Central Florida James Beard Award Nominees snubbed again…

news

Ricky Ly

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Mar 20, 2012

Central Florida James Beard Award Nominees snubbed again…

Another year, another no win for our Central Florida area chefs. As reported by Scott Joseph and Tampa Bay Tribune’s Jeff Houck, who are both judges for the James Beard award, none of the final five finalists for Best Chef of the South even came from Florida. Four of the finalists hail from New Orleans and one from Birmingham, Alabama. The final nominees were announced live yesterday at The Venetian in Las Vegas. The James Beard Award nominees from Central Florida, Chefs James and Julie Petrakis of The Ravenous Pig, Chef Henry Salgado of Spanish River Grill, and Chef Scott Hunnel of Victoria and Albert’s, have all been snubbed. It really is frustrating.

Maybe the judges at the James Beard look down on Orlando or don’t believe that good food can be had here. Orlando is more than just a town with Disney / Universal theme park food. Victoria and Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian resort is just an example of what great food exists even within the limits of the theme parks. The City Beautiful has a flavor and a foodie culture that is becoming more sophisticated each day. When will the time come Orlando have its day, to stand among the greats?

The below are the final nominees for Best Chef of the South

BEST CHEF: SOUTH

Justin Devillier, La Petite Grocery, New Orleans

John Harris, Lilette, New Orleans

Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, Ala.

Tory McPhail, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans

Alon Shaya, Domenica, New Orleans

For the Complete List of James Beard Award Final Nominees for 2012 click here. Winners will be announced May 4, 2012.

Festival of Chocolate this April 2012 at UCF Arena

Events

Ricky Ly

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Mar 20, 2012

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Festival of Chocolate this April 2012 at UCF Arena

Last year, I attended the Festival of Chocolate at the Orlando Science Center and had a ball! The producers of the Festival of Chocolate have decided to move the festival this year to UCF’s Arena. If you haven’t visited UCF recently, you will be in for a pleasant surprise. The northern side of campus has been completely transformed with a new arena, shops, restaurants, and a large plaza area that hosts the annual Light up UCF ice skating rink and carnival rides during winter.

Below is the press release:

THE FESTIVAL OF CHOCOLATE – THE ULTIMATE ALL-CHOCOLATE SHOPPING, EDUCATIONAL, AND INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE – COMING TO UCF ARENA APRIL 27-29

TICKETS ON SALE NOW EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH TICKETMASTER

Attention Chocoholics! For anyone that has wanted to be a kid in a chocolate store…you now have your chance. The Festival of Chocolate will take place at the UCF Arena from Friday, April 27 through Sunday, April 29.

Daily tickets priced at $15.00 (adults) and $9.00 (children) are on sale now exclusively through Ticketmaster at www.Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, or at the UCF Arena Box Office. Each adult advance purchase ticket will receive two dollars in chocolate coins to spend in The Festival of Chocolate and chance to win a spot as a Chocolate Judge. Additional taxes and fees may apply.

The Festival of Chocolate, recognized as one of the Top Ten Chocolate Festivals in the USA, returns to Central Florida and makes a new home at the University of Central Florida Arena with a larger vendor showcase, more interactive activities, and additional live competitions – all for a lower ticket price! And 2012 introduces The Cocoa Couture Fashion Show on the Chocolate Yumway.

The event runs:

Friday, April 27, 4pm – 10pm

Saturday April 28, 10am – 6pm

Sunday, April 29, 10am – 5 pm

The event includes the area’s best chocolate and confection companies selling everything chocolate from truffles, cakes, crepes and cupcakes to cookies, brownies and gelato. Chocolate savory items including mocha chili, chocolate BBQ sauce, seasonings, coffee and meat rubs will also make a debut.

Throughout the weekend, award-winning pastry chefs and chocolatiers host interactive demonstrations sharing techniques and tricks of the trade while live chocolate competitions give breathtaking artistic sculptures a tasty twist.

Trendy Chocoholics can marvel at the launch of The Cocoa Couture Fashion Show featuring hand designed garments made almost completely out of chocolate wrappers. Designers will sew, stitch and eat their way to The Festival of Chocolate Yumway where they will compete for prizes judged by professionals and The Festival of Chocolate guests.

The adventurous confection crowd can whip up some chocolate lip balm and try their hand (or armpit) at creating armpit fudge. History buffs become chocolate detectives as they tour an educational chocolate-themed museum and gamers can try their luck and chocolate knowledge in Brownie Bingo, where they can eat the playing pieces!

Chocolate University taught by Chocolate Masters, A “Double-Dare You” of unusual items dipped in chocolate including crickets and jalapeños, cookie stacking contests, chocolate mustaches, a book signing, and a complimentary chocolate raffle will make The Festival of Chocolate weekend at The UCF Arena the Sweetest weekend in Central Florida.

Limited Seating Registration for Chocolate Class and Chocolate and Wine Pairings is available at www.FestivalofChocolate.com.

About The Festival of Chocolate

Former Walt Disney World Producer and owner of Indigo Creative Productions, Aileen Mand, partnered with third-generation Chocolatier Edgar Schaked to create The Festival of Chocolate. Marrying her specialty in unique, large-scale public events including Coca Cola’s Olympic City, Political Conventions and Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week with his expertise and outreach in the Chocolate Industry, they have traveled The Festival of Chocolate to Tampa, Orlando, and West Palm Beach with plans in the works for Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville. Aileen won the title of Producer of the Year in the Southeast for The Festival of Chocolate and The Festival of Chocolate is recognized as one of the Top Ten Chocolate Festivals in the USA.

The Global Spectrum-managed UCF Arena is home to the UCF Men’s and Women’s basketball programs, as well as concerts, family shows and other attractions for the Central Florida area. Visit www.UCFarena.com for more information on upcoming events.

Global Spectrum (global-spectrum.com) manages nearly 100 public assembly facilities around the world. Nearly 20-million people attended more than 11,000 events in Global Spectrum venues last year. Based in Philadelphia, PA, Global Spectrum is part of Comcast-Spectacor, one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment companies. Comcast-Spectacor also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage services provider, New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing product for public assembly facilities, Paciolan, the leading provider of venue establishment ticketing, fundraising and marketing technology solutions, Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company, and Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks. In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces eight nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC-TV.

Vendors include:

Abracadabra Ice Cream FactoryKissimmee, FL

Bake Me A Cake
Altamonte Springs, FL
www.bakemeacake.net

Beard Papa’s
Orlando, FL
www.muginohointl.com

Breck’s Gourmet Cookies
Tampa, FL
www.brecksgourmet.com

Brownie Brittle
West Palm Beach, FL
www.browniebrittle.com

Candy Cottage
Plantation, FL

Chateau Confections
Winter Park, FL
www.chateaueieio.com

Chocolate Traditions
Longwood, FL
www.chocolatetraditions.com

Choffy
Orlando, FL
www.drinkchoffy.com

Cupcake Crazy
Lake Mary, FL
cupecakecrazyorlando.com

David Ramirez Chocolates
Orlando, FL
davidramirezchocolates.com

Dove Chocolate Discoveries
Orlando, FL
www.thesweetlife4me.com

Farris and Foster’s Chocolate Factory
Orlando, FL
www.farrisandfosters.com

Galleria of Chocolatez
Orlando, FL
galleriaofchocolates.com

Kernel Encore
Orlando, FL
www.kernelencorepopcorn.com

Michael Anthony Cakes
Longwood, FL
michaelanthonycakes.com

N Joy Gourmet Bakery
Winter Park, FL
www.njoybakery.com

Notter School of Pastry Arts
Orlando, FL
www.notterschool.com

Peterbrooke Chocolatier
Winter Park, FL
www.tinyurl.com/peterbrooke

Picture This Candy Company
Orlando, FL
picturethiscandycompany.com

PRP Wine International
Longwood, FL
www.prpwine.com

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
Orlando, FL
www.rmcf.com

Schakolad Chocolate Factory
Tampa, FL
www.schakolad.com

Stefano’s Gelato
Lake Mary, FL
www.stefanosgelato.com

The Crepe Company
Orlando, FL
www.thecrepecompany.com

The Sugar Suite
Maitland, FL
www.thesugarsuite.com

Z-Coffee
Orlando, FL
www.z-coffee.com

Taste of the Nation Orlando – Special Discount tickets – 50% off

Events

Ricky Ly

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Mar 19, 2012

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Taste of the Nation Orlando – Special Discount tickets – 50% off

Taste of the Nation is my favorite foodie event of the year. 100% of ticket sales supports Share our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger. Restaurants such as The Ravenous Pig, Cress Restaurant, A Land Remembered at Rosen Shingle Creek, Cafe Tu Tu Tango and more all came to help.

Last year, over 35 restaurants from all over Central Florida presented “tastes” ranging from pork belly dishes, desserts, lobster tacos, bratwurst sandwiches, prime angus beef cuts, and much more all in the name of charity. Many of the dishes were truly outstanding, loaded with complex flavors, textures, and made from the utmost quality ingredients. I felt like I was in some foodie heaven.

Right now they are having their spring savings deal:

Buy one VIP Ticket and Get one 50% off. Must use code EBIRDORL
This code is good till March 30, 2012.

Buy the Tickets here

Guests will sample delectable specialties and culinary sensations prepared by chefs from Central Florida’s leading restaurants. Showcasing their talent and creativity, the combination of presentation and taste are sure to make the evening unforgettable.

Where: Orlando World Center Marriott
8701 World Center Dr.
Orlando, FL 32821
When: August 25, 2012
VIP Tickets: Taste of the Nation Orlando –
VIP Admission 6:45 – 10:00 PM | $150.00

Why: 17 million – that’s 1 in 4 – American children struggle with hunger. 637,000 of these children live in Florida. Many of them live right down the street. GET INVOLVED 100% of Taste of the Nation ticket sales benefit Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger.

Local beneficiaries: Coalition for the Homeless and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
Last year, Coalition for the Homeless provided over 302,000 meals to homeless individuals and families, including over 220 children each night with an average age of under 10 years old; Second Harvest Food Bank distributed more than 30 million pounds of grocery product, the equivalent of over 20 million meals.

Check them out on their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/OrlandoTaste

Sliced Salumi cones from The Ravenous Pig

For more information please contact
Maria Diestro of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
407-295-5009 x26
mdiestro@foodbankcentralflorida.org

The Rusty Spoon in Downtown Orlando

Ricky Ly

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Mar 15, 2012

1

American Food. European Roots. Locally Sourced. – The Rusty Spoon

How many of us can say we know where our food comes from? How it’s made and how it’s transported to us? In our increasingly globalized world, more and more of our food is being sourced farther and father away and processed in a factory somewhere with who knows what type of chemicals to the point where we don’t even recognize it anymore. The freshness, taste is all but gone for the sake of cheaper products at greater yields.

The farm-to-table movement has become something of a rallying call for chefs around the country to bring the food back to the local community in a sustainable, natural way. In the 55 West building in the heart of the Church Street district, The Rusty Spoon is trying to bring that movement to the forefront here in Orlando, using locally sourced ingredients from local area farms like Deep Creek Ranch and Waterkist Farms in Winter Park.

The Rusty Spoon’s Owner/Chef Kathleen Blake, formerly of Primo, has been one of the fore-bearers of the Local “Slow Food” movement here in Orlando, as one of the first chefs to use local Ocoee farm Lake Meadow Natural’s for their tasty, natural eggs with orange-tinted, flavorful yolks. The restaurant also likes to change the menu and ingredients depending on what’s in season.

I had trouble spotting The Rusty Spoon at first – if I hadn’t been looking for it, I may have just walked on by to the Amway Center with nary a thought that there was a restaurant at the base of the 55 West Building. Maybe they should get a sign up to replace the banner at the front.

Self-described as a gastropub, there is a sizeable bar at the front of the house, though I did not feel most comfortable sitting there to eat and drink. There is a nice drink selection with craft beer, though not as extensive as some other places downtown.

In the dining area behind the bar, a menagerie of farm animal portraits watch over you as you dine, hanging on a brick wall. The decor is modern and the ambience is more like a city art gallery than a homey pub, though it was nice and open.

Inside The Rusty Spoon

Our waitress was fairly new but I wouldn’t have guessed it. She was attentive and knew the menu and recommendations like the back of her hand. The prices here were all very reasonable with most of the dishes under $20.

Stuffed Eggs – Lake Meadow Eggs Stuffed With olive tapenade, herbs & Oven Dried Tomatoes.

These deviled eggs were quite a delicious start to the meal, creamy and slightly salty with a nice tartness in the tomatoes.

Rusty O-Rings – Buttermilk Soaked Sweet Vidalia Onion Rings with Black Water Porter Dipping Sauce

This dish was dusted with powdered sugar like at the carnival fair. Though playful, definitely something I would expect from a regular ale-house rather than a gastropub. I enjoyed them nonetheless.

