And hopefully they will open very soon, most likely this August if construction efforts remain on schedule. It’s been a long time coming.

East End Market is a neighborhood market and food hub in the Audubon Park Garden District of Orlando, Florida. The Market showcases some of Central Florida’s top food entrepreneurs, tradespeople, artists, and chefs.

I recently went to visit the construction site and meet with a few of the local food artisans and chefs at the East End Market during a press event.

The two-story structure is home to a dozen merchants, a large event space, a demonstration kitchen, an incubator kitchen, offices, retail shops, a full-time, award-winning caterer and a world-class restaurant.

The first floor hosts ten independently-owned businesses offering local produce, meats, daily baked bread, Italian prepared meals and sweets, Kombucha, organic juice, raw food specialties, artisan cheeses, savory soups and sauces, and more.

Contiguous to the market hall is a farm-fresh restaurant, Txokos Basque Kitchen, a new culinary concept from the owners of Spanish River Grill.

James Beard award nominated Chef Henry Salgado of Spanish River Grill in New Smyrna Beach explains about the upcoming Txokos Basque Kitchen at East End Market.

A working Market Garden will take the space of the sizeable lawn off of Corrine drive. My Yard Farm, Central Florida’s premier Edible Landscape Company, will design the garden to be a functional garden, whichTxokos Basque Kitchen can use as a source for fresh vegetables and herbs. My Yard Farm provides a vast array of services and knowledge for both residential and commercial business, such as the Whisper Creek Farm at the Grande Lakes Marriott Resort. Their expertise in farm planning and implementation has allowed them the reputation for growing high quality, local, orgaincally produced specialty crops to support the area’s local food scene.

Vendors at East End Market will include:

Txokos Basque Kitchen
Michele Salgado: michele@thespanishrivergrill.com
A Txokos (cho-kos) refers to the underground gastronomic clubs that emerged in the Basque region of Spain during the Franco regime. Not allowed to enjoy their language, customs or food, the men would gather secretly to cook, speak their native tongue and sing their time honored songs together. Today the Basque country is recognized not only for its rich culture and heritage but for its outstanding food and creative chefs. With an open kitchen, and an Asador for grilling, Txokos Basque Kitchen will celebrate the proud spirit of this special part of Spain with food that is both traditional and fresh. With a year round growing season, Txokos will source as many ingredients as possible from its East End Market neighbors and from the abundant and talented local farmers in Central Florida.

Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine & Events
Jamie McFadden: Info@cuisinierscater.com
“Constantly striving for Perfection,” has been Cuisiniers Executive Chef Jamie McFadden’s goal over the past decade. His culinary education and travels throughout Europe and the United States have enabled him to build a solid foundation on which he continues to exceed expectations of palettes throughout Central Florida.
After graduating from Baltimore’s International Culinary College and La Varenne Cooking School in Burgundy, France, Jamie worked abroad under Master Chef Petter Timmins at the Park Hotel in County Cavan, Ireland. His reputation as an award-winning chef in Central Florida was earned at various high profile restaurants including his own restaurant, Mimi’s Cafe & Wine Bar.

Fatto In Casa
Elisa Scarpa: elisa@fattoincasa.us
Fatto in Casa, Italian for “homemade,” was founded in 2009 in Winter Park by Italian born and raised Elisa Scarpa. From appetizers to desserts, using the highest quality ingredients, original & seasonal recipes, Fatto in Casa thrives to provide outstanding authentic Italian food to the greater Orlando area. Freshly prepared specialties will be available daily.

Houndstooth Sauce Company
David Bressler: david@houndstoothsauces.com
David Bressler of Houndstooth Sauce Company will serve his famous red & white BBQ sauces, marinades, dressings, glazes, dipping sauces, rubs, soups, sandwiches, salads & apparel.

La Femme Du Fromage
Tonda Corrente: tonda@tondaskitchen.com
Tonda Corrente is a local cheese and wine enthusiast with a passion for food and the everyday celebration of life that happens around the dining table. She is a self taught chef and the owner of Tonda’s Kitchen, a catering company. She is committed to using local and organic products. La Femme Du Fromage will be Orlando’s premier destination for learning about and obtaining artisan cheeses. The shop will provide guests with high quality, hand crafted and unique cheeses, and a friendly and passionate retail experience.

Local Roots Farm Store
Emily Rankin: emily@localrootsdistribution.com
The Local Roots Farm Store brings together Florida farmers, artisans, and local food lovers. From the farm to the city, local roots offers “all Florida, all year.” You can pick-up your farm-fresh eggs, local honey, a bounty of fresh Florida seasonal produce, as well as an unparalleled selection of Florida naturally raised meats. Bringing the farm to your table! Within the store, The Roots Cellar will be offering craft beer on tap and wine by the glass. The beer selection will include Florida craft beers, as well as a beautiful selection of wine from domestic boutique producers. Come enjoy the flavors of Florida!

Olde Hearth Bread Company
Shannon Talty: shannon@oldehearthbreadcompany.com
A family-owned artisan bakery committed to bringing you the most natural, hand-crafted breads and pastries that you can get your hands on in Central Florida. No Perservatives. No artificial flavors. When simple is good. Shannon and Janice Talty created the Olde Hearth Bread Company in 1998. The original vision was to establish a retail and wholesale business offering high quality artisan breads and pastries. However, the demands by chefs in Central Florida for quality breads, previously unavailable to them, ignited the wholesale business and gave the company its direction.

Skyebird
Devin Edwards: devin@skyebird.com
Skyebird is a locally owned and operated juice bar and experimental kitchen that uses the best mix of local and organic produce to make fresh juices, smoothies, house brewed Kombucha and a full raw food menu. Skyebird’s goal is to provide a healthy alternative to support a variety of nutrition and lifestyle based diets. The term ‘experimental’ refers to their approach to food, which brings a constantly evolving menu as they work with new seasonal ingredients, equipment and processes to challenge themeselves and their customers’ appetites. Skyebird will serve a vegetarian & vegan friendly breakfast, lunch and dinner.

99 Market
Jennifer Crotty: jennifer@99market.org
99 Market provides inspired plantings and florals as well as gifts for the home and embellishments for celebrations. Offering gifts honoring nature and all of its curiosities, we feature local crafts, materials, art, and re-purposed items for the home and garden. Originally founded in Charleston with the making of old world troughs, fountains, and topiary, we have traveled the flower show circuit and found a cozy home in the East End Market. 99 Market will continue to serve customers at local farmers markets and at East End Market by combining the worlds of landscape and floral design to make people happy by making beautiful things.

Wild Ocean Seafood Market
Cinthia Sandoval: cinthias@wildoceanmarket.com
For over four generations, Wild Ocean Seafood Market has provided local, wild-caught seafood from the Florida coast, getting their start as the premiere provider of Florida Rock Shrimp. Their family-owned and operated markets in Titusville and Port Canaveral now carry a wide selection of the ocean’s best seafoods. Most of their seafood finds its way across their docks in Port Canaveral, but they also carry seafood from locations throughout the southeast from waterways such as the Indian River, the St. Johns River, and the Banana River.

Winter Park Distilling Company
Paul Twyford: paul@wpdistilling.com
The Winter Park Distilling Company was established by Paul Twyford and Andrew Asher to cultivate the time-honored tradition of locally handmade distilled spirits within their community. Both hometown boys and natives to Winter Park, Paul and Andrew craft their fine distilled spirits in a manner that hearkens back to the days of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate distillery. Paul and
Andrew’s whiskies and vodkas reflect their simple commitment to using only the finest ingredients, as well as time-tested recipes developed over multiple generations. The Winter Park Distilling Company is the first genuine artisanal distillery in Winter Park and Metro-Orlando.

Cronuts are the latest food craze to hit New York City, where James Beard Award nominated pastry chef Dominique Ansel has created a wildly popular hybrid between a donut and croissant at his bakery in SoHo.

The treats have locals and tourists lining up at the early hours of the morning, sometimes around the block two hours before opening hours.

The cronut is made from a croissant-like dough that’s fried in grape-seed oil. Then the baker inserts a creamy filling in the middle. Finally, the Cronut’s rolled in sugar, then the top is glazed with frosting flavors like rose vanilla or lemon maple.
 

PHOTO BY JOE TABACCA FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Each day, Dominique Ansel crafts just 250 of the glazed, doughnut-shaped pastries from a special croissant-like dough.

