Sep 262014
 

Nabbing a weekend reservation at Rocco’s Tacos is nearly impossible, but after one visit, it’s easy to understand why their tables are full. Imagined by owner Rocco Mangel, this taco and tequila bar brings a Mexican dining experience to life through tequilas, music and tasty tacos.

With over 250 varieties of tequila, guacamole prepared tableside and Molcajetes, this menu has something for every palate. I’m still craving a sangria and their Molcajete Carne, authentic fajitas baked and served in a massive lava rock bowl from Mexico. Served with flour tortillas, lettuce, pico de gallo, cotija cheese (my favorite), guacamole, sour cream, skirt steak, chicken, chorizo, chile rajas and tequila. Phew. This fed us for days after our Rocco’s Tacos visit and is hands down the most unique Mexican dish I’ve ever tasted. The Molcajete Carne is  really unfair to other Mexican entrees because your average steak fajitas just can’t compare to this creation.

If you’re looking for an excuse to dine out on a weekday, their Taco & Tequila Tuesdays features all you-can-eat tacos including chicken, pork, steak, beef, mushroom, shrimp or mahi tacos, each with a handful of fixings, for only $14.95 per person. Top off your tacos with their $5 tequila drinks, $15 margarita pitchers, $3 Mexican beers and $6 Tito’s vodka drinks. Even better, during October, Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar will donate a percentage of their Taco Tuesday sales to breast cancer research via Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Happy Hour never looked so good!

Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar is located at 7468 West Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32819 and roccostacos.com.

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Photo Credits: Carma PR

Rocco's Tacos and Tequila Bar on Urbanspoon

Sep 252014
 

There’s no excuse to eat bad food this weekend, especially when you can head to the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek for Food & Wine Weekends, now through Nov. 9. These weekends are brimming with amazing culinary creations and good eats. Event highlights include:

  • Global Venture – a Wine Pairing Dinner: 3-course tasting menu comprised of food and wine pairings from around the world – prepared by the chefs of Waldorf Astoria Orlando.
  • Il Cibo Della Vita: From the kitchen of La Luce by Donna Scala at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, each weekend a new tasting menu and wine pairing will be unveiled, featuring chef Scala’s favorite recipes.
  • The Art of Sushi Pairing: Zeta Bar & Sushi Lounge, explore perfect pairings with favorite sushi dishes including sake and wine.
  • Bar du Chocolat and champagne tasting: Peacock Alley will be transformed into a chocolate-lover’s dream, offering a cocoa-infused evening of self-indulgence paired with a selection of fine champagnes.

Really, you can’t go wrong with any of these experiences! Grab your date, best friend or spouse for culinary creativity and a memorable evening. Visit WaldorfAstoriaOrlando.com or call +1 888-353-2009 for reservations and more details.

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Photo Credit: Waldorf Astoria 

Sep 242014
 

For the longest time we avoided The Capital Grille, saving it for boring business dinners or a yearly treat. Lately though, it has been our go-to for celebrations big and small. We’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no better place in town for quality service and consistently good food. We’ve never had a bad meal here and we are always pleasantly surprised by the small service touches and exceptional quality of food. For Spork’s original post on The Capital Grille, click here.

Available in the lounge area, now through November 23, you can choose between three featured American Wagyu beef burgers paired with a glass of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon or J Pinot Noir for $25. Their signature Wagyu Cheeseburger (served on a toasted brioche roll and topped with Havarti cheese, a sunny-side up egg and crisp onions) is back and they’ve added two new burgers to their lineup. The Kona Crusted Wagyu Burger with shallot mayo and the Wild Mushroom Wagyu Cheeseburger with 15-year aged balsamic, both served with Parmesan Fries.

If you’ve never tasted Wagyu beef, go to The Capital Grille, it’s simply the finest, most delicate beef you’ll ever encounter. The Capital Grille is located on I-Drive and The Mall at Millenia in Orlando.

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Photo Credit: The Capital Grille

 

Sep 232014
 

Santa Monica is a land of waves, zero humidity and California culture. With two full days to explore Santa Monica, we did what we do best, eat! Hey, it’s cheaper than shopping, right? In all honesty, I avoided the two story Anthropologie and glittering Tory Burch shop on Rodeo Drive in exchange for fabulous meals. Shoes wear out, but memories from meals last for a lifetime. Here’s a few restaurants and dishes you must try if you’re ever in the area.