“Haystack” – Shoestring Potatoes with Three Homemade Sauces including barbeque, ketchup, and an aioli sauce.

These fries were topped with some parmesan cheese, and though they were tasty, I did not find them to be memorable or distinguishable from most other fries.

Shiitinonion Soup – 5 Onions, Roasted Double Chicken Stock, Topped with croutons & Melted Gruyere. The “55” Burger – 1/2 lb of Grass-Fed Beef Stuffed with Bacon & Gruyere, Smothered with Onions, Rusty Aioli, House-made Pickles on a Soft Roll

Shiitinonion SoupThe Rusty Spoon’s version of the French Onion soup, a very enjoyable, hearty soup that I wish did not have such a foul sounding name. The “55” burger was a bit of a disappointment for me as I really enjoy burgers, but alas the patty was too soft and wet on this occasion, maybe it was undercooked but definitely too mushy of a burger for me.

Slow Braised Lamb – Jamison Farm Lamb, sweet onion & golden raisin jam with House Made Ricotta Salata on Toasted Moroccan Bread

This lamb sandwich was a favorite of the group, the lamb had almost like a pulled pork texture and the onions and ricotta all went very well together with the sandwich.

“Dirty South” – Stew Of Cape Canaveral head on Shrimp, Local Snapper, Cedar Creek Clams With Tomato & Peanuts In A Rich Shrimp Broth

The “Dirty South” was hands down the favorite dish here at The Rusty Spoon, signature local snapper from Cape Canaveral, shrimp head-on just the way I like it, delicious creamy southern grits all on top of a rich broth. I would go back to The Rusty Spoon again just for this one dish and would probably recommend it you go.

Adult S’mores
Graham cracker crust, a chocolate-mousse cake filling, and melted marshmallows with a touch of caramel.

From The Rusty Spoon – Local Farmer Partners:

Palmetto Creek Pork – Avon Park Jim Wood uses the natural method of farming where his hogs are maintained outside in the fresh air. Jim raises small herds of the Heritage breed of Herefords hogs. They are kept outside everyday of their lives. No antibiotics or animal by-products are in his feed. Palmetto Creek’s goal is to not only provide us with natural pork but to provide us with the best possible natural pork through selective breeding. Check out Jim’s website- www.bestpork.us

Waterkist Farm, Winter Park is a family owned and operated farm using hydroponic growing methods. Melani and Roger’s produce is clean and delicious and includes heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes as well as several different varieties of living lettuces. Melani also grows our sprouts, peppers, Mediterranean cucumbers and herbs. Look for Melani at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market every Saturday.

Lake Meadow Naturals is home to a variety of Heritage breed of chickens and ducks that lay brown eggs in various shades. Dale Volkert’s happy hens are cage free, free range and free roaming. The hens have access to grass, sunshine and fresh air on Lake Meadow, right outside of Orlando. The chickens eat only wholesome grains that include corn, soybeans, wheat, millet, and various multi grains, oyster shells, and all the fresh well water they want. Lake Meadows offers soy-free eggs and duck eggs as well. Check out Dale’s happy hens- www.lakemeadownaturals.net

Deep Creek Ranch is home to David Strawn and his 100% grass fed beef. Grass fed is significantly healthier beef and is more beneficial as food than confinement beef. It also tastes delicious! Their diet is what nature designed them for and they stay healthy. The Strawn family never use growth hormones or any pharmaceuticals that persist in the animal. You can learn more about grass fed beef and the Deep Creek family- www.deepcreekranch.us

A Land Remembered at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando

Ricky Ly

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Mar 13, 2012

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A Land Remembered at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando

A Land Remembered, a classic “Florida” style steakhouse in Rosen Shingle Creek resort, is named after Patrick Smith’s rich novel featuring Florida’s historical moments and landscapes. I actually had no idea that the name for the restaurant was based on a book about the early days of Florida, but in my mind the name conjured up images of Florida’s wilderness, its ranching and cattle heritage, and of course, with cows come, delicious steaks. I had visited A Land Remembered once before during Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month and was thoroughly impressed with the slightly hidden steakhouse – found through a covered walkway off to the left side of the grand Rosen Shingle Creek resort. I was recently invited to visit again to sample their cuisine and left solidifying my earlier good impressions with much to remember and linger on after.

The Rosen Shingle Creek Resort is located on Universal Blvd just north of SR 528 and just a few blocks away from the Orange County Convention Center. A Land Remembered is not known much outside of the convention area as its location is inside (really, off to the side) of the hotel. Decked in dark woods and old Florida themes, A Land Remembered can be seen as a throwback to the old days of Central Florida’s cattle-raising history. The steaks here truly are superb.

Before we get to that, I must note that the restaurant is rated as an AAA Four Diamond restaurant, and the quality and service shows. The servers here on both occasions were attentive without being intrusive, and gracious without being too uptight. The recommendations for dinner were spot on and they made sure to check on us throughout the meal.

Interestingly enough, the restaurant tries its best to feature classic “Florida” in many of its dishes such as the Gator Creek Stew, a hearty, though a bit too mild, chili dish made with “Gator Drool” beer, white beans, tomatos, cabbage, a touch of tabasco, tomato, and farm raised gator. The gator in this dish reminded me alot of ground turkey or ground beef, very mild tasting, I imagine so not to scare off any of the visiting tourists. The “Gator Drool” beer used in this dish and a few others on the menu is produced by a local Florida microbrewery from Melbourne exclusively for Rosen Hotels. The beer was inspired by Central Florida Hotelier Mr. Harris Rosen upon encountering the “Moose Drool” beer during a trip to Vermont. I find it touching to see the level of detail that Mr. Rosen put into not only his Rosen hotel empire, but also into the intricacies of decor and even the ingredients served in his restaurants.

For appetizers, they served a pair of delicious crab cakes made with real lump crab from Maryland with a side of lemon as well as big and plump scallops from Prince Edward Island, bought, I was told, locally from Lombardi’s Seafood market in Winter Park.

A Land Remembered features Harris Ranch Black Angus Five Diamond Prime Beef, the same beef that’s served at the famed Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, Florida. The taste is exquisite. I had the bone-in ribeye steak, a juicy, slightly-charred cut served perfectly at the desired medium rare. The meat was tender, flavorful, and altogether one of the best steaks I have had in Orlando.

For dessert, you are treated with the creations of Executive Pastry Chef David Ramirez, trained at Johnson and Wales University, winner of American Culinary Foundation competitions and who competed in the Coupe Du Monde de la Patisserie, the World Pastry Cup, in Lyon, France as captain of Team USA. He and his wife Nicole also operate David Ramirez Chocolates (http://davidramirezchocolates.com/) off of Orange Blossom Trail in South Orlando. Choices range from chocolate flourless cake to “Warm Pioneer Bread Pudding” to “A Land Remembered Key Lime Pie”.

Keylime, creme brulee, banana pudding, chocolate mousse, NY cheesecake shooters in a horse-shoe

A Land Remembered is truly a hidden gem here in Orlando and is a classic “Florida” steakhouse with not only great service but also great, delicious flavors. It’s a great special occasion type of place for dinner, whether you are visiting Rosen Shingle Creek as part of a convention or golf outting, or out for a special night. Prices are pretty high as they are in the tourist district, but you can get a good deal by visiting Restaurant.com and getting one of their discounts there for A Land Remembered.

Valet parking is complimentary when dining at A Land Remembered. The restaurant offers a private dining room (up to 24 people) and relaxing lounge. Seating capacity: 110.

Florida Alligator-shaped Butter! how cute and tasty.

“Gator Creek Stew” – probably the least memorable dish on the menu, I think I would’ve liked more gator or sausage in it.

Ahi Tuna
Served Rare, Lemon Myrtle Crust
Nappa & Swamp Cabbage Slaw
Chili Pepper Citrus Vinaigrette

Boca Grande Crab Cake
Scallion Aioli & Red Chili Pepper Glaze

A shot of the menu prices

Bone-In Ribeye Steak, 20 oz of delicious, tender, slightly charred steak

Slow Roasted Prime Rib
Fresh Horseradish & Au Jus
12 oz

Baked Sweet Potato with Honey Butter, almost like a dessert side

Chocolate Mousse Cake
12 oz. Portion of Chocolate Mousse Cake
Layered with Pecan Nougatine
Flourless Chocolate Cake and a
Milk Chocolate Cream Filling,
Topped with Raspberry Ganache & Fresh Fruit

“Southern Exposure” – Southeast Produce Council Expo in Tampa Bay, Florida 2012

Events

Ricky Ly

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Mar 10, 2012

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The Southeast Produce Council, a industry association non-profit dedicated to promoting fresh fruits and vegetables from the southeastern region of the United States, hosted their annual conference this past weekend at the Tampa Bay Convention Center. I was invited to speak on a panel on How Food Bloggers Are Influencing Produce Consumers along with The Tampa Tribune’s Food Writer and author of The Stew food blog Jeff Houck, Aggie of www.AggiesKitchen.com, and Julie Fagan of PBFingers.com. The discussion was moderated by Heidi McIntyre, Co-founder of Produce for Kids (PFK).

The discussion was lively and focused on topics like how do folks in the produce industry approach food bloggers with regards to their product and what the latest interesting trends were in both the social media aspect of reaching audiences as well as the latest trends in the food industry. It was generally agreed that the movement was going to be more and more fresh, natural and local based and sourced.

One discussion topic that was brought up during the conference was the lack of diversity and variety in our local supermarkets. How often do you see exotic fruits or produce in your neighborhood Publix, and even worse how often are the fruits and vegetables there often tasteless? I had this problem a few times with cucumbers, they were just bland and lacking any distinguishable cucumber taste. Rather than shopping for what is in season, we have fruits and vegetables year round that are imported from thousands of miles away and treated with chemicals correspondingly to make them last longer en route to your local grocer. Proponents say that this is good for us because they can provide the produce cheaper and year round allowing for more consumers, but I wonder at what cost to health and the environment.

Paula Deen is the queen of steamed veggies (butter included)

During the morning brunch, guest speaker Adam Putnam, Florida Commissioner of Agricultural and Consumer Services, spoke eloquently about the numerous threats to agriculture in Florida to the hundreds of produce industry folks from the Southeastern region (and with great composure, I might add, during unexpected interruptions at the Tampa Bay Convention by a neighboring fantasy card playing meet up).

Dramatization: Fantasy game players reacting when told to quiet down during Ag Commissioner Adam Putnam’s speech

Disastrous anti-immigration policies in neighboring Alabama has led to thousands of acres of fruits and vegetables rotting in the field due to lack of field hands to pick them. The immigration policy passed in Alabama was on the cusp of passing here in Florida, but luckily the legislature had enough sense to pull back and evaluate before criminalizing the undocumented workers that pick and pack the produce, a fact that went unspoken here at the breakfast. In addition to the quandary of labor policy, Florida faces countless threats from invasive species such as the Burmese Pythons, Giant African Land snail, and more that could throw off the delicate balance of nature in Florida and lead to disastrous billion dollar losses to the industry. In spite of all this, the outlook is cheery here at the Tampa Bay Convention Center with the Southeastern Produce Council, especially with aforementioned recent trends of more locally sourced food and produce.

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Sweet Vidalia Onions from Vidalia, Georgia

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“There’s a melon joke in there somewhere” – quipped Jeff Houck

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Squeezable garlic in a bottle, the wonders of Spice World

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Medjool dates – Natural Delights

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Avocado does wonders for your skin says the National Avocado Council

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Purple Sweet Potatos from North Carolina

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Grapples, apples flavored with grape juice

It’s Strawberry Season in Florida! 2012

Events

Ricky Ly

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Mar 10, 2012

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With the recent warm winter, Florida’s strawberry farmers have yielded a huge harvest this season resulting in lower prices (and also lower profits) for the red gems. Florida’s strawberries account for over 15 percent of the nation’s strawberry and the one’s in Plant City in Hillsborough County make up a large bulk of that number.

The annual Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City (just out side of Tampa) is still under way until this Sunday March 11, so make sure you check it out if you haven’t already. It’s old-time Americana, started way back in the 1930s by the Plant City Lions Club. There’s a carnival/fair type atmosphere with plenty of strawberry shortcakes, preserves, and carnival rides to go around, and even music performances (Reba is closing out the show this Sunday night) and a Miss Florida Strawberry Festival pageant. You can buy fresh strawberries all along the roadside or visit the famous Parksdale Farm Market nearby to pick up some strawberries there. For more information check it out here: http://www.flstrawberryfestival.com

Locally you can pick your own strawberries at Pappy’s Patch U-Pick Strawberry Farm in Oviedo, Florida at 700 Florida Avenue, Oviedo Florida. They are $2.50 a lb this season and you can call them for hours at 407.366.8512 or visit their facebook page. They are usually open 1pm-4pm.

