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PETERBROOKE CHOCOLATIER LAUNCHES 90-MINUTE “101 CLASS” FOR $40 PER PERSON

Ricky Ly
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PETERBROOKE CHOCOLATIER LAUNCHES 90-MINUTE “101 CLASS” FOR $40 PER PERSON

PETERBROOKE CHOCOLATIER LAUNCHES 90-MINUTE “101 CLASS” FOR $40 PER PERSON

WHAT:
Take a teaching from the pros and learn firsthand all there is to know about being a chocolate connoisseur. On February 12, Peterbrooke Chocolatier of Winter Park (“Peterbrooke”) will launch Chocolate 101, the first in a series of interactive classes for 2012.

The 90-minute class is available for up to 8 guests and can also be booked privately for events, birthday parties and themed celebrations. For $40 per person guests will have their chance to:

– Learn the history of chocolate
– Understand and take a chance at tempering
– Sample four wines and understand suggested wine pairings
– Sample eight chocolates including the Ultimate Truffle, Sea Salt Chocolate, Milk & Dark Chocolate Covered Bacon, Sea Salt Chocolate-Covered Caramel, 65% and 72% Cocoa Chocolates, Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries and the Peterbrooke signature, Chocolate-Covered Popcorn
– Receive a 10 percent discount on purchases made that night

Those interested in attending the class must RSVP by calling Peterbrooke, but hurry as seats are melting away.

MORE ABOUT PETERBROOKE CHOCOLATIER OF WINTER PARK

Peterbrooke of Winter Park is locally owned and operated by Jami and Kevin Wray. The Winter Park location boasts 1,400-square-feet of chocolate bliss with unique-to-store delectables like chocolate-covered bacon, sea salted caramels, spicy chili chocolate and for those looking for traditional favorites, the gourmet chocolate-covered popcorn is available in dark and milk chocolate. The chocolate boutique is open daily from Monday – Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information about the Chocolate of the Month Club, please visit the Peterbrooke Chocolatier Winter Park location at 300 South Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789 or call 407.644.3200.

WHEN:
February 12, 2012

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

$40 per person please call to reserve your space

WHERE:
Peterbrooke Chocolatier300 South Park Avenue

Winter Park, FL 32789

407.644.3200

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Turns Up the Passion with Three Day Valentine’s Celebration

Ricky Ly
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Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Turns Up the Passion with Three Day Valentine’s Celebration

Also, Fleming’s is hosting Super Bowl specials of $29.95 3-Course Prime Rib Dinner and their “5 for 6 ’til 7” Bar Menu all Night this Sunday, Feb 5th!

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar will celebrate the passion this year with three evenings of luxe specials and a unique Valentine gift for couples dining on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, February 12th through the 14th.

To enhance the occasion, Executive Chef Russell Skall has created three mouthwatering entrees perfect for Valentine’s dinner that will be available in addition to Fleming’s popular a la carte menu. “Valentine’s celebration is always a memorable time for our guests,” remarked Chef Skall. “There is nothing more romantic then savoring the pleasures of a delicious dinner and wine with someone you love.”

Filet Mignon & Prawns, Prime New York Strip & King Crab, and Colossal North Atlantic Lobster Tail with Lobster Mac & Cheese will be offered, each at $69.95. A dessert for two, Red Velvet Cake with Espresso Truffles, is $9.50. Wine Director Maeve Pesquera has crafted a Cupid-perfect cocktail for the holiday: The Bella-Tini is a Bellini-inspired cocktail with Belvedere Vodka, peach puree and Mas Fi Cava sparkling wine for $9.95. Suggested wine pairings to toast the evening include Tiamo Chianti, Italy, 2010; Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2007 and Roederer Brut Rose, Anderson Valley NV.

To give guests another reason to celebrate, Fleming’s is offering each couple dining February 12th through February 14th a complimentary $25 Fleming’s Dining Card to use toward a future rendezvous with their sweetheart.* Reservations advised and may be made by visiting www.FlemingsSteakhouse.com.

The Valentine’s Celebration Menu offers:



Filet Mignon & Prawns
Filet mignon on a bed of sauteed portobello mushrooms
and smoky bacon, paired with crab-stuffed prawns and
a lemon garlic butter sauce $69.95**

Prime New York Strip & King Crab
Presented Oscar-style, topped with butter-poached
king crab, asparagus and a champagne bearnaise sauce,
served with a sweet potato quenelle $69.95**

Lobster & Lobster
Colossal North Atlantic lobster tail with drawn butter,
served with lobster mac & cheese $69.95**

Dessert for Two
Red Velvet Cake served with espresso truffles $9.50

Suggested Wines for Romance:
Tiamo Chianti, Italy, 2010
Terra Valentine Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2007
Roederer Brut Rose, Anderson Valley NV

*$25 Valentine’s Card offer is for visits occurring on 2/12/12, 2/13/12 and 2/14/12 only. Limit one Valentine’s Card per couple.

Valentine’s Card will be delivered at the end of the dinner and will be valid through March 31, 2012.

By Jamie O’ Donnell 407-234-7631 / Jamie@L2inc.com

Hillstone’s in Winter Park – new and old favorites

Ricky Ly
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Hillstone’s in Winter Park – new and old favorites

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Hillstone’s in Winter Park recently released a few new menu items and the pr folks at Wellons Communications invited us to showcase it here on TastyChomps. It was my first time to the restaurant, originally called Houston’s until they changed their name to Hillstone’s in 2010. Hillstone’s name derives from the hillside vineyard in the Napa Valley which produces Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  Executive General Manager Todd Martin opened the Winter Park branch of the national high-end chain in 1996 and continues to oversees operations here at Hillstone’s today.

The restaurant is most known for its beautiful view on Lake Killarney, with tall windows facing the lake and a nice sized outdoor dining area, the view is rather stunning, especially on those cool central Florida afternoons. They have a strict no cell phone policy in the dining room in order to sustain a focus on the dining experience, but I wonder how long that will last as our society becomes more and more digital oriented, for better or for worse, with all the tweeting, facebooking, foodspotting, e-mailing, texting, etc. that goes on with our smart phones as the world becomes more and more interconnected. We’ll have to see, but until then I think the no cell phone policy is a brief, maybe soon to be antiquated, but welcome respite from that brave new world.

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The dining menu recently came out with their new deviled eggs, made from a classic Texas family recipe served with Crystal’s hot sauce and topped with cracked pepper and parsley.

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They also released their new banana cream pie, made with a vanilla custard filling base, and includes a walnut and graham cracker crust. This treat is topped with fresh bananas, homemade whipped cream, caramel sauce and chocolate dust.

The prices are a bit high here but the food was decent and it’s worth it if you have the discretionary income needed to eat out often or for that special night out .

Photos from the event:

 

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The new Deviled Eggs at Hillstone’s

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The new Banana Cream Pie at Hillstone’s

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Stone Crab

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Brussel Sprouts

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Hawaiian Rib Eye, reminiscent of the Korean kalbi barbecue short ribs, this steak is marinated for 48 hours in pineapple juice, soy sauce and is hardwood grilled, served with a baked potato.

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Their infamous wood grilled artichokes (don’t eat the whole artichoke, just bite and pull the flesh off)

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Famous French Dip Au Jus
Roasted prime rib thinly sliced and piled high on a toasted house-made French roll

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The spinach and chicken Waldorf salad
with Julienne apples, bacon, cashews and chopped egg

 

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Hand filleted salmon, wood grilled and served with seasonal vegetables (grilled asparagus)

Hillstone is located at 215 South Orlando Avenue in Winter Park  and is open Sundays through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Hillstone Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Vietnamese Lunar New Year Tet in Orlando 2012

Ricky Ly
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Vietnamese Lunar New Year Tet in Orlando 2012

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The Vietnamese Lunar New Year or Tet or Tet Nguyên Dán is upon us here in Orlando again! A time to spend with family, friends, and welcome in the new year.

Last weekend St Philp Phan Thanh Minh, the largest Catholic Church in Orlando, hosted their annual Tet Festival at the Central Florida Fairgrounds to bring in the new year of the Dragon.

This weekend, the Vietnamese Community of Orlando is hosting their own Tet Festival with a Miss Vietnam of Florida Pageant starting at 1pm on Sunday. Entrance is $5 but I definitely recommend going especially for the food. Here at the festivals, you get a chance to taste different authentic Vietnamese dishes and street food that are usually not available at local Vietnamese restaurants. The prices are a bit steep, especially for the noodle soups, but a lot of the foods here are home-made and go to a good cause usually. Address is 4603 West Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32808-8158.

If you can’t make it out this Sunday, next Sunday on February 5th there is the Dragon Parade Lunar New Year event hosted by the Chinese American Association of Central Florida and the Mills 50 District starting at 11:00 AM – 3:00pm. More details here: http://www.facebook.com/events/136825883100048/

 

Below are some scenes from last weekend’s Tet Events:

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Orchids and flowers and plants for sale, welcoming in Spring.

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Vietnamese high schoolers doing traditional Vietnamese rice hat dance for the festival

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The Vietnamese rice hat dance

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Chim cut roti or roasted quail

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It gets busy here at the Vietnamese New Year Festival!

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Nem nuong and thit nuong, or meat balls and grilled pork on a stick. A favorite street food item of mine!

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Banh teo, a kind of Vietnamese fried donut pastry

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Vietnamese calligraphy. The Vietnamese language was romanized by the French centuries ago, previously things were written in chu nom, a kind of Chinese character system used by the elites.

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Bun bo hue, the Hue style spicy beef noodle soup

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Watching the show!