  • Coast Beach Cafe & Bar: Might I say there’s nothing better than enjoying a glass of wine overlooking sand and crashing waves? We stumbled upon this hotel restaurant in the midst of our first walk around Santa Monica. The atmosphere was laid back, casual and had a cottage-coastal feel. Almost like you were sitting in an old friend’s beach house catching up on lost time and relishing in the fact that you don’t have to answer emails or clean your house. We enjoyed drinks at the bar, but from what I can tell, the plates from the kitchen looked fantastic!

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  • Misfits: At first glance you can instantly tell the funky, trendy tables are filled with locals and regulars. At 6 p.m. on on Sunday night, the place was bursting with lively diners and full tables. The bar and restaurant reprises a “back to the bar” ideal of comfort food and signature cocktails. We ordered the shredded kale and quinoa salad with sunflower seeds, grapes, preserved lemon, manchego and parmesan. The kale was notable for its flavor as it was soaked overnight in salt water. This process completely removed any bitterness and made for an enjoyable kale salad. Their oven roasted organic chicken was marinated with white wine, garlic, fresno chili and marketgreens. This perfectly-portioned dish was tender, juicy and packed with flavor. Our meal ended with some surprise sea salt chocolate chip cookies from our waiter! We’d recommend Misfits for lunch, dinner, late night and brunch.

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  • Huckleberry: Everything served at Huckleberry is made on site using high quality ingredients ranging from organic flour to farmers-market produce. I was eating solo this morning, but this place is great for groups, dates or a lingering morning with your kindle and cup of coffee. Go for the Fried Egg Sandwich with sunny side up eggs, Niman Ranch bacon, Gruyère, arugula and aioli on country bread. Oh and my side of fruit was exceptional. You really can taste the difference in farmers-market produce straight from California farms.

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  • ShopHouse: Created by Chipotle, their newest concept serves up the bold flavors of Southeast Asia in the same format as their sister restaurant. I’ve heard rumblings that these “Asian Chipotle” restaurants exist and we were ecstatic to find one in Santa Monica. Even better, everything is gluten, wheat and dairy free, so there really is something for everyone. Click here for full menu details and start dreaming of your future ShopHouse bowl.

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  • Le Pain (Beverly Hills): We first found this restaurant in NYC and are delighted to see its expansion. This place puts Panera to shame. Bread is handmade, most ingredients are organic and the interiors are simple, yet stunning. One step inside and you’re transported to the French countryside. My organic frittata with goat’s milk feta cheese, bread and berries was divine! I especially enjoyed the large wood communal table and the attentive (but not overbearing) service.

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  • Sprinkles Cupcakes: I tasted my first Sprinkles cupcake in 2007 in Beverly Hills and I instantly fell in love. I’ve tried my baking hand with the Sprinkles Williams-Sonoma mixes, but there’s always something I’m missing, so I was overjoyed to return to my beloved Sprinkles for a red velvet cupcake. My cupcake was baked to perfection with that perfect “sweet spot” center and topped with the creamiest cream cheese frosting you’ll ever taste. I was blissfully happy after indulging in my all-time favorite cupcake. I only wish they would bring their cupcake ATM to Orlando!

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  • Sugarfina: Finally, a candy store for adults! No more mass candy dispensers crawling with kiddie germs, Sugarfina knows how to do gourmet for grownups. It’s only a matter of time in my opinion before they expand nationwide.This team set out to taste thousands of candies in dozens of countries and the result is a perfectly curated collection of the finest high-quality candies from around the world. If you’re into gummies, try the Bitty Berries, perfectly juicy and no funky aftertaste like some gummies. We’d give the packaging, taste and presentation at Sugarfina a 10+ out of 10!

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  • Seasons 52: This location is notable for it’s incredible ocean view and outdoor seating. We hesitated coming here because we have two locations in Orlando, but we couldn’t have been happier with our meal and exceptional oceanside dining. Most exciting was the cool weather and chance to enjoy their butternut squash soup with shiitake mushrooms and chives. The Maple-Glazed All-Natural Roasted Half Chicken with autumn harvest vegetables and a zesty chicken jus was tender and packed with a subtle citrus flavor. Go for the view and stay for the mini indulgences at Season’s Santa Monica location.

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Photo Credits: Coast at Shutters, Misfits, Sugarfina, Sprinkles, all other images by Spork.

Sep 192014
 

Gooey, warm cookies straight from the oven and delivered to your doorstep. Can you think of anything better? Our sweet tooth was forever changed when we stumbled upon Gideon’s Bakehouse in July. If you missed our initial post, click here.

