Spork Orlando - Page 34 of 72 - Finding Orlando's Tastiest Tables

An Evening of Entertainment at Cooper’s Hawk

Sep 122015

If you haven’t been to Cooper’s Hawk you’re missing out on one of I-Drive’s newest gems. A growing collection of restaurants has slowly replaced the tacky, dirty shops that was once I-Drive. Cooper Hawks’s uniquely modern, yet casual, dining space is expansive and perfect for a variety of evenings from a family meal to catching a football game in the bar. The restaurant also offers an exclusive and active wine club. The wine club offers subscribers monthly wines, special discounts, invitations to exclusive events, rewards, and annual domestic and international wine trips.

Last week we were invited to attend one of these exclusive wine club events featuring Top Chef fan favorite Fabio Viviani. The evening included an interactive cooking demonstration, four-course dinner with wine pairings, and a special meet-and-greet with Fabio as well as a signed copy of Fabio’s American Home Kitchen cookbook.

All chefs are characters, but Fabio was particular entertaining as he walked us through an evening of cooking demonstrations paired with equally entertaining stories. As we learned about his Crispy Broken Potatoes a magnificent aroma filled the room as the smell of rosemary, garlic and Parmesan ignited the crowd. Following both cooking demonstrations we were lucky enough to taste some of the creations below.

Tuna Carpaccio: Arugula, Crispy capers and Yuza Vinaigrette, a fantastic start with paper thin slices of tuna accented with salty capers.

Sliced Heirloom Tomatoes: with Olives, Shaved Parmesan, Aged Balsamic, Sea Salt, Basil and Olive Oil. A colorful collection of tomatoes and authentic Italian flavors.

Slow-Roasted Prime Rib with Herb-Parmesan Crust and Tuscan Stewed Swordfish: Two entrees full of flavor resulting in the perfect land and sea side-by-side tasting.

Crispy Broken Potatoes: The best potatoes and one of the dishes created during the cooking demonstrations. The room literally smelled like Italy and I didn’t think potatoes could be so darn tasty until tasting this side.

Truffled Gnocchi: with real Italian cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Exceptionally rich and creamy.

Fabio’s Mom’s Tiramisu: Perfectly light and rich all in one jar. A delicious sweet treat to round out our evening!

For modern, casual, yet fun cuisine, we’d recommend checking out Cooper’s Hawk!

Four Seasons Guest Chef Dinner

Sep 082015

In just over a month, on Tuesday, October 13, Four Seasons’ PB&G will host Kevin Nashan, multiple James Beard Award nominee and Chef/Owner of Sydney Street Café and The Peacemaker in St. Louis, Missouri. Chef Nashan will work alongside Executive Sous Chef Sam Faggetti and Executive Pastry Chef Rabii Saber. The special dinner is $65 per person including tax and gratuity.

Guest will feast on a bountiful family style seafood boil showcasing lobster, mussels, and crawfish accompanied by delicious sides of fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, shrimp deviled eggs and more. Attendees will enjoy complimentary cocktails on arrival as well as a raw bar featuring oysters, king crab, and peel & eat shrimp.

Optional: Beer Pairings from Boulevard Brewing Company- $25 with souvenir glass

Raw Bar

Oysters, King Crab, Peel & Eat Shrimp

Pairing: Ginger Lemon Radler

Family Style Dinner Courses

Lobster and Shrimp Boil with Corn, Andouille and Potatoes

Pairing: Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

Fresh Water Mussels with Tasso Ham and Sauce Piquant

Pairing: 6^th Glass Quadruple Ale

Spicy Crawfish Boil

Pairing: Single Wide I.P.A

Sides

Spicy Shrimp Deviled Eggs, Hush Puppies, Coleslaw, Fried Green Tomatoes, Okra, Hoppin’ John Salad

Dessert Bar

Key Lime Pie Jar
Jack Daniels Pecan Pie
Four Layer Coconut Cake
Fudgy Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cupcake
Peach Cobbler with Sweet Tea Ice Cream

Pairing: Dark Truth Imperial Stout

Second Harvest Hosts Chefs of Grand Lakes

Sep 082015

Chef Nathan Hardin, chef de cuisine of Highball & Harvest at the Ritz Carlton, and Chef Jaden Sheive, executive chef for Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen at the Marriott Grande Lakes, will prepare dinner at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s Community Kitchen as part of the Chef’s Night series and Catering for Good program.

