Best Brunch? Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen with a dash of Blue Bird Bake Shop #local #love

This October will mark 35 years that Barnie’s has been headquartered right here in Orlando.  So much is going on to celebrate, I hope you can keep up with all of the news I’m about to share!  Very exciting stuff.  First, be sure you’re following Barnie’s on Twitter at @BarniesCoffee and on Facebook, as well as checking their website at Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen for updates.

For the first time in five years, Barnie’s has redesigned their menu and it is not only gorgeous work by their in-house marketing department but it also contains some tasty new dishes for brunch.

Barnie’s has decided to narrow down their focus to breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch!  They will extend their weekday hours to 5 pm, Friday and Saturday until 8 pm, and the longest running brunch in Orlando continues at Barnie’s from 7:30 am to 6 pm on Sundays!

So before I share more news, I want to show you the deliciousness that I recently previewed from Barnie’s new menus!

There will now be a Sparkling Mimosa Bar available at Barnie’s for those that like a little booze with their brunch.

The current flavors are Watermelon Mint, Georgia Peach, Tart Cherry and Classic Florida Orange.  These flavors will swap out seasonally, so try them while they are available and find new favorites when they change!

From the breakfast and brunch menu, I enjoyed the Salmon & Bagel.

A toasted sesame seed bagel topped with Ducktrap smoked salmon, cucumber, cream cheese, pickled onion, lemon and dill.  Loved this!  I enjoy salmon and lox via room service on cruise vacations, and this took me back to my cabin!  Yum!

Also available on the breakfast and brunch menu is the Shakshuka.

Tomato ragout, poached eggs, thyme, feta and buttered toast (not pictured).  This poached egg was perfect (all of them were) and quite tasty with the tomato ragout.

Next on the breakfast and brunch menu is Greek yogurt and granola.  This wholesome grain and fruit dish contains vanilla granola, Greek yogurt, market berries and Florida mangrove honey!

Barnie’s is now enhancing their bakery presence with their newly announced partnership with Blue Bird Bake Shop!  You must visit Blue Bird’s Audubon Park location and check out their amazing offerings…but if you’re out for brunch in Winter Park, you can get some of their goodies at Barnie’s too!  Follow them on Twitter @BlueBirdBakeShp for the lastest info!

I sampled the Orange Cranberry Scone, the Classic English Scone, and a mini blueberry muffin.  All very tasty, but I am in love with the Orange Cranberry scone!!

Chef Camilo again showed us why Barnie’s brunch has become the best.  Here he finishes off the lamb meatballs from the lunch menu.

Tomato sauce, goat cheese, and salsa verde top these moist, tender lamb meatballs.

Next from the lunch menu, is the coffee braised pork sandwich.

The pork is mixed with house-made BBQ sauce and comes on a medianoche bun, and was served with apple fennel slaw and bread and butter pickles.

I wanted to show you the pictures I took of the new menu.  Addison Ames, Barnie’s marketing and communications expert extraordinaire, shared with us that the concept of the new menu was like dining at a Global Farmer’s Market, where you take your passport and have it stamped at each stop…with coffee roots branching out to all corners of the global food market.

Gorgeous work by the Barnie’s in-house marketing staff!

Another cool feature at Barnie’s is coffee art by Steven Mikel.

His watercolor art is created with liquid coffee paint.  It’s amazing!

He is currently painting the new Dr. Phillips Center South.  He is incredibly talented.

You can find out more about Steven and his coffee art at StevenMikel.com.

Now back to a few news items.  For you die-hard Barnie’s coffee fanatics, there will be a contest to bring back four favorite flavors from their coffee vault!  Vote here!

Barnie’s is now offering Rollins College faculty, staff and students, a 20% discount on all food and drink purchases (with the exception of alcohol)!

And last but not least, this year Barnie’s will celebrate 20 years since their year-round, best selling flavor was first introduced.  That’s right people, Santa’s White Christmas!

Keep up with Barnie’s on social media, you won’t want to miss their anniversary specials!  And visit them soon to try their new menus and enjoy their glorious brunch!  I’ve got mad #local #love for Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen and I hope after you visit, you’ll make them your new “Best Brunch” spot too!

The Dinner Party Project at Aggressive Appliances

You read that right…I attended my first “The Dinner Party Project” event and it was held at…an appliance store!  But not just any appliance store, an awesome, high-end appliance store that has been in business for over 30 years.  Tina made us all feel very welcome at the store, and it was more like attending a dinner party at someone’s home!  Aggressive Appliances is off of E. Colonial Dr. (617 Mercy Dr., Orlando – http://www.aggressiveappliances.com/) and has six working kitchens used for a variety of events, including The Dinner Party Project which took place last week.

Our guest chef, Mike Garcia, who has previously worked at The Smiling Bison, The Rav Pig and Cask & Larder, had some lovely kitchens at his disposal for this event.