Chefs in our local restaurant scene have been keen to keep their eye on the strawberry season’s peak. The following are some wonderful, sweet dishes that you can order that use local Plant City strawberries as their featured ingredient:

The Ravenous Pig’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

The Ravenous Pig’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp is made with Plant City Strawberries and are available about 3 weeks of the year. They are made with an almond streusel, and topped with toffee crunch ice cream. The strawberries cook inside leaving a very tart and delightful sweet taste to the crisp. Patrons call and ask and rave about this dish all year round, waiting for the window when this crisp is back in town. Check them out at http://theravenouspig.com/

The Fork in the Road Food Truck’s Strawberry Souffle Cheesecake

The Fork in the Road Food Truck’s Pastry Chef Alan Clapsaddle creates their version of the Plant City Strawberry Shortcake and also a Strawberry souffle cheesecake. The lusciously soft souffle cheesecake has a snickerdoodle cookie base and topped with a chantilly creme home-made with rum and Chinese 5-spice, and topped with some local Winter Park honey. Visit them at http://forkintherd.com/ and on twitter @forkintherdlive and follow them on facebook for updates.

K Restaurant and Wine Bar’s has a dessert dish made with Florida Strawberries on top of a chocolate truffle ganache.

Chef Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant’s Florida Strawberry Shortcake in A Jar

Check them out at http://www.facebook.com/pages/K-Restaurant-Wine-Bar/106618472590

Get out there and enjoy Florida’s Strawberries while they are in season!

Slow Food Orlando presents Slow Down at CityArts Factory

Ricky Ly

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Mar 5, 2012

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Slow Food Orlando presents Slow Down at CityArts Factory

Edible Orlando publisher Kendra Lott with friends at the CityArts Factory

Slow Down Orlando with Edible Orlando magazine and the Winter Park Harvest Festival hosted “Slow Down at CityArts” a fundraising event to benefit the Downtown Arts District and Slow Down Orlando on Friday March 3rd. The event was hosted at the CityArts Factory featuring local arts and local chefs and an admission price of $15.

At the event, patrons sampled craft beers and cocktails from Florida distillers such as the Winter Park Distilling Company, Flagler Spirits, Palm Ridge Reserve Whiskey, and Widmer Brothers Brewing. I had no idea we had so many local distillers in or around our area, it gives me hope that one day Orlando will have its own Orlando Beer Week similar to the one Tampa Bay is holding this week for its inaugural Tampa Bay Beer Week (covered here in Jeff Houck of The Tampa Tribune). The craft beer culture has definitely grown in Orlando, especially with the increase in tap rooms and bars featuring more than your regular American budweiser and miller light. I think the time is ripe. What say you, Orlando beer lovers? Can we set this thing up already? Let’s hop on it.

TastyChomps’ Friends Pearleen and Al Buchala of Megayummo.com and Mike Reyes @mikochu

To go along with the sampling of drinks was a sampling of seasonal tastings of local food, all created in the mindset of the Slow Food movement, made with food that is good, clean and fair.

The event featured Dandelion Communitea Café, recent James Beard award-nominee for Best Chef of the South Chef Henry Salgado of Spanish River Grill, and Chef Kathleen Blake of The Rusty Spoon.

Dandelion Community Cafe’s Stuffed Cucumber Medallions

Dandelion Community Cafe presented Stuffed Cucumber Medallions made with marinated portobello mushroom from Zellwood Farm of Apopka, Heirloom Tomato from Organic Country Farm of S. Cloud, and carrots, red onions, scallions, and lemon zest. The ingredients were all organic, vegan, soy-free, and gluten free. The cucumber medallions were all very fresh, light, and surprisingly spicy. It gave me a nice kick in the tastebuds.

The Rusty Spoon’s Green Eggs and Ham

The Rusty Spoon served deviled “Green Eggs and Ham“, very delicious and fun to eat. I always wanted to try a rendition of green eggs and ham of Dr. Seuss fame.

Spanish River Grill’s Stuffed Collard Greens & Dirty Grits

The dish that blew me away the most at the event were Spanish River Grill’s Stuffed Collard Greens & Dirty Grits made with pulled Kurabota Pork, local Shrimp, Green Plaintain, Tomazin Farms Collard Greens, Anson Mills Grits. Chef Salgado made the grits dirty style, a play on the flavors of dirty rice but stylized for Florida and its love of corn grits. It was very hearty and rich, and the flavors of the collard greens and kurabota pork and shrimp went together so beautifully. I regretted not getting a second plate all night. Time to make a trip out to New Smyrna Beach to try Spanish River Grill!

If you are downtown, make sure to check out CityArts Factory, Downtown Orlando’s largest collective of art galleries which showcases an infusion of local and international works of art, rotated on a monthly basis. Free admission Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

CityArts Factory
29 South Orange Ave.
Orlando, FL 32801
http://www.orlandoslice.com/group/cityartsfactory

Vote in Orlando Sentinel’s Best Bets poll ends March 5th 2012

Uncategorized

Ricky Ly

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Mar 5, 2012

0

Hello dear friends,

Please vote for your Favorite Local Blogger (you know who) and Local Eats and Businesses in the Orlando Sentinel’s Best Bets poll below! It ends this March 5th 2012 (Monday night) Thank you !

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-orlando-sentinel-best-bets-2012,0,7083892.htmlstory

La Empanada Food Truck – Orlando

Ricky Ly

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Mar 2, 2012

1

La Empanada is a lovely food truck brought to you in partnership with the good people of Black Bean Deli, the famous Cuban sandwich shop on US 17/92 in Winter Park and winner of numerous “Best Cuban” awards from around Orlando (I think they are thinking Cuban sandwich not Cuban cuisine? =) ).

The truck was actually originally owned by the parents of Andres Corton, head chef of Black Bean Deli. According to their kickstarter.com site, Mami and Papi Corton sold Cuban Sandwiches across East Orlando in this very truck (pre-renovation and upgrades) for over 20 years. Andres, along with friends Gabrielle Arnold and Janelle Luce, used their kickstarter page to help get some seed money to fix up the truck and accomplished their goals, opening their shiny new truck doors in late 2011.

The empanada is a staple of Cuban as well as most Latin American cuisine, very popular as a snack and appetizer / street food and often referred to as “envelope food” where different ingredients such as ham, cheese, olives, eggs, you name it, are all stuffed inside the pastry dough inside. They are then baked or fried for enjoyment.

Some of the best empanadas in Orlando can be found at La Empanada, not too greasy or overly fried, these delicious pockets of joy are a delight. On a recent trip to the Winter Park Farmer’s Market, I found them just off of New England Avenue a block or so away from the market on a beautiful central Florida Saturday morning.

The truck itself is very sleek and clean with a very hip, retro look. The empanadas sit inside a glass case by the main window of the truck, where usually there is a variety of 6 choices daily (changes seasonally) of savory and sweet for empanadas ($3) and also a side like soup or salad.

I had the picadillo empanada, a Cuban classic, stuffed with tasty ground beef, bits of carrots, potatos, green olives, and golden raisins. I also ordered the lentil sloppy joe made with spicy tomatoes, green bell peppers and onions. I enjoyed these empanadas much more than others I have had around town, which often were too greasy or fried or the ingredients weren’t all that great. Baked and filled with great, tasty ingredients, these empanadas at La Empanada were very good, especially with some rooster sauce!

I washed it all down with a can of Parrot brand Young Coconut Juice with pulp, refreshing and lovely.

Besame, La Empanada , besame mucho….como si fuera esta noche la ultima vez.

Follow them on twitter to find their latest locations at @laempanadatruck or follow them on facebook.

Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney Orlando

Ricky Ly

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Feb 29, 2012

5

Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney Orlando

Normally I wouldn’t touch the often dreaded tourist areas of town with a ten foot pole unless there is some event going on or a friend is in town who – of course – is staying near the Disney/Universal Studio resort areas. It’s not that the areas don’t have some attractive venues, it’s just the crowds and the traffic sometimes are so hectic it’s not worth the bother. This latest visit to the Disney area was courtesy of an old friend, spoken word artist and director of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Giles Li, in town with his lovely wife and twin children for some Disney park fun. We decided to meet up near the Downtown Disney area with my friend Nathaniel in the evening after their time at the parks.

Downtown Disney is a part of the Disney World complex, and the place was literally crawling with thousands of family and children on this weeknight in February. There are a multitude of restaurants and street attractions, all very convenient for an evening stroll after a day in the parks. The restaurants are mostly pricier due to the locale, but there is one place that has earned rave reviews for its quality and value: our old, dear friend, the Earl of Sandwich located on the north east end of Downtown Disney.

Legend has it that the first sandwich was named after John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Often found gambling, he did not have time to have meal during the play, so he would ask his servants to bring him slices of meat between two slices of bread during his long hours playing at the card table. This habit became well known among his gambling friends and thus the ‘sandwich’ was born. According to the Watch-Me-Eat blog, the Earl of Sandwich here at Downtown Disney was actually founded by the real-life descendent of the original Earl of Sandwich along with one of the founders of Planet Hollywood.

The hot sandwiches, as its namesake, are the draw here at the Earl’s, and at $5.99, they are a great bargain for the family. Inside, there is a line up system – the same familiar one perfected by Disney at its parks – where customers move through to the cashier to give your order.

My exchange with the cashiers wasn’t the most pleasant as they all seemed to be rushing people to order and move along in the assembly line. I didn’t even get a chance to look beyond the list of sandwiches that they served before I had already somehow ordered, given a number, and moved along down the line. In many ways this place is like Subway’s, though unlike at the Earl’s, the folks at Subway’s always asked you if you wanted a combo or drink or something else with the meal. The ingredients are much better though at the Earl of Sandwich.

I ordered the Italian and my friend Nate ordered the Caribbean Jerk Chicken sandwich. My Italian was filled with salami, capicola, roasted ham, mortadella, mozzarella cheese, roma tomatos, and topped with a nice Italian dressing. The sandwich was definitely meaty, but my favorite part was the breading for the sandwich: it was crunchy and flavorful, probably the first time I had that type of bread for a sandwich. My friend enjoyed his Caribbean Jerk Chicken with roasted peppers and a spicy jerk sauce, though I found the sauce to be a bit too mild and not at all reminiscent of any jerk flavors found in the caribbean, but it was still a good sandwich.

Overall, the Earl of Sandwich is a great value sandwich shop for families visiting Downtown Disney and probably one of the better places that you can visit at Downtown Disney. For the price point, you probably can’t get anything better than the Earl’s. The decor is similar to a Panera Bread, with some nice touches resembling a British library. The ambiance is rushed and noisy, but it’s Downtown Disney, not Downton Abbey after all.

Menu at the Earl of Sandwich

Best BLT – Smoked Bacon, lettuce, roma tomatoes, and seasoned mayo – $5.99
Cannonballs – Meatballs in a rich tomato sauce with Provolone and Mozzarella cheese. – $5.99
Caribbean Jerk Chicken – Grilled chicken, roasted peppers with a spicy jerk sauce. – $5.99
Classic Cold Sandwiches – Egg salad, Tuna salad, or Chicken salad. – $5.99
Ham ‘n’ swiss – Roasted ham, aged swiss cheese and Earl’s mustard sauce – $5.99
Hawaiian BBQ – Hawaiian BBQ ham, fresh pineapple and Swiss cheese. – $5.99
Italian – Salami, capicola, roasted ham, mortadella, zesty italian dressing,mozzarella cheese and roma tomatoes. (peppers optional) – $5.99
The All American – Roast turkey, buttermilk ranch, cranberries, cheddar cheese, tomato and lettuce. – $5.99
The Caprese – Sliced fresh Mozzarella, Roma tomato, fresh basil and drizzled virgin olive oil. – $5.99
The Earl’s Club – Roast turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato. – $5.99
The Full Montagu – Freshly roasted beef, roast turkey, mustard sauce, Swiss/cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato. – $5.99
The Original 1762 (Hot Sandwich) – Fresh roasted beef, creamy horseradish sauce & cheddar cheese. Fresh made to order on Artisan Baked Loaf. – $5.99
Tuna Melt – Fresh made Albacore Tuna salad and melted Swiss cheese. – $5.99
Veggie – Feta Cheese, lettuce, roma tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, roasted red peppers and mediterranean dressing – $5.99

“Don’t talk to me, I’m busy making your sandwich”

The sandwiches are wrapped in shiny foil, careful they’re hot.

The Italian sandwich was a crowd pleaser

The Caribbean Jerk Chicken

Dessert at Ghiradelli’s down the way

Food & Wine Festival of Baldwin Park March 10, 2012, from 6-9 p.m

Events

Ricky Ly

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Feb 28, 2012

1

Food & Wine Festival of Baldwin Park March 10, 2012, from 6-9 p.m

Non-profit foundation “uncorks” annual food and wine benefit

ORLANDO, Fla.—(February 26, 2012)—The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Orlando is preparing to host its premier event, The Food and Wine Festival of Baldwin Park, on March 10, 2012, from 6-9 p.m. The event will be held on New Broad Street and will feature a selection of the finest food and beverage vendors, live music by BB King All-Star Band, and an exclusive VIP lounge.
“It’s great to see so many people coming together to enjoy the evening and contribute to our cause,” said Maureen Roth, Development Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “We have an excellent lineup of sponsors, vendors, and A-list judges joining forces with us this year to ensure we have a successful event.”

For an all-inclusive ticket donation, guests have the opportunity to enjoy the tastes of a variety of food and beverage purveyors, including but not limited to Shula’s Steakhouse, Tap Room at Dubsdread, Brio, and 4Rivers. Additionally, guests have a chance to determine who will win the honor of ‘People’s Choice’ Award. The A-list judging panel and Mayor Buddy Dyer will choose this year’s Silver Plate award recipients.

The Festival will also showcase the CF Lounge, a VIP lounge that will feature a specially developed menu from Stonewood Grill, an exclusive silent auction, entertainment by jazz guitarist, Marc E and a relaxing lounge environment.

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that affects 30,000 adults and children in the United States and 70,000 worldwide. It is one of most common lung diseases in children and young adults. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a non-profit, donor-supported organization dedicated to supporting the development of new treatments of the disease, improving the quality of life for those who live with CF, and ultimately, finding a cure. The Foundation is one of the most efficient organizations of its kind and is an accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more on the Food and Wine Festival and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, please visit http://orlando.cff.org/foodandwine.

Participants include:

4Rivers
Barfly
Brio
Cabot Cheese
Cafe Tu Tu Tango
Cookie Cousins
Copper Canyon
Eden Bar
Funky Monkey
Gem Catering
The Glass Slipper
Jack’s Steakhouse
Lago
O’Boys BBQ
PF Chang’s
Shula’s 347
Stonewood Grill
Tap Room at Dubsdread
Terlato
Tibby’s New Orleans Kitchen
Trinchero
World Center Marriott
Yuengling
Yum Yum Cupcakes

The Venetian Room at the Caribe Royale Orlando

Ricky Ly

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Feb 28, 2012

1

The Venetian Room at the Caribe Royale Orlando

Waiters at your table, dressed in black ties and coats, stand ready to offer great, classic service that is welcoming yet also unobtrusive. An atmosphere that is luxurious, with deep reds along the walls and in the chairs, a grand chandelier hanging in the middle of the copper dome, the decor is all a throw back to the Italian Renaissance of Venice. Dishes ranging from diver scallops to filet mignon and Chilean Seabass to the Grand marnier souffle are all on the menu at The Venetian Room.

The Venetian Room, located inside the Caribe Royale convention resort hotel, off of World Center Drive near Disney World, is a place probably best reserved for special occasions or events like a romantic evening or anniversary night out, or if you are just feeling like a boss.

The very definition of fine dining is embodied in The Venetian Room; One of the few “Old World” style restaurants in Orlando, a place where the service is impeccable, the setting is intimate, luxurious and lush, and the food is of the highest quality along with a correspondingly fine price tag.

The Venetian Room is also an AAA Four Diamond Award winner and a recipient of a Silver Spoon award by Orlando Home and Leisure and the Orlando Magazine Annual Dining Awards for Best Restaurant and Best Service, and also a winner of “Most Romantic Restaurant” from the Orlando Sentinel’s Annual Foodie Awards.

Trained in Europe and North Africa, The Venetian Room’s Chef Khallid Benghallem worked in restaurants in France, Corsica and Morocco. He began his culinary career at the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Rabat in Morocco, where he was the 1992 Student of the Year and eventually went on to work at Disney’s Marrakech at Epcot and Emeril’s. He brings his talent and expertise to bring to the life the dishes at The Venetian Room.

I dined with my friends William and Don recently at the Venetian Room, where we experienced great food and great company.

We started with the Diver Scallops ($18), tender, luscious pan seared scallops on top of a porcini asparagus risotto with mushroom broth and adorned with crisps of pancetta, a type of salt cured Italian bacon. The salty, crunchy pancetta crisps paired with the contrasting, soft texture of the pan seared scallops and risotto all went together beautifully on the palate.

Another popular starter at the table was the Gnocchi Stroganoff ($19), made with sun-dried tomato potato gnocchi dumplings served with gorgonzola crusted petit filet of beef and topped with a Cognac Pearl Onion Cream Sauce and Truffle Shavings. This deliciously prepared dish was probably enough to satisfy a diner in itself. The gorgonzola petit filet and the soft gnocchi all were divine.

For my entree I chose the Duck L’Orange ($37), a blood orange glazed Hudson Valley Duck breast and Citrus confit duck leg served with a sweet potato pumpkin custard tartlet and a ruby port wine Bing cherry reduction. The duck was cooked perfectly and had that wonderful hint of citrus and port wine to it. Enjoy it as soon as it reaches the table as duck can cool and congeal quickly.

My friend, Don, enjoyed his Wagyu beef dish with diver scallops, white asparagus and quail egg, a special of the evening.

William chose the Chilean Sea Bass ($39), a Citrus Crab Meat Crusted Sea Bass with Okinawa Sweet Potato Puree, Steamed Bok Choy, and a Duet of Caviar.

One of the experiences that I still can’t stop dreaming and craving is the Grand Marnier souffle ($13) at The Venetian Room for dessert. This is one of the few times in my life that I can truly say that this dish left an imprint on me. The souffle – you have to order it early in the meal as it takes about 20 minutes to prepare – arrives for dessert like a small powdered mountain of soft, puffy eggy cake. The dish is finished with table side service, topped off by our gracious waiter with the sweet crème anglaise. The dessert and experience was pure heaven, the souffle was soft and airy, sweet and utterly delicious. A very fine way to end the meal.

Just for the souffle alone I would return to The Venetian Room again and again in order to relive that divine experience. I believe I would if my budget allowed for such indulgences every day, but sadly like most of us we probably have to put this place on that special occasions list. Definitely put The Venetian Room on your list of must-try’s especially if you have a desire to splurge a little bit. Treat yourself!

Diver Scallops – Seared Scallops, Porcini Asparagus Risotto, Mushroom Broth, Pancetta Crisp – 18

Lump Crab Cake – A Pan Fried Lump Crab Cake with a Pommerey Creamy Mustard Sauce, topped with a Black Sesame Savoy Cabbage Slaw – 19

Gnocchi Stroganoff – Gorgonzola Crusted Petit Filet of Beef, Sun Dried Tomato Potato Gnocchi, Cognac Pearl Onion Cream Sauce, Truffle Shavings – 19

House-made gelato amuse bouche in an ice flower petal

Wagyu with diver scallops and quail egg

Duck L’Orange – Blood Orange Glazed Hudson Valley Duck Breast and Citrus Confit Leg, Sweet Potato Pumpkin Custard Tartlet, Ruby Port Wine Bing Cherry Reduction – 37

Grand Marnier Souffle

Creme Anglaise poured table side on the Chocolate Souffle

Amway Center featuring Levy’s Farm to Fork Porgram

Uncategorized

Ricky Ly

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Feb 27, 2012

0

Amway Center featuring Levy’s Farm to Fork Porgram

Through Levy’s ‘Farm to Fork’ program, fresh produce is provided to Amway Center.

In addition, Nuchia Foods, the leading provider for gluten-tolerant items will provide fans with alternatives to traditional stadium dining. These items include:

Vegetarian and vegan offerings including the Veggie Chopped Salad and Veggie Burger
Locally-sourced produce and cheeses
Handheld fruit and veggie cups for healthy on-the-go snacks
Gluten-free fan favorites including hot dogs, snacks and dessert

These healthy and fit items are just a part of the great food being served to fans at Amway Center this year. New menu items for the season include:

Florida favorites like the Shrimp Burger and Pressed Cuban Sandwich
Low calorie options like the Chipotle Chicken Salad and Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Gluten Free Cobb Salad

Black Bean Veggie Burger

COCINA|214 Expands Hours – Adds Monday Dining

Uncategorized

Ricky Ly

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Feb 27, 2012

0

COCINA|214 Expands Hours – Adds Monday Dining

Popular Winter Park Tex-Mex restaurant & bar now open seven days a week
Winter Park, Fla. – (Feb. 16, 2012) – You can now have your favorite 214 Skinny Margarita, handmade Guacamole or fresh, open-face Fried Rock Shrimp Tacos without having to think about what day it is.

214 Skinny Margarita
COCINA|214, the popular Tex-Mex restaurant in the heart of Winter Park, is now open on Mondays. The change begins February 20th.

The additional day is in response to customer demand, said business manager Lambrine Macejewski.

“We want to be here for our customers. Having an off day on Monday was leading to customer confusion. Not a Monday would go by that we did not have someone knocking on our door wanting to dine,” said Macejewski.

COCINA|214, a 171-seat restaurant located at 151 E. Welbourne Ave. (behind Williams-Sonoma), will now be open:

Mon. – Sat. 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Bar open late Fri. and Sat.

To celebrate, on Mondays COCINA|214 is offering 214 Rocks or Frozen Margaritas for $5 all day, as well as $3 super-chilled draft beers and $3 well drinks from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. as part of happy hour.

COCINA|214 was recently named by the Orlando Business Journal as the best place to have dinner with a client. The restaurant and bar also has an impressive resume of business and special occasion gatherings because of its large private dining room that can seat more than 60 guests. COCINA|214 offers one of the largest corporate dining rooms in downtown Winter Park.

“We have been open nearly a year now. Executive Chef Helene Garrovillo and our culinary team is putting out fantastic food. We have added the staff and we are ready to go every day,” said Macejewski.

To see the menu or to learn more on COCINA|214, visit http://cocina214.com/.

About COCINA|214
COCINA|214 is located at 151 E. Welbourne Ave. (directly behind Williams-Sonoma). COCINA|214 has award-winning Tex-Mex and Mexican favorites prepared fresh daily. Its full service bar serves a selection of specialty drinks and margaritas. The beer on tap is poured at a super-chilled 29 degrees. COCINA|214 is open seven days a week, offering lunch and dinner, with complementary valet parking for dinner. You can contact COCINA|214 by phone at 407-790-7997 or on the web at cocina214.com. For special occasions and corporate events email party@cocina214.com. To get the latest news on COCINA|214 follow our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Media Contact:

Will Wellons or Cori Pope
Office: 407-339-0879
Cell: 407-462-2718
will@wellonscommunications.com
cori@wellonscommunications.com

Downtown Food & Wine Fest at Lake Eola – March 31- April 1

Events

Ricky Ly

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Feb 27, 2012

1

Downtown Food & Wine Fest at Lake Eola – March 31- April 1

Downtown Food & Wine Fest Pairs Culinary Treats with National Celebrity Chef Appearances and Live Entertainment March 31 – April 1 at Lake Eola

ORLANDO, Fla. (February 21, 2012) – Mouth-watering food and global wines are paired with world-class entertainment and national celebrity chef appearances at the Downtown Food & Wine Fest at Lake Eola on Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1, 2012.

Located in the heart of downtown Orlando at Lake Eola on Robinson Street, the two-day Fest features mouth-watering dishes from 40 of Orlando’s premier restaurants, domestic and international wines, and live entertainment.

Revitalized by popular demand, the Fest is presented and produced by Orlando favorites MIX 105.1 FM and 1059 SUNNY FM in partnership with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association. A portion of the event’s proceeds benefit the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation.

Celebrity Chef’s Stage*
Bright House Networks hosts live cooking demonstrations on the Chef’s Stage with fan meet-and-greet opportunities with the following celebrity chefs:

BRAVO’s Top Chef Just Desserts Season 1 Chef’testant Erika Davis (Saturday)
Food Network’s Extreme Chef Amadeus, winner of the “Mexican Showdown” (Saturday)
BRAVO’s Top Chef Season 9 Chef’testant Finalist Lindsay Autry (Sunday)

Live Entertainment*

Saturday, March 31 (noon to 9 p.m.)
Live Hart
John Smith and Tropical Steel
Simulcast with Scott McKenzie of MIX 105.1 FM and Bob Frier of FOX 35
American Idol Winner David Cook

Sunday, April 1 (noon to 7 p.m.)
CeCe Teneal
My Generation
Little River Band

Tickets on Sale Now

Admission is $10 per person, per day with advance online purchase at www.DowntownFoodAndWineFest.com. Tickets are also available at Centennial Bank and Mercedes-Benz locations throughout Central Florida. Admission at the door is $15 per person, per day. Admission for children under age 12 is free. Food tickets are available at the event for $2 each; food and wine tastings range from 1-4 tickets.