A black market has even started on Craigslist, where sellers are pricing these cronuts at up to $40 a pop, a 800% markup from the $5 charged at the bakery.

Locally here in Orlando, it is a little harder to say where one might find these delicious pastries, especially since Monsieur Ansel has trademarked the term “cronut.” Also, he has no plans to franchise or mass produce cronut pastries any time soon, per recent comments to New York Magazine.

I’ve said it once and will say it again: This bakery is not a cronut store. The flagship is very precious to me. You know, my name is on the door, and I don’t want to see it scaled out and lose its charm. There’s an integrity behind businesses that don’t do that, which I believe in. Will we expand? Yes, sure. But in a different and more creative way than just punching out the same model. I believe businesses should have heart behind it. Customers can tell the difference. And as a chef, you want to be able to look at your fellow chefs and stand tall, not feeling like you’ve sold out.

Although glazed croissants have been around for a very long time, there aren’t too many places that serve up croissants in the form of donuts.

The closest contender thus far would have to be Chefs James and Julie Petrakis’ croissant-donut at Cask and Larder, available during brunch, and served with a bourbon peach jam & almond glaze. Get it while you still can!

Croissant-Donut with bourbon peach jam & almond glaze  - Photo Courtesy: Cask and Larder

I first heard about this place via @TheDailyCity’s post and very cool video.

In the video, a young barista operates this almost chemistry lab type of set up to boil water in these beakers to make coffee, a method called siphoning. Truly a beautiful operation to observe in action if you have the chance.

A video I made at Vespr using the amazing Vine app on my phone

In a siphon coffee brewer: when warmed by a heat source, vapor pressure increases in the lower chamber, forcing the water downwards and through the central pipe into the upper chamber where it is mixed with the coffee grounds. When the heat is removed, the water flows back down with the freshly brewed coffee.

Co-founded by Full Sail grad Edd Siu, Vespr Craft Coffee and Allure is a beautiful space with dark woods, open air seating, and a very relaxing soundtrack with notes of The XX. Really a nice place to study or do some creative work. Plus students receive a 10% discount so make sure to bring your student I. D.

They use the Japanese Hario syphon vacuum coffee maker system as an option for guests to taste a truly unique experience to have coffee here in Orlando. The standard method of brewing is through the use of the Trifecta, automated machine, kind-of like a super high tech French press.

The company uses freshly ground coffee that is made to order, with fair trade and fair priced coffee that is of single origin.

Vespr is committed strongly to environmentally sustainable initiatives and you can see that in their use of compostable rather than oil-based cups and straws.

They also use small independent bakers and purveyors around the country like Orlando based Wondermade for their handcrafted marshmallows.

Edd shows off the Barrel Smoked Iced tea – notes of cedar wood, mint, barrel aged maple syrup

The Barrel smoked iced tea made with cold brewed black tea, mint, and a barrel aged maple syrup mixed with smoke.

The smell bar where you can take in all the scents for your drink

Single origin coffees (changes seasonally)…

and Signature beverages most between $4 and $5

Currently open 8:30am to 9pm, they hope to later open from 7am to 10pm. They are located on the west side of Waterford Lakes (a building down from the Panda Express). It’s easy to miss if you don’t look for it so make sure you look for it!

Also, this June 1, Saturday, is the grand opening of Vespr Craft Coffee and Allures from 5pm to 9pm and there will be live music, as well as contests and prizes.

We are also giving away 5 pairs of tickets to Vespr for free beverage. To enter, e-mail us with the answer to the following question: “What is your favorite type of tea?” E-mail us at tastychomps@gmail.com – sorry the comment system is down!

You will find Sapporo in the “Chinatown” plaza on west colonial. Although it sits alongside multiple Asian fare establishments, it’s quite a surprise to find an authentic Japanese ramen and noodle place in this neck of the woods

In this cozy ramen shop, you cannot help but notice a vivid yet simple hand drawn comical story line of  cute animals and creatures all along the walls.

With a subtle Japanese decor of bamboo ceilings and shogun warrior lighting, Sapporo will definitely give you a relaxing state of mind to enjoy whatever savory dish you order.

The takoyaki is a must do when you go to Sapporo. A decadent and crisp shell with a moist and flavorful stuffing of fresh octopus.

Pork Katsu Curry – The Japanese curry is infused with bits of slow cooked beef, and can probably be the closest to perfect Japanese curry sauce I have had in Orlando. The pork katsu fried held its crispy composure while maintaining all the moisture and tenderness of the meat. Subarashii.

Tonkotsu pork ramen has a savory meat based broth that brings all the ingredients together in harmony alongside the ramen – this is definitely not your typical instant ramen noodle variety – it’s the real thing.

Feel free to add more toppings if you have a greedy appetite – an additional helping of the Cha-Shu pork belly is always a good idea for the meat lovers. A perfectly marinated and tender pork belly that feels at home in the ramen concoction.

Can Sapporo Ramen become a big ramen contender in Orlando? Find out for yourself!

Sapporo Ramen
5080 West Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32808
Phone: 407-203-6777
Open from Tuesday – Sunday, Closed Mondays
Hours are 11:30 am – 8 pm

Chef Emeril Lagasse today is probably most known for his TV shows Essence of Emeril and Emeril Live! on the Food Network where his colorful personality and catch phrases “Kick it up a notch!” and “Bam!” could be heard throughout TV land, bringing the term “celebrity chef” a whole new meaning.

In 1999, he opened Emeril’s Orlando at Universal Studios’ CityWalk and later Emeril’s Tchoup Tchoup at Loew’s Royal Pacific Hotel.

Most recently, he launched Emeril’s Florida, which airs on the Cooking Channel, and this year, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation won the James Beard Award for Humanitarian of the Year 2013, supporting non-profit organizations that provide educational programs, life skills development, culinary training and cultural enrichment, creating opportunities in the communities where Emeril’s restaurants operate, including locally here in Orlando.

Emeril has received two previous awards from the James Beard Foundation: He was inducted into the Who’s Who in 1989 and won the Best Chef: Southeast award in 1991.

I’d never been to Emeril’s Orlando before and was recently invited to check out a new promotion going on this June: 3 courses for $30 June Menu featuring recipes adapted From Emeril’s Kitchens: Favorite Recipes from Emeril’s Restaurants and found myself wishing I had visited sooner!

Emeril’s Orlando is located on Universal’s CityWalk at 6000 Universal Blvd, with free self-parking for Florida residents at Universal Studios garage after 6 p.m.

The building is a beautiful, modern building with large windows giving the restaurant a lot of natural sunlight as well as an airy open feeling. White linen tablecloths adorn the dining room tables and waiters and waitresses hurray about the rooms with orders and freshly prepared dishes. To one side, a bar area overlooks the kitchen giving an almost chef’s table feeling to diners.

We start off with a sample tasting of Emeril’s New Orleans barbecue shrimp made with Florida white shrimp in a tangy, Creole brown sauce served with petite rosemary biscuit.

Our appetizer is  a dish of plump, juicy poached oysters in a green, creamy anise-flavored herbsaint cream and spinach sauce with a dollop of black pepper crème fraîche and a little sprinkling of flash fried spinach. The textures of wet oysters with cream and crunchy spinach pieces went well together and the flavor was very nice as well – I think it was one of my favorite dishes from the whole set, so don’t be afraid of eating the oysters even though it’s not a month ending in “-er”.

Poached Oysters in Herbsaint Cream, Black Pepper Crème Fraîche, Flash Fried Spinach

For my entree, I ordered the poached salmon topped with smashed avocado and a side of mango salsa, coconut rice pilaf and black bean sauce, with a little bit of tortilla chips on top. The salmon, avocado, and mango salsa went together beautifully and the coconut rice and black bean sauce altogether reminded me of a dish I might find in the islands of the Caribbean…very fresh and tropical tasting, and yet not too heavy. The salmon, I found, could have used some salt or seasoning, though the mango salsa did hel

Poached Salmon, Mango Salsa, Smashed Avocado, Coconut Rice Pilaf, Black Bean Sauce, Tortilla Ch

My dining partner ordered the Braised Beef Short Ribs on top of Cheddar Polenta with Cole Slaw.

For dessert, we had a very nice White Chocolate-Buttermilk Cake in a Strawberry Sauce, sprinkled with powdered sugar. The cake was absolutely delicious and tasted so very fresh and home made…it was hard to stop ourselves from ordering another to go!

Despite being in the middle of a tourist mecca, I am glad Chef Emeril and Culinary Director Bernard Carmouche continues to provide a strong reason for Emeril’s Orlando to be such a bright spot in the central Florida culinary landscape.

Dessert - White Chocolate-Buttermilk Cake, Strawberry Sauce

3 for $30 June Menu

Featuring recipes adapted From Emeril’s Kitchens: Favorite Recipes from Emeril’s Restaurants.

Appetizer - Poached Oysters in Herbsaint Cream, Black Pepper Crème Fraîche, Flash Fried Spinach

Entrees - Choice of One - Poached Salmon, Mango Salsa, Smashed Avocado, Coconut Rice Pilaf, Black Bean Sauce, Tortilla Chips or Braised Beef Short Ribs, Cheddar Polenta, Cole Slaw

Dessert - White Chocolate-Buttermilk Cake, Strawberry Sauce

3 for $30 July Menu

Featuring recipes adapted from Emeril at the Grill.

Appetizer - Watercress, Avocado, Mango Salad

Entrees - Salmon, Peach-Tamarind Barbecue Sauce  or Chicken Paillards, Arugula, Roasted Peppers, Parmesan Cheese, Lemon

Dessert - Grilled Peaches, Mascarpone, Local Honey

This event was produced by Food Blog Forum with Jaden & Scott Hair of Steamy Kitchen, Todd & Diane of White On Rice Couple, Julie Deily of The Little Kitchen and Lindsay Landis of Love & Olive Oil and sponsored by Walt Disney World, Florida Milk, KitchenAid, and OXO. Pam Brandon, Karen McClintock, and all the wonderful staff at Disney really did an excellent job hosting all of us…truly a master feat.

Friday, May 17, 2013
Friday Evening – Welcome Reception for Attendees at Disney’s Grand Floridian

Excitement in the air

Karen McClintock of Disney – doing some quality control for the lamb belly dish

Lamb belly…so good!

Chef at work – do not disturb

Delicious savory mushrooms!

Saturday, May 18, 2013
8:00am-5:00pm
Coffee and continental breakfast provided by Walt Disney World

Welcome! From Disney Social Media Manager

Sully and Mike at Walt Disney World

For all sorts of fun Disney news, check out DisneyParksBlog.com

SteamyKitchen.com presents Redefining Success and Setting Goals
1. Always start with the emotion that you are trying to achieve – Ask yourself : “Right now I am trying to achieve X, what will X give me?” – Power, freedom, ability, family,
2. Life changes when you change your focus
3. Finding ways to pursue that emotional feeling you want with the things you are currently doing ie through the career
4. When you enjoy what you are doing that reaps more success

White on Rice Couple – Diane Cu and Todd Porter
Make videos using Animoto.com
Need to get a mic for camera to amplify sound and cut out background noise
Free play music / triple scoop music / with etiquette
Noir Photo / filter Storm /Camera + / VSCO Cam / Snapseed

Crazy epic lunch – Disney Kid’s menu theme

Cinderella Castle – Turkey pot pie soup with a slipper

EPCOT – Canada Pavillion’s Cheddar Cheese Soup

Monsters’ Summer is coming…

SimplyRecipes.net and BakeSpace talk about the importance of mobile in the coming years

Disney Imagineer Tim Warzecha talks about the process of creating an authentic restaurant Sanaa with African and Indian cultural flavors in the decor

Lindsay, David, Julie, and Jeff talk about building communities

Sunday, May 19, 2013
Brunch At Whole Foods Market Orlando – for Attendees and Family

Check out Sean’s Awesome Graphic design at StatisDesign.com - he is available for hire

Thank you so much Lindsay and Julie for putting this event on!

Which ones below have you been to?

BOSTON, February 21, 2013 – FlipKey.com, a leading vacation rental marketplace, last week announced the top 10 food festivals in the U.S. worthy of a vacation. From a Vail, Colorado mountainside picnic 10,350 feet above sea level to dining in Orlando with the most famous celebrity chefs, these festivals offer one-of-a-kind experiences for food lovers of all types.

These top food festivals take place throughout the year in locations ranging from Rockland, Maine to Honolulu. Not only are the festivals full of amazing food and celebrities of the culinary world, but they are held in vacation-worthy destinations known for their exceptional tourist attractions and accommodations.

Here’s who made the list:

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
New Orleans Wine & Food Experience
Aspen Food & Wine Classic
Maine Lobster Festival
Hawaii Food & Wine Festival
NYC Wine & Food Festival
Key West Food & Wine Festival
South Beach Wine & Food Festival
Charleston Wine & Food Festival
Taste of Vail

About FlipKey
FlipKey is a leading vacation rental marketplace that makes it easy, safe, and fun to find and book the perfect place to stay. Our verified guest reviews help you search more than 200,000 listings in 11,000 locations around the world. Get a great value and stay in a rental with the space, privacy, and all the amenities of a home.

With more than 4 million monthly unique visits, FlipKey has been named the “Top Vacation Rental Site” by Travel + Leisure. FlipKey is a TripAdvisor company and helps power the vacation rental experience on TripAdvisor.com—the world’s largest travel website.

Press Release follows…

“Hawkers” Brings the Streets of Asia to Five Points
Orlando, Fla., (May 23, 2013) – The owners of Hawkers, a name derived from the term for street food vendors in Asia, are joining the “foodie” movement that is sweeping Jacksonville’s Riverside neighborhood. Currently operating their original restaurant in the Mills50 district of Orlando, Hawkers’ management has announced their second location to be at 1001 Park Street in Five Points, with an anticipated opening of October 2013.

Guests will enjoy a menu full of small plates that includes the most popular street foods from regions across Asia: Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Korea, to name a few. Each menu item is served with sharing plates, encouraging guests to experience new dishes together, as is the custom with traditional hawker centers.

“Asia is full of so many incredible cuisines that haven’t been introduced to Western culture,” says co-founder Allen Lo, who contributes Malaysian influence to Hawkers’ menu. “Our goal is for guests to experience authentic flavors, unique to their palette in an environment that is as comfortable as it is exciting.”

Traditional noodle soups, wok stir-fried noodles and small plates fill the menu with dishes ranging from $4-$8. A few of the most popular items include: Char Way Teo, a Malaysian stir-fried noodle; Siu Yuk, a Chinese roasted, crispy pork belly; and Roti Canai, a Southeast Asian flatbread served with a curry dipping sauce that is Hawkers’ self-proclaimed most popular dish.

To accompany Hawkers’ extensive food menu, the Jacksonville location will offer a craft beer selection of over 100 microbrews, many of which will be local to Jacksonville, as well as Asian imports and a hand-selected wine and sake list. “We all agreed from the onset that flavors of this depth deserve only the best paired wines, beers, and sakes,” says Kaleb Harrell, who procures an evolving drink menu for Hawkers’ guests.

Hawkers will accept reservations for parties of 8 or more. To stay updated with the latest progress on Hawkers’ Five Points location or to view a full menu at the current Orlando location, visit Hawkers’ Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/hawkersstreetfare.
Founded in 2011, Hawkers offers authentic Asian street food in a sharing-encouraged, full-service casual restaurant. With a menu that
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includes the most popular street food recipes from regions across Asia, Hawkers creates an environment that allows guests to experience unique cuisines at affordable prices with service that educates guests. For more information visit www.facebook.com/hawkersstreetfare.

“Now, with the leadership of the James Beard Foundation, chefs have even more of an opportunity to become educated and empowered to help advocate for the change we have spent our careers striving for. I have yet another reason to be a chef: because I want to create a food system in which it is a right, not a privilege, for everyone on the planet to enjoy healthy, sustainable food.” – Maria Hines, James Beard Award–winning chef of Golden Beetle Restaurant and Bar and Tilth in Seattle.

Photo by Jenneffer Pulapaka

The goal is to build a growing network of like-minded chefs, provide support for personal interests and passions, and give tools and guidance that will help them act as influential advocates to improve local food systems.

Activities at the boot camp included a tour of nearby Woodland Farm, known for its sustainable farming practices, heritage livestock breeds, and biofuel program; and a meeting with Louisville mayor Greg Fischer, whose policy agenda includes strengthening the role of local food in the city.

I got a chance to talk to Chef Hari Pulapaka via facebook about his experience at the boot camp and aspirations for our local food systems here in Central Florida.

Photo by Jenneffer Pulapaka

Ricky Ly, TastyChomps.com
The boot camp had “hands-on activities that engage chefs with local natural resources, such as harvesting and visits to local farms, slaughterhouses, fisheries, and other producers ” can you tell us more about your experience at the boot camp with these activities? anything that stood out for you?

Chef Hari Pulapaka
Of course. We spent an entire day at Woodland Farm just outside Louisville, The day was spent learning about the Farm’s sustainable efforts in raising Livestock (Bison, Heritage Pigs, Cattle, Poultry) and also their green houses and farms. We witnessed a live slaughter of a pig, which was probably the most memorable activity. It re-enforced the great need for humane treatment of animals whether they be for consumption or as pets. We then cooked a collaborative dinner that evening with a variety of ingredients from the farm to about 80-100 guests in a barn (family style).

Chef Hari Pulapaka of Cress – Photo by Jenneffer Pulapaka

Ricky Ly
It’s interesting that you got to see a hog slaughtered at the farm because a lot of our food today is so processed and so prepared that we forget how food actually is made, from the farm to the butcher to the kitchen. It makes you think twice sometimes about where your food comes from and how it was raised.

Hari Pulapaka
I agree. For me, it was about the reminder that truly humane treatment of animals (and humans alike) is a very high standard and everyone should aspire to that.

Ricky Ly
What can people here locally do to make themselves more aware of where their food comes from? What kind of questions do you think people should ask when they are out and about eating?

Hari Pulapaka
Excellent question. When a restaurant claims something is “local”, be sure to find out from where. Now, if a restaurant does not, they are not as obligated to know the answer. When someone claims that something is organic, be sure to find out to what standard. Its a fine line between being too “uppity” and genuinely wanting and deserving to know.

Stetson University just announced that they have hired a new company to oversee their Dining Services and one of things this company is promising is that at least 25% of all their ingredients will be locally sourced. You know I will be all over that and will hopefully be a source of information for this company.

Ricky Ly
So the boot camp took place in Louisville, KY – was there any thing you learned from there that you could take back to our local regional cuisine?

Hari Pulapaka
Chefs Levon Wallace from Proof on Main (one of our hosts) and Kathy Cary (a pioneer of the Louisville food scene) are clearly doing many things right. I am working on many initiatives as I think about what we can do in Central Florida. I am planning lectures in the Culinary Schools, talking to supermarket managers about selling more local produce, meeting with my academic bosses at Stetson about bringing together more synergy among the various folks who are already into sustainability, and finally, last but not least planning a cohort of Central Florida Chefs who have a history and/or interest of not just talking the talk, but also walking the walk. I also want to meet with Policy makers in our region (Mayors, City Managers, Representatives, Senators, and Congressmen) to see what they can support.

Ricky Ly
In Louisville, you got a chance to meet the mayor there. What was it like meeting Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer? How can we get our local elected representatives and business communities more involved and engaged in our local food systems?

Hari Pulapaka
The meeting was brief, but Mayor Fischer seems to have embraced many of the ideals we are talking about. He thinks (and perhaps, he is right) that ultimately, a plan for change has a chance only if it is economically viable. It can’t really be embraced on the face of principle alone. I think one way we can get local leaders involved is to bring them together. We have to give them a sense of what our citizens are craving about. Again, it has to make economic sense. If the ideas can be profitable for the stakeholders, chances are they will be embraced. I think we can host “salons” at our restaurants (this is where I will be looking for support from my chef colleagues in central Florida) hosting politicians, business leaders, restaurant folk, and of course farmers.

Photo by Jenneffer Pulapaka

Ricky Ly
Awesome, have you been in touch with local chefs yet about this idea and any who you want to reach out to so far?

Hari Pulapaka
Only Chef Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant so far and of course, he is all aboard. But I have to think about who might be most interested and of course, influential. I have not had the time, but after this conversation, will start compiling a list.

Ricky Ly
Do you think our area should get a demand study for local food as Louisville has had done?

Hari Pulapaka
A study that is privately funded would help make the case and I would want to be part of it. In a nutshell, the study found that demand outstripped supply. Which made the case for the city to promote the ideas in interest of boosting the local economy and “creating jobs”

Ricky Ly
What type of advocacy and policy change skills did you learn at the boot camp?

Hari Pulapaka
We were presented 3 case studies by Karen Karp (whose company led the Louisville Study), Eric Kessler (Arabella Advisors), and Katherine Miller (Chef Action Network). What I got from the training is that since there are so many issues on the table, we as chefs who lead already very busy lives whould focus on one that we are most passionate about and use them as resources to help us achieve our goal. We were split into 3 teams of five with of the three above as our mentor. The exercise was to identify our broad goal for change, then a specific actionable goal, the individuals who would help us, the reason why they would help us, the specific actions that would help us reach our specific goal and then making full circle to the beginning in assessment and future work. Our goal was to increase the nutritional values in the School Lunch Program. The specific goal was a minimum of 25% of the ingredients should be sourced locally and be fresh. You can imagine my excitement when Stetson made its announcement yesterday.

Ricky Ly
I heard that studies showed that school food was worse than food prisoners receive with such high levels of fat and sugars and preservatives and such low quality of meat. No wonder there is an obesity epidemic when we feed our children this stuff every day at school.

Hari Pulapaka
One of my staff members at Cress is Sean Henderson. Sean also has a day job. He is the Cafe Manager at Lawton Chiles Middle School in Daytona Beach. Sean has been trying to cook more fresh food with local ingredients after knowing me. His work was recently featured in the Daytona Beach News Journal.

Photo by Jenneffer Pulapaka

Ricky Ly
At the colloborative dinner at the James Beard Chef’s Boot Camp, what did you prepare for the meal?

Hari Pulapaka
I let all the other chefs pick their proteins. Left with chicken, I marinated the dark meat in bourbon (of course) and spices, grilled it and made a sauce with a la minute chicken stock using onions, fennel, corainder, cumin, mint, cilantro, garlic, and chilies. I pulled the meat off the bone and tossed it in the sauce. It was on a bed of Farms greens tossed in a honey balsamic vinaigrette. The sauce was also a dipping sauce for some torn grilled baguette.

Ricky Ly
oh sounds delicious

Hari Pulapaka
I don’t think it sucked. One of the chefs told me many times … It was the best thing she tasted that night. I was pleased with the depth of flavour I was able to generate in the sauce.

Ricky Ly
Finally, what are the biggest obstacles that you foresee in achieving a better local food system?

Hari Pulapaka
The best part was being able to meet so many cool and talented chefs, some of who might become good friends in the future. One of the biggest obstacles I think will be providing better access to fresh local food in terms of geography as well as making it affordable. Another will be to wean people from their fast food and convenience diets. You cannot force people to eat better. You have to show them that it tastes better and is better for them.

Participating chefs at the May 2013 Boot Camp in Louisville included:

Timon Balloo, SUGARCANE raw bar grill, Miami
Kathy Cary, Lilly’s, Louisville, Kentucky
Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
Jose Gutierrez, River Oaks, Memphis
Chris Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, Alabama (JBF Award winner)
Maria Hines, Maria Hines Restaurants, Seattle (JBF Award winner and pilot Chefs Boot Camp participant)
Sara Jenkins, Porsena, NYC
Phil Jones, Colors Restaurant, Detroit
Cormac Mahoney, Madison Park Conservatory, Seattle
Kyle Mendenhall, The Kitchen Community, Boulder, Colorado
Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison, Wisconsin (JBF Award winner)
Naomi Pomeroy, Beast, Portland, Oregon
Hari Pulapaka, Cress Restaurant, DeLand, Florida
Bruce Sherman, North Pond Restaurant, Chicago
Levon Wallace, Proof on Main, Louisville, Kentucky

Below are a few sneak peek photos from a recent visit:

Deviled eggs with bacon bits

Crispy Pork Belly BLT on sourdough bread – a bit too dry for me

Panko fried chicken and pumpkin waffles

 Mac and cheese topped with bacon bits – A crowd favorite

In the fall of 2012, during the US Presidential Elections, this little pizza parlor in Ft Pierce, FL became quite the buzz of the town when owner and registered Republican Scott Van Duzer lifted President Barack Obama mid air in a huge bear hug during a campaign stop at Big Apple Pizza.

This small act led to a huge firestorm of online trolls and posts (both in support and against the restaurant) onto the review site Yelp, many of which became filtered later on through Yelp’s filtering algorithm.

(Photo credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

“I don’t vote party line, I vote who I feel comfortable with, and I do feel extremely comfortable with him,” Scott Van Duzer told the press pool. In 2008 he launched The Van Duzer Foundation, which helps raise awareness and funds for blood donations.

I dropped by Ft. Pierce to check out Big Apple Pizza on the way home to Orlando from West Palm recently, just a few miles away from the I-95 exit.

The Big Apple Pizza location was rather spacious for a pizza parlor, and was rather nice. Inside, sports memorabilia hung on the walls as well as a few prominent wall photos including ones with Tim Tebow and a huge framed piece with a letter of thanks from President Obama to Mr. Van Duzer for attending the second presidential debate.

Mr. Van Duzer wasn’t in that night that I visited but I believe his family were running the restaurant that evening along with several local teen employees.

I ordered two slices: a regular cheese pizza and a pepperoni pizza slice.

The slices came out rather quickly, as I would expect, and tasted pretty good. The crust wasn’t particularly memorable but the cheese and pepperoni were good. It was a bit oily from the pizza grease, but not too oily.
Overall, I would probably come back and try some more of their pizza items and donate to their foundation while I’m there.

Marlow’s Tavern is a modern American style tavern restaurant in Pointe Orlando that opened in 2012.

After retiring from Darden Restaurants as executive VP of operations in the Specialty Restaurant Group, Alan Palmieri decided to bring the Marlow’s Tavern brand from Atlanta to Orlando.

“The decision to partner with the Marlow’s Tavern team was an easy one,” says Palmieri. “After working in this industry for my entire career, I have not seen a concept with this much passion around its quality food, creative beverages and attention to developing relationships with the staff, guests and neighborhoods. It is a concept that will give those discerning guests the exceptional hospitality that they deserve and expect daily,” adds Palmieri.

Marlow’s Tavern opens its second location in Central Florida this June in Winter Parkat 1008 S. Orlando Avenue, just north of the intersection of S. Orlando Avenue (17-92) and N. Orange Avenue in the heart of Winter Park and just a stone’s throw from The Ravenous Pig and Winter Park Fish Company.

Recently, I was invited to a media dinner to try some of their items and came away thoroughly impressed with their quality of food, especially given the fact that all the menu items are under $20.

Ahi Tuna Poke – Ahi Tuna, Hawaiian Style Sauce, Avocado, Teriyaki Sauce, Scallion and Crispy Wonton

Infamous Fish Tacos – Blackened Tilapia, Shredded Romaine, Black Bean Corn Salsa, Smoked Chili Cream, Warm Tortillas

Shrimp and Crab Nachos – Rock Shrimp, Crab, Pepper Jack Cheese, and Fresh Jalapeño

Alan Palmieri, Partner

Tony Eachus, Beverage and Hospitality Manager
Blake Upchurch, General Manager
Matthew Tolson, Chef de Cuisine

The restaurant will serve lunch, happy hour, and dinner daily Sunday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to midnight.

Some family came into town to visit and we decided it’d just be easier to head out to Pho 16, a new Vietnamese restaurant that we all wanted to try. We all know how parents can get, especially Asian parents, when it comes to judging and critiquing others, so I was well prepared to hear about all the little dislikes about this place or how it’s just not good as home made.

Located in a little plaza off of Military Trail and Community Dr, slightly hidden, Pho 16 would be easy to miss. Inside, the place reminds me of a cafeteria restaurant that you could find off the roads in Vietnam. The menu is simple, full of noodle soups, noodle bowls, and rice platters that those of us in Orlando have become familiar with.

For starters, we order the cha gio, or fried spring rolls. Stuffed with pork, wood eared mushrooms, and served with a fish sauce dipping sauce, the cha gio is pretty good and tastes like it was home made.

We also ordered the bo la lot, grilled beef wrapped in wild betel leaves. Betel leaves are high in antioxidants and have been used in Asia for medicinal healing, stimulants, and even breath fresheners. In Vietnamese there is a saying that “the betel begins the conversation”, referring to the practice of people chewing betel in formal occasions or “to break the ice” in awkward situations. When grilled, the leaves give a peppery, minty flavor to the beef which I thought was quite nice.

My order was the bun thit nuong cha gio, rice noodles with grilled pork and egg rolls in one of the largest bowls I’ve ever had. It was very filling and very satisfying, and overall a great value for the quantity of food.

Bun thit nuong cha gio, rice noodles with grilled pork and egg rolls

My sister ordered the banh canh, a kind of Vietnamese thick noodle similar to Japanese udon, in a seafood broth base, that sadly was a bit bland. “Nothing like mama’s banh canh,” she muttered underneath her breath.

Banh Canh

Hu Tieu

Most of the table ordered the signature pho, which I had a taste of and thought, not as good as home made but pretty good for Vietnamese restaurant pho…definitely as good as some found here in Orlando, that’s for sure.

Overall, a very satisfying place to get your Vietnamese fix on while in West Palm Beach. The prices are decent and the quality is not bad…will definitely return.

Usually the dishes are something new and innovative or just plain delicious.

Dishes below are also subject to availability and may change without notice. Call ahead to be sure.

Send us your suggestions at TastyChomps@gmail.com.

First off -

Prato’s Veal Belly “Au latte” on crispy polenta, topped with fried farm egg, green tomato mostardo – Photo by Prato

Prato – Winter Park
124 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL
(407) 262-0050
https://www.facebook.com/PratoWP

Jason’s Boar Stew Burger on Black Pepper Bun with romesco sauce, fried egg, cheese curds. See the “Egg Drool” – termed by Droolius to describe the runny deliciousness of the fried egg on the burger. Burgers are available on the Late Night Menu starting at 10pm. – Photo by Cask and Larder

Cask and Larder – Winter Park
565 West Fairbanks Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789
(321) 280-4200
https://www.facebook.com/cask.larder

Giraffas Restaurant, named one of the top 10 Fast Casual Restaurants in the world by Travel & Leisure, joins other local Brazilian establishments such as Pao De Gostoso, Fogo De Chao, and Vittorio’s on the stretch of International Drive near Universal Studios.

Unlike other known Brazilian restaurants that feature rodizio all you can eat style with rotating gauchos, the menu at Giraffas focuses on burgers, priced from $7.90 for a Grilled Picanha Single up to $11.90 for the Giraff?o Filet Burger (with topping choices like ham, cheese bacon and egg), as well as steaks, pasta, fish and more.

The difference is that the burgers at Giraffa are made from a very Brazilian cut of beef called picanha, the cap of beef rump steak.

Juicy 5oz Grilled Picanha Burger – Free toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles. Choose two toppings: Gouda Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Ham, Egg or WMB (Wine, Mushroom and Bacon). Choose one sauce: Giramayo, Horseradish or Chipotle

10-oz Grilled Picanha – Served with one sauce, and three sides… Sauces: Chimi Churri, Brazilian Vinaigrette, Madeira, Black Pepper, or Maitre D’Butter. Sides: White rice, brown rice, black beans, Brazilian Farofa*, grilled veggies, mashed potatoes, fries, haricots, quinoa, or small salad.

Giraffas
5415 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
Phone: (407) 226-9191
Hours: Sun-Thu:11am-10pm Fri-Sat:11am-12 midnight
http://giraffas.com/location/giraffas-orlando-international-drive/

“With close to 400 locations in the South American country of Brazil and more than 30 years in action, Giraffas brings together a multi-cultural cuisine that combines a touch of American favorites with a dash of Brazilian tastiness.”

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – When summer prepares to dawn over Central Florida, Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant will welcome the season of traditional European celebration with a gourmet feast and live entertainment.

Central Florida’s preeminent Irish restaurant presents The Summer Solstice Signature Dining Experience at 6:30 p.m. June 20 with celebrity chef Kevin Dundon, who will preside over an evening of delectable tastes, lively music and traditional Irish dance performances.

In Ireland, many towns and cities hold summer solstice carnivals, also called midsummer festivals, celebrating culture, music and food. Raglan Road will celebrate the joyous occasion long tied to the custom of blessing the upcoming harvest with Dundon’s tantalizing menu of fresh seasonal flavors with whimsical touches.

“We’re here to have fun and celebrate the summer harvest,” says Dundon, known for his five-star Dunbrody House hotel and cookery school in Ireland. “In Ireland, we make the most of celebrations tied to ancient traditions, including the solstice. At Raglan Road, we have all the ingredients to make it a memorable evening.”

