Check out Stuffed: How Different U.S. Regions Put a Spin on Stuffing
by The Foodie Patootie at Mode
Nov 172015
Nov 162015
Can you believe Soco has been open for a year? It seems like only yesterday Chef Greg Richie and the team at Soco officially opened their doors for business. With only one year under their belt, Soco has been named Best New Restaurant (2015) and Best Chef (2015) by Orlando Magazine and one of Zagat’s hottest new restaurants in Orlando (2015).
Celebrate Soco’s one year anniversary tomorrow, November 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. Chefs Greg Richie (Soco) Andres Mendoza (Norman’s at The Ritz-Carlton) and Henry Salgado (Spanish River Grill) are teaming up to create a special five-course menu that highlights their unique styles and flavors. The menu will be priced at $75 and guests will also have the option of adding cocktails and wine pairings for an extra $35.
Reservations for the one night only event can be made here.
Nov 132015
Carlo’s Bakery, the subject of the hit TLC series Cake Boss, will open a new location in Orlando, Florida at The Florida Mall on December 5, 2015. Setting up shop in the mall’s new Dining Pavilion, Carlo’s Bakery will celebrate its grand opening with the appearance of renowned baker, chef and New York Times best-selling author Buddy Valastro and family.
“I started working at Carlo’s Bakery when I was eleven years old and I will tell you, on my first day, the last thought I had was that I’d be introducing a twelfth location in Orlando, Florida someday!” says Buddy Valastro. “You know, my famiglia and I love Orlando; there’s so much to do here with all the attractions and the locals are always so welcoming. I’m so excited to give the city the opportunity to have access to our treats and cakes at The Florida Mall, Central Florida’s largest shopping center.”
Bringing Carlo’s Bakery entire selection of famed confections and signature family-friendly atmosphere, this will be the brand’s first location in the southern United States. Modeled after the flagship Hoboken, New Jersey bakery, the state-of-the-art facility will span over 2,300 square feet.
Carlo’s Bakery, located in the Dining Pavilion of The Florida Mall at 8001 South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, Florida, is slated to open on December 5, 2015.
Photo Credits: Carlo’s Bakery
Nov 132015
Like the sound of free 4 Rivers? Us too. Join them for #turkey tastes this weekend. Happy FriYAY!
Nov 122015
It’s the most wonderful time of the year……for TURKEY! The City Beautiful is brimming with no cook options for the big day, all things stuffing, cranberry and pumpkin below.
The Capital Grille: Enjoy a Slow-Roasted Turkey from Plainville Farms, with Brioche Stuffing, French Green Beans with Marcona Almonds and Cranberry Pear Chutney for $36 per adult and $15 per child. These dishes will also be accompanied by Sam’s Mashed Potatoes to share. For dessert, make sure your order that Pumpkin Cheesecake! Reservations and additional details are available at thecapitalgrille.com.
Eddie V’s: From sliced turkey to brioche stuffing, this Sand Lake spot is serving up traditional Thanksgiving fare along with their regular menu. A special $36 menu will be offered Thanksgiving Day. Visit eddiev.com for reservations.
Farm-Haus: Offering a specialty farm-to-table menu of sides and desserts, in collaboration with Buttermilk Bakery plus free delivery. In addition to purchasing for their own Thanksgiving dinners, customers are encouraged to use the service as a way to spread holiday cheer by “gifting a dish” to others. Just enter the name and address of the person you’d like to “gift a dish” to when checking out at Farm-Haus.com.
Hilton Bonnet Creek: Harvest Bistro Thanksgiving Day Dinner Buffet (Thursday, November 26, 5-10 p.m.) $48 per person. $24 per child 6-12 years of age. Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek will honor the “Kids 12 & under eat free” program for families who have paid the resort fee. Tax and gratuity are additional. Call 407-597-3670 to make a reservation.
Osprey Tavern: Looking for some Thanksgiving flavor prior to the opening day? Choose between the Butternut Squash Pizza, with fire roasted Seminole squash, sage, house stracciatella, pine nut agrodolce, or the Florida Black Grouper with peach-annatto rub, anson mills corn gnocchi, frog song squash and chayote. Plus check out our review here.
4 Rivers Smokehouse + The Coop + The Sweet Shop: Bring their Smokehouse Turkey to the table along with Sweet Potato Casserole and Cornbread Salad sides. Chef Whitney Miller is serving up her Pumpkin Bread Pudding and Butternut Squash for a limited time at The Coop. And The Sweet Shop is offering Pumpkin Cream Pie made with a vanilla wafer crust.
Taverna Opa + Tapa Toro: Enjoy a cultural twist on the holidays with a special three-course Thanksgiving dinner. For $30 at Tapa Toro enjoy Datiles con Pan and more! At Taverna Opa, feast on dishes like Spanakopita “Spinach Pie” for the $25 coursed meal.
Todd English’s bluezoo: On Thursday, Nov. 26, bluezoo will be open from 4pm until 11pm, serving its full menu in addition to the Thanksgiving special ($36 for adults, $16 for children). Reservations can be made by calling 407-934-1609.
Garden Grove: Garden Grove will feature its annual Thanksgiving buffet, served from 1pm to 9:30pm for $39.99 for adults, $19.99 for children ages 3-9 and free for children under 3. Disney Characters will provide entertainment for the dinner buffet. Reservations can be made by calling 407-934-1609.
Il Mulino: Seating will be from 4:00pm to 10:00pm for $39 and $25 for children (not including alcoholic beverages, taxes, or gratuities). For more details and to make reservations, please call: 407-934-1609.
Westgate River Ranch: Located just one hour south of Orlando, the ranch will offer a Thanksgiving Day menu beginning at 3 p.m. EST. Reservations are required. To reserve and for more information, please call 863-692-2926: Thanksgiving Day Special: Herb-roasted turkey, glazed ham, prime rib, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green beans, corn, cornbread, sweet yeast rolls with whipped butter, salad bar, apple, pecan and pumpkin pie and other assorted desserts.
Photo Credits: Each photo from the respective restaurant.
Nov 082015
I rarely use the word gastronomical, it’s an overused term that looses its value when often associated with average dining experiences. Nevertheless, I’m breaking my rule on this word for a nine course dinner that we recently experienced at Seito Sushi in Baldwin Park. When Seito Sushi invited us in for dinner I assumed we’d taste a nice selection of sushi and a trendy appetizer or two. Nine courses, and several hours later, our perception of Seito was forever changed. Not all of these items from our meal below are currently available in restaurant, but it’s certainly a peek inside what’s to come at this Baldwin Park spot once known for merely sushi.
Without further adieu……our dinner:
Baked Glacier Point Oyster: I never eat oysters. EVER. But one look at this artfully prepared plate and it felt insulting not to taste this delectable dish.
Japanese Sea Bream: When caught, this particular fish is killed almost immediately creating a dash of sweetness in its flavor. An excellent second course filled with hints of citrus and honeycrisp apples.
Pork Belly Kakuni: With a soy molasses glaze and Japanese mustard, this savory square was exceptional.
Roasted Branzino: Lime leaf stuffed with barrel aged white soy and house sriracha. This fish is designed to eat in its entirety, while some at our table opted for the eyeball, we stuck to tasting the “standard” parts of this flavorful fish.
Salmon Tataki: Good fish doesn’t require much help in the flavor area, and this dish was no exception. With fried garlic and soy, we happily cleaned our plates during course five.
Tokyo Turnip Salad: Calling this dish a salad is an understatement, it’s purple potato puree with yams and bacon miso dressing will make you wish all salads were crafted with this level of creativity.
Beef Tenderloin: Quite possibly the most unexpected dish of the evening, but one that I’d totally return to Seito and order again. This locally sourced beef was paired with miso marble potatoes, blistered shishito peppers and a ginger scallion pesto.
Smoked Yellowtail Toro: The smell of cherry smoke filling the table followed by the reveal of this Yellowtail was an experience for the senses. An applewood smoke smell usually reserved for BBQ or meats, this juxtaposition of smells and flavors was a true joy to experience.
Kabocha Bread Pudding: For the grand finale we tasted what every pumpkin flavored dessert should aspire to be like. The sesame butterscotch combined with local brioche, pumpkin powder, vanilla and ginger was every pumpkin lover’s dream. A perfectly sweet and savory dish to round out our gastronomical experience.
Big thanks to Seito Sushi for an evening of culinary surprises and delights.
Nov 082015
From Epcot to Downtown Orlando, The City Beautiful is bursting with fall food events. One that’s not to be missed and a feast for the eyes and palate is the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic. Featuring an astonishing number of wine stations (40 to be precise), 10 food and wine seminars and chef meet and greats, this two day event rivals the grand event at Epcot.
As our first year attending, the vast amount of wine was astonishing. With so many regions and varietals it was literally impossible to consume every wine on hand. Plus, for beer lovers, the event featured an expansive Beer Garden complete with local beers and salty pretzels to wash down all those brews.
Prior to an evening of dining and imbibing, we sipped our way through Italy with Certified Sommelier, Kristian LaPlante. A particular fun course after passing the Introductory Sommelier class earlier in the week. This hour long seminar was filled with Italian wines from all regions and paired with authentic fare. Taught by a true Italian, Kristian’s expertise made for an exceptional and educational start to our evening at the Food and Wine Classic. Next year be sure to add the food and beverage seminars to your schedule, there’s a topic for every palate and interest.
After tasting seven different Italian wines we headed to the main event and embarked on an evening of flavor. Like most tasting events we try to sample dessert first. The lines are always the shortest and well, why not start with sweets? The hotel’s World Champion Pastry Chef, Laurent Branlard, provided a sweeter side to the evening with decadent desserts like chocolate almond crunch cake and an éclair with caramelized banana cream and coconut streusel. And after sampling a few pastries alongside champagne and French wine, we visited the S’more Sundae Action Station, which combined the s’more and the sundae.
Beyond dessert and Italian wine, here’s what we tasted and so enjoyed during the event:
- Southern Fried Chicken with creamy polenta pickled turnips and BBQ “gravy”.
- A taco station complete with toppings and hot sauce selections. Basically a mini Chipotle meets Tijuana Flats….but way better tacos and no line.
- Shrimp Cocktail Steamroller by Bluezoo, an interesting culinary experience, and one that was mildly entertaining watching people figure out how to eat a shrimp cocktail in a tube.
- Funnel Cakes topped with Nutella, a nod to carnivals with an added layer of indulgence.
Bravo Swan and Dolphin, we can’t wait to see what you have cooking for next year’s event.
