Resort Orlando // Chef Donald Taylor
Classic Lasagna Bolognese: Beefsteak bolognese, bagel pasta, bechamel

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Steak, Hamburger, Chicken, Eggs, White Onions, White Cheddar, Cheddar Jack, Biscuits, Bagels, English Muffins

Orange “Hi-C” Gelato

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Txokos Basque Kitchen // Chef Henry Salgado + Chef Michele Salgado
Fish Tacos: Pico de Gallo, avocado, salsa, mandarin crema

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Fish Filet, Lettuce, Yogurt, Tortillas, Mandarin Oranges

The Smiling Bison // Chef Josh Oakley
Big Mac Meatloaf: French fry mashed potatoes, Coca-Cola glaze, Big Mac sauce

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Hamburger, Bacon, Eggs, French Fries, Brioche Rolls, Big Mac Sauce, Coca-Cola

Marriott Orlando World Center // Chef Michael Cutter
Spicy Chicken Scotch Egg: Soft cooked whole egg, spicy chicken sausage, house pickle slaw, spicy hollandaise

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Spicy Chicken, Eggs, Breakfast Sauce

Cask & Larder // Chef James Petrakis
Fried Chicken Terrine: Truffled egg puree, pickled tomato salad

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Chicken, Cherry Tomato, Eggs

Cuisiniers Catering // Chef Jamie McFadden
McChicken Meatballs: Sofrito, guacamole, tortilla strips

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Chicken, Tortilla Strips

Hamilton’s Kitchen // Chef Marc Kusche
Egg Meets Biscuit and Bacon: Poached egg, caramelized onions, candied bacon, hollandaise

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Bacon, Eggs, Biscuits, Hotcake Syrup, Breakfast Sauce
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McDonald’s Ingredients: Bacon, Eggs, Biscuits, Hotcake Syrup, Breakfast Sauce

 

Emeril’s Tchoup Chop // Chef Ryan Vargas
Spicy Chicken “BLT” Chicken Sushi Rice Bowl: Spicy chicken, sushi rice bowl, guacamole

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Spicy Chicken, Lettuce, Bacon, Cucumbers, White Onions, Tomatoes, Creamy Garlic Sauce, Big Mac Sauce
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McDonald’s Ingredients: Spicy Chicken, Lettuce, Bacon, Cucumbers, White Onions, Tomatoes, Creamy Garlic Sauce, Big Mac Sauce

Luma on Park // Chef Derek Perez
Pork Sparerib “McRib”: Cherry Coca-Cola and Chipotle glaze, pain ‘dor sesame bun, pickles

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Pickles and Coca-Cola
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McDonald’s Ingredients: Pickles and Coca-Cola

Luma on Park // Chef William Herrera
Lobster Sausage “McGriddle”: Tarragon mustard, maple syrup glazed shallots, pain d’or corn muffin, watermelon radish

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Maple Syrup

Luma on Park // Chef Brian Cernell
“Soft Serve” Strawberry Ice Cream: Rabbit run farms strawberries, oatmeal

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Oatmeal Cookies

Van Gogh Vodka
Signature Cocktail: Strawberry Lemonade with Van Gogh Vodka

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Strawberries, Lemons, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Sugar

4 Rivers Smokehouse & The Coop // Chef John Rivers
Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf Lollipop: Applewood smoked bacon and mashed potatoes

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Steak, Bacon, Mustard, Hamburger, Ketchup, Hotcake Syrup

The Ravenous Pig // Chef Julie Petrakis
Creamsicle Parfait: Vanilla bean yogurt panna cotta, mandarin compote, granola

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Mandarin Oranges, Granola, Yogurt, Vanilla Syrup

Chef’s Table at the Edgewater // Chef Kevin Tarter
Chef’s Table Berries Saute: Saute berries, toasted biscuit, whipped cream

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McDonald’s Ingredients: Blueberries, strawberries, whipped cream, biscuits

About Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida finds, creates and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and families. The cornerstone program, the Ronald McDonald House®, provides a home away from home that offers comfort and care to families with children receiving treatment at local hospitals and medical facilities in Orlando. There are two Ronald McDonald Houses in Orlando— one on the campus of Florida Hospital for Children and one on the campus of Arnold Palmer Medical Center. Since opening in 1996, the two Houses have served over 22,000 families. A third Ronald McDonald House will open in December 2015 on the campus of Nemours Children’s Hospital in Lake Nona.

The Florida Mall opens their new Dining Pavilion

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The 105,000 square-foot Dining Pavilion at the Florida Mall will feature unique dining options, additional retailers and an expanded seating area, opening in phases throughout the summer. Also of note, Wassabi, the sushi conveyor belt restaurant near the center of the mall has closed. A new business will take its place soon.

