Wine Archives - Spork Orlando

A Magical Dining Favorite (+ Champagne)

Jul 222017

We are magical dining obsessed, it’s the best way to try over 100 local restaurants for just $35 per person! Our favorite and one that’s worth visiting multiple times is Ravello at Four Seasons Resort. Their prix-fixe three-course meal (and all Magical Dining meals) benefit Freedom Ride and BASE Children’s Cancer Foundation. One of the tastiest and best options, the Ravello menu includes:

Appetizer (select one)

Insalata Mista with trevisana, arugula, lola rossa, moscato vinaigrette
Polpettine meatballs with mortadella, prosciutto, pomodoro sauce and mascarpone, grilled pan pugliese
Gelato di Parmigiano with radish, artisan lettuce, cucumber, tomato vinaigrette, Parmigiano cheese gelato and taralli crumble
House made charcuterie and cheese board

Entree (select one)

House made bucatini amatriciana with guanciale, onion, pomodoro sauce
Chicken puttanesca with polenta, taggiasca olive, capers and pesce spada
Swordfish with sale speziato, salmoriglio, roasted potatoes, spinach, pomodorini, taggiasca olives

Dessert (select one)

Affogato vanilla housemade gelato with Café Umbrian espresso
Sicillian cannolis with pistachio and candied orange

Magical Dining runs August 25, 2017 and runs through October 1, 2017. For reservations and the full list of restaurants, click here.

Don’t want to wait a whole month to enjoy a special Four Seasons experience? Capa will feature an incredible Louis Roederer Champagne Dinner on August 3, at 6 p.m. August 3 also marks the resort’s third anniversary, truly an occasion worth celebrating! The five-course dinner will feature rare pairings, including Cristal and Cristal Rose. Proof that bubbles pair with more than just caviar, here’s the stellar lineup for the evening!

Between all that Magical Dining and champagne sipping, you’ll want to “take the elevator home” after the night out. With adult amenities such as The Oasis adult-only pool, the 18-hole Tranquilo Golf Club (with an awesome brunch at Plancha) and a 18-treatment room Spa, Four Seasons Resort Orlando is an ideal adult destination. So tell us, what’s your favorite way to experience Four Seasons?

The Ultimate Champagne Dinner (!) at Four Seasons

Jul 092017

What’s more luxurious (and fun) than a champagne dinner at the Four Seasons? Yea, we can’t think of anything either! Last week we were fortunate enough to attend a special Louis Roederer champagne dinner at Capa celebrating the resort’s third birthday. The five-course dinner featured rare pairings, including Cristal and Cristal Rosé.

A good night always starts AND ends with champagne…..the evening’s stellar lineup below.

Amuse Bouche

Zanahoria PB&J, Foie Terrine Tetilla, Cheese Puff Fingerlings, Smoked Crema, Caviar – so many fun bites to start off the meal, especially all the caviar!
Champagne Louis Roederer, Brut Premier NV – super tasty and available for about $50 bucks from a wine shop, well worth the money.

Primero

Lobster with turnips, ponzu vinaigrette and lardo – lobster and champagne, the ultimate and perfect pairing.
Champagne Louis Roederer, Brut Premier NV

Segundo

Oxtail Consommé, A5 wagyu and artichoke – always a treat to taste some of the finest wagyu on earth.
Champagne Louis Roederer, Brut Nature 2009 (zero dosage) – bone dry, but still delicate, so obsessed with this sparkler!

Tercero

Salmon, burnt leek and champagne sabayon – because when you’re drinking champagne, why not also make it a main ingredient in a dish too.
Champagne Louis Roederer, Brut Rosé 2011 – takes the whole “Rosé All Day” thing to another level, I must find a bigger champagne budget so I can order more bottles for myself.

Entrante

Braised Veal with potato and truffle – fork tender and exploding with goodness, this main dish was fabulous.
Cristal, Brut 2009 – see comment above about needing a bigger champagne budget. I’m still dreaming about this elegant champagne in my sleep. Maybe someday I’ll have the chance to enjoy it again.

Postre

Turron Helado, apricot, currant and pistachio – every single morsel of dessert that their pastry chef has ever created is divine. This dessert was no exception, the right ending to an evening of bubbly and gourmet fare.
Cristal, Brut Rosé 2007 – Vintage. Bubbly. Rosé. No better way to end an evening.

And then we called Uber. The end!

Cows ‘n Cabs in Winter Park

Sep 032014

Cows ‘n Cabs returns to Winter Park’s West Meadow Saturday, October 25! The outdoor, Western-themed festival will benefit the Community Food & Outreach Center and Elevate Orlando, which assists with fighting hunger and mentoring youth, respectively.

4 Rivers Smokehouse, K Restaurant, The COOP, P is for Pie and Txokos Basque Kitchen are just a few of this year’s participating restaurants. Grab your cowboy boots, your appetite and head to Winter Park for the season’s best culinary event!

For $140, you can purchase a VIP ticket and receive a one-hour sneak preview at 6 p.m. General admission tickets priced at $110 grant entrance at 7 p.m. until the festival concludes at 10 p.m.

For more information and a complete list of sponsors and participating restaurants, visit www.cowsncabs.com.

More than Small Plates {Scratch}

Jun 252014

Walk, sprint or Sun Rail your way to Winter Park’s newest tapas and wine bar, Scratch. Winter Park’s newest bistro received rave reviews from my co-workers and friends, but still I was skeptical about a “modern tapas restaurant.”

The moment I walked through the door my skepticism turned to awe and my taste buds nearly salivated in anticipation. The low ceilings and funky furniture bring a vibe to this small space unlike any other tapas bar or Winter Park restaurant.

Scratch was perfect for sharing a variety of flavors and cuisines with a friend. Anyone can dish out an “Artisanal Cheese Plate”, but pairing it with berries, house-made fruit preserves and toasted brioche made it memorable. The thick hand-cut russet potatoes for the Scratch Fries were tossed in a delectable garlic-saffron aioli and fresh oregano. The real winner though was the Pork Belly Adobo – tender, juicy and served over black rice and a carrot puree with micro scallions. Scratch did an amazing job delivering culinary forward dishes in a way that you can share and savor with others in your party. Oh and how could I forget about the wine flight? Based on our order, the bartender paired each of our wines with the variety of dishes we ordered.

While the food was fabulous, the atmosphere was equally enjoyable and ideal for catching up with an old friend. Don’t be thrown off by the pottery place to the left or the karate studio on the right, Scratch is quickly becoming a Winter Park favorite.

Photo Credit: snaptapas.com