Stay Connected

For more information on the Downtown Food & Wine Fest:
Visit www.DowntownFoodAndWineFest.com
Like Downtown Food & Wine Fest on Facebook
Follow @DTFoodWineFest on Twitter
Call the events hotline at 407-919-1048
Email DowntownFoodandWineFest@cbsradio.com

About CBS Radio Stations Inc.
CBS RADIO, one of the largest major-market operators in the United States with stations covering news, sports, talk, rock, oldies, country, adult contemporary and urban formats, among others, offers audiences an enhanced and customized listening experience through the combination of on-air, online and new media platforms. CBS RADIO operates 130 radio stations throughout the nation’s top 50 markets and broadcasts play-by-play coverage of more than two dozen of the country’s leading professional sports franchises. CBS RADIO also has embraced interactive programming through the use of streaming, HD Radio, podcasts and mobile messaging. CBS RADIO is a division of CBS Corporation. For more information on CBS RADIO, please visit www.cbsradio.com.

About Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association
FRLA’s mission is to Protect, Educate and Promote Florida’s hospitality industry – which represents a $57 billion industry, 20 percent of Florida’s economy, $3.4 billion in sales tax revenue, and more than 900,000 employees, making it Florida’s largest employer. It is Florida’s premier non-profit, hospitality industry trade association. FRLA safeguards the needs of the hospitality industry, improves the business climate, promotes the highest levels of quality and safety for our patrons, provides legislative advocacy, and eases navigation of government regulation. The Association represents and serves more than 10,000 independent and household name members, including theme parks and the largest casual theme restaurant company in the world. Carol Dover serves as President/CEO. For more information, go to www.FRLA.org.

The Capital Grille Kicks-Off 3rd Annual Artist Series Wine Event

Events

Ricky Ly

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Feb 27, 2012

0

The Capital Grille Kicks-Off 3rd Annual Artist Series Wine Event

2012 Limited-Edition Cabernet Sauvignon to Benefit Share Our Strength ®

$25 to be donated for each bottle sold to Share our Strength to end childhood hunger

(February 24, 2012, Orlando, FL) –The Capital Grille Artist Series Wine Event is returning for its third year this spring, beginning March 19. This annual event gives guests at The Capital Grille a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience an exclusive, limited allocation wine adorned with a unique piece of original artwork as its label, while supporting Share Our Strength® and their mission to end childhood hunger in America. The nationally renowned fine-dining restaurant, known for its dry aged, hand-carved steaks, fresh seafood and award-winning wine list, will once again donate $25 to Share Our Strength® for every limited-edition bottle sold.

This year’s Artist Series wine is an exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon hand-selected by The Capital Grille’s own Master Sommelier, George Miliotes.

“We are extremely pleased to bring back the Artist Series Wine Event for a third consecutive year, as we relish the opportunity to bring our guests a restaurant wine experience unlike any other,” said John Martin, President of The Capital Grille. “As always, we are thrilled to support a worthy cause like Share Our Strength, which helps feed hungry children in America. The Capital Grille has donated nearly $1 million to Share Our Strength over the past four years, and we look forward to reaching and exceeding that milestone this year.”

The Capital Grille Artist Series Cabernet was hand-crafted at Napa Valley’s Freemark Abbey Winery by Ted Edwards, in collaboration with George Miliotes, one of only 186 Master Sommeliers in the world. Fewer than 1,000 cases of this unique wine, blended solely for The Capital Grille, will be produced. The wine’s grapes were harvested from carefully selected vineyards in Napa Valley, where differing elevations and a unique terrain result in the perfect conditions for creamy, roundly textured flavors.

“We are committed not only to a fine dining experience, but also to introducing our guests to the wonderful world of wines,” said Miliotes. “We strive to give our guests the chance to enjoy fine wines from across the globe, and created The Capital Grille Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon to give them an incomparable opportunity to experience a magnificent vintage with ripe fruit flavors, prominent tannin and the complexity and balance expected of a fine Cabernet.”

To match the work of art inside the bottle, The Capital Grille invited artists and wine lovers to submit original art for the bottle’s label, during a competition held last fall. The winning painting, Complexity, by Missouri-based artist Julie Agee, was chosen for the way the vibrant colors and abstract lines perfectly complement the robust flavors and subtle undertones of the wine. The artwork will appear on every individually numbered bottle of The Capital Grille Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon. This is just one part of The Capital Grille’s award-winning wine program, which is routinely recognized by many industry and media outlets. Featuring more than 350 Old and New World selections housed in floor-to-ceiling, temperature-controlled wine kiosks, The Capital Grille also offers a Captain’s List of 125 collector wines. Additionally, guests have the opportunity to lease a wine locker, personalized with an inscribed brass nameplate.

The Capital Grille is located at 9101 International Drive, Suite 1000. Reservations may be made online at www.TheCapitalGrille.com or by calling (407) 370-4392.

About Share Our Strength®
Share Our Strength, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end hunger, nationally and at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry®. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

Le Macaron – Winter Park – Park Avenue

Ricky Ly

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Feb 26, 2012

2

Off of Park Avenue, just north of Morse Blvd, you can walk down an alleyway corridor with a beautiful koi pond and stumble upon, next to Paris Bistro restaurant, a small French confectionary shop called Le Macaron. An offshoot of the original store in Sarasota, the purveyors of this bakery shop are recent French immigrants who take pride in their assortments of chocolates, macarons, and house-made gelatos. The decor reminds me of a small boutique shop, minimalistic and modern. There is some seating available outside.

I first tried macarons at last year’s Share our Strength’s Taste of the Nation charity event. These French confectionaries are small, crispy and airy round shells made from fresh ground almonds and soft meringue. They are like creme filled cookies like a mini whoopie pie, made with fresh ingredients and care, some crunchy some chewy, all delicious.

The macarons come at $1.80 each, a pretty price to pay for the small desserts, but I suppose that’s why the French don’t have as big of a problem with their diets as we do in America where food is often times cheap and in great quantity, while compromising their quality.

The macarons are available in the following flavors:

Belgium Chocolate, Ginger Bread, Sicilian Pistachio, Creme Brulee, Caramel Salted Butter, Candied Ginger Chocolate, Black Vanilla from Madagascar, Lemon, Fresh mint, Raspberry, Passion Fruit Black Chocolate, Basil White Chocolate, Chesnut, Walnut, Crunchy Praline, Black Currant (Cassis), and Colombian coffee.

Time will tell if this is a new trend or a quick fad, but I hope Le Macaron will stay, as macarons have been popular for so many hundreds of years. Open from Monday – Sunday 10AM – 10PM.

Gelatos available at Le Macaron of Winter Park

Chocolate truffles at Le Macaron

Assorted Macarons from Le Macaron

Featured in this recent Michelle Phan youtube video for Lancome – “The Macaron Look”

MegaYummo hosts Medjool Dates party

Events

Ricky Ly

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Feb 26, 2012

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Mega Yummo hosted their first ever fall luncheon recently featuring Natural Delights Medjool Dates. These Natural Delights are known to be the “Fruit of Kings”. It was a wonderful event full of family, friends, and tasty dates. Dates are a sweet fruit coming from the date palm popular in the Mediterranean and Middle East region. I was surprised that there were so many possibilities to what you can do with dates, from crostinis to desserts to complementing lamb chops. Hats off to Pearleen and her crew for the awesome and creative job with the Natural Delights Medjool Dates!

Hors d’oeuvres

Chèvre-Stuffed Natural Delight Medjool Dates with Pomegranate Molasses & Chili Oil
(Recipe from Planet Green, A Discovery Company)

Bacon Wrapped Chorizo-Stuffed Natural Delight Dates with Piquillo Pepper Sauce
(Recipe from Time Out Chicago)

Crostini with Brie Dates & Toasted Walnuts
(Recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine)
Foie Gras Crostini with Natural Delights Medjool Dates Glaze
(Inspired by City Fire American Oven & Bar)

First Course

Natural Delight Medjool Dates & Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Flat Bread
(Recipe from Natural Delights)

Second Course

Apple & Endive Salad With Natural Delight Medjool Dates, Pomegranate, Sumac & Honey Walnut Labneh
(Inspired recipe by OneTribeGourmet.com)

Third Course

Pan Fried Quail with Dates Glazed Sweet Soy paired with an Asian Sweet Potato Salad with Cucumbers, Natural Delights Dates & Arugula
(Inspired recipe for Asian Sweet Potato Salad by Tyler Florence)

Fourth Course

Grilled Rosemary & Thyme Lamb Chops with Roasted Cauliflower with Natural Delights Medjool Dates & Pine Nuts
(Roasted Cauliflower recipe from Food Network Magazine)

Dessert

Semi-homemade Ice cream with Rum Dates with Maple Candied Pecans
(Recipe inspired by BrownEyedBaker.com)

http://www.facebook.com/MedjoolDates

APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco® April 28-29 2012 in Celebration, Fla.

news

Ricky Ly

-

Feb 23, 2012

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The Great American Pie Festival is coming back in town! It’s a great family fun event. Check out my post from last year’s event here: http://tastychomps.com/2011/04/great-american-pie-festival-photos.html

Below is the press release!

Bakers of all Skill Levels, Judges and Pie Lovers From Around the World to Converge in Central Florida Again this April to Celebrate the Infinite Ahhh-someness of PIE

American Pie Council (APC)^®Prepares for Record Numbers at

APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships April 27-29 in Orlando and

APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^® April 28-29 in Celebration, Fla.

Picture of Banner and of Buffet Sign amoungst tents

APC/Crisco 2011 Great American Pie Festival

ORLANDO (Feb. 22, 2012) — The countdown is on for the American Pie Council^® (APC) – America’s only organization dedicated to preserving America’s love affair with pie – as it gears up for its 18th Annual APC/Crisco® National Pie Championships to be held Friday, April 27 through Sunday, April 29 at the Caribe Royal All-Suite Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando and its 11th Annual APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^®on Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, in nearby Celebration, Fla.The APC is now accepting entries from amateur, professional and commercial bakers, as well as budding junior chefs, for the National Pie Championships. Last year, the prestigious pastry bake-off drew more than 447 commercial, 142 professional, 301 amateur and 6 junior entries for an astounding total of 896 pies in the quest to find America’s top bakers. Commercial winners took home bragging rights and the promise of greater sales, while winners in all other categories received plenty of dough, as is cash and prizes, including a Sears Kenmore range. This year’s competition is expected to be even more heated. Entry forms and pie categories for each division are available on the APC website, www.piecouncil.org. Entry is free for junior chefs and $15 per pie for amateur APC members, $35/non members and each entrant receives an Emile Henry pie dish; see website for professional and commercial entry costs. APC members receive discounted entry costs; membership information is also available online.

Pie lovers are also invited to apply to be a judge at the prestigious competition. Last year, 174 esteemed pie aficionados from all over the world lent their time and taste buds to nibble on nearly 900 pies. No previous judging or baking experience is required; applicants need only explain why they would like to be a judge. Potential pie judges may fill out an entry form online atwww.piecouncil.org through March 30, 2012.

Hundreds of volunteers are also needed to make the championships and the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^® run as easy as, well, pie. Volunteers may indicate the shifts or duties they prefer to work by filling out an application online at www.piecouncil.org by Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

The Caribe Royal is offering a special rate of $129 per night for those competing in or attending the APC/Crisco^® National Pie Championships or the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored byCrisco^®. To receive this special rate, guests must mention the event by name. Reservations may be made by calling 800-823-8300. For more information about the Caribe Royal, visitwww.thecaribeorlando.com.

“Preparations are heating up at the American Pie Council for this year’s championship and festival. Right now, all around the country, bakers of all skill levels are putting the finishing touches on their best recipes,” said Linda Hoskins, Executive Director, American Pie Council. “Each year tops the last in terms of creativity, enthusiasm and dedication to the art of pie baking. We absolutely cannot wait to see what this year’s festivities will bring.”

More than 32,000 pie lovers from across the globe are expected to transcend upon Celebration, Fla. on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 for the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco^®. The increasingly popular, free admission festival returns to Celebration with all the activities that have made it a family favorite, including the Crisco^® Creation Station, the pie tinart activity for art lovers of all ages, and the Demonstration Stage sponsored by Village Inn and Bakers Square Restaurants, featuring entertainment and baking demonstrations with chefs from across the country. Always a crowd favorite, the kids’ and adults’ pie eating contests return this year, once again sponsored by Private Selection. Meanwhile, the Book Nook will expand this year to feature even more choices by pie authors, many of whom will be competing in the championships, including Michele Stuart of Michele’s Pies in Norwalk, Conn., who recently released her cookbook, “Perfect Pies: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes from America’s Pie-Baking Champion.” All festival events will be held both days.

