Save the Dates – Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic returns Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 12 2022

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic is slated for Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 12, including the interactive food and beverage seminars, which return this year for the first time since 2019. The Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic treats guests to a street party festival with unlimited tastings of culinary selections from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants plus bottomless wine, beer, and beverage samplings from around the world.  Details: Save the Dates – Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic returns Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 12 2022

Proudly Sponsored by:
Tabla Indian Cuisine

Labor Day Weekend – Local Orlando Foodie Specials – 2022

JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes Resort

Kick off your Labor Day weekend by imbibing like Hemingway with JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes and Café La Trova, one of North America’s 50 Best Bars, for an exclusive “Havana Nights” pop-up cocktail experience. Sponsored by Bacardi, the cocktail menu features drinks true to early 20^th century Cuba, like the Daiquiri Clasico, Mojito Criollo and more. Each drink is handmade by the Café La Trova team, using the “cantinero” style of bartending with quick handwork and theatrical shaking. Hosted in the recently renovated EvrBar at JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, transport yourself to the shores of Havana with tropical décor, live music and a menu of Cuban-inspired small bites.

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Returns – Now thru Oct 2, 2022 – plus a Restaurant Checklist!

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining returns Aug. 26 – Oct. 3 with 102 restaurants offering three-course, prix-fixe dinner menus for $40.

Celebrating its 17th year, the popular annual dining program supports area restaurants and donates one dollar from every meal served to a local nonprofit organization.

This year’s roster brings 16 restaurants new to Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, as well as six restaurants recently recognized by the MICHELIN Guide. Menus are now live at OrlandoMagicalDining.com, along with the opportunity to book reservations and explore hotel offers as part of Visit Orlando’s Magical Nights. Additional menus and hotel deals will be added in the coming weeks.


Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Returns – Now thru Oct 2, 2022 – plus a Restaurant Checklist!

 

Inside Look: The Aardvark with Owner Emmie Olivecrona

Have you heard about the Aardvark – the SoDo District neighborhood convenience store that turned into a true neighborhood Florida gulf coastal-inspired gastropub with some of the finest seafood and burgers in Orlando? 

Aardvark Beverage’s story goes back over 30+ years, starting as a local convenience store. In early 2020, new ownership changed to a full service restaurant – a true gastropub. With the new ownership under Emmie Olivecrona, came new inspiration and a new menu with everything made in-house and sourced locally as much as possible – They source their brioche bread from Douce France Bakery in Winter Garden and fly in their po boy bread  from New Orleans twice a week.

The Aardvark also offers a selection of sparkling, champagne , white, & red wine with hand selections from around the world. Beer lovers rejoice – there is also a rotating lineup of 22 beers  on tap, many regionally sourced, and over 200 different beers offered in bottles or cans to enjoy in the restaurant or to take home.
 

For those brunch lovers, there is also a fantastic Brunch – Saturday, Sunday & Monday -10 am – 4 pm featuring $15 Unlimited Mimosas per Entree and frozen drinks.

We recently got a chance to interview owner Emmie Olivecrona – who smokes all the fish dip and smoked items in house her self – and got some insight behind The Aardvark.

‘EDOBOY’ Standing Sushi Bar is Opening Soon in Orlando’s Mills 50 District

Orlando’s First Standing Sushi Bar Opening September 2022, Soft Open begins July 28th
 

If you have been to Tokyo, then you may well know about the particular type of sushi bar where people – usually busy businessmen and women about their day – dine on sushi while standing around a square shaped bar. It’s usually affordable and of course delicious, yet casual. 

Edoboy is 8 person standing sushi bar opening soon right here in Orlando where guests order 12 pieces max of nigiri, torched nigiri, and hand rolls a la carte directly with the chefs, who serve the sushi piece by piece. 

Sean “Sonny” Nguyen, owner of Orlando favorites Domu (Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022) and Tori Tori (Michelin-Recommended 2022), and Chef Tyler have been creating the Edoboy menu for over a year, while developing ways to modernize the tradition of Japanese standing sushi bars that cater to Orlando’s burgeoning Mills50 food scene.

Now Open: Brazas Chicken - Avalon Park in East Orlando

Have you heard about the new Brazas Chicken in downtown Avalon Park in East Orlando featuring Peruvian style rotisserie chicken  , ceviche  , chaufa fried rice  and more? Peruvian cuisine is one of my favorites in all the world - blending together rich ancient Latin American traditions with recent immigrants from China and Japan - you can see the influences come together in chau fa (literally fried rice) and ceviche, which features sliced fish in lemon juice and herbs. Founded by Avalon Park resident and Peruvian native, Franco Del Solar, Brazas Chicken - which has been open in South Orange in Orlando since 2006 - recently opened their newest location in East Orlando in downtown Avalon Park. “I have called Avalon Park home for over a decade and I am proud to continue to expand in this community and bring a little bit of my home culture to my American home,” says Franco. “We love what we do and that’s all that matters. Good food. Good service.”

Inside Look: The Chef and I – Chef’s Tasting Menu – Thursdays thru Saturdays in Orlando

The Chef and I is one of my favorite new restaurants here in Orlando – and one of the reasons why is their very fun and absolutely delightful Chef’s Tasting Menu experiences. The Chef and I’s husband and wife team Executive Chef Chris Rains and Erica Rains with Chef de Cuisine Michael Morrison really know how to make some very creative and tasty dishes. For some background – Chef Morrison is formerly Head Chef of Loretta Keller’s Famed Coco500 & Executive Chef of Hiro Sone’s Michelin Starred Ame in SF. He serves alongside Sous Chef Travis Chasteen.

The Chef’s Tasting Menu at The Chef and I counter

Grab a seat at the chef’s counter at The Chef and I for a memorable chef’s tasting menu experience, while watching the action live at your seat.

How it works – this meal really puts together The Chef and I – you choose on the menu your “featured” ingredient – say egg, or beef, or chicken – and the chef creates a dish based on that main ingredient and what is in season. Choose one, or two, or three dishes or feel free to go “all in” and pick all the dishes – It’s a fun take on the traditional omakase where everything is left up to the chef – but here it’s up to both The Chef and I.

Available during dinner service — Thursday, Friday, Saturday dinner service till 9pm only

Make future reservations by calling 321-328-5521!

Victoria and Albert’s at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa Re-Opens July 28th, 2022

Those looking to indulge in elegant cuisine and timeless opulence can do so once again at  Victoria & Albert’s – the culinary crown jewel of Walt Disney World Resort. This signature dining experience at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa recently made its momentous return July 28, 2022.
details: Victoria and Albert’s at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa Re-Opens July 28th, 2022