By Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com on Mar 29, 2017 08:52 am
This month I was honored by the Orlando Sentinel and Food Editor Lauren Delgado by being inducted into the Orlando Sentinel’s Culinary Hall of Fame for 2017, its 10th class. I joined many other great local figures in our culinary industry and am just humbled to have been awarded. We started TastyChomps.com in 2008, almost 10 years ago, and it has been nothing but a joy and pleasure to share stories about our local food scene. Here is to another 10 years ahead!
As the child of Vietnamese refugees, Ricky Ly grew up surrounded by food, the center of almost every celebration or festival.
The civil engineer decided to flex his more creative side and promote Orlando’s burgeoning culinary scene by starting the Tasty Chomps food blog in 2008.
His first post? A review of a now-closed local, family-owned Indian restaurant near the University of Central Florida.
“I really was inspired to help spread the word about food, restaurants, cuisines and cultures that are not typically heard of,” said the 31-year-old Orlando resident.
Since then, Ly has become an expert on the Orlando restaurant scene. He has led fellow food writers on culinary adventures, written “The Food Lovers’ Guide to Orlando” and been featured on ABC’s “The Chew.” He also started the Orlando Foodie Forum, a Facebook group for food lovers to share their experiences at Central Florida restaurants.
Tasty Chomps isn’t alone in its growth — the Orlando food scene has developed, as well. Orlando’s diversity is what makes the city so different, Ly said.
“I take it with pride to be able to share a little bit of Orlando wherever I go, whatever I do.”
By Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com on Mar 28, 2017 01:38 pm
Inspired by the culture and tradition of authentic Spanish cuisine, husband-and-wife duo Vassilis and Katerina Coumbaros, Tapa Toro at I-Drive 360 features tapas-style dining, a full-service bar and Flamenco dancing.
The restaurant leads with a 12-seat paella pit serving up family-style paella, a traditional Spanish dish made of rice, vegetables, and meat or seafood.
We recently chatted with Chef Wendy Lopez of Tapa Toro about her inspiration and her favorite eats.
Tell us about yourself!
Chef Wendy Lopez: I’m from Michoacan, Mexico, and I have been cooking since I was little. I received formal training at Le Cordon Bleu here in Orlando. I began my career at the Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Windermere, then later I became a sous chef under Certified Master Chef Russell Scott.
I’ve been with Tapa Toro since we first open. I’ve had the chance to create a really unique menu that combines traditional Spanish dishes with contemporary flavors and presentations that are unexpected, but still accessible, for Orlando foodies.
Where did you get your inspiration to cook?
My family. Both of my parents were restaurateurs, so I have been playing around in professional kitchens since I was three years old. I also think my Mexican culture has something to do with my passion for cooking. In my culture, we wake up thinking about what we are going to eat that day and plan our whole day around it.
Favorite first memories of food?
My first memory of food is eating rabbit for the first time — and loving it!
Every afternoon, me and my brother would come home from school, wash our hands and eat what Mom cooked us. One day when I was about eight, we were eating something our Mom told us was chicken, but it did not taste like chicken. Me and my brother looked at each other thinking, “What’s going on here? This isn’t chicken!” Finally (after some begging and pleading) she told us what we were eating was actually rabbit. She didn’t want to scare us. But it was quite the opposite, we both loved it. After that we requested rabbit all the time. Recently, when I hosted a Chef’s Table at Tapa Toro, I prepared a duck à l’orange — which was a tribute to my mom’s rabbit à l’orange recipe.
Another favorite food memory is trying oysters for the first time in St. Augustine. I was a little older — about 12 years old. My brother and I wanted to try oysters. My mom insisted that we weren’t going to like them, but we tried them and ended up eating 30 oysters each. I thought they were so refreshing and tasty.
We were always curious about food and wanted to try everything.
Best Dishes to Try at the Restaurant?
When you come to Tapa Toro, you have to try the paella. I’ve worked very hard to perfect it and it’s what we are best-known for. (Don’t ask me for the secret recipe!)
My favorite dish on the menu (besides the paella) is the stuffed piquillo peppers.
It’s the one tapa where you take a single bite and taste so many different, incredible flavors. Spanish cuisine has many influences, including Morocco and the Mediterranean.
The Moroccan spices and the Greek Yogurt sauce in the piquillos best describes my eclectic style of cooking and Tapa Toro’s contemporary take on traditional Spanish.
What is one dish you would make for yourself to eat after a long day in the kitchen?
Every day I go home and I make tacos. (You can really tell I’m from Mexico!) I probably eat tacos at least six days a week. Tacos with queso fresco and refried beans are such a comfort food for me. Growing up, beans were always cooking in a room, somewhere.
