We’re keeping it short and sweet today with a fabulous upcoming event at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes on September 19! I’ve never had a bad meal at The Ritz and they certainly know how to put together a party. So grab your little black dress, fancy shoes and head to Carnavalia, hosted by The Assistance Fund, to help benefit critically or chronically ill individuals.

To view pictures from last year, visit their Facebook. Click here to learn more about The Assistance Fund and purchase your tickets!

“If life gives you limes….make margaritas.” Jimmy Buffett’s carefree and eternal vacation mindset continues to shape music, beverages and now the restaurant world. And we’d take limes over lemons any day.

Head down I-4 and escape to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville located in the heart of Universal’s City Walk. To kick of our Labor Day weekend, we headed to City Walk to enjoy some boat drinks and a Cheeseburger in Paradise. Our “mini vacation” started with their Uptown Margarita with Margaritaville Gold Tequila, Cointreau® Orange Liqueur, house margarita blend and topped with a Gran Gala® float all on the rocks with salt. The margaritas were perfect and worth heading out to Margaritaville even if just for a drink.

Probably most impressive on the menu are the extensive gluten free options. From burgers to brownies, the menu serves up a variety of options for those trying to avoid gluten. Even the fries are made in separate fryers! Hello tasty sweet potato fries.

For the first course, per chef recommendation, we dove into the Volcano Nachos. Standing seemingly over a foot tall, these house-made tortilla chips are layers upon layers of chili, cheese, fresh guacamole, sour cream, jalapeños, tomatoes and scallions. And yes, every bite was amazing.

Next course, burgers in paradise. Our Cheddar BBQ Burger was topped with cheddar cheese, Applewood-smoked bacon, fried onions, lettuce, BBQ aioli and served with a roasted jalapeño on the side. Hello, flavor explosion. Most burgers today are well, wimpy. But this juicy goodness was stacked high and filled with more than a single slice of cheese and crumbled bacon. Washed down with french fries and it’s easy to see why Orlando’s Margaritaville recently won Best Burger from Orlando Sentinel.

Trying to avoid gluten? You’ll find all you need on their gluten free menu, even burgers! We indulged in the tasty gluten free Cheeseburger in Paradise® with an Udi’s signature bun topped with American cheese, lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles and paradise island sauce. You’d never know it was free of gluten! Whatever they did to that Udi’s bun is simply unbelieveable, paired with krinkle sweet potato fries and you’ll experience gluten free perfection.

Topping off our tropical escape, we feasted on the Chocolate Hurricane, warm (gluten free) brownies with heath bar crusted vanilla bean ice cream, macadamia nuts, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. A mountain of brownies, sugary goodness and worth EVERY bite.

We left Margaritaville full, happy and in a vacation state of mind. Visit margaritavilleorlando.com for menus, drinks and upcoming events.

Throw away your Tabasco, get rid of that trendy Sriracha and replace it all with Fat Cat gourmet condiments and hot sauces. Fat Cat Gourmet Foods is a small, boutique condiments and hot sauce company based in Orlando. After countless creations and rave reviews from friends this husband-wife team decided to take their recipes public in 2011. Some of their sauces are hot, some are mild — but each features a complex array of natural ingredients and pure flavors that complements a wide range of foods.

We recently had a tasting party after Fat Cat delivered a bevy of beautiful sauces. These sauces are unprecedented and incredibly unique and complex. They’re guaranteed to transform your favorite dishes and perk up your taste buds in the best way possible. We were astounded by the complexity of flavor and how the sauces drew out the best qualities in our food. Fat Cat is truly a unique experience for your taste buds and the perfect complement to everything from scrambled eggs to mojitos.

All sauces are given a rating from 1-10, so you know what you’re getting into before the spiciness arrives to your palate. Fat Cat houses four mild sauces and 4 hot. And yes, hot means HOT, in the most purrfect way possible. Click here for a list of all flavor profiles and serving suggestions. We highly recommend each flavor, but here are a few of our favorites:

• Mexican-Style Habanero: Tart and fruity, with an immediate punch of habanero, carrot and vinegar, and a satisfying burst of chile pepper heat. The perfect blend of spicy and satisfying, washed over our peanut satay dish to perfection. Not overpowering or replacing the taste of our dish, just an extra boost to our tasty meal! Heat Level: 7 out of 10

• Chairman Meow’s Revenge: Strong, savory and VERY spicy (just how we like it) with a base of garlic, cilantro and lime juice and hot scorpion peppers. Wowzer – this stuff is HOT. But add a few dashes to pizza, tacos or grilled vegetables and your taste buds will be forever transformed. How will I ever enjoy scrambled eggs without this sauce? It’s just that good. But it is hot, so get out of the kitchen if you can’t stand the heat. Heat Level: 10+ out of 10

• Strawberry Serano: Sweet and salty move over, there’s a better combination – sweet AND spicy. Blended with strawberries and spicy serrano chiles – it’s delicious, exotic and this sweet heat allows all the flavors to shine. I could seriously eat this straight from the bottle, but I’ll restrain myself and add it to ice cream, greek yogurt and cheese. Heat Level: 3 out of 10

The possibilities are endless with Fat Cat sauces, click here for scrumptious recipes and you’ll be sure to impress your husband, wife, dinner party, mom….even yourself with the incredible flavors from Fat Cat. Sauces are sold online or you can find them locally by clicking here.

See ya Crysal, Frank’s Hot Sauce and whatever else I find in my pantry, you just can’t compare to Fat Cat.

Big thanks to Eyal at Fat Cat for delivering an amazing array of sauces to Spork!

Photos: fatcatfoods.com/

Nestled behind Park Avenue is a hidden gem and mini oasis. Step behind the iron gates and you’re transported into a quaint courtyard that houses The Ancient Olive.

Last week we stopped by for a visit and after sampling real olive oils I’ll never go back to the Publix brand. The Ancient Olive houses over 60 different types of olive oils, a handful of balsamic vinegars and exceptional local gourmet food and condiments.

Before our visit I was clueless to the complexity and care required for high quality olive oil. Most people avoid cooking with olive oil and opt for butter, but once you taste these flavors you’ll toss your butter sticks. Most of the olive oils here are imported from Italy. Before arriving, each variety is evaluated and confirmed as the world’s highest quality as set by their UP international rating scale. The shop houses a number of olive oil flavors created by crushing olives and whole fruits such as blood oranges and Baklouti peppers. The flavors are natural, plant derived and will radically change your cooking and marinades.

During our time here we tasted a mix of flavors including Herbs de Provence olive oil (my favorite) and Espresso Balsamic. The best part of the tasting was combing the infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars. The combinations are endless and can be used for everything from salads to pancakes and even homemade popcorn. The Cinnamon-Pear Balsamic and Blood Orange olive oil was incredible and such a great alternative to balsamic vinegar dressing, which turns boring after a number of salads.

After indulging in layers of flavor we moved to the gourmet food side of the shop. I was thrilled to see SO MANY local food artisans like Bungalow 23’s drink mixes and Fat Cat’s hot sauces. We also sampled carrot cake jam and beer jelly and now I’m officially over grape jelly. The Ancient Olive is a treasure trove of flavors and we are hooked! Next time you’re on Park Ave, head north and start your collection of authentic olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Your kitchen (and family) will thank you. The Ancient Olive is located at 324 North Park Avenue in Winter Park’s Hidden Garden.