Corks & Forks

One of my favorite hang outs, Vines Grill and Wine Bar is still Fabulous!

2012-01-24T15:14:00.000-05:00

We haven’t been to Vines Grill and Wine Bar on Sand Lake Road since Father’s Day. Our friend, award winning bartender Travis Joiner, left to work on a consulting business. It was hard to go back without our old friend there. But we thought we would stop by to have a quick drink for Happy Hour and a few snacks from there still fabulous Happy Hour menu.

Veronica, and what I like to call the Kardashians (very pretty, young, “Kardashian” looking) bartenders, were super nice and attentive. The drinks were strong, tasty and delicious. Our HH appetizers were hot and fresh. I loved the little burgers; the buns are sweet and moist. The bacon and cheese has the perfect savory blend. Speaking of bacon; any place that puts bacon on the bar, is alright by me. You just can’t go wrong stopping in to Vines for a relaxing afternoon.

Also, Vines always attracts some local and not so local celebrities. Last year we met wrestler Ric Flair, The Nature Boy himself. The other night we ran into David Siegel, CEO and Founder of Westgate Resorts. David and his lovely wife Jackie were having dinner. My husband,Wes, being a former employee, went over to say Hi, shake hands, and thank him for the years and experiences he (and so many others in Orlando) got from their incredible organization.

One of our favorite servers, Stan (formerly of Flemings) is now at Vines. He was taking care of the Siegel’s party, but took a second to come over and say hi to us.

All and all, Vines is still the place to be on Sand Lake Road, even without Travis. We look forward to his new endeavors and we will return to Vines. Probably, again and again!

The Cheesecake Factory makes shopping even better!!

2012-01-21T12:20:00.001-05:00

It seems every time we go to the Mall at Millenia I have to swing into the Cheesecake Factory for lunch and a drink. I love the food and the atmosphere! It also doesn’t hurt that they have some of the best bartenders in Orlando. Not only are they friendly and make terrific drinks, they are super knowledgeable about the fabulous food. The place is always crowded and on a wait. You may have to push your way to a bar seat, but it’s all worth it. Matt, Jordan, Shannon, and Jeff are excellent bartenders and visiting with them always makes shopping a little more fun.

Matt creating fabulous drinks!

The menu is like a book. When talking about the food with others in your party, you often find yourself saying, “go to page 10.” Everything I have ever ordered is terrific. They have huge, fresh, and tasty salads. The burgers are some of the best in Orlando. Comfort food, strong drinks, and their famous cheesecake for dessert; how could you go wrong?

On our recent trip to the Cheesecake Factory, we chose to try some of the items off the new “SkinnyLicious” menu. The SkinnyLicious menu features nearly 50 delicious items that are all less than 590 calories. We started with Matt making us a fabulous martini and a fresh baked flatbread. The flatbread came out toasty and hot with melted ricotta, fontina, parmesan and romano cheeses and savory crumbled sausage. It was cut into four pieces, perfect to share and just enough for a starter, without getting super full.

Next I had the SkinnyLicious Soft Tacos. Matt said with were really good but I was surprised at how flavorful and fresh they were. Loaded with spicy grilled chicken, avocado, tomato, onions, cilantro and crema (which is a seasoned low fat sour cream) and severed with Spanish rice. They were terrific and light, perfect for a low calorie lunch.

My husband, Wes, chose the Cuban sandwich off the regular menu. We saw one come out for another guest and it looked so good he couldn’t help but to order one. It was very good. Fresh bread and melted cheese, savory pickles and meats went perfectly with a cool cocktail.

So if you are hungry after (or during) a day of shopping, stop in and see Matt and the other awesome bartenders at the Cheesecake Factory in the Mall at Millenia. Oh, and don’t forget to try one of their many amazing cheesecakes, they are fabulously good. Besides, it’s what they’re named for.

Disappointed in the service at the Peabody, but good food at Napa

2012-01-18T09:19:00.000-05:00

So many times I have seen the sign on Sand Lake Road for Rocks and Napa, the new bar and restaurant at the Peabody hotel on International Drive. After months of saying we have to go there, after seeing ads in Orlando Style magazine, and reading reviews on Scott Josephs web site (http://www.scottjosephorlando.com ), we finally picked an afternoon and went to lunch.

I made a reservation on Open Table, mostly due to the fact I love Open Table and think it is one of the best inventions and also because I am trying to bump up my points. A reservation was certainly not necessary for a week day lunch in the middle of summer.

I had never been to the Peabody, and as a long time Orlando resident (my dad was a construction worker who helped build it years ago) I have always thought it was one of our cooler luxury hotels, so I was pretty excited to be going inside. We pulled up to a very busy and crazy valet area. We sat, we got out of the car, we looked around, and we waited and waited. Not one of the many valet hosts wanted to help us. Did I mention it was busy and crazy? It was so awful we almost left. If I had been checking in or staying at this property, I would have been so upset that this was the way I was starting my vacation. Finally, someone walked by and we grabbed him to park our car. I did not feel good leaving my car in his hands or that this was going to be a good experience. There was no, “Where are you heading?” “Do you need directions to the restaurant?” “Have a nice day.” Nothing!

The interior of the hotel was beautiful and it was easy to find Napa. We walked up to one of three hostesses’ and a very empty restaurant. Napa is beautifully decorated with wood and soft colors. There are a lot of wine boxes and bottles used throughout the restaurant. As someone who loves wine; I liked it. I could not wait to see the wine list. A very nice and nervous server approached us, there was only one other table in the place and it was a party that had 3 or 4 kids and they sounded like a hundred. Thankfully they were finishing up so we would not have to hear that for long.

The wine list was varied with a good price range. We were happy with our selection BV Tapestry I think is was 2002. Our server could not open the wine, I am not sure why but a bartender came over to open it and he didn’t really know what he was doing. He almost broke the cork and didn’t present the bottle or have us taste it. I think she (the server) may have been too young but it could have been because she was so nervous. I hope that restaurant gets busier so they have more practice. I would have opened it myself if I knew they didn’t know how.

We ordered the Kobe Beef Hamburger with wild mushroom ragout, aged cheddar and truffle fries as well as Roasted and Smoked Capellini with blue crab. Both arrived promptly and were very good. The burger was cooked correctly, tasty and delicious. The Blue Crab Capellini was tender and sweet with a lot of great flavor. However, I don’t think either dish or service would warrant a return visit. It was a nice lunch, but I would have gone through less hassle and had better food and service at a number of Orlando establishments.

After lunch, we wandered up to Rocks bar that we see advertised everywhere as the ”new place to be“ ultra-lounge. It took a while for one of the three bartenders to decide who would be the lucky one to help us. That always makes you feel good when the staff has to argue about helping guests.

So we chatted for a while and had a drink. It is a very lovely area, low couches and tables, warm lighting and carpet, rich colors and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the pool. Unfortunately, the lack of guests and staff make it a place that I am not putting on my list to go back to any time soon.

Morton’s Franciscan Wine Event

2012-01-16T10:38:00.001-05:00

This past summer, we attended a terrific wine event at Morton’s. We don’t have a lot of wine events going on in the summer. People are traveling and it is hot, so there is not a lot of demand for events such as this. Usually we are all counting down the days for Disney’s Food and Wine fest or searching our emails for something fun to do.

That’s just what happened; I got an email from the fine folks at our local Morton’s, advertising a wine event for $60.00 including passed appetizers and a wine blending from Franciscan. I couldn’t recall if we had had Franciscan wine before, but it sounded fun.

We really like Morton’s and have been there many times. The location here in Orlando has been there forever. It’s a small place and you would miss it if you drove by. A low ceiling, dark wood, decorated with wine bottles and boxes. It is reminiscent of a supper club from back in the day.

As always, the service was exceptional. We were greeted promptly and warmly, and then led to a banquet style room on the far side of the dining room. There were three round tables for ten, set beautifully with many wine glasses on special mats. We were given a glass of Franciscan Chardonnay. It was super cold and crisp, and as someone who does not like chardonnay very much, I have to say it was wonderful. Not sweet or over powering, but clean and had a soft light fruitiness to it.