Our table for twelve was set up in the center of the showroom.

And each place setting showed us our menu for the evening.

We began with drinks prepared by Michael Ring with Old Forester.

He was kind enough to prepare special non-alcoholic drinks for me…a sweet treat!  My first drink was a strawberry hibiscus punch with lemons and basil, made with Onli (sparkling flavored water – http://onlibeverages.com/#!onli-products).

Very refreshing!

We began with an hor d’ouevre of “shrimp and grits”.

This sweet little grit cake was topped with shrimp mousse and pickled onion.  Loved this!

Next, our starters were a cucumber gazpacho with fennel, peppers, cherry tomatoes and micro basil…

and red beets tartine on grilled sourdough with crème fraiche, dill and radish.

So good I had to take more than one picture!

Yum!

Michael again created a lovely drink for me (that apparently I sucked down so fast I forgot to take a photo), that was made with green tea, lemon and mint.  It was my favorite drink of the night…and so pretty!  You’ll just have to use your imagination.  I’m still dreaming about it!

Next our entrée, a grilled sweet tea chicken dish with peach mostardo, baked sea island pea puree and a 63 ° egg.

I’m now thinking that grilled sweet tea chicken is something I must learn to make at home ASAP!

My drink with this dish was a homemade apple cider.

Last but not least was dessert.  We enjoyed an almond panna cotta with vanilla, lavender, sponge cake and topped with blueberries.

This dessert was light and not too sweet.

Our accompanying drink was a lavender simple soda, and espresso soda and Barnie’s coffee blend, with vanilla bean half and half foam as the whip.

It was a great evening getting to know some local bloggers and enjoy some great food!  What an amazing opportunity and concept.  Long live The Dinner Party Project!

Thanks Dana Roquemore for creating such an awesome event!

You can see more about The Dinner Party Project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DinnerPartyProjectOrlando?fref=ts and follow along on Instagram at _thedinnerpartyproject_.

Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen and The Brewery

I was invited, along with several local bloggers (and a certain food critic that we all know and love), to preview some menu selections from the new Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen and The Brewery at beautiful JW Marriott Grande Lakes Orlando.

The attention to detail was obvious from the moment of our arrival into The Kitchen and The Brewery, and very purposeful in it’s presentation.

I loved the personalized menu and the sweet swag bag!

I loved the high top tables, and the patterned fabric adorning the bench seating!  Lots of steel, wood and leather accents in rich blue hues.

The Kitchen prep and service area was open to the large room and made it feel homey and welcoming.

This lovely mural adorns a wall that is book-ended by two farm door style sliders that close together to reveal television sets on either side for prime viewing of sporting events.  There are also televisions atop the bar area.

Some very comfortable options for outdoor seating are available as well.

After a few minutes of taking pictures our menu preview began with these warm, freshly made from scratch cheddar and chive biscuits.  The accompanying spreads were an apple moonshine jam (seen left), and pork butter (seen right).

I couldn’t resist the pork butter spread.  Two of my favorite things!  The biscuits were delicious and not too heavy.

Then we were treated to a sample of one of the flatbreads on the menu.  This flatbread was topped with a kale pesto, egglplant, gruyere (oh yeah!), balsamic onions, and argula.

I love a flatbread with fresh arugula, and the combination of flavors was delicious.

We moved on to our Whisper Creek Farm Harvest Salad.  This was a particular favorite.  Carrots, cherry tomato, onion, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, and Egyptian spinach topped with a citrus ricotta cheese…heavenly.

Talk about farm-to-table ingredients!  These fresh crispy veggies grown on property made my tummy very happy!

Chef Jason shared that his concept for this salad was an even deeper vision than farm-to-table, and he preferred to think of it as “seed-to-plate”, expanding upon the intention of the entire culinary team to have a sustainable experience only available on property at Whisper Creek Farms.

Next we enjoyed a dish of seared grouper over Anson Mills grits, in a slow braised ham hock broth, and topped with spicy, pickled leeks.  A light and flavorful dish.

Our next dish was a smoked ham and sunny side up fried egg sandwich.  (These eggs come directly from the chickens at Whisper Creek Farms.  Each chicken lays one egg per day, and they currently have 30 chickens and will soon add more.)

The house made BBQ chips were seasoned with Whisper Creek Farms competition BBQ rub.  Yeehaw!

The ham and egg sammie was topped with avocado and mustard frills, and was placed neatly inside it’s honey pecan roll; though this sandwich did become deliciously messy.

Our final taste was dessert!  This is The Kitchen’s surplus kumquat gelato.

Kumquat marmalade is combined with The Brewery’s surplus IPA (made from the surplus honey created by the resident bees on property).

I sampled another gelato offering…apple basil!  It was very sweet but the fresh basil was an excellent palate cleanser.  Very refreshing!

