Hilarious Blog About the new SoBe Cookbook
National -- Check out Julie Mautner's blog about the new South Beach Food & Wine Festival cookbook. You'll laugh and cry.

Food and Wine and Rum, Oh My!
Caribbean -- This November, the island of Barbados will host the Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Festival. The four-day extravaganza will feature big-name chefs including Tom Colicchio, as well as cooking demos, tastings, and beverage seminars.

Retro Menu at Park Plaza Gardens
Orlando -- Park Plaza Gardens has announced its fall retro menu, featuring dishes served at the Winter Park restaurant 30 years ago. Lobster thermidor, beef stroganoff, and tomato Provencal are among the options.

Beer Dinner at the Enzian
Orlando -- Maitland's Enzian Theater is teaming up with Terrapin for The Beer Dinner: The Ultimate Experience. The six-course feast will feature courses such as Hopsecutioner paired with scallop in a lemon thyme beurre blanc, and Pumpkinfest paired with acorn squash, honey and toasted walnuts. Monday, September 13, 5:30 p.m. $70. Reservations: 407-629-1088 x235

Helpful or Hovering?
Where do you draw the line between good parenting and overdoing it? Chime in!

Break Bread, Tarzan-Style
Central America -- The creative world of fusion cuisines takes a new step into the delightfully zany at the Maruba Resort in Belize. The meals served in the chic 1,000-acre private jungle resort boutique resort is touted as Nouveau Jungle Cuisine, described as "a fusion of East of Paris meets the jungle." Love it.

Lunch Lunacy at Tchoup Chop
Orlando -- For surprisingly reasonable prices, Emeril's Tchoup Chop is offering terrific-sounding lunches. The Wok & Rollin' Lunch menu features build-your-own noodle bowls for $8 and Build-a-Bento Box  for $15. You choose one type of sushi, one salad and one noodle dish, such as lemongrass poached-shrimp or Thai-style beef. Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Parking is free.

Magical Dining Month
Orlando -- Once again September will be Orlando's Magical Dining Month, and for 2010  our best restaurants are offering three-course dinners for $30. You can not believe the line-up this year! Norman's, Primo, Luma on Park, The Ravenous Pig, Todd English's bluezoo, Emeril's Tchoup Chop (start with the steamed pork and Asian vegetable dumplings!), Roy's and Wa Restaurant are among the five dozen places participating. Taverna Opa, Cala Bella, Antonio's Sand Lake, La Nuova Cucina, The Kitchen, La Luce, Ocean Prime Julianas, Fleming's ... I can go on. For the full list, links and menus, click here.

Swan-Dolphin Will Tailgate the
Epcot Food and Wine Fest
Orlando -- Since foodies will be in town anyway for the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, the sister Swan-Dolphin hotels, on Disney property, will have a food and beverage bash of their own. On October 8 and 9, the inaugural Food and Wine Classic will feature an hour of beverage classes followed by a taste-a-thon with foods supplied by the hotels' 17 restaurants and lounges. Highlights: creative molecularly manipulated fare by Todd English's bluezoo, "pick your own filet" from Shula's Steak House, and hand-crafted pasted from Il Mulino New York Trattoria. 800.227.1500. $50 unlimited, or $2 per taste a la carte. Rate code FWCLAS.

WA: The Way Real Japanese Eat
Orlando -- WA Restaurant has two menus: one Japanese, the other a creative blend of Japanese, American, French and Italian. See the sexy space and beautiful (yes, tasty too) dishes served by watching my latest show: Channel 300/Food/On Dining/WA Restaurant.

You'll Want to Wade into this Swamp
Orlando -- The Ravenous Pig is hosting a Swamp Head Brewery Dinner feauring limited-release beers. Four courses, beer pairings, $75. Sunday, September 26, 5 p.m.

Go SLOW in Orlando
Orlando -- Orlando's Slow Food folks have a bunch on the calendar.
Snail Cards -- Buy a Snail Card to receive discounts and Slow Food suppliers (Deep Creek Ranch, Wild Ocean Seafood Market, Heart of Christmas Farms, Sustain Natural Market) and you might win tickets to a Jack Johnson concert.
An Evening on the Farm Dinner -- Chefs Alexia and Rhys Gawlak will prepare a wine dinner, to be served at Ocoee's Lake Meadow Naturals. $40 ($35 for Snail Card holders), Saturday, September 18, 6 p.m. RSVP to hostetterjenn@hotmail.com.

Orlando Food & Wine Fest
Orlando -- Three dozen restaurants will be offering up taste treats at the Third Annual Orlando Food & Wine Fest, November 13 and 14, 2010. In total: 100 food items, 50 wines, chef competitions and live music. Among the participants: Funky Monkey, Primo, Guavate, Shari Sushi, The Boheme. $10, $15 at the gate

Wine and Chocolate Cruise in Burgundy
France -- The Barge Lady,  a British cruise operator in France, is offering a six-night Wine & Chocolate cruise through the French Burgundy Canal. You'll visit Flavigny, where Chocolate was filmed; a chateau; and a Medieval Abbey; and will have wine-pairing dinners. $23,800 total for six people, $18,200 for four. Includes Paris transfers, meals, drinks, and excursions. April 2 through November 4, 2011.

Ain't it Sweet?!
Orlando -- Sweet Traditions is a warm and welcoming "American boulangerie" located in a historic building in downtown Winter Garden. Meet the owners in my newest On Dining: Bright House Channel 300/Food/On Dining/Sweet Traditions. Here's the blog.

Neapolitan Pizza at Epcot
Orlando -- The Patina Group is known for taking every element of its food seriously, and now the restaurant company is serving authentic Neapolitan-style pizza at Epcot. This is how serious the pies are: The flour and San Marzano tomatoes are imported. To find the best water, the company tested the contents of wells around the country before finding one in Ohio and another in Pennsylvania that have aqua similar to that in Naples. The head chef is first-generation Italian and used to help his grandmother bake pizza in her backyard oven (this was in Italy!). As for cooking, the pies are baked in wood-burning ovens fired with local live oak. Also try the eggplant parmiagana and, for dessert, the zeppole (Italian donuts, served piping hot with chocolate sauce) and the light yet satisfying coppa di brutti ma buoni, a vanilla gelato sunday with Amarena cherries.

Informal Fare at Mortons The Steakhouse
National -- Presumably in response to the challenging economic climate, Mortons the Steakhouse has added new menu items -- some of them sort of downscale. French fries (the big "steak fry" kind) and onion rings are among the newcomers, along with crabcake BLT sliders, smoked salmon pizza, Chilean sea bass, a (smaller) 12-ounce New York strip, a double-cut filet mignon with Bernaise sauce, and a really delicious creamed spinach.

Nutmeg Nirvana
Grenada -- Caribbean getaway Maca Bana offers cooking lessons and in-suite chef services -- now with a twist. Upon request, meals will focus on "Island Flavours" -- one ingredient. The first is nutmeg, "black gold." Ask about the nutmeg-scented three-course menu.

Pick Your Own Olives in Tuscany
Italy -- The centerpiece of an eight day/seven-night Tuscany tours is picking olives at 10-acre Casa Falcioni. You'll even have a batch squeezed into a bottle of oil to take home. The tour, November 1 through 8, 2010, from Spirit of Italy, also includes a cooking demo, lodging in the Agriturismo Valleverde, a Chianti wine tour, and tours of Siena, Florence and Cortona.

Kosher in the Caribbean
Curacao -- Need a kosher kitchen to enjoy a Caribbean vacation? The Curacao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino is opening one August 1, 2010. Jewish groups can be confident their foods are glatt kosher and their plates and utensils are properly cared for. Not sure if individual guests can get meals from this kitchen ... .

Who Should Do the College Legwork, Anway?
Anyone but me. Except when the answer is me. Rona's blog. What's your opinion?

Wine Flights at Capital Grille
National -- Taste 11 wines for $25 at Capital Grille through September 5. The wines are from Spain, Australia and California. Details

Toast That Says, 'Bite Me'
National -- A new toaster comes with stencils so your browned bread can say "Bite Me," "I'm  Hot" or "Yes Dear," among other imprints. The website doesn't have the exact Morning Bites Pop Art Toaster mentioned in the press release but does have similar ones.

Meatball Mania at Downtown Disney
Orlando -- The Meatball Bar! is now open at Downtown Disney. It's actually the attractive bar that was already inside Portobello, the Italian restaurant -- only now it offers 2$ and $3 meatballs (or three for $5), which are presented on small buns like sliders. You'll find four varities: beef and veal with parsley, spicy pork, chicken-sage, and salmon-tarragon. At that price, they'll make a great affordable pre- or post-movie meal for lunch and dinner. Interesting organic beers are the beverage of choice.

Summer in Chianti
Italy -- I once spent a glorious week at the postcard-beautiful Il Borgo di Vescine, and now the Tuscan hotel has a special for three August weekends. Your stay will include a visit to the Castelvecchi wine cellar, a bottle of the owner-family's proscecco and, for a bit more,  a Sunday party featuring prosecco and chianti. From 150,00 euro per day. Maybe the hotel will put its earnings toward a translator. The e-mail ad I received included this gem: "... absorbed in the peace of the uncontaminated Tuscan hills."

Now That's Italian-American
Orlando -- I was checking out the La Luce menu on the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek website and found this description of the Pizze Bambini: "Tomato - Mozzarella - Fries - "No Green Stuff".

Excellent Ethnic Eats
Orlando -- Had three above-and-beyond delicious ethnic meals in Orlando in the last few days. Grab a group of friends and share a bunch of dishes at each.
El Tenampa -- A Mexican friend swears by this place and now I know why. You'll be greeted by huge glass jars filled with freshly squeezed fruit juices (i.e. guava). Chilaquiles, ceviche, shrimp quesadilla, excellent fresh guacamola and salsa ... arriba!
Tasty Wok -- I've been follow the owners of this restaurant for nearly 15 years. For the last six, they've been serving up incredible no-frills Hong Kong-style Chinese in the ViMi district. Barbecued pork, scallion pancakes, beef chow fun, Chinese broccoli sauteed with garlic (it's not on the menu but always available), the best soups in town ... and a load of foods only the Chinese-American customers would dare to try.
Sea Thai -- I did a show on this place once but forgot how incredible it is. Fork-tender whole steamed fish with with chile-garlic sauce, peanuty panang duck, tangy green papaya salad, grilled steak with two sauces ... YES! The curries are terrific too.

Afternoon Tea in Winter Garden
Orlando -- Winter Garden's quaint Chef's Table at the Edgewater Hotel will be serving afternoon tea Saturdays from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Finger sandwiches, scones and miniature desserts will be served.

New Destination-Worthy Italian in Orlando
Orlando -- Orlando has a truly good new Itailan restaurant, La Nuova Cucina. I've dined there three times now and can recommend it enthusiastically. Owned by Brazilian-Italian chef Paulo Baroni, La Nuova Cucina is a cozy space -- possibly the only cozy restaurant in its neighborhood -- with creative Italian fare. Freebie little "tastes" are served before every course, which makes a dinner visit feel special. A pasta with cheese, pear and almond sauce especially interesting. For dessert, the chocolate pudding with caramel crust is incredible.

Use a Shoe to Open a Bottle of Wine
Yup, a shoe. Watch this great video. You needn't understand French to enjoy it. Don't try this at my house!

Lunch on the Go, a New Way
This is fun -- bento-style lunch boxes.

See What's Dandy About Dandelion CommuniTea
My newest On Dining show shows what rocks about this organic, locavore Orlando eatery that's great for regular folks ... and the gluten-free folks.

In the Kitchen at Cress
Orlando -- Tune in to Bright House Central Florida channel 300 to meet the owners of Cress Restaurant. He's a math PhD. She's a podiatrist. By night, they serve inventive dinners to daring diners. 300/Food/On Dining

At 15, The Epcot F&W Fest Gets Even Better
Orlando -- Epcot's autumn Food & Wine Festival turns 15 this year and the six-week foodie fun-for-all will be even better. Belgium  (mussels with oyster cream) and South Korea (lettuce wraps with pork and slaw) will be among the 25 kiosks offering ethnic foods. Plus, a first-day kick-off called First Bites ($195) lets you same the food, wine, seminars and entertainment. Info, eventually: 408.WDW-FEST, Epcot Food & Wine.

Cycle with a Chef
Italy -- DuVine Adventures is offering "Chef on Wheels" bicycle tours of Europe with a personal chef. For the first trip, to Piedmont, visitors will tour the Italian countryside by day anddine on chef Josh Ziskin's meals in the evening. Ziskin owns Boston's La Morra Ristorante. 970.568.7423. $4,295

New Fleming's Menu
National -- Respecting that women tend to prefer lighter foods than men, the upscale Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar chain has added lady-friendly menu items, according to Nation's Restaurant News . Included are a roasted mushroom ravioli appetizer, a small porcini-rubbed filet mignon, and peppercorn steak with a sauce of chipotle, orange juice, honey, and molasses.

New Seafood Restaurant in Winter Park
Orlando -- Winter Park Village is now home to Mitchell's Fish Market, a new restaurant of a  19-unit midscale seafood chain now owned by the Ruth's Chris folks. This is what it looks like. The menu is printed twice daily and features 80 choices a day.

ORLANDO REPORT: Brazilian Sundays
On Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., visit Espeto de Prata from a Brazilian-style churrascaria luncheon. The $24.95 price tag includes all the food you can eat plus a mimosa or unlimited soft drinks.

ORLANDO REPORT: Capital Bar Chow
Like its competitors, The Capital Grille now serves a pared down and tempting menu at the bar . Mini lobster-crab burgers, a cheeseburger, sushi-grade tuna, and truffle fries are among the options.

ORLANDO REPORT: Learn to Cook!
Regular folks can now take cooking classes at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Orlando (generally known as the Orlando Culinary Academy). Classes are held once a month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and feature themes such as Taste of Italy, Cake Decorating, and Cajun Cooking. $90 per session

ORLANDO REPORT: Texas-Size Discounts
For a limited time, you can get half of Texas de Brazil dinners by buying a dining card that givesy ou 50 percent of 12 dinners by September 30. A portion supports the Children's Cancer Fund.

ORLANDO REPORT: You Must Eat This
I knew I'd like the barbecued brisket when I filmed On Dining at Four Rivers Smokehouse recently, but was stunned by a tasty tidbit: bacon-wrapped smoked jalapenos peppers. The cooks take the sting out by removed the pepper's seed, then smoke it over hickory and encase it in a strip of bacon. Run! (You might also enjoy the Krispy Kreme bread pudding.)

ORLANDO REPORT: Filet Free-for-All
Every Thursday evening at K Restaurant Wine Bar, you can order a $20 filet dinner: roast porcini mushroom-dusted filet mignon, whipped potatoes, Cabernet Sauvignon sauce and truffle oil. For lunch every Wednesday, get a 7-ounce burger for $5.

ORLANDO REPORT:  Meet the Cahagnes
Rush on over to Channel 300/Food/On Dining to visit with Francois and Philippe Cahagne, the French brothers who own Winter Park's Croissant Gourmet. Then rush to Winter Park to order a croques madame sandwich.

ORLANDO REPORT: Funky Gospel Brunch
The downtown Funky Monkey now has a gospel brunch every Sunday. The brunch is open from 10:30 to 2 and Sister Hunter and Sister Markstone do their thing at 2:30. $20

ORLANDO REPORT: Ooh-Wa-WAH!
You can't see it from the street, but the elusive WA resaturant near Univeral Orlando is a terrific find. Part lounge, part sushi bar and part restaurant, this sexy space serves up terrific food at prices lower than you'd expect based on the decor. Gyoza dumplings, a spicy tuna bowl, eel sushi wrapped in thin avocado slices, lobster tempura -- we loved 'em all. The menu includes traditional Japanese entrees and American-fusion small plates.

ORLANDO REPORT: Fab Dining Frenzy
PARIS BISTRO What a weekend! Had an incredible three-course lunch for only $11.95. at Paris Bistro, which just moved to gorgeous new digs on Park Avenue. If three courses is two too many, order quiche, coq au vin or croque madame a la carte.
FOUR RIVERS Headed back to Winter Park on Sunday to try out the hugely popular new Four Rivers Smokehouse. OMG! Get a brisket sandwich and a couple of sides. They're worth the wait--and there will be a wait, as I encountered at 2 p.m.
ANATOLIA Also tried Anatolia, a pretty new Turkish place in Dr. Phillips. The service is terrific and the food very good.  UPDATE: I just went back and now adore Anatolia. Spicy "chopped salad" is terrific on piping hot lavas bread, and the gyro meat is top quality and excellent with roasted vegetables and bulgar. The service couldn't be more earnest.
SPICE CAFE Dr. Phillips' Spice Cafe (7536 Dr. Phillips Blvd.) seems to have reopened with new owners, a multi-cultural menu and a fancier decor. I'm hearing good reports. UPDATE: Tried it. Excellent, probably better than before. Don't let the fancy decor fool you. Dinner entree prices are $10 and under.

ORANDO REPORT: 15 Tastes of Cuba
Hungry? Really hungry? Try Cuba Libre's 15 Tastes of Cuba. For $39, you receive a platters full of specialty items. Among the dishes are ceviche, guava ribs, shrimp, churrasco steak. You will not leave hungry, and you may take home with a large doggie bag, as I did. Best of all, the big-budget Old Havana decor is jaw-dropping. Did I mention the grilled pineapple mojitos? Order a couple. Salud!

ORLANDO REPORT: Wild about Wild Woman
Sweet, spicy and salty -- I'm loving the highly unusual candies at Wild Woman Chocolate on Mills Avenue. Owner Julie Sullivan uses organic ingredients to handcraft her creations. I had a groovy cherry thing yesterday and today plan on breaking into the "jerk" with pineapple, which is potent and, according to Julie, great with beer, and the Chili Pepita dark chocolate bark with nuts. Makes great gifts. Behnd Seven Sisters Coffeehouse . 407.601.7997

ORLANDO REPORT:
Watch Brick & Fire on TV
My long-awaited On Dining feature of Brick & Fire is up and waiting for your eyes. Meet Chef Mark Dollard and learn the secrets behind his artisan pizza-making. Bright House Channel 300/Food/On Dining/Brick & Fire.

ORLANDO REPORT: Seafood, Cheaper
Buy some fried shrimp or clams at Julie's on the Waterfront and get one free. Go to the website to get on the e-mail list so you can receive coupons.

ORLANDO REPORT: Budget Ruth's Chris
Belly up to the bar at any of Central Florida's three Ruth's Chris Steak Houses and have a high-quality snack. I went ga-ga over the Bistro Menu's sliced steak sandwich, which is sliced filet topped with Bernaise sauce and served on really galrickly toast with a side of hand-cut fries. A carpaccio-encase "surf-and-turf" sushi-like roll was excellent, and the miniature hamburgers (sliders) are served on buttery buns. Crab cakes have a spicy mayonnaise. $9 to $18. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. nightly.

ORLANDO REPORT: Kouzzina by Cat Cora
Feasted on a sampling of Greek goodies at Disney's new Kouzzina by Cat Cora. Definitely stop in for a Greek salad with the world's best feta and most flavorful olive oil, for the (very) spicy lamb burgers and for the sauteed brussels sprouts with capers and lemons. Those were the single best brussels sprouts I have ever tasted anywhere, ever.  The spanakopita (spinach-fileld phyllo) and frappe, a creamy iced coffee, were also noteworthy. The large, attractive and festive restaurant is at the BoardWalk Inn & Villas, where Spoodles used to be. 407.WDW.DINE

ORLANDO REPORT: Vinito Ristorante
Had an impressive lunch today at Vinito Ristorante, a new Italian restaurant located -- get this -- right in the Prime Outlets mall at the north end of International Drive. Managing Parnter Joe Palladino spent eight years at Antonio's, and Chef Raffaele Marsilio, a native of Naples (the one in Italy, not Florida), has worked in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and D.C. Their expertise shows. They and their team knew they were serving media guests, but they couldn't make the food good just for us. Smoky roasted red peppers, tender fried rings of calamari, lemony chicken Francese and vibrant spaghetti Geraldina, named for the chef's mother, were among the treasures served. And the tiramisu? Astounding. The prices are reasonable, with entrees ranging from $9.99 for pizzas baked in a stone brick oven to $23.99 for a filet mignon in green peppercorn sauce with rosemary roasted potatoes. Most entrees are in the low to mid teens, and "combo specials" are as low as $5.99. Did I mention that all the wines are from Italy? 407.354.0404

SAN FRANCSCO REPORT: SPiCES!! II
Vibrant, fiery Chinese food is a revelation at SPiCES! II off Clement, which a California friend calls "the new Chinatown." Tender eggplant slices are tossed with fresh garlic slivers and basil leaves. Orange beef is tender fingers of steak breaded, fried and tossed in a just-sweet (and spicy) orange sauce. Everything else was good too--scallion pancakes, kung pao chicken, beef with broccoli--but those first two were life-enhancing. 415.752.8885. Order dumplings at Tawian Restaurant across Clement (415.387.1789) and a cook will create and roll the dough to order.

SAN FRANCSCO REPORT:
Fort Mason Wedding
Getting hitched in San Fran? Book your ceremony and party at Fort Mason . Say your vows on a hilly, grassy area overlooking the bay and Alcatraz. Then party in a beautiful historical building. Max and Dorie's wedding was an unqualified success and I'll bet this place is a winner with any well-planned party.

ORLANDO REPORT: "Buy Local" Discounts
Print a Buy Local Orlando card off the Buy Local website and you'll receive discounts at dozens of businesses. Included are the resaturants Cityfish , Brick & Fire , Ethos , Funky Monkey and the new Pesca Lakeside . Lots of retail shops offer bargains, too.