That comfort that comes from the smell and that taste of tacos has stuck with me since I was little.
Favorite local Orlando places to dine?
When I go out, I love to eat Asian food because it’s so different from my day-to-day. Shin Jung Korean BBQ on Colonial Drive is one of my favorites because the meat is so full of flavor. If I’m in the mood for pho, House of Pho on John Young & Sand Lake is my go-to spot. I love the people at Thai Thani on International Drive because I joke that no spice is too hot for me, so they try to make me cry with how spicy they prepare my food… But it’s still never too hot for me to handle!
DINING NEWS: Tapa Toro and the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye are teaming for Tapas Before Take-Off, a new dining package. Now Orlando residents and visitors can enjoy a three course prix fixe meal and complimentary drink at Tapa Toro, plus a ticket to ride the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye for the low, all-inclusive price of $49.95, including tax and gratuity. (Tickets to ride retail for $25.) For more info, visit http://tapatoro.restaurant/tapas-before-take-off/
Easter
Tapa Toro (I-Drive 360, 8441 International Dr) Enjoy an Easter brunch buffet with Spanish flair, flamenco dancers & DJ from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Buffet is $35 per adult and $15 per child. Add bottomless mimosas and sangria for $15. Reservations required.
Taverna Opa (Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Dr) Free glass of house wine with purchase of any lamb entrée. Traditional Greek entertainment all day.
Mother’s Day
Tapa Toro (I-Drive 360, 8441 International Dr) Mom drinks free during a special Spanish-style brunch buffet with live entertainment from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Complimentary bottomless mimosas and sangria available with purchase of adult buffet. $35 per adult and $15 per child.
Taverna Opa (Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Dr) Mom eats free on Mother’s Day with family-style menu for four. One offer per party. Traditional Greek entertainment all day.
Father’s Day
Tapa Toro (I-Drive 360, 8441 International Dr) Enjoy an all-you-can-eat steak & chorizo paella special. Meal includes chicharrones and flan. Plus dad drinks a free 20oz beer with purchase. Paella special is $30 per person.
Taverna Opa (Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Dr) Dad eats free on Father’s Day with family-style menu for four. One offer per party. Traditional Greek entertainment all day.
By Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com on Mar 26, 2017 11:19 pm
“Women in the Kitchen: A Celebration at Lake Meadow” will celebrate and support the James Beard Foundation’s work in advancing women in the culinary industry. This seated four-course dinner takes place on the beautiful grounds of Lake Meadow Naturals farm and will feature food from James Beard Foundation Award-winning women chefs and restaurateurs from across the country.
The Women in Culinary Leadership is an accelerated, learning-by-doing mentorship program. Offered under the auspices of the James Beard Foundation, WCL gives women with a background in hospitality or the culinary arts and at least two years of relevant work experience a chance to work with top industry leaders and build in-depth skills in the kitchen or in restaurant management and hospitality. The James Beard Foundation is committed to correcting the gender imbalance in the restaurant/culinary industry by cultivating, training, and supporting women throughout their professional careers.
This event proudly supports the James Beard Foundation’s Women Entrepreneur Leadership Program, an annual fellowship for a class of women to attend an entrepreneurship and leadership training program developed with and hosted at Babson College. Curriculum will address basic business and finance concerns, provide gender-specific training and skill development, provide access to top mentors in the field, and provide ongoing support to participants.
Host Chef:
JBF Award Nominee Kathleen Blake (The Rusty Spoon, Orlando)
Participating Chefs:
Paula DaSilva (Artisan Beach House, Miami)
Katharine Elder (Elderslie Farm, Bramble Café, Valley Center)
Adrienne Grenier (3030 Ocean, Fort Lauderdale)
JBF Award Winner Melissa Kelly (Primo, Rockland)
JBF Award Winner and Board Chair Emily Luchetti (The Cavalier, Leo’s Oyster Bar, Marlowe, and The Park Tavern, San Francisco)
2012 Atlanta Rising Star Whitney Otawka (Cumberland Island), JBF Award Nominee
JBF Award Nominee Jennifer Puccio (Marlowe, Park Tavern, The Cavalier, San Francisco)
JBF Award Winner Anne Quatrano (Bacchanalia, Star Provisions, Floataway Cafe, Little Bacch, W.H. Stiles Fish Camp, SUMMERLAND, Atlanta)
Gloriann Rivera (1921 by Norman Van Aken, Mount Dora)
Music by Beth McKee.