The highlight of the festival is the Never Ending Pie Buffet, which last year featured an astounding 87,000 slices of pie as well as ice cream, toppings and beverages from America’s best known commercial bakers. The Never Ending Pie Buffet has grown each year, from 83,000 slices in 2010 and 70,000 in 2009. The buffet and the children activities are the only paid events at the festival. All stage entertainment and demonstrations are free. Tickets for the Pie Buffet are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors over 65 and children under 5 to enjoy all they care of eat and drink.

Those interested in keeping up to date on the latest news concerning the pie championships, pie festival or pie news can follow the American Pie Council on Facebook and Pinterest and on Twitter at FYPie.

The festival will be held at Lakeside Park at 631 Sycamore St. in downtown Celebration, Florida 34747.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, April 28; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 29. Admission to the festival is free. Costs for the Never Ending Pie Buffet are: $10 adults, $5 ages 65 and up; $5 ages 6-12.

For more information, visit the Front Porch Celebration Community at www.celebration.fl.us or the American Pie Council^® www.piecouncil.org.

Crisco^® is a registered trademark of The J. M. Smucker Company. For more information, visitwww.crisco.com.

The American Pie Council^® is the only organization committed to maintaining America’s pie heritage, passing on the tradition of pie-making and promoting America’s love affair with pie. The APC offers personal, professional and commercial memberships. For more information, please visitwww.piecouncil.org.
For more information, contact:
Mary Deatrick, DPR
Mary@deatrickpr.com, 407-718-4640 cell

James Beard Awards Nominees 2012 – Central Florida nabs 3 noms

news

Ricky Ly

-

Feb 21, 2012

0

James Beard Awards Nominees 2012 – Central Florida nabs 3 noms

The James Beard Foundation announced the nominees for the 2012 Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists today. The James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine.

Three well deserved nominations from the Central Florida area for Best Chef of the South were announced:

James and Julie Petrakis, The Ravenous Pig, Winter Park, FL
Scott Hunnel, Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Henry Salgado, Spanish River Grill, New Smyrna Beach, FL

The James Beard Foundation also announced four new categories for the 2012 Awards: Outstanding Bar Program, Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication, Food Coverage in a Food-Focused Publication, and Visual Storytelling (Photography, Journalism, Design). Be sure to swing by their Twitter page on March 19 where they will be announcing the narrowed down list of Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, as well as the nominees for the Book; Journalism; Restaurant Graphics and Design; and Broadcast and New Media Awards.

Best New Restaurant
Altura, Seattle
AQ, San Francisco
The Bachelor Farmer, Minneapolis
Bistronomic, Chicago
The Catbird Seat, Nashville, TN
The Dorrance, Providence, RI
The Farm and Fisherman, Philadelphia
Fiola, Washington, D.C.
Harvest, Louisville, KY
Isa, NYC
Little Serow, Washington, D.C.
The Macintosh, Charleston, SC
MB Post, Manhattan Beach, CA
Next, Chicago
Ollie Irene, Mountain Brook, AL
Park Tavern, San Francisco
Petite Jacqueline, Portland, ME
Picca, Los Angeles
Pistou, Burlington, VT
Pondicheri, Houston
Restaurant 1833, Monterey, CA
Salt, St. Louis
ShinBay, Scottsdale, AZ
Tashan, Philadelphia
Tertulia, NYC
Trade, Boston
Tremont, NYC
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, Miami Beach, FL
Zeppoli, Collingswood, NJ

Outstanding Bar Program
Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston
Arnaud’s French 75 Bar, New Orleans
The Aviary, Chicago
Bar Agricole, San Francisco
Beretta, San Francisco
Clyde Common, Portland, OR
The Columbia Room, Washington, D.C.
Cook & Brown Public House, Providence, RI
Cure, New Orleans
Drink, Boston
The Esquire Tavern, San Antonio, TX
The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Philadelphia
High West Distillery & Saloon, Park City, UT
Holeman & Finch Public House, Atlanta
La Belle Vie, Minneapolis
The Old Fashioned, Madison, WI
PDT, NYC
Pegu Club, NYC
The Porter Beer Bar, Atlanta
PX, Alexandria, VA
Rivera, Los Angeles
Standard Tap, Philadelphia
The Violet Hour, Chicago
The Zig Zag Café, Seattle

Outstanding Chef
Jody Adams, Rialto, Cambridge, MA
Sean Brock, McCrady’s, Charleston, SC
David Chang, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, NYC
Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles
Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park, NYC
Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago
Melissa Kelly, Primo, Rockland, ME
David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans
Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia, Chicago
Tim McKee, La Belle Vie, Minneapolis
Carrie Nahabedian, Naha, Chicago
Vitaly Paley, Paley’s Place, Portland, OR
Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco
Stephan Pyles, Stephan Pyles, Dallas
Frank Ruta, Palena, Washington, D.C.
Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
Holly Smith, Cafe Juanita, Kirkland, WA
Janos Wilder, Janos, Tucson, AZ

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Julieta V. Adauto, Orange Peel Pastries, Cakes & More, El Paso, TX
Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Cafe, Boston
Melissa Chou, Aziza, San Francisco
Patrick Fahy, Café des Architectes, Chicago
Ken Forkish, Ken’s Artisan Bakery, Portland, OR
Michelle Gayer, Salty Tart Bakery, Minneapolis
Hedy Goldsmith, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Miami
Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery and Cafe, Cambridge, MA
Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, Olivea, Denver
Lisa Lu, Jardinière, San Francisco
Tiffany MacIsaac, Birch & Barley, Washington, D.C.
Cheryl Maffai and Jonathan Stevens, Hungry Ghost Bread, Northampton, MA
Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
Ghaya Oliveira, Boulud Sud, NYC
Jessie Prawlucki, Fond / Belle Cakery, Philadelphia
Aaron Russell, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta
Mindy Segal, Mindy’s HotChocolate, Chicago
Philip Speer, Uchi, Austin, TX
Bob Truitt, Ai Fiori, NYC
Cynthia Wong, Empire State South, Atlanta

Outstanding Restaurant
August, New Orleans
Balthazar, NYC
Blue Hill, NYC
Boulevard, San Francisco
Canlis, Seattle
Charleston, Baltimore
Fore Street, Portland, ME
Foreign Cinema, San Francisco
Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL
The Kitchen Restaurant, Sacramento, CA
Magnolia Grill, Durham, NC
Marcel’s, Washington, D.C.
Oleana, Cambridge, MA
Patina, Los Angeles
Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas
Restaurant Alma, Minneapolis
Terra, St. Helena, CA
Tru, Chicago
Vetri, Philadelphia
Vincent on Camelback, Phoenix

Outstanding Restaurateur
Edward Aloise and Claudia Rippee, E&C Restaurant Management Corporation, Manchester, NH
Nick Badovinus, Flavor Hook, Dallas
Ashok Bajaj, Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, Washington, D.C.
Tom Baron and Bill Fuller, big Burrito Restaurant Group, Pittsburgh
Roger Berkowitz, Legal Sea Foods, Boston
Frank Bonanno, Bonanno Concepts, Denver
Bruce Bromberg and Eric Bromberg, Blue Ribbon Restaurants, NYC
Richard D’Amico and Larry D’Amico, D’Amico & Partners, Minneapolis
Jason Dady, Jason Dady Restaurants, San Antonio, TX
Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants, Seattle
Sam Fox, Fox Restaurant Concepts, Scottsdale, AZ
Richard Gonzmart, Columbia Restaurant, Tampa, FL
Mike Klank and Eddie Hernandez, Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta
Donnie Madia, One Off Hospitality, Chicago
Nick Pihakis, Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, Birmingham, AL
Piero Selvaggio, Valentino Restaurant Group, Santa Monica, CA
Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurants, Philadelphia
Caroline Styne, Lucques/A.O.C./Tavern, Los Angeles
Phil Suarez, Suarez Restaurant Group, NYC
Doug Washington, Mitchell Rosenthal, and Steven Rosenthal, Stock & Bones, San Francisco

Outstanding Service
Brigtsen’s, New Orleans
Café Boulud at the Brazilian Court Hotel, Palm Beach, FL
Clancy’s, New Orleans
The Compound, Santa Fe, NM
Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA
Fountain Restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, Philadelphia
The French Room at the Adolphus Hotel, Dallas
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
L’Espalier, Boston
La Grenouille, NYC
Manny’s Steakhouse, Minneapolis
Michael Mina, San Francisco
Nopa, San Francisco
The Oakroom at the Seelbach Hilton, Louisville, KY
Picholine, NYC
Providence, Los Angeles
Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA
Spiaggia, Chicago
Topolobampo, Chicago
Vetri, Philadelphia

Outstanding Wine Program
A16, San Francisco
The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN
Café on the Green at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Irving, TX
Canlis, Seattle
Charleston, Baltimore
CityZen at Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C.
CUT at Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, CA
Emeril’s New Orleans
Five and Ten, Athens, GA
Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO
Hatfield’s, Los Angeles
No. 9 Park, Boston
Patina, Los Angeles
Perbacco, San Francisco
Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas
Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA
Sepia, Chicago
Tria, Philadelphia
Troquet, Boston
Wild Rice Restaurant, Bayfield, WI

Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional
Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
Ron Cooper, Del Maguey, Single Village Mezcal, Ranchos de Taos, NM
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol, CA
Greg Engert, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Alexandria, VA
Alex Golitzin, Quilceda Creek Vintners, Snohomish, WA
Paul Grieco, Terroir, NYC
Ken Grossman, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Lance Hanson, Peak Spirits, Hotchkiss, CO
David Hirsch, Hirsch Vineyards, Cazadero, CA
Manfred Krankl, Sine Qua Non, Ventura, CA
Jim Koch, The Boston Beer Company, Boston
Steve McCarthy, Clear Creek Distillery, Portland, OR
Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery, NYC
Jorge Ordoñez, Fine Estates from Spain, Dedham, MA
Virginia Philip, Virginia Philip Wine Shop & Academy, West Palm Beach, FL
Neal Rosenthal, Mad Rose Group, Pine Plains, NY
Jörg Rupf, St. George Spirits, Alameda, CA
Abe Schoener, The Scholium Project, Napa, CA
Eric Solomon, Eric Solomon Selections – European Cellars, Charlotte, NC
Sean Lilly Wilson, Fullsteam, Durham, NC

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Dave Beran, Next, Chicago
Noah Bernamoff, Mile End, NYC
Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food, San Francisco
Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, NC
Clayton Chapman, The Grey Plume, Omaha, NE
Joe Cicala, Le Virtù, Philadelphia
Preston Clark, El Paseo, Mill Valley, CA
Chad Colby, Mozza2Go, Los Angeles
Joshua Drew, Farmshop, Santa Monica, CA
Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta
Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine, Austin, TX
Grant Gordon, Tony’s, Houston
Emma Hearst, Sorella, NYC
Matthew Kirkley, L2O, Chicago
Casey Lane, The Tasting Kitchen, Venice, CA
Aaron London, Ubuntu, Napa, CA
Sara Lukasiewicz, Red Devon, Bangall, NY
Thomas McNaughton, flour + water, San Francisco
JD Morton, Domaine Hudson, Wilmington, DE
David Posey, Blackbird, Chicago
Jesse Schenker, Recette, NYC
Lee Styer, Fond, Philadelphia
Benjamin Sukle, The Dorrance, Providence, RI
Max Sussman, Roberta’s, NYC
Christina Tosi, Momofuku Milk Bar, NYC
Jarrod Verbiak, DB Bistro Moderne at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami
Sameh Wadi, Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, Minneapolis
Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn, Lummi Island, WA
Micah Wexler, Mezze, Los Angeles
Kris Yenbamroong, Talésai, West Hollywood, CA
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau’s, New Orleans