I enjoyed the overall experience of our visit to Whisper Creek Farms: The Kitchen and The Brewery and know that this venture will garner much success at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes Orlando from visitors and locals alike.

Check them out soon!

Whisper Creek Farms: The Kitchen and The Brewery

Address: 4040 Central Florida Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32837

http://www.grandelakes.com/Whisper-Creek-125.html

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Whisper-Creek-Farm-The-Kitchen/356658654536402

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.838369922874066.1073741835.100856529958746&type=3

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JW Marriott Grande Lakes Orlando

Address: 4040 Central Florida Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32837

Phone:(407) 206-2300

http://www.grandelakes.com/jw-marriott/Orlando-Accommodations-21.html

 

The Meatball Shoppe

Jeff and Isabella Morgia have just recently opened The Meatball Shoppe in East Orlando, and their guests are quickly becoming regulars.  The obvious attention to “famiglia” is displayed by the generations of family pictures that adorn the wall of their shop.  This sweet couple are all about having families sit down to dinner together, and whether you eat in the shop or take home, you’re sure to find something to please every member of your family.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting The Meatball Shoppe three times and look forward to many more visits.  I’ve had the meatball smash (I chose traditional Italian meatballs with a little roasted tomato sauce and a little creamy provolone sauce) with a side of shoppe salad,

the chicken marsala meatballs, with a side of shoppe salad and focaccia,

and the chicken parm with a gem (chicken meatballs, roasted tomato sauce, provolone and fried egg) with a side of shoppe salad.

It’s difficult to choose because everything looks so good..but here’s the process.  The first step is choosing what type of meatball you’d like to try, they have several options: Nonna’s traditional Italian, Jeffy’s sausage, Mediterranean-grass-fed lamb (with pita and tatziki), spicy pork, chicken marsala or the reuben ball (traditional Italian topped with reuben sauce).  They also offer a vegetarian gluten free meatball.

Then you decide how you want it…on top of a selection of sides offered, alone (served over arugula), or as a “smash” (sandwich-style).  You can also add a “gem” (fried egg) to top any of these selections.  Sides include creamy polenta, penne pasta, gluten-free pasta, pasta aglia olio, and white bean ragout.

They have some great salad options as sides and I’m personally in love with the shoppe salad.  You also can have a piece of their fresh baked focaccia (which comes with some of the meals).

Then you pick a sauce: roasted tomato, Isabella’s signature pesto, creamy provolone, rich marsala mushroom, and spicy pork.

If you need help with deciding, they are always willing to make suggestions and guide you in your choices according to your likes.

Last night I attended a local blogger event at The Meatball Shoppe by invite from Chef Isabella.  We learned about her history, her passion for family, food and community, and sampled many dishes.  Here are just a few…

The vegetarian meatball over white bean ragout with shoppe salad and focaccia,

traditional Italian meatballs with tomato sauce and topped with ricotta, shoppe salad and focaccia,

spicy pork meatball over penne and topped with a gem, shoppe salad and focaccia,

Mediterranean meatballs over polenta and topped with tzatziki, served with pita and a shoppe salad,

a meatball sampler,

and, some creamy polenta.

Don’t forget to save room for a sweet treat after dinner.  You can opt for gelato or Isabella’s signature mini cannoli.

My cannoli was yummy!

Definitely give The Meatball Shoppe a try.  They have several weekly specials and also offer Isabella’s Bella Cucina’s Grab n’ Go dishes.

The Meatball Shoppe is located at 7325 Lake Underhill Road, Orlando, FL 32822 in a small corner plaza at the corner of Lake Underhill and Goldenrod Road. Hours are Monday thru Saturday from 11 am to 8 pm and they are closed on Sunday.

You can find more information about The Meatball Shoppe on their website at http://www.themeatballshoppe.co/.  You can also find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/meatballshoppe.  (See Chef Isabella’s page at https://www.facebook.com/IsabellasBellaCucina/timeline?ref=page_internal for catering, personal chef services, private dining and cooking classes.)  Follow The Meatball Shoppe on Twitter at @OrlandoMeatball.

Mangia like famiglia with The Meatball Shoppe!

100th Blog Post – Local Food Truck Love and the Food Truck Bazaar

As you may or may not know (where have you been?), I love food trucks!  Since this is my 100th blog post, I’m going to go on and on about some of my favorites, and post lots and lots of pics from my visits to the monthly Food Truck Bazaar (at Fashion Square Mall and Avalon Park).  This is going to be my longest post ever!

Some of the trucks I’m going to talk about are still operational locally, some have moved away, and a few are no longer in business (I miss some of you terribly).  I hope you enjoy!

To begin, I first visited a food truck a few years ago when I heard about a group of trucks gathering at a lot off of Forsyth behind a ‘big box’ food warehouse. I packed my child into the car and set off to find out what the talk was all about. Who knew that I would (and much to my husband’s chagrin) still be following these trucks around, and now have a blog to share my love for them!

