In an effort to fight hunger this holiday season, the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Winter Park Village to host Happy Hour for Hunger. Presented by Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Mitchell’s Fish Market, the event will be held on Thursday, November 13, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Winter Park Village. The evening will include drinks and appetizers provided by Winter Park Village restaurants, plus live entertainment and a photo booth. All ticket proceeds will benefit Feed the Need, Winter Park’s community-wide initiative to raise funds for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

Food and beverage participants for Happy Hour for Hunger include Another Broken Egg, Edible Arrangements, Florida Distributing Co., Lime Fresh Mexican Grille, Mitchell’s Fish Market, Pizzeria Valdiano, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Tea and Tea and The Gourmet Cuisine at Rollins/Sodexo.

Tickets are available through the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce at www.winterpark.org and at the Winter Park Welcome Center for $20 in advance or $25 at the door.  Donations for Feed the Need are also available online at www.feedtheneedwp.org.

Smoothies are supposed to be healthy, but when Planet Smoothie started serving drinks clocking in well over 1,000 calories, everyone’s opinions of smoothies rapidly changed. With those mega caloric drinks on the market you might as well grab a carton of ice cream. Luckily, Orlando has an alternative for your smoothie habit.

Located in the heart of Sodo, The Smoothie Room serves up a variety of smoothies in addition to vegetable juices and an array of teas. Drinks are made fresh on site and are free of powders, concentrates, syrups and added sugar. During my first visit I tried the Purple Rain smoothie chocked full of apples, blueberries, bananas and a hint of lime. My drink was smooth, refreshing and so clearly full of nature’s goodness. Fresh, wholesome ingredients make all the difference when crafting a smoothie. If your idea of a smoothie comes from Planet Smoothie or Starbucks, it’s time to upgrade to The Smoothie Room!

The Smoothie Room is located at 25 W Crystal Lake St #163, Orlando, FL in South Downtown and www.thesmoothieroom.com. While you’re there check in on Yelp for $1 off your drink!

Photo Credit: The Smoothie Room

From makeup to dog toys, it seems as if everyone is jumping on the monthly “box” subscription trend. I’ve subscribed to everything from Birch Box to Bark Box, but nothing is as exciting as gourmet food arriving at your doorstep. A box of goodies is also the perfect gift for that impossible to buy for friend. After all, Christmas arrives in 62 days, 9 weeks and 1,527 hours {insert panic here}. After scouring the market for gourmet boxes, here’s our top picks including a local company, Five-Star Florida Finds, based out of Orlando.

• Five-Star Florida Finds: Focusing on local businesses, sustainability and artisans, owner Michelle Nunnelley works to curate the best of Florida for her gift boxes. There’s more to Florida than citrus and Michelle is focused on sharing Florida finds with other regions. Five-Star Florida Finds combs through hometowns from coast to coast to hunt for authentic, local treasures . Each custom gift box features a collection of five Florida discoveries. Click here to learn more and grab your box of Sunshine State treasures.

• Candy Club: A premier candy of the month club offering a premium, monthly subscription service for candy lovers. Candy Club shipments are curated by the company’s in-house “sultans of sweet,” offering members a rotating variety of hard-to-find classic candies. Whether it’s the Haribo® Gummi Techno Bears or the Butterfields® Peach Buds, Candy Club’s experts are always on the hunt for the most unique confections. Click here to satisfy your sweet tooth.

• Mantry: Finally, gift solutions for the men in your life! Mantry delivers stories and food experiences today’s man can appreciate, enjoy and share. You’ll receive a modern American pantry to discover artisan food, what to do with it and maybe even impress the lady in your life. Items range from BBQ sauce crafted in Alabama, Bison Jerky from the foothills of Montana, Birch Syrup hand-harvested in Alaska and more. Everything arrives in a crate handmade in America. Doesn’t get more manly than that. Click here to send your man a box.

• Dana’s Bakery (Macaron of the Month): Dana pairs these traditional treasures with familiar flavors and created an artisanal line of macarons. From Red Velvet to S’mores, these all-American favorites are designed to please your sugary side. Not to be confused with macaroons (gross, coconut) these gluten free beauties are rising stars. Sign up for your monthly macaron box here.

• Pickles Every Month: Typically reserved for backyard barbeques, sandwiches and people into canning, the pickle has recently taken a culinary turn. Every month you’ll receive an array of pickled cucumbers – spears, slices, whole cukes, sweet, spicy and smoky. These boxes also include jars of pickled produce such as beets, carrots, cauliflower, okra and more. As a bonus, the boxes come with a complimentary one-year subscription to Edible Magazine! Click here to order your pickles.

• Forbidden Foods Club: These boxes contain gluttony at it’s finest. This monthly anti-diet subscription is filled with allergy inducing and gut busting foods. It’s all the foods you’re told to avoid like sugar, salt and carbs, but it’s completely worth the caloric intake. Click here for more on the 3 and 6 month forbidden boxes subscriptions. 

Get your gluttony on with a gourmet treat from one of these fine purveyors.
Photo Credits: All images from each business respectively. 

James and Julie Petrakis, chefs/owners of The Ravenous Pig and Cask & Larder are back again with their newest creation, Swine & Sons Provisions. Scheduled to open February 2015, this third Winter Park operation from the James Beard-nominated husband/wife team will introduce a new takeout concept to The City Beautiful.

Located immediately west of Cask & Larder on Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park, Swine & Sons Provisions will specialize in takeout charcuterie, butcher sandwiches, seasonally inspired homemade ice creams, signature spices and rubs, scratch-made biscuits, daily pastry offerings and more. {Insert happy dance here!}

“Since opening Ravenous Pig seven years ago and on the heels of celebrating Cask & Larder’s second anniversary, we’ve not only been humbled by the community’s support, but also its encouragement to keep growing,” said Julie Petrakis. “Swine & Sons Provisions is an extension of our first two locations but geared more to people with limited time or to those looking to recreate some of their favorite dishes at home.”

Keeping it in the “Swine Family,” Kailey Krips, currently a manager at Ravenous Pig, will also be part of the Swine & Sons Provisions launch team as its store manager.

“It’s a passion of Julie and I to keep our hometown on the forefront of the most progressive culinary trends,” said James Petrakis. “When conceptualizing Swine & Sons Provisions, we pulled inspiration from places like Craftsman & Wolves, Boccalone, Star Provisions and Two Boroughs Larder. We’re giving it a Florida twist and couldn’t be more excited to debut the new concept in Winter Park.”

Thank you James and Julie for continually making the Orlando culinary scene chic and tasty! www.SwineandSons.com

Photo Credit: Swine & Sons