Best Chef: Great Lakes
Josh Adams, June, Peoria Heights, IL
Richard Blondin, Refectory Restaurant & Bistro, Columbus, OH
Michael Carlson, Schwa, Chicago
Jean-Robert de Cavel, Jean-Robert’s Table, Cincinnati
Luciano Del Signore, Bacco Ristorante, Southfield, MI
David Gilbert, Forest Grill, Birmingham, MI
Greg Hardesty, Recess, Indianapolis
Stephanie Izard, Girl & the Goat, Chicago
Anne Kearney, Rue Dumaine, Dayton, OH
Regina Mehallick, R Bistro, Indianapolis
Matthew Millar, Reserve, Grand Rapids, MI
Martial Noguier, Bistronomic, Chicago
Chris Nugent, Goosefoot, Chicago
Kent Rigsby, Rigsby’s Kitchen, Columbus
Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland
Bruce Sherman, North Pond, Chicago
David Tallent, Restaurant Tallent, Bloomington, IN
Giuseppe Tentori, GT Fish & Oyster, Chicago
Paul Virant, Vie, Western Springs, IL
Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia, Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Andrew Araneo, Drew’s Bayshore Bistro, Keyport, NJ
Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA
Pierre Calmels, Bibou, Philadelphia
Jay Caputo, Espuma, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Tony Conte, The Oval Room, Washington, D.C.
Scott Drewno, The Source, Washington, D.C.
David Gilberg, Koo Zee Doo, Philadelphia
Spike Gjerde, Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore
Michael Krikorian, Copper Canyon, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Johnny Monis, Komi, Washington, D.C.
Peter Pastan, Obelisk, Washington, D.C.
Konstantinos Pitsillides, Kanella, Philadelphia
Maricel Presilla, Cucharamama, Hoboken, NJ
Dale Reitzer, Acacia, Richmond, VA
Chip Roman, Blackfish, Conshohocken, PA
Kevin Sousa, Salt of the Earth, Pittsburgh
Vikram Sunderam, Rasika, Washington, D.C.
Marcie Turney, Barbuzzo, Philadelphia
Bryan Voltaggio, Volt, Frederick, MD
Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest
M.J. Adams, The Corn Exchange, Rapid City, SD
Justin Aprahamian, Sanford, Milwaukee
Mike Brown and James Winberg, Travail Kitchen and Amusements, Robbinsdale, MN
Steven Brown, Tilia, Minneapolis
Gerard Craft, Niche, St. Louis
Doug Flicker, Piccolo, Minneapolis
Josh Galliano, Monarch, St. Louis
Colby Garrelts, Bluestem, Kansas City, MO
Ted Habiger, Room 39, Kansas City, MO
Jan Kelly, Meritage, Milwaukee
Russell Klein, Meritage, St. Paul, MN
Paul Kulik, The Boiler Room, Omaha, NE
Stephen Logsdon, Lucca, Des Moines, IA
Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison, WI
Shinji Muramoto, Restaurant Muramoto, Madison, WI
Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe, St. Louis
Lenny Russo, Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market, St. Paul, MN
Dan Van Rite, Hinterland, Milwaukee
Kevin Willmann, Farmhaus, St. Louis
Stewart Woodman, Heidi’s, Minneapolis

Best Chef: Northeast
Jamie Bissonnette, Coppa, Boston
Jason Bond, Bondir, Cambridge, MA
Kara Brooks, Still River Café, Eastford, CT
Penelle, Megan, and Phoebe Chase and Ted LaFage, Chase’s Daily, Belfast, ME
Tim Cushman, O Ya, Boston
Krista Kern Desjarlais, Bresca, Portland, ME
Jeffrey Gimmel, Swoon Kitchenbar, Hudson, NY
Gerry Hayden, The North Fork Table & Inn, Southold, NY
Brian Hill, Francine Bistro, Camden, ME
Dano Hutnik, Dano’s Heuriger on Seneca, Lodi, NY
Liz Jackson, Libby’s Bistro, Gorham, NH
Matt and Kate Jennings, La Laiterie, Providence, RI
Serge Madikians, Serevan, Amenia, NY
Demos Regas, Emilitsa, Portland, ME
Bjorn Somlo, Nudel, Lenox, MA
Champe Speidel, Persimmon, Bristol, RI
Danai Sriprasert and Nattasak Wongsaichua, Boda, Portland, ME
Bill Taibe, LeFarm, Westport, CT
Sai Viswanath, DeWolf Tavern, Bristol, RI
Eric Warnstedt, Hen of the Wood, Waterbury, VT

Best Chef: Northwest
Chris Ainsworth, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, Walla Walla, WA
Aaron Barnett, Restaurant St. Jack, Portland, OR
Matthew Bennett, Sybaris, Albany, OR
Matt Costello, The Inn at Langley, Langley, WA
Matt Dillon, Sitka & Spruce, Seattle
Jeff Drew, Snake River Grill, Jackson Hole, WY
Renee Erickson, Boat Street Cafe, Seattle
Jason Franey, Canlis, Seattle
John Gorham, Toro Bravo, Portland, OR
James Honaker, Bistro Enzo, Billings, MT
Christopher Israel, Grüner, Portland, OR
Jeff Keys, Vintage Restaurant, Ketchum, ID
Brendan Mahaney, Belly, Eugene, OR
Naomi Pomeroy, Beast, Portland, OR
Adam Sappington, The Country Cat Dinner House & Bar, Portland, OR
Ethan Stowell, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Seattle
Jason Stratton, Spinasse, Seattle
Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Portland, OR
Justin Wills, Restaurant Beck, Depoe Bay, OR
Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle

Best Chef: NYC
Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern
April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig
Marco Canora, Hearth
Scott Conant, Scarpetta
Wylie Dufresne, wd~50
John Fraser, Dovetail
Kurt Gutenbrunner, Wallsé
Dan Kluger, ABC Kitchen
Mark Ladner, Del Posto
Paul Liebrandt, Corton
Anita Lo, Annisa
George Mendes, Aldea
César Ramirez, Brooklyn Fare
Sean Rembold, Diner
Masa Takayama, Masa
Bill Telepan, Telepan
Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, Torrisi Italian Specialties
Jonathan Waxman, Barbuto
Michael White, Marea
Galen Zamarra, Mas (farmhouse)

Best Chef: Pacific
Matthew Accarrino, SPQR, San Francisco
William Bradley, Addison at the Grand Del Mar, San Diego
Josef Centeno, The Lazy Ox Canteen, Los Angeles
Michael Chiarello, Bottega, Yountville, CA
Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles
Chris Cosentino, Incanto, San Francisco
David Féau, The Royce at the Langham Huntington, Pasadena, CA
Beverly Gannon, Hali’imaile General Store, Makawao, HI
Loretta Keller, COCO500, San Francisco
Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, CA
Mourad Lahlou, Aziza, San Francisco
Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco
David LeFevre, MB Post, Manhattan Beach, CA
Jim Moffat, Bar Acuda, Hanalei, HI
Matt Molina, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco
Richard Reddington, Redd, Yountville, CA
John Rivera Sedlar, Rivera, Los Angeles
Paul Shoemaker, Savory, Malibu, CA
Hiroyuki Urasawa, Urasawa, Beverly Hills, CA

Best Chef: South
Greg Baker, The Refinery, Tampa, FL
Vishwesh Bhatt, Snackbar, Oxford, MS
Clay Conley, B?ccan, Palm Beach, FL
Paula DaSilva, 1500º at Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach, Miami Beach, FL
Justin Devillier, La Petite Grocery, New Orleans
Justin Girouard, The French Press, Lafayette, LA
John Harris, Lilette, New Orleans
Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, AL
Scott Hunnel, Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Chad Johnson, SideBerns, Tampa, FL
James Lewis, Bettola, Birmingham, AL
Jeff McInnis, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, Miami Beach, FL
Tory McPhail, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans
Sergio Navarro, Pubbelly, Miami Beach, FL
James and Julie Petrakis, The Ravenous Pig, Winter Park, FL
Lee Richardson, Ashley’s at the Capital Hotel, Little Rock, AR
Jeanie Roland, The Perfect Caper, Punta Gorda, FL
Henry Salgado, Spanish River Grill, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Alon Shaya, Domenica, New Orleans
Wesley True, True, Mobile, AL

Best Chef: Southeast
Hugh Acheson, Five and Ten, Athens, GA
Billy Allin, Cakes & Ale, Decatur, GA
Jeremiah Bacon, The Macintosh, Charleston, SC
Tyler Brown, Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel, Nashville, TN
Ashley Christensen, Poole’s, Raleigh, NC
Craig Deihl, Cypress, Charleston, SC
John Fleer, Canyon Kitchen at Lonesome Valley, Cashiers, NC
Damian Heath, Lot 12 Public House, Berkeley Springs, WV
Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta
Vivian Howard, Chef & the Farmer, Kinston, NC
Scott Howell, Nana’s, Durham, NC
Anthony Lamas, Seviche, Louisville, KY
Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia, Louisville, KY
Joseph Lenn, The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN
Daniel Lindley, St. John’s Restaurant, Chattanooga, TN
Ouita Michel, Holly Hill Inn, Midway, KY
Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis, TN
Aaron Vandemark, Panciuto, Hillsborough, NC
Ken Vedrinski, Trattoria Lucca, Charleston, SC
Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville, TN

Best Chef: Southwest
Bruce Auden, Biga on the Banks, San Antonio
Kevin Binkley, Binkley’s Restaurant, Cave Creek, AZ
Bowman Brown and Viet Pham, Forage, Salt Lake City, UT
Bruno Davaillon, Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas
Mitsuo Endo, Aburiya Raku, Las Vegas
Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café, Phoenix
Mark Fischer, Six89, Carbondale, CO
Manabu Horiuchi, Kata Robata, Houston
Anita Jaisinghani, Indika, Houston
Jennifer James, Jennifer James 101, Albuquerque, NM
Jennifer Jasinski, Rioja, Denver
Maiya Keck, Maiya’s, Marfa, TX
Frederick Muller, El Meze, Taos, NM
John Murcko, Talisker on Main, Park City, UT
Hugo Ortega, Hugo’s, Houston
Paul Qui, Uchi, Austin, TX
Martín Rios, Restaurant Martín, Santa Fe
Teiichi Sakurai, Tei-An, Dallas
Alex Seidel, Fruition Restaurant, Denver
John Sharpe, The Turquoise Room at La Posada Hotel & Gardens, Winslow, AZ

Awards Watch: The 2012 Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists

http://blog.jamesbeard.org/2012/02/awards-watch-2012-restaurant-and-chef-award-semifinalists/

Fin.esse (n: the Restaurant) in Lake Mary

Ricky Ly

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Feb 21, 2012

0

Fin.esse (n: the Restaurant) in Lake Mary

Fin.esse is one of those rare gems in Central Florida’s sometimes barren foodie landscape that you can bring out to your friends in a conversation as an example of what great food can exist Orlando, outside of the chains and fast food joints (Orlando recently earned the dubious distinction of ranking number one for the fast food market in QSR magazine).

Fin.esse, located in Lake Mary off of CR 46A, is owned and operated by a partnership of chef-owners Alex T. Brugger, and Autumn Mccoy. At the helm is Chef Alex and his lovely wife Autumn. Chef Alex is a former Executive chef at the award winning Citrus restaurant in downtown Orlando as well as concept chef for Timpano, Samba Room, and more. He started at 16 as a dishwasher for acclaimed celebrity chef Norman Van Aiken and worked his way up to the top. The inspiration for the food at Fin.esse comes from French, Spanish (many of the dishes are odes to Chef Alex’ grandmother’s home recipes), and American influences.*

Inside the restaurant, the decor is very modern and clean, similar to a city back drop. Definitions of cassoulets and confits adorn the walls at Fin.esse, a theme that gets carried away all the way down to the list of items on the menu.

For appetizers, the crowd of bloggers and media folk sampled an assortment of offerings from Fin.esse including the Oxtail Marmalade, made with succulent, meaty chunks of simmered oxtail, hints of thyme, port wine, shallots, carrots, topped with a sweet & spicy vinaigrette and served with delicious bread. The pork belly n’ eggs was spiced & slow roasted, made with two farm fresh sunny-side eggs, topped with a marsala demi-glace was excellent: the pork belly was crispy and flavorful and the eggs were delicious alongside the pork belly. A favorite was the Hawaiian poké made with diced pieces of ahi tuna, toasted coconut, avocado créma, soy, sesame, onion, and served with tostones, green plantains. They also whipped out the delicious signature duck confit puffs, a kind of duck pot pie made with maple leaf duck, fork tender 12 hour roast inside a puff pastry.

For entree, I had the paella risotto, a dish inspired by Chef Alex’ Cuban grandmother, made with tiger shrimp, chorizo, lobster, chicken, all in a saffron-shell stock with mussels and arborio rice ($24). The lobster was tender and cooked well on top of the flavorful arborio rice, probably one of the best renditions of paella I have had in Orlando. My partner enjoyed her smoked bacon scallops made with bacon wrapped diver scallops and served with a sweet potato-corn hash and a pom-port glaze ($22).

For dessert, I sampled the fried banana cheesecake, made with a banana cheese cake wrapped in a tortilla, sugar & cinnamon dusted, and fried with a side of caramel ice cream. The dessert was fun to eat, though I had a bit too much of the carbs for me that night, and anyways I wanted to save room for the lovely dessert that was said to have been what made Chef Autumn fall in love and eventually marry Chef Alex (ask about its nickname): the chocolate oranje molten cake a decadent and delightful molten cake made with ghirardelli chocolate, a ganache center, and served table side with the pour of the peanut butter anglaise. Magnificent.

The dictionary definition of Finesse is “refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture.” Fin.esse in Lake Mary tries and succeeds at this refinement in its delightful culinary creations, truly something not to be missed and definitely a place to try again and again with friends. At Fin.esse, where they recently won “Best New Restaurant 2011” by Seminole Magazine, you can tell the owners have a passion for food and it shows.