The passed appetizers started to roll in; mini filet mignon sandwiches, bruschetta with sliced beef, and crab cakes. All were amazing. The crab cakes, were essentially crab with a light something or another to keep it together. The bruschetta with sliced beef had a tasty horseradish mayonnaise and arugula. I have to say the filet mignon sandwiches were very memorable, they have them on the bar menu and they are perfect for a snack with a drink. I loved them.

The host asked everyone to have a seat and they began the wine tasting. Each place setting had 6 glasses on a place mat that was more like a map. There was also test tube looking thing in plastic to keep it sanitary. This was the strangest wine tasting I had been to so far.

Our hostess then explained that the “test tube” was used to blend the wine and we would be making our own mertiage. Fun! They poured different types of Franciscan wine in each glass and we used the tube to take a little from each and place in an empty to create a blend or mertiage similar to their own Magnificat.

It was a lot of fun with wine free flowing and some very interesting mixes being made. Everyone had a great time and really enjoyed the seminar.

Seasons 52 - Good as it used to be?

2012-01-06T11:56:00.000-05:00

I love Darden restaurants. I like that it is a company that was started in Central Florida. When I was in school for hospitality management, several of our instructors were consultants with them. I have had drinks with their former CEO/Founder, Joe Lee, many times. I remember China Coast on Highway 50 in Pines Hills fondly and wish it was a concept that stuck. I guess you can say; I am a fan.

I remember going to Seasons 52 on Sand Lake Road for the first time in 2003 and falling in love with it. Over the years I have made many wonderful memories of wine and food with good friends and family.

But in recent years, for me, it has grown to become much like Darden’s other concepts…”general”. By that, I mean I used to think everything was fantastic. I couldn’t wait for the new season menus or the new wine selections. The servers loved talking about the food and they genuinely seemed to like their job. The staff always remembered us and the food never disappointed. I learned about many wines due to the servers telling us about what they had and liked at the tasting before the restaurant opened for the day.

Now it is just the opposite. It’s like walking into any other place. Servers running stressed, the hostess have a glossy eyed look of confusion; the food is hit or miss. The new menus have one or two new seasonal items. The wine list has been condensed as to not overwhelm or confuse the guest. They even did away with the Reserve List.

That being said, yes, I still go back, longing for the early 2000’s Seasons 52. When we were the first and only, Seasons 52. I guess it was a honeymoon period. When everyone was so excited to invent and try new things, and of course, spend money.

We stopped by recently because I had received an email about the new winter menu. I was really happy to see the Venison Chop with truffle mashed potatoes on the menu. We actually sat at a table in the dining room, I stopped doing that for awhile and would only sit at bar booths. The server mentioned he had seen us in before but didn’t ask our name or introduces himself; I guess he was in a hurry.

We ordered the Shrimp Flatbread, mainly because we like it and they don’t have anything new and fun to try.

We had the Tom Eddy “Elodian” wine, one of George Miliotes, the sommelier’s selections. It was really good, we had never heard of it and it opened very nicely with dinner. I had the Venison Chop with truffle mashed potatoes and my husband had the lamb. Oddly, it came with truffle mashed potatoes as well. Everything arrived hot and correct. The food was well seasoned, but it was lacking some of the magic it used to have. I couldn’t even smell truffle in the truffle mash. The lamb and venison was delicious and tender. All in all, it was very good. I enjoyed the atmosphere and lighting in the dining room. It was before Christmas, so people were celebrating and relaxed.

I am still a fan. And with everything said and done, I will always love Seasons 52. I would recommend it to anyone. But I still miss and wish for the old magic it used to have.

Holiday Bruch at The Ravenous Pig

2012-01-05T13:28:00.000-05:00

I am obsessed with The Ravenous Pig. Every time they post something on Facebook, I insist we have to get over there for lunch or dinner. When I get there, I want to order everything on the menu, especially if it is a food I have never had or am unsure if I like it or not. I know that sounds insane, but I love to try things I have never had. I get nervous and then think I shouldn’t have ordered it, but I usually love it and it is the best thing on the table no one wanted to order.

Many months ago, they posted to make reservations for the Holiday Brunch. I love brunch so I made the reservation and forgot about it. Next thing you know it’s December and we are on our way to Brunch! Another exciting thing about this is; The Ravenous Pig is NEVER open on Sundays. (For some reason we always want to go there on a Sunday.)

The menu (brunch) is a three course pre-fix with 3 options for each course. A flight of champagne is available along with a full bar. We started with an optional basket of homemade pastries because we were super hungry. They were delicious! We realized we need to stop eating them because we each had three courses coming.

I started with a goat cheese pancake with some sort of sweet and sour mango, bacon, walnuts and whisky type syrup. It was to die for….yum! I wanted to lick the plate!

Next we had prosciutto Eggs Benedict. I love Eggs Benedict; it is one of my favorite breakfast items. I hate when the eggs are too done, but these were poached perfectly! The hollandaise sauce was perfectly creamy too.

My last course was Gouda grits with braised pastrami. I hate grits and was unsure if I liked pastrami. So I had to order it. I have to say; I like braised pastrami. It melted in my mouth. The saltiness of it worked magic on the Gouda grits and they were fabulous together.

We also had the chicken and waffles. The chicken and waffles were terrific, I had never had chicken and waffles together and I had always wanted to try it.

It was a lovely Holiday Brunch. I enjoyed every bite. I am looking forward to the winter menu and what new and fun things I can try.

Chef Aaron Sanchez at the House of Blues Orlando

2012-01-03T15:26:00.001-05:00

I should start by saying we love AMC movie theaters. We either go to the one at Universal City Walk or Downtown Disney. Seeing a movie usually begins with something to eat or drink while walking around the tourist area, saying how lucky we are to live here and do this as much as we want.

For awhile this past summer/fall we went to Universal City Walk more and more instead of Disney. We had grown bored with the menus and what the restaurants had to offer. Not that they have anything bad, we just seemed to find more of what we were looking for at Universal.

So before Christmas we ventured to Downtown Disney and headed to the House of Blues, figuring we would have the usual Voodoo Shrimp and Catfish Fingers, an old favorite, but nothing to write home about.

We were eagerly greeted by Brian, a bartender we know. Apparently, he had been wondering where we were and happy to see locals. On the way in I saw an A-frame sign announcing they had a new Chef. I recognized him for the food network, so I was pretty excited since I am one of the millions addicted to watching food all the time. Celebrity Chef Aaron Sanchez has revamped and reworked the tired old 1990’s menu all of the House of Blues' had before and brought them into the foodie future.

What surprised me was how excited and knowledgeable Brian was about the food. If I wasn’t already thrilled to try something, Brian definately put me over the top.

Chile Braised Short Ribs, Lobster Mac and Cheese, Street Tacos, and the Juicy Lucy Burger (a burger stuffed with cheese and jalapenos) are just some of the contemporary offerings.

We decided on some appetizers so we could try several things instead of two entrees. The Hand Stretched Grilled flatbreads are awesome. We had two, one with goat cheese and prosciutto and another with tomato and basil, as well as Seared Tuna Tostadas. Everything is fresh and delicious. All the ingredients tasted real and flavorful.

I know there are folks out there, especially locals that loved the Voodoo Shrimp etc….but I really think everyone will enjoy the new menu. I watched a lot of food come out and the portions are a good size, and everything was hot and fresh. Huge salads, fresh fish, sandwichs, burgers, wings, flatbreads, and tacos, it is just what Downtown Disney needed to stay on top of the game with Universal City Walk. Now if they can get someone to revamp Wolfgang Pucks we would be all set.

I can’t wait to go back and have the Juicy Lucy Burger; I haven’t stopped thinking about it!

Normans 8th Anniversary Dinner

2012-01-02T15:43:00.002-05:00

I love Norman’s at the Ritz-Carlton; it is one of my favorite restaurants in Orlando. I’m a huge fan of Norman Van Aiken and his cook books; so when we received an email invite to attend the 8th Anniversary of the opening of Norman’s at the Ritz-Carlton, I knew I had to go.