The author of multiple cookbooks and master chef at Raglan Road, Dundon will meet guests and share stories about each gourmet course with ale and wine pairings in the restaurant’s Raglan Room ($95 plus tax and gratuity).

Dundon’s inventive menu includes:

First Course – Chicken Filet Terrine and Duck Liver Pate with Summer Chutney, Assorted Crostini and Pickled Vegetables. Pairing: Rosenblum Rockpile Vineyard Zinfandel 2009
Second Course – Duet of Potato Soup with a Champagne-splashed Oyster. Pairing: Stellina di Notte and Guinness Black Velvet
Third Course – Crispy Dungarvan Pale Ale-Battered Atlantic Monkfish with Sea-Salted Golden Chips and Raglan Tartar Sauce. Pairing: Dungarvan Pale Ale
Fourth Course – Sage Butter Roasted Poussin with Lemon-Scented Potato Puree, Braised Cabbage and Natural Jus. Pairing: Chorey-les-Beaune, Domaine Tollot-Beaut 2010
Fifth Course – “Strawberry Fields Forever” – White Chocolate Mousse Covered with Layer of Dark Chocolate Crumbles Topped with Fresh Strawberries and Wheat Grass Garnish. Pairing: Chandon Rose.

Festivities surrounding the summer solstice were European traditions that brought families and friends together to celebrate nature’s bounty. The summer solstice was celebrated in Ireland with the lighting of bonfires and an evening of music, storytelling, feasting and merrymaking. The ashes from the fires would be tossed onto the fields as an offering to protect the crops. The timing of the solstice depends on when the sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This year, summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere at 1:04 a.m. on June 21, just several hours after Raglan Road’s feast begins.

Guests can call 407/938-0300 for reservations up to 48 hours in advance. Space is limited; early booking is advised. Visit raglanroad.com for more information.

Owned and operated by Irish partners Paul Nolan, John Cooke and Kevin Dundon, Raglan Road features traditional Irish dishes and new creations with a Celtic twist. The restaurant’s warm interior of aged walnut and mahogany woods from old Irish bars and churches was built in Ireland and shipped to Orlando. Live entertainment nightly includes Irish house band Creel (Monday through Saturday and Sunday Brunch) and Irish musicians Johnny Norton & Justin Murphy (Sundays) plus Irish dance performances. On the pub patio, Irish musicians Sean Farrell & Shane Farrell play Tuesday through Sunday evenings. Lunch is served 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner 3-11 p.m.; Bar menu 11 p.m.-late. The Rollicking Raglan Sunday Brunch runs 11 a.m.-4 p.m. each Sunday with live entertainment beginning at noon. Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant is located on Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney in the Walt Disney World Resort, 1640 E. Buena Vista Dr., Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Visit www.raglanroad.com or call 407/938-0300.

UPDATE:

THE DINNER IS SOLD OUT! CHEF Kevin is coming back in the fall for Epcot Food & Wine Festival events.

This is in celebration of National Asian American Heritage Month – May, a celebration of the culture, traditions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

“We will be talking about the rich flavors (umami!) and culture of Asia through food and the places where we can get a taste of those flavors locally here in Orlando,” says Ricky Ly.

Local Asian American businesses will be featured including Bento Group (opening the new KASA where Urban Flats once stood in the Plaza downtown), Hawkers, Saigon Market, and Pho 88.

ORLANDO, Fla. (May 3, 2013) – Rockaway, a culinary and lifestyle public relations agency with offices in Miami, Orlando and New York, launches Table Talk – a new interactive series exploring pertinent topics in the industry. On Tuesday, May 14 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Downtown CREDO (706 West Smith Street), the inaugural industry panel discussion dubbed “Toques & Tech” will examine food and dining through a digital lens.

Table Talk’s featured panelists will share their expertise on how technology is shaping the world of food and dining from both a consumer and trade perspective, and will provide insight on how to use social media to grow business. For more information or to RSVP, please e-mail events@rockawaypr.com or call 407.236.6566 ext. 103. Complimentary coffee and pastries will be served; seating is limited and is geared toward the industry.

“Rockaway’s Table Talk is a tool for us to share our in-depth knowledge of the food industry,” said Alexis Knapp, agency principal. “Central Florida’s culinary scene is budding and we hope that our program will create a dynamic place for chefs, PR professionals and industry leaders to talk about trends and build meaningful relationships in the Orlando market.”

Table Talk’s “Toques & Tech” participants include:

• Alexis Knapp of Rockaway – With more than a decade of public relations and marketing experience, Knapp launched Rockaway in 2006, rapidly carving a niche clientele of innovative and compelling brands in the culinary world
• Jose Mendin of Pubbelly – James Beard-nominated chef of Miami’s Pubbelly, the flagship eatery of a flourishing restaurant group credited with having fundamentally transformed Miami’s dining scene (Barceloneta Spanish Bistro & Mercat, PB Steak, Pubbelly Sushi and Macchialina)
• Julius Mayo of Droolius.com – Founder of Droolius.com – a prominent food blog focused on special events and dining – and social media consultant, helping clients with social media management, strategies and branding
• Kendra Lott of Edible Orlando – Publisher of Edible Orlando – Central Florida’s magazine dedicated exclusively to local food, farms and chefs – Lott also possesses an extensive background in food studies with a graduate degree from New York University and in advertising with Food Arts magazine
• C. Major of Rockaway – Account Executive at Rockaway Orlando’s culinary-lifestyle division, Major brings her savoir-faire to agency clients including 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Christner’s Del Frisco’s, Peterbrooke Chocolatier and Healthy Greek Eats, to name a few (Moderator)

Recent studies indicate that habitual use of social media has reached an estimated 71 million Americans, leading to the prominent role of consumer-driven discussion groups in today’s marketplace . With Facebook, Twitter and Instagram established as major social media networks, as well as YELP and Urbanspoon, which specifically encourage customer food reviews, user-generated content has changed the way restaurants communicate with and are viewed by their patrons. Aptly taking place at Downtown CREDO, a non-profit coffee house, this premiere installment of Table Talk further looks at how grassroots marketing tools, such as word-of-mouth, have taken on new shape and expanded purpose in Orlando’s multi-million dollar food industry.

MORE ABOUT ROCKAWAY
Rockaway is a leading public relations agency in the food and beverage industry, with divisions dedicated to hospitality and travel, and arts and culture, in Miami, Orlando and New York. With a distinguished roster of clients, Rockaway specializes in regional, national and international public relations campaigns, presenting a strong focus on press, marketing, special events, brand and product development, and social media. Rockaway’s Orlando office is located at 537 Virginia Drive in Orlando, FL. For more information, please visit www.rockawaypr.com or call 407.236.6566.

Facebook: /RockawayPR | Twitter: @RockawayPR | Instagram: @SweetRockawayPR

Date/time: May 20, 2013, 6-8pm

Location: Downtown Public Library, 101 E. Central Blvd, Albertson Room

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You go to The Food Truck Bazaar and see hundreds of people eating from food trucks and think “I want to start a food truck!” or “How did all this get started in Orlando?” Either way, you will enjoy the informative panel TheDailyCity.com has put together of food truck owners, a fashion truck owner and a representative from the City of Orlando. The host is Mark Baratelli, Editor of TheDailyCity.com and Producer of The Food Truck Bazaar.

The event is called “How to Start a Food Truck” and will take place at the downtown public library on May 20, 2013, 6-8pm, inside the Albertson Room. Admission is free but seating is limited so reserve your spot now:

http://calendar.ocls.info/evanced/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=183849

Along with food trucks, we will be discussing fashion trucks and mobile retail in general. It’s all the same thing, and soon it will change the face of retail in Orlando. There’s more to sell from a truck than food: clothing, shoes, haircuts, anything!

There will also be an announcement about Mark Baratelli’s next big upcoming project: Fashion Truck Bazaar.

——

ALSO
the first time EVER: food trucks at Orlando Fringe

“TheDailyCity.com Food Truck Court” is a new food feature debuting at Orlando Fringe Festival April 18, 19, 25, 26, 2013, 12pm-8pm. It will be available to guests inside the “Visual Fringe” building located at 1427-A Alden Rd, Orlando Fl 32803. There will be 3 trucks each day. TheDailyCity.com was asked by Orlando Fringe to put this together to add more food options and to hopefully attract folks to this new ars venue.

