The resort's culinary team welcomed 20+ chickens, who will now reside on the Whisper Creek Farm outdoor event venue.
Read moreSteak Frites, American-Style
Hamilton's Kitchen upgrades an already fine classic. Here, the steak is a thick 8-ounce top sirloin "coulotte"--tender and wonderful tasting.
Read moreRed Pasta, Another Prato Masterpiece
The pasta was red, maybe magenta. And the flavor was kind of sweet, though those white shavings of what I believe were cheese grounded the sweetness so it was intriguing, not overbearing.
Read moreWhat a Way to Dine with Disney - Through the Decades
We ate pulled beef shortrib on brioche with caramelized onion relish. We feasted on panko-crusted veal cutlets with wild mushroom gravy. And, bravely, we hesitantly sampled charred Spam and quail egg biscuits with honey aioli.
Read moreHere Is a Dessert that You Must Eat
It's potato chip-crusted chocolate cake with peanut brittle and salted caramel. Need I say more?
Read moreBubble Tea Bonanza at Chewy Boba Company
I’ve been searching for jasmine milk bubble tea since this fab place called something like Q Time closed a few years ago. It was near Orlando’s 1st Oriental Supermarket. Bingo! A small local chain called Chewy Boba Company sells that and way more.
Read moreIce Pops, at Their Peak
The flavor options are really tempting. Avocado lime? Apple cinnamon? I'll need to return to try those.
Read moreLive Like a Food Tourist at the Waldorf Orlando
I got to sample a Global Venture wine-pairing dinner. Here's my favorite part, besides the food: Sixteen guests maximum participate in a Friday or Saturday night meal and they all dine together at one big table. Trust me, those strangers sipping sparkling wine at the beginning will be your chums by the time you polish off that last bite of dessert.
Read moreMy New Favorite Ice Cream Is at Epcot
This is a salted caramel ice cream. Epcot calls it Fleur de Sel or some other fancy take on salt.
Read moreSix New Flavors: 2014 Epcot Food & Wine Festival
We gallivant--or schlep, weather-depending--around the Epcot Food & Wine Festival every year. Themed marketplaces sell piping hot foods from several different countries. What's more, complementary wines and beers enhance each snack with satisfying finesse.
The stews, curries, dumplings and pastries change somewhat every fall, which is only a sliver of the reason the Festival seems fresh, even in its umpteenth go-round since 1996. (The Festival has WAY more than just themed marketplaces. Visit the official website to get a taste of the tastes available.)
Here are six newbies out of the 35 added to the line-up, fresh off the grills for 2014. All seven were very good, although I put my two tippy top favorites first.
This year's Epcot Food & Wine Festival is a week longer than in the past. Lace up your walking shoes and arrive hungry, again and again, from September 19 thorugh November 10. Please share your favories, and your disappointments, in the comments area to help your fellow readers.
Eat enthusiastically, Rona
www.ronarecommends.com
Orlando's Magical Dining Month: Le Coq au Vin
Put on your heels and dust off that credit card. It's time to dine out in Orlando. September is Magical Dining Month here. That means dozens of restaurants offer three-course dinners for $33 every night they're open. Some of the menus give tremendous value, which is why locals find themselves sampling eateries all over town.
We were invited to experience the Magical Dining Month offerings at Le Coq au Vin, so last night we headed to South Orange Avenue to revisit an old-time French restaurant we'd been meaning to retry.
Every restaurant handles its Magical Dining Month menu differently. We were delighted to see that all the servers at Le Coq au Vin mentioned the Magical Dining Month option to each party as they handed out menus.
Some restaurants decline to bring up the fact that they have a lower-priced option. At those places, servers sometimes scorn while delivering a flimsy add-on menu when guests dare to ask about the selections. Le Coq au Vin not only mention the choice but has it on the back page of its hardbound regular menu.
That's smart. It gave us a chance to look at the regular entrees and remark, "Oh, this really is a value. Most of the entrees are $33 on their own." Most of the Magical Dining items were different than the standards, but that's okay. The quality level was the same.
We started with the French onion soup, which was a nice version of the simple, flavorful broth topped with melted cheese. It arrived in a decidedly small cup. I'd imagine the full, and even the half, versions on the standard menu are larger (I could be wrong), but we found it satisfying.
I'm a long-time fan of the restaurant's onion tart so quickly chose the $33 menu's zucchini tart. It was similar--a flaky pastry bottom topped with a combination of three creamy cheeses plus sliced vegetables. Mixed greens tossed with a spectacular herb-laced vinaigrette on the side made the appetizer more of a meal.
The third appetizer choice was a salad of wild greens with a mustard seed vinaigrette. If it's like the tart's side salad, or even if it's a larger version of that salad, it'll please you.