Highball & Harvest is a modern approach to southern-style cuisine, while Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen is known for farm-inspired comfort food. Together, Chef Hardin and Chef Jaden created a fusion menu from both restaurants for guests to enjoy. The menu will feature a 4-course dinner along with a specialty cocktail, wine and hand-crafted beer.

Chef’s Night brings local top chefs into Second Harvest’s Community Kitchen to celebrate delicious food and raise money for a good cause. All proceeds benefit Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program, which provides students with the skills and inspiration they need to obtain an entry-level position in a food service establishment.

MENU

First course: Sweet pea ravioli with pea greens, pecorino, chanterelles and fresh mint
Second course: South Carolina rainbow trout with sweet potato, turnips and kale
Third course: Braised beef cheek with farro risotto, mustard frills and farm carrots
Dessert: Red velvet cake with red berries and roasted figs

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, 6-9 p.m.

WHERE: Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

COST: $75 per person

TO REGISTER: Purchase tickets at www.FeedHopeNow.org or call 407-514-1048 for more information.

Victoria & Albert’s at Second Harvest

Sep 032015

Chef’s Night at Second Harvest returned with uber award-winning Chef de Cuisine Scott Hunnel and Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek of Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Together they prepared an INCREDIBLE dinner at Second Harvest Food Bank’s Community Kitchen as part of the Chef’s Night series and Catering for Good program. All proceeds benefit Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program, which provides students with the skills and inspiration they need to obtain an entry-level position in a food service establishment.

Under Hunnel, Victoria & Albert’s has been Central Florida’s only AAA Five-Diamond status restaurant for the last 15 consecutive years. Talk about an accomplishment. During our exquisite evening of wining and dining we were treated to a five-course dinner that mimicked a true Victoria & Albert’s experience.

From the champagne to the final box of chocolates, everything, and I mean everything we tasted and sipped was exquisite. If you haven’t attend a Chef’s Night you are seriously missing out one of Orlando’s most notable culinary events. Here’s what we tasted lasted week – and still dreaming of this week!

First Course: Alaskan King Crab Roulade with Siberian Caviar and English Stilton Cheesecake – The most delicate crustacean I’ve possible ever tasted, paired with this rich, decadent “cheesecake.” It was the most delightful miniature plate.

Second Course: Gulf Shrimp with Crisp Prosciutto and Athena Melon – An artfully prepared course mimicking flavors you’d only find in Italy. My husband’s favorite dish of the night and one that melded sweet, salty and savory all in one course.

Third Course: Poulet Rouge with Mushroom Ragoût and Summer Truffles – Truffles on top of truffles on top of chicken so delectable I’ll compare all other poultry to this plate. Yet another work of art almost too pretty to eat.

Fourth Course: Grass-fed Beef with Potato-Turnip Gratin and Oxtail Jus – My favorite flavors of the evening, Australian beef served (mostly) rare and tender enough to slice with my dessert spoon. Paired with what can only be described as the “thousand layer potato,” this cheesy-potato tower is the classiest way to eat starches and dairy. Life goals include: tasting this potato tower again and then learning how to create it myself.

Dessert: Peruvian Chocolate Timbale – Absolutely stunning. You could hear an audible roar of the room when this dish was served. Our entire table ceased existing conversation and turned all words to this amazing dish both in taste, texture and of course presentation. I’ve yet to taste something dense and light all in one spoonful.

And now I’m off to make a reservation at Victoria & Albert’s…..let’s just hope they have a table open in 2015. The next calendar year is a long time to wait to taste this incredible cuisine.