On June 1st, Puerto-Rico based El Meson Sandwiches, named one of the top restaurant chains in the world by Travel + Leisure, opened with huge lines – and no signs of abating. Either they’re really good at what they are doing with sandwiches, or they need to get more efficient with their lines. El Meson features unique options like all-day breakfast and healthy vegetarian menu items. The Florida Mall restaurant is El Meson’s first U.S. location.

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Located between American Girl and Dillard’s on the north side of the mall, the Dining Pavilion will offer a total of 23 restaurants, five of which are new-to-market concepts, including El Meson Sandwiches, CARVERA Argentinian Grill, Carlo’s Bakery, la Madeleine and Bubbleology. The additional restaurants to join the Dining Pavilion include Tobu, Five Guys Burger and Fries, Charley’s Philly Steaks, Dumpling and Noodle Bar, Chicken Now, A&W All American Food, Asian Chao, Sbarro, Taco Bell, Häagen-Dazs, Spoleto Italian Kitchen, Nature’s Table, FRESH – Healthy Café, Jamba Juice, Ugrean, and SUBWAY.

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Boasting more than 1,400 indoor and outdoor seats, the Dining Pavilion will exude a contemporary feel, featuring bright floors and impressive millwork, in addition to numerous first-class amenities such as a large seating lounge featuring 85-inch TVs, LED lighting, expansive restrooms and two family rooms, new way-finding signage, enhanced Wi-Fi throughout the mall, and outlets with USB connectivity to charge electronic devices. Guests will find a redesigned exterior entrance at the front of the space, which will better accommodate customer flow into The Florida Mall and the pavilion.

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In addition to new dining options, the Dining Pavilion will also feature five new retailers, including Morana, SportsAction, Inc., Ron Jon Surf Shop, Yankee Candle, GNC and Delores Jewelers.

“The addition of unique restaurant concepts, new retailers and enhanced amenities within the new Dining Pavilion will provide our shoppers with more choices when they visit The Florida Mall,” said Brian Hanson, general manager of The Florida Mall. “We look forward to introducing the sleek, reimagined space to our community and visitors, offering a fresh new customer experience that is well-suited to our market.”

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New-to-Market Concepts

Name: El Meson Sandwiches
Description: Puerto-Rico based El Meson Sandwiches is renowned for its Caribbean-inspired grilled sandwiches on artisan bread and its 100 percent Arabica coffee. Named one of the top restaurant chains in the world by Travel + Leisure, El Meson features unique options like all-day breakfast and healthy vegetarian menu items. The Florida Mall restaurant will be El Meson’s first U.S. location.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 717

Name: CARVERA Argentinian Grill
Description: CARVERA Argentinian Grill will open its first location outside of Puerto Rico in a modern space at The Florida Mall. CARVERA is a neighborhood fast-casual grill restaurant with a diverse menu based on traditional Argentinean comfort food. It will offer the local community the quality and flavor of exquisite meats cooked to perfection on the grill. CARVERA creatively adapts the Argentinean cuisine with a fusion of regional dishes to bring the perfect balance from diverse cultures to any table; thus, offering a compelling alternative to traditional ethnic style venues. CARVERA’s mission is to provide a flavorful hint of the Argentinean spice in Hispanic and US markets by offering customers a typically ethnic array of the best Argentinean made-to-order dishes with fresh ingredients from the highest quality, at reasonably family-affordable prices. Combine a casual friendly ambiance, with a diligent staff, to create a sense of ‘place’ in order to reach the goal of overall value in the lunch/ dining experience.
Opening Date: Summer 2015
Square Footage: 1,778

Name: Carlo’s Bakery
Description: Carlo’s Bakery is known for our delicious pastries, desserts & cakes. Originally opened by Carlo Guastaffero in 1910, Carlo’s is a family owned bakery featured on the TLC hit show Cake Boss. The Florida Mall concept will be its first location in the state of Florida.
Opening Date: Summer 2015
Square Footage: 2,231

Name: la Madeleine
Description: The popular la Madeleine will make its Florida debut with the new Florida Mall location. From the signature fireplace to crave-worthy food, each la Madeleine welcomes guests to relax, visit with friends and family, and enjoy their country French fare.
Opening Date: Fall 2015
Square Footage: 4,517

Name: Bubbleology
Description: Hailing from London, Bubbleology offers bubble tea, a refreshing flavored fruit and milk tea served ice cold or piping hot and filled with chewy natural tapioca balls. The teas are rich with antioxidants and have a base of green tea, black/red tea or white tea. Customers can enhance the flavor with natural fruit flavors and/or milk.
Opening Date: Summer 2015
Square Footage: 120

Name: Morana
Description: The Florida Mall will be the first Florida location, and one of the first US boutiques outside of California for the Brazilian accessories brand. The boutique is known for high-end fashion jewelry and accessories that are synonymous with style and sophistication.
Opening Date: Summer 2015
Square Footage: 768