My first purchase from a local food truck was a s’mores crepe from The Crepe Company (@thecrepecompany).

My love for this food truck continues (Hi, Lisa!) and I have enjoyed every crepe (sweet or savory) that I’ve had the pleasure to try. Here are a couple of pics…

Look them up on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crepe-Company/148217348585544 and follow them on Twitter at @TheCrepeCompany to find out where the truck (or cart) will be and try a crepe today!  And they, like most of our local food trucks, are available for catering and parties!

My second purchase was from the Yum Yum Cupcake truck (you can see a pattern of “sweets” love here).

I bought a Dough Dough Bird and a Dom Berrignon.

I became totally obsessed with the ‘Dom’ and soon began tweeting to @yumyumtruck_FL that I was a #domfan. (The dom is seasonal, so stock up when they’re available!)

I have kinda been “fan girl”-ish about Yum Yum. (Thus my well-earned title from the men of Yum Yum themselves …”#vpofyumyumhashtags.”) That’s right…I am all up in the business of Yum Yum cupcakes on Twitter. Love them, love them, love them.  (I’ll miss you Joey and Alex! Thank you for leaving the cupcakes for us!)

(Photo credit via Facebook)

You can find Yum Yum Cupcake Truck on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theyumyumtruck?ref=br_tf.  Their website is http://theyumyumcupcaketruck.com/ and you can find them on Twitter at @yumyumtruck_fl.

One of the next food trucks I tried was The Korean BBQ Taco Truck. (Be aware of imitations. This truck is the original and only Korean BBQ Taco Truck locally. Other yellow trucks serving Korean food are not affiliated.)

I first visited The Korean BBQ Taco Truck when it looked like this…

But after getting a new truck, this is the truck we see today at the Food Truck Bazaars!

Korean BBQ was an instant favorite.  They have THE best bulgogi beef taco on the planet (and I don’t even have to taste all of the bulgogi beef tacos on the planet to know this).  I am madly in love with the Korean BBQ Taco Trucks bulgogi beef taco box.  (Thank you David for making the best Korean BBQ in town!)

This meal comes with the tastiest of bulgogi beef in a soft taco shell, a serving of salad with ginger dressing, a (super) spicy chicken wing, a few slices of their famous (at least it is to me) cheese roll (which consists of Korean rice, Korean beef, mozzarella cheese, and topped with spicy mayo) and a fried potato slice topped with teriyaki sauce. (No MSG, no garlic, and no peanuts.)

OMG is it good. And SO filling. For the price, this meal is the best value out there (in my opinion) when it comes to food truck fare.

Mmmm cheese rolls!!

There are plenty of great options served by the Korean BBQ Taco Truck including their Korean fried chicken, rice and sub boxes.

You should try any or all of them as soon as possible!

Korean BBQ Taco Box is a regular at The Daily City Food Truck Bazaaars, and they are all over the greater Orlando area, so be sure to check their website and Twitter posts for locations daily! Get some bulgogi beef as soon as possible! You won’t be disappointed.  Check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KBBQBox and on Twitter @koreanbbq_2011.

Now, I’m hungry.

Okay, let’s move on to some more of my favorites.

The Curbside Chef food truck is owned by the amazingly talented Chef Clarito Macalalad and his wife, Bonnie.  Two truly lovely people who have the bragging rights of not only an award winning food truck, but the “first in Florida, maybe the nation, food truck that the Chef is an aquaponic farmer producing, fresh, local (his backyard), organic, & sustainable herbs & produce for his truck.”

Here are just a few of the menu items I’ve had the pleasure to eat.

Bird’s Nest Brioche French Toast…

Red velvet pancakes with quail egg…

Here are some dishes I was able to sample at the Eat St. taping (I hope I didn’t end up on the cutting room floor, but if I did, it was still worth it to eat some amazing dishes!).

Curbside Tacos…

and last but not least, a dim sum sampler.

You can’t go wrong with anything you choose from Chef Clarito’s menu.  Check out their website for more information at http://www.curbsidechef.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/curbside.chef.  You can also find them on Twitter at @curbsidechef.

There are lots of trucks in Central Florida that I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to sample their dishes and meet their amazing owners.  I spent a lot of time searching my files of photos for the past three or four years (not an easy undertaking) and managed to find many but definitely not all of my food truck photos.  Here is what I’ve been able to find with some photos of others (photo credit given) added in.  Sit back and enjoy…

Big Wheel Food Truck

You are missed around here, Chef!

5 Gastronomy

Melissa’s Chicken and Waffles

The Crooked Spoon

The Crooked Spoon went brick and mortar and you can find them in Clermont.  Their website is http://www.thecrookedspn.com/ and you can find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thecrookedspoon.

RIP Chef Steve

C&S Brisket Bus

Brisket nachos!  Yes, please!

