Jan 182016
With a three-day-weekend we found some bonus time to enjoy a variety of Orlando’s eats. Here’s what we enjoyed and tasted this weekend as we wandered the city for the best bites.
Four Seasons Chef’s Night
- Our friends at Aggressive Appliances invited us to join them for Chef’s Night at Second Harvest. If you’re in the market for some home improvements, you must visit their showroom on Mercy Drive! A zillion times better than Home Depot, promise. Anyways, if you’re not familiar, Chef’s Night brings local top chefs into Second Harvest’s Community Kitchen to celebrate food and raise money for a good cause. All proceeds benefit Second Harvest’s Culinary Training Program, which provides students with the skills and inspiration they need to obtain an entry-level position in a food service establishment.
- Last week, Executive Sous Chef Sam Faggetti and Executive Pastry Chef Rabii Saber from the Four Seasons whipped up an incredible four course meal with courses ranging from pork belly to pan roasted lamb. Our personal favorites from the night included a vibrant king crab dish with brown butter, celery root and grapefruit – as well as the grand finale, the lemon bar. Paired with fresh-made strawberry ice cream, this citrus dish was a true delicacy. And for the grand, grand finale we walked away with the most fabulous macarons which truly put the Four Seasons pastry skills on display!
- Thank you, thank you Aggressive Appliances, we so enjoyed dining with you, your guests and our new friends from the Ancient Olive. {PS: read more about this fabulous Winter Park spot here.}
The Coop {Breakfast}
- With so many options we couldn’t decide on just one or two plates, so we ended up with umm….four dishes. Oops. After walking around Winter Park with our pups we settled in outside and indulged in a carb-licious breakfast. If you order nothing else, make sure their cinnamon roll ends up on your table. This gooey-ooey warm piece of bliss is so good you won’t care how bad it is for your diet.
- We also sampled the chicken and waffles (with chocolate chips of course) and fried chicken scrambled eggs. Plus, now they have Peet’s coffee which makes for the perfect accompaniment to all that brunching. Oh and their biscuits? The fluffiest in town.
Tim’s Wine Shop “Breaking Resolutions”
- We ditched our well intended resolutions and sampled the 30+ wines on display across Ivanhoe Village. We even picked up an adorable card from Paper Goat Post. Throughout the evening we tasted wines from the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Argentina and Australia and met many of the people who make them. Our favorite sip of the night? Besserat de Bellefon Brut Rosé NV. Rated 92 points by Wine Spectator and the real deal hailing from the Champagne region of France.
Santiago’s Bodega
- After all that wine sampling we walked towards this tapas hot spot. Seriously, it was standing room only at 9 p.m.! Well worth the wait as we ordered their massive Greek salad, sparkling sangria and mini quesadillas. The perfect spot for a quick bite at the bar, sipping wine or a full meal if you can score a table.
Photo Credits: Santiago’s Bodega and Besserat de Bellefon. All other photos owned by Spork.