It was $175.00 per person and that included everything, the cocktail reception with open bar, all five courses with wine pairing, and cocktails, cigar and a DJ on the patio after dinner. All the courses were prepared by different Orlando chefs from local celebrated restaurants. The wines were pair by local celebrated sommeliers.

We were greeted by several hosts and hostesses upon arrival and given champagne. Throughout the foyer and bar area, servers were providing drinks, champagne, and passed hors devours. The hors devours were prepared by Chef Fernando Enriquez from Norman’s. I have to say, every single one I tasted was absolutely delicious. I had a Three Onion Custard Tart, Yuca Stuffed Crispy Shrimp, Foie Gras Mousse with Strawberry Jam and Aged Balsamic on a Brioche, Cuban Picadillo Empanadas and a Florida Goat Cheese Baguette with tomato conserve. I loved the Shrimp; it has a spicy and rich sauce that reminded me of a hummus. The Foie Gras Mouse was wonderful with Strawberry jam; I usually don’t care for Foie Gras but having it as mouse made it more palatable. My favorite was the Goat Cheese Baguette it went wonderfully with the champagne. The goat cheese was seasoned with herbs and piped of this tomato jam that was divine. The empanada was very doughy and lacked flavor, it almost seemed silly to have them compared to everything else they were serving.

Soon, we were all called to our tables, and they began to introduce all the chefs and sommeliers for the evening. They also had a marvelous piano player and signer. The singer was so good I thought for the first few songs it was a radio or piped in music! I never found out who it was.

The tables were beautifully set and decorated. The wine started flowing and the first course came out. I was not overly excited about the first course, mostly because it was Spanish Cappelletti and I thought…pasta. However, it was prepared by Chef Brandon McGlamery of Luma on Park, another one of my favorite restaurants. The wine was Etude Pinot Gris from sommelier Brian Koziol and I am not a fan of white wines. So I guess it was not off to a good start, in my mind anyway. But I was so wrong. The Cappelletti were amazing, melt in your mouth wonderfulness! They were stuffed with fabulous cheese, sprinkled with blue foot shrimp and shaved parmesan and golden raisin. I wanted to lick my bowl. The wine was crisp and light and complemented the entrée perfectly.

We were off to a good start. The next course came out and I thought it was salmon. I was looking forward to it because it was prepared by Chefs James and Julie Petrakis from the Ravenous Pig. But It was smoked Trout. The skin was perfectly crisped and the fish was cooked with a nice slight rare pink. It was on top of a white gazpacho, candied grapes, and cucumber relish with harissa oil. I did enjoyed but I am still surprised it was smoked trout it looked like salmon and tasted very yummy. The wine course was a Riesling, it was nice but not to memorable.

All in all it was a fabulous evening with excellent food and entertainment. I can't wait to go back and have dinner there again!

Time Goes By but I have been to several Excellent Places!

2010-05-12T11:25:00.000-04:00

Months have gone by and life gets crazy and I have been on many food and wine adventures. So many that I am going to do a short review of each.

Mother’s Day Brunch at Ocean Prime- Well it is one of my favorite restaurants but it was fun to go with a group who have never been there before. Everyone ordered off the Bruch menu which included King Crab Eggs Benedict, Filet Benedict, Lobster Eggs, French toast and Short Rib Hash. Everyone at the table had something different and the food did not disappoint. We also ordered a side of my favorite truffle mac and cheese. Yum.

Urban Flats on Sand Lake Road- I have mentioned before that I have an issue with the Urban Flats in the Winter Garden Village. But recently we had a problem with food there so we ventured off to the Sand Lake Road location for some drinks and flat breads. So much better!! First of all it is so pretty and open inside, much like downtown. The food was perfect. The new Pancetta and Gorgonzola flatbread is awesome, my new favorite, the spicy walnuts are fabulous.

Big Fin- So Big Fin is owned by the same folks that had Beluga in Winter Park. We walked over from Urban Flats so we came upon the back deck. I love eating on a nice patio when the weather is good. It is beautiful and fun to relax with a cold drink. We ordered the Swordfish and asked for the crabmeat like they used to at Beluga. The swordfish was good but they put a crab cake on top?? Strange. Also they charged a lot for my comos. The staff seemed confused and a little snobby. I will probably try it again though.

Capital Grill- I got an email with their new Happy Hour Bar menu. And did you know the bar is always open? They don’t close it when they change shifts in the restaurant. They could use a bartender with personality but the food was amazing. The burger was excellent, even though they forgot the bacon. The lamb lollipops were terrific and it was like a dinner portion so most of it came home for dinner the next day. The truffle fries were good but I think Vines are better.

K Restaurant and Wine Bar- We stopped by the new location on random afternoon while on the way to appointments. They had just opened at the new location so the liquor license was not moved yet and the bar was not open. They did offer a free glass of wine but we could not pay for it. Nice. We ordered my favorite Fried Green Tomatoes. I love it. Which I always find odd because I hate tomatoes. Also we had a fish sandwich and the chicken salad, both were excellent.

Johnny’s Hide Away- All I can say is Dry Aged Filet!! It is the absolute best Filet in Orlando. Usually you can’t get dry aged Filet only other cuts. But they cut it there so, happy day! Also I love the Portobello Truffle fries. The staff and mangers are awesome.

Emeril’s – Chef Jason is great! We ordered the truffle flatbread, it all mushrooms no truffle, and so he came out, offered to remake it for my husband. It was amazing. And they are doing a truffle tasting/dinner soon so he gave us his email to find out when it is!! So excited.

I think that is what I have been up to recently. So no pictures, we have been running.

I am off to enjoy more forks and corks, this time with pictures! : )

Horseradish Crusted Prime Rib with Roasted Beets - Food

2010-03-26T12:14:00.001-04:00

Horseradish Crusted Prime Rib with Roasted Beets - Food

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http://www.cubemarketplace.com/blog/seasonal/asparagus-sparrow-grass-caesars-favorite/

2010-03-24T12:51:00.000-04:00

http://www.cubemarketplace.com/blog/seasonal/asparagus-sparrow-grass-caesars-favorite/

Bull & Bear Prime Steakhouse

2010-02-18T13:51:00.000-05:00

Does anyone in Orlando even know that there is a Waldrof Astoria here? At Bonnet Creek near Disney?

I am pretty sure the word is not out yet. We stopped in this beautiful hotel after a movie at Downtown Disney and found a fabulous ghost town.

A lot of staff everywhere, very nice and accommodating but no guests!!

Such a shame, however it was nice for us to have the entire place to ourselves. We decided to have snack and drinks at the Bull and Bear.

We had wanted to visit the one in New York when we were there a few years ago, but did not get the chance. So we were happy to be the only people in the restaurant.

The restaurant is gorgeous. They have a nice steakhouse menu, similar in items as well as price to any of our other steaks houses here in Orlando. We had drinks; of course I had a Cosmo. It was fabulous as was the bartender. It is always nice to find someone for can make’em the way I like ‘em.

We had the Jumbo lump Crab cocktail with hot pink dressing and avocado and Yellowfin Tuna au Piovre. Both were presented so nicely I did not want to eat them! They looked like works of art. The best part is they tasted even better.

So I can’t say enough about the place. We are planning on returning for dinner, so then I will have pictures and a bigger review. In the mean time I would hope some people will have the opportunity to visit this fantastic place.

Off to check out more corks and forks…

Eating as a Member....Bella Collina Country Club!

2009-12-30T16:07:00.000-05:00

A few months back we decided to join a Country Club near where we live called Bella Collina. It is a gorgeous community. Unfortunately it does not have a lot of residents yet, so they are trying to up the attendance at the Club House.

Since we love to go out and eat; we visited to give it a try. Of course it was beautiful and the food had a lot of promise. We joined and began enjoying visiting the club.

