Dear John Rivers: please open an upscale steakhouse. Soon. I think everyone who attended last week’s Chef’s Night at Second Harvest would wholeheartedly agree with this plea to the barbecue master. Last week the 4 Rivers team took their talents to Mercy Drive to serve up an exquisite five course meal in support of Second Harvest Food Bank’s Culinary Training Program – an incredible course that teaches employable culinary and life skills to at-risk adults in our community.

The Culinary Training Program provides qualified, at-risk and economically disadvantaged adults with the culinary and life skills training needed to pursue a sustainable career in the food industry. Students enrolled in the program gain hands-on experience while learning valuable skills in Second Harvest’s production kitchen.

These culinary students along with John Rivers and team whipped up an incredible five course meal last week served along wine provided by The Capital Grille. Here’s what we tasted and thoroughly enjoyed:

Appetizer: Shrimp Stuffed Fried Green Tomato with Bread and Butter Pickles and Watermelon Rind Relish. I don’t know how you stuff a fried green tomato, but I’m still craving this delight. From the breading to the garnish, everything about this dish was perfection. I vote for this starter to make an appearance on The Coop’s menu!

First Course: Low Country Shrimp and Grits with Florida Rock Shrimp, Stone-Ground Grits and a Spicy Tasso Reduction. The delectable southern classic was even served alongside some Crystal hot sauce. 4 Rivers, you really did cover all your southern basis with this dish.

Second Course: Smokehouse Sideboard with Smoke Angus Brisket, Mangalitsa Baby Back Rib and Shoulder, Skillet Cornbread and Southern Collard Greens. A classic John Rivers plate and this version did not disappoint. This trio of meat was like a barbecue symphony parading around on my tastebuds!

Third Course: Coffee-Rubbed Rib-Eye Steak with Cabernet Reduction, Gruyere Mash and Maple-Glazed Brussels. Thinly slice and loaded with flavor thanks to the coffee rub, I sure hope this makes an appearance on the 4 Rivers menu soon!

Fourth Course: Double Chocolate Brioche Pudding with Bacon infused Creme Anglaise Salted Caramel and Bourbon-Infused Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Talk about the best combination of ingredients ever. This sweet, salty, savory final course was the perfect ending to an exceptional evening.

And in May, Chef Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant, will serve up what is sure to be another incredible Chef’s Night at Second Harvest. Stay tuned for more details!

Easter Sunday is swiftly approaching, if you don’t have plans for that family brunch yet, here are a few options. Here’s to a glorious day with family and friends!

American Gymkhana: Sunday Brunch from 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

• $25 per person: indulge in an entrée, such as the Lamb & Eggs  slow cooked lamb, green peas, masala poached egg, pao bread served with two sides and two brunch cocktails.

Taverna Opa Orlando: April 5-12 (Western Easter to Greek Orthodox Easter)

• Receive two complimentary red Greek eggs to play a round of tsougrisma, a Greek holiday tradition where players tap each other’s eggs until they crack.
• Enjoy a complimentary glass of Greek wine with every purchase of a lamb dish – check out the Kleftiko, a traditional lamb dish!

Dragonfly Robata: Indulge traditionally at Dragonfly Robata with Tamagoyaki.

• Making the tamagoyaki is a skillful yet laborious process displaying the skill level of the chef as well as representing the quality of the restaurant. It’s similar to a very thin omelet where the chef laboriously rolls each layer one by one to form a solid block of elegant layered egg. When served the egg is cut off piece by piece and rested on top of sushi rice to form a nigiri.
• In Japan, sushi chefs spend many years perfecting the tamagoyaki before they’re allowed to even advance to the other stations. Select from nigiri options on the Sushi A La Carte menu this Easter.

Soco: Sunday Brunch – 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

• Enjoy dishes ranging from Truffle-Infused Steak Tartare: Quail’s Egg Yolk, Crispy Chicken Skin, Toasted Baguette and Lobster Eggs Benedict: Buttermilk Biscuits, Benton’s Ham, Lobster Hollandaise.

American Q: Easter Sunday Brunch 

• $34.95 for adults, includes complimentary mimosas
• $10 for kids under seven chickens tall
• Offerings range from House Cured Honey Ham to Sweet Potato Salad. Full menu here!
• Check out our full review of American Q here!

The Sweet Shop

• Bunny Cake (available for special order) – choice of  coconut, vanilla bean, lemon or double chocolate cake filled with vanilla mousse, frosted in buttercream frosting and covered in shredded coconut, then garnished with jelly bean eyes and white chocolate ears.

Duffy’s Sports Grill

• Enjoy a three course meal starting at $12.99. Each meal is served with a choice of: Traditional House or Caesar salad, entrée choice of: Glazed Baked Ham served with mashed sweet potatoes and seasonal vegetables, Slow Roasted Turkey served with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and seasonal vegetables or Braised Boneless Short Ribs* topped with homemade demi-glace accompanied by mashed potatoes with gravy, and seasonal vegetables. Dessert: Vanilla bean ice cream sundae topped with chocolate and caramel sauce.

Photo Credits: Provided by Each Restaurant Respectively 

This year’s Food and Wine Conference will take place July 17-19 right in our backyard! Come this summer, countless food bloggers and industry experts will gather inside Rosen Shingle Creek for a three-day conference. The event will bring together bloggers, small business owners, winemakers, chefs, public relations professionals, traditional media, new media, authors and brands all working to reach a new level of success. With an all-star line up of speakers and attendees, we’re so excited to attend this year’s conference and serve as an ambassador!

The conference will be full of exceptional speakers, tools to grow your brand and of course amazing bites and meals! The final schedule is still in the works, but for the full list of speakers click here. Don’t miss this amazing conference in our city!

Food and Wine Conference (#FWCon)

• When: July 17-19, 2015
• Where: Rosen Shingle Creek, 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, Florida
• Speakers: http://foodandwineconference.com/2015-speakers/
• Tickets: Click here to register and enter the code FWC15yochL for $50 off your ticket

Get Social:

• Website: http://foodandwineconference.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/foodandwineconf
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoodandWineConference
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Foodandwineconference/posts
• Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/FoodandWineConf/

Photo Credit: Food and Wine Conference/Ashlee Hamon Photography 

Mills Avenue is exploding with tasty new restaurants, and Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbakoa is no exception to this growing group of culinary creativity. Still less than a year old, Pig Floyd’s has set out to integrate cultural influences with traditional fire, smoke and pit methods in an effort to craft vibrant, delicious fare.

“When I started looking for locations, we were going to build a regular smokehouse and elevate it or do something different,” Thomas Ward, Pig Floyd’s founder and owner said. “But we decided to make the transition from smokehouse to urban barbakoa three months before we opened. We decided to do something international with a mashup of flavors, and that’s how the menu started progressing.”

For more on Pig Floyd’s and our interview with the founder, head to Orlando My Way!