Le Coq au Vin offered four menu choices. We, hesitantly, passed over tournados of beef with Port wine sauce, and beef Bourguinon with egg noodles. Instead, we had a fork-tender salmon fillet with a mustard-flavored crust.
Our other selection was chicken Chasseur, a cut up leg or breast (your choice) in a brown sauce flavored with vermouth , tomatoes, herbs and spices. Both entrees were plated with butter-coated broccoli and carrots, and a cheese potato dish.
The dessert choices are crêpe Suzette and apple tart. The tart was sweet but not too sweet, buttery but not too buttery, and warm with vanilla ice cream on top.
My dining companion chose to pay $6 extra for a souffle. He ordered chocolate but received what I believe is Grand Marnier. Although he'd been craving chocolate, he liked end meal-topper so much that he didn't even mention it to the waiter.
We happened to have been due for a Le Coq au Vin visit so this was the perfect Magical Dining Month starter for us. You can choose from all kinds of other restaurants. Here's the list. I haven't tried any of this year's other $33 menus yet, but, that said, I'll suggest choosing Spencer's for Steaks and Chops, Big Fin Seafood Kitchen, and Luma on Park for starters. They all seem to offer exceptional value.
Eat enthusiastically,
Rona
Vote for Orlando's Best Restaurants -- Now, Please
Love breakfast at your corner diner, the waitress at a particular Italian restaurant or the happy hour specials at an Asian-fusion place? Let your neighbors know.
Read moreOutside the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
I'll just say that 3,000 plays, concerts, comic acts and more are offered all over the city during August. We saw a wrenching drama, an inspiring Capella group, and good and awful comedy.
Read moreChip, Chip, Hooray!
In terms of variety, Scotland's "crisp" manufacturers are pretty fearless. Here's an assortment of what I eyed last week.
Read moreIn My Backyard? Yessum. In Seminole County
I'd always thought of Seminole as a bedroom community just north of Orange County, home to Orlando and Walt Disney World. It is that, but it's also a multifaceted destination with natural attractions and art. Here's a round-up of my top finds.
Read moreImmerse Yourself in Nature: Geneva Wilderness Area
We were lucky enough to drive over what are normally hiking paths. In fall, winter and spring, I'd prefer to hike them. The trails are wide and well-marked -- so much so that even I probably wouldn't get lost. That is saying something.
Read moreHere's a Sneak Peek at the Ritz's Highball & Harvest
Instead of frou-frou, the new restaurant, Highball & Harvest, will go for earthy. The menu will be thoughtfully created and the foodstuffs carefully sourced. But the offerings will be relaxed, more like a farm-to-table restaurant and less like a sophisticated coffee-shop-slash-steakhouse. The
Read moreB Resort Orlando -- Value-Priced Chic at Disney World
Orlando will welcome B Resort next week, a Lake Buena Vista property a short walk from Downtown Disney. B Resorts are cheap-chic. In other words, they have a suave, contemporary flair, yet they're midpriced. The decor is a spiffy, bold white palette with vibrant splashes of color.
When the restaurant American Q opens, it will feature barbecue from all over the Americas. That means salmons as Native Americans cooked it, jerked meats from Florida (well, really Jamaica), and brisket from Texas. Look for that in about a month.
Here are some photos of this snazzy hotel. I have my eye on those lanai rooms for a little staycation.
The lobby, which has several seating areas
This is the bed in a junior suite.
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This junior suite sofa folds out to a bed.
Two queen beds
The outside of a lanai suite. There's a sofa on the side you can't see. These suites are right by the pool, and the staff considers the seating areas "private cabanas."
The pool. It's zero-entry, which means you can walk right in starting at pool deck level.
The rooms come with Aveda amenities. When the spa opens in a few weeks, it and its salon will use Aveda products.
Room snacks are a mix of upscale, generously packaged items. Each is $5.
Candied bacon, deviled egg and crudite. I don't know if this will be a menu item or a catering option, but it was very good. So was smoked brisket,a seafood salad, and a white chocolate-covered cookie. I'm excited about the food.
I'll report back when the restaurant opens.
Eat enthusiastically and lodge with style,
Rona
An Elegant Food & Wine Experience -- at Publix
A spiffy contemporary kitchen with several work stations. Tables set with linens and sparkling wine glasses. Chefs incrisp whites offering warm welcomes. You'd expect this kind of polish at a professional cooking school, maybe, or a high-end restaurant's wine-pairing repast. But this is an educational four-course dinner at Publix.
Gear Up for Orlando's 2014 Chef's Gala
Orlando -- Chefs are cooking and vintners are pouring at Chef's Gala, anannual food-and-wine extravaganza. Attendees don cocktail dresses and heels, or jackets (don't worry gents, you can leave your ties at home). They peruse silent-auction items, then sample all the appetizer-size creations they want from more than 20 local restaurants. Paired wines are poured generously. It's fun, and the proceeds help our neighbors in need.