Recently they hired a new chef, Chef Lauren. We were very excited as we were not 100% happy with the food quality we had on previous visits. We were more than surprised recently on our Christmas visit. They completely revised the menu and improved the food quality by leaps and bounds.....which inspired me to write a small review of the Main Dining Room.

Before I review the dining experience and food, I must say the Clubhouse and community itself is absolutely beautiful. It looks like they picked up a part of Tuscany and transported it to Central Florida. I tried to take some pictures of the fountain at the entrance of the Dining Room.......(They did not come out to good) but I am sure I will have another review as we move past the Holidays.

So.....for our first course we chose, Empire Fried Calamari with Jalapeno Love Butter and Hearty Green Salad. Both were very good and generous portions.

Second course was Crespelle; crepes with ricotta, butternut squash, cream and pancetta cracklings. YUM! It was very tasty we all pasted it around and enjoyed the fantastic flavor.

Oddly enough, we all chose the same entrée. The servers, Angie and LeDallas, did such an exceptional job at explaining the fish which none of us had heard of, we all decided to order it.

Pan seared Australian Hiramasa with cous cous, vegetables, fennel and a fabulous beurre blanc. This left us all full and satisfied.

So......this Hiramasa fish was good. The staff told us information about it, and we had never heard of it. Of course, I had to research it. Apparently, it is called Kingfish or Cobia. Not to mysterious now, but at the time, I was intrigued. Either way, I was more than happy with my entrée.

We did have dessert; a Lemon Meringue Crostata with an almond crust and crème anglaise. It had a wonderful lemon flavor with a light and fluffy meringue. But the almond crust had so hard, it was practically inedible. I wasn’t too upset though.......I was so full!

At the end.....we met the Chef; she is a fabulous person with a lot of terrific experience. I am really looking forward to see what new menus she comes up with throughout the new year.

So I am off, in search of more corks and forks…....Here's to a Fantastic 2010!!!

Sometimes it starts with a Cookie!

2009-12-11T12:41:00.000-05:00

By accident I found myself in downtown Kissimmee. I had no reason to be over that way, and I hadn’t been over there in years. I noticed the downtown area had been revitalized. There are café, markets, home town style shops, and business offices. I decided to stop and a cute little cookie store called Brecks Gourmet. As soon as I walked in I was overwhelmed with the smell of vanilla and a lovely sugary aroma that comes from homemade cookies.

It is a simple family owned store, but the cookies are so much more. They have many flavors, some of which I tried and loved. I left with a dozen of Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies that were to die for. They had a nice pumpkin pie taste but also a creamy cheesecake flavor. I also got a dozen of the chocolate cherry to take as a gift to a party. Packaged in a pretty box, with a label, and a blue bow, you want to give them as a gift, that is if you can stop yourself from eating them all the way home! Needless to say everyone devoured the cookies.

So if you find yourself in downtown Kissimmee amazed by the beautiful transformation. Stop in to Brecks for some really, really great cookies

American Cheese Plate | Dean

2009-12-05T11:59:00.001-05:00

American Cheese Plate | Dean & Deluca

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A lovely day in Winter Park!

2009-12-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

On a beautiful afternoon in Winter Park, we decide to have a drink and a snack while walking around shopping. 310 on Park Ave is one of my favorite places. I love sitting at the bar and chatting. The bar staff is always super friendly and helpful, it doesn't hurt that they make really good drinks too! We decided to order 2 items we have never had and we were pleasantly surprised. The gator tail appetizer and the smoked salmon app.

The gator tail was tender, as they pounded it out and breaded it, and then lightly fried. It came with a lovely aioli to dip it in; we devoured it as we were super hungry from all the shopping. The bartender had described the smoked salmon much better than the menu listed. When it arrived it was so beautifully presented. A large piece of seasoned rare salmon was on top of spring mix with a large cracker and a tasty aioli for dipping. Again we devoured this it was so good, I can't wait to go back and order it again.

We continued the day of walking and shopping and then headed over to the Ravenous Pig. After our last fantastic dinner there we made a reservation to back know we were going to be in Winter Park for the day.

Again we used the Valet, and headed in. We were greeted by a very nice hostess, and seated by our favorite server Jason, so thrilled he remembers us, we asked to sit in his section, and ended up at the same table.
We started with Wine a wonderful French blend and the Gruyere Biscuits....yum! We wanted to try a few starters this time. The menu changes pretty regularly but some staples remain. First out was the half portion of the Chestnut Tagliatelle. It was absolutely the best. It had small scallops, sweet potatoes, and a nice mushroom broth with a lovely truffle aroma. I loved it!! It was wintery and delicious.

The other starter was the Charred Octopus. It was kind of like a salad, the charred octopus was on top of a bean and chorizo mix with espellette vinaigrette. It was light and flavorful. The octopus had a nice tenderness to it and the chorizo had a crisp spice that added to the dish.

We were quite full but in the ended decided to split the Pub Burger. We choose to do it truffle rib eye style. It was very yummy. As were the truffle fries. I think it would have been a nice lunch or at the bar item. I had heard from so many people how good it was and it did not disappoint. I love their food and atmosphere. However, for some reason this time I was really to leave. Maybe I was full or maybe it was because it did get very crowded all of a sudden as we were leaving. It became very loud and I was ready to head home.

It was a great day in Winter Park with wondeful food.

I'm off to work and to find more Corks N Forks!!

Cantina Laredo.....left me wanting it to be better!

2009-12-01T18:31:00.000-05:00

A new gourmet Mexican restaurant opened not too long ago next to my favorite Flemings; every time we drove by I kept saying we needed to try it.
Finally we went in on a Saturday for lunch. It was completely empty; we found that strange but decided it would be fun to have the entire place to ourselves.

We sat at a half booth in the bar area, we wanted to sit at the bar but they have these uncomfortable looking stools with no back. We were greeted promptly but for the life of me I can't remember the server’s name. He was nice but obviously forgettable.
We ordered a glass of wine and a famous margarita, both were ok but something we could have gotten at our local Chili’s. We heard that the table side - made guacamole was the best so we had that with chips and salsa. They had 2 types of salsa both were good and spicy. One had a smoky chipotle taste that I did not care for. The table side guacamole was delicious. It definitely was the best guacamole I ever had.

I tried to order the brisket tacos but unfortunately they were out of brisket! With an empty restaurant on a Saturday afternoon. The only thing I could figure is that they did not start cooking it for evening service yet.

So we had regular steak tacos and an enchilada with mole sauce. Again, both dishes were ok, but not as fabulous as I had heard they were. I am not even sure I would return to this place. The prices were not too bad but the atmosphere was depressing and the server was unsocial able and strange. They played weird sad Mexican music, which I think was supposed to be relaxing but instead it became annoying.

Maybe in the future we will give it a try for dinner but I am still not 100% sure I would go back. I highly doubt the service and food are going to change. I actually think the place may not make it. However it does seem to have some raving fans, so maybe they are seeing something I am not.

I really wanted to like it. I wanted it to make me want more. The only thing I want is for it to be better, to improve!!
OH, and we didn't even take pictures, you aren't missing anything.......

What Wines to Serve for Thanksgiving - Wine

2009-11-14T10:50:00.001-05:00

What Wines to Serve for Thanksgiving - Wine

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Grilled Duck Breasts with Black Currant Pomegranate Sauce - Food

2009-11-08T12:21:00.001-05:00

Grilled Duck Breasts with Black Currant Pomegranate Sauce - Food

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Flemings is so good I forget to take pictures.

2009-10-18T16:05:00.001-04:00

The new Flemings on Sand Lake Road is one of my new favorite restaurants in the Orlando area. So far I have been in three times and each time I am so distracted by eating fabulous food, I forget to take pictures.
I was not super excited to go the first time I visited, I figured it was just another a la cart steak house to add to the many we already have in Orlando. Morton's, Ruth Chris, all of the Talk of the Town establishments, and Houston's are all nice steak houses but they all are almost the same with small differences here and there. I know, I know, I am sure out of all of those one is someone’s favorite. Again, I do like them, but you can only have so much of a good thing.
So our first adventure to Flemings I went not expecting much. However, I was pleasantly surprised. So much so that I can't wait to return again. This time remembering my camera and to take pictures of the tasty food.
Our latest trip to Flemings was a special occasion, we had company in from out of town and it was a birthday for one of them. I was excited knowing what was to come.