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Grilled pork

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Hop vit lon, or balut in the Phillipines, boiled fertilized duck fetus eggs

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Pate a choux, meat filled pastries, and banh bao, pork and egg filled buns, relics of the French and Chinese influence on Vietnamese cuisine.

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Bun rieu, a seafood crab tomato noodle soup dish.

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The Table Orlando – Restaurant Row

Ricky Ly
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The Table Orlando – Restaurant Row

I was invited to attend a dinner recently at The Table, the newly-opened creation of husband and wife team Chefs Tyler Brassil and Loren Falsone. Located on the far west side of the Dellagio plaza on Sand Lake Road, near the Regions Bank, it is a bit easy to miss. Beneath the large “Taste & See Catering” sign,you might be able to make out the words “The Table” printed ever so lightly on the door.

You may have heard about it through the grape vine: The Table is unique in Orlando as it is a restaurant that solely features 22 seats together around one beautiful, magnificent table for Friday and Saturday nights only. The menu is prix fixe at $100 per person, tax and gratuity included, consisting of hors d’oeuvre and five courses with wine pairings.

There is a certain feeling when you enter The Table, like you just walked into someone’s living room for a secret foodie dinner party. The dining room, designed by Chef Tyler Brassil himself, resembles much like a modern home decked out with a large painting of a foggy bridge passage hanging on one wall, a large mirror and candles on another, and a beautiful hanging chandelier in the center over the large, black dining Table. On one corner of the room is the bar area where mixologist and partner Dominick Tardugno tended to the wine and champagne for the evening.

The crowd on this night is diverse, ranging from young professionals to families going out for a birthday, an elderly couple celebrating an anniversary. You are seated next to strangers who grow to become good company throughout the evening. It’s interesting to see people of different backgrounds come together in a common bond, for the shared love of food, as a community around The Table.

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Chef Loren Falsone, explaining the freshness of ingredients, like this lobster, at The Table

The menu here is local, sustainable, and seasonal New American cuisine. Chef Loren Falsone, featured as one of the Top Ten New Chefs in 2000 by Food and Wine Magazine and also a former executive chef at Seasons 52, explained that the ingredients all come fresh from local farms and local fishermen who bring whatever they caught that day and the kitchen then uses these items to makes their dishes for the meal. As of January 2012, there have yet to be one meal served twice the same way yet at The Table.

Each course is presented by Chef Tyler Brassil, a winner of the Top 10 Bertolli Sous Chef Awards, or by his wife Chef Loren Falsone and the drinks are explained by Mr. Tardugno. Service, just like the food here, is exemplary.

The Table after all was conceived after Tyler and Loren, who still teach classes at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school here in Orlando, began an experiment in inviting friends over to their home for dinner. The dinners grew and grew, eventually overfilling their home and selling out. That’s when they decided to get a bigger place, and hence the Table was born.

You can really feel their passion for food flowing into The Table. It calls to you, to sit, to relax, and to enjoy the epicurean journey with them.

The experience begins at 7:00 pm with the bites at the bar and end around 11:00pm. Reservations are a must. The Table is also available for private parties or corporate events on other evenings.

The Table
8060 Via Dellagio Way, Suite 106 (across from Regions Bank)
Orlando, FL 32819
407-900-Dine
http://thetableorlando.com/
Reservations are required

 

Photos of the Table Orlando


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 Russian caviar , smoked salmon, creme cheese

 

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Hummus octopus amuse bouche served in Asian soup spoons

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Fois gras with kumquat and relish

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Local Three Boy Farm Greens and Three Baby Salads
made with black beans, pickled red cabbage, purple Peruvian potato, and herbaceous shallot vinaigrette with a Domaine Gullarman 2009 Colombard Ugni-Blanc

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Lobster and local head on shrimp with chanterelle, royal trumpet, yellowfoot mushrooms, calamarata, fava beans paired with a glass of The Scholium Project 2008.

 

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Aged Local Wagu Beef with Three Boys first red peppers algro dolce, and mashed celeriac
with Domaine Du Grapillon D’or 2009 Gigondas

 

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The Table’s Cheese Course with Asiago, Truffle Tremor, Aged Gouda, Bellavitano, Empire apple butter, paired with Capital de Roari 2008 Amerone from Italy

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Freshly squeezed Blood orange curd merengue tarts with chocolate ganache with Rudera 2008 Noble Late Harvest from South Africa

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The Table Orlando on Urbanspoon

The Capital Grille Orlando – Winter Lunch Plates

Ricky Ly
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The Capital Grille Orlando – Winter Lunch Plates

The Capital Grille is a fine dining restaurant here in Orlando known for its wonderful selection of steaks and great service. Something that is not well known however is that you can get a relatively great lunch at The Capital Grille for a great price as well.

The Capital Grille recently changed up their lunch “plates” menu where you can choose 3 items from a list of soups, salads, entrees, and sides for $18 for lunch. The items often change from season to season with various items switching in and out. The Lobster Roll and Mini Tenderloins seem to be a crowd favorite as it has appeared on the list the past few seasons, as are the truffle fries.

The Capital Grille’s Winter “Plates” menu recently debuted these three new selections:

– Roasted Pepper Soup

– Roasted Root Vegetables

– Wagyu Cheeseburger with Fried Egg with Crisp Onions

The spicy, hearty Roasted Pepper soup consists of red peppers, celery, onion, parsnip, carrots, chicken broth and cream and is sure to warm you up on those cold winter days (of which we have been lacking much this season quite honestly).

The root vegetables sides are made of roasted celery, parsnip, and carrots which are in their peak in the winter season. They were good but not my favorite. I guess I am not a big fan of vegetables in general.

Something I was a big fan of was the wagyu cheeseburger. The Wagyu Cheeseburger with Fried Egg with Crisp onions was a wonderful burger, made with Wagyu, the American version of Kobe beef, that has been ground and seasoned and cooked to the temperature of your liking. The havarty cheese and the fried egg still runny on top and the crunchy crisp onions all make for a great contrast in textures and accentuating the taste for this burger.

Check it out at the Capital Grille in Orlando on International Drive soon before the menu changes up again!

The Capital Grille
(407) 982-37109101
International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819

The Capital Grille’s Winter Lunch Plates Menu
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Roasted Pepper Soup
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The Wagyu Cheeseburger at the Capital Grille

Bayridge Steakhouse and Sushi at Avalon Park

Ricky Ly
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Bayridge Steakhouse and Sushi at Avalon Park
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In a dining room out in East Orlando, deep in the downtown area of Avalon Park, families and friends gather around a grill table-top to watch a young, playful hibachi chef twirl his metal spatula and light a sliced onion into a flaming onion volcano. As the volcano extinguishes, the chef slices up the vegetables and mix the fried rice, butter, and meats together for their plates for the patrons to enjoy here at the newly opened Bayridge Sushi and Steakhouse.

Bayridge Sushi and Steakhouse has a very sleek, modern, upscale ambiance with smooth black table tops and lit by colorful neon lights. The restaurant hosts a lively bar area with a large drink selection and table tops for diners waiting for a spot in the hibachi / teppanyaki area or the main sushi dining area. The restaurant tends to get noisy with the chatter and talk around the room.

The hibachi area has 6 tables with about 20 seats each table and a separate dining area with a nice sushi bar and padded back table seats. The service here is attentive; waiters visit often and are courteous, although it may take a while for some dishes to prepare especially in busy periods.

For appetizers, we chose the Sushi Dumpling,made with sushi white fish and tuna fried in a xiu mai like wonton wrapping shell. The Spicy Tuna-tini appetizer was a very interesting and unique appetizer made from chunks of spicy tuna in a sesame oil base on top of seaweed salad all inside a martini glass (p.s. it’s a non-alcoholic appetizer).

For sushi rolls, we try the Sexy Lobster roll made with tempura lobster, asparagus, avocado, lettuce, tobiko, almonds, black sesame seed with chef’s special sauce, the Monster Roll, made with tempura shrimp avocado & cream cheese roll with tempura shredded crab, scallion, spicy powder on the top, and the Super Crunch roll made with spicy tuna on the top of a tuna and cream cheese avocado roll.

The rolls are all very large and filling, with complements to the 2 sushi chefs who rocked it out behind the sushi bar and handled all the sushi requests for the restaurant. They will probably need to add extra sushi chefs in the future for the increased demand.

Overall, the Bayridge Sushi and Steakhouse restaurant is a great addition to East Orlando and especially the Avalon Park neighborhood. I can see it being very popular for a long time if their service continues to improve and their ingredients stay fresh and tasty. I visited on a weeknight and the place was pretty busy and full. I think one of the things they have to work on is timing of dishes to get it out sooner and to avoid long waits.

For dessert we ordered the traditional ice cream tempura, a sweet and delicious way to end the meal.

Bayridge Sushi and Steakhouse at Avalon Park is the third location for the Bayridge establishment, joining its sister restaurants in Apopka and Longwood.

For more information visit,
Bayridge Sushi and Steakhouse3680 Avalon Park E BlvdOrlando, FL 32828(407) 282-8488www.brsushi.com

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Hibachi tables here at Bayridge
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Sushi Dumplings
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Eel Handroll
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Monster Roll
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Tempura ice cream

Bayridge Sushi on Urbanspoon

Flyers Wings and Grill – West Orlando

Ricky Ly
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Flyers Wings and Grill – West Orlando

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Flyer’s Wings and Grill has some of the best wings in Orlando if you are willing to brave the trip out to West Orlando. The place has been serving these tasty, fried bits of chicken wings for over 20 years on the northwest corner of Kirkman Road and Colonial Drive in its yellow and red building. It looks a bit run-down on the outside, and on the interior things look a bit like your charming aunt’s living room that hasn’t seen a renovation since the ’80s, but hey it’s all about the wings right?

