Spork Orlando - Page 71 of 72 - Finding Orlando's Tastiest Tables

Goat Cheese Ice Cream? {Atlanta Part II: Jeni’s}

Jul 242014

We’re back with part two of our Atlanta series. If you missed the first post on FLIP Burger, click here for the juicy details.

Lavender, goat cheese and pistachios. Three unique flavors all taking center stage at Jeni’s ice cream located in Atlanta’s Westside Provisions District. We’re back with part two of our Atlanta edition, featuring the sweet side of the district. If you missed Atlanta part one, you can click here for more on the Peach State.

Jeni’s ice cream is slowing making its way into the world with several scoop shops nationwide and appearances in select grocery stores. Jeni’s flavors are handcrafted from the ground up, literally. Their milk comes from grass fed cows and everything is blended, baked and chopped in-house, and you can taste the difference. I’ve officially been spoiled, store bought ice cream will never taste the same.

While I didn’t spring for the Goat Cheese with Red Cherries flavor this time, I have heard rave reviews. There were too many other flavors I was salivating over as I stood in line. After sampling some fabulous flavors I landed with Cultured Key Lime Pie Frozen Yogurt and Black Coffee Ice Cream. Sounds simple, but these flavors were anything but ordinary.

The Black Coffee was incredible. Jeni’s steeps Batdorf & Bronson’s single-estate ground beans in grass-grazed Ohio milk. The coffee flavor was rich and intense, but not bitter or sticky sweet. I’m seriously considering trading out my Keurig and Nespresso for these Guatemalan beans.

One bite of the Cultured Key Lime Pie Frozen Yogurt and you will forever rethink buying an actual pie. They say the magic’s in the cultured buttermilk and then it’s blended with biodynamic organic yogurt and Key lime juice-infused crème fraîcheè. The flavors and creaminess are still calling my taste buds, more please!

The atmosphere and sugary goodness were so fabulous; I begged asked Jeni’s team to open a shop in The City Beautiful. Until then I guess we will have to settle for ordering from their online shop or making a trip to the Clermont Super Target where select flavors are sold. Look out Jeni’s, I’m coming back soon for your Wildberry Lavender!

Photo Credits: Trip Advisor and Yelp

35 Chefs. One Room. August 9

Jul 212014

We love a good party, especially one that involves Orlando’s best food. Returning for its 25th year, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® Orlando, locally presented by Quality One Wireless, will take place August 9 at the Orlando World Center Marriott. The event celebrates Orlando’s culinary excellence and Taste of the Nation’s commitment to combat childhood hunger. Click here to purchase your tickets!

Thirty five leading chefs and restaurants will attend event including TWO James Beard Foundation Award semi-finalists, Hari Pulapaka of Cress Restaurant and Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant. That’s culinary royalty right there y’all.

We are anxiously anticipating all of the appetizers, entrees and most importantly desserts from our favorite chefs! Plus there’s wine, fabulous prizes and a bier garden from World of Beer. When you’re feeling brave after all that beer, grab your date and dance to the Mud Rooster Band.

Aaand (drumroll please) Food Network celebrity chef Melissa d’Arabian, best known for her TV series Ten Dollar Dinners, is the featured guest of the event! D’Arabian, along with Orlando Sentinel food writer Heather McPherson and Scott Joseph from Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide, will serve as celebrity judges for theChef Throwdown. Whole Foods is providing the pantry staples for the culinary cook-off, and Creekstone Farms will award a generous check to the winner of the chef throwdown to present to Taste of the Nation.

When your taste buds need a break there will be an array of auction items including a drawing for an all-expense paid trip for two to Oktoberfest in Munich! Beer lovers, rejoice!

Tickets are $150 per person, and all proceeds benefit Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger. Just $50 provides a week of nutritious meals to 34 homeless children, so each ticket purchased makes a significant impact! Local beneficiaries include Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. See you there!

Taste of The Nation Orlando

Saturday, August 9, 2014
6:45 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Orlando World Center Marriott
8701 World Center Dr., Orlando

Tickets

$150 each, click here to purchase.

Attire

Cocktail / Semi-Formal

Participating Restaurants (YUM!)

Bahama Breeze
BB Kings Blues Club
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine
Cafe Tu Tu Tango
Capa at Four Seasons Resort Orlando
The Capital Grille
Captain’s Grille @ Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Cress Restaurant
Crimson Tavern at Orlando Airport Marriott
Cuisiniers Catering
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
Emeril’s Orlando
Emeril’s Tchoup Chop
Empress Sissi Cake & Pastry Specialties
FreshPoint
Journeys Catering
JW Marriott Orlando – Grande Lakes
K Restaurant and Wine Bar
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse
Marlow’s Tavern
Pirate Chefs of Central Florida sponsored by Nestlé Professional
Orlando World Center Marriott
Red Wing Restaurant
Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
SeaWorld Orlando
Second Harvest Food Bank Culinary Training Program
Soco Southern Contemporary Cuisine
Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, A Land Remembered Restaurant
Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Cala Bella Restaurant
Sushi Pop Restaurant
Taverna Opa
Three2OH
T-Rex Orlando at Downtown Disney

Photo Credits: http://ce.strength.org/orlando

The Nanny Whisperer {Date Night}

Jul 202014

We recently teamed up with The Nanny Whisperer, an Orland-based nanny matchmaking service, for date night advice on their blog. Visit Kristen and Sheri at thenannywhisperer.com for your family’s nanny and babysitting needs, they are fabulous!