I am not really sure what they do or what their training entails but they have the some of the best servers. They know the menu, they can make great suggestions, and they know when to stop talking and when to stay at the table and chat. You feel like you are on a glamorous cruise when you are dining there.

The first two trips there we ordered off the pre fixe menu. It is priced so reasonable and has some really great offering. This last trip our entire party ordered off the pre fixe.

The other thing that stands out in my mind about Flemings is that fact that they have serval managers on duty on any given night and they spend time touching table and spending time in the dining room; not hiding in the kitchen or office. They are polite and treat everyone as if they were an important part of the restaurant.

I really like that. Who doesn't like to feel special and have attention, especially when you are spending money?

After a drink order is placed the server brings over this fantastic bread that is white but has a loving rye flavor. Instead of butter they have a to die for, champagne brie and a sun dried tomato spread. It is really good and at times I found myself wanting to spoon the champagne brie into my month it is so yummy.
For the fall they pre fixe has filet mignon skewers and a pork Osseo bucco. I tried booth and they were delicious. I would suggest either entree. The prefix comes with a salad, entree and dessert.

The nice part about the Pre Fixe is they are ok with switching out sides, salads and desserts for other items on the menu.
The salads and soups are fantastic and the portions are large. The sides and dessert are of the top quality and huge portions as well.
Not much more to say….if you haven’t been to Flemings you need to go. And the next time I go, I will take plenty of pictures and do a review.
I’m off to find more corks and forks…..

I'm a Raving Fan.....of the Ravenous Pig!

2009-10-14T18:28:00.000-04:00

As I had said early on this blog, when we went to Taste of Nations, I was dying to try food from the Ravenous Pig. For years, I had heard about it. Well I finally got to find of for myself.

The first Saturday of every month they do an afternoon pig roast and we thought we would check it out. Well, I had made the reservation for 6:00 p.m. unfortunately missing the pig roast, but we did have a memorable dining experience anyway.

I should mention that they have complimentary valet parking, which is nice since on the main street there is not much parking. But please make sure you tip the valet as some people take complimentary to mean completely free.

The reason I say it was a dining experience, it was an event from beginning to end. It reminded me of dining in New York at a super trendy or hip new bistro.
The server Jason, was outstanding, he had excellent energy, asked us what we were interested in food wise and wine. He made terrific suggestions to meet all of our needs. He was what every server should be but unfortunately in Orlando we don't have alot of servers like Jason.

We started with their famous Gruyere biscuits with sea salt butter. We also order a fantastic bottle of French wine, a change for us, called Chateau La Roque St. Emilion, Bordeaux. Also it was a 2000, which is our Anniversary year so we were super excited to try it. It was really good and opened up throughout the dinner which complimented all of our food.

Lobster Taco and Shrimp with Grits were the two appetizers we choose. They arrived and we were surprised by how large the portions were. I have never had grits but have been informed by numerous people that I would not like them. However, these grits were excellent, soft and creamy like a cheese pudding; it was topped with a sprinkle of chorizo oil and green tomato chutney. The lobster tacos were tasty. The lobster was lightly breaded with a doughnut like breading; it was soft and did not over power the flavor of the lobster. They had a nice mixed of cilantro, avocado and pickled jalapeno with a cabbage slaw on top of the lobster.

Next came our entrees. We had such a hard time choosing, but we settled on the Grilled Duck Breast and a Wagyu Ribeye. Both were amazing. It was above and beyond expectations. The Ribeye came with sherry glazed brussel sprouts, which tasted like fabulously grilled and barbequed brussel sprouts. They were salty and crunchy and even if you don’t like brussel sprouts you would like these!

The duck breast was cooked perfectly; it was medium rare, with a nice pick and juicy flavor. Beneath it was a mix of minced potatoes, carrots, onions, all sautéed in the duck juices.

We did order a side of the Truffle Fries, mostly because I love all things truffle and I couldn’t resist. They were fantastic, with a nice salty truffle flavor.
Two words….fabulous and perfection, is all I can say. There was not one thing I would want to change about the experience we had at this establishment. I may try to eat less next time. Not sure I could resist though.
We did have left over’s only because we could not stuff anymore in.

Again this is a place we will return to in the future.

I'm off to find more corks and forks.....see ya soon : )

Norman Van Aken, Magical Dining Month, and a Birthday Celebration!

2009-10-11T12:49:00.000-04:00

It was a special birthday celebration. We choose to try the Magical Dining Month menu at Norman's. We had always wanted to dine here but for some reason never made it to the Ritz Carlton to enjoy this fabulous place.

I am a fan of Norman Van Aken mostly because he became a celebrity chef by working at Louis Backyard in Key West another one of my favorite restaurants.

So finally we make the reservation and got our butts in there.

First according to open table and the Norman's website I needed to let the restaurant know it was a birthday celebration and that we were local, and that we were interested in the Magical Dining Month Menu.

When we arrived they had a special Happy Birthday Pre Fixe Menu printed up for our party. It was beautiful. The server brought us two complimentary glasses of champagne for our celebration. The Pre Fixe menu was $30 pp and had his best and most famous items on it. We did ask to see the regular menu but then still choose to order from the pre fix as it was such a good deal.

We started with tapas. This was not included in the pre fixe but it was only $9 extra. I had the mussels and my guest had the fried green tomatoes. Both were outstanding. The tomato did stand out as a favorite and defiantly something we would come back and order again, even though I don't care for tomatoes. The tomatoes were lightly battered with a cheese and balsamic glaze underneath. We enjoyed ever bite.

They mussels where also very good with a nice broth done with heirloom baby tomatoes and sweet corn, it was very tasty.

Also there was delilous beignet bread brought to the table with olive oil and sea salt butter. The bread was like soft unfried doughnuts. Fabulous, we ate way too many.

Next we both choose to try the Creamy and Crunchy Conch chowder. It was really good, with crunchy fried conch. The broth was creamy with a slight spice. It was done with saffron, orange and a puffy coconut cloud topped by the server tableside.

We both ordered the Pan Cooked Fillet of Key West Yellowtail with was absolute fabulous. It was cooked to perfection atop a perfect mountain of truffle mashed potatoes, with citrus butter and grilled asparagus. It was a huge portion, but I couldn't stop eating it. Next thing I knew I ate the whole thing and I enjoyed every single bite!

The Pre Fixe also included desert. We were so full but we choose one of each. The Tres Leches Cake came out with happy birthday written in chocolate and a sparkling candle.

The other selection was the Trio of Sorbets. Both were very good and a nice finish to a terrific meal.

We enjoyed every moment of this dinner and we would definitely return to Normans. I know for sure that I will not stuff so much in next time

A few quick reviews....more to come!

2009-10-06T19:28:00.000-04:00

The past weeks have been so busy I have not been on to write any reviews and we have been out and about all over Orlando.

First, I want to start with the grand opening of Funky Monkey Wine Company at Pointe Orlando. We arrived early and we were lucky enough to be the first ones there. This is the second location for Funky Monkey; Winter Park is the home of their first and successful location. The new one took the place of The Grape which was very boring and empty all the time. We stopped in once and never went back. We were hoping that the Funky Monkey would be as good as we had heard.

Being that we were the first people there for their opening, it was empty as well. We sat at the bar and ordered Red Lion Cab and truffle fries. Both were good but nothing over the top. It was quiet and the bartender was sociable.

We looked over the Sushi and Dinner menu, both sounded fantastic but nothing we were in the mood for. We decided to walk around Point Orlando a bit. We hadn't been there in while and there was alot new places open.

Oceanaire is next to the Capital Grill and we have never been in there. Mostly because I don't like the look of the giant iced fish bars and the New England seafood decor. We went in for a quick drink. It was what I had expected. The drinks were good and the staff was super friendly but the food was overpriced. We had a $16 crab cake. It was probably the best crab cake I ever had but it was really priced way to high. I know this area gets alot of the convention business, but most of the places should do a happy hour or something in off season.

A few days later we ventured in to Season 52 for the new autumn menu. I was super excited about this. Season's used to be my favorite restaurant. We would go several times a month and I think I have had everything on any of their menus.

We decided to sit at the bar instead of waiting on a table; it was past 7:00 so it was a little busy.

Lamb and Shrimp flat breads with drinks are what we started with. Both were good, but not great. They used to be great, but for some reason they were not up to par. We were still hungry and choose to have an entree. The quail was always a favorite and we were excited to have it again. However, it was extremely disappointing. It was not the same quality quail the used to serve. It was like preformed muscle meat and it tasted like a cheap sausage patty. We even told one of the bartenders who replied they hadn't tried it recently so they did not know it was different.

It is always a shame to see establishments do this, cheapen food to save money. I would have gladly paid more to have the same quality quail they used to have.

Sorry Season's we won't be back for awhile.

More corks and forks to come…

.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that!

2009-09-13T12:57:00.000-04:00

Since this was my last week and weekend of being unemployed; we were out and about. We stopped at a variety of restaurants. It was sort of a mish mash of places.

During the week, we went to Urban Flats in the Winter Garden Village for lunch. I remember the first time we ate there right after it opened. I was pleasantly surprised. They had a big assortment of wine and I loved the flat bread. Brie and Bacon, Fig and Prosciutto, are some examples of what caught my eye and kept me coming back. Sometime during the fall, I decided I couldn’t stand it any longer; I needed to try their Truffle Mac and Cheese. I love truffles, truffle oil, and truffle salt… anything with truffles. I was so shocked and upset by what happened next. The server brought out my truffle mac and cheese, and she was saying “oh, don’t you just love the smell of truffles, that wonderful maple syrupy flavor!” I thought, strange, when I smell truffle, it does not smell like maple anything. As she set it down, it did smell of maple and it had some weird looking sugar on top of it. She explained that is was brown sugar! What?? Brown sugar on truffle mac and cheese! Very interesting…..

But not really, it sucked! It tasted like brown sugar and maple syrup mixed into crapping mac and cheese. So I did what any other truffle loving foodie would do. I nicely explained that there must be something wrong. Maybe they were talking about chocolate truffles not the wonderful, root/mushroom type truffles that hogs sniff out in France or Italy. She assured me that no, they used truffle oil and it was not any type of chocolate or dessert. I did go on and on and laugh at them a little.

What I did not do was eat that mac and cheese!!

So yes, I have been back to Urban Flats since, and yes, they did remove the awful dish from the menu and I noticed they did not replace it with any other so called truffle entrees.

However, I do have another problem with them. The wine menu is very nice and extensive. But when you order a bottle of 2006 Robert Mondavi Cabernet, and they bring you a 2007 or 2008, you can’t help but ask why. Well, the answer is not pleasant. The owner doesn’t care. He puts one thing on the menu and then sells you another. I have complained to everyone. Bartenders, managers, and servers alike. They all say the same thing, “We know it’s wrong, but the owner doesn’t care!!”

So when we stopped for late lunch this week and ordered a bottle of wine, I did get upset when the menu said 2005 and they brought out 2007.

The food was good and so was the service. But I am not sure I want to return to a place where the owner doesn’t care about his customers. If he doesn’t care about the people that pay to eat there, I can’t begin to imagine how he treats his staff. WTF!!??

So after I put that experience behind me, we did some shopping and decided to stop in and see our old friends at Vines Grill and Wine Bar. I love this place. Bacon in cones at the bar, friendly staff, and fabulous wine. It makes me mad I wasted money at Urban Flats! We had the mini Kobe burgers, which are amazing, and the Royal Red Popcorn Shrimp. Wine, champagne and fun….it was time to go home!

" Picture of Vanessa, one of the best bartendars at Vines"

On Saturday we headed to Downtown Disney to see a movie. But first we wanted to check out Paradiso 37. It is the newest restaurant and the first to be added to the old Pleasure Island area. Paradiso 37 is owned by the same folks who brought us Timpano, Samba Room, and Salsa. Knowing this, we thought this should be a nice addition. We stopped in when it first opened for drinks, but it was summer time and insanely crowded.

Yesterday, however, it was slow. We were the only people at the bar and there were only a few tables occupied.

The atmosphere is strange. They play some sort of Mexican jazz, which is odd and borderline annoying (maybe even over the line). The bartender was nice enough but she was running like a mad man! With no one at the bar, and an empty place; we were a little concerned as to why she was running. It became clear. It was a case of being understaffed. We did see two mangers chatting at expo, but I think they were the reason our bartender was running, they had her taking care of tables too!

When she was able to stop long enough to take our order we had:

A glass of St. Frances Red for $8.00, Root 1 Cabernet for $9.00 and housemade, fire roasted tomato salsa and chips, for $3.99. The salsa is really good. It is the same one they have a Salsa in the Florida Mall, it has a smoky chipotle flavor to it.

We also had the Argentinean Chorizo Skewers which are Chorizo meatballs on a wooded skewer along with garlic butter pita and a yogurt dipping sauce. It was ok, nothing special… but we were hungry. The last thing we decided to try was the Mexican Dipping Trio with chunky guacamole, chili con carne, and queso fundido. Again, it was good, but not fabulous. It was nice bar food that filled us up before a movie.

Tomorrow I am off to my first day or training, reentering the work force. I am excited to learn all I can and I am looking forward to my weekend food adventures.

Until next time, I am off to find more

“corks & forks”

pf

Better Late than Never.....review of The California Grill!

2009-09-12T12:37:00.000-04:00

Disney’s California Grill has always been one of my favorite restaurants on the property. I remember when I was a kid, my parents going to eat there when it was called “Top of the World”. There was a Broadway style show, with showgirls and plenty of gold la me. I remember seeing the pictures and hearing about how great the food was. In 1994, they decided to make a change to the 15th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort and call it the California Grill. The first time I ate there, I was a Guest Service Manger with Disney. I was so excited to be there, even though initially I was still heartbroken it was not “Top of the World” anymore. It was fabulous then, the food, the new and creative things they were doing were all fascinating to me. On Saturday, I remembered why it is one of the best restaurants on Disney Property, and in Orlando.

Dining at a Disney restaurant is not easy. If you haven’t done so; let me tell you, you can’t just drive up and walk in like most establishments. But I guess that is what makes it Disney. First; you must have a reservation. Up until a few weeks ago you would have to call Disney Dinning Line [(407) WDW-DINE] and speak to a representative. Now, they have an online system, which is super user friendly and convenient as well. It gives you choice of times, you enter your information and it gives you a confirmation number, which you should take with you. Also entering Disney property comes with the parking booths, not that you have to pay to park but to get to the Contemporary you go though the Magic Kingdom toll booth. Then there is security. They are nice and happy, like most Disney Cast Members, just let them know you are dining and you have a reservation and they will direct you to parking or valet.

Our reservation was at 5:45 p.m. and we were running late. I knew I was going to Valet, even though it is $10.00 but I did not want to walk very far. The Contemporary Resort is undergoing some renovations at the very front, so we had to valet at the Convention Center. I was sure this meant, walking far, but I was happy to find out it was even closer. Up one escalator and the check in desk for the California grill is just to the left.

After checking in with the hostess, we are then sent to a special elevator with a host that assisted us to the restaurant at the top of the Contemporary Resort, on the 15th floor. The lobby area is beautifully decorated, the colors are very California, with reds, yellows and blues. Mosaic tile covers the bar and with bright and airy fixtures and furniture throughout. The large floor to ceiling glass windows look out over the Magic Kingdom, Seven Seas Lagoon, and Grand Floridian as well as the surrounding Disney property.