After inhaling our first batch, we’ve been anxiously waiting for the next chance to indulge our taste buds with Gideon’s sugary goodness. Early this week we came home to the most delicious delivery including The Chocolate Chip Cookie, Cookies & Cream and new to the menu, the Frankenstein Cookie. These sweet circles of heaven are divine and I’m still convinced there’s no better cookie on this planet.

We were most excited to try the Frankenstein Cookie, it’s perfect for those that can’t decide between Cookies & Cream or Chocolate Chip and it includes some bonus M&M’s. The sugar, buttery, caloric goodness melted in my mouth and was the perfect midnight snack. We almost plowed through our entire half-dozen in less than 24 hours. Oops! Looks like we need to order more.

If you haven’t tasted Gideon’s yet, you’re missing out. It will be hard to enjoy other cookies because nothing will ever compare, but hey at least we warned you. Visit gideonsbakehouse.com for a full menu and ordering details.

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Photo Credit: Gideon’s Bakehouse

Sep 192014
 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, Epcot International Food & Wine Festival now through November 10! Even better, the festival runs 53 days this year, an entire week longer than last year. That’s more than enough time to experience 25 speciality marketplaces, 270 chefs, and over 30 new food items. With all these new additions and celebrity chefs, it’s bound to be Epcot’s best festival yet.

What’s Cookin’:

  • A Patagonia Marketplace will debut with a menu featuring fresh, sustainable roasted Verlasso Salmon, Quinoa Salad and Arugula Chimichurri.
  • A Farm Fresh Marketplace will dish up new home-grown offerings including Applewood-smoked Pepper Bacon Hash with Sweet Corn, Potatoes, Hollandaise and pickled Jalapeños.
  • Celebrity chefs – Jamie Deen, “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro and more share their talents during culinary demos.
  • Ever-popular party for the senses, grand tasting events select Saturday evenings showcasing tempting bites, more than 50 wines and beers and live entertainment.

Must Taste Dishes and Drinks {Spork’s Picks and Past Favorites}:

  • Belgium – Belgian waffle with warm chocolate ganache and whipped cream. I wish this country existed year round in Epcot world! Pair with their Chilled Coffee featuring Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, don’t be fooled by the chocolate and coffee, it’s strong!
  • Canada“Le Cellier” wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle butter sauce and gluten free. Definitely worth the wait, the seemingly endless line moves fast.
  • France – Sparkling Pomegranate Kir, sparkling wine and pomegranate liquor, comparable to a fancy French version of a mimosa.

Weekends are usually packed, if you have time during the week you can breeze through the World Showcase with minimal crowds and lines. Either way, make sure you sign up for one of the many specialty events, they are worth the price tag! For more information and complete festival details visit, click here.

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Photo Credit: Walt Disney World

Sep 172014
 

Florida “fall” is always interesting, most weekends I’m torn between a beach day or staying in town to start a new routine. I love summer for the slow pace, but am always eager to welcome fall with all of its football and special events. Orlando has bevy of culinary events in the coming week, here’s a few of our picks!

  • Winter Park Annual, Wine & DineWednesday, October 15, features over 30 of Orlando’s best restaurants and shops under one roof. The evening will include tastings, hors d’oeuvres, craft beers and wine. Purchase a “Park Ave” VIP ticket for unlimited (yes, neverending) fine wines, champagne and craft beers. Check out this bevy of restaurants in attendance and grab your tickets for the ultimate Winter Park feast! Most tickets for similar events run $100+, so we’d say this is a pretty good deal at $40.00 – $70.00. For full details and tickets click here.
  • Pantry to Plate, Chef’s ChallengeThursday, September 18, a unique dining event that will test the talents of well-known Central Florida chefs as they prepare a four-course dinner using ingredients found solely in JFS Orlando’s Pearlman Emergency Food Pantry. Kathleen Blake of The Rusty Spoon, Hari Pulapaka of Cress Restaurant and John Rivers of 4 Rivers Smokehouse and The COOP will be judged on taste, presentation, and creativity. Celebrity Chef Cat Cora will emcee the event. All proceeds from Pantry to Plate will go to support JFS Orlando. Tickets are $125 per person or $1,000 for a table of ten. Click here for tickets and event details.
  • Beer Garden (sponsored by The Hammered Lamb) – Enjoy brews and entertainment in the field next to The Venue on the corner of Virginia Drive and New York Avenue.
  • Food Trucks (sponsored by The Food Truck Bazaar)
  • Wine Stroll – Visit merchants along Virginia Drive and sample wines. Merchants include The Barefoot Spa, Project 7 Yoga and more.

Get out of the house this weekend and indulge your taste buds!

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