What: TheDailyCity.com Food Truck Court
Where: Visual Fringe building, 1427-A Alden Rd

Hours: 12pm-8pm, April 18, 19, 25, 26
About: three food trucks that appear in The Food Truck Bazaar events

On Monday, Chefs David Chang of NYC’s Momofuku and Paul Kahan of Chicago’s Blackbird were jointly honored as the nation’s most outstanding chefs by the James Beard Foundation.

According to the Associated Press, “After leaving computer science, [Kahan] spent years apprenticing to some of the city’s top talent, including Rick Bayless. He spun that experience into an award-winning restaurant group that includes Blackbird, Avec and The Publican, all of which reflect his own culinary obsession — sustainably sourced ingredients and close relationships with producers.”

Chef Paul Kahan of Chicago’s Blackbird – Tied for 2013 Outstanding Chef for James Beard Award with David Chang of Momofuku

Winter Park’s Cask & Larder Chef de Cuisine Denis Bernard, a graduate of the Florida Culinary Institute, once worked in Chicago at the acclaimed Blackbird before becoming chef de cuisine at The Ravenous Pig and now, at Cask and Larder.

Bernard worked for Paul Kahan for almost 5 years in Chicago.

After working at Blackbird for 4 months, Paul Kahan promoted Bernard to Sous Chef.

When Publican opened, Dennis moved over there to run Brunch and also the charcuterie program (both award winning).

Bernard said that, “Paul was really great to work for. He taught me to care for his products, employee’s, and to surround yourself with talented people. You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with.”

“Getting the James Beard award is like winning an Oscar but I also like what the foundation does for the culinary industry as a whole, especially in helping to educate the public & inspire chefs,” Bernard told us through e-mail interview.

It is his goal to be nominated for the James Beard Award one day.

Chef Dennis Bernard of Cask and Larder in the kitchen

The KASA Tapas menu is made by Executive Chef Josh Lyons (Food Network Star contestant #TeamGiada) and his partner Shawn.

After spending years in a rock band, Josh, 42, decided to go to culinary school to fuel his other passion: food. He worked at every level of the restaurant industry — from busser to bartender to line cook — and is now a sushi chef and restaurant consultant in Jupiter, Fla. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/josh-lyons/index.html?oc=linkback

A source at Bento Group told us that the Kapas Tapas Bar “is going to have a very exciting, innovative menu with a lot of Spanish and Asian influences as well as a raw bar with fresh seafood.”

The restaurant will be Bento Group’s first higher end; full dine-in restaurant.

The Bento Group, originates from Gainesville, FL and focuses on “Restaurants, Hospitality, and Nightlife”, with a strong emphasis towards quick-service and casual dining eateries.

They operate Bento Cafe locally here in Orlando and Gainesville, as well as My Mochi Frozen Yogurt, Hiro Asian Sandwich Bistro, and SushiChao. On the entertainment side, they operate the local night club Vain.

KASA Tapas and Raw Bar
189 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 183, Orlando, FL.
(863) 287-0986
https://www.facebook.com/kasatapas

The Bento Group is also bringing Avenue Gastrobar to the location on Orange Avenue formerly occupied by Senso Supper Club.

Avenue Gastrobar
13 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801

Central Floridians everywhere have lamented the closings of the late Mama Nem’s, Johnson’s Diner, and Lowe’s Good Eaton, placing a rather large hole in the heart of Orlando’s soul food scene. One would have to travel to Angel’s in Sanford for some really good soul food.

Recently, McKnight’s, a new soul food restaurant opened on Church Street in the shadow of the new Amway Center. This is the same location previously occupied by Johnson’s Diner and briefly, Fish and Loaves.

Other soul food places have also sprung up in recent years, many still waiting to be discovered and their menus explored by hungry Orlando-ans.

Maybe the outlook for good soul food is looking up for the City Beautiful.

Chef Eddie’s, which opened in 2009,  is located in the Washington Shores neighborhood off of Orange Center Boulevard, just west of John Young Parkway near the SR 408 exit.

Owned by Eddie and Bess James, this family run restaurant is known for their chicken and waffles and soul food. Here, Bess takes over the hosting duties, while Chef Eddie mans the kitchen. The waitresses are dressed in formal attire with ties and give service with a smile.

It was karaoke night the Friday night that we arrived – a young lady performing on the mic while her partner played the keys. The music, admittedly, was a bit loud, but it gave the place a nice lively feeling. We were even invited to join in and pick a few songs.

Queen Bee’s, another soul food restaurant, used to occupy this same location. The decor is a bit aged – maybe like going to a distant relative’s home who hasn’t renovated the furnishings since the 1980s.

The chairs and tables are all set up for family style dining though, and of course, what is soul food without having friends and family to enjoy it with?

And that is where the heart of the place lies: the great food coming out of Chef Eddie’s kitchen.

Fluffy, sweet jalapeno cracklin muffins

First to arrive to the table: jalapeno cracklin muffins – deliciously sweet corn muffins made here with tiny bits and pieces of spicy jalapeno bits baked inside. Savory, spicy, sweet…altogether a winning recipe.

Chef Eddie’s fried green tomatoes

Our waitress recommends the fried green tomatoes for starters: fried in a seasoned batter on top of a generous helping of cheesy Parmesan grits, drizzled with a sweet gravy sauce. The tomatoes were fresh and not too tart, just the way I like them, and, when combined with the cheesy grits, a tasty dish. Definitely would get this again, especially with a large party as the serving was generous.

This is a theme here…

I ordered the Pork Ribs dinner platter, not done “barbecue” style with a smokey flavor, but more like oven baked and topped with a tangy sweet mustard based barbecue sauce that went very well with the pork. The pork was tender and “finger licking good” and the serving size was enough for two meals.

It was a delight to eat with my collard greens and mac and cheese sides. The mac and cheese was baked and had a nice dry texture to them.

Oxtail stew dinner platter

My other dining partners ordered the beef stew platter and the oxtail platter, both of which had a nice brown gravy sauce that went well together with the stewed meats and yellow rice.

The highlight of Chef Eddie’s is their large variety of waffle flavors for their famous chicken and waffles dish. Whereas most chicken and waffle establishments have plain Belgian style waffles, the waffle flavors here range from Pecan, Strawberry, Sweet Potato, Blueberry, Red Velvet, Chocolate Chip, Apple Cinnamon, Banana Walnut, Big Berry (Strawberry, Blueberry & Rasberry) to Plain. Also important to note, the waffles here are more like regular waffles rather than thick Belgian style waffles.

The waffles are served with fried chicken wings, and a side of syrup.

Chicken and Red velvet waffles with green beans

Overall, I would definitely go back to Chef Eddie’s to enjoy some great soul food cooking, for the  great prices, quality, and friendliness.

They even have a closer satellite restaurant called Chef Eddie’s East, located inside the Evans Food Mart on Goldenroad Road (just north of the SR 408 exit).

I visited recently to pick up some oxtail to go…and it was just as delicious as the original Chef Eddie’s. The mac and cheese here had a nice white creamy color to it though. And it really is more of a to go place as it can get awkward eating inside a convenience store.

Chef Eddie himself – putting in work in the kitchen

Karaoke Night at Chef Eddie’s

Chef Eddie’s East

Oxtail platter

SECOND ANNUAL WINTER GARDEN HARVEST FESTIVAL 

CELEBRATES LOCAL FARMERS

WINTER GARDEN, FL — A Local Folkus, LLC, producer of the fall Winter Park Harvest Festival, is partnering with the City of Winter Garden to produce the second annual Winter Garden Harvest Festival on Saturday, May 4, 2013.

The outdoor fest will be held in the heart of Winter Garden’s downtown historic district and will showcase West Orange County’s local producers through a farmers market (9:00 am – 2:00 pm), farm to table dinner, gardening workshops, cooking demonstrations, tours, live music, and more family-friendly activities throughout the day! Kids of all ages will enjoy a still life painting lesson of a fruit basket, while the adults can relax in the beer garden adjacent to blues and bluegrass performers.

From 2:00 – 7:00 pm, everyone can beat the afternoon heat by exploring more events downtown. You can learn to make a croissant at Sweet Traditions, sample fresh juice from Seeds Natural Market, and catch the viewing ofGROW!, a film capturing the energy, passion and independence of a fresh crop of young farmers.

That evening, enjoy a Farm To Table Dinner set in Winter Garden’s beautiful downtown pavilion. The ticketed dinner will highlight West Orange County’s talented chefs, farm-fresh ingredients from local producers, as well as Central Florida’s best micro brews and spirits.