You love your mini-me, but sometimes you need a night out with your other half. There’s nothing more relaxing than enjoying some good food, wine and your favorite person. So, the next time you’re debating a date night head straight to Hillstone in Winter Park.

I’ve always enjoyed Hillstone for its food, but also for the notable atmosphere. Step outside and you will find a seating area unmatched by any other local restaurant. The outdoor seating is on the edge of Lake Killarney and is filled with an herb garden and Adirondack chairs perfect for wine and conversation. The sunsets here are unbelievable and you can even reserve the dining dock that overlooks the lake.

After some wine and before your entrée, you must try the Chicago Style Spinach Dip served with warm tortilla chips. Sounds simple, but this is the best way to eat spinach. If salads are your thing, try the Thai Steak & Noddle Salad with marinated filet mignon, mango, avocado, fresh herbs (from their garden), pancit noodles and Thai dressing. My husband always orders the Famous French Dip with thinly sliced roasted prime rib on a house-made French roll served with au jus and Shoestring French Fries (and yes, I make him share). After dinner, order the house-made Key Lime Pie with pecan crust. You’ll never want to buy one from Publix again.

Hillstone’s menu is filled with simple, fresh flavors and a variety of entrees to satisfy even the pickiest eaters. So grab your date, ditch the dishes and head to Hillstone for a memorable evening together!

Hillstone is located on Lake Killarney at 215 South Orlando Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789. For reservations visit: www.hillstone.com.

Photo Credits: Trip Advisor, Hillstone’s Facebook

Marvelous Malvi

Jul 172014

Move over cupcake craze, hello Malvi. Prepare your sweet tooth because these molten sugar fluff cubes are way better than those Jet-Puffed marshmallows. We’ve had our eye on Malvi for awhile, so we were delighted when they recently sent us a box of delicious treats.

Malvis are the ultimate gourmet marshmallows full of flavor and exceptional ingredients. They are sandwiched between buttery shortbread style cookies, perfect for the ultimate sugar addict. Malvi hails from Atlanta and started with magenta, hibiscus marshmallows stuffed with the finest ingredients. Malvi is actually short for Malvavisco which is the Spanish word for marshmallow.

This week we sunk our taste buds into a variety of fabulous flavors. Our Malvi sampler pack was filled with Raspberry Hibiscus, Spiked Espresso, Vanilla Salted Caramel, Chocolate, and Mint Chocolate Malvis. Oh my goodness, my sweet tooth went on overload in the best way possible.

We heated up the Vanilla Salted Caramel Malvi and let our taste buds bask in the gooey, buttery goodness. This is the ultimate gourmet s’more sans chocolate, who needs a charcoal grill or Hershey’s when you can have this delivered to your mailbox? The Vanilla Salted Caramel was was outstanding, I would drizzle their caramel on every dessert if I could!

We then moved onto the Mint Chocolate which can only be described as Christmas on your taste buds. I instantly craved the sights and smells of December along with a peppermint mocha. I guess you could say we got a little bit of Christmas in July with this Malvi. The Raspberry Hibiscus flavor tastes like fresh picked berries and the smell of spring blooms all in one marvelous bite. Plus, this Maliv is surrounded by chocolate, so what’s not to love? And of course you must save room for the Chocolate flavor made with organic chocolate and the perfect amount of fluff and crunch.

From their first batch to my box, I’d say Malvi is onto something exceptional. Next time, we’re trying these goodies on the grill! Anxiously waiting to see what flavors Malvi dreams up next. Visit malvijoy.com for updates and online ordering.

Photo Credits: Facebook.com/Malvijoy and MalviJoy.com

Takos in Town {New Favorite}

Jul 152014

It’s no secret we love a good taco and the spicier the better. But, sometimes between pinto beans, brown rice, guacamole and salsa it feels like I’m eating a taco on repeat. So I was thrilled to discover Tako Cheena located in the Mills 50 District. Their unique style blends two food cultures, Latin and Asian. Their food fusion is unpredictable and incredibly tasty.

After ditching the mile long line at Hawkers, my friend suggested Tako Cheena down the road. I’ll admit I was skeptical at first given the location and bare bones appearance. But, the tiny space was stuffed with people dining in or picking up tacos to take home.

The tacos were flavorful and interesting all at once. The Thai Peanut Chicken Tako (for only $2.81) was filled with mixed cabbage, cilantro scallion, chicken and crushed peanuts. I instantly fell in love and quickly realized I’ll never get burned out on tacos again. The Asian Braised Beef Tako was equally fabulous and worth going back for a second visit very, very soon. Seriously though, I’m anxiously anticipating my next visit to Tako Cheena. The menu is small but unique and also features empanadas and burritos, but you can’t go wrong with the tacos. Add some Srirachasauce and voilà, a perfect taco dinner for under ten bucks.