Fin.esse also hosts their famous Chef’s Table 12 (call for reservations) and also serve artisan “craft” beers, independent and interesting wines and hosts a full bar.

Website: http://finesse-therestaurant.com/

Address: 7025 County Road-46A (also known as H.E. Thomas Parkway) in Lake Mary, located in the Park Place Plaza at International Parkway, near the Marriott Hotel.

Hours: Lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, dinner 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, brunch 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday

Photos:

Grouper cheeks, tender, flaky, perfect with the aioli sauce

Hawaiian poké made with diced pieces of ahi tuna, toasted coconut, avocado créma, soy, sesame, onion, and served with tostones, green plantains

Oxtail Marmalade, made with succulent, meaty chunks of simmered oxtail, hints of thyme, port wine, shallots, carrots, topped with a sweet & spicy vinaigrette and served with delicious bread

Paella risotto, a dish inspired by Chef Alex’ Cuban grandmother, made with tiger shrimp, chorizo, lobster, chicken, all in a saffron-shell stock with mussels and arborio rice

Smoked bacon scallops made with bacon wrapped diver scallops and served with a sweet potato-corn hash and a pom-port glaze

Sweet flan, a family recipe?

Fried banana cheesecake, made with a banana cheese cake wrapped in a tortilla, sugar & cinnamon dusted, and fried with a side of caramel ice cream

Chocolate oranje molten cake a decadent and delightful molten cake made with ghirardelli chocolate, a ganache center, and served table side with the pour of the peanut butter anglaise. Magnificent.

The Food Truck Bazaar at Fashion Square Mall – February 12th 2012

Ricky Ly

-

Feb 16, 2012

1

The Food Truck Bazaar at Fashion Square Mall – February 12th 2012

Mark Baratelli of TheDailyCity.com, producer of The Food Truck Bazaar and promoter of all things Orlando

It’s been almost a year since the first Food Truck Bazaar was held at Discovery Church in Orlando and what a year it has been. Ever since then, food trucks have arrived in a big way on the Orlando Food scene and the foodie landscape will never be the same. Featured spotlights on the Cooking Channel, Fox 35, and even a new Best Food Truck category in the Orlando Sentinel’s Annual Foodie Awards, and more have all brought attention and acclaim to the ever-growing food truck world.

There has been a lot of criticism about the hours and locations of these food trucks, some who appear and disappear and reappear at the slightest excuse or cold breeze or only showing up at food truck events rather than operating in a dependable location and time. This happened to me personally a few times when I tried to show up at a food truck spot and there were no food trucks there. To be safe, just check their twitter feeds ( I try to gather them all in an easy list here https://twitter.com/#!/TastyChomps/orlando-food-trucks ). Usually if they haven’t tweeted in a day it means they’re probably not out operating. The food truck landscape is still shaping and evolving to the needs of the city as well as the business needs so please do be patient.

This past weekend, almost as a sign of the maturing food truck industry, the largest food truck bazaar in the history of the city went down in the back parking lots of the Orlando Fashion Square Mall with 35 food trucks on site. The truck’s offerings ran the gamut from barbecue, soul, Caribbean, new American, Vietnamese, Middle-eastern, Sushi, cupcakes, desserts, crepes, pretty much all you could want from every cuisine all conveniently located in a two block radius. It was one of the coldest Sundays of the season but many families and participants still came out to enjoy the good food.

I saw one of the new trucks in town “Saigon Sizzle”, a Vietnamese food truck based out of Orange City. The owners of Saigon Sizzle are a friendly and sincere Asian American husband and wife team who are proud to show off their menu of banh mi sandwiches, Vietnamese rice noodle bowls with grilled pork and chicken, and rice platters, all topped with your choice of sriracha, soy sauce, or thai sweet and spicy chili sauce at the table.

I knew I probably won’t be travelling to Orange City any time soon so I had to take the opportunity and order the chicken and pork tacos ($6 for two) from the Saigon Sizzle food truck. The tacos were full of fresh grilled soy sauce and fish sauce marinated chicken and pork, pickled carrots, cucumbers, and fresh herbs all wrapped in a soft tortilla. It was enjoyable, especially with the great abundance of fresh veggies in the taco and the added topping of the spicy chili sauce. I wish them much luck out in Orange City and hope they get to come down to Orlando more often, though it will be tough to compete with the great Vietnamese restaurants in the Mills 50 district at the heart of the city.

Saigon Sizzle food truck of Orange City

Grilled beef and rice noodle platter

Vietnamese Chicken and Pork tacos from Saigon Sizzle

A few stops down, the large white truck of Island Paradise sat with its large grill hooked up to the back and scenes of the Caribbean island life and Christian scriptures graffiti-ed on the sides. The proprietor is a kindly woman with a big smile and roots from the islands. The menu consists of ribs, jerk chicken, goat, oxtail, and other Caribbean/Jamaican staples. I ordered the jerk chicken with fresh cabbage and mac and cheese ($11) platter, a huge meal probably about two hearty meals worth in a styrofoam to go container. The jerk chicken was the best I have had in Orlando, the chicken was tender and flavorful, full of all sorts of delicious spices and peppers, and it had that awesome grilled/smoked flavor that you can’t get anywhere else, like you are back in St. Martin or Jamaica enjoying some nice barbecue on the beach side. Wonderful. The cabbage was also very flavorful and delicious, steamed and cooked to perfection. I loved their steamed cabbage. The mac and cheese was also pleasant and a treat for my inner child, though it’s no friend to my health. They are usually located near Rio Grande and Church Street but I would call them to be sure 407-928-6336

Jerk Chicken from Island Paradise with Steamed Cabbage and Mac and Cheese

Also spotted at the Food Truck Bazaar, the cute new truck for The Crepe Company, found most days at the Winter Park Food Truck Stop on US 17/92. They make both savory crepes with ham and turkey and cheese, etc. as well as sweet crepes with nutella, banana, and more.

The Crepe Lady

Nutella and Banana Crepe from The Crepe Company

Sisters May and June enjoying the warm crepe in the cold winter afternoon at the Food Truck Bazaar in Orlando

Big Wheel Food Truck !

Big Wheel’s Fresh Plant City Strawberry soda made with a iSi Twist and Sparkle soda maker

Big Wheel Food Truck’s Moroccan style seared Florida Octopus with braised chickpea ragut, creme fraiche, and chive $8

5 Gastronomy, one of the new boys in town!

The Pimanti sandwich from Wicked Wiches of Tampa!

The Original Korean Taco Box I , a classic!

FOOD TRUCK BAZAAR SCHEDULE

5-8PM
1st Fridays Kissimmee: Kissimmee Civic Center, 201 E. Dakin Ave
1st Saturdays Sanford: Hood Ave at Seminole Blvd
1st Sundays Orange City: Lowes, 901 Saxon Blvd
2nd Fridays: Casselberry: City Hall on 17-92
2nd Sundays Orlando: Fashion Squaure Mall
3rd Sundays Oviedo: Lowes on Red Bug Lake Rd
4th Sundays Lake Nona: CrossPointe Church, 11002 Lake Hart Dr

ABOUT
The Food Truck Bazaar is (1) friends & family eating together (2) outdoors (3) from local food trucks (3) in an unexpected and often under-utilized urban space: a parking lot. As the original mobile gourmet food truck party in Central Florida started in March 2011 by Mark Baratelli, The Food Truck Bazaar (http://www.TheFoodTruckBazaar.com/) makes monthly stops at cities across Central Florida.

FACEBOOK GROUP:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_172747776112435

WEBSITE:
http://www.TheFoodTruckBazaar.com/

TWITTER:
http://www.twitter.com/TheDailyCity

WHO PRODUCES THIS?
Mark Baratelli
mark@thedailycity.com

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
1. Expect long lines
2. Some trucks will run out of food
3. Expect to experience 1 – 2 trucks
4. Prices are $6-$10 per meal
5. Picky kids should bring their own meals
6. Bring your own chairs, tables, tents. Think tailgating.
7. Some trucks take credit cards and all take cash.

Fin.esse Valentine’s Day menu!

news

Ricky Ly

-

Feb 14, 2012

0

Fin.esse

finesse-therestaurant.com

7025 County Road 46-A Suite# 1011

Lake Mary, FL 32746

(407) 805-9220

VALENTINE’S DAY MENU
FEBRUARY 14TH
2012
“…a 4 course dining experience”

Limited Seating, RSVP Suggested
Call (407) 805-9220 or email chefalex@finesse-therestaurant.com

-starters

duck•confit
(n: 12 hour roast maple leaf duck, truffle roasted wild mushrooms)
ceviche•mojito
(n: fresh grouper, scallops, grilled octopus, bell peppers, cilantro, mint, habanero mojo)
crispy•porkbelly
(n: slow roasted, crispy skin, marsala demi-glacé, farm fresh sunny side egg)

-soups & salad

lobster•crab•soup
(n: shelled maine lobster & maryland crab, brandied cream stock)
maytag•wedge
(n: crisp iceberg, bacon lardons, red onion, tomato, “the best bleu cheese dressing”)
green•goddess•salad
(n: sardine goddess dressing, romaine, foccacia croutons, shredded grana)

-main

beef•wellington
(n: truffle & mushroom duxelle, puffed pastry, veal demi-glace, scalloped potatoes,)
crab•stuffed•maine lobster
(n: 1 ½ lb maine, split & stuffed, wild mushroom orzo, sweet carrots)
grouper•oscar
(n: florida black grouper, lump crab, grilled asparagus, classic béarnaise, scalloped potatoes)

-dessert

chocolate-oranje•molten•cake
(n: ghirardelli chocolate, chocolate ganache center, peanut butter anglaise, drunken berries)
vanilla•bean•creme brulee
(n: cracked sugar top, cinnamon sugar dusted churros, ghirardelli covered chocolate strawberries)

$99.00 PER COUPLE
(plus tax & gratuity)

Wine & Champagne Flights Available

Rosen Hotels celebrate Valentine’s Day

news

Ricky Ly

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Feb 14, 2012

0

Check out Rosen Hotel’s events for Valentine’s Day below:

Rosen Shingle Creek

9939 Universal Blvd Orlando, Florida 32819
(407) 996-9939

Cala Bella – three-course gourmet meal: http://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/2012-Valentines.asp

The Spa at Shingle Creek – Valentine’s menu: http://www.spaatshinglecreek.com/ValentinesMenu.aspx

Shingle Creek Golf Club: Valentine’s promotion

Rosen Centre

9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819

(407) 996-9840 | Toll Free (800) 204-7234 | Fax (407) 996-0865

Valentine’s Package – $165 per couple: http://www.spaatshinglecreek.com/ValentinesMenu.aspx

Rosen Plaza

9700 International Drive Orlando, Florida 32819

For Reservations (800) 627-8258 | For Meetings Call (800) 366-9700 | Phone: (407) 996-9700 | Fax: (407) 354-5774

Jack’s Place Valentine’s Dinner: http://www.jacksplacerestaurant.com/Valentines.asp

Jack’s Place Valentine’s Dinner: Menu

Fogo De Chao Brazilian Steakhouse coming to International Drive Orlando

news

Ricky Ly

-

Feb 14, 2012

3

Fogo De Chao Brazilian Steakhouse coming to International Drive Orlando

Fogo De Chao, a Brazilian Churrascaria/steakhouse based out of Sao Paulo, Brazil is coming to Orlando’s International Drive area just across from the old Rangetsu building, set to open Thursay March 15 2012.

Fogo de Chão specializes in espeto corrido, or “continuous service,” in which a team of Brazilian-trained gaucho chefs prepare and serve 15 different cuts of beef, lamb, chicken and pork. Guests dictate both the pace and the portions of their dining experience by using a small, double-sided color-coded disc that signals to the gaucho chefs that they are ready for additional service.

It will be the third Brazilian churrascaria in Orlando joining the ever popular Texas De Brazil (infamous among my friends for meat-induced comas and the un-buckling of belt notches) up the road on International Drive and Nelore Churrascaria, which originally was on International Drive, but is now in Winter Park.

The name Fogo de Chao is Portuguese for “fire on the ground”, developed during a time when Brazilian cowboys gathered around a fire to roast the evening’s meal.

I can see this being most interesting to the immediate Orange County Convention Center area, where quite a bit of new lively developments have opened along International Drive in the past few months including Senor Frog’s, Dave and Buster’s, adding to the many options for convention go-ers after hours. It’s also an interesting addition noting the increased amount of tourists from Brazil that Central Florida has been enjoying in recent years, the second largest group visiting Orlando in 2012 behind the Canadians according to Visit Orlando. Get ready to say “Muito Bem Vindo!” to Fogo De Chao this March!

Press Release below!

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