The Farm to Table Dinner will feature locally sourced and seasonally fresh foods for an unforgettable experience, prepared by local chefs, Rob Gioia and Edwin Martinez from Al Fresco, Kevin Tarter from Chef’s Table, Jamie McFadden from Cuisiniers, and the talented bakers of Sweet Traditions.

This event is an opportunity to celebrate the City of Winter Garden’s farming heritage, while spotlighting its modern connection to the local food scene. In an effort to build on the community’s unique history and offer more options to its citizens, the City of Winter Garden has made local food a priority. The city has championed an award-winning farmers market in the Downtown Pavilion, and has furthermore developed a farm incubation program to help small farmers grow their businesses on city-owned land. Through these efforts, and through the annual Winter GardenHarvest Festival, the city will continue to strengthen its community bonds and will further the availability of local food to its citizens and businesses.

 *Purchase your tickets for the Farm to Table Dinner - here.

*Interested in sponsoring this event, please click - here.

*Want to be a vendor? Apply here.

www.WinterGardenHarvestFestival.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Winter-Garden-Harvest-Festival/385979404751099

TastyChomps.com’s Photos from 2012 Winter Garden Harvest Fest!

ALSO at the Winter Garden Harvest Festival

This is third year of the Central Florida Food Blogger Bake Sale to benefit Share our Strength – this just one of many bake sales held all over the United States to raise money.  Last year this bake sale raised over $1400 and our goal this year is to raise at least $2000.

Funds raised by nationwide Bake Sales for No Kid Hungry support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, which is ending childhood hunger in this nation by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. By connecting kids in need with nutritious food and teaching their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals, the No Kid Hungry campaign surrounds children with healthy food where they live, learn and play. Share Our Strength’s focus is on long-term change – the difference between just feeding a child today and making sure that children in the United States never go hungry. Since 1984, Share Our Strength has raised and invested more than $376 million in the fight against hunger —including more than $9.6 million through Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry.

Where and When: At the Winter Garden Harvest Festival on Saturday, May 4th from 9am to 2pm.  Even if you are on a diet, make sure to come out and throw a few coins in the donation box or buy a raffle ticket and check out the Winter Garden Harvest Festival.  It is an amazing event and there is an awesome splash pad for kids (both big and little). If you are not near Winter Garden, click here to find a bake sale near you.

What: We’ll have from cakes to brownies, cake pops to cupcakes and doughnuts and more for sale! We’ll also have some awesome raffle prizes. If you can’t attend, you can donate at our Share Our Strength page.

Bloggers Who Will Be There:

The Little Kitchen
Katie’s Cucina
Kokocooks
Forkful
Live Pretty
Simply Southern Baking
My Sweet Zepol
Couture Palate

This event served as a fundraiser for local NPR affiliate WMFE 90.7 News, of which I am proudly a WMFE Community Advisory Board member. If you’d like to help contribute to this wonderful station and become a member, visit http://www.wmfe.org

The night started off with Anthony Bourdain delivering some hilarious jabs at beloved Food Network celebrities, including the lovely Paula Deen, who has been notorious for her unhealthy butter-laden dishes (and recently came out to the public revealing her diagnosis of diabetes).

A glazed donut burger served at one of Paula Deen’s restaurant -1354 calories

Paula Deen licking butter off of Robert Irvine’s at the 2011 South Beach Wine and Food Festival, before she got on top of his back and rode him like a horse on stage….

The night continued with anecdotes and stories from the field, as Bourdain journeyed from Borneo fighting off leeches from his crew members to Vietnam and to Egypt, where the team was forbidden by the Egyptian government at the time from shooting the common people eating Egyptian breakfast called Ful Medames, a bean dish ate with Egyptian flat bread, because it might’ve shown how poor conditions were for the Egyptian people.

In 2008, a major food crisis caused fights to broke out over bread – which was made by government owned bakeries – leading to fear of rioting. Did the roots of the Arab Spring stem from this seemingly innocuous video that Anthony Bourdain and Co. filmed? Maybe…

The VIP reception was sponsored by Cask and Larder, the official restaurant for the Orlando stop, serving little hors d’oeuvres like home made vienna sausage, lamb tongue sandwiches, oysters, desserts, and more during the book signing event with Anthony Bourdain on the 2nd floor outdoor patio overlooking the brightly lit tinsel tourist town that is Universal’s CityWalk.

Although our city beautiful often gets stereotyped as a tourist mecca, we have quite a burgeoning food scene that is excellent and notable in its own right and deserves to be reckoned with.

Just this past year alone, 6 Central Florida Chefs were nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef – South as semi-finalists and we have pockets of unique enclaves like Mills 50 (Vietnamese District), Little Brazil growing by the day along I-Drive, Winter Park, and more.

A Photo with the “Lunch Lady” Nguyen Thi Thanh in the heart of Saigon, Vietnam – bowl of bun bo hue – made famous during Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Vietnam during No Reservations

Based on his propensity for dining a la street food and his affinity for Asian cuisine and disregard for sweets (from watching ABC’s The Taste), I would probably take Anthony Bourdain to these places in Orlando. You can tell he has good tastes in Orlando already by choosing Cask and Larder as his official tour stop restaurant for the VIP Event!

For other suggestions, check out these lively discussions by YosemiteSam and BigBadVoodooLou on
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/899590#8038303 and on Yelp Orlando

Mills-50 District / Viet Town

Chuan Lu Garden – probably the best new authentic Chinese restaurant right now in the heart of Mills 50 / Viet Town district, this tiny place serves up Sichuan specialities like super spicy ChonqQing La Zi fried chicken and hand pulled noodles.

Banh Mi Nha Trang – specializing in Nha Trang style banh mi (with a hot chili fish sauce added), this hole in the wall is run by a Vietnamese couple with hearts of gold. Ms. Nguyen’s sweet smile, slightly limited English, and affectionate “See you tomorrow!” will definitely win Anthony’s heart.

Boiling Crab and Seafood – I’d go for the fresh cajun style hot and spicy garlic steamed shrimp made by a Vietnamese family here. Eat with your hands to get all the bits and pieces.

Pho Vinh – My favorite and probably the best Vietnamese restaurant in the area, with super fresh spring rolls and flavorful pho broth. They have some nice specials like bun thit nuong and bun mam, too.

Tako Cheena – Asian/Latin fusion tacos, a food truck in restaurant form, open late and run by Chef Pom Moongauklang, formerly of Nobu. Fabulous empanadas, tacos, and burritos with fillings like Char siu pork belly, Asian braised beef, Thai Peanut Chicken, and Indian yellow curry tofu.

Winter Park

Prato – seasonal, modern/progressive Italian run by James Beard nominated Chef Brandon McGlamery ( The French Laundry / Chez Panisse alumni) and his chef di cucina Matthew Cargo. One of their newest dish is veal belly topped with egg.

South Orlando

The Pharmacy Orlando – From the same owners/chefs who brought you The Table Orlando, comes their latest restaurant concept—Pharmacy. This 1920s “speakeasy” is now open to the public—if you can find it. hint – check the elevator

Hanamizuki (for lunch only) – shio butter ramen and the fried rice

Sushi Tomi – really good fresh sushi and homestyle japanese dishes like pork curry katsu, pork tonkatsu ramen, and fried chicken karaage.

Teriyaki House – mom and pop Taiwanese Place serving delicious Taiwanese sausage, braised pork belly, fried tofu, fried salt and pepper chicken and other street foody type comfort food.

Photo Courtesy of BurgerJunkies.com
The After Party Food truck – the Brazilian Xtravaganza Burger made with 16 ingredients: hamburger patty, cheese, bacon, shredded chicken, sausage, fried egg, ham,lettuce, tomato, onions, garlic, mayo, ketchup, pea, corn, potato sticks

Any of the ones below that were nominated this past year for the

James Beard Award – Best Chef – South – Central Florida Nominees 2013

Kathleen Blake, The Rusty Spoon and Pine 22, Orlando, FL

Scott Hunnel, Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian resort & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, FL

Brandon McGlamery, Luma on Park and Prato, Winter Park, FL

James and Julie Petrakis, The Ravenous Pig and Cask and Larder, Winter Park, FL

Hari Pulapaka, Cress, DeLand, FL

More cool places Anthony Bourdain would like:
What would you suggest in Orlando?