Next, a truck that has been around a while but that I only recently had the opportunity to visit.  And wow, was I missing out!  Saigon Sizzle serves fresh and delicious authentic Vietnamese Cuisine.

My first visit I chose a special, the bacon pate chaud.  It was life-changing.

I also enjoyed their shaking steak.

You can find more information about Saigon Sizzle at http://www.saigonsizzle.net/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/saigonsizzletruck.  Follow them on Twitter at @saigonsizzle and try them soon!

OverRice Food Truck

Filipino Favorites and Hawaiian Barbecue.  Fusion at its finest folks!

And just one word sums up my love for them…lumpia!

You can find more information about Over Rice Food Truck on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/overrice.foodtruck.  Follow them on Twitter at @OverRiceCFL.

Café Rouge Express

(Photo credit via Facebook)

You can find more information about Café Rouge Express on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/caferougeexpress.  You can follow them on Twitter at @caférougeexpres

Treehouse Truck

(Photo credit via Facebook)

I loved the Treehouse Truck when Thomas aka “Tree” was it’s owner, and I’ve come to love it’s current owners, Vinnie and Sarah.  Wonderful people who prepare great food.

If you haven’t tried The Luther…

You are missing out.

I’m also a fan of Mama’s PB&J.

You can find more information about Treehouse Truck at http://www.treehousetruck.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TreehouseTruck. Give them a follow on Twitter at @treehousetruck.

La Empanada

Twisted Cuban

(Photo Credit via @eatingWDW)

(Photo Credit via @eatingWDW)

I’m glad Alex Flores and his wife still post on Twitter, but man do I miss the truck!

Sushi & Seoul on the Roll

(Photo credit via Facebook)

You can find more information about Sushi and Seoul on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sushiAndSeoul?ref=nf and via Twitter at @sushiandseoul.

The Flattery

And their great veggie flatbread!

Bem Bom Food Truck and the awesome Chef Chico

SwedeDISH Fod Truck

Fork in the Road

(Photo Credit via http://roaminghunger.com/fork-in-the-road-orl)

Eclectic Kitchen

(Oh how I miss those fritters!!)

Dixieland Diner

(Photo credit via http://www.dixielanddiner.com/)

Love Steve and Tim and LOVE their beignets!

You can find more information on their website at http://www.dixielanddiner.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DixielandDinerMobileFoodTruck.  Be sure to follow them on Twitter at @dixielanddiner.

Sabai Sabia Mobile Thai

(Photo Credit via http://www.sabaisabaimobilethai.com/)

Baja Grill

Find them on Twitter at @rubiosbajagrill.

K Burgers

(Photo credit via forkful.net)

You can find more information about them at http://kburgers.com/ and follow them on Twitter at @kburgers.

Local Yolk’l

You can find more information about them at http://www.localyolkl.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Localyolkl. Follow them on Twitter at @localyolkl.

CaroBama

Oh the white sauce!

You can find more information about CaroBama at http://caro-bamabbq.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/carobamabbq.  Follow them on Twitter at @CaroBamaBBQ.

Monsta Lobsta

Wakotaco

(Photo Credit via http://www.spotafoodtruck.com/company/wako-taco/)

Mayan Grill

You can find more information about Mayan Grill at http://www.mayangrillorlando.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mayangrillorlando.  Follow them on Twitter at @mayangrill1221

Fantastic Hummus

(Photo Credit via Facebook)

Owner Bassam Alkhaldi posts frequently on Facebook, so check out his page at https://www.facebook.com/fantastichummus?fref=ts.

Mama’s Fixins

She introduced me to and made me fall in love with fried green tomatoes!  A fantastic soul and comfort food truck who treats their customers like family.  Their faith and friendship is invaluable to the food truck community.

You can find more information at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mamas-Fixins-Soulfood-BBQ-more-mobile-catering-food-service/230509373631995 and on Twitter at @MamasFixins.

Café Cocoa Moa

The Mangia Mobile

The Batter Bowl

Tastebuds

The Big Cheese Truck

Cactus Azul

Up in Smoke BBQ

Philly’s Best

El Cubanito’s Subs

Voodoo Kitchen

900 Degreez

SMAC

Charlie’s Bakery

Ice Cream Social Club

Midnight Sun

Magic 4UR Palate

Shred-a-bowls

Kona Dog

Hook’em-n-Cook’em

Honey Dripper

Gourmet Mutt Truck

Catering by Edna

Bollywood BBQ

 

Tuk Tuk Thai

Greek To Me

Au Natural

There are MANY more trucks, some I have visited and some that I have not, and I’m sure my pics are somewhere on a computer hard-drive, but this post is exceedingly long and I must move on.

I can’t mention food trucks without mentioning The Daily City Food Truck Bazaar and it’s fabulous organizer Mark Baratelli. (@TheDailyCity, @FoodTruckBazaar, @MarkBaratelli)  http://www.thedailycity.com/p/orlando-food-trucks.html

The Daily City Food Truck Bazaar has grown from just a few trucks at their events, to events hosting 25 food trucks and more!  The Bazaar has added tables and chairs to their events too…

and travels to the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, Avalon Park, Casselberry, Sanford, Mt. Dora, Orange City, and other locations including the East Coast.

They even recently have introduced “Big Pink”, the official Food Truck Bazaar truck!

Several pop-up retailers have also made appearances at the Bazaars.

And a DJ has recently been performing at the Fashion Square event.  The last Fashion Square Bazaar even had bagpipes!!  Thank you Mark for all you do for Central Florida Food Truck Community!

Everyone has their favorite food trucks, and as you can see, I have many.  I’ve visited a lot of food trucks locally (and on vacation/road trip adventures) and I look forward to trying many more.  I will always give love to my favorites, and enjoy finding new favorites too.  If I didn’t list a truck, feel free to make a suggestion and I’ll check them out!  (I’m sure I’ll acquire new favorites before my 200th post!)

#foodtrucks #local #love

 

The Back Room Steakhouse

I have to thank Chris (@eatlocalorlando) for mentioning this restaurant to me.  The hubs and I were finally able to check it out.

We started with bread service…

and shared an appetizer of steamed picante cabra dumplings.

These dumplings were filled with goat cheese, herbs, and chorizo and set atop a sweet and spicy chili sauce.

I decided on soup and salad this evening (yes, I know, it’s a steakhouse…I’ll just have to go back and try a steak ).  I started with butternut squash soup.

I then enjoyed the Back Room wedge, a traditional wedge salad that included bacon and bleu cheese crumbles and a balsamic glaze (I asked for no tomatoes).

It so happens that on the night we visited, they were having a prime rib special, so the hubs also did not order steak (next time people!) but opted for the prime rib dinner.

The sides were mashed potatoes and broccolini (one of my favorites).

For dessert, we shared a salted caramel panna cotta.

This rich and creamy panna cotta was served chilled atop a decadent chocolate ganache.

Oh my.  We will definitely have to go back for steaks, but also…this dessert.

If you haven’t visited yet, please check them out.  (And have a steak!)  The Back Room Steakhouse is located at 1418 Rock Springs Road in Apopka (they are located in a strip mall plaza near Beef O’Brady’s).  It would be a good idea to call for reservations first, as the restaurant is small and they get busy.  You can reach the restaurant at (407) 880-7832.

You can find out more information about The Back Room Steakhouse via their website at http://thebackroomsteakhouse.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheBackRoomSteakhouse.  You can also follow them on Twitter at @tbrsteakhouse.

I look forward to visiting again!  Maybe Chris and Ann will join the hubs and I.

Raglan Road at Downtown Disney – The Rollicking Raglan Weekend Brunch

The hubs and I recently visited Raglan Road at Downtown Disney to try their Rollicking Raglan Weekend Brunch.  We got a close spot by the Pleasure Island entrance and walked a short distance to the restaurant.

Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Through these doors you become transported directly to Dublin!

We began our journey with bread service.

Irish brown soda bread with a Guinness reduction and olive oil.  This was so good, it was almost like a dessert.  Mmm carbs.

We started with an appetizer, the tart art, an asparagus & goat cheese tart with garden peas, leeks & lemon oil dressed arugula.

Very fresh and light, I loved this!

For his entrée, the hubs selected the roast with potato roasties, yorkshire pudding and veggies (green beans) with a red wine jus.

For my entrée, I chose the eggs en cocotte.

Farm fresh eggs baked with spinach, mushrooms and Dubliner cheddar cheese served with toast soldiers.  Gorgeous presentation!  This dish was rich and delicious.  I could have licked that little pot o’cheesy goodness clean!

After an extremely satisfying brunch and full belly, we enjoyed a very talented group of musicians and singers performing Irish and Scottish folk songs.  I could have listened all day.

The bodhrán player was fantastic!

The band was joined by Celtic dancers, who were exhausting to watch.

We felt like they burned enough calories for us, so we enjoyed a dessert while we watched them dance.

We shared a delicious bread pudding.

Our fantastic server, Jennifer, suggested we empty the bread pudding onto the plate and spread it out, before coating it in a lovely glaze of butterscotch and crème anglaise.

Excellent idea.  It was sweet and delish!

You must get to Downtown Disney and visit Raglan Road for brunch.  It is well worth it.  Call ahead for reservations, they get busy!  You can find more information at http://www.raglanroad.com/ and on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RaglanRoadOrlando?ref=br_tf.  You can also find them on Twitter at @RaglanRoadPub.

Go raibh maith agaibh to the fine folks at Raglan Road for the opportunity to visit and enjoy your Rollicking Raglan Brunch Weekend.  (I was also delighted to speak with Enda about the birthplace of ancestors in County Carlow and County Armagh.)

