Orlando Life March 2014

M a r c h 2 0 1 4

$ 3 . 9 5

SPRING FASHION: LIGHTEN UP! ■ MIKE THOMAS: WILL THE WOLVES DEVOUR VAL?

Commisioner Patty Sheehan: Best New ’Do

SURGERY ANDVIDEO GAMES

HISTORY LESSONSWITH KEN BURNS

T H E B E S T O F C E N T R A L F L O R I D A

Simply the BestHISTORY LESSONSHISTORY LESSONS

Simply the BestTHE REGION’S COOLEST NEW PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS

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EMERGENCY

On campus

60+years

60+ years

Cardiac Care

PrimaryCare

cancerca re

Trauma

STROKE STROKECARE

60+YEARS

EMERGENCY

On campus

60+ years60+ years

60+ years

Cardiac Care

Cardiac CarePrimaryCare

STROKE

Trauma

STROKE

Full ServiceFull Service

Full Service

Acute Care Facility

On Campus Emergency Department backed by the Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) Trauma Center

Lifesaving Cardiac Care and STEMI Program (Among Florida’s fastest programs in treating heart attack with blocked coronary artery)

Intensivist Program featuring Robodoc

Joint Commission Accredited Stroke Receiving Center supported by ORMC’s Comprehensive Stroke Program

State-of-the-Art Cancer Care

Primary Care – Over 48 Specialties on campus

Trusted by the West Orange community for over 60 years, Health Central Hospital provides full-service, on campus healthcare including:

On Campus (ORMC) Trauma Center

Lifesaving Cardiac Careheart attack with blocked coronary artery)





EMERGENCY

EMERGENCY

On campus

60+years

On campus60+ years

Cardiac Care

Cardiac Care

STROKE

cancer carecancer care

cancer care

cancer care

STROKE

STROKEFull Service60+years

60+YEARS

EMERGENCY

On campusCardiac Carecancer carecancer care

STROKEFull Service60+ years

10000 West Colonial Drive, Ocoee FL 34761 | 407.296.1000

*Top 10th percentile in the nation: 100% Core Measures / Patient Safety (www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare)

Continuing to care for the Health of the Community: on campus and close to home.

Among the Nation’sTop Hospitals

for Patient Care and Safety*

PHOTO

© E

VERE

TT &

SOULE

Victor Farina is pictured with his father Mario

on the cover of Remodeling Magazine, honoring

the nation’s 50 most distinguished remodeling

companies. Farina & Sons is family owned with a

tradition of award winning renovations, additions

and custom homes since 1950. Regardless of size,

each project receives Farina’s trademark attention

to detail and teamwork approach.

CGC0

2759

8

Outdoor Living Addition

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EMERGENCY

On campus

60+years

60+ years

Cardiac Care

PrimaryCare

cancerca re

Trauma

STROKE STROKECARE

60+YEARS

EMERGENCY

On campus

60+ years

60+ years

60+ years

Cardiac Care

Cardiac Care

PrimaryCare

STROKE

Trauma

STROKE

Full ServiceFull Service

Full Service

Acute Care Facility

On Campus Emergency Department backed by the Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) Trauma Center

Lifesaving Cardiac Care and STEMI Program (Among Florida’s fastest programs in treating heart attack with blocked coronary artery)





Trusted by the West Orange community for over 60 years, Health Central Hospital provides full-service, on campus healthcare including:

On Campus (ORMC) Trauma Center

Lifesaving Cardiac Careheart attack with blocked coronary artery)





EMERGENCY

EMERGENCY

On campus

60+years

On campus60+ years

Cardiac Care

Cardiac Care

STROKE

cancer carecancer care

cancer care

cancer care

STROKE

STROKEFull Service60+years

60+YEARS

EMERGENCY

On campusCardiac Carecancer carecancer care

STROKEFull Service60+ years

10000 West Colonial Drive, Ocoee FL 34761 | 407.296.1000

*Top 10th percentile in the nation: 100% Core Measures / Patient Safety (www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare)

Continuing to care for the Health of the Community: on campus and close to home.

Among the Nation’sTop Hospitals

for Patient Care and Safety*

PHOTO

© E

VERE

TT &

SOULE

Victor Farina is pictured with his father Mario

on the cover of Remodeling Magazine, honoring

the nation’s 50 most distinguished remodeling

companies. Farina & Sons is family owned with a

tradition of award winning renovations, additions

and custom homes since 1950. Regardless of size,

each project receives Farina’s trademark attention

to detail and teamwork approach.

CGC0

2759

8

Outdoor Living Addition

1OL_Mar14_TOC.indd 1 2/14/14 10:43:05 AM

2 ORLANDO LIFE MARCH 2014

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ABOUT THE COVER: City Commissioner Patty Sheehan has the best new ’do in town, courtesy of stylist Robert Brings.

32

CONTENTS march

VOlum E 15 ISSuE 3

26 SPRING FASHIONSpring fashion is on display in dazzling pastels and patterns. by Marianne Ilunga • photographs by Rafael Tongol

34 SIMPLY THE BESTIt’s the Year of the Newbie in Orlando. Change is in the air, and our annual com-pendium of the region’s top people and places reflects it. by Michael McLeod and staff • photographs by Rafael Tongol

8 JAY BOYAR’S LIMELIGHT

Jay takes an early look at long-term Enzian plans as its Florida Film Festival draws near; plein air artists gather in Winter Park; Paul Simon teams up with Sting at the Amway; Evita and her swan song alight at the Bob Carr; and Downtown Disney preps for St. Paddy.

16 CONVERSATIONAmerica’s best-known documentary filmmaker, set to lecture for the Winter Park Institute in April, expounds on one of his favorite subjects, America’s national parks. by Harry Wessel

52 FLAVORIt’s attention to the little details, and the dedication of its young chef-owner, that makes Kabooki Sushi a hit. by Rona Gindin • photographs by Rafael Tongol

60 PEOPLE & PLACES Paula is out and about at birthday parties for the Orlando Ballet and the Orlando Museum of Art, plus a housewarming for the Philharmonic and an event celebrating some courageous children. by Paula Wyatt

64 RESTLESS NATIVEMike welcomes Val Demings to the realities of Central Florida politics. by Mike Thomas

47 BEST REALTORSAs the economy picks up, more people are hop-ping off the fence and buying or selling homes. But who can you trust to to navigate you through the residential real-estate market?

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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For most of my career as a journalist, I moved methodically and unquestioningly from smaller publications to bigger ones. I wanted to interview national celebrities, earn more money, reach more readers, write about major issues and events. That was what I

wanted and that was what I got. And I’m grateful. But I feel even better about letting it all go.Orlando is a big place on the way to getting bigger. But as editor of a lifestyle magazine,

I cover what is essentially a town within a town: the concentric circle of people and events involved in arts, entertainment, philanthropy and hospitality. I get to know the people and see a side of Orlando that goes largely unseen, not only by the tourists who come and go, but by most of the people who live here.

Oddly enough, it reminds me of my fi rst job in journalism, as a small-town police reporter.Lately I’ve been seeing a woman who moved here from Washington, D.C., where she was

a teacher at a Montessori school with an elite clientele. Now and then she’d see parents twice during the day — in the morning, when they were dropping off their children, and then in the evening, when they were being interviewed on CNN.

Our experiences parallel. We are happy we had a glimpse of the larger stage but have de-cided we like the small one better.

Last month, for example, she and I traipsed all over town attending a three-day series of concerts called Ralph Fest, commemorating Ralph Ameduri, a local musician who was slain in 2011 in a senseless, botched robbery attempt outside a Winter Haven lounge.

It’s an annual celebration tinged with sadness but not overwhelmed by it. Though my date and I were both newcomers, by the end of the weekend we didn’t feel that way at all. We’d been embraced by a talented, grieving community.

We had heard great music, close up, in venues large and small. And the heart that went into the music came out in a different way in the one-on-one encounters we had between sets. We heard story after story from family members and musicians alike about Ameduri’s creativity, his rattletrap car, his adeptness at collaboration, his reputation as a bassist, his gift for candid critiques.

Not that you could put a price on what we experienced, but imagine what you’d pay to see a big-venue concert, then compare it to what our weekend cost us: $10 apiece at the door the fi rst night; $15 the second. The after-party at The Lucky Lure was open to everyone, and free.

Somewhere in the midst of it, my date told me a story or two of her own about the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the various scenic venues at the Wolf Trap National Park. We agreed that they have their place, and that we much preferred being right where we were.

Michael McLeodEditor in [email protected]

Take NoteWhat’s SOCIALFollow us on twitter: @Orlando-LifeMag and Facebook at: facebook.com/orland-olifemagazine. We’re on Google+ and Pinterest too: pinterest.com/orlandolife/.

What’s ONLINE Check out our expanded listing of arts organizations and their schedules of events for the upcoming season.

What you CAN DO Head for Jai Gallery in downtown Orlan-do to check out the abstract expressionist paintings of Harold Garde, a 91-year-old artist who still paints daily, dividing his time between his two homes in rural Maine and on Florida’s east coast.

What’s ON DECK In our May issue we’ll feature our top doctors listing, a young man’s healing journey, and a travel story about a nearby treasure you won’t want to miss.

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Michael M cle ODEditor in Chief

ha RRY WeSSelManaging Editor

la URa Bl UhMArt Director, Social Media

Director, Style Editorial Director

JaY BOYaRArts Editor

RONa GiNDiNDining Editor

MaRia NNe il UNGa, KaReN l eBla Nc MiKe th OMaS

Contributors

Raf ael tONGOlSenior Photographer

l eah Ki Rche R, a lexi S MeRRitt , JaRReD Pal Uzzi

Editorial & Photography Interns

editorial: [email protected]

lORN a OSBORNSenior Associate Publisher

Director of Marketing & Public Relations

Kath Y BYRDAssociate Publisher

ADvERtIsINg: [email protected] [email protected]

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c opyright 2014 by f lorida home Media, llc . a ll rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written permission of the copyright holder. ORla NDO life iSSN: 2326-2478 (USPS 000-140) (Vol. 15/issue No. 3) is published six times a year by f lorida home Media l l c , 2700 Westhall l ane, Ste 128, Maitland, fl 32751. Periodicals Postage Paid at Maitland, fl and at additional mailing offices. POSt MaSte R: Send address changes to Orlando l ife Magazine, 330 S. Pineapple ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, fl 34236. TH

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LIMELIGHT jay boyar

Coming AttractionsENZIAN’S PUSHING FOR TWO NEW SCREENS.

Enzian’s comfy interior delights film fans. The only problem is, the not-for-profit theater needs more space and more screens.

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ORLANDO-LIFE.COM ORLANDO LIFE 9

At this year’s Florida Film Festival, the hottest topic may not be the films themselves. Naturally, those films — as well as the usual fancy parties and celebrity programs — will be on the minds of festivalgoers at Enzian’s 10-day movie orgy, which begins April 4.

But I’m guessing that a lot of the people standing in lines for those films, parties and programs will be talking about the Maitland movie house’s expansion plans.

Enzian has always been different from other movie theaters in that it’s a not-for-profit enclave and presents alternative cinema (includ-ing independent American movies, foreign films and classics). But there’s another difference between Enzian and most other theaters: It has only one screen.

That’s always been a bit of a problem — and one that has become more pronounced as Enzian’s patronage has increased.

“All of a sudden we find ourselves just bursting at the seams,” says Enzian’s president, Henry Maldonado, who cites increasingly popu-lar film programs as a reason. “To do the things we’re already doing — and do them right — we need another screen.”

The estimated $6 million plan calls for Enzian to add not just one but two screens, as well as a second lobby and additional parking. Enzian’s current auditorium seats 220; the new, smaller ones would seat something like 80 and 50.

I wouldn’t call those big numbers. The expansion could, however, make an enormous difference to the theater, its loyal audience and just about anyone hereabouts who loves movies.

Right now, because of Enzian’s unusual single-screen status, an es-pecially popular film might be booked for a much longer than aver-age run, limiting the theater’s ability to offer new fare.

“We’re really happy that a film’s doing well, but we hate to have our only screen stuck with one single film for such a long period of time,” explains Elizabeth Tiedtke, Enzian’s executive VP, who is or-ganizing the expansion project.

Additional screens in two auditoriums — even small ones — would provide much more flexibility, not only in terms of regular bookings but also for the many specialty programs and mini-festivals that the theater currently tries to squeeze into its jam-packed schedule, often at odd times of day.

“I don’t think people realize how amazing the possibilities are,” says programming director Matthew Curtis. “Every single week I’m turning down special programming because we don’t have the screen availability to do it.”