We were seated promptly and greeted by our server. On the table was the Reserve Wine List, regular wine list, and a new addition; a cheese board menu.

The server brought us the menu, and took our order for wine and cheese. We had the Navarro Correas Malbec 2007, for $37.00 and a cheese board, which consisted of five types of cheese and a flavor pairing for each one. The wine was a fruity malbec without being sweet. It was a strong clean wine that complemented the entire meal.

The first cheese, Nettle Meadow Kunik, is a pasteurized; semi aged goat’s milk and Jersey cow cream, with a white rind and a tangy buttery flavor. It is produced at Nettle Meadow Goat Farm in Thurman, New York. The flavor pairing was a hard toast point to spread the cheese on. It was very tasty and had a light, mild flavor.

The second one, Comte’, a French cheese made from the milk of Monbetliard cows in the Jura Mountains. It was paired with a fig and date square cake. The cheese is harder than the first, you can’t spread it and it paired well with the fig/date square. You can taste hints of a smoky flavor and it is slightly nutty.

Bonne Bouche, the third selection, paired with honey covered hazelnuts. Bonne Bouche is a soft, mild cheese that has a slight sweet flavor. It had some hints of flowers, citrus and hazelnut. The flavor pairing of the honey covered hazelnuts went extremely well and they tasted fantastic. Everyone loved the hazelnuts, with the honey it was like eating a crunchy peanut butter ball and the cheese just made it that much better.

Our fourth cheese, Petite Agour, a semi-hard, sheep’s milk cheese, that one two gold medals at the Paris Salon de L’Agriculture. It was paired with pure honey with the actual honey comb. The cheese had a mild flavor and was brought out by the honey. The pure honey was a delight. I loved it and put it with all the cheese especially the last one on the serving which was the Cashel Blue.

Cashel Blue is an Irish Farmhouse blue cheese made from cow’s milk. It is firm and moist with hints of tarragon and white wine. We had it paired with Raspberry Preserves. It had a lovely blue cheese flavor that went very well with the sweet raspberry. It was almost like a cream cheese but with the streams of strong blue within and the preserves or honey just seemed to make it melt in my month.

We all loved the cheese pairing; it was not something we would usually order. The Cheese Board was $18.00, a fair price for a wonderful experience. We choose to have the board with our wine while deciding what to order. However, it can be ordered as an appetizer or a dessert.

For the next course, we chose three different items. I picked the Spicy Kazan Roll, from the Sushi section of the menu. Crab, Shrimp and Tuna roll arranged on the plate to look like a sunflower, in the middle of the sunflower, is the scallops. It is dressed with the fireball sauce , roe and tempura crunch. Not only was it beautifully arranged… it was the best sushi, I have ever had. The fish was so fresh and creatively prepared I can’t compare it with any sushi I have had in Orlando. It was simply top notch.

Hearts of Romaine with Roasted Garlic Dressing and Maine Lobster Risotto were the other two items we had. The hearts of romaine was a fantastic salad. Fresh and crisp romaine, with marinated anchovies, olives, aged parmesan and croutons, it was very tasty. The lobster risotto was incredible. After watching Hell’s Kitchen every week, were they make risotto, I was dying to try this dish. It did not disappoint. There were chunks of fresh lobster throughout, with a Meyer lemon beurre blanc, which was so good you want to drink it. It was cooked perfectly with midnight goat cheese and mild lobster oil drizzled on top.

Oh and I forgot, they do bring you a bread basket with salted butter. It was good but until we used the bread to sop up all the Meyer lemon beurre blanc I would have completely forgot about it.

Our main courses were still to come and we were full, yet excited to see what wonderful tastes we were going to experience next.

One of the things that has remained the same on the California Grill’s menu is the Oak-fired Filet of Beef with sour mashed potatoes and teriyaki barbecue. I have ordered it before and loved it. The filet is always perfectly cooked and in this case it was too. I did not order it, one of my guests did and loved it. I was surprised the portion looked bigger than I remembered. It was flavorful and delicious.

We had two of the three fish entrees on the menu. The Pan-Roasted Florida Black Grouper with “stir-fry” vegetables, sticky rice, with ginger-soy-hijiki broth, was delightful and light. The grouper had a terrific texture and flavor. It was cooked perfectly. The vegetables were crisp with a hint of fennel throughout.

The Stone Bass with hazelnut romesco, fire-roasted tomatillos, fregola pasta, madjool dates, and a Serrano ham dust, is the other fish item we tried. Seasoned well the bass had a beautiful flaky texture. The dish had an interesting Indian flavor and was slightly spicy, but it worked well with the fish.

I had decided I wanted to try something different that I wouldn’t have anywhere else and would not usually order. So I had the Seared Ostrich filet with buttery potato puree, wild mushrooms, globe carrots, fig with a honeyed port reduction.

I ordered the Ostrich,” rare plus” so it was be red inside but warm. The server agreed this was not something that should be ordered beyond medium…and even that would be pushing it. When it arrived it was cooked perfectly. The presentation was eye catching and the ostrich looked like a filet but was sliced into nice thin pieces. It tasted fabulous. Everyone at our table loved it and was surprised, not knowing ostrich would be so good. The honeyed port reduction had a pretty color, and enhanced the taste of the fig with the ostrich. I loved it and would go back to have it again.

For dessert, we had the “Trio of Temptation” and the Valrhona Chocolate Cake and Cherries. The trio was good, with three kinds of cheesecake and a variety of chocolate and fruit. But the Chocolate cake was fantastic. The warm chocolate cake had a molten center with a cherry ice cream on the side with strawberries and a mojito sabayon. It was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

The great thing about the whole night was it wasn’t just a meal…. it was a dining experience. We tried new things, ate fabulous food, drank terrific wine, all while laughing and talking the night way.

The California Grill remains at the top of my list of incredible restaurants at Disney and in Central Florida. Also it is place that holds incredible memories for me and my family.

Until next time, I am off to find more

“cork & forks”

pf

California Dreamin'

2009-09-05T14:32:00.000-04:00

Well its the weekend....and I think you all know what that means.
Thats right; time to explore our epicurian vices! Tonight's adventure will be at one of my favorite restaurants in the world. California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort. This award winning establishment sits high atop the Contemporary Hotel and overlooks Disney's Magic Kingdom. From the enchantment of Cinderella's Castle to the Seven Seas Lagoon; the views are just as spectacular as the food. The menu changes seasonally...so as we say goodbye to summer, I can't think of a more magical way to welcome the fall season.

Stay logged on fellow foodies....
I will have a full review tomorrow with plenty of pictures.
PF

Oh What a Night!!

2009-08-30T16:31:00.000-04:00

My feet hurt, I'm tired, and I am still not hungry after attending "Taste of the Nation" last night at the Orange Counrty Convention Center. It was a fabulous evening of Food, Wine, and Fun.

We did not want to get the event too early, so on the way we stopped at Vines Grill and Wine Bar for one of my favorite Happy Hours. It runs from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. everyday.

Travis and Sylvia, two of the best bartenders in Orlando, were there to welcome us as we arrived. I don't have a full review as I have been there many times and we didn't stay long last night, but I know we will be back and I will have one [review] soon enough. However, the Happy Hour consists of half off Martini's, Wine by the Glass and other drinks. They also have a wonderfully prepared bar menu.

Travis inisisted we try one of the new creations the Chef came up with as a special starter. We did not want to eat much, knowing we were on our way to the event, but this was a "small snack" to have with our drinks.
I had the Vaga Barcelona Brut Cava from Spain and my husband had the Kim Crawford 2006 Gisbourne Chardonay. The starter was a King Crab Leg, opened, then stuffed with mushrooms and crab meat, finished in the shell with a hollandaise. It went wonderfully with our drinks and it was over the top on taste.

Then we were on our way to Taste of the Nation!

After Valet Parking, which was a great deal for $12.00, just because it was so much quicker and a lot less walking, we were on our way to the Valencia Ballroom.