Slán go foill!  Sláinte chugat!

 

Ceviche Tapas Orlando

The hubs and I had a date night for his birthday this past August, and we decided to venture downtown.  I had wanted to visit Ceviche for some time now, after hearing great things about this spot from folks on Twitter and Yelp.

I love downtown Orlando, the location of Ceviche in the Historic Church Street Station is a favorite spot.  I worked as a teenager in the Church Street Exchange, I attended many wedding receptions in this building and have fond memories with family here.

The restaurant is just gorgeous inside.  The dining room features a chapel ceiling from a 16th century abby and the dark wood, tile work, and architecture are just stunning.

Our table was next to a large banquet table and a tall glass cabinet that faced nearly floor to ceiling windows that offered a view of Church Street.

These tiled pillars are located throughout the restaurant and are just a beautiful feature.

Okay, let’s get to the eats!

Fresh bread and a pesto dip was presented with our drinks.

Our first tapas frias was tabla de quesos.

Aged manchego, mahon, tetilla and cabrales cheeses with sliced fruit, including grapes and figs.

Oh how I loved these cheeses!  I ate some of the softer cheeses with the extra bread we ordered (’cause I’m all about those carbs, ’bout those carbs, ’bout those carbs).

From the pescados selection we ordered caracoles a la vasca…

sautéed escargot, spinach, cream and Spanish sherry in a vol-au-vent pastry. Light and delicious!

From the vegetables selection, we ordered Portobello relleno.

This incredibly large Portobello mushroom was stuffed with spinach and manchego cheese, and drizzled with sherry.  Excellent!  Definitely more than one person could enjoy this dish.

From the carnes selection, we chose the banderillas mixtas, an assortment of skewered grilled tenderloin, mild chorizo, marinated chicken and vegetables.

I would definitely recommend these as there is enough to share.  The chorizo was fantastic!

We selected two desserts, one for the birthday boy…

a lovely crema catalana, a traditional Spanish crème brûlée in a dark chocolate shell, served with seasonal berries and a sprig of mint drizzled with chocolate.

I ordered flan, a popular Spanish custard, which was also served with seasonal berries, a sprig of mint, and drizzled with caramel and chocolate.

We very much enjoyed our visit to Ceviche and look forward to returning and sampling more dishes.  We hope to bring family and friends so we can share a greater selection.  So much fun!

Ceviche Tapas Orlando is located at 125 W. Church St., Orlando in the Historic Church Street Station.  You can find out more information about Ceviche via their website at http://ceviche.com/locations/cevicheorlando/.  They have live Flamenco shows and their schedule is listed on the website.  You can also find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CevicheOrlando and follow them on Twitter at @cevichetapas.

Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen – Fall Menu Tasting

The perception of Barnie’s as being only the purveyor of fine coffees and teas is slowly changing with the efforts of some fierce marketing campaigns by Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen’s elite team of marketing gurus.  The fact that Barnie’s has been located in it’s flagship Park Avenue shop for 38 years should tell you that the brand alone has held it’s own despite the continual pop up of other coffee shops and cafes.  The quality of product speaks for itself.  However, did you know that Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen also has an outstanding menu and extremely talented chef?  I didn’t, until recently this year and I’ve lived in Orlando for 43 years!  So, after meeting some of the men behind the marketing, I was given the opportunity to attend a tasting of Chef Camilo Velasco’s fall menu at Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen on Park Avenue.

We started out inside the shop, but with the great weather we are currently having this October, we moved outside to the lovely courtyard.

After a sip of our choice of a lovely Chardonnay or refreshing Reisling, we were provided with an incredible spread of “Firsts” at our tasting.  We sampled the Zellwood corn chowder, which had lovely bits of Spanish chorizo…

and, the Loch Duart salmon tartare with pickled ramps, salsa verde and radish…

(one of my favorites from the Firsts selection).

We also enjoyed an order of mussels, in a tomato fennel broth…

served with toasted baguette (which I ate with the salmon tartare too, so order extra!).

The arugula and red watercress salad was incredible!

This salad contains grapes, parmigiano reggiano and white balsamic vinaigrette.  A special addition to this salad is the marcona almonds.  (I am now in love with these almonds and will never be able to settle for a lesser variation of almond.)  They are fantastic!

Continuing on with the Firsts, we were served a roasted beet and quinoa salad with sherry vinaigrette and pickled carrots.

This was delicious, and I’m not someone who would necessarily order quinoa.

The only First on the new fall menu that wasn’t available to us the evening of our tasting event was the potato gnocchi with duck confit, brown butter and sage.  Reading this line alone should get your taste buds amped!  This is going to be a wonderful addition to the menu, and I’ve already heard that it is very tasty.  I look forward to returning to Barnie’s to enjoy this dish soon.

So, just when we didn’t think the selections could get any better, we moved on to “Seconds”.

