Fall means three things in Orlando; cooler weather, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, and Orlando’s Magical Dining Month. Mr. Forkful and I gear up for Magical Dining by making a list and checking it twice like it’s foodie Christmas. This year, Orlando’s Magical Dining month includes more than 60 participating restaurants serving three courses […]
Restaurants
Vespr Craft Coffee & Allures in Waterford Lakes
VESPR Meet Edd Siu, the owner and creative mind behind Vespr Craft Coffee & Allures. He is continuing the tradition of a social gathering place around ethically obtained, sustainable coffees and teas. All coffees and teas served at Vespr are Fair Trade, so farmers are guaranteed a minimum price directly from importers for their product. The […]
Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster 20th Anniversary
My top three unforgettable, melt-in-my-mouth protein experiences in Orlando so far are the Duck Sous Vide at Ravenous Pig, The Capital Grille Pointe Orlando’s Porterhouse Steak, and Christner’s Filet Mignon. Last month Del Frisco’s celebrated their twentieth anniversary and relaunched as Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster. Christner’s re-introduced itself with an anniversary charity event, the […]
The Dessert Lady in Doctor Phillips Eat Tweet Party
MEET PATTI The Dessert Lady, Ms. Patti Schmidt, has always had epic confections at her bakeries — every cake is moist, popping with flavor, and topped with the creamiest of frostings. No chalky fondant here, frosting fans! Orlando has seen two Dessert Lady locations close, but one re-opened late last year on Restaurant Row in […]
2013 Florida Film Festival Hosts Cask & Larder Whole Cookery Feast
One of the runaway culinary hits from last year continues to be Cask & Larder Southern Public House. The Ravenous Pig team, Chefs James and Julie Petrakis and Chef Dennis Bernard, not only deliver unforgettable nose-to-tail eats and desserts made from regionally sourced ingredients, but Brewmaster John Raike also throws down with some mighty ales, […]
Siro Urban Italian Kitchen in Lake Buena Vista
Tucked away in the back corner of the Marriott World Resort lobby is Orlando’s newest Italian restaurant helmed by Chef Greg Picard and Chef Anthony Burdo. The casual, open layout with rustic wood-top tables and warm lighting was inviting. The long table layered from end-to-end with antipasti and dark wood full-service bar didn’t hurt either. […]
Miss Elaine’s at Lake Lily Farmers’ Market
Somehow, I almost forgot that triumphant sense of waking up early enough on a Sunday morning for a farmers’ market. Sure, it was an hour and a half before the end of the market that day, but I was determined. (My idea of early on a weekend doesn’t really jive with the norm.) The farmers’ […]
Cask & Larder in Winter Park
After an exciting and exhausting 2012, nothing could wrap up the year better than a trip to the Chefs James and Julie Petrakis’ (The Ravenous Pig, Greens & Grille) Orlando tribute to Southern cuisine and craft beers, Cask & Larder. Adam and I pulled a late-night run weeks after their grand opening, and we were thrilled by their late […]
Pho 88 Vietnamese Restaurant in Mills 50 District
Cold night, hot pho — you can’t go wrong with hot pho. The made-from-scratch broth can be beef, chicken, or fish-based and should be boiled for the better part of day. Think of the difference between mom’s homemade soup and two-minute bouillon-based ramen. Big difference, right? Pho 88 is a no-frills, family-owned Vietnamese pho place […]
Quick Bite: Epcot Canadian Beers
Not all the Festival beers are at the Canada Marketplace. Le Cellier features Sapporo Holdings Limited’s Unibroue ales from Chambly in Quebec, Canada, on their menu year-round. Once a year, three of those beers come out to play at the Canadian popcorn wagon. Once these Unibroue brews are gone from the wagon, they will only be […]