DATE AND TIME
Sun, April 23, 2017
3:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT
LOCATION
Lake Meadow Naturals
10000 Mark Adam Road
Ocoee, FL 34761
We spoke to Chef Kathleen Blake of The Rusty Spoon (who was recently nominated for a James Beard Award for Best Chef of the South) about the upcoming benefit dinner.
1. How did this team of amazing wonderful chefs come together for this dinner?
I invited them! I spent 36 hours in San Francisco cooking for the first fundraiser for this program. The program is the first of its kind geared to those of us that are seasoned in our careers. I wanted to keep the momentum going. Some are chefs I met along the way, some I have worked for or with and all INSPIRE me!
2. What are some challenges you have faced in the culinary world as a woman and how did you overcome them?
Being taken seriously, I still get, “Can I speak to a Manager or the Owner”, and raising a family. I just did it, as far as the family part! I chose my bosses carefully and worked in the type of restaurants where I knew I would learn the most. As far as being taken seriously, I just smile and say, “That’s ME!”!
3. What advice do you have to young women who wish to go into the culinary field?
Do the research! Don’t job hop, look for chefs that provide you with great ingredients, a structured atmosphere, and challenge you to taste and try!! Be fearless about starting at the bottom! It takes TALENT to multitask and an educated palette to get seasoning on point.
4. What are some dishes that might be featured at the dinner (I know it is a little early!)
Melissa Kelly, PRIMO, will be doing pasta. Anne Quatrano, Bacchanalia, StarProvisions, FloatAway, WH Stiles Fish Camp, Little Bacch, SUMMERLAND, will be doing a delish fish crudo. Paula DaSilva and Adrienne Greiner are teaming up for the Hor d’oeuvres and Emily Luchetti, on dessert. Of course there will be lots of eggs from Lake Meadow!
5. Chef Kathleen, you recently were nominated for the James Beard Award – how do you feel about this and what do you think makes your food stand out?
YAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!! It just affirms my philosophy of cooking within the seasons and buying as much local, thoughtfully grown and responsibly sourced ingredients as possible. They require minimal manipulation and that flavor stands out! Also, Central Florida deserves recognition for all the great dining options – so many talented chefs and so many ingredients right here!
6. What are your most popular dishes right now at The Rusty Spoon?
Always the stuffed deviled eggs, the crudité’s, the “55” and the fresh pastas. We have a Chef’s Whim that changes daily – Today, Lake Meadow Pork Hocks, tomorrow, Florida Softshell crabs arrive!
7. What do you cook for yourself when you are looking for “comfort food”, say after a long day at work?
EGGS! I’m also obsessed with an Indian comfort food, kitchari (a dish made with rice and lentils_ right now.
By Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com on Mar 26, 2017 11:04 pm
In celebration of “National Paella Day,” the chefs at Spanish Winter Park restaurant Bulla (“boo-ya”) Gastrobar will prepare a massive paella on the restaurant’s patio during its Happy Hour. Guests will have the opportunity to observe how the paella is made and will receive free samples to enjoy out on the patio, which will be decked out in festive décor.
The restaurant will feature a special market menu all week long that will include a variety of paellas, including Paella Valenciana, which stems from the east coast of Spain and is believed to be the original paella recipe.
The special market menu will be featuring the following:
ARROZ CON LECHE
Bomba rice, fresh farm vanilla infused cream, air carrot-orange cake, caramel crusted confit, peach tartar
Bulla, which is Spanish slang for “chatter,” celebrates the beauty of tapas-style dining and handcrafted cocktails in an energetic and vibrant atmosphere. Known for its Paella, Huevos “Bulla” and Sangria, Bulla prides itself on its authentic Spanish cuisine with an artisanal twist.
WHEN:
Monday, March 27, 2017
5 – 7 p.m.
WHERE:
Bulla Gastrobar
Winter Park, Fla. 32789
For more information, please visit www.bullagastrobar.com. Follow Bulla Gastrobar on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bullagastrobar and on Instagram @BullaGastrobar.
By Ricky Ly of TastyChomps.com on Mar 26, 2017 12:44 pm
Bulla Gastrobar is a new restaurant in Winter Park inspired by the most popular tapas restaurants in Spain. Bulla (pronounced boo-ya), which is slang for chatter and what people are talking about, and is led by Bulla Gastrobar Executive Chef Miguel Rebolledo. The sleek and modern restaurant is a bustling, high energy place where friends go to meet up for a drink and to share in good company and good food.
According to his official biography, Chef Miguel Rebolledo “brings his extensive culinary experience, talents and unending love for Spain to Bulla Gastrobar. While Rebolledo’s seaside upbringing naturally leads him to fresh ingredients like seafood, vegetables, and rice, his stints with contemporary chefs have created a constant desire to experiment. After attending culinary school and learning traditional recipes, Chef Miguel Rebolledo improved his techniques at one of Spain’s most famous restaurants, El Bulli, under Chef Ferran Adria. In that position, Rebolledo cooked with some of the biggest names in the industry, for some of the most important people in the world including royalty.”
We recently spoke to Chef Rebolledo via e-mail about his experiences and inspiration who was at first inspired to cook by his family.
He told us, “I started to help my father to cook at 6 years old, I used help him with the paellas every Sunday in summer, and we would also in winter cook rosquillas, traditional dessert like donuts.”
Some of his favorite childhood memories involved Christmastime, when his home was like a tasting – “We started with cured meats and cheeses, cold seafood , and then some fried stuff, like lamb brains or croquetas, more seafood but this time in sauce, like clams in green sauce, then fish , monkfish, spanish hake…then a meat, always baby lamb, and finally an assortment of desserts”
When he worked at Bulli in Spain, “it was at first a dream, and then working in el Bulli with the Adrias brothers changed my life, my vision of the way we cook, the way we understand the food, technique, and I can say it changed the way I see my life.”
Some of the elements of El Bulli that he brings to Bulla Gastrobar include his vision of how they cook, totally respect to the products, and high standard in quality.
One of Rebolledo’s signature dishes is “Huevos Bulla,” made with eggs, homemade potato chips, Serrano ham, potato foam and truffle oil. The dish is mixed at the table.
On Tues., March 21, The World’s Largest Wine Dinner took place simultaneously across all 244 Carrabba’s restaurants in celebration of its new wine menu. In a single evening, this four-course wine pairing dinner featured:
7,000 guests
4,000 uncorked bottles of wine
28,000 dishes
The dinner consisted of selections from the restaurant’s new wine list, which features 42 distinctive wines curated by Carrabba’s sommelier Brittany Deloach. The list includes three new varietals, four new appellations, pairing suggestions and flavor profiles for each varietal to guide guests.
“Our guests love to explore new and exclusive dining experiences, and there’s no better way to celebrate the spectacular new selections on our wine list than by gathering together for the World’s Largest Wine Dinner,” said Carrabba’s sommelier Brittany Deloach. “We want to inspire guests to try new wines but – even better – we hope they will be inspired to try new dishes, as well.”
For $40 per person, guests of the World’s Largest Wine Dinner experienced a four-course menu featuring made-from-scratch dishes created by head chef Jay Smith with Deloach’s hand-selected wine pairings, including: Chloe Pinot Grigio (Italy), Pieropan Soave (Italy), Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) and Joel Gott Zinfandel (Calif.).
The grilled eggplant and hazelnut-crusted goat cheese added a nice touch to the common greens of the Insalata Fiorucci. This course paired well with the Chloe Pinot Grigio from Northern Italy. This wine is classically crisp and refreshing.
The pasta has a wonderful spicy touch from the Italian peppers in this Calabrian Cavatappi. The basil is a nice touch with the creamy burrata. You can never go wrong with creamy burrata present. This dish is paired with Pieropan Soave from Italy. The wine dates back to the early 1800s and balances well with the spices of the dish.
Veal Marsala is topped with mushrooms that were slightly more salty than desired. However, the veal itself is very tender and seasoned well. Paired with the Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California to emphasize finesse and balance, but it matches well with the veal and Lombardo Marsala wine sauce.
The Tuscan-grilled sirloin is topped with mushrooms and the Lombardo Marsala wine sauce similar to the veal. It is made medium, but can be adjusted according to your desires. This dish is also paired with the Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California.
Sogno Di Cioccolata “Chocolate Dream” is a rich fudge brownie with chocolate mousse, fresh whipped cream and chocolate sauce. The colder this dish is, the better it will be. The Joel Gott Zinfandel from California was smooth and matched with the dessert. This Zinfandel is not as bold as the Cabernet Sauvignon.
While the World’s Largest Wine Dinner is the official launch of the new wine menu, Carrabba’s will continue to introduce its new wine offering through a limited-time collection of Food & Wine Festival menu features, including:
Interesting Gems – New, seasonal selections that allow guests to experience new and notable wines, some of which are exclusive to Carrabba’s; the first edition features Pieropan Soave (Italy) and CasaSmith Barbera (Washington).
Festival of Wine Flights – This wine-tasting experience allows guests to explore wines from around the world paired with a small plate. Guests choose from three flights.
Signature Pairings – A special menu section that provides wine-pairing recommendations for Carrabba’s made-from-scratch entrées.
Although this event has passed, many wine dinner events are to come at Carrabba’s Italian Grill for your enjoyment.