We couldn’t get enough of this Carolina gold risotto.

Anson Mills rice with heirloom tomatoes and parmigiano reggiano make up this dish.  We learned that the rice is cooked in tomato sauce, and this made for an incredible, light tomato undertone of flavor in this dish.  Crazy good!

This flounder filet was served with roasted red pepper, coconut milk broth and baby bok choy.

This dish was light and flavorful, and the texture of the bok choy with the fish was a great combination.

I also really enjoyed this Joyce Farms roasted chicken breast dish.  I don’t generally order chicken all that much when eating out, but I would order this dish again.

The roasted, crispy skin on the breast was delicious.  Also in this dish was butternut squash mash, pumpkin seed pesto and Swiss chard.  (I love me some Swiss chard!)

The Kurobuta pork tenderloin was on point with its mushroom ragout, creamed faro and truffle.  I think this dish will be very popular.

Also among the Seconds, a very flavorful, moist braised short ribs dinner with smoked potato puree, tomato jam and glazed heirloom carrots.

This was also a favorite.

Despite the fact that we stretched out this tasting over a couple of hours, we managed to get quite full; yet, somehow we still had just a little room left for a few desserts.

We sampled the South Florida passion fruit crème brûlée.

This silky, smooth dessert was very sweet!

Next, we enjoyed an incredible olive oil cake with Sicilian pistachio gelato and macerated berries.

Wow!  I have never had olive oil cake but I am now a super fan!  It was light and flavorful and the gelato and berries were a great addition.  Definitely give this dessert a try!

Last but not least, a chocolate pudding served with biscotti and house-made espresso syrup.

Let me tell you…I am not one to order espresso, but this house-made espresso syrup with the chocolate pudding was unbelievably good.  (I only had two bites, but man…if you love chocolate and you love espresso…this is the dessert for you!)

I sincerely enjoyed this tasting.  Chef Velasco joined us a few times during our meal to discuss his new menu and his passion for this fall selection was infectious.  His talent and skill is obvious, and his maturity and knowledge is unsurprising given his mentorship under Chef Norman Van Aken.  Much success with this new menu, Chef.

Special thanks to Addison Ames for hosting this amazing tasting at Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen for us.  It was a wonderful event with delicious dishes, fun friends and decadent desserts.

Go to Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen for dinner and enjoy Chef Velasco’s new fall menu for yourself.  Tell your friends about them as well!  Barnie’s is located on Park Avenue at  111 Park Avenue South, Winter Park, FL 32789.  You can find more information about their dishes via their website at http://barniescoffeekitchen.com/pages/our-cafe.  You can also follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BarniesCoffeeKitchen and on Twitter at @BarniesCoffee.  Check out their great pics on Instagram at BarniesCoffeeKitchen.

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Magical Dining 2014 – K Restaurant Wine Bar

After following Chef Fonzo on Twitter for a while now and drooling over his dishes, as well as Michelle’s desserts, we finally made it in to K Restaurant in College Park.

Here was this year’s Magical Dining menu:

I started with the garden bruschetta appetizer.

Roasted local vegetables, whipped ricotta cheese, confit tomato and crispy basil with a vinaigrette drizzle.

Beautiful presentation and wonderful flavors.

The hubs chose the Southern seafood minestrone.

Clammer Dave’s clams, oysters, shrimp, summer beans, bacon broth and greens.

Really loved the flavors included in this dish as well.

(I may be repeat myself a lot in this post with “beautiful presentation” and “amazing flavors” comments, but seriously, Chef Fonzo is amazing!)

For my entrée I selected the ricotta gnocchi.

These lovely cheese filled pillowy pockets of pasta were topped with Lake Meadows Farm chicken, roasted summer vegetables and herbs.

A feast for the eyes and palate!

The hubs entrée selection was Roast Palmetto Creek Farm pork tenderloin.

The pork was served with onion soubise, berry sage preserves and a pinot noir sauce.

Divine.

For dessert, the hubs enjoyed the key lime cheesecake…

sprinkled and crusted with graham cracker over mango.

Lovely and luscious!

I chose the French toast bread pudding with caramel and anglaise sauce.

Our server brought a taste of a 20 year old port to sample with the bread pudding…

which was smooth, creamy and perfect.  Excellent suggestion!

Our server at K was very knowledgeable, and in fact, we learned that he is soon testing to be a sommelier.  Good luck!

Thanks to Chef Fonzo for coming out of the kitchen to allow me to gush about how wonderful our meal was!  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit for Magical Dining month.  I can’t wait to visit again soon!

K Restaurant Wine Bar is located at 1710 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL  32804.  You can call (407) 872-2332 for reservations.

You can find more information about K on their website at http://krestaurant.net/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/K-Restaurant-Wine-Bar/106618472590.  You can also follow Chef Fonzo on Twitter at @ChefFonzo.