Name: SportsAction, Inc.
Description: SportsAction, Inc. is an athletic footwear retailer with several stores located in south Florida in the most important and premium malls. SportsAction specializes in providing quality products and great styles in a variety of brand name performance, sports lifestyle and soccer footwear, apparel and accessories. SportsAction is in the process of expanding and continued growth with the opening of this new location in Central Florida, helping to achieve their mission.
Opening Date: Fall 2015
Square Footage: 4,489

Casual Dining
Name: Tobu
Description: This quick service Asian concept sets the bar for the next generation of fast food concepts by offering a variety of distinct and delicious menu items presented in a clean, eye-catching store. The menu includes your choice of fresh chicken, beef, pork, tofu, and sushi rolls served alongside delicious sides such as mixed vegetables, egg rolls, steamed or fried rice, salad and more. Tobu provides an innovative style and unique alternative at malls by serving only the finest ingredients presenting the best possible dining experience.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 1,419

Name: Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Description: Five Guys Burgers and Fries specializes in handmade burgers cooked to perfection on a grill, served with fresh-cut fries cooked in pure peanut oil. The popular fast-casual concept uses the freshest of ground beef to create 250,000 possible burger options with all the toppings you could stuff between fresh-baked buns.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 732

Name: Charley’s Philly Steaks
Description: Charley’s Philly Steaks are made with 100 percent USDA choice steak, 100 percent all-white meat chicken breast and fresh deli meats. Each Philly steak is grilled fresh, right when it’s ordered.
Opening Date: June 2015
Square Footage: 732

Name: Dumpling and Noodle Bar
Description: Dumpling and Noodle Bar brings the noodle bowl concept into the 21st century by combining a modern and appealing restaurant aesthetic, dynamic ordering system and exciting “kitchen to bar” service offerings with diverse Asian fusion inspired by udon and ramen options. Each menu item can be paired with unique and deliciously-blended teas and slushes. The concept has been designed, from top to bottom, to attract customers with a fresh and modern brand and design, and an even-flow trendy and social atmosphere that keeps coming back for more. This is a lunch and dinner experience you won’t want to miss!
Opening Date: June 2015
Square Footage: 400

Name: Chicken Now
Description: Chicken Now is a counter-serve concept known for its chicken fingers served in sandwiches, wraps and salads. Original or grilled, this delicious concept serves only the freshest chicken, cooked to order the way you like it. Chicken Now is dedicated to providing customers with the highest quality service, catering to families and people of all ages.
Opening Date: June 2015
Square Footage: 795

Name: A&W All American Food
Description: A&W All American Food is a fast-food outlet serving namesake root beer and floats that can be paired with a variety of delicious burgers, lightly breaded chicken fingers, hot dogs and French fries. Satisfy your taste buds and grab a soft-serve blended dessert treat to finish off your meal.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 600

Name: Asian Chao
Description: Asian Chao delivers healthy alternatives with zesty and tangy flavors like Orange Chicken, Beef & Broccoli, Vegetable Medley, and other popular dishes. The first Asian Chao opened at The Florida Mall in 1991.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 600

Name: Sbarro
Description: As the pre-eminent, quick service New York pizza place worldwide, Sbarro serves made-from-scratch dough prepared daily, San Marzano style tomato sauce, and hand-shredded 100 percent whole milk mozzarella. The restaurant also prides itself on offering other Italian-American cuisine including spaghetti, lasagna and baked ziti served with Carmela Sbarro’s signature sauce.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 618

Name: Taco Bell
Description: Taco Bell is the nation’s leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant chain serving made to order and customizable tacos, burritos, and specialties like the exclusive Doritos® Locos Tacos, gourmet inspired Cantina Power Menu and lower calorie Fresco Menu.
Opening Date: June 2015
Square Footage: 623

Name: Häagen-Dazs
Description: Häagen-Dazs is a counter-service chain offering the purest and finest of ice cream sorbet and frozen yogurt. Originating in New York, Häagen-Dazs went from offering only three flavors – vanilla, chocolate and coffee – to innovating the frozen dessert experience with distinctive flavors such as vanilla swiss almond, butter pecan, and dulce de leche, among others.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 240

Health-Conscious
Name: Spoleto Italian Kitchen
Description: Spoleto Italian Kitchen is an international brand with restaurants located in Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica. The Florida Mall location is an interactive eatery where diners can create their own pastas, flatbreads, salads and desserts.
Opening Date: June 2015
Square Footage: 2,509

Name: Nature’s Table
Description: Nature’s Table offers great menu choices such as gourmet wraps and paninis, classic sandwiches, salads and delicious protein bowls. It’s a perfect blend of the traditional and the new, the healthy and the indulgent. The restaurant recently introduced a new menu this year featuring many flavorful options.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 718

Name: FRESH – Healthy Café
Description: FRESH – Healthy Café features a wide variety of fresh and healthy foods, including wraps, grilled paninis, salads and soups. Pair these delectable offerings with the concept’s renowned smoothies or fresh squeezed juices for the perfect health experience. FRESH also offers a delicious kids’ menu that all kids will enjoy!
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 224

Name: Jamba Juice
Description: Jamba Juice offers smoothies, fresh-squeezed juices, yogurt and fruit blends, wheat grass shots, slow-cooked, steel-cut oatmeal made with 100% organic oats, and healthy baked goods.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 280

Name: Ugrean
Description: Ugrean strives to provide a healthy and flavorsome dining experience that will surprise both your senses and expectations. All food is sourced from the most responsible local farmers, suppliers and traders to meet and exceed customer’s expectations. Ugrean’s menu includes signature salads, fresh juices, and create-your-own salads with fresh ingredients, in addition to tarts, gelato, macaroons and more for the sweet tooth. The concept will be reintroduced under the new brand name, ugrean, previously known as ‘Fifth Avenue Bistro’.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 607

Name: SUBWAY
Description: SUBWAY sandwiches are made to order right in front of the customer, precisely the way they want – using freshly baked breads, select sauces and a variety of delicious veggies and toppings. Top off your sandwich with a sweet-tooth satisfying dessert.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 797

Retailers
Name: Ron Jon Surf Shop
Description: Ron Jon Surf Shop, the World’s Most Famous® surf shop brings the beach to you! All the great names and assortments in swimwear, casual clothing, surfboards, skateboards and beach accessories you’ve come to expect from Ron Jon can be found at Ron Jon Surf Shop at The Florida Mall.
Opening Date: Fall 2015
Square Footage: 8,343

Name: Delores Jewelers
Description: Delores Jewelers is a family owned and operated high-end jewelry store that has been in business since 1975. The retailer that specializes in one-of-a-kind custom jewelry designs and creation, and also offers fine jewelry pieces from authorized dealers for PANDORA, Alex & Ani, Vanna K, Simon G, Artcarved, Camelot, Benchmark, Mars and more. Delores Jewelers promises to provide excellent customer service and looks forward to assisting customers in finding the best jewelry.
Opening Date: Summer 2015
Square Footage: 1,691

Name: Yankee Candle
Description: The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. is a leading designer, manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of premium scented candles. Yankee Candle has more than a 40-year history of offering distinctive products and marketing them as affordable luxuries and consumable gifts.
Opening Date: June 1, 2015
Square Footage: 1,422

Name: GNC
Description: GNC sets the standard in the health and nutrition industry by demanding truth in labeling, ingredient safety and product potency, all while remaining on the cutting edge of nutritional science. General Nutrition Centers is the world’s largest company of its kind devoted exclusively to helping its customers improve their quality of life. The new GNC will be the second location for the brand at The Florida Mall.
Opening Date: Summer 2015
Square Footage: 2,080

Photos from a recent trip to The Florida Mall

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The Old Food Court
The Old Food Court

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Orlando Whiskey Festival – Saturday June 13th

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Orlando Whiskey Festival is brought to you by Whiskey & Bizz, LLC, and is the first ever Whiskey Fest to hit Central Florida. Features will include fine single malt, blended Scotch and American whiskies including Bourbon and rye, flavored whiskies and flavored moonshine.

This tasting event allows guests to sample over 50 whiskey Brands and interaction with industry professionals.

Gourmet menu selections will be available on site from some of Winter Park’s most popular restaurant groups. An outside lounge area will include live entertainment and a cigar vendor.

Orlando Whiskey Festival will also feature a limited-release whiskey auction (silent and live) with over 40 different whiskies – including the unattainable Pappy Family. All net proceeds to benefit The Lovely Project.

DETAILS
Saturday, June 13th at Mercedes Benz of Orlando
810 North Orlando Avenue in Maitland, FL.
VIP admission begins at 5:30 pm with general admission beginning at 7:00 pm.
The last pour is at 10:00pm.
Website: http://orlandowhiskeyfestival.com/index.php/home.html

Each guest with a VIP or General Admission ticket will receive a Glencairn glass engraved with a commemorative “Orlando Whiskey Festival” logo, upon entrance for sampling the available spirits.
Attendance is limited and Orlando Whiskey Festival is expected to reach capacity. There will be no ticket sales at the door the day of the event. All tickets must be purchased in advance, online.

OUTSIDE LOUNGE
Outside live entertainment from The Mellow Relics, cigars from Oliva and Drew Estate and craft beer from
PH3 Agency + Brewery.

Restaurants featured at the event include: 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, The Ravenous Pig, Luma on Park, Cask and Larder, Prato, The Coop, and K Restaurant.

Founded by friends Shaun Roberts and Mark Matuszek, Whiskey & Bizz a monthly event focused on educating, networking, friendships, bonding over our favorite spirits, all the while trying to strengthen our community by donating proceeds to a local non-profit. All net proceeds raised from their events go to benefit The Lovely Project – a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The next get together after the Orlando Whiskey Festival is August 3rd.

The Lovely Project is a Non-Profit Organization, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, that exists to empower girls by providing them with tools, education and peer-mentorship for living a purposeful, productive life. Every day in America, girls face a mountain of seemingly impossible hardships that exist because of their gender. Seven out of ten girls ages 15-17 won’t even bother to participate in normal, everyday activities due to a lack of self-worth. This void that so many young girls experience can be an unfortunate result of family dysfunction, abuse, bullying, poverty, impossible beauty ideals, learning disabilities and obesity. A staggering 75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking, or disordered eating.

The Lovely Project invites girls ages 11-19 to experience a loving and caring environment where they are taught about their immense Value, powerful Voice and unstoppable Valor.

The primary goal of this organization is to empower young girls in Central Florida through programs that are designed to teach them:

1.) That they are valuable assets to our culture and society.

2.) Their ideas and opinions matter and their voices have power.

3.) They have the potential and ability to effect positive change within their families and community, even when faced with intense difficulty. You can read more about The Lovely Project at www.thelovelyproject.org.

The Orlando Whiskey Festival is the primary fundraising event Whiskey & Bizz will host this year to benefit The Lovely Project. 100% of the net proceeds raised from this event will go directly towards funding the programs and resources that keep The Lovely Project functioning in Central Florida.

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Viet Garden in Mills 50 District

I may have written off this place as just your typical run of the mill, if not tired, Vietnamese restaurant, having not visited in maybe 10 years since my days in college.

Maybe it’s because I had a secret bias against restaurants that serve dual cuisines – you know, like those dual Chinese / Sushi take out places you see around town. Often times when restaurants end up dividing attention among more than one cuisine, they end up neglecting one or the other or both cuisines, resulting in substandard fare.

I have to apologize to Viet Garden (which tauts its Vietnamese and Thai cuisine) for it does Vietnamese cuisine quite well. The restaurant is one of the oldest Vietnamese restaurants in the Mills 50 District but definitely deserves another look.

I particularly was surprised and delighted to see the breadth and depth of the Vietnamese cuisines offered, in addition to your typical dishes, they had quite a few unique and seldom seen noodle soups and home style Vietnamese family plates that are hard to find elsewhere.

I ordered their dumplings, which aren’t really Vietnamese, but excellent nonetheless – home made with plenty of delicious pork filling and a nice dumpling skin that had the right amount of chewiness to it. I ordered the special rice platter for my main and really enjoyed the thit nuong, or grilled Vietnamese pork, as well as the crispy tofu shrimp skin that came along with the plate.

Overall, definitely would return. My dining companions from WMFE would agree.

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Dumplings – quite fabulous, home made dumplings

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Fried Spring Rolls

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The Pho – Beef Noodle Soup

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New: Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria in Winter Springs – A Sneak Peek Inside

Tampa based Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria has opened its first location in Orlando in Winter Springs this week. It will be open this week for dinner from 5pm-10pm starting this Monday, and starting next week, will be open for lunch as well from 11am-10pm.

The Napoletana style pizza is thin & soft with a slight crisp to the crust; with a nice smokey char to the pizza crust from the wood burning ovens and topped with ingredients imported from Italy or locally grown and organic. Dan Bavaro, the founder was taught by 3rd generation, Neapolitan families.

The restaurant bases their entire menu around a stunning Italian imported wood-fired brick oven, hand crafted by the Ferrara’s; a 3rd generation Neapolitan family. The restaurant also makes its own pastas and sauces, which are sold in stores such as Whole Foods, Winn-Dixie and Costco.

Chirag Kabrawala and his parttners have full-time day jobs (He’s an attorney and his 3 other partners include a cardiologist, hotel developer, and luxury tour operator), and despite their rigorous schedules, they made time each Thursday evening to meet at a local restaurant for pizza typically (pizza was the “lowest common denominator” because two of his partners are vegetarian and they could all agree on pizza).

Chirag told us, “While exploring for new styles of pizza, I introduced them to pizza cooked in the Neapolitan style; we took trips to Miami, Atlanta, NYC, and even Tampa, where we were fortunate enough to connect (and in my case, reconnect) with Dan Bavaro, who is making Neapolitan pizza that is arguably among the best being served in the United States. Although Dan was very much reluctant to expand his restaurants, we finally (after nearly a year) agreed to become “partners” with him (and not franchisees), ceding most control of the menu and operations of our restaurant, while us 4-partners preserve, enhance and maintain his vision by working in the restaurant nearly every day. ”

“We are cooking pizza in the Neapolitan style, and we’re very much proud to be offering truly homemade pasta and desserts, all prepared before you in our 100% open kitchen, where nearly every seat in the restaurant has a view of all kitchen operations.”

