Spork Orlando

Jul 082018
 

Welp. It’s been a long, long time since we wrote anything. While you may have seen sporadic posts on Instagram, this year we’ve been pretty quiet on the blog. Between a new job and daily life we decided to slow down on Spork this year. Meanwhile Orlando’s culinary scene has continued to grow with countless openings and continued excellence at existing restaurants. Here’s some of our highlights of both new and existing places!

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Hawkers: with a new location in Windermere and the same fabulous pad thai (which we order all too often from UberEats) this spot continues to deliver quality street fare.

K Restaurant: under new ownership they’ve added brunch, and between their killer bacon and s’mores waffles (which I hope they still have on the menu) this College Park spot remains as a great option in this neighborhood.

Digress: one of my favorite new wine shops, and also under new ownership, this College Park store has a stellar collection of wine and educational classes almost weekly. Plus, in the mornings you can stop by Gratitude Coffee outside and order a lavender latte.

Gideon’s: if you haven’t heard of or been here you are missing out on Earth’s best cookies. Find them at East End Market or Polite Pig at Disney Springs.

Polite Pig: speaking of Polite Pig, they have some of my favorite modern Southern dishes in town. The Baby Back Ribs are addicting and The Southern Pig sandwich is always a tasty option. Perhaps the most surprising items on the menu are the sides. You can make a whole meal out of their veggie options. Try the BBQ cauliflower, it will change the way you think about this vegetable. For a beverage, order one of their cocktails on tap like their seasonal slushie or grapefruit margarita.

Sonny’s: recently unveiled priceless 24k ribs in celebration of their 50th anniversary. They are commemorating the occasion with a national sweepstakes giveaway and giving back through social media to donate 100,000 meals. For every retweet, 20 meals will be donated, and for every favorite, 10 meals will be donated. Click here to tweet!

 Sonny's BBQ 24K Gold Ribs Plated

Lion’s Pride: one of the few bars downtown that serves enjoyable food and Minuty Rosé! You can also watch every single World Cup match on their ginormous screens! This place is clean, the people are friendly and the rosé is pretty darn tasty. Whether you are a soccer fan or not put Lion’s Pride on your list for downtown bar stops.

Around the World: we’ve also done some traveling lately and if you are looking to book a trip somewhere we’d highly recommend Napa and Provence. I mean what’s not to like, right? In Napa there’s of course fabulous food and wine, so put Press, Bouchon and the new Culinary Institute of America of your list of places to dine. In France you’ll find all the pastries, culture and rosé you’ll ever need. If you’ve never been to either place it’s time to go, and if you haven’t been lately it’s time to return.

Wine Bar George: And now for Orlando’s best new addition…a wine bar at Disney Springs! I am biased, as this is where my new aforementioned new job is, but this is a must visit place. More than 140 wines all available by the glass, bottle and ounce from Master Sommelier George Miliotes and a full menu of deliciousness from Executive Chef Ron Rupert. So as we say, join us for masterfully paired wine and food.

There’s still a slew of new places and dishes coming to our city this year and next. Andrew Zimmerman couldn’t be more wrong about The City Beautiful’s dining scene.
Feb 042018
 

Happy Birthday Reel Fish! To celebrate their first year the restaurant will offer a variety of specials throughout February including a crawfish boil with live beach music on Sunday, Feb. 11. A limited number of tickets are available for $39 per person and can be purchased by calling 407-543-3474. A portion of the proceeds from each ticket will be donated to the Coastal Conservation Association.

Starters:
Mike’s Fish Chowder, Fried Okra and Pimento Cheese Dip

Main:
Crawfish Boil or Shrimp or Snow Crab Boil with Andouille, Red Skin Potatoes, Corn on The Cob and Charred Okra

Dessert:
House-Made Key Lime Pie

They’ll be celebrating all month long, here’s a look at all the events. For reservations visit: www.ReelFishCoastal.com. Happy one year to this Winter Park spot!

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Jan 212018
 

Tickets are on sale for the 5th annual Field to Feast Dinner Feb. 17 at Long & Scott Farms in Zellwood, Fla., with Disney’s top chefs headlining the event. All proceeds benefit the Kids Cafe Program of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, an after-school meal service program that provides food to needy children in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties.

Celebrating locally sourced cuisine in an open-air setting with a casual dine around, this year’s dishes will again be paired with wines, beers and cocktails selected by Master Sommelier George Miliotes of Wine Bar George. Live music, farm tours and a raffle also are part of the event from 3-6 p.m.