So next time you’re craving Latin and Asian flavors, don’t make your taste buds decide, hop over to Tako Cheena for some scrumptious flavors.

Tako Cheena is located at 932 North Mills Avenue, Orlando, FL 32803, takocheenaorlando.com and @TakoCheena Twitter.

Photo Credits: orlandoweekly.com, eataduck.wordpress.com, urbanspoon.com

Earth’s Best Cookies: Gideon’s Bakehouse

Jul 112014

Gooey chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven then delivered to your doorstep. Can you think of anything better? We found Gideon’s Bakehouse through Instagram of all places and immediately fell in love with their cookies. After seeing some images and reading their story I knew we had to get our hands on these delicacies!

Over 100 years ago the owners of Gideon’s Bakehouse purchased what they thought was a family cookbook from 1898. It turned out to be the diary of a young boy named Gideon who dreamed of opening a bakery to bring his family out of poverty. They’ve since combined his vintage desserts with modern recipes and a century later Gideon’s Bakehouse was born.

Gideon’s takes orders about once a month and exclusively online, and orders sell out fast. Gideon’s was kind enough to work us in this month and hand-delivered six of the most heavenly cookies to our doorstep. I don’t even know where to begin; words can’t justify the incredible flavor we experienced.

Our box was filled with Chocolate Chip Cookies, Triple Chocolate Chip and Cookies & Cream. I’ve never tasted cookies this delectable. Their Chocolate Chip Cookie was a work in progress for 15 years. You can taste ever tweak, ingredient revision and mixing adjustment in this cookie. In addition to the chocolate chips inside the cookie, Gideon’s places big fat chocolate chips on the outside after the cookie has cooled. This classic cookie is topped with sea salt chunks and is the softest melt-in-your-mouth cookie you’ll ever taste.

The Triple Chocolate cookie was just as delectable and made up of different chips, cacao, and chocolate ganache all blended together for the perfect chocolate explosion. The Triple Chocolate is then topped with sea salt and is equally fabulous as its cousin, The Chocolate Chip Cookie. Gideon’s suggested pairing this cookie with their Original Peanut Butter Iced Coffee. Oh my. We can’t wait to get our hands on that!

After devouring both flavors in about a minute we moved onto the Cookies & Cream. A self-described “happy accident,” this cookie replaces the chocolate chips with hand cut chunks of cookies and cream and is then rolled in cookie crumbs! It’s perfection in a ball of dough and you’ll never want to eat the ice cream version again. The Cookies & Cream arrived warm and soft and makes you wish that calories didn’t exist.

I could go on but I’ll stop gushing over the goodness so you can order your own Gideon’s Bakehouse cookies. We’re dying to try their Dark Chocolate Toffee Pistachio cookie and the Cookie Cake all washed down with their Fire and Ice Coffee. Oh yeah. In the meantime, we’ll be dreaming of Gideon’s sugary goodness and their fabulous cookie creations. GideonsBakehouse.com and @GideonsBakehouse (Instagram)

Photo Credits: Instagram and GideonsBakehouse.com

Spork Atlanta Edition {Flip Burger}

Jul 102014

With a zillion burger chains popping up ~~daily~~ everywhere, I find it hard to get excited about a new “burger boutique.” I’ve pretty much avoided them all together because what’s so special about a $15 burger anymore? But…….Atlanta’s FLIP Burger rapidly changed my mind about gourmet burgers.

Located in the up-and-coming Westside area in Atlanta, Richard Blais’ FLIP Burger, is definitely worth a visit if you are in the peach state. The vibe at FLIP is funky and uber modern, but that’s part of what makes this burger joint memorable – it’s also full service which is a major plus.

Deciding what to order was difficult – thank goodness for the burger AND appetizer trio. My BFF ordered the Southern burger and self admittedly “inhaled” her meal. She really did. Anyways, The burger trio was uhhhmazing and featured a miniature burger sampler: rBQ, Butcher’s Cut and Fried Chicken. The Butcher’s Cut was the tastiest with beef, crumbled bleu cheese, caramelized onions, soy truffle vinaigrette, frisée, pickled shallots and red wine jam. The rBQ with beef and pulled brisket was dry, but the Fried Chicken with b+b pickles and spicy Duke’s mayo gives Chick-fil-A a run for their money.

The Fry Side Sampler was equally tasty with Beef Fat French Fries, Sweet Potato Tots and Vodka Battered Onion Rings. The Beef Fat French Fries with smoked mayo and ketchup definitely take the win over the other two in the trio. The Sweet Potato Tots with coffee BBQ spice and blue cheese dressing will completely erase all bad memories you have of tots and school cafeterias. Needless to say, our jeans were getting a tad uncomfortable at this point, but I’m determined to return for one of their world famous Krispy Kreme milkshakes!

Next time you’re passing through Atlanta be sure to stop by FLIP Buger. Who knows, Chef Blais himself might even be in the kitchen! Hey, it’s always a small possibility. Stay tuned for part two of Spork Atlanta featuring Jeni’s Ice Cream.

Photo Credits: First three flipburgerboutique.com. Last three are Spork’s.

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