Bavaro’s
1468 Tuskawilla Road
Winter Springs, Florida
(321) 422-3600
http://bavarospizza.com/

Their dinner menu: http://bavarospizza.com/images/dinner.pdf#zoom=100%

A Sneak Peek Inside Bavaro’s

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Owner and Founder Dan Bavaro at the helm
Owner and Founder Dan Bavaro at the helm
Chefs make their own pastas in house
Chefs make their own pastas in house
Imported fine flour from Italy
Imported fine flour from Italy
The oven uses stacks of wood nearby
The oven uses stacks of wood nearby
The oven gets up and above 900 degrees
The oven gets up and above 900 degrees
The wood burning oven is imported from Italy
The wood burning oven is imported from Italy

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Cheesy garlic bread
Cheesy garlic bread
Verde salad
Verde salad
Organico Salad
Organico Salad

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Proscuitto pizza
Proscuitto pizza
Carne Pizza
Carne Pizza
Margherita Pizza
Margherita Pizza

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Lunch Service has begun!

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Mr. Chirag Kabrawala
Mr. Chirag Kabrawala
Panini
Panini
Deli panini
Deli panini
Pasta - Tagliatelle with Vodka sauce - the vodka sauce is addicting
Pasta – Tagliatelle with Vodka sauce – the vodka sauce is addicting
Margherita pizza with sausage, salami, and topped with egg
Margherita pizza with sausage, salami, and topped with egg
El Crudo Pizza
El Crudo Pizza

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Umi – Winter Park

 Umi is a new Japanese Fusion restaurant in Park ave. and like every other Japanese Restaurant, Umi offers sushi, sashimi, seafood etc… However, Umi strives  to use traditional Japanese cooking in combination with influences from various cuisine to offer modern creations without disregarding the authentic Japanese taste.

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Sweet Ebi, Fresh Salmon, and thinly sliced Octopus
a simple selection of sashimi pieces marinated in a dijon ponzu sauce.

DSC00941Cured Snapper
Thinly sliced cured snapper with truffle ume vinaigrette, shiso, onion, and micro greens.

Aside from their fresh selection of seafood, Umi features Robatayaki Grilled meats and homemade sauces- a cooking method that Florida is not familiar with. Similiar to barbecue, but smokeless and odorless. Food items are skewered and slow-grilled over hot charcoal. This allows the meats or vegetables to absorb in the intense smoky flavors of the charcoal.

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Ribeye Gorgonzola Flat Bread (8)
Flat bread, yakiniku ribeye, sauteed white kimchi, gorgonzola cheese, black vinaigrette reduction.
This was definitely an addicting tapa dish. You have the tender steak, with a sharp cheese, and a crispy finish with the toasted flatbread.

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Skirt Steak (14)
Seared with balsamic teriyaki glaze. Grilled to a tender medium that’s slightly sweet with a nice char.
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Pork Belly (7) 
Thick cut pork belly that’s seared with a house butakakuni- marinade ( usually soy sauce and dashi) that’s melt-in-your mouth tender.
DSC00992Squid (9) 
Whole squid brushed with yuzu butter and seared. For those afraid to try squid or dislike squid due to its elastic texture or fishy smell…I recommend trying squid again in this kind of way. The squid is incredibly soft, and full of buttery, smoky flavours.

 

Another feature from Umi that I was really impressed with was their selection of imported beers.

DSC00955Koshihikari Echigo Beer
is a Japanese Rice Lager style beer brewed by Uehara Shuzou Co. Ltd.
light malt flavours, with hints of sake/ sweet rice taste.

DSC00985Hitachino Dai Dai Ale
is a American IPA style beer brewed by Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki-ken Naka-gun, Japan.
Pours out a deep amber color, a smooth ending with a hint of caramel/toffee flavours. I’m not a fan of IPA but this one has got me to tolerate IPA a little more.

DSC00978Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout
is a American Double / Imperial Stout style beer brewed by Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki-ken Naka-gun, Japan
A wonderful beer for dark beer advocates. There’s strong coffee smell and taste, followed by bitterness but not unpleasant.

Umi just recently opened (may 7th, 2015) but they offer everything from fresh sushi and fresh seafood to robata grilled meats and master confected sushi rice.  The tapas style menu is intended for diners to sample all kinds of food and explore new tastes.

Umi – Winter Park

525 S Park Ave
Winter Park, FL
(407) 960-3993

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Daytona Bike Week – Winghouse Bikini Contest

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Photos by Hoang Nguyen
Words by K. Duong

The 2015 Winghouse Beauty Pageant is an annual event hosted by Winghouse, that coincides with the famous Daytona Bike Week.

Contestants are judged on personality and appearance, with these 30 women who are from all over Florida. Representing the best of the Winghouse Girls and their respective Winhgouse, from Largo to their newest location in Sarasota, the winner of this year’s pageant will not only be crowned Miss Bike Week but also serve as a judge for next year’s pageant.