Their wings, though they appear small, are actually quite meaty and fresh, crispy yet also tender. The sauces my companions are chose were the lemon pepper, medium, and sweet and tangy. The favorite of the bunch was definitely the lemon pepper, a delicious buttery flavor that was one of the best chicken wing sauces I have had. Our attentive and friendly waitress let us know that one of the most popular sauce choices was the lemon pepper, hot, and garlic mix, which I will definitely try next time. Overall the wings were fantastic and I would definitely come by to have the wings again.

The sweet tea at Flyer’s was also quite delicious, with the perfect mix of tea and sugar, not too overly sweet and not too bitter from the tea. We ordered extra cups of these to go.

They have an “all you can eat” wings night on Monday nights that is really popular as well.

Check Flyer’s out sometime if you want some great wings and don’t mind the dive-y digs.

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Inside Flyer’s Wings and Grill
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Chicken wings galore
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Lemon pepper wings, the favorite
Flyers Wings & Grill on Urbanspoon

Singh’s Roti Shop in West Orlando

Ricky Ly
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Singh’s Roti Shop in West Orlando
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A Trinidadian family sits around a table enjoying their hot lunch while Bollywood musical remixes play on the television sets. An ornate, grand chandelier hangs from the center of the dining room lit by green and pink neon lights, and in the back, behind steamed counters, there are heated trays of curry goat and duck and Chinese fried rice waiting for your order.

For those adventurous foodies, Singh’s Roti Shop offers its West Indies cuisine (particularly deriving from the tropical island-nation of Trinidad) inside a gated plaza off Kirkman Road and Old Winter Garden Road in West Orlando, where most of the Caribbean community in Orange county resides.

The cuisine of Trinidad featured at Singh’s has strong influences from Indian cuisine, with blends of native American traditions, European, African, Creole, Chinese, and Lebanese.

The woman working at the register has the look of the angry cafeteria lunch lady with a heart of gold, if only you give her a chance and a smile. The atmosphere is very relaxed, but there is a Caribbean no nonsense attitude that you get from the staff here, like you should just know what you want, order it, eat it, and enjoy.

Looking around quickly, and upon the register lady’s suggestion, we order the doubles, curry duck over rice, and a beef roti.

Their menu boasts that they have the best doublesin town, which is made of two fried flat breads and stuffed with spicy curried chick peas. You eat it with your hands like a small sandwich made of curry chickpea deliciousness. It is exquisite and hearty, served fresh and hot out of the back counters.

Rotis and curries are popular dishes here, a cuisine adopted from indentured laborers from India who came to work in Trinidad via the British in the 19th century.

Roti is a thin, unleavened bread made primarily of wheat and cooked on a tava griddle and served either stuffed or on the side. Roti dish options at Singh’s include aloo (potato), channa (chickpeas), chicken, goat, beef, shrimp, conch, duck, curry/stew snapper, and curry gilbacker fish.

Our beef roti is a huge wrapped package comprised of a mostly chewy, stewed beef over rice with chickpeas and potatoes wrapped in the roti bread. It really reminds me of a tortilla, the similarities to a Indian style burrito are striking. If you like, use a fork and knife to cut through the roti to make it a more formidable eat.

Curry duck, a brownish stewed dish, is a savory, heaping hot mess over fluffy basmati rice tasting full of spices like cumin, tumeric, and curry of course. It was my favorite item here.

If you aren’t a fan of picking through bones, I would forgo the goat roti.

Singh’s also serves cutters, which is a popular sandwich made with a bread roll that is cut in half, crossways and stuffed with a savory filling.

Curiously enough, there is also a Chinese menu at Singh’s roti shop, owing in no small part to the influence of Chinese immigrants who came to the West Indies over the past century during the time the Chinese Exclusion Act was instated in the United States.

This menu includes fried rice, lo mein, and other typical Chinese items but also lap chong, the chinese sausage, and roast duck. I’ll have to check that out next time.

Prices rose recently, I would recommend that they update their prices as soon as possible in order to avoid misunderstandings with customers who might think they are being over charged from prices advertised. Around $10 for the curry and roti dishes.

A large bar area takes up the left half of the restaurant, used primarily when Singh’s Roti Shop turns into a night club of sorts after hours.

Overall, a nice place to start your adventure into the food of the West Indies. Definitely worth a try for their curry duck and vegetable dishes.

Photos from the Visit to Singh’s Roti Shop

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What is going on here?

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Please do not touch the glass…with your lips.

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Veggies and more

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Doubles! stuffed with chickpeas

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Curry duck over rice with some West Indian Queen Kola Champagne

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The roti package has arrived.

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Beefy Roti.

Singh's Roti Shop Restaurant & Bar on Urbanspoon

Peterbrooke Chocolatier of Winter Park

Ricky Ly
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Peterbrooke Chocolatier of Winter Park

Peterbrooke Chocolatier of Winter Park

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Located in downtown Winter Park on Park Avenue, Peterbrooke Chocolatierwas established here in 2001. Recently they celebrated their 10th anniversary where they threw a small public event with free chocolate fondue and demonstrations to the community and passerbys. In 2009, the store underwent a change of ownership when Jami Wray and her husband Kevin Wray realized their dream of owning a chocolate store.

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From their website:

Peterbrooke Chocolatier, Inc. was founded in 1983 in a quaint historical neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida known as San Marco. It’s visionary, Phyllis Geiger, named her business after her children Peter and Brooke.Like fine artists, Peterbrooke Chocolatier creates its mouth watering masterpieces by skillfully blending special milk, dark and white chocolate molded, enrobed and hand-dipped. Lusciously enrobed creamy fondant centers, cordial cherries, buttery toffee and hand made truffles. Fresh picked strawberries that are hand-dipped daily.

Some of the specialties that Peterbrooke Chocolatier provides include:

  • Chocolate Parties (fun for all ages!)
  • Chocolate and Wine Classes
  • Team Building Events
  • Shipping
  • Delivery (FREE delivery to Park Ave and Rollins, small fee for longer distances.)
  • Chocolate Fountain rentals
  • Wedding/Shower/Party favors
  • Strawberry trees
  • Chocolate Assortment trees
  • Corporate gifts
  • Custom gifts and baskets
  • Custom Chocolates
  • Edible Images of your family, friends, corporate/team logos, etc.

Some of their more famous items include the Jami Shoos chocolate shoes, chocolate covered bacon, and chocolate covered pretzel “cat tails”

The following are a few pictures taken from their 10th anniversary community event:

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Chocolate Covered bacon
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Chocolate covered popcorn
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Chocolate Fountain
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 Chocolate Pizza Pie
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 Kevin Wray, owner of Peterbrooke Chocolatier of Winter Park
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Chocolate Truffles
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Chocolate Jami Shoos
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OpenMonday – Thursday: 10a – 10pFriday – Saturday: 10a – 11pSunday: 12p – 9p

 Peterbrooke Chocolatier300 S. Park Ave.Winter Park, FL407-644-3200

Peterbrooke Chocolatier on Urbanspoon

Saffron Orlando on Restaurant Row

Ricky Ly
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Saffron Orlando on Restaurant Row
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Saffron is a relatively new Indian restaurant that opened in the “Restaurant Row” district in Orlando along Sand Lake Road. The decor and interior, a decidedly modern feel, is warm and sophisticated with dark wood and bright walls. The prices are very reasonable, ranging from $7.95 and up for lunch combinations. Our server was very accommodating, checking often on how our meal is going and making sure our red glasses are full with water.

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I chose the lamb xacutti lunch special ($9) which came with naan bread, basmati rice, samosa, lentil soup, spices, and gulab jamun, an Indian dessert ball. The items all came in a white tray a la bento lunch box.

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The lamb xacutti is a dish that comes from the Indian coastal state of Goa, known for its beautiful beaches and coconut trees. The xacutti is a savory, rich curry like dish with grated coconut, tender chunks of lamb and notes of blended spices in a creamy sauce. The sauce was light and delicious and went well with the charred tandoori clay oven baked naan bread and basmati rice.

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Lamb Xacutti lunch special 

My dining partner ordered the chicken tikka masala ($8.75), a similarly delicious creamy tomato based curry with chunks of chicken.

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Chicken Tikka Masala lunch special

The gulab jamun dessert is made of a doughy, homemade cheese-based balls dipped in honey syrup and flavored with rose water. It’s a popular Indian dessert dish and served hot here at Saffron.

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Gulab Jamun, Indian dessert ball

The atmosphere is very comfortable and not too stuffy like some other restaurants on restaurant row can be, which I found to be quite enjoyable. One of my new favorite Indian restaurants, I will be sure to return to try some of their other dishes.

Saffron Orlando
(407) 674-8899
7724 West Sand Lake Road
Orlando, FL 32819
http://www.saffronorlando.com/

Saffron Indian Cuisine on Urbanspoon

New Year’s Eve in Orlando 2012

Ricky Ly
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New Year’s Eve in Orlando 2012

New Year’s Eve 2012 in Orlando 

Travelocity recently ranked Orlando as the number 1 most popular place to spend New Year’s Eve for 2012. The article specifically cites Universal Studios CityWalk’s Rock in the New Year for a great party near the theme parks with “performances from Smashmouth and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, plenty of nearby clubs, and all-you-can-eat dining, this party will help you start 2012 with a bang!”