Adds Maldonado, “It is a big deal. It would give us the ability to give everybody what they’re telling us they’re really enjoying, and to do it during times that are best suitable for their needs.”

Maldonado notes that the expansion could be completed by some-time in 2015 — Enzian’s 30th anniversary year. And while the project is not quite a sure thing, he estimates that he’s 90 to 95 percent sure it will happen.

Besides, on a recent daytime visit to the theater I happened upon a group of people, including Tiedtke, sitting around tables and work-ing on expansion plans.

That has to be a good sign. And it’s certainly something to talk about at the 23rd Festival. n

Jay Boyar, arts editor of Orlando Life, has written about film and travel for the Orlando Sentinel and numerous other newspapers. He’s the author of Films to Go: 100 Memorable Movies for Travelers & Others and a contributor to Reel Romance: The Lovers’ Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies.

Florida Film Festival Celebrates CinemaNow heading into its 23rd year, the Florida Film Festival is Central Florida’s most prestigious celebration of cinema — and among the most admired in the country. The 10-day event attracts an audience of more than 20,000, including both confirmed movie-centrics and casual filmgoers.

In other words, it’s not just for film snobs.Produced by Enzian

in Maitland, this year’s festival will open April 4 and will present 50 to 60 feature-length movies and about 100 shorts. Films will be shown at both Enzian and the nearby Regal Winter Park Village multiplex. As usual, gala parties and celebrity guests should be part of the fun.

Independently produced American films “dominate about half of our programming,” says programming director Matthew Curtis. And yet the selection is typically diverse.

This year’s program will include films that are music-themed and food-themed, as well as documentaries and “no holds barred” midnight movies. Foreign, family-friendly, Florida-based and retro films (i.e., vintage cinema) will also be presented. There are always animated films at this festival, but this year, says Curtis, may see a greater emphasis on them.

Visit floridafilmfestival.com for further information.



LIMELIGHT plan on it

Orlando Ballet Uncorked! March 4The AbbeyGet an intimate, behind-the-scenes tutorial about how choreographers work as Orlando Ballet’s artistic director, Robert Hill, and his dancers work out steps, then discuss their work in a candid Q&A session.abbeyorlando.com

Epcot International Flower & Garden FestivalMarch 5-May 18The 21st annual celebration of plants, flowers and topiary comes to the World Showcase Lagoon. A bevy of HFTV and DIY celebrities will be making appearances.allears.net/pl/events.htm

Date Night at Leu GardensMarch 7Bring a blanket, a picnic basket and your significant other to an outdoor showing of

, starring classic Hollywood’s classy couple, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Becall.leugardens.org

The Broadway TenorsMarch 22Bob Carr Performing Arts CentreThree of Broadway’s top male singers, Brent Bar-rett, Matt Cavenaugh and Norm Lewis, join forces with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra to belt out songs from classic musicals such as

and .orlandophil.org

2014 Stars On Ice Tour April 6Amway CenterThe Winter Olympics skating competition may be history, but its stars still need to make a living. For fans who couldn’t make it to Sochi, it’s a short drive to the Amway to see world-class talent.amwaycenter.com

Darius Rucker’s True Believers TourApril 24UCF’s CFE ArenaThe former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman not only made the difficult transition from rock to country music, he’s now an official member of the Grand Ole Opry. Also on the bill: the Eli Young Band and singer/songwriter Corey Smith.cfearena.com

To Have and HaveNot

Story, South PacificWest Side

Phantom of the Opera


West Side



Like most friends, they have a lot in common. They’ve won 28 Grammy Awards between them, are fellow members of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and once even lived in the same Manhattan apartment building.

Longtime buddies Paul Simon and Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting, will be together again March 16 at the Amway Center, the last scheduled stop on their two-month North American On Stage Together tour.

Each will bring his own band and perform both separately and as a duo during the Orlando concert. Early reports are that the songs they’ll perform together include such classics as Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “America,” and Sting’s “Fields of Gold” and “Fragile.”

It’s their first tour together but not the first time they’ve shared a stage. They played acoustic versions of “Fields of Gold” and Simon’s “The Boxer” at a New York charity concert last year. Afterward, Si-

mon told the New York Times, “We both looked at each other and said: ‘Wow. That’s pretty interesting.’”

Visit amwaycenter.com for more information.— Harry Wessel

LIMELIGHT music

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Long-Time Friends, Song-Time Partners: Simon, Sting at Amway



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LIMELIGHT art

At Polasek, a PainterlyTribute to Winter Park

by Hiu Lai ChongLapis Lillies

It isn’t every day you get the chance to watch professional landscape artists at work. But during the last week of April you’ll have a host of such chances at the Sixth Annual Winter Park Paint Out.

Later on, if you like, you can buy what you see.Hosted by the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, Paint Out will feature 25

“plein air” artists — open-air painters — capturing vistas from various scenic Winter Park locations, including the museum’s own grounds.

The finished paintings will literally be hung out to dry in the museum’s gallery for immedi-ate display and purchase.

Although the event is a fundraiser, entry to the museum, gallery and sculpture gardens will be free during Paint Out week, which begins April 20.

Special events will include daily artist demonstrations at the museum, a sunset “Paint-In” at a nearby lake on April 23, and a closing Paint Out Garden Party on the event’s last evening, April 26.

Visit winterparkpaintout.org for more information.— Harry Wessel

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LIMELIGHT theater

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Eva Perón packed plenty of life into her 33 years. Growing up poor and illegitimate in rural Argentina, she left her family at age 15 for Bue-nos Aires and the dream of becoming an actress.

By her early 20s she was a nationally known performer. By her late 20s she was Argentina’s fi rst lady. And by the time she died of cancer in 1952 she had become the most powerful woman in South Amer-ica, popularly known by her one-word nickname: Evita.

Not surprisingly, this irresist-ibly epic story made its way to the stage. Evita, a rock opera by lyri-cist Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, debuted in London in 1978 and shortly thereafter be-gan an eight-year Broadway run.

It was adapted as a fi lm starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas in 1986 and was successfully re-vived on Broadway in 2012.

A national touring production of Evita, directed by Michael Grandage and choreographed by Rob Ashford, comes to the Bob Carr on March 25 for a six-day run, with six evening and two matinee performances.

Over the years the show has inspired countless debates over wheth-er Perón is fairly portrayed. But “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina,”

a perennial showstopper, has been uniformly enshrined as one of the greatest songs ever written for the theater.

It falls to Caroline Bow-man, seen most recently in the Broadway production of Kinky Boots, to deliver that iconic swan song of the madre de todos los niños in this, the fi rst U.S. touring production of Evita in 10 years.

Visit orlando.broadway.com for more information.— Harry Wessel

Evita’s Enduring Swan Song at Carr

Photo Michael Cairns

MARCH 14TH - 16TH

Sponsored in part byFor Tickets Call 407-426-1739Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre | OrlandoBallet.org



LIMELIGHT events

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Painting the town green sounds too much like work. We’re inclined to celebrate St. Pat-rick’s Day with food, drink and song.

If it’s an early start you’re wantin’, Down-town Disney might do. From March 7-17, a variety of bands ranging from old-school Irish to classic rockers will perform at vari-ous venues.

That includes Elevation, a U2 tribute band (March 15 and 17), and the Willis Clan, which has a rather strange distinction: The group won a national competition as America’s closest approximation to the Von Trapp family in The Sound of Music.

You’ll run across special stages in various locations, but the Irish epicenter will be, as al-ways, the Raglan Road pub. You’ll not only get to enjoy top-flight professional Irish dancers, you’ll also have the satisfaction of imbibing in a pub that sells more Guinness annually than any other watering hole in the U.S.

Visit raglandroad.com for more informa-tion.— Alexis Merritt

The Sound of (Irish) Music

Read Orlando Life anywhere, anytime on your iPad, Mac or PC,

with nothing left to recycle.

issuu.com/orlandolife

COLOR US GREENGREEN


16 ORLANDO LIFE MArCH 2014

CONVERSATION ken burns

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America UntamedFILMMAKER: PARKS ARE A PRICELESS LEGACY.

by Harry Wessel

Ken Burns and his Florentine Films crew spent more than six years filming and editing , which first aired in 2009. Among what Burns calls “the most spectacular, most beautiful places on Earth” is Yosemite National Park, here photographed by one of the documentarian’s longtime col-laborators, Paul Barnes. Burns will discuss the National Park System at an April 7 appearance at Rollins College.

The National Parks



America’s best-known maker of documentaries shows no signs of slowing down. Since his Emmy Award-winning Brooklyn Bridge aired in 1981, Ken Burns has turned out more than two dozen historically themed works for PBS, including The Civil War in 1990, Baseball in 1994, Jazz in 2001, Pro-

hibition in 2011 and The Central Park 5 in 2013. Burns, who pretty much redefined the documentary genre, isn’t

slowing down, with numerous additional projects at various stages of planning and production. In the meantime, the ever-enthusiastic Walpole, N.H., resident enjoys public speaking, particularly when it comes to one of his many passions, the National Park System.

He’ll focus on that subject when he appears at the Alfond Sports Center on the Rollins College campus April 7 as part of the Winter

Park Institute’s series of free public lectures.Burns, whose resumé includes two Academy Award nominations

and a dozen Emmys, turns 61 this summer. He spoke by phone with Orlando Life from his home office on what was, for him at least, a bone-chilling January morning.Q: You’ve done so many documentaries, including several since The National Parks aired in 2009. Why are you focusing on that one at Rollins? A: It had a rather provocative subtitle, America’s Best Idea. I want to develop that and why I think it’s so. It’s really this incredibly American idea, that for the first time in human history, land could be set aside for everybody and for all time. Yet we kind of take it for granted.Q: The series required a lot of filming in extreme conditions.




How did you prepare for that?A: Our entire crew braved those extremes. More often than not we had the luxury of a warm bed at night. Sometimes we had to sleep out in the cold or the extreme heat, but we’re in good shape; we’re filmmakers. We’re used to picking up the camera and running this way or that way.

It’s hard to get to the Gates of the Arctic [National Park] and other Alaska parks. You have to fly in many places, and most Americans don’t have the time or the resources to be able to do that. Our un-derwriters gave us the luxury to be able to go in there. But what was great is that we didn’t get special treatment.Q: The Great Smoky Mountains, a day’s drive from Orlando, has an overnight lodge accessible only by strenuous hiking trails. I brought my kids up there when they were young, and they loved it as much as I did. Have you been there?A: I haven’t. But your key comment was, “I brought my kids there.” We’re talking about the most spectacular, most beautiful places on Earth. And yet our descriptions of them are always accompanied by who we saw them with.

I remember a trip when I was 6 years old, in 1959, when my dad took me to Shenandoah National Park. I can remember what it felt like to have my little hand in his, and him pointing out things.

That’s one of the joys of this amazing legacy of the national parks. So you ask the question, what would happen if they weren’t there? And you realize that Yosemite and Zion would be gated communities,

Facing page: Burns is flanked by chief cinematographer Buddy Squires and writer/co-producer Dayton Duncan in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. Above: A stunning vista from Washington’s Olympic National Park. Below: Squires films in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park. If not for their designation as national parks, Burns says, such places might have become gated communities or for-profit tourist attractions.

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The National Parks



that Yellowstone would be a down-on-its-luck tourist attraction called Geyser World, that the Everglades — which has one of the most diverse habitats anywhere in the world — would have long ago been drained.

If we hadn’t had this good idea, who would we be? And what would we be like? Q: Maybe we’d be like Central Florida, with lots of theme parks. Have you been to any of them?A: Of course I have. I’ve taken my kids there and I love them, just like I’ve taken them to the Everglades. There’s room for everything. If you look at a map of the United States that shows where the national parks are, it ain’t that much. There’s room for golf courses; there’s room for theme parks.

But we also have to make room for places where, on a snowy winter January day in Yellowstone [National Park], you can round a corner and see something that you could have seen 10,000 years ago: a herd of buffalo — which would be extinct if Yellowstone hadn’t been invented — asleep with snow on their backs by the Yellowstone River.Q: Speaking of snowy winter mornings, your Rollins audience is going to won-der why a guy who could live anywhere chooses to live in rural New Hampshire.A: If you could look out the windows I’m looking out right now, you would see such extraordinary beauty. I like to have four sea-sons. We like to say here that the seasons, particularly the winter, weed out the non-serious. I enjoy the challenge.Q: With all the cold weather up there, you have lots of time for reading and watching movies. Do you stick with non-fiction and documentaries?A: I’d say my books are two-thirds, three-quarters non-fiction, and the rest are eclectic novels people hand me. My movie tastes are just like everybody else’s. I watch everything from foreign to action to art house to you name it.

The best film I’ve seen in the past year, by far, is Twelve Years a Slave. It’s epic in the way Gone With the Wind is epic, only this time it’s telling you a much truer story of what was


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going on. Part of that story is very difficult, but it’s important for us to understand that we tend to gloss over parts of our past that we don’t want to look at too clearly.Q: I know you have two grown daugh-ters. Do you have any grandchildren?A: I do. I have a granddaughter who is 3 and a grandson on the way. It’s the best thing ever. And I’ve got two little ones [ages 8 and 3] at home; I have four daughters. Both my [grown] daughters are in film, and my oldest daughter works with me.Q: How is it working with a family mem-ber?A: It’s terrific. She is a smart gal and I just do whatever she says.Q: What do you have in the works?A: A film called The Address, that will be broadcast on April 15, about a group of dys-lexic and ADHD boys at a tiny school in Vermont memorizing and publicly reciting the Gettysburg Address.

In the fall are The Roosevelts, a seven-part, 14-hour series. In early ’15 I’m the execu-tive producer of a three-part, six-hour series called The Story of Cancer: The Emperor of all Maladies. In the fall of 2015 I’ll have a two-part, four-hour biography of Jackie Robin-son, produced and directed with my son-in-law, David McMahon, and my daughter, Sarah Burns.

In 2016 we’ll have probably our most am-bitious film to date: a history of the Vietnam War — at least eight episodes and 16 hours. If it goes to 10 episodes and 20 hours, as we think it might, it will probably be delayed to 2017, because we’re a small shop and we don’t want to rush anything.

We’re also shooting a massive series on the history of country music called I Can’t Stop Loving You, which will be out in either 2018 or 2019, depending on what Vietnam does. Then we’ll have a biography for either 2019 or 2018 — two parts, four hours — on Ernest Hemingway, which we’ve already started shooting.

Fundraising for all those projects, shoot-ing and writing and arithmetic, it’s a busy life.


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Q: How do you manage it all? A: I’m working all the time, and yet I’m talk-ing to you from my office, which is above my garage-barn 50 feet from my house. My editing room is a mile and a half away in the center of this little village I live in. I do a lot of traveling, but more days than not I can get home for dinner. Usually I’m the one who gets my kids up, feeds them breakfast and gets them to the bus or drives them to school.

I’ve lived in the same house for 35 years — slept in the same bed — and have this ex-traordinary town where they could care less the number of Oscar nominations you’ve had or the number of Emmys you’ve won.Q: You’re only planned out through 2019, so how about a suggestion for a fu-ture project?A: We’re already thinking about what to do in the ’20s, so get your order in now.Q: OK. How about a biography of base-ball’s all-time greatest player, Willie Mays?A: Here’s my feeling: When you start having arguments about which is the best president, or best rock group or best baseball player, the best thing is to say, “You mean besides George Washington? Besides The Beatles?” And, I would submit, besides Babe Ruth. You

have to put Babe Ruth ahead just because of how transformative he was. I don’t believe baseball would have the centrality it does in American life without Babe Ruth.

But growing up, Willie Mays was my guy. My brother and I used to imitate everything he did. I especially liked to imitate his voice, how he said “the San Fan-wisko Giants.” I’ve been out to dinner with him, and I did it in front of him. I thought, “Oh, God, I’m go-ing to die now,” but his wife just cracked up and said, “It’s perfect, Willie.” Q: Willie was my guy, too, and I’ve always appreciated the lengthy segment on him that was in your original Baseball series.A: Oh yes. Not enough for me, because Wil-lie Mays was my favorite of all. But I felt like I had to be fair and not just put my thumb on the scale. n

As Burns sees it, the National Park System kept Yellowstone National Park — the home of “Old Faithful” — from being turned into “Geyser World.” Yet, he says, many Americans still take the country’s natural splendor for granted.



TIME TO DIVE RIGHT IN TO PASTELS AND PATTERNS.by Marianne Ilunga • photographs by Rafael Tongol • hair and makeup by Elsie Knab

Lighten Up!

With the pool at the Aloft Hotel in downtown Orlando beckoning, James R of AbFab Management wears a paisley shirt by Etro, $415; and linen pants by Incotex, $375; all from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia. His black Gucci sunglasses, $245, are from Gucci, The Mall at Millenia.

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Melissa J, also of AbFab Management, catches a cool breeze in pants by Alice + Olivia, $297; crop top by Parker, $253; and Jimmy Choo sandals, $750. She’s wearing a silver panther bangle, $295; and gray lucite bangles with silver and diamond details, $275 each; all by Alexis Bittar. All are from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia.

6OL_Feb_14_Spring Fashion.indd 26 2/14/14 3:37:59 PM


Sunning on the pool deck at the Aloft, Melissa wears jogger pants by Joie, $168; and a blouse with blue tribal patterns by Parker, $198. Her frameless cat-eye sunglasses, $500, are by Dior; her “hope” bracelet, $95; white stone bracelet, $80; beige bracelet, $80; gold bracelet, $90; and black embellished bracelet, $115; are all by Tai. She carries a navy tote by Prada, $2,670. All are from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia. The gold hoop earrings are the stylist’s own.

6OL_Feb_14_Spring Fashion.indd 27 2/14/14 11:09:17 AM


Near the Aloft’s Orange Avenue entrance, Melissa wears cropped white pants with a bright floral pattern, $735, and a matching long-sleeve button-up shirt, $450, both by Etro. Her blue strappy heels with turquoise and acid gem details are by Sophia Webster, $695; her gold dangle earrings with fuschia colored stones are by Devon Leigh, $295; and her orange “2Jour” tote is by Fendi, $2,350. All are from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia.



In the Aloft lobby, Melissa wears a silk blouse, $128; a skyline full skirt, $168; chunky sandals, $128; a chain cuff, $68; screw gold bangle bracelets, $48 each; and a gold stacking ring set, $38; all by C Wonder at The Mall at Millenia. James wears a cotton pullover by Peter Millar, $125; a blue and green striped shirt by Peter Millar, $198; white pants by Incotex, $375; and a blue detailed tie by Zegna, $205; all from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia. His brown Monk Strap leather shoes, $475, are by Donald J Pliner at The Mall at Millenia.



Melissa’s gray tank top with pink tiger appliqué is by Stella McCartney, $385; the light-pink leather jacket is from the Lamarque Collection, $400; her pink blush pants are by Rich & Skinny, $154; the platform sandals are by Yves Saint Laurent, $875; the fringe oversized clutch is by Stella McCartney, $1,145; the pink rose bead bracelets are by Lagos, $250 each; the gray karma bead bracelet is by Tai, $140; the pink leather wrap bracelet is by Balenciaga, $195; and the chandelier earrings are by Oscar De La Renta, $395. All are from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia.



Melissa is poolside near the Aloft bar in a metallic silver dress by Cut 25 by Yigal Azrouël, $385 (worn as a top); a black and white floral pattern skirt, $1,120; and a black and white jacket with floral pattern, $1,580; both by Peter Pilotto. The Falabella Shaggy Deer black backpack is by Stella McCartney, $1,295; the gray chain necklace with square crystals is by Maurice Mac, $275; the double gray chain necklace with square crystals is by Maurice Mac, $325; and the silver shoes with silver metallic fringe details are by Brian Atwood, $425. All are from Neiman Marcus at The Mall of Millenia.





With the illuminated stairs leading to the Aloft meeting rooms as a backdrop (opposite page), Melissa wears a dress by Herve Leger, $1,050; ice cream cone heels by Charlotte Olympia, $995; and pink and white sunglasses by Tom Ford, $395; all from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia. Her silver and rose-gold bangles are by Kate Spade, $58-$88; as is her blush-pink purse, $498. All are from Kate Spade at The Mall at Millenia. James relaxes in seersucker pants and matching jacket by Hugo Boss, $795; a checkered shirt by Hugo Boss, $155; and a kerchief with blue piping by Edward Armah, $65; all from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia. The blue suede belt is by Donald J Pliner, $80; and the indigo suede loafers are by Donald J Pliner, $135; both from Donald J Pliner The Mall at Millenia.

In a conversation area near the Aloft bar, Melissa wears a fuchsia sweater, $298; a bright pink dress, $448; a long-sleeve top, $148; black and white striped pumps, $358; a skinny mini purple bow bangle, $78; a mix and mingle polka dot bangle, $78; a pink spade bangle, $48; a white spade bangle, $48; multicolor chandelier earrings, $98; and a heart-shaped pink minaudière, $248; all by Kate Spade at The Mall at Millenia.



SIMPLY THEE BEST 2014

TRACKING DOWN THE TOP NEWBIES IN

RAPIDLY CHANGING CENTRAL FLORIDA.

by Michael McLeod and Staffphotographs by Rafael Tongol

7OL_Mar14_Best Of.indd 34 2/14/14 11:13:15 AM


What is it about this town these days? You can’t turn your back on the skyline without having somebody slip in and rearrange it on you.

A new performing arts center on the rise. An old stadium being demolished to make way for another. A new train for muggles and another for would-be

wizards comin’ down the tracks. Eight huge, high-tech sculp-tures popping up in downtown Orlando like portobellos after a hard rain: You can hardly take a walk around Lake Eola with-out banging into one of them.

Well, we here at Simply the Best International Headquarters don’t need somebody to drop a 10-foot-wide, LED-illuminated aluminum globe on our heads. We know trending when we see it. If the Chinese are saying this is the Year of the Horse, that’s their business. We’re calling it the Year of the Newbie around these parts, and our Simply the Best selection refl ects it.

Oh, we rounded up a few of the usual suspects. Mainly, though, the people and places in this year’s lineup mirror rap-id changes in the community and its culture. So: welcome to Simply The Best, 2014 Edition. New and Improved.

EE BEST 2014 BEST 2014

URBAN ART IMPRESARIO: The See Art Orlando campaign, which placed sculptures around Lake Eola Park, was the brainchild of its chairwoman, Jennifer Quigley.



PEOPLE

SONG AND DANCE MANYou won’t see Ron Legler singing a showstopper or doing a grand jeté any time soon. But when a Broadway musical cast or a corps of ballet dancers takes the stage, chances are Orlando’s multitasking showbiz king helped put them there. Legler engineers the Broadway Across America series, which is in the midst of delivering arguably its best-ever selection of shows to the Bob Carr in the last season for the series at that vintage venue. Legler is also co-owner of The Abbey nightclub just south of Lake Eola, which hosts a range of smaller but often well-polished productions, such as this month’s Spank. Apart from all that, he has recently taken on a temporary troubleshooting post as executive director of the beleaguered Orlando Ballet. Back-ers are counting on him for a much-needed reorganization. We say: merde, Ron. orlandobroadway.com or orlandoballet.org

URBAN ART IMPRESARIOThe See Art campaign to beautify downtown Orlando with eight carefully chosen sculptures was a group effort, but it was the cam-paign’s chairwoman, Jennifer Quigley, who visualized the beautifi -cation project as a two-mile walking tour and nursed it along from

start to fi nish. Quigley, a principal at WBQ Design & Engineering, oversaw both the creative end of the project and the inevitable nuts-and-bolts headaches of the installations. “We’re such a young city,” she says. “We just haven’t had the historic foundation for public art that other metropolitan areas have enjoyed.” Well, we do now. seeartorlando.com

BAR MAIDNot long ago, Krystal Edwards was a court stenographer, cranking out a steady diet of starchy legalese. That all changed last October, when she and her husband, Devin, opened Skyebird Juice Bar & Ex-perimental Kitchen at the new East End Market on Corrine Drive. Named after their daughter, Skye, the health-food haven offers Kom-bucha (fermented tea) on tap; other healthy concoctions such as Thai hot juice (blenderized spinach, cilantro, orange, apple, lime, jalapeño and lemongrass); and an array of fresh-food entrées. Last time we saw Krystal, she was perched on a stool at the juice bar’s counter, deliver-ing an impromptu lecture about probiotics while munching on her own invention: a “raw taco” made of walnuts, kale, romaine lettuce and diced mushrooms. She was glowing, and not from fl uorescent lighting. facebook.com/skyebirdorganic

SIMPLY THSIMPLY THEE BEST 2014

PHOTO GALLERY: Patrick Kahn and his wife, Holly, at Snap! Orlando



STAND-UP POETYes, Billy Collins is an artist in residence at Rollins College and a former poet laureate of the United States. Don’t let the stuffy titles fool you: He’s closer kin to Jerry Seinfeld than William Wordsworth. There’s a punch-line fl air to his compositions, which are often both sophisticated and funny as hell. Take “Why I Don’t Keep A Gun In The House,” which is about both the pleasures of classical music and the aggravation of a neighbor’s barking dog. The Manhattan-born Collins decided to put roots down in Central Florida after being charmed by the area’s attractions during a stint as a guest speaker for the Winter Park Institute’s lecture series. billy-collins.com

DIVA WITH A DENIt was common knowledge that Blue Star could rock the house. Who knew that one day she’d own it? Star has a long-standing rep as a workaholic dancer, DJ, model, burlesque troupe maven, benefi t orga-nizer and all-around wham-bam, thank-you-glam performance artist.

But since moving into a former yoga studio on Virginia Drive and turning it into a small-scale performing space a year and a half ago, she has offi cially joined the ranks of the city’s power lesbians. Star and her new place, called The Venue, are a perfect mesh-stocking fi t to the community fabric of the young, hip, rapidly changing Ivanhoe Village neighborhood. venueorlando.com

GOLD MINERChampagne corks popped last April when UCF landed the largest grant in its 50-year history: $55 million to the school’s Florida Space Institute for its “GOLD” project. The brainchild of UCF physicist Richard Eastes, the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk satellite will measure changes in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, which can have dramatic effects on radio waves and satellite commu-nications. As one of Eastes’ colleagues put it, GOLD “represents a new paradigm for observing the boundary between Earth and space.” The GOLD satellite, which will be built over the next few years, is tentatively scheduled to launch in 2017. fsi.ucf.edu

E BEST 2014

DIVA WITH A DEN: Blue Star



NEW ’DO The truth is that her bright, spiky, faux-wildfi re hairdo, designed by stylist Robert Brings, is the result of a “Time For A Whole New Me” decision by Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan. We prefer to think of the high-rise ’do as her civic-minded tribute to all the new construction going on around town. It also reminded us somewhat of that burning Yule log video that they run on cable television every Christmas season. We were so pleased with this festive little meta-phor that we shared it with the commissioner herself, wondering if we should include it in our story. “Go ahead,” she said. “I can take the heat.” facebook.com/thecitybeautiful4

MAGIC MANHe moves in a blur when he has a deck of cards in his hands. But that’s just how Kostya Kimlat rolls, regardless. He always moves in a blur. Born in the Ukraine, he came to Orlando with his family, earned a degree in philosophy at the University of Central Florida

and then set about turning himself into a specialist in sleight-of-hand magic and theatrical mind-reading. He also runs a training program for fellow magicians. A corps of local apprentices appears with him at monthly dinner shows at Christner’s restaurant, during halftimes of Orlando Magic home games, and for several nights when Halloween nears in a venue he dubs “Magic Mansion.” In his spare time, Kim-lat does motivational speaking, addressing “the role of perception in business and communication.” magicshoworlando.com.

MOM-AND-POP ARCHAEOLOGISTSIt’s been nearly 30 years since the husband-wife team of Arlen and Diane Chase began traveling to Central America to excavate the once-bustling Maya city of Caracol. The project has gone on long enough that the infant son they once brought with them to the dig is now an archaeologist himself. Their efforts have turned the Univer-sity of Central Florida anthropology professors into world-renowned experts on all things Maya. Most recently, they’ve uncovered new information about ancient sustainability strategies. It’s all thanks to


MAGIC MAN: Kostya Kimlat



their continuous exploration of the overgrown metropolis, which had been buried beneath hundreds of years’ worth of rainforest growth in what is now central Belize. caracol.org

SKETCH ARTISTApparently, Thomas Thorspecken is one of those rare souls who actually keeps his New Years resolutions. Well, one of them, at least. In January of 2009 he vowed to do a sketch every day. The former Disney illustrator and Full Sail animation art teacher has kept his promise. If you’re out and about a lot, you may have seen Thorspeck-en sketching various Central Florida events and social functions: wed-dings, parties, fundraisers, wine-tastings, protest marches. It usually takes him two hours, more or less, to complete a sketch. If you aren’t out and about a lot, you’ll fi nd many of the works on his website. Thorspecken lives in the Dr. Phillips area with his wife, Terry, and a lively cockatoo named Zorro. analogartistdigitalworld.com

CUISINE COLLABORATORS If the United Nations had a taco stand it would be called Tako Chee-na. One of the two proprietors, Edgardo Guzman, is from Costa Rica. His business partner, Pom Moongauklang, is from Thailand. They have combined their cultural and culinary backgrounds to cre-ate tacos with a global reach. (Indian Yellow Curry Dusted On Crispy Tofu Taco, anyone?) Their specials now include spinoffs of tradition-al dishes from all over the world, and they’re working on a third-gen-eration menu that will introduce more ethnic curries and proteins. Not surprisingly, Tako Cheena’s extremely diverse menu attracts an extremely diverse crowd to the Mills 50 eatery. takocheena.com

BRAWNY BRAINSThe University of Central Florida Football Team made history this school year by fi nishing the season with a Top 10 ranking. But by another, perhaps more important measure, the fi ghting Knights were No. 1. As noted by UCF administrator Richard Lapchick, if the Top 10 teams on the Associated Press Poll were ordered by their players’ average graduation rates over the past four years, No. 1 Florida State drops to No. 9 while No. 10 UCF — with an average player gradua-tion rate of 83 percent — rises to the top. ucfknights.com

PLACES

NERD NESTSAll those nerds who suffered through various forms of ridicule and solitude in high school continue to exact their revenge. They’ve done such a great job of crossing over into mainstream society, in fact, that they’re being catered to by a burgeoning array of overtly nerdy gath-erings and marketing ploys. Orlando offers nerdy.fm, an online nerd radio station, and Orlando Nerdfest (orlandonerdfest.com), a gather-ing of geeks. There are also a couple of nerd hotspots where, hon-

estly, anybody with a sense of curiosity and/or fun can have a good time. A bountiful collection of video games and weekly nerd-centric trivia and karaoke are offered at a recently opened bar called The Geek Easy (facebook.com/thegeekeasy) on Semoran Boulevard in Win-ter Park. Tell them Wil Wheaton sent you. And at Stardust Video & Coffee in the Audubon Park neighborhood (stardustvideoandcoffee.wordpress.com), NASA engineer Josh Manning has staged a monthly Nerd Nite (orlandonerdnite.com) for the past year, featuring speakers on various subjects. Last month’s Nerd Nite combined Nerd Speed Dating with talks on the realities of online relationships and the sci-ence of sexual subcultures. Previous lecturers included a NASA re-searcher who had been involved in growing plants in outer space, whose topic was whether or not marijuana can fl ourish in a weightless environment. Talk about getting high …

DRIVE-INThe historic Ocala Drive-In is one of only a few remaining trib-utes to open-air, cinematic Americana in the country. It’s always been

E BEST 2014 BEST 2014

SONG AND DANCE MAN: Ron Legler



nostalgic. Now it’s up to date. Thanks to Honda’s Project Drive-In Initiative and more than 2.6 million votes cast electronically, the drive-in now has an $80,000 digital projection system. The system brings the sound and picture quality up to modern indoor standards, but the prices are still old-school: $6 adults, $3 children, 5 and under free. ocaladrivein.info

PHOTO GALLERYFor years, Patrick Kahn and his wife, Holly, have staged Snap! Or-lando — an annual festival that spotlighted great photography from all over the world. The festival was spectacular, assuming you could fi nd it: The Kahns had to stage the gathering of photos, photogra-phers and fans in whatever vacant warehouses they could fi nd because the event had no permanent home. Now it does. A few weeks ago the Kahns moved the operation into the Cameo Building on Colonial Drive. It’s a perfect fi t: The enchantment of fi ne-art photography fi ts right into the bohemian vibe of the rapidly changing Mills 50 district. snaporlando.com

T-SHIRT SITEWhen Alex Lenhoff and Andi Perez decided to start a things-you-can-do-cheaply-in-Orlando blog back in 2010, they wanted to call it “Orlando Doesn’t Suck.” Talked out of it by their moms, they fi rst named it “Alex in Orlando,” changing it last year to the more conven-tional “The Orlandoan.” But there’s little conventional about the couple’s blog, website or Facebook page, and when they introduced their Orlando Doesn’t Suck T-shirt last fall — designed by Perez — it was an instant hit. Initial limited runs of the T-shirts sold out quickly, but they’re still available, for $18 a pop, at theorlandoan.com.


NEW ‘DO: Patty Sheehan

CUISINE COLLABORATORS: Tako Cheena



ART COLLECTION The Orlando Museum of Art may be packing them in with its exhibit of Old Masters, but if you’re looking for Central Florida’s best con-temporary art collection, you won’t fi nd it in a museum. It’s at the new Alfond Inn, which is owned and operated by Rollins College. The collection of more than 130 works of 21st century art, donated by Rollins alumni Barbara and Ted Alfond, includes works by Maya Lin, Tracey Emin and Joseph Kosuth. The paintings, photographs and sculptures are rotated every few months, and you don’t have to stay at the Alfond to see them. Free guided tours are offered daily, with reservations requested. thealfondinn.com

ONLINE MATH CLASSOrlando entrepreneur Steve Goldman, a long time supporter of the Orlando Science Center, has fi nanced a free adaptation of one of the center’s exhibits into a resource for math students around the

world. Why U, an educational YouTube channel that was developed in partnership with University of Central Florida professors, features cleverly animated and easily grasped explanations of the underlying principles of mathematics. Over the past two years it has generated 2 million views from high school and college students from all over the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and Saudi Arabia. Circling back to home base, the Florida De-partment of Education recently signed a licensing agreement to use the videos in Florida classrooms. why.org

NEW TRAIN (TIE) Two commuter trains make their Central Florida debuts this year, one for harried commuters and another for Harry commuters. Both are meant to link passengers to a bustling city, and both will have a lot riding on them. There’s the Hogwarts Express (universalorlan-do.com/harrypotter) which in the Harry Potter series of fantasy nov-els connects downtown London — specifi cally Kings Cross Station

E BEST 2014

NERD NESTS: Orlando Nerdfest, The Geek Easy, Stardust Video & Coffee, Nerd Nite



— to the rural village of Hogsmeade. Details are still scarce about the theme park’s version of the Express, which will run between the two Harry Potter Wizarding Worlds — one at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, the other at Universal Studios Florida. Meanwhile there’s SunRail, the commuter train for mere muggles that in its initial phase will run from DeBary to Orlando. The hope is that the passenger rail system will eventually stretch from the far end of Volusia County to the Kissimmee/St. Cloud area. SunRail will carry bike racks, luggage compartments, free Wi-Fi and the dreams of countless commuters who hope relief from I-4 traffi c jams isn’t just a fairy tale. sunrail.com

FOOD

TAKE YOUR PICK What if you could go green and throw in a little red, white and blue along with it? Yes, you’d clash. But we’re not talking about your en-semble here. What we mean is that you can pick your own strawber-ries, beans, snow peas, radishes, cucumbers and more at Hydroeats Farms in Groveland. Clem Masih-Das, a retired Air Force offi cer, laid out his farm in 13 cultivated rows to represent the 13 original colonies. Check hydroeats.com for what he has in season. Other pick-your-own options: Lake Meadows Naturals Farm for eggs, (lake-meadownaturals.com); Blue Bayou Farms for blueberries, (bluebayou-farms.com); and Red Shed Strawberry Farm for, well, you know. (pickitfarmfresh.com).

WINE-TASTING Ahem. Sir? Madam? May we suggest a formidable Jimi Hendrix melody to go along with the full-bodied Reisling Trockenbeerenau-slese? Yes, you can be rockin’ with that Trocken at the area’s latest wine-pairing event. Dubbed Wine Riffs by the Hard Rock Hotel, it features an elegant, fi ve-course meal, held in one of the resort’s ballrooms and supervised by an expert guest speaker who pairs each course with an appropriate wine. Meanwhile, the hotel’s “vibe man-ager” — that is, indeed, her formal title — sits in a corner at a high-tech console and plays a selection of rock music meant to comple-ment the course. Prices start at $125. universalorlando.com

MOVEABLE FEASTIt may be the classiest all-you-can-eat event around. Several times a year, the merchants on Park Avenue set out wine and hors d’oeuvres in their shops and stage the Winter Park Sip, Shop & Stroll. Buy-ing a “passport” for $25, which is best to do online because the event does sell out, gives you entrée up and down the avenue. It’s fun to shop and chat with the merchants as you eat and drink your way along the signature thoroughfare. And you can always rationalize that the walk works off the calories. winterpark.org

SIMPLY THSIMPLY THE BEST 2014

NEW TRAIN(S): Hogwarts Express and SunRail



JAMS When Wendy Read was laid off from her corporate job six years ago, she decided to pursue her passion: jams. She cooks them in her own kitchen and concocts them from her own recipes: Peach Lavender, Jalapeño Apricot, Wildfl ower Honey, Balsamic Strawberry. Through her company, Sunchowder’s Emporia, she sells them at the Win-ter Park Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and the Lake Eola Farmers Market on Sundays. You can also order them online at sunchowder-semporia.com.

VINEGAR AND OILThere’s a mystique to high-end vinegars and olive oils, which in the right combination can come close to making cardboard taste like chateaubriand. At The Ancient Olive on Park Avenue, true believ-ers can choose from a broad range of the elixirs housed in rows of stainless steel containers that line the shop’s walls. The Black Mis-sion Fig Balsamic Vinegar and the Persian Lime Fused Olive Oil are big sellers. The establishment offers cooking classes at least once a month. theancientolive.com

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES Let’s just put it this way: If the Girl Scouts ever get their hands on the peanut butter cookies the Olde Hearth Bread Company serves up daily at its East End Market location, they will rule the world. We’re talking black-magic, OMG, Say-My-Name! quality here. The sandwich-style cookies are the circumference of a silver dollar, with just the right slightly crunchy texture in the dough and just the per-fect level of fl uffi ness in the peanut butter fi lling. If it happens that they’ve sold out — and they do — you can put in a special order. And you will. oldehearthbreadcompany.com

COBB SALAD The Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios serves up the area’s best evocation of the delicious concoction of romaine lettuce, watercress, tomatoes, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, chives, cheese and French dressing invented in 1937 by Bob Cobb, owner of the iconic Brown Derby in Hollywood, Calif. The salad was a favorite dish of entertainment industry legends such as Sid Grauman and Jack War-ner. disneyworld.disney.com

FLATBREADThe lavash at Bosphorous (two locations) arrives as an enormous, steaming pillow and has a welcome heartiness even after it defl ates. It’s the ideal heft for the twin restaurants’ Turkish appetizer spreads. bosphorousrestaurant.com


VINEGAR AND OIL: The Ancient Olive

COBB SALAD: The Brown Derby

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CHERRY PIEAt Sister Honey’s, proprietor Evette Rahman bakes a cherry pie with tartness added via extra cherry juices. The slightly salty, buttery crust has crumbs from an almond streusel sprinkled on top. sisterhoneys.com

BISCUITSSouthern fare is the theme at Cask & Larder, but, really: How do they pull off those crazy-fl aky biscuits? Turns out they use fi nely ground White Lily fl our, add in heavy cream with a touch of lard, cut in butter, fold the dough twice, brush them with heavy cream so they’re golden on top and then serve them with red pepper jelly. caskandlarder.com

INTERACTIVE DESSERT At Emeril’s Tchoup Chop, the Hawaiian Style Malasadas Do-nuts are served with plastic squirt bottles containing coconut haupia, passion fruit curd and chocolate-peanut butter fi llings. Insert the tips into the ball-shaped donuts. Squeeze. Eat. Repeat. emerilsrestaurants.com


ONLINE MATH CLASS: Why U

MOM AND POP ARCHAEOLOGISTS: Arlen and Diane Chase

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ARTISAN CHOCOLATEDavid Ramirez Chocolates puts Russell Stover to shame. The pas-try chef’s chocolate confections such as the hand-dipped soft caramel and the cinnamon habanero, are edible art. You can fi nd David’s con-fections at his Hunter’s Creek location, and also at Le Macaron in Winter Park. davidramirezchocolates.com

RUDE SERVICE That’s right. That’s what we said. Rude service. You got a problem? The shtick at Dick’s Last Resort, a franchise that just opened its fi rst Orlando restaurant and bar in the Premium Outlet Mall, is that the staff is trained to be snarky, or at least to seem so. A server might plop down mozzarella sticks with the comment, “Here’s your second appetizer, fatties!” or put a fl oppy, oversized paper hat on your head that reads: “I wear granny panties.” Funny, sure, though it’s no com-parison to the authentic attitude you could get, back in the day, from the curmudgeonly proprietor (and a few hard-core waitresses) at the old Ronnie’s deli. dickslastresort.com ■


STAND-UP POET: Billy Collins

SKETCH ARTIST: Thomas Thorspecken

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HANNIBAL SQUAREWINE TASTING

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Square

HistoricNeighborhood

$25 IN ADVANCE $30 AT THE DOOR

WWW.WINTERPARK.ORG 407.644.8281

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Featuring Beer, Wine Samples and Appetizers from Local Eateries, and Live Entertainment.

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PRESENTED BY

Art of Wine_Orlando Life_7.875x4.75_Half Pg.indd 1 2/7/14 4:01 PM

10OL_Mar14 Realtor Profiles.indd 46 2/14/14 3:50:25 PM


In the increasingly complex and competitive world of buying and selling homes, it’s more important than ever that you have a profes-

sional in your corner. That means a Realtor. Only real estate licensees who are members of the National Associa-tion of Realtors are properly called Realtors. They are committed to treat-ing all parties in a transaction honestly and subscribe to a strict code of ethics. Real estate transactions are the larg-est most of us will ever make, usu-ally exceeding $100,000. If you had a $100,000 income tax problem, would you deal with it without the help of a CPA? If you had a $100,000 legal question, would you deal with it with-out the help of an attorney? Consid-ering the small upside cost and the large downside risk, it would risky, at best, to consider a entering into a real-estate transaction without the professional assistance of a Realtor. A Realtor can help you determine your buying power, assess the value of the home you’d like to buy or sell, explain financing options, implement a mar-keting program and make certain the closing process goes smoothly. The Realtors on the following pages are among the region’s most savvy and customer-focused professionals. For more information about hiring a Real-tor, check out the Orlando Regional Realtor Association (ORRA) at orlan-dorealtors.org.

BEST REALTORS

10OL_Mar14 Realtor Profiles.indd 47 2/14/14 3:58:20 PM


BEST REALTORS

KIM ARENAExceptional ServicePaired With Award-Winning Professionalism.Kim Arena’s reputation is built on dedication to excellent customer service. Her can-do attitude, combined with years of experience and market knowledge, have led her ranking among the top 1% of all Coldwell Banker associates worldwide. Kim’s attention to detail, strong negotiation skills, impeccable ethics and professional manner make her consistently successful. “As a customer, I expect the highest quality of service and expertise,” she says. “So in return, I give only the highest quality of service and expertise to my clients.” In addition to being listed among the Top 100 Realtors in Orlando, Kim is one of an elite few to be honored with a prestigious Five Star rating for customer satisfaction. Always committed to increasing her knowledge and honing her business skills, Kim has earned the titles of Certified Negotiation and Marketing Specialist, Accredited Luxury Home Specialist, Accredited Home Staging Specialist and Certified Relocation Specialist. “I work very hard to earn the trust and confidence of my clients, showing them that I treat each sale or purchase as if it were my own,” Kim says. “To all my wonderful clients, thank you for entrusting me with the sale or purchase of your home. To all my future clients, I can’t wait to help you.”

(407) 701-1621KimSellsOrlandoHomes.com

Realtor advertiorials base.indd 2 2/14/14 3:55:08 PM10OL_Mar14 Realtor Profiles.indd 48 2/14/14 3:58:26 PM


BEST REALTORS

KIM ARENAExceptional ServicePaired With Award-Winning Professionalism.Kim Arena’s reputation is built on dedication to excellent customer service. Her can-do attitude, combined with years of experience and market knowledge, have led her ranking among the top 1% of all Coldwell Banker associates worldwide. Kim’s attention to detail, strong negotiation skills, impeccable ethics and professional manner make her consistently successful. “As a customer, I expect the highest quality of service and expertise,” she says. “So in return, I give only the highest quality of service and expertise to my clients.” In addition to being listed among the Top 100 Realtors in Orlando, Kim is one of an elite few to be honored with a prestigious Five Star rating for customer satisfaction. Always committed to increasing her knowledge and honing her business skills, Kim has earned the titles of Certified Negotiation and Marketing Specialist, Accredited Luxury Home Specialist, Accredited Home Staging Specialist and Certified Relocation Specialist. “I work very hard to earn the trust and confidence of my clients, showing them that I treat each sale or purchase as if it were my own,” Kim says. “To all my wonderful clients, thank you for entrusting me with the sale or purchase of your home. To all my future clients, I can’t wait to help you.”

(407) 701-1621KimSellsOrlandoHomes.com

Realtor advertiorials base.indd 2 2/14/14 3:55:08 PM

BEST REALTORS

FRANK BENEVENTOLuxury Home Specialist Servesa Worldwide Network of Clients.Frank Benevento is a well-respected name in Central Florida’s luxury-home niche. He has conducted business in most of the region’s most upscale communities, and is renowned for his ability to bring high-net-worth individuals into his personal sphere. Year after year, Frank produces a steady stream of buyers from not only Florida but throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Frank, who moved to Central Florida from New York in 2000, has a diverse background that includes building and selling businesses in the manufacturing and commercial sectors. Since relocating, he has used his fi nely honed business savvy and people skills to help people fi nd their dream homes and enjoy lucrative returns on their real estate investments. In his fi rst year with Coldwell Banker, he received the “Rookie of the Year” award. In his second year, he was named to the International President’s Circle, representing the top 10 percent of all Coldwell Banker associates worldwide. In his third year he was inducted into the International President’s Elite Circle, a designation reserved for the top 3 per-cent. Frank, who graduated Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in marketing and management, makes a simple pledge to his clients: To work very hard and accomplish their goals with an unrelenting spirit.

(407) 492-5153orlandoestatesforsale.com



BEST REALTORS

VICKY MCVAY-FROOMA Passion for Celebrity-Level Service for Discerning Clients.Vicky McVay-Froom is an International Lux-ury Home Specialist at Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty’s Orlando/Dr. Phillips Marketing Center. She’s earned a reputa-tion as a dynamic and hardworking Realtor with a passion for quality and a knack for providing “celebrity-level service” to with both buyers and sellers of upscale proper-ties. And it works — more than 75 percent of the business handled by Vicky’s team is a result of repeat business or referrals. Vicky knows that focus will get the job done. A native of St. Petersburg, Vicky has lived in Central Florida since 1967and attended the College of Nursing at the University of Florida. She later attended graduate school at Rollins College, and her prior career was in pediatric nursing. She has also worked in manufacturing and sales, commercial and residential real estate and futures and options trading in the stock market, so her breadth of knowl-edge is vast. For relaxation, she’s a sailing and Harley motorcycle enthusiast. She also enjoys skiing in Colorado and Utah, summers in Highlands, N.C., physical fit-ness training, golf and even competitive ballroom dancing. Vicky loves animals and has always owned dogs. She’s well known and respected locally, nationally and in-ternationally, and has forged an expansive network of partnerships. She is driven by a discipline of hard work including commit-ment, ethics and civility.

(407) [email protected]


BEST REALTORS

MARIA VAN WARNERIt Comes Naturally to AlwaysPut Her Clients’ Need First. For more than a decade, Maria Van Warner has earned a reputation as a Realtor who always puts her client’s needs first. A former social worker and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), she brings this same spirit of helping others to her real estate career. “My background taught me how to really listen and learn about peoples’ needs and desires,” she says. “And then I can help them find exactly what they’re looking for.” Whether she’s working with relocators, first-timers, investors or well-established sellers facing difficult real estate decisions, Maria, a consistent multi-million-dollar producer, understands how to help her clients achieve their goals. It’s an approach that has made her the #1 top individual producer two years in a row and has earned her five consecutive Five Star ratings for exceptional service and overall satisfaction. Five Star recipients are among the top 2 percent of Realtors in any given market. Maria’s extensive knowledge of the schools and neighborhoods through-out the Winter Park, Maitland and Orlando areas is based on personal experience. She has raised four children locally, attending countless sporting, musical and other activi-ties enjoyed by her kids. She’s also involved in the community, graduating from the Win-ter Park Chamber of Commerce Leadership Winter Park program. Said one past client: “Maria was personable, knowledgeable and persistent — I would follow her anywhere.”




BEST REALTORS

VICKY MCVAY-FROOMA Passion for Celebrity-Level Service for Discerning Clients.Vicky McVay-Froom is an International Lux-ury Home Specialist at Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty’s Orlando/Dr. Phillips Marketing Center. She’s earned a reputa-tion as a dynamic and hardworking Realtor with a passion for quality and a knack for providing “celebrity-level service” to with both buyers and sellers of upscale proper-ties. And it works — more than 75 percent of the business handled by Vicky’s team is a result of repeat business or referrals. Vicky knows that focus will get the job done. A native of St. Petersburg, Vicky has lived in Central Florida since 1967and attended the College of Nursing at the University of Florida. She later attended graduate school at Rollins College, and her prior career was in pediatric nursing. She has also worked in manufacturing and sales, commercial and residential real estate and futures and options trading in the stock market, so her breadth of knowl-edge is vast. For relaxation, she’s a sailing and Harley motorcycle enthusiast. She also enjoys skiing in Colorado and Utah, summers in Highlands, N.C., physical fit-ness training, golf and even competitive ballroom dancing. Vicky loves animals and has always owned dogs. She’s well known and respected locally, nationally and in-ternationally, and has forged an expansive network of partnerships. She is driven by a discipline of hard work including commit-ment, ethics and civility.



BEST REALTORS

MARIA VAN WARNERIt Comes Naturally to AlwaysPut Her Clients’ Need First. For more than a decade, Maria Van Warner has earned a reputation as a Realtor who always puts her client’s needs first. A former social worker and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), she brings this same spirit of helping others to her real estate career. “My background taught me how to really listen and learn about peoples’ needs and desires,” she says. “And then I can help them find exactly what they’re looking for.” Whether she’s working with relocators, first-timers, investors or well-established sellers facing difficult real estate decisions, Maria, a consistent multi-million-dollar producer, understands how to help her clients achieve their goals. It’s an approach that has made her the #1 top individual producer two years in a row and has earned her five consecutive Five Star ratings for exceptional service and overall satisfaction. Five Star recipients are among the top 2 percent of Realtors in any given market. Maria’s extensive knowledge of the schools and neighborhoods through-out the Winter Park, Maitland and Orlando areas is based on personal experience. She has raised four children locally, attending countless sporting, musical and other activi-ties enjoyed by her kids. She’s also involved in the community, graduating from the Win-ter Park Chamber of Commerce Leadership Winter Park program. Said one past client: “Maria was personable, knowledgeable and persistent — I would follow her anywhere.”




FLAVOR rona gindin photographs by rafael tongol

Sushi With a TwistSTYLISH KABOOKI SUSHI REDEFINES THE FAMILIAR.

8OL_Mar14_Flavor.indd 52 2/14/14 12:36:32 PM


If you see a server carrying a pale pink brick topped with fish rushing across Kabooki Sushi’s narrow dining room, get out of his way. Quickly. He’s deliv-

ering a “cold tasting” called crudo, and it’s spectacular — for 20 minutes.

The blushing block that’s used as a plate is pure Hawaiian pink salt, you see, providing a theatrical presentation and just the right spritz of flavor for the tender fish. Dig in as soon as the dish is delivered and you may be-come a Kabooki convert on the spot.

But if anybody dallies en route, the citrusy, garlicky raw cobia will surrender its texture and flavor as the temperature drops and the salt level rises. Hence the bustle from kitch-en to table.

That’s a lot of work and worry for one small menu item. But it’s how Kabooki Sushi operates. Chef-owner Henry Moso takes de-tails seriously, from buying high-quality in-gredients to avoiding preparation shortcuts. The rules apply for the entire small-plates menu, which incorporates flavors from sev-eral Asian cuisines.

“We pay extra for the highest quality, and we take the time to make foods look pretty,” Moso says. “Some people question why one fish dish is $15. I tell them it’s because the item is really well prepared.”

Yada yada yada. Every restaurateur gives that “quality” line, but Moso backs it up.

To make the lemon confit that enlivens the Hawaii X.O. sushi roll, the Kabooki cu-linary team cuts lemons into quarters, cures them with salt and sugar for three to four months — months! — then peels off the skin and dices it into tiny pieces.

For the “house-cured Scottish salmon” in Tsunami Sailboats to be special, the fish is vacuum-sealed with peppercorns, orange rind, mirin and soy sauce, and chilled for a full week at 35 degrees.

Moso uses five types of soy sauce, among them a super-pricey variety that comple-ments sashimi and a white version that won’t discolor ceviches and tartares. The sushi rice is Tamaki Gold, a premium product, and the nori seaweed and sushi vinegar are equally

high-end. “We do not cut corners to save $20,” Moso says.

Kabooki Sushi is a bright, stylish res-taurant named for a theatrical mask that is both traditional and modern. The look is all Moso, whose home is outfitted similarly. Af-ter working in traditional Asian restaurants for a decade, he was determined not to have “old school” elements like “sushi boats and wood floors” in his own establishment.

The modest storefront has been converted into an upbeat wonderland. Playful round chandeliers that look like yarn hang over white upholstered booths and a long ban-quette. Modern, color-rich patterns appear above the open kitchen, and artwork decks the walls.

From the color scheme to the recipes, Moso had been plotting his dream restau-rant for quite some time before opening it last April, at the tender age of 22. Born and raised in Laos, he moved to Orlando 10 years ago and began helping his mother, who worked in Japanese and Thai restaurants on the eastern end of town.

Their diet in Laos had been simple: “We were eating sticky rice with our bare hands.” But the flavors, though heavier, were simi-lar to those of Japan, which tend to include more soy and wasabi. Over time, Moso fell in love with everything Japanese, including “creating edible art, the attention to detail, the culture.”

He knew better than to tell anyone of his plans: “They’d say, ‘You’re only 18.’” So he put in long hours, foraged all his meals at work to save money, and spent his earnings traveling to places like Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore to explore their cuisines.

Facing page: Kabooki Sushi’s modern din-ing room is a departure from the “sushi boats and wood floors” found in many traditional Asian eateries. Right: Serving bowls for soup (top) and sake (bottom) bracket Kabuki masks, which give the stylish restaurant, located near Fashion Square, its name.



FLAVOR rona gindin



WHERE: 3122 E. Colonial Dr., OrlandoHOW MUCH: $$WHERE TO CALL: 407-228-3839 • kabookisushi.com

He opened Kabooki on a nondescript stretch of East Colonial Drive. But the location has its advantages. The nearby Fashion Square Mall is being revamped, which will likely attract a hipper crowd. The restaurant also draws guests from nearby Baldwin Park and Winter Park.

Kabooki Sushi is an izakaya restaurant: The dishes are small, meant for tasting in no particular order and not designed as entrées. Start with that crudo, in which the cobia is tossed with garlic oil, orange, micro basil, yuzu citrus vinaigrette and pickled radish before it’s placed on that dramatic salt brick.

Then try that house-cured salmon in the sailboat. It’s wrapped with blue lump crab and fi nished with miso aioli and orange-chili sauce. Thin slices of Fuji apple make tasty sails.

Raw fi sh dominates the menu, but the raw-wary customer will fi nd lots of options. If there’s a “kama” dish the day you visit, get it. The cobia kama is a grilled wedge of fi sh presented with the fi n jutting out. The fl esh is drizzled with a sweet soy-based kabayaki sauce and served with scallion-ponzu dipping sauce. It has a bit of spice.

Pan-seared scallops benefi t from a rich coconut sauce, while duck is cooked in a light tempura batter and mixed in a stir-fry, then served with ginger rice. Be bold and sample the grilled marinated baby octo-pus, which, lined up along a skewer, looks too cute to eat. The taga-rashi spices add a satisfying fl avor, though the texture is a tad fi rm.

Like the rest of the menu, the sushi roll selections evolve regularly. Get that Hawaii X.O. with the lemon confi t if you can. It comple-ments the yellowtail, avocado, Tobanjan (hot bean) aioli, tempura shallots and seasonal fi sh beautifully.

For spice, choose the Smoking Double T. Spicy, made with tuna tartare and escolar. It’s cooked via blowtorch and paired with Srira-cha hot sauce, avocado, cilantro, jalapeños and spicy mayonnaise.

And so on. The Kabooki menu has a few dozen cold, hot, sushi, salad and soup offerings. Oh: And get dessert. The homemade sweets are worth their calories.

The C-4 is a rich, fl ourless chocolate cake with bourbon vanilla ice cream, and the Drunkey Monkey is banana bread pudding with banana bread-beer ice cream and bourbon sabayon sauce. Those are American dishes, not Asian. But Kabooki does bill itself as a fusion restaurant. Now you know why. ■

Rona Gindin, dining editor of Orlando Life, has written about Orlando’s restaurants for Fodor’s and Zagat, among many other publications. She’s the author of The Little Black Book of Walt Disney World.

Facing page, clockwise from top left: Salmon sailboats with apple sails; Drunkey Monkey desserts feature banana bread-beer ice cream; Cobia crudo, served atop a brick of pink salt; chef-owner Henry Moso, slicing cobia, makes certain every item meets his exacting standards Above: Kabooki Sushi offers a variety of beers on tap. Below: The Hawaii X.O. sushi roll, topped with lemon confi t and an edible nasturtium. Dishes at the restaurant are small, meant for tasting in no particular order and not designed as entrées. That means you can try a wide variety of offerings at one sitting.



AFRICANNile Ethiopian 7048 International Drive, Orlando, 407-354-0026 / nile07.com. Locals willingly navigate International Drive to dine at Nile, a family-owned restaurant specializing in the exotic cuisine of Ethiopia. Order a few dishes to share and scoop up the intriguing con-coctions with the eatery’s signature spongy bread. End with a strong cup of aromatic, brewed-to-order coffee. $$

Sanaa 3701 Osceola Parkway, Lake Buena Vista, 407-938-7400 / dis-neyworld.disney.go.com/dining/sanaa. Sanaa, one of Disney’s most interesting restaurants, offers dishes based on cuisine from the Spice Islands, a coastal African area rich with Indian influences. Flavors are intense, but spicy only upon request. (Curry, the chefs insist, is a meld-ing of flavors, not one particular spice.) The marketplace-style din-ing room boasts picture windows overlooking the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s savannah, so you might spot zebra or wildebeest while lunch-ing on tandoori chicken or a vegetarian platter with stewed lentils and a vegetable sambar (stew). $$

AMERICANThe Bistro on Park Avenue 348 N. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-644-2313 / bistroonparkavenue.com. Located in the Hidden Gardens, this low-key eatery’s glass-enclosed garden room offers one of the prettiest settings on Park Avenue. Specialties include chef crab cakes, shrimp or crawfish étouffée and bistro-style pot roast. Breakfast is served on Sat-urdays with an excellent brunch featuring a variety of eggs Benedict made with salmon and soft-shell crab. It’s German Night on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. $$-$$

Briarpatch Restaurant 252 N. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-628-8651. This Park Avenue institution is crowded during breakfast and lunch — and on Sunday for brunch — and incredibly noisy. Fare includes fancy burgers, such as the Grafton white cheddar and sugar-cured bacon burger, as well as sandwiches, salads and omelets. But most patrons are particularly fond of the oversized homemade desserts, including an array of ice creams and such super-rich treats as chocolate layer cake. A bit of trivia: The restaurant’s marble counter once topped the soda fountain at Irvine’s Pharmacy, an even more venerable Park Av-enue institution that operated from 1925 to 1973. $$-$$$

The Cask & Larder 656 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 407-628-2333 / caskandlarder.com. From the folks who brought us Ravenous Pig comes this “Southern Public House” in the former Harper’s Tavern location. “Cask” is for the beer that’s brewed on site and “larder” is an arcane term for a pantry used primarily in the South, so the cuisine is Southern-inspired, locally sourced and encompasses the general categories of sausage and country ham; vegetables and grains; fish and oysters; and such delectable oddities as grilled lamb heart, pork belly and foie-gras stuffed quail. Snout-to-tail specials for parties of eight or more involve serving up an entire animal, usually a pig. Now open for lunch Wednesday through Saturday. The midday menu of-fers more salads and sandwiches along with more substantial entrees such as rabbit meatloaf and trout. Menus change often to reflect local harvests and fresh catches. $$$

Chatham’s Place 7575 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando, 407- 345-2992 / chathamsplace.com. For an old-fashioned dining experience — a subdued dining room and doting personalized service by a veteran staff — check out this hidden Restaurant Row eatery. Locals return regularly for Chef Tony Lopez’s classic dishes such as black grouper with pecan butter, rack of lamb and filet mignon. $$$

Citrus 821 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-373-0622 / citrusorlando.com. A clubby yet stylish restaurant in a convenient downtown Or-lando location, Citrus features modern American cuisine with a nod toward regionally grown and produced ingredients. International influences also highlight the menu, from smoked chili aioli comple-menting herb-marinated chicken to balsamic rum glaze topping juicy pork chops. $$$

Dexter’s 808 E. Washington St., Orlando, 407-648-2777; 558 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, 407-629-1150; 950 Market Prom-enade Ave., Lake Mary, 407-805-3090 / dexwine.com. Central Florida has three Dexter’s locations, and each has become a neighborhood magnet, drawing diners of all ages for hearty portions of creative American fare (at fair prices), good wine and, in some cases, live music. Casual dress is the rule. The brunches, and the pressed duck sandwiches, are especially popular. $$-$$$

Emeril’s Orlando 6000 Universal Blvd., Orlando, 407-224-2424 / emerils.com. Get a taste of — where else? — New Orleans at this always-bustling Universal CityWalk institution. You’ll find classics from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, including the signature barbecue shrimp, andouille-stuffed redfish, double-cut pork chops and banana cream pie. The service, of course, is superb. Consider sharing appetiz-ers at the bar area. $$$$

Hamilton’s Kitchen. 300 E. New England Ave., Winter Park, 407-645-6675 / thealfondinn.com. Named for the innovative former Rollins College president, Hamilton Holt, the warm and welcoming restaurant at the newly opened Alfond Inn boasts an early 1900s ambience, with a hearth-inspired kitchen window, exposed beams,

farmer’s table and Dutch oak floors. The cuisine features traditional Southern offerings using locally sourced ingredients. Hamilton’s is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Chef Chris-topher Windus, former executive chef of Todd English’s bluezoo at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel, is in charge of the kitchen. $$$

Hillstone 215 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-740-4005 / hillstone.com / hillstone. Formerly known as Houston’s, this Winter Park main-stay is part of a high-end chain. Still, it grows its own herbs, bakes its own bread, grinds its own meat, cuts its own fish and whips its own cream. In nice weather, guests relax with a cocktail in Adirondack chairs overlooking Lake Killarney. Many proposals have been popped during dinners for two on the boat dock. $$$

Jernigan’s 400 W. Church St., Orlando, 407-440-7000 / amwaycen-ter.com. Watch a Magic game in style at this well-appointed buffet restaurant located on the Amway Center’s exclusive club level. The reservations-only eatery, open to ticket holders, serves wholesome meals for about $40. The menu of the day might offer slow-smoked barbecue ribs, grilled rib-eye steak, pasta pomodoro and Chinese chicken salad. Jernigan’s is run by Chicago’s Levy Restaurants, the team behind Downtown Disney’s Portobello Yacht Club, Fulton’s Crab House and Wolfgang Puck Grand Café. $$$

Marlow’s Tavern 1008 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-960-3670 / marlowstavern.com. Classic American tavern fare, including an ar-ray of big and juicy burgers, served in an upscale pub environment, with exposed-brick walls, dark wood accents and leather-upholstered booths. The appetizers are wonderful, especially J.T.’s Kettle Chips which include gorgonzola cheese and bacon, are to die for. Outdoor seating is under a sizeable covered patio, where there’s sometimes live entertainment. $$

Matilda’s On Park 358 N. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-951-5790. That seemingly cursed corner of Park and Canton avenues most recent-ly occupied by Galopin and perhaps a half-dozen eateries going back a decade or so is now Matilda’s. The logo features a kangaroo and a “Roo Burger” is offered on the menu, but that’s about as far as the Australian theme is carried. Otherwise it’s an eclectic assortment of traditional pub food such as chicken wings along with tacos, sandwiches and varieties of mac and cheese. The upstairs space, as it was during Galopin’s run, is a lounge with a casual but contemporary vibe. $$$

Park Plaza Gardens 319 S. Park Ave., 407-645-2475 / parkplaza-gardens.com. Located adjacent to the historic Park Plaza Hotel, this Winter Park institution boasts a clubby, cozy bar and sidewalk café for leisurely drinks, casual meals and unparalleled people watching. Café specialties include appetizers, soups, sandwiches, burgers and a lovely array of salads. At the rear of the building is the elegant atrium dining room, a posh, patio-style space where you are surrounded by large trees and lush vegetation beneath a soaring ceiling of glass. The food is worthy of the setting, melding American, European and Asian flavors and cooking techniques. Specialties of the house include beef carpaccio, filet of beef tenderloin, chicken curry salad and crab-stuffed grouper. Bananas foster is a showy but delightful dessert. $$$-$$$$

Rusty Spoon 55 W. Church St., Orlando, 407-401-8811 / therusty-spoon.com. Foodies flock to this Church Street gastropub, a warm and welcoming space in which meals are described as “American food. European roots. Locally sourced.” Your salad will consist of über-fresh greens, your sandwich will be filled with slow-braised lamb, your pasta will be hand-rolled and your meat will be robustly seasoned. $$-$$$

Seasons 52 7700 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-354-5212; 463 E. Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, 407-767-1252 / seasons52.com. Business dinners, ladies’ luncheons and date nights abound at these ever-popular Darden concept restaurants, that boast big, bustling spaces with satisfying food and comprehensive wine lists. It seems incidental that the food happens to be healthful and low in fat, with no menu item topping 475 calories. So if you want that clam chow-der, go for it. It will be cleverly produced without cream, butter or roux. $$-$$$

The Table Orlando 8060 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, 407-900-3463 / thetableorlando.com. For special occasions, book a place at The Table, a tiny restaurant that serves a five-course gourmet meal with wine pairings. Up to 22 guests at a time share the repast around an over-sized table. The New American menu changes regularly and is com-prised in large part of locally sourced foods. The price is a set $100 including tax and tip. Groups can host private events here. $$$$

310 Park South 310 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-647-7277 / 310parksouth.net. New American cuisine featuring fresh seafood, beef, pasta dishes, signature salads and sandwiches. Dine outside along the Avenue and enjoy daily lunch and dinner specials, a chil-dren’s menu or Sunday brunch. Steak, chicken and pasta entrées dominate the menu, but there’s also a very nice, slowly roasted half duck finished with a plum demi-glace. If you prefer to dine at home, call ahead and pick up your favorite dish. $$-$$$

Tibby’s New Orleans Kitchen 2203 Aloma Ave., Winter Park, 407-672-5753 / tibbysneworleans-kitchen.com. If you’re looking for a qui-et, intimate dining experience, this is not the place for you. Tibby’s is loud, raucous and fun, with Crescent City favorites like shrimp Creole, crawfish pie and, for dessert, powdered beignets. Tibby’s was named for the late Walter “Tibby” Tabony, a Big Easy native and great-uncle of restaurateur Brian Wheeler, who also founded Tijuana Flats. The old man, whose colorful biography is on the menu, would certainly have approved of the shrimp and andouille cheddar grits and the hand-battered fried pickle slices, which are expertly fried and served with a rich rémoulade sauce. $$

TooJay’s Various locations / toojays.com. When it’s time for a taste of Jewish Brooklyn — pastrami on rye, latkes, blintzes, knishes — the six local outlets of this South Florida-based chain have it all. You’ll also find diner foods such as omelets, sandwiches and pot-roast dinners. Take home some black-and-white cookies. $

ASIANDragonfly 7972 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, 407-370-3359 / dragon-flyorlando.com. Stylishly attired 30-somethings regularly pack this oh-so-hip restaurant, where groups share sushi, grilled “robata” items, and tapas-style Asian foods such as soft-shell crab tempura, crispy black pork belly and shiso-wrapped spicy tuna. $$

Hawkers Street Fare 1103 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, 407-237-0606 / facebook.com/hawkersstreetfare. This Mills 50 mainstay, named for street vendors of Asian fare, serves up generous tapas-size portions of curry laksa (an aromatic Singaporean soup), roti canai (Malaysian flatbread with a hearty curry sauce), five-spice tofu, chilled sesame noodles, smoky mussels and sensational beef skewers with peanuty satay dip. $$

Ming Bistro 1212 Woodward St., Orlando, 407-898-9672. Enjoy per-haps Orlando’s best dim sum for dinner or, on a weekend morning or afternoon, select shrimp dumplings, beef balls, turnip cakes, sticky rice, barbecue pork buns and egg tarts one small dish at a time from carts that roll between tables. The a la carte menu features Hong Kong-style staples from stir-fry beef to chicken feet. $

Orchid Thai Cuisine 305 N. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-331-1400. Enjoy authentic Thai food — with orchids (what else?) garnishing many dishes — in a primo Park Avenue location. Traditional offerings include green curry highlighted by coconut gravy infused with kaffir lime and Thai basil, larb chicken, tom yum soup and curry puffs. For a light and refreshing dessert, try the Thai doughnuts, sweetened by a peanut-sprinkled dip of condensed milk. The cozy restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating. $$-$$$

Sea Thai 3812 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, 407-895-0985 / seaorlan-do.com. Start with a green papaya salad and beef yum, then feast on steamed whole fish with garlic chili sauce, pad Thai and green curry chicken. But you can’t go wrong with any of the Thai classics offered at this welcoming East Orlando eatery. $$

Sushi Pop 310 W. Mitchell Hammock Road, Oviedo, 407-542-5975 / sushipoprestaurant.com. Oviedo is an unlikely location for this cutting-edge restaurant, a popular spot for sushi. The food is serious and often experimental, as chef-owner Chau uses molecular gastronomy to create some of the fusion fare. The aura is fun: Asian anime on the walls, play-ful colors, and servers who dress in outrageous themed outfits. $$

Tasty Wok 1246 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, 407-896-8988 / yelp.com/biz/tasty-wok-orlando. True, it’s a humble spot, but Tasty Wok offers an array of satisfying dishes, among them roast duck and steaming soups. Try the beef chow fun, eggplant with minced pork and salt and pepper ribs. A smaller menu of American-style Chinese dishes is also available. $

CONTINENTALVenetian Room 8101 World Center Drive, Orlando, 407-238-8060 / thevenetianroom.com. Walk though a run-of-the-mill convention hotel to reach this AAA Four-Diamond treasure, an elegant, domed-service, continental restaurant that pays homage to the heyday of unapologetic, butter-and-cream-enhanced fine dining. The lobster bisque is an absolute must. After that, try the filet mignon, duck a l’orange or Dover sole. $$$$

CREATIVE/PROGRESSIVEChef’s Table at the Edgewater Hotel 99 W. Plant St., Winter Garden, 407-230-4837 / chefstableattheedgewater.com. Husband-and-wife team Kevin and Laurie Tarter are your personal servers at this intimate Winter Garden hideaway, where Kevin prepares the evening’s three-

THE KEY$ Inexpensive, most entrées under $10

$$ Moderate, most entrées $10-20

$$$ Pricey, most entrées over $20

$$$$ Very expensive, most entrées over $30

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8OL_Mar14_Flavor.indd 56 2/14/14 11:35:57 AM


course, prix-fixe meal and Laurie helps choose the wine. Adjacent, the Tasting Room offers tapas-size portions of international dishes and a full bar. $$$

Fresh 535 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, 321-295-7837/fresh-cafe.wp.com. You’d expect globally inspired cuisine in a restaurant owned by partners who are Filipino-Italian and Panamanian-Lebanese, respectively. And that’s what you get at aptly named Fresh, where the ingredients are uniformly fresh and largely locally sourced. The ever-changing menu features such entrees as seared scallops with lime-ginger beurre blanc, butternut squash ravioli and succulent beef ten-derloin. The grilled peach with mozzarella, prosciutto, lemon honey vinaigrette and mint is an out-of-the-ordinary salad. $$$-$$$$

K Restaurant 1710 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, 407-872-2332 / kres-taurant.net. Kevin Fonzo, the go-to chef in College Park since 2001, owns this homey eatery, which is, in fact, located in a converted house. The menu is mostly creative-American, along with Italian fa-vorites celebrating Fonzo’s heritage. Casual wine tastings and themed special dinners, along with a constantly changing menu, bring back regulars for singular experiences. $$-$$$

Le Rouge 7730 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-370-0909 / ler-ougewinebar.com. This Restaurant Row hot spot is a sexy lounge with backlit lighting, a long bar and comfy sofas. It also features fine food. Guests can choose from among three-dozen tapas, including garlic shrimp and sautéed wild mushrooms. $$$

Luma on Park 290 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-599-4111 / luma-onpark.com. If there’s pancetta in your salad, the salumi was made in the kitchen, by hand, starting with a whole pig. Most herbs are from local farms, fish from sustainable sources, pickled vegetables jarred in house and desserts built around seasonal ingredients. Luma’s pro-gressive menu, which changes daily, is served in a sleek and stylish dining room under the passionate direction of Executive Chef Bran-don McGlamery, Chef de Cuisine Derek Perez and Pastry Chef Brian Cernell. $$$

Norman’s 4012 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, 407-393-4333 / normans.com. Celebrity Chef Norman Van Aken’s restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes, turns out artistic New World cuisine com-

bining the flavors of Latin America, the Caribbean, the Far East and the United States. The dining room is dramatic, the food astounding and the service polished. Be sure to begin with a Norman’s classic: foie gras “French toast.” And you’ll be delighted with the Mongolian veal chop. $$$$

Ravenous Pig 1234 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park, 407-628-2333 / theravenouspig.com. After leaving their hometown for serious culi-nary training, Winter Park natives James and Julie Petrakis returned to open the region’s first genuine gastropub. Dinner reservations have been tough to snag ever since. The ambitious menu changes daily based on the fish, meat and produce that’s available, and it’s executed by a dedicated team that abhors shortcuts. Besides daily specials, The Pig always serves up an excellent burger, soft pretzels, shrimp and grits and a donut dessert called Pig Tails. $$$

Victoria & Albert’s 4401 Floridian Way, Lake Buena Vista, 407-939-3862 / victoria-alberts.com. Indulgent, multicourse prix-fixe feasts are served in the serenely elegant main dining room, accompanied by live harp music, while yet more courses are offered in the more intimate Queen Victoria’s Room and the private Chef’s Table. Chef Scott Hun-nel, Maitre d’ Israel Pérez and Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek travel the world to learn the latest food and service trends, then adapt the golden ones locally. That’s why V&A, at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, is Orlando’s only AAA Five Diamond restaurant. $$$$

FRENCHCafé de France 526 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-647-1869 / lecafedefrance.com. Dominique Gutierrez, who’s from Vendée, on the Atlantic coast of France, still greets Café de France diners as if they’re old friends. At this point, many are. Despite a kitchen staffed with chefs, she still prepares the house-made pâtés the way her mother taught her years ago. Look for classics such as garlicky escargot and au courant entrées such as rack of lamb with mint, eggplant purée and crisp wild mushrooms. $$-$$$

Café 906 906 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 407-975-0600 / ca-fe906.blogspot.com. Within this nondescript freestanding building is a friendly, low-key little restaurant where French expat Vincent Vallée will brew you a cappuccino, warm up a slice of quiche Lorraine or indulge you with a peanut-butter filled lava cake — dark chocolate or

white. Be sure to try the “salted” pound cake, a savory snack made with goat cheese, walnuts and raisins stirred in, or the bacon quiche, a light, fluffy delight with a delicate and flaky crust. $

Chez Vincent 533 W. New England Ave, Winter Park, 407-599-2929 / chezvincent.com. Orlandoans have headed to chef Vincent Gagliano’s Hannibal Square hideaway for 15 years, dressing up for formal eve-nings made even more special with trout in lemon-butter and pork tenderloin slathered with Dijon sauce. The intimate space has two sister enterprises: a below-ground wine cellar that hosts private meals for up to 30, and a lounge known as Hannibal’s that dishes up Ameri-can and French favorites. $$-$$$

Croissant Gourmet 120 E. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, 407-622-7753 / croissantgourmet.com. Tucked onto a side street behind simple glass walls, Croissant Gourmet is so small you might not notice it. Seek it out. Under the expert guidance of pastry chef François Cahagne, this simple spot turns out tray after tray of the region’s finest croissants and pastries. Quiches are superb here, as are the grilled croque mon-sieur and madame sandwiches. $-$$

Dylan’s Deli 1198 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park, 407-622-7578 / dy-lansdeli.net. In a disjointed little space featuring warm fresco colors and distinctive touches such as arched doorways, Dylan’s Deli offers not only the pastrami sandwiches you’d expect but also a wondrous assortment of French fare. Crêpes and paninis filled with an array of Gallic and international flavors make for satisfying lunches, while montaditos (platters of meats, cheeses, nuts and more) and charcute-rie plates pair well with French wines and beers after dark. $$-$$$

Le Macaron French Pastries 216 N. Park Ave., Winter Park, 321-295-7958 / lemacaron-us.com. Le Macaron serves up 16 flavors of petite pastel cookies, each made primarily with frothy meringue and ground almonds. The noshes are delicate yet filling, and come in varieties such as black currant, pistachio and chestnut-ginger-chocolate. These are nothing like similarly named macaroons, made with coconut. $

Paris Bistro 216 N. Park Ave., 407-671-4424, Winter Park / parisbis-troparkavenue.com. Paris Bistro is a restaurant divided: Some seats are tucked away behind Park Avenue’s Shops on Park building, past a koi pond. The others beckon along a bustling stretch of sidewalk.

W i n t e r P a r k400 South Orlando Avenue 407-644-7770

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Wherever you choose to indulge, you’ll find French classics (coq au vin, beef burgundy) plus a slew of daily specials (roasted rack of lamb flambéed with brandy and topped with a porcini mushroom sauce) created by chef and co-owner Sebastian Colce. $$-$$$

HAWAIIAN/POLYNESIANEmeril’s Tchoup Chop 6300 Hollywood Way, Orlando, 407-503-2467 / emerils.com. Emeril Lagasse’s Polynesian-fusion fare is executed within a dramatically decorated space. Diners enjoy tropical cocktails, steamed dumplings and creative entrées such as pan-roasted duck breast with gingered pear chutney and umeboshi (pickled) plum glaze. $$$$

Roy’s 7760 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-352-4844 / roysres-taurant.com. Hawaiian-fusion flavors enhance familiar and exotic fish dishes at this Restaurant Row pioneer, a link in a Honolulu-based chain owned by namesake chef, Roy Yamaguchi. $$

INDIANAashirwad 5748 International Dr., Orlando, 407-370-9830 / aashirwadrestaurant.com. Begin with kashmiri naan, a slightly sweet bread stuffed with nuts, coconut and raisins, and continue with chick-en biryani, cauliflower in exotic Manchurian gravy and a mixed tan-doori grill. Whole spices are roasted and ground daily on site, further enhancing the cuisine’s authenticity. $$

Memories of India 7625 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, 407-370-3277; 3895 Lake Emma Road, Lake Mary, 407-804-0920 / memoriesofindia-cuisine.com. Exceptionally good Indian fare draws diners in Dr. Phillips and Lake Mary to these twin restaurants, where dishes such as palek paneer (creamed spinach) and lamb masala in rich ginger-garlic gravy always satisfy. $$

Raga 7559 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-985-2900 / ragares-taurant.com. From its stylish décor to its inspired, somewhat global menu, Raga is a step above most local Indian restaurants. $$-$$$

IRISHFiddler’s Green 544 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 407-645-2050 / fiddlersgreenorlando.com. This is as authentically Irish as you’ll find in Orlando, with a menu featuring bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie,

hen in a pot, Irish stew and, of course, fish and chips as well as a wide selection of Irish beers. The ambience is enhanced by dark wood, cozy clutter and rowdy groups of “footballers” cheering televised matches. $-$$

Raglan Road 1640 E. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, 407-938-0300 / raglanroad.com. Irish foods go a wee gourmet at this raucous Downtown Disney megapub, where watching Irish dancers and tast-ing imported beers are all part of the family fun. $$

ITALIANAntonio’s 611 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland, 407-645-5523; 691 Front St., Celebration, 407-566-2233 / antoniosonline.com. Fine Italian fare comes in three price ranges at Antonio’s, proprietor Greg Gentile’s trio of culinary homages to his ancestors. In Maitland, the upstairs Ristorante is somewhat formal, although the open kitchen provides peeks of the chefs in action. Its downstairs counterpart, Antonio’s Market & Café, is a more casual spot that doubles as a market and wine shop. And in Celebration, the casual, lake-view Cafe d’Antonio hits that center sweet spot. $$-$$$

Bice 5601 Universal Blvd., Orlando, 407-503-1415 / orlando.bice-group.com. Bice, with 50 locations around the world, has a local outpost of ambitious Italian cuisine at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal. Homemade egg pasta is used for several dishes, such as spaghetti Bolognese; other choices include veal piccata and steak with a Gorgonzola-demi sauce. $$$$

Brio Tuscan Grille 4200 Conroy Road, Orlando, 407-351-8909 / 480 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-622-5611 / brioitalian.com. Lo-cated in Winter Park Village, Brio is a Tuscan treasure. Try the roasted lamb chops, a full rack, or the filletto di manzo toscana, an 8-ounce, center-cut filet. Lunch features paninis and sandwiches as well as lunch-sized servings of popular dinner dishes. Pastas are made in-house and breads are baked fresh in an Italian oven. The ambience is upscale, but kids have their own menu. $$

Buca di Beppo 1351 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland, 407-622-7663 / bu-cadibeppo.com. This national chain is owned by Orlando resident (and Planet Hollywood founder) Robert Earl, who has remade it onto a fun, kitschy place for family dining. The portions are humongous, and the food is served family style. A standout entrée is linguine fruitti di mari,

a large portion of pasta served in a lasagna pan and filled with mus-sels, calamari, clams and shrimp drizzled with an olive oil sauce. The pizzas are excellent, too. $$$

Enzo’s on the Lake 1130 U.S. 17-92, Longwood, 407-834-9872 / en-zos.com. Long before Orlando became a serious foodie town, Enzo’s was serving up lovingly prepared Italian specialties inside a converted Longwood home. Little has changed. Split a bunch of antipasto to begin your meal. After that, you pretty much can’t go wrong, but standout dishes include homemade ravioli stuffed with chicken and spinach, veal with artichoke-caper-white wine sauce and possibly the best spaghetti carbonara in town. $$$

O’Stromboli 1803 E. Winter Park Road, Orlando, 407-647-3872 / os-trombolis.com. This innocuous neighborhood eatery isn’t fancy, but the food is filling and fresh. That’s why it has become a favorite of residents of Merritt Park, Rose Isle and Baldwin Park. The carbonara is particularly hearty and the fettuccini Alfredo is rich, buttery and more than you should eat in one sitting. The homemade soups are always a dependable starter. $$

Palma Maria 1015 E. Semoran Blvd., Casselberry, 407-339-2856 / pal-mamaria.com. You’ve got to love a restaurant where the same family has served the same food with the same smiles for more than three decades — but will cook up whatever you ask for on a whim. $$

Pannullo’s Italian Restaurant 216 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-629-7270 / pannullos.com. Housed in one of Park Avenue’s oldest buildings, Pannullo’s is approaching its 20th anniversary and has be-come something of a fixture itself. The menu features everything from pizza to classic pasta dishes, but you can’t go wrong with the lobster ravioli or the chicken gorgonzola. And check out the veggie-heavy salad bar. $$

Peperoncino 7988 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, 407-440-2856 / pep-eroncinocucina.com. The menu changes every night at this cozy Dr. Phillips restaurant, where chef-owner Barbara Alfano puts out plates of fried pecorino drizzled with honey, pear and four-cheese pasta and fish steamed in parchment paper. $$$

Prato 124 N. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-262-0050 / prato-wp.com. This is one of Orlando’s very best Italian restaurants, but don’t ex-pect a classic lasagna or chicken parmigiana. Executive Chef Brandon McGlamery and Chef di Cucina Matthew Cargo oversee an open kitchen in which pastas are made from scratch, pizzas are rolled to order, sausages are stuffed by hand and the olive oil is a luscious or-ganic pour from Italy. Try the chicken liver Toscana, a satisfying salad Campagna with cubes of sizzling pancetta tesa, shrimp tortellini and citrusy rabbit cacciatore. Begin with a Negroni cocktail; it’s possibly the best around. $$-$$$

Rocco’s Grille & Bar 400 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-644-7770 / roccositaliangrille.com. Calabria native Rocco Potami oversees this romantic Italian eatery, where fine authentic fare is presented in an intimate dining room and on a secluded brick patio. Classics in-clude carpaccio (raw, thinly sliced beef with white truffle oil and aru-gula), ricotta gnocchi and a breaded veal chop topped with a lightly dressed salad. It’s easy to miss, tucked away in a Winter Park strip center, but once you find it, you’ll be back. $$$

Tolla’s Italian Deli & Café 240 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Winter Park, 407-628-0068 / tollasitalianrestaurant.com. Chef-owner Gary Tolla cooks up authentic home-style Italian fare in this small café in a qui