From the Winghouse signature “Naked” Chicken wings to the sauce covered Buffalo Chicken sandwich all of which tasted great. Customer service matched the quality of the food, our waitress Xoa was friendly and attentive.

“This is the one event you definitely won’t want to miss,” says Crawford Ker, founder of Ker’s WingHouse Bar & Grill.

Founded by the National Football League’s (NFL) Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos alumnus, Crawford Ker, the first WingHouse opened in Largo, FL in 1994. Now, WingHouse has 24 locations throughout Florida with plans to grow into the rest of the Southeast.

Signature items include the “Naked” Chicken Wings: skinless drummettes marinated, baked, and tossed in one of the wing sauces, and the Dallas Burger: two juicy 8 oz. BBQ burgers topped with bacon.

WingHouse features state-of-the-art TV packages for all the big games and fights. The authentic sports memorabilia and our fun, friendly, casual environment make WingHouse the ideal place to be a sports fan. Select locations offer WingHouse “Game Zones” complete with arcade style games and pool tables. The main attraction at the WingHouse is their version of “The Girl Next Door”, the World Famous WingHouse Girls. The WingHouse Girls are the foundation of their concept. They serve tables, tend bar, work as hostesses, participate in brand promotions and are the company’s cheerleaders.

The WingHouse Girls are attractive and polite. As ambassadors of our mission to be “brilliant on the basics”, their great service, positive attitudes and pretty smiles encourage guests to make frequent visits and become loyal customers. The WingHouse strives to create quality and memorable experiences for every guest. For more information, visit www.winghouse.com.

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King Cajun Crawfish – Mills 50

One of my favorite Cajun restaurants in town, King Cajun Crawfish on Mills Avenue has some of the best fresh crawfish and fried shrimp and oyster poboy sandwiches in Orlando with reasonable prices and friendly staff.

I love their crawfish with shabang sauce – owner and chef Ha Nguyen adds orange rinds to the mix of garlic, butter, and spicy peppers for that extra bang in the sha bang.

Mrs. Nguyen ran a Cajun restaurant in Louisiana for over 15 years before moving to Orlando to be closer with her family after Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast in 2005.

I love their fried oysters and fried shrimp po boys as well. Jambalaya and gumbo are both hearty and delicious.

Definitely save space for dessert – get the beignets, fried donuts topped with heapings of powdered sugar – just don’t choke on it. Wash it down with a hot or iced cup of Vietnamese coffee.

King Cajun Crawfish of Orlando on Mills Ave
King Cajun Crawfish of Orlando on Mills Ave

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Gumbo with shrimp
Gumbo with shrimp
Jambalaya rice
Jambalaya rice
Fried Shrimp Po Boy
Fried Shrimp Po Boy
Fried Shrimp plate
Fried Shrimp plate
Oyster Poboy sandwich
Oyster Poboy sandwich

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Crawfish with Shabang sauce
Crawfish with Shabang sauce

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Look into the Fried Oyster Po boy sandwich
Look into the Fried Oyster Po boy sandwich

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Mrs. Ha Nguyen shows off her fresh live crawfish delivered straight from Louisiana
Mrs. Ha Nguyen shows off her fresh live crawfish delivered straight from Louisiana
Beignets - New Orleans' very own powdered sugar donuts
Beignets – New Orleans’ very own powdered sugar donuts
Beignets served best with some hot or iced Vietnamese coffee
Beignets served best with some hot or iced Vietnamese coffee
Live crawfish
Live crawfish
Mrs. Ha Nguyen interviewed by Matthew Peddie and Brendan Byrne of WMFE
Mrs. Ha Nguyen interviewed by Matthew Peddie and Brendan Byrne of WMFE for the What is Little Vietnam series.

King Cajun Crawfish
914 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 704-8863
https://www.facebook.com/kingcajuncrawfish

Brunch Buffet at Santiago’s Bodega – Virginia Drive – Ivanhoe District

Tne Lowdown –

This tapas restaurant (which also has a branch in Key West) just off of Mills Avenue on Virginia Drive (I think they still call it part of Ivanhoe Village?), has a $39.95 all you can eat weekend brunch that includes all you can drink mimosas and sangria. Saturdays, no reservations needed, but Sundays, reservations are a must.

Items include prime rib, crab legs, leg of lamb, roast chicken, as well as sliced cheese, cured meats, chorizo paella, sweet maple bacon, biscuits and gravy, and more.

Save space for the french toast – a fried croissant take on the dish with lots of powdered sugar. Go hungry.

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Santiago’s Bodega
802 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 412-6979
www.santiagosbodega.com

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Vietnam Cuisine in Mills 50 District

Don’t judge a book by its cover – This tiny restaurant has served as home to quite a few different restaurants over the year – I think due to its small space, but this iteration is a winner. It is tiny, just maybe 8 tables, seat maybe 40 in the whole building.