Updated Spins on Classic Cocktails

Sep 032015

Mama’s Pretzel Kitchen Samplings at SeaWorld

Sep 022015

Theme park snacks are taking a fun twist at Mama’s Pretzel Kitchen inside SeaWorld. Pretzel connoisseurs can now savor sweet and salty pretzel combinations while sipping on a variety of local and seasonal craft beers, frozen cocktails, wines and beverages.

We were recently treated to a day full of SeaWorld and pretzel goodness. Located adjacent to Shamu Stadium, these carb confections are a delightful twist on your standard theme park fare.

After sampling a myriad of salty, carb goodness we headed to see Shamu in action. If you haven’t been to SeaWorld lately it’s worth a trip – even if just to see Shamu and his penguin friends in Antartica. Here’s a recap of our pretzel sampling and our recommendations!

Cinnamon Sugar Nuggets: Bite-sized sugary-sweet bliss. I mean…..how can you not like cinnamon and sugar coating a soft pretzel bite? We can’t be friends if you’re adverse to sugary pretzels.

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Bacon Pretzel Twist: A braided pretzel with savory bacon and salty, fluffy bread. Dip in their spicy mustard for an added flavor bonus.

Mustard Pretzel Roll: Oh man. We went back for seconds with this one. If you’re adverse to mustard, I’d clearly avoid this item – but if you’re mustard obsessed like us, you better order this pretzel creation.

Pepperoni Pizza Pretzel: Imagine a personal-pan pizza crossing with a big, fat pretzel, and voila you have a pretzel pizza! Dip in their marinara sauce for an indulgent hybrid of flavors.

As a pretzel-obsessed staff, we had so much fun sampling these creations. Put Mama’s Pretzel Kitchen on your SeaWorld list! Cheers to carbs. Lots of carbs.

Magical Dining Around the City

Sep 022015

Summer’s end is near, and that can only mean one thing—Magical Dining Month is here! With restaurants all over Orlando serving up their best dishes at magical prices, it’s a perfect excuse to re-energize your dining routine. .

Lake Buena Vista:

It’s all-you-can-eat, plus a little extra this month at American Q. Choose from a selection of three appetizers (we recommend their signature Swine Candy), then dig in to the Flatbed Buffet, stocked with scrumptious sides and get ready for tableside carvings of meat, smoked in-house on the rodizio. (Not up for all-you-can-eat-fare? Check out the Memphis Baby Back Ribs or Butter Poached & Blackened NY Strip!) Make sure you save some room for dessert—a slice of S’mores Pie will hit that sweet spot. American Q has some seriously fun eats. For more on our review, click here.

Downtown:

Southern classics get a contemporary spin at Soco. Chef Greg Richie is serving up the finest in comfort cuisine this Magical Dining Month, with a menu selection of house favorites such as Slow Roasted Barbeque-Glazed Pork Belly Biscuits andGrilled Meatloaf on Lobster Mashed Potatoes. Come dessert time, it’s a toss-up between the Southern Belle, warm apple & oatmeal spice cake, coconut, pink peppercorn whiskey syrup; or the Bourbon Banana Pudding, a vanilla wafer waffle with caramelized banana and toasted meringue. And have you seen our latest Soco review? Read all about it here.

Restaurant Row:

You’ll want to save room for everything from the robata at Dragonfly Robata Grill & Sushi, where the Magical Dining menu is a three-course immersion in the Japanese dining experience. Start the journey with a bowl of Katsuobushi Miso Soup, then see where the night takes you with entrée selections such as Braised Short Ribs and Robata-Grilled Chickens Thighs.

International Drive:

The Capital Grille. Done. Enough said, right? Read our latest review here.

Bonus! While these spots aren’t participating in Magical Dining Month, they’re serving up sweet specials and with prix fixes you won’t want to miss!

Join Tapa Toro, Orlando’s newest tapas bar and paella pit, where they’re serving up a prix fixe of Spanish classics in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. With a menu for lunch ($18) and dinner ($33) available September 1-October 15, there’s plenty of time to give it all a try!

Itta Bena brings Memphis’ finest dining to Orlando with a Summer Celebration Menu ($35) stocked with house favorites such as the Signature She-Crab Soup, Blackened Gulf Red Snapper and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding.

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