The following is a compiled list of other local area New Year’s Eve events with great food options as well as hotel rooms to stay in for those partying extra hard for the new year or just want to take a night out on the town. If you know of any other events for New Year’s Eve, please feel free to post in the comments and I will try to update this post!
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Fin.esse 
7025 CR 46-A Suite 1011, Lake Mary, FL 32746
407-805-9220

New Year’s Eve Menu 2012
“…a four course dining experience”

$69.00 (plus tax & gratuity)
-5:30PM or 8:30PM…RSVP ONLY
Purchase your seats in advance by clicking the New Year’s Eve button on our website.
Visit www.finesse-therestaurant.com for more information.

Menu
http://www.finesse-therestaurant.com/uploads/NYE_2012_Finesse_Menu2.pdf

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Ring in 2012 in Orlando with Rosen Shingle Creek’s 
“Countdown to Savings” New Year’s Eve Package


Head Chef Dan Nester of A Land Remembered at Rosen Shingle Creek

The Rosen Shingle Creek “Countdown to Savings”

New Year’s Eve package is just $149 for Dec. 31, 2011, based on double occupancy, and includes:
 • Accommodations in a deluxe double queen guest room on New Year’s Eve ? Dec. 31, 2011
 • A second consecutive night (either Dec. 30 or Jan. 1) for just $212 for both nights
• Champagne toast for two at midnight
• Live coverage of the ball dropping in Times Square in New York City
• DJ and dancing at Headwaters Lounge
 The Rosen Shingle Creek “Countdown to Savings” New Year’s Eve package may be booked now through Dec. 31, 2011 subject to availability. Rates do not include tax or gratuities.
To book, call 866-996-6338 or visit www.rosenshinglecreek.com.
 Prior to the festivities, guests may enjoy a relaxing New Year’s Eve dinner at any of Rosen Shingle Creek’s 14 restaurants and lounges, including A Land Remembered, which proudly serves Harris Ranch All Natural Black Angus Beef, and the upscale Cala Bella, or “Beautiful Creek,” Italian bistro, which offers a presentation bar for “ringside” views of its culinary artists at work. The hotel also features two new casual dining options: Banrai Sushi bar and Tobias Flats & Watering Hole, serving a variety of flatbread-based dishes. For some relaxing downtime away from Orlando’s theme parks, guests may enjoy 18 holes of championship golf at Shingle Creek Golf Club or indulge in an afternoon of pampering at The Spa at Shingle Creek. Four swimming pools, a game room and a host of other amenities offer something for every member of the family.
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 Orlando’s Rosen Plaza Rings in the New Year with Two-Day, Two-Person Rockin’ the Plaza Package for Just $349 

Get-Away Comes Complete with Four-Course Dinner, Champagne Toast, Dancing, Countdown, Breakfast and Deluxe Accommodations
 Orlando’s award-winning Rosen Plaza hotel has planned the ultimate New Year’s Eve celebration complete with two nights accommodations, breakfast and dinner for two, and a spectacular New Year’s Eve party with live entertainment and plenty of excitement flowing into 2012.
 The Rosen Plaza New Year’s Eve package is just $349 and includes:
• Two nights accommodations for two in a deluxe guest room: New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31 as well as one additional night, Dec. 30 or Jan. 1.
• Breakfast buffet for two at Café Matisse
• A four-course New Year’s Eve dinner for two at the acclaimed Jack’s Place
• Passes for two to the New Year’s Eve party at Backstage Nightclub & Sports BarFor reservations and information, visit www.rosenplaza.com or call 1-800-627-8258. Additional room nights are available upon request. The rate is based on double occupancy, subject to hotel availability; tax and gratuity are extra. This offer cannot be combined with other promotions or offers or for group rates.Guests will be able to ring in the New Year with a champagne toast, balloon drop, drink specials, go-go dancers, DJ LaPause and the live music from Airplay.
A photographer will capture special moments throughout the evening so guests can purchase souvenir photographs online after their visit.
 Elements of Rosen Plaza’s New Year’s Eve party also may be purchased individually. The four-course New Year’s Eve dinner at Jack’s Place is available for $49.95 per person plus tax and gratuity and includes a ticket to the party at Backstage Nightclub & Sports Bar. Tickets to the party at Backstage Nightclub & Sports Bar may be purchased separately for $20 per person.
Café Matisse also offers a New Year’s Eve dinner, featuring a Prime Rib buffet for $29.95 per person plus tax and gratuity. Hours of operation are: Jack’s Place, 5:30-11 p.m.; Café Matisse, 5:00 -10 p.m.; and Backstage Nightclub & Sports Bar, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
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Rosen Centre 
http://www.rosencentre.com
 Orlando Hotel Offers Choice of Four-Course or Buffet Dinner, Live Entertainment, Countdown Festivities and Discounted Overnight Stays
 The hotel’s spectacular New Year’s Eve packages include the choice of a four-course or buffet dinner, live entertainment and countdown festivities as well as a deeply discounted rate on an overnight stay.The Rosen Centre New Year’s Eve packages include:
• A four-course dinner in the acclaimed Everglades Restaurant OR a Prime Rib Dinner in Café Gauguin
• A glass of select house wine or champagne
• Live entertainment and party favors
• Live coverage of Times Square festivities on multiple screens in the lobby lounge
• Complimentary champagne toast at midnight
• Complimentary valet parking
• Deluxe accommodations at a special rate of $99 plus tax when a dining package is reserved
Reservations are recommended for both New Year’s Eve packages.To book a dining package or hotel stay, call 407-996-2385.
 By the end of 2011, Rosen Centre will have just completed a multi-million dollar renovation of each of its more than 1,300 guest rooms, including all new furnishings made in America, spacious spa-like bathrooms as well as fresh carpeting in guest hallways and a complete refurbishment of Rosen Centre’s Grand Lobby.
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Hilton Orlando
6001 Destination ParkwayOrlando, FL 32819
+1-407-313-4300
 New Year’s Eve brings you two great options for your celebration:
 Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops: Live music and an elegant three course menu for $68.
 David’s Club Bar & Grill: Music with a DJ and a festive comfort food buffet for $25.
 New Year’s Day – Start your year off right with the “Hang Over Buffet” at David’s Club Bar & Grill for $22.
 View the Menus
 Make a Reservation
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K Restaurant Wine Bar 
1710 Edgewater DriveOrlando407-872-2332
 New Year’s Eve Dinner at K Restaurant! 
Spend your last night of 2011 with one of the best dinners Orlando has to offer!Our format for this celebratory night is a little different than previous years and we are excited about the new options. We are doing staggered seating throughout the night from 6:00 until 10:00 (reservations required) with our dinner having an option of two set menus. Chef Kevin has put together a three course menu for $55 and a four course menu for $85. Each menu looks great and promises to be one of the best culinary experiences we have offered at our restaurant.
 Here is a preview of what we’re expecting on the last night of 2011.
DATE: 12-31-11
TIME: 6:00 – 10:00
COST: $55 or $85 (excludes beverage, tax, and gratuity)
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 Norman’s at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes 
4012 Central Florida ParkwayOrlando, FL 32837P: 407-393-4333
 Bring in 2012 with style at Orlando’s most celebrated fine dining restaurant NORMAN’S!
 Chef Norman Van Aken and Chef de Cuisine Camilo Velasco have created our most tantalizing New Year’s Eve menu to date! Intrigued? Check out our special New Year Eve’s Menu here:http://assets.fbmta.com/clt/SM3/norman/nyemenu.jpg
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 Ring In The New Year With Morton’s The Steakhouse in Orlando 
This New Year’s Eve, treat yourself to a specially-priced, delicious holiday menu at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Orlando for $85 per person, complete with complimentary top hats, tiaras and noisemakers. Reservations are available starting at 4:30 p.m.
 The New Year’s Eve menu includes a center cut iceberg wedge, single cut filet mignon and cold water lobster tail served with grilled asparagus topped with balsamic glaze. Featured wines for the evening include Cherry Pie, “Stanley Ranch,” Pinot Noir for $95 and Fogdog, Chardonnay for $59. The Morton’s à la carte menu also will be available. Morton’s The Steakhouse in Orlando is located at 7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd.
 For reservations or more information please call (407) 248-3485 or visit www.mortons.com/orlando.

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If you know of any other events for New Year’s Eve, please feel free to post in the comments and I will try to update this post!

Wódka, the cheap premium booze trend arrives

Ricky Ly
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Wódka, the cheap premium booze trend arrives

Interview with Wódka founder James Dale

James Dale, a native of New Zealand, and still giddy from his homeland’s recent win in the Rugby World Cup, sat down and talked to us at TastyChomps.com about the new Wódka, a cheap premium vodka that has made a big splash here in the states. The brand has recently been picked up by Publix here in Orlando, making it one of the newest and fastest growing markets for the new alcoholic beverage. I recently sampled some of the Wodka and I must agree that it is a very smooth, delightful vodka. Definitely going to go well to warm up those cold winter holiday nights.

Tasty Chomps: What inspired you to go into the business and what was the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the business?

James Dale: I’ve worked in the spirits business in some fashion for over 20 years and have always loved it (the business and the booze) – it’s a far more complicated business that anyone gives it credit for and there’s a tremendous amount of creativity involved at every level, but at the end of the day I’m a salesman, I love to sell my brands, even as the CEO of Panache Beverages. Lessons? Humility, toughness and respect, this business is tough and it will beat you up – you have to respect the business and the competition but believe you can do it better than anyone else.

T.C.: What are the origins of Wodka and how is it produced?

Wodka was actually owned by the polish government after the war – they stopped making it a long time ago.  We discovered it while we were at our distillery in Poland and brought it back to life. We have one of the original bottles and labels from the 1950’s – keeps us remembering the egalitarian roots of the brand. Wodka is distilled three times from quality rye – its smooth, really smooth.

T.C.: What inspired you to bring Wodka to America?

We’re actually in 5 countries so I’d like to think we’re bringing Wodka from Poland to the world. People have changed since 2008 – people need and appreciate true value. We felt we has something that people really wanted rather than launching something you have to convince people they need.

T.C.: How do you think Wodka tastes compared to its competitors?

Our quality and taste is unmatched in the industry for the price – we were the first brand you can purchase for under $10 that the Beverage Testing Institute awarded 90 points to. Take Wodka Vodka and then taste some cheap vodka – actually, scratch that – taste Grey Goose and then taste Wodka Vodka – you’ll be shocked.

T.C.: Why do you think Wodka is one of the fastest growing vodkas in America right now?

We’re offering something to people that they want and we’re not trying to be something we’re not – we’re a great vodka for a really low price that doesn’t take itself too seriously. People like the taste, it doesn’t kill their pocketbook and they get a laugh when they see the marketing. It’s a recipe that’s working.

Lake Nona Food Truck Bazaar

Ricky Ly
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Lake Nona Food Truck Bazaar
TheDailyCity.com’s popular Food Truck Bazaar returns to Lake Nona and Fashion Squarethis weekend. On Saturday December 17 in Lake Nona, the Food Trucks will rally at CrossPointe Church, 11002 Lake Hart Dr., Orlando, FL 32832 and on Sunday December 18 Orlando Fashion Square Mall, 3201 East Colonial Drive, both are from 5pm-9pm.The below are some photos taken a few weeks ago from the Lake Nona Food Truck Bazaar!

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The lovely weather and crowds of families, enjoying the food truck fare in the Florida afternoon.
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I visited the Silver Bistro, a new food truck here in Orlando, usually located at the new food truck stop on 17/92 in Winter Park. They specialize in interesting fusion sandwiches such as the Miami Seoul ($8), a satisfying cuban sandwich made with roast pork, ham, gruyere cheese,  and a kick of kimchi pickled cabbages tucked in cuban bread. My partner enjoyed the Super Moose ($8) a prime rib sandwich,  reminiscent of a roast beef sandwich, served with au jus and home made horse radish sauce.
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The Miami Seoul, a Cuban with a touch of Korean kimchi
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The Super Moose, a slicked prime rib / roast beef sandwich
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The Cuban from Twisted Cuban
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Monsta Lobsta roll truck
PhotobucketSilver Bistro Food Truck on Urbanspoon

Huey Magoo’s to offer free meals for charity and donate Christmas trees on December 19

Ricky Ly
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Huey Magoo’s to offer free meals for charity and donate Christmas trees on December 19

Oviedo, FL – December 7, 2011 – As a gift to the community this holiday season, Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders (www.HueyMagoos.com) will be providing free meals from 11am to 8pm on Monday, December 19 at both its 4293 Alafaya Trail and 150 Tuskawilla Road locations. In addition, the company will be partnering with The Christmas Dreams children’s charity and The Sharing Center to provide Christmas trees to select Seminole County families in need.

All guests will receive one free meal consisting of chicken tenders, french fries, Texas toast, dipping sauce, and a drink. The Christmas Dreams children’s charity will be on site collecting voluntary donations, and a portion of those funds will help provide Christmas trees to needful families selected by The Sharing Center.

“This is a great opportunity for us to give something back to the community,” said Huey Magoo’s co-founder Matt Armstrong. “We’ve all seen the ‘60 Minutes’ pieces on homeless families in Seminole County. What better time is there to offer a little help than during the Christmas season? Everyone is welcome in for a free meal, and voluntary donations from our loyal fans will help support the work of Christmas Dreams and provide Christmas trees to families who cannot otherwise afford them.”

About Christmas Dreams
Thousands of children suffer from life-threatening illnesses. Their days are often filled with medical procedures, pain, and unanswered questions. Some of them will not live to see the next Christmas.  It is the goal of Christmas Dreams, a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, to provide a way for these children and their families to celebrate the joy of Christmas year-round, free of charge. The organization is now in the funding stage to create a year-round Christmas village in Christmas, FL (just east of Orlando). To learn more about the mission of Christmas Dreams, visit www.christmasdreams.org or call 407-924-7331.

About Huey Magoo’s
Huey Magoo’s is more than just a restaurant. The company understands the importance of giving back to the community—by creating jobs, helping neighbors, and providing great meals at fair prices. For menus, maps, and more details, visit www.HueyMagoos.comor call 407-977-0213 (Oviedo) or 407-706-6004 (Winter Springs).

Azure at The Shores Resort and Spa at Daytona Beach

Ricky Ly
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Azure at The Shores Resort and Spa at Daytona Beach
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Do you ever want to get away from town for a while and take a short vacation away from home? It’s nice to have the beautiful beaches of the east and west coasts of Florida just an hour or so away from us here in Orlando (though we often forget). I grew up in West Palm Beach my whole life, with the beach only a few minutes drive away but it wasn’t until after moving away to Orlando for college did I understand how much I took the beaches for granted.

I was recently invited to visit The Shorts Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida (a winner of Orlando Sentinel’s Best Bets Awards for Best Hotel) to try out the menu at their on-site restaurant Azure as well as take in the ocean views at their hotel. Home to the Daytona 500 and the Daytona International Speedway, Bike Week, and Biketoberfest, Daytona Beach is only about an hour away after zipping along I-4 and getting off at I-95. The beaches in Daytona are famed for their wide stretches of smooth, compacted sand, attracting automobile and motorcycle races beginning in 1902 and eventually leading to the founding of NASCAR.

The Shores was originally built as the Hilton hotel in 1971. In 2004 when the hurricanes came and took down pretty much most of Central Florida, the Hilton building suffered as well. Soon the Hilton hotel moved down the street to another location and The Shores was founded at the location after a total renovation.

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Inside The Shores Resort and Spa

With the distinction of being the only AAA Four-Diamond luxury beachfront hotel in Daytona Beach, The Shores Resort and Spa definitely brings great service and luxury to every aspect of its operations, including their restaurant Azure tucked inconspicuously on the first floor near the back of the building with extra seating on the Atlantic beach front.

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Inside Azure

At dinner at the Azure, our waiter Todd was knowledgable, attentive, courteous and genuine, pretty much everything you could hope for in a waiter. He gave us several recommendations which all were spot on this night. We began with the Sweet Corn and Crab Chowder, made with blue crab, sweet potato crisps, slices of tortillas, and some of the crispiest, sweet corn in a bowl. The Steamed Middle Neck Clams dish came in a sweet, rich pinot grio white wine and butter sauce, topped with fresh tarragon, and fresh tomato and provided a wonderful sauce to dip the house bread into.

For a salad, I chose the Fried Green Tomato & Feta Cheese salad made with breaded, buttermilk marinated fried green tomatoes, feta cheese, organic field greens, olives, cracked pepper and topped with a bourbon molasses vinaigrette. The fried green tomatoes were tart and delicious. My partner chose the Baby Arugula & Sliced Crisp Pear salad with sweet pecans and a white balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

For the main course, Todd recommended to me the Caribbean Grilled Cobia, a white fish served with coconut rice, lemon garlic spinach, and a carrot citrus butter sauce. The dish was fantastic and immediately brought me back to the time I spent on the island of St Maarten in the Caribbean with its very fresh fish. The cobia was light and flavorful and the coconut rice, butter sauce, and lemon garlic spinach all melded beautifully together in my palate.

My partner chose the Atlantic Seafood Etouffee a cajun dish made with shrimp, scallops, fresh catch, and crawfish tail with steamed jasmine rice. Having visited New Orleans on multiple occasions and having etouffee as one of my favorite dishes from that region, I tend to have a prejudice when I meet other etouffee creations, judging it against the freshness and rich flavors of the roux in the etouffees found in the Big Easy. The Atlantic Seafood Etouffee, I found, was a spot on Cajun creation, filled with all the tastes and authentic textures and ingredients I had remembered before, and yet also adding its own touch on the classic with the fresh seafood from the Atlantic.

For dessert, we chose the always popular Brownie Mudslide, a delicious warm chocolate brownie, with kahlúa and bailey’s ice cream, topped with toasted pecans and a caramel sauce.

After dinner, you can take a stroll down to one of the many oceanside firepits set up and enjoy the sweet simple pleasure of seaside S’mores, made with your traditional graham crackers, toasty marshmallows and warm gooey chocolate. The s’mores, the fire pit, and the crashing waves near by all made for a very beautiful night.

After some rest in the hotel, when the sunrises, you can really see why the Shores is a popular place for weddings and meeting events. The view of the Atlantic is just breathtaking.

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Sunrise at Daytona Beach from The Shores

In the morning, the Azure restaurant serves up breakfast daily. I ordered the Stone Roasted Eggs made with two eggs cooked on a stone pan (supposedly it gives it some added grill flavor), roasted tomatoes, garlic spinach,parmesan cheese, and toast. My partner ordered the Crab Cake Benedict, a dish made with two poached eggs on blue crab cakes with hollandaise sauce and hash browns.

All in all, it really surprised me that Azure was so unknown before, tucked away like any good hidden secret, on the beautiful shores of the Atlantic beach and away from visitors’ knowledge. I hope more people find out about this place soon here at Azure, inside The Shores Resort and Spa, as it has some of the best dishes you can find here in Central Florida and I would definitely go back just to try these dishes again alone, not to mention the fantastic seaside views and amenities at The Shores. Check it out soon !

Azure on Urbanspoon

For more information, visit The Shores Resort and Spa –  2637 South Atlantic Avenue Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118 (Tel) 386.767.7350 – http://www.shoresresort.com/



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Sweet Corn and Crab Chowder


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Steamed Middle Neck Clams in pinot grio white wine and butter sauce


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Baby Arugula and Sliced Crisp Pear salad


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Fried Green Tomato and Feta Cheese salad


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Caribbean Grilled Cobia with coconut rice and lemon garlic spinach


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Atlantic Seafood Etouffee




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Brownie Mudslide




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The firepits for S’mores at The Shores




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Banquet room at The Shores






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Stone Roasted Eggs with spinach and roasted tomatoes






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Crab Cake Benedict


New 4Rivers Smokehouse open in Longwood with The Sweet Shop in-house bakery

Ricky Ly
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New 4Rivers Smokehouse open in Longwood with The Sweet Shop in-house bakery
The third location of 4 Rivers Smokehouse is now open in Longwood, Florida at 1855 West State Road 434, Suite 230.  Located about 7 miles northeast of the flagship smokehouse on Fairbanks Avenue, the Longwood space can be found in the IOA shopping center and measures more than six times the size of the Winter Park location and nearly three times the size their Winter Garden location. 


Exclusive to this location, 4 Rivers Smokehouse launched “The Sweet Shop,” an in-house bakery helmed by Executive Pastry Chef, Amanda Eubanks. The all-things-sweet storefront offers breakfast pastries and desserts along with a full ice-creamery.  

The Sweet Shop will offer over-sized signature chocolate chip cookies, piled-high layer cakes, creative takes on whoopee pies and homemade pies made with vodka-infused crusts such items like Potato Chip Cupcakes with soda frosting; Texas Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars and Chocolate Oreo Whoopee Pies.


Keeping to their Texas-rustic design approach, the Sweet Shop offers vintage, Southern hospitality with a playful throwback to a country-style malt shop.  Check it out today!



The Food Truck Bazaar at Fashion Square Mall December 18!

Ricky Ly
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The Food Truck Bazaar
December 18, 2011
5-9pm
Fashion Square Mall (behind Dillards)
Bring chairs, tables, tents. Family friendly. No cost for parking or admission. 

Yum-Mi Sandwiches Orlando serves up some tasty banh mi

Ricky Ly
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Yum-Mi Sandwiches Orlando serves up some tasty banh mi
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There’s a new banh mi shop in town, complete with new bar seats and tables and modern lighting. Where Ba Le bakery once sat, a new and trendy sandwich shop now occupies in its place, completely remodeled on the inside and out with a fresh new look.

yum-mì sandwiches focuses on bringing a modern twist to the traditional Vietnamese banh mi. The Phans (sisters Linda and Rosa, and brother David) all UCF alumni, came together with a passion for the Vietnamese culture to share their food with the community. Growing up they always talked about having a business together (they come from a family with roots in the restaurant business a la Pho 88 down the street). This common love of food inspired them to create Yum-mi sandwiches.

Having upbringings in a Vietnamese family, the Phan’s inspirations came from the traditional flavors  acquired growing up and with an open mind for the cultural diversity surrounding the Orlando area. Most of the prices range from $2.75 to $7.95, very affordable.

“It was very exciting for us to come together and see our dreams come to life. The most challenging obstacle was to target the right audience while staying true to our Vietnamese roots. When we were younger, we noticed our friends were always hesitant to go into some of the traditional sub shops. So we wanted to create a place that was more inviting to the young crowd while still satisfying our traditional Vietnamese customers.” explained Linda Phan.

“We serve the traditional banh mi dac biet which is different cold cuts served on a French bread spread with pate and top with cucumber, cilantro, pickled daikon and carrots and jalapeños with splash of soy sauce, but also have yum mi specialities like the V.P. which is our version of Vietnamese philly steak n cheese with two fried eggs on top,” Rosa Phan added.

Some other must try’s also include the Lost Tofu (made with lemongrass spiced tofu)for the vegetarians out there and their custom fresh fruit boba tea freezers. The bread is baked fresh on the premises each day as well.

On a recent visit, I admired the new digs at yum-mi and ordered a VP with the two fried eggs and thit nuong (grilled beef) inside. The sandwich was filling and enjoyable and the eggs over easy oozing yolk onto my banh mi made my lunch divine. My friend had the Ms Piggy with pork belly, lettuce and tomato and noted that although it was a great banh mi, he wished that there was more meat to the sandwich. I think filling is a very important part to the banh mi, as the bread and the meat ratio has to be a respectable amount so that one does not overpower the other. I believe this will improve as time goes on. Overall, it was a fun trip to visit yum-mi and it is definitely a welcomed addition to the new banh mi landscape in Orlando.

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You can sit inside yum-mi sandwiches at the new bar stool area, watching the cars race by on the concrete paved Mills Avenue.
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Delicious Vietnamese street food: banh bao, steamed buns filled with pork and hard boiled egg.
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Mango-lychee freezer boba drink
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Miss Piggy: The Pork belly, tomatoes, and lettuce banh mi
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The VP – Vietnamese Philly with two eggs
PhotobucketYum-Mì Sandwiches on Urbanspoon

yummi sandwiches are yummy

The Capital Grille Fall Lunch and $18 3-item lunch menu

Ricky Ly
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Fall is in the air. As we get ready for the autumn harvest, many local restaurants are starting to bring out their new menus featuring fall squash, pumpkin, and other dishes in season. The Capital Grille recently invited me to check out their current fall lunch and share with our readers. Many visitors don’t realize that the Capital Grille is not just about awesome steaks, they have an awesome lunch menu as well. Check it out!

The Capital Grille Announces New Fall Flavors
on Their $18 3-Course Lunch Menu
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The Fall Lunch “Plates” menu kicked off on September 26, offering guests new customizable combinations of soup or salad, a sandwich and a side – all for $18. Guests of The Capital Grille can choose from nine “plates” offerings – three soups/salads, three sandwiches and three sides, including “Knife and Fork” BLT, creamy Porcini Bisque and Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberry Chutney.

“Our new Knife and Fork BLT adds a signature twist to this classic sandwich favorite. A generous portion of crisp bacon is paired with a Grana Padano Cheese Crisp and Heirloom Tomatoes on a bed of lettuce, topped with a unique black pepper and chive aioli,” notes Executive Chef Matthew Price. “We are also pleased to offer dishes made with seasonal vegetables like mushrooms and butternut squash. Our creamy Porcini Bisque captures the rich flavor of the mushrooms in a smooth, velvety soup. We added our special twist to Roasted Butternut Squash by pairing it with Cranberry Chutney for a balance of flavors that is sure to please.”

The Capital Grille also features traditional lunch menu favorites like French Onion Soup, The Grille’s Signature Cheeseburger, Ribeye Steak Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Havarti or the Lobster and Crab Burger, among other classics.

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Porcini bisque – Porcini mushrooms with chive oil, a creamy coffee-like taste rich in flavor sherry wine, one of my favorite new items on the menu at The Capital Grille lunch special!

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Clam chowder – chunks of potatoes and clams
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BLT Knife and Fork – Calorganics reds on the vine tomatoes, this is what tomatoes should taste like, fresh and real and full of flavor.
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Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberry Chutney

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Truffle Fries
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Lobster and Crab burger
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Fresh green beans
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Ribeye Steak Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Havarti

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Coconut Creme Pie

The Capital Grille is located at 9101 International Drive, Suite 1000. Reservations can be made by calling 407-370-4392 or by visiting www.TheCapitalGrille.com. In addition to its main dining room, The Capital Grille also features private dining rooms for up to 36 guests, as well as a Chef’s Table accommodating up to 10 guests, with a frontline view of the open kitchen. Chef is pleased to create special menus for private dining events.

NaraDeva Thai Restaurant in Orlando by Mall at Millenia

Ricky Ly
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NaraDeva Thai Restaurant in Orlando by Mall at Millenia
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Tucked away next to the Coliseum of Comics in a small plaza near the Mall at Millenia (next to the Super Target), NaraDeva Thai is truly a hidden gem. When you first walk into the restaurant (previously occupied by Bear Rock Cafe), you are immediately transported into a world resembling a wooden village in the jungles of Thailand. The decor is lush and earthy, with all the pieces hand picked by co-owner Tammy, a native of Thailand. Over the fireplace, a solemn statue of Buddha sits watching over the restaurant by the eastern wall.

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A Look inside NaraDeva Thai Restaurant
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Naradeva comes from the ancient Sanskrit word meaning “human being”, a ancient language that came to Thailand via India. The restaurant is a by-product of a beautiful love story spanning the world and over two decades. The owners of NaraDeva Thai restaurant, Tammy and Ali, originally met as students in Paris, and finally arriving here in Orlando, Florida.

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The owners graciously hosted a food blogger media event to showcase their dishes and items to our readers. The waitresses and staff were all excellent and kind and the food was delightful. The menu, filled with authentic Thai dishes, is featured in English and in Thai for the native speakers out there.

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Steamed Dumplings ($5.95) at NaraDeva Thai

For appetizers, we began with the Steamed Dumplings ($5.95), steamed Gyoza Wrapper, filled with a seasoned pork mix, with garlic chives and shredded cabbage in sesame sauce, served with Sweet & Sour Soy Dip. The dumplings were soft and tender, and I particularly enjoyed the texture of the dumpling wrappers, made with a very thin, delicate skin.

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Chicken Curry Puffs : $ 5.95

Another favorite appetizer were the Chicken Curry Puffs ($5.95), home-made crunchy puff pastries filled with mildly spiced, curried chicken and potatoes

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Chicken Satay $7.95
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Shrimp Rolls ($7.95)
I really enjoyed the Shrimp Rolls ($7.95), crispy, fried whole shrimp wrapped with ground pork mix fried in a spring roll sheet and with a sweet Thai chili dipping sauce.
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Crunchy Shrimp Salad $ 13.95, made with crunchy battered shrimps, on a bed of mixed vegetable salad, drizzled with House Recipe tangy Thai Salad Cream
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Spicy Beef Salad $ 13.95
The large plate of Spicy Beef Salad $ 13.95, made with slices of grilled Beef Steak, tossed in spicy & sour salad sauce, with cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro was fresh, filling, and healthy.
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Thai Red BBQ Fried Rice $ 12.95, a Fried Rice with B.B.Q. pork, eggs and chopped scallions. This dish is one of the most popular dishes at NaraDeva and I can see why; The bbq is sweet and salty, the fried rice is flavorful and rich, unlike any other fried rice that you would find normally.
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Battered Prawns in Sweet Tamarind Sauce $ 19.95, crunchy battered prawns, sautéed in Sweet Tamarind Sauce served on a bed of Steamed broccoli, cauliflower & carrots
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Classic Combo: Coconut Pandan Rice with Thai Jerky (Beef) and Papaya Salad $ 16.95
Steamed Jasmine Rice in Coconut milk with a subtle blend of Pandan Leaf fragrance, served with Thai Jerky (beef). I thought the pandan coconut rice was very unique in its flavor, a sweet and aromatic taste. The dish was very large, reminding me of those rice and beans and pork dishes you could get at the local lechonera. The beef here is fried and served with some fish sauce I believe, making it a tad bit on the salty side.
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Crispy Duck $ 19.95, boneless Duck, lightly battered, deep fried until crispy served with your choice of sauce. This duck was truly crispy, fried, and delightful.
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Deep-Fried Whole Snapper with choice of sweet chili, sweet and sour sauce $ 28.95 – $ 34.95
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Soft shell crab served with a yellow curry sauce $ 19.95
Thai Desserts
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Thai Coconut Cream Custard $3.95, steamed coconut cream and rice flour custard pudding in mini cups. This dessert reminded me of the ones my mom used to make growing up, very simple yet touching.
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Thai Doughnuts with Pandan Coconut Custard Dip $ 4.95.  The pandan coconut custard dip really brought out this dish, made with the aromas of the pandan, a fragrant leaf found in south east Asia.
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Sticky Rice with Sweet Taro Stuffing $ 4.95
Steamed and served wrapped in banana leaf, with Coconut Cream Sauce dip
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Black Sticky Rice with Coconut in Palm Sugar Caramel Topping $ 4.95
Black Sticky Rice with Shredded Coconut in Palm Sugar Caramel topping, topped with Coconut Cream Sauce
Overall, I was very impressed with the large array of dishes, authentic and unique, to Thailand that NaraDeva Thai has to offer. My favorites of the night included the crispy duck, the Thai Red BBQ Fried Rice, Crunchy Shrimp salad, and all of the wonderful Thai desserts! I would definitely check this place out again and try more of their menu items.
Hours
Everyday
11:00am – 9:30pm
Address
4696 Millenia Plaza Way
Orlando, FL 32839
(407) 903-0300
naradevathai@yahoo.com
www.naradevathai.com
http://facebook.com/naradevathai
NaraDeva Thai Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Random Deals – Hershey’s Halloween Assorted Snack Size, 50-Piece, 26.7-Ounce Bags (Pack of 2)

Ricky Ly
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0

on Amazon today here: http://amzn.to/tYARb2 (More candies available in the link)

Lake Nona Food Truck Bazaar presented by TheDailyCity.com

Ricky Ly
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2

This Sunday Oct 30th 2011
TheDailyCity.com is bringing the Food Truck Bazaar to the Lake Nona area for the very first time!

Location: CrossPointe Church Orlando, 11002 Lake Hart Dr., Orlando, FL 32832.


View Larger Map
The church is having a (free) Fall Festival as well there. Too much fun! 4:30-8pm.

Know Before You Go
1. Expect to wait in long lines. While the food is delicious, it does not come fast. Why? Its not fast food. These are restaurants on wheels. Plan to wait. And please note: we (The Daily City) have no control over the speed at which the lines move. The food trucks themselves control that.
2. Some trucks will run out of food. This can happen even while you’re waiting in line and if you show up to the event too late.
3. Bring chairs, tables, tents: think tailgating. If you want to sit down while in line or while eating, bring a chair.
4. Many of the trucks have loud lawn mower-sounding generators attached to them. With 15 – 20 trucks in one spot, it can get pretty noisy. You’ve been warned.
5. Most trucks now take credit cards, but sometimes the credit card machines (these days which are now ipads and iphones!) can break down, so bring cash. Ones and fives (not tens and twenties) are VERY welcome by the vendors.

TRUCKS (ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE)
Dinner Trucks: C&S; Brisket Bus, Firehouse BBQ, Melissa’s Chicken & Waffles, Winter Park Fish Co., Tastebuds Catering, Dandelion Vegan Truck, The Crooked Spoon, The Mobile Deli (Korean), The Pupusas Truck, Korean BBQ Taco Box, The Travelling Gourmet, Big Wheel Provisions, Treehouse Truck, The Gator Truck. Dessert Trucks: Yum Yum Cupcake Truck, The Batter Bowl, Sunset Italian Ice, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, The Crepe Company, Gastrotruck

LAKE NONA SCHEDULE 5-9pm
Oct 30 | CrossPointe Church Orlando*
Nov 19 | CrossPointe Church*
Dec 17 | CrossPointe Church*

*11002 Lake Hart Dr., Orlando, FL 32832


http://www.myfoxorlando.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=8705

The Big Easy – Winter Garden – Who Dat stirrin’ up some New Orleans cajun dishes in Winter Garden?

Ricky Ly
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The Big Easy – Winter Garden – Who Dat stirrin’ up some New Orleans cajun dishes in Winter Garden?

The Big Easy

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Winter Garden is coming up in the Central Florida foodie scene. Despite being far west of Orlando in western Orange County, many new restaurants have been popping up in this once sleepy area of town. Most recently, Four Rivers Smokehouse BBQ restaurant established a western outpost of their highly popular barbecue restaurant replete with indoor dining out here in Winter Garden.

The Big Easy is a new authentic New Orleans-style cajun “home-cookin'” restaurant located in Winter Garden, serving up some real mighty fine dishes from the heart of Louisiana country. Inside The Big Easy, memorabilia such as gold and purple beads, newspaper clippings, dolls, and umbrellas hang along the walls, all symbolizing the good times found in New Orleans. Vibrant purple and yellow walls frame the interior. Brass band and jazz music is the soundtrack to The Big Easy, and I even caught myself tapping my foot to the beat once or twice.

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Authentic New Orleans cajun cooking is hard to find here in Central Florida. There are plenty of imitators but very few originators. Many times in the places I have visited, the spices and flavors are missing or the ingredients are too processed. Not the case here at The Big Easy, the food is the real deal and made from scratch on the premises.

We start with the Cajun Crab Dip ($8.99) a creamy dip made with cheese and crab and served with a toasted baguette. The crab dip is full of wonderful spices and flavors that delight the taste buds, and is definitely a great start to this culinary journey into the Louisiana low country. If the crab dip isn’t your flavor for appetizer, you can try the alligator bites, shrimp poppers, praline kahlua brie, or the nawlins seafood sampler filled fried oysters, shrimp and crawfish with a side of homemade remoulade sauce.

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Cajun Crab Dip ($8.99)


We also ordered a cup of the chicken and sausage gumbo ($4.99 for 8 oz cup) , a flavorful dish made with fresh chicken, sausage, rice and a lovely, hearty broth.

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chicken and sausage gumbo ($4.99 for 8 oz cup) 

For my entree, I choose Estrelle’s Crawfish Etoufee ($12.99). Étouffée or etouffee (pronounced: [e.tu.fe]) is a dish found in both Cajun and creole cuisine typically served with shellfish over rice. The base of an étouffée is a dark roux which should be dark brown. Onions, green peppers and celery are added to the roux. The étouffée is usually seasoned with cayenne pepper, paprika, white pepper, fresh garlic, fresh parsley, salt, and perhaps even a host of other seasonings. The dish is usually mounted with butter for richness and then served with white rice cooked in seafood stock. At The Big Easy, Estrelle’s Crawfish Etoufee has a certain kick to it, reminded me of the fond memories from my trips to New Orleans and the fine cajun food I experienced there. Its all about the spices and The Big Easy does it right! One thing that I noticed however, was that the rice was a bit dry on my visit and could have been a bit more fresh. The etoufee was still amazing despite this, and the crawfish and roux mingled in a wonderful dance in my mouth. Awesome.

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Estrelle’s Crawfish Etoufee ($12.99)



A friend ordered the Louisiana Low Country Shrimp and Grits ($12.99), a heaping of lovely grits topped with shrimp and a thick sun dried tomato alfredo sauce on top. A truly decadent dish that was thoroughly enjoyed at the table. We also ordered the popular Grandma’s Jambalaya ($9.99), made with andouille sausage, chicken, caramelized vegetables, spices, and all mixed with rice.

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Louisiana Low Country Shrimp and Grits ($12.99)

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Grandma’s Jambalaya ($9.99) with cornbread



The Big Easy also serves a large variety of various po boy sandwiches (oyster, shrimp, etc), muffuletta, and burgers, including a famous Turkey burger.

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Wife’s Famous Turkey Burger

The staff here is wonderful; our waitress is attentive and genuine, coming back often to check up on us during our meal. Featuring all the authentic New Orleans down-home country cajun cooking that you can hope to find in Central Florida, The Big Easy should be on every’s list to try this fall!

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The Big Easy Restaurant
Website: http://facebook.com/whodatbigeasy
Address:
15502 Stoneybrook West Pkwy Ste 120, Winter Garden, FL 34787
Phone: 407-654-3279

The Big Easy on Urbanspoon

Omni Resort Championsgate – New Cocktails at the Bar!

Ricky Ly
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Omni Resort Championsgate – New Cocktails at the Bar!
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A mysterious e-mail arrives in my inbox one autumn day. An invitation to visit the illustrious Omni Resort Hotel at Championsgate, just outside of Orlando a few exits south of Disney World on Interstate-4. The reason? To try out some new drink menu items on their bar menu and be whisked away for a mini-staycation at the hotel. Hmm…I thought…this sounds enticing…

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On that pre-arranged date, ten strangers assembled on the steps of the lobby of the Omni Hotel, greeted by Ms. Jackie of the Zimmerman Agency, the ever smiling Mrs. Kelly Burnett (Follow her official Omni Resorts twitter here @kdburnett), Director of Leisure Sales for the Omni Orlando resort, and Mr. Mel, head of food and beverage at the hotel. Some of the guests this evening come from Orlando Style magazine, Orange Appeal, and local blogs like ourselves and our friends at MEGAYUMMO.

All of it seemed too much like out of a summer mystery novel to me: strangers meeting at a hotel, invited by a unknown mysterious host, having a delightful time, a lovely overnight stay…only to awaken in the morning to find out one of the guests has mysteriously disappeared overnight and the whole hotel is locked down while an old detective with a checkered past is brought in to figure out the crime and solve the mystery.

Luckily for us, things did not require a detective in the morning. Things actually went quite smoothly and relaxing.

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A beautiful view of the family pool and the golf course at Omni Resort at Championsgate

First off, the drinks. Omni Hotel has a nice little bar area on the left of the lobby near Zen restaurant where a piano player is set up for light enjoyable piano music. Here, the bartenders have assembled a presentation area where they whip out the latest “organic” and “local” creations from Omni resorts including the Sweet Honey Dew Foam made of Monin pure can syrup, Highland pepper, Berry ron-dezvous, Southern Basil Smash, and New Age Juleps. My favorite of the evening was the Berry Ron-dezvous, a very sweet yet also very potent mixed drink that packs a punch right after the unassuming sweetness settles in.

Below are the recipes for the new drinks at Omni Resort at Championsgate.

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Sweet Honeydew Foam
(topping for the New Age Julep Recipe)
Ingredients:
8oz Orange Juice
4oz Monin Pure Cane Syrup
2oz Organic Pasteurized Egg Whites
Method: 
1. Pour ingredients directly into iSi Gourmet Whip Plus Canister* 2. Place the lid on and screw tightly 3. Screw on the CO2 cartridge, you should hear a hissing noise during this
step 4. Shake the canister well 5. Completely invert the canister upside down 6. Last, pour the foam at the side of the glass and top your cocktail
*an iSi canister is also known as a whipping cream bottle/canister
Highland Pepper
Glass: Highball Method: Muddle/Shake & Fine Strain
Ingredients: 1 each Jalapeno Slice
Muddle above ingredients
1each Dash of Celery Bitters
1.5 oz Patrón Silver
.75 oz Fresh Squeezed Florida Grapefruit Juice
.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.75 oz Monin Agave Nectar
Shake above ingredients with ice
Garnish: Fine Strain over Ice
Jalapeno Slice Grapefruit Wheel
Southern Basil Smash
Glass: Rocks Method: Muddle/Shake & Fine Strain
Ingredients:
2 each Fresh Strawberries (hulled & sliced)
3 each Basil Leaves
Muddle above ingredients
1.5 oz Woodford Reserve
.5 oz Cointreau
.5 oz Dry Sack Sherry
.5 oz Monin Pure Cane Syrup
.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
Garnish: Fine strain over ice
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Berry Ron-dezvous
Glass: Martini Method: Shake with ice & fine strain
Ingredients: 
2 each Fresh Blackberries
4 each Fresh Raspberries
Muddle above ingredients
1.5 oz Bacardi Superior
.5 oz Grand Marnier
.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5 oz Monin Pure Cane Syrup
Garnish: Fresh Blackberries
Glass: Rocks Method: Muddle/Shake
New Age Juleps
Ingredients: 8 each Mint Leaves
Muddle above ingredients
1.5 oz Absolut Vodka
.75 oz Plymouth Gin
.75 oz Monin Honey Sweetener
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
Shake above ingredients with ice Strain without ice
Garnish: Top with Mint Sprig
Sweet Orange Foam

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After the presentation, we were treated to a very amazing dinner at David’s Club, a kind of relaxed pub type restaurant inside Omni hotel, best known for their steaks. Right next door is Zen, a fusion Chinese pan-Asian restaurant, whose dishes were also presented that evening. My favorites included the Chinese style barbeque spare ribs, the Zen roll, and the Florida sushi roll from Zen as well as the short rib ossobucco from David’s Club. All in all, the food was magnificent and the company was great.
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Zen Restaurant  – Pan Asian cuisine


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Seafood Bird nest

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The Chinese style bbq spareribs – must try!

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Lobster Tempura

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Amazing, fresh sushi rolls


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Short rib ossobucco

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The Lamb chops 

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Swordfish steak


In the morning, we ventured out into the Trevi restaurant, traditionally a Italian restaurant, but also a breakfast spot in the morning where they have a full blown breakfast buffet as well as select specialty menu items such as the french toast, eggs benedict, etc.

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Trevi’s 

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French toast

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Bacon, bacon, bacooonnn

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Salami cuts and charcuterie


Omni Resort at Championsgate is pretty much all you could ask for in a staycation trip: great food, a nice little lazy river to lounge in, a huge pool for the family, and a giant golf course, all within 30-45 minute drive from downtown Orlando. You definitely feel at peace at this place and away from all the noise and traffic of the City Beautiful. Check it out some time if you can!

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Luxury and relaxation.
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Lazy river at the Omni
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For more information visit:
Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate
1500 Masters Blvd
ChampionsGate, Florida 33896
Phone: (407) 390-6664, Fax: (407) 390-6600
http://www.omnihotels.com/findahotel/orlandochampionsgate.aspx
Special thanks to the good people at Omni Resorts, Kelly and Mel, and Jackie of the Zimmerman Agency for setting up this beautiful event! And to the great staff at Omni resorts for doing such a fine job in hospitality and guest services.

Zen Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Trevi's on Urbanspoon

Longhorn Steakhouse Special Dinner for Two for $29.99! and Giveaway!

Ricky Ly
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Longhorn Steakhouse Special Dinner for Two for $29.99! and Giveaway!

Longhorn Steakhouse, which has recently been going under construction to get a new facelift to their older structures and is a member of the Darden Restaurant Group, has come out with a new special.

This fall, Longhorn recently introduced a new three course dinner for two menu special for $29.99

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Menu Specials

 

Steakhouse Dinner for Two $29.99

Start with two fresh salads, then choose two entrees from 7 expertly grilled options.
Round out your meal by sharing one of our appetizers or a dessert. All for only $29.99 for two.
Available for a limited time

 logo d-dinner-for-two-dpv

 

 

LongHorn’s Full Three-Course Steakhouse Dinner for 2 for Only $29.99!

Choice of one salad per person:

Mixed Green Salad
Caesar Salad
Choice of one entrée per person:

Bacon Wrapped Sirloin 8 oz
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
LongHorn Salmon
Renegade Sirloin 8 oz
Spinach Feta Chicken
Redrock Shrimp
New Garlic Portabella Sirloin 8 oz
Choose one appetizer or dessert:

Wild West Shrimp
Parmesan Crusted Asparagus
Spinach Dip
Firecracker Chicken Wraps
Chocolate Stampede
Mountain Top Cheesecake
Ultimate Brownie Sundae

 

LongHorn Steakhouse was founded in 1981 by George McKerrow, Jr. and his father. McKerrow was a former manager at “Steak and Ale”. The first location, originally called LongHorn Steaks Restaurant & Saloon, opened on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a former antique store then a porn peep show place. The walls were still painted black and some of the booths were divided by recycled black partitions. He filled it with steer heads and western paraphernalia. The Longhorn featured top quality steaks grilled in a butter sauce.

longhorn-steakhouse-steakhouse-dinner-for-two-large-8

It was across from a very popular restaurant, Harrison’s on Peachtree. Harrison’s was the favorite hang out of Atlanta Journal and Constitution columnist Ron Hudspeth and Lewis Grizzard. Hudspeth regularly featured quotes from “Pete the barkeep” at Harrison’s. Harrison’s had a very limited bar menu. So regulars ventured over to the Longhorn for a quality steak after a night of drinking. However, in January 1982, a sudden snow storm that became known as SnowJam 82, trapped the area’s commuter population within the city limits and McKerrow offered $1 drinks and menu specials to the stranded motorists. Hudspeth featured it in his column. A legend was born. This helped turn the struggling restaurant around.

By 1990, the franchise expanded further south. It primarily has locations throughout the Eastern United States. It also has a few locations in the Midwest, Southwest, and Puerto Rico.[citation needed]

In August 2007, LongHorn Steakhouse, formerly owned and operated by RARE Hospitality International Inc., was purchased by Darden Restaurants, Inc.

75946 Carousel Promo 15_1

he restaurant is best known for serving various kinds of steak, including its “Flo’s Filet”. In addition to steak, the menu also includes: ribs, chicken, salmon, lobster, shrimp, and salads. Appetizers include their “Texas Tonion” and “Wild West Shrimp”; and side dishes are also served. The restaurant offers a full bar with draft and bottled beer, wine, and several signature margaritas. A lunch menu that includes soups, salads, sandwiches, and hamburgers is available.

 

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