Tucked between a nail supply shop and a Vietnamese owned wedding cake shop, just a few doors down from Saigon Market and Tasty Wok, I love Vietnam Cuisine for their banh cuon, velvety smooth rice crepes stuffed with woodeared mushroom and ground pork, pork sausage, Vietnamese sweet fish sauce. pour it over.

Known for their take on northern Vietnamese dishes – other than Lac Viet, most other Vietnamese restaurants in town specialize in the southern cuisine of Vietnam. The cha ca thanh long is a popular dish, a type of fish patty with tilapia spiced in turmeric and herb (what herb) =, I think it is a play on a fish becoming a dragon. Also, bun cha ha noi, a rice vermicelli dish with pork meat balls and sweet fish sauce for dipping. It’s like tsukeman Vietnamese noodles – Vietnamese rice spaghetti and pork meatballs ? Also, great pho here with lots of meat cuts and ox tail. Generous portions.

On the way out, I get a few banh bao, a type of stuffed pastry stuffed with pork meat, hard boiled egg, Chinese sausage. It’s known as a poor man’s meal and popular street food – you can get full off of just one bao. It was popular in Hong Kong years ago, but I guess owners got smart and cut back on it so their customers wouldn’t get full off of just one pork bun.

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Get the banh cuon – velvety smooth rice crepes stuffed with woodeared mushroom and ground pork, pork sausage, Vietnamese sweet fish sauce. pour it over.

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Cha Ca Thanh Long

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Beef Noodle Soup aka Pho

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Special Rice plate with egg, grilled pork chop, pork casserole

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Bun bo hue, with blood pudding

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Stir fried noodles

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More Pho

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Rare to find blood pudding in Bun Bo Hue in Orlando – very authentic!

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Bun Cha Ha Noi

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American Q debuts new menu items including Roast pig and prime rib

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American Q is expanding their Rodizio ( aka all you can eat) style BBQ with Chef Leo. Adding new options  including smoked prime rib and whole roasted pig, as well as new selections on the 20+ item FLATBED BUFFET, which is served from the back of a signature ’51 cherry red Ford F1 pickup.

I started off with some finger licking good appetizers….

DSC00695Let’s begin with one of their most well known items – the Maple Candied Bacon. The perfect harmony of sweet and savory, not to mention addicting.. and what more to say other than bacon?

This was featured recently at an annual local Orlando Yelp event, and of course it sold out immediately- definitely an iconic item of American Q.

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The classic Deviled eggs stuffed with creamy mix of crab meat  with a hint of smokiness from the paprika. – I was worried I would get full from eating these little devils since I couldn’t stop at 3…. I kept saying okay last one…and I’m pretty sure I went up to eating 5.

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A simple house made appetizer that’s always a crowd pleaser – Tater Tots. 

Next, I got to check out the flatbed buffet – featuring savory favorites like homemade soups and chili, a baked potato bar, peel & eat shrimp and hot and cold seasonal vegetables, pastas and potato salads

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And of course – more notable starters…

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 Cauliflower “steak”
I felt a little less guilty eating this one, I love vegetables- almost as much as I love steaks, and the simple preparation of the cauliflower made it super easy to enjoy.

Onto the main dish- the table side carvings.

The buffet included

The favorites included:

Starting with Chef Leo’s personal favorite- The Brisket of Beef with Texas Bark
The meat is braised for 12 hours with a flavorful crust to hold together all the juicy meat within. Incredibly tender and fatty and requires NO SAUCE- or you could ruin the meat (according to Marcus- our professional meat carver)

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Then we have Marcus’ favorite- (also might be mine) The Picanha of Beef
There’s a whirl wind of flavors in this super tender cut of beef- peppery, sweet, smokey.

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A tie with the Picanha for me would have to be the Carolina Style Flank Steak
A little less fatty than the other two meats, but just as flavorful with notes of oregano and sweet brown sugar.

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Here’s Marcus with our table mates.DSC00742


DSC00749These are all house made sauces!

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And of course what would BBQ be without a little alcohol?

Featuring a new kind of Whiskey- The Jameson,  A well known brand- however, this time it’s not a true Irish. It’s aged 12 years in charred Bourbon Barrels that’s stilled for 3 times.  It’s much sweeter, smoother, with a crisp ending. It has hints of Apricots and vanilla.

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Pineapple Mojito

Flor de Caña, muddled pineapple & mint.

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Dragon fruit Smash

Maestro Dobel tequila, muddled dragon fruit, basil simple syrup, lemon & mint

If you’re looking an all you can eat BBQ American Q can definitely satisfy that craving without the crowd and price of other International Drive restaurants.

AMERICAN Q • LOCATED AT B RESORT & SPA •

1905 HOTEL PLAZA BOULEVARD  |  LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL 32830  

TEL: 407.827.3080