Entering the Ballroom I noticed the silent auction sponsored by Neiman Marcus, one of my favorite stores. We cruised by, but decided to check out the food first.

The lines were long and it was very crowded, so we made our way to the VIP area to check out our table. We found a complimentary copy of Sensational Encore Cookbook waiting for us. A very nice gift from the Junior League of Greater Orlando. It is an interesting cookbook that celebrates the Orlando lifestyle. I can't wait to try out some of the recipes.

Our first bit of food was at the Champions Gate Golf Resort table, this was because they did not have a crazy long line. But they should have because the food was good. I had Spicy Tiger Shrimp on a Crispy Plantain Chip with a Roasted Garlic Aioli, it was fantastic. The Plantain was a little too crispy, otherwise the flavors were spot on and the shrimp was cooked and seasoned perfectly.

We then ventured off to find something to drink. We stumbled upon Funky Monkey Wine Company. I have been wanting try their estabishment for a while so I was excited to see them participating.

They did not have food, but they had some of the nicest staff and a variety wines to try. They also gave me a certificate to recieve a complimentary glass of wine, appetizer or dessert, for when I do finally make in to there location.
Two things to note about Funkey Monkey Wine Company; 1) they have a awesome deal called Sushi Mondays with half price sushi and rolls. It does get very busy from what I hear so, make a reservation. 2) they are opening a second locaiton at Pointe Orlando. Which I think will be a nice addtion to what has already made it a great dining destination (Oceanaire, The Captial Grille and Tommy Bahamas).
Moving on I noticed Norman's, from celebrity Chef Norman Van Aiken, I am a fan and have been dying to eat there. The line was moving and my god, were those Chef's moving, they were making a Whisky Cola Pork Belly on a Manchego Biscuit as fast as they could.
I have to say this was one of the best things I ate all night and several people were talking about how fabulous it was. The biscuit had the most amazing cheesy, savory flavor and the pork belly was sweet like a tasty dessert. They worked so well together. Unforunately, because it was so good, they did run out.

We made our way to the other side of the ballroom as it was a little less crowded. We did not stand in line to have anything from Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Brio, Uno's or Longhorn. We have had dinner at these estabishments many times and I was on a mission to try some food from places we have not been to yet!

Oddly, next we found ourselves at a Disney booth, it was for the new restaurant opening at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge called Sanaa. Not only did they have the nicest people working their table, they had an outstanding Chicken with Red Curry Sauce accompanied by Basmati Rice, Cucumber Mint Raita and Pappadum.
Sharon, one of the Managers, was a pleasure to talk to. She was friendly and informed about the Resort and her Restaurant.

After stopping to get our picutre taken for Orlando Magazine we traveled past all the folks from Emeril's. They had several tables that were very nicely decorated.

Menu's from all of there local locations displayed a card for their September Pre-Fixe dinner specials. A coupon for Happy Hour at Emeril's Olando was distributed by friendly culinary staff.

Unfortunately, the food I tasted at this table, a Grilled Gulf Shrimp Brochette was slimly and warm. With all the pomp and circumstance of their area, I would have expected better food.

Orlando Culinary Acedemy was nice enough to walk some of the lines with large platters of Petite Quiche Lorriane and Savory Mini Cheesecake with Goat Cheese and Red Pepper. The Mini Cheesecake was really nice, the students and Chefs were having a great time.

We were lucky enough to find a cocktail area at the JW Marriott both to sit and chat with some informative Chefs and servers. The Chef was preparing a Pork Belly with Cabbage and passing out Chataeu St. Michelle Cabernet. Both were outstanding.

At this point, I needed water, and the water table was very far. I couldn't drink another drop of wine even though the Cabernet was flowing. Pablo a JW Marriott employee that was assisting the Chefs, offered to go over and get me a glass. I insisted he did not need to do that, but before I could stop him...off he went.

Before I knew it he was back with a glass of water in hand. That was such a nice gesture. The service at the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton are always above and beyond. Thank-you Pablo.
This booth or area also had some other Chefs preparing Risotto with a Spicy Pork Meatball. It was very good. The Risotto was a little to mac and cheese like for my taste but the Meatball was very nicely done.

Luma on Park is one of my favorite places to eat. The atmosphere and decoration are as much a part of the experience in eating there as the food.

At the event they had a fabulous table set up, fun and outgoing staff and terrific food. I had the Yellowfin Tuna Crudo and Confit with Georgia Pink-Eyed Salad, Serrano Pepper and Opal Basil and Tarmarind Glaze Ribs with Jicama-Cucumber Raita and Seame, both were outstanding.

And last, but most certainly not least, my favorite of the evening; The Ravenous Pig. I have always wanted to dine there. I look at there menu online and go, " I don't know if I would like it " even though I have heard that it is incredible and one of the best restaurants in Orlando. So here was my chance to try it!! I was so excited but also tired at this point, full, and over all the of people.

After speaking with there very knowledgable staff we decided to try they House-made Cavatelli with spicy sausage, blistered tomatoes, and shaved parmesan and Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with caramel-espresso buttercream.

Both dishes were abousolutely fabulous and they were possibly the best items I ate all night. They make their own sausage, it was full of fennel and seasoned to perfection. The House-Made Cavatelli was one of the best homeade pastas I have ever eaten. The shaved parmesan gave it that little exta bite to make it that much better. I can't wait to go to The Ravenous Pig for dinner, it is on my list of "must do's".

It was a wonderful evening. There were a few other things we tried on the way out as it was starting to come to a end and the people were thinning out.

We went by The Capital Grille, we eat there often so it was not a top of the list stop. But, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the Porcini Rubbed Filet Mignon with 12-year Aged Balsamic was, and the servers were more than happy to give us a copy of there September Pre-Fixe menu.

Also Sharks from Sea World had a great display with a ice scupture. Hands down they had best Shrimp of the night. It was super cold, cooked correctly so it sort of pops in your mouth when you chew it. I have eaten at Sharks many times and have always enjoyed the food and the experience.

I was dissapointed I did not get to try K Restaurant and Wine Bar's items and Orlando Marriott World Center ran out of lobster, but there Chefs made up for it with a acceptable lamb slider and french dip delivered with a smile.

Also worth noting, Cabot Vermont had some very new cheese to try. I love their extra sharp cheddar. Freeze -321 was creating liquid Nitrogen ice cream, which was fun, but it tasted just like regualr ice cream. The novelty was interesting though.

So....I have quite a few places I want to try this month. I love Pre-Fixe menus and I am happy to see most of the local restaurants are using them as well as participating in Orlando Magic Dining Month. However, every month is Magic Dining Month for me.....

Until next time....I'm off to find some more "Corks & Forks"
PF

kwinebar.com
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/
http://www.normans.com/
http://theravenouspig.com/
http://www.funkymonkeywine.com/
www.lumaonpark.com/home.html
http://www.vinesgrille.com/

Taste of the Nation

2009-08-29T15:04:00.000-04:00

I am very excited to be attending Taste of the Nation, tonight at the Orange County Convention Center. Not only does 100% of ticket sales help feed hungry children also there is going to be some really fabulous restaurants with incrediable food participating. I was lucky enough to get VIP tickets and I am sure we are going have a wonderful time. Can't wait to tell you all about the food......

http://strength.org/orlando/event_details/

Food Happens to Food People

2009-08-28T17:59:00.000-04:00

I love to go out to dinner. Thinking of what to order, knowing something wonderful will be made for me. Enjoying the company of someone you love, talking over a fabulous wine. It is an experience that can't be beat and I am addicted. I am a food person, a foodie.
Orlando offers a variety of restaurants that are unique and interesting.
I have fallen in love with a few of them and hate some others and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
I was recently lucky enough to find myself in the position to except a job that will put me in the middle of this fabulous industry.
In a few short weeks I will be starting an eight week training program that will teach me all I ever wanted to know about food.
As a former restaurant manage,r I have been out of the loop for about ten years. However, I have learned alot on my own dinning, reading, and watching food happen all around me.
I will be posting my adventures in training as well as all of my travels to Orlando establishments.