Featured Disney chefs for 2018 include Chef Tim Majoras, Flying Fish, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort; Chef Robby Sayles, Tiffins, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Pastry Chef Amy Goodpaster, Magic Kingdom just to name a few. The event is presented by Edible Orlando magazine with Walt Disney World Resort as a major sponsor. Tickets are $175 at edibleorlando.com.

The event sold out the last four years so grab your tickets asap. See you there!

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Jan 152018
 

Capa, the rooftop restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, will host two upcoming wine dinners. Y’all know how much we love a wine dinner and these look like two epic events. For reservations call 407-313-6161. Cheers!

four seasons

Shafer Wine Dinner: On January 18, 2018 at 6pm, Capa is partnering with Shafer Vineyards for a five-course pairing dinner. The dinner is $250 per person, all inclusive.

Primero
Red Snapper | Timut Pepper Grapefruit | Fennel
Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay

Segundo
Lamb | Black Garlic Mustard Crema | House Made Taco Shell Crisps
Shafer Merlot

Tercero
Iberico Pork Chop | Sweet & Sour Daikon Cashew Nuts
Shafer ‘TD-9’

Entrante
Creekstone Beef Short Rib Cardamom-Ginger Carrots | Vanilla Pomme Dauphine
Shafer ‘1.5’ Cabernet Sauvignon
Shafer ‘Hillside Select’ Cabernet Sauvignon

Postre
Specialty Dessert by Executive Chef Rabii Saber
Shafer ‘Relentless’ Syrah

Darioush Wine Dinner: On February 8, 2018 at 6pm, Capa will welcome special guest Allen Papp from Darioush Vineyards for a five-course pairing dinner. The dinner is $250 per person, all inclusive.

Primero
Corn Flake Breaded Adobo Tuna Cucumber | Foie Gras
Darioush Viognier

Segundo
Lemon Almond Crust Codfish Vegetable Tian
Darioush Chardonnay

Tercero
Confit Berkshire Pork Cheeks Kumquat | Parsnip
Darioush Cabernet Franc

Entrante
Tableside Carved Tomahawk | Au Poivre Pommes Pont Neuf
Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon
Darioush Darius II Cabernet Sauvignon

Postre
Specialty Dessert by Executive Chef Rabii Saber
Darioush Shiraz

 

Dec 152017
 

wine on the way

What’s better than wrapping up your Christmas shopping while tasting a dozen different wines? Seriously, not much. Last night as we sipped on Napa Cabs (all from mountain fruit, no valley floor fruit allowed at this party), we casually picked up bottles for ourselves and our family.

wine on the way

Where does such magic happen you ask? Wine on the Way. This Winter Park based company specializes in selling solely 90+ point wines for all budgets. Suppose you want to spend $20 on a Cabernet Sauvignon, no problem, they’ll pull something spectacular from Australia for you. If you’ve got cash to burn, they’ve got wines to match. As we pursued (and sipped) some of the best Napa wines we even spotted two bottles of Bond on their shelves.

wine on the way

Beyond shopping, Wine on the Way hosts frequent events ranging from informal tastings to evenings with winemakers. They also provide in- home wine tastings and education among other services such as wine cellar organization and cataloguing.

Thanks for inviting us out Wine on the Way! We’ll be back for more sips and bottles soon. PS: They currently have a Krug special right now! Only $139 per bottle, a total steal in my opinion.

wine on the way

Dec 152017
 

Earlier this week K Restaurant launched their first Yappy Hour. To inaugurate this monthly event they partnered with Woof Orlando, a local doggie boarding and spa spot in College Park. Our golden retriever loved all the “eggnog”, candy cane treats and meeting new furry friends.

When the event returns next month bring your pup out to enjoy dog treats alongside a creatively themed menu for humans. “Doggie chaperones,” can expect drink specials and tongue-in-cheek Yappy Hour dishes from Chef Ryan McLaughlin, which include:

  • Truffled “pupcorn”
  • Milk Bones (veal bone marrow) with accompaniments
  • “Pawsta” – traditional or fried ravioli
  • Crispy Pig Ears

This creative and fun take on happy hour is worth venturing out for on a Monday. And as the title of this article suggests, Yappy Hour is golden retriever approved. Cheers!

K Restaurant

K Restaurant

K Restaurant

K Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato