Tasty Chomps' Orlando Food Blog

• Armature Works – Heights Public Market – Tampa
• Romantic weekend getaway at Streamsong Resort
• Plant-Based Beyond Burger at Burgerfi – Beyond Meat
• MidiCi Kissimmee collaborates with 8 Orlando foodies to create pizzas for charities

Armature Works – Heights Public Market – Tampa

This may be the first time I am jealous of Tampa in my adult life.

Just opened on Thursday, February 1, Armature Works at the Heights is revitalizing the historic Tampa Heights neighborhood. It’s got a huge food hall called the Heights Public Market, comparable to the ones you may see in big cities like New York or San Francisco.

With its unobstructed view of the Hillsborough River, the $16.5 million redeveloped historic structure which once housed the city’s trolleys, has been reinvented as a community destination with innovative eateries, Heights Public Market, reimagined event spaces and an exclusive coworking space.

It features multiple events venues, a 13,000-square-foot co-working space, the Southern-inspired full-service restaurant Steelbach and Heights Public Market, a market-style food hall that brings together 14 new food vendors to Tampa Heights.

Nearby, Ulele and the Hall on Franklin have opened within walking distance of the Heights in recent years.

These are the 14 concepts that are open or will open in the public market:

• Ava, wood-fired pizza restaurant
• Astro Ice Cream Co.
• Zukku, which serves Sushi, burritos and bowls
• Butcher BBQ, which will also provide meats for Steelbach
• Cru Cellars, which features organic wines
• Cocina Taqueria
• Fine & Dandy Emporium, the official Armature Works bar with craft cocktails, beer and wine
• Graze 1910, which serves breakfast, brunch and dinner all day – think modern American diner
• Hemingway’s, which serves Cuban cuisine, sandwiches and breakfast
• Ichicoro Imoto Ramen
• Inside the Box, Metropolitan Ministries’ salad and sandwich concept
• Surf and Turf truck.com, which will be the first vendor in a rotating three-month lease stall
• Swami Juice, acai bowls and cold-pressed juices
• Union Coffee and Tea by Commune + Co., pressure brew, full espresso bar, drip coffee

ARMATURE WORKS – 1910 N Ola Ave, Tampa, FL 33602 – http://armatureworks.com/

Check out the photos by our friend Don Nguyen – you can follow him at https://www.instagram.com/thekitchensource/

Romantic weekend getaway at Streamsong Resort

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost, Road Not Traveled

This is Florida’s best kept secret.  Streamsong Resort is nestled in Fort Meade, FL (2 hours from Orlando) and is a hidden gem, literally and figuratively.  This 5-year old resort stretches out to 16,000 acres and the land was formerly used for mining phosphate also known as P2O5, which became the name of one of their restaurants.

The resort is breathtaking, the food was so good – the best I’ve ever had in my entire life, the customer service is top-notch, and nature really did its job. Out of all the assignments I’ve done for Tasty Chomps, this one was my favorite.

Thank you Diana & Michelle from The Zimmerman Agency for hosting us! We all had an amazing time and we couldn’t have asked for a better weekend escape.  Everything was perfection.

Preserved Megalodon shark teeth that were all found on Streamsong Resort’s  property.

The one-of-a-kind/state of the art infrastructure at Streamsong Resort attracts bountiful of visitors, however, you won’t find any of them lounging around the main lobby on a sunny day.  You can find them outside utilizing three of the country’s top luxury golf courses, bass fishing on the serene lakes, shooting sporting clays, practicing archery, going on a walk on their nature trail, dining at one of the five casual or fine dining restaurants, sunbathing at the lakeside infinity pool, or getting pampered at the AcquaPietra – the resort’s European-style grotto spa that looks like elephant legs dipped in an ocean. The healing pools has various temperatures from warm to ice-cold. The wet sauna was my favorite because it was a heated steam room that had cold water running down from a shower head… It was a pretty exhilarating experience feeling two sensations at once.  Streamsong Resort has a lot of offer on and off-site. My room alone came with a beautiful view, free Wi-Fi, complimentary bites from The Zimmerman Agency, a Keurig machine, a mini-fridge, two televisions, a therapeutic shower and a mini-library of literary classics… perfect for a rainy day.

The view from my room.  Serene lakes and streams offer best-in-class bass fishing.

Outdoor pursuits include sporting clays, archery, nature trails and a lakeside infinity pool.

The intimate haven features 228 spacious, modern guest rooms; 25,000 sq. ft. of flexible conference and function space, with distinctive outdoor venues.

Plant-Based Beyond Burger at Burgerfi – Beyond Meat

BurgerFi is one of the country’s fastest-growing, award-winning gourmet burger joints. They brought on The Beyond Burger as a response to the growing mainstream demand for plant-based protein.

BurgerFi offers The Beyond Burger in two ways: a more traditional style burger with onions, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese, or a vegan green style either wrapped in lettuce or served on a vegan bun.

The Beyond Burger is “plant-based” burger, which uses beet juice to “bleed,” and is made of peas. It also packs 20 g of plant-based protein and has no GMOs, soy or gluten. The beets used in the beyond burgers give the patty a red-meat appearance have led some in the media to remark that the burger “bleeds” beet blood.

Overall, the burger was surprisingly delicious – and I would definitely order it again. A wonderful alternative to meat-based burgers, without the red meat guilt, but with all the great tastes and textures.

For those meat eating friends, there’s still the regular burgers and Kobe beef hot dogs to try!

Locations:
4100 N Alafaya Trail #125-131, Orlando, FL 32826
538 S Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
4750 The Grove Dr, Windermere, FL 34786

www.burgerfi.com

MidiCi Kissimmee collaborates with 8 Orlando foodies to create pizzas for charities

Can you believe that this time last year, MidiCi Kissimmee was firing up their wood fired Italian ovens for the first time?  We enjoyed attending their fun media tasting and devouring fantastic appetizers, authentic Neapolitan pizzas and custom menu offerings to celebrate their one year anniversary and also learn more about their February pizza drive for charity.

To give back to the local community after the success of their first year of business, MidiCi Kissimmee invited 8 local foodies to create a unique pizza to reflect their personality and food preferences using a wide variety of fresh, natural, high quality ingredients (which include gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options).  Their pizza creations are available for all guests to order through the month of February and $2 per pizza sold will be donated to their charity of choice.  Charities include Give Kids The World Village, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida, St. Jude, Wounded Warriors Project, All About The Cats and Serenities Grace.  “It warms my heart that people love to come to MidiCi to celebrate.  We are proud to provide an authentic Neapolitan pizza experience using high quality ingredients, many imported from Italy such as our flour, olive oil, tomato sauce and prosciutto, and cooked in our wood fired Italian ovens.  We are so excited to be collaborating with some of Orlando’s finest foodies to give back to the community. Their pizza creations were inventive and showcase the variety of ingredients we offer,” said owner Troy Renfrow.

The eight Orlando foodies participating include:

Annie Alvarez of AnnieAtoZ.com (@AnnieAtoZ) supports Wounded Warriors Project with her pizza creation.  She started with the Truffle Neapolitan Pizza topped with truffle cream, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and added ricotta cheese, and fresh sliced Prosciutto di San Daniele after it’s baked.

Anna-MarieWalsh of BeautyandTheBeets.com (@Beautyandthebeets) supports It’s All About The Cats with her pizza creation. She started with the Classic Margherita Neapolitan pizza topped with Italian tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and added fresh grape tomatoes, garlic and a balsamic glaze swirl after it’s baked. She was inspired by a classic Bruschetta appetizer.

Carolina Gabrova of JanelaParaOrlando.com (@JanelaParaOrlando @WindowToOrlando) supports Give Kids The World with her pizza creation.  She went for an all cheese classic topped with Italian tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, truffle cheese, and goat cheese.

Lisa Samples of LifeWithLisa.com (@LisaSamples) supports Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida with her pizza creation. She started with a white Bianca classic Neapolitan pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, oregano, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and added garlic spinach, truffle cheese and mushrooms.

Wanda Lopez of MySweetZepol.com (@MySweetZepol) supports St. Jude with her pizza creation. She started with the Classic Margherita Neapolitan pizza using Gluten Free crust, topped with Italian tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and added homemade spicy pork sausage made with fennel and spicy peppers, tri-color bell peppers, and red onion.  She was inspired by her Puerto Rican heritage.

Silvia Cerviof NoLimitsbySilviaCervi.com (@silcervi) supports Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida with her Brazilian inspired pizza creation. She started with the Classic Margherita Neapolitan pizza topped with Italian tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and added red onion, black olives, Applewood Smoked Bacon and hard boiled egg.

Suzy Farmar of SoozieTheFoodie.com (@SoozieTheFoodie) supports Serenities Grace with her pizza creation. She started with the Truffle Neapolitan Pizza topped with truffle cream, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and added roasted pepper, chicken, spinach garlic, truffle cheese and Prosciutto di San Daniele before baking.

Andrew Heaberlin of OrlandoTastes.com (@TastesofOrlando) supports Give Kids The World with his pizza creation. He started with the Classic Margherita Neapolitan pizza topped with Italian tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, freshbasil, extra virgin olive oil and added Applewood Smoked Bacon, Sun-dried tomatoes and red onions.

Appetizers:

Burrata Caprese – burrata, arugula, grape tomatoes, Italian vinaigrette dressing, housemade pesto, extra virgin olive oil

Burrata with Melon and Prosciutto – burrata, melon, prosciutto, extra virgin olive oil

House Meat and Cheese plate – black truffle cheese (sottocenere al tartufo), goat cheese, parmigiano-reggiano, rosemary ham (cotto), prosciutto, spicy Italian salami (calabrese).  Served with mustard, kalamata olives, dried apricots, dates, walnuts and honey

House Meat Board – prosciutto, spicy Italian salami (calabrese), Neapolitan salami, rosemary ham (cotto). served with mustard and kalamata olives

Melon and Prosciutto

Pepperoni Pizza with hidden Mickey.  It is not something they do normally although if a guest asks, they are always happy to accommodate.

The Italian – seasonal greens, romaine lettuce, Neapolitan salami, bell peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, kalamata olives, parmesan, crushed croutons, Italian vinaigrette dressing

Purple Kale & Ricotta Salad – purple kale, baby spinach, ricotta, dates, parmigiano-reggiano, mustard vinaigrette dressing

House Made Meatballs with Fresh Mozzarella – angus beef, fresh mozzarella, Italian marinara sauce, parmesan, basil

Seasoning bar

Dessert

Signature Nutella Calzone – Nutella®, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, balsamic reduction

Signature Nutella Calzone – Nutella®, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, balsamic reduction

Hazelnut and Vanilla gelato

Espresso

Hazelnut and Vanilla gelato + Espresso = Affogato, literally means “drowning”.

Special Offers:

House Cheese Board – black truffle cheese (sottocenere al tartufo), fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, gorgonzola, parmigiano-reggiano.  Served with dried apricots, dates, walnuts and honey.

#WineWednesday Wine and Cheese Special:
MidiCi Kissimmee believes in bringing friends together. Celebrate #WineWednesday with your favorite wine bottle from their list and receive a complimentary cheese board with every wine bottle purchase.

MidiCi means “You Tell Me.”  MidiCi Kissimmee offers a wide variety of toppings for guests to create their own pizza.  Share your special pizza creations on social media by using the hashtag #IHeartMidiCi for a chance to be featured and win weekly prizes, including restaurant gift certificates!

New Loyalty Rewards Program:
Guests are now able to sign up in store for our Loyalty Program to earn an immediate $5 reward and points good towards future purchases.

(Source credit: MidiCi Kissimmee)

Be sure to check out MidiCi Kissimmee soon for fresh, Neapolitan Pizza in Central Florida!  You will love this dreamy pizza establishment!

MidiCi Kissimmee
The Crosslands Shopping Center, across from The Fresh Market
720 Centerview Blvd Kissimmee, FL 34741
(407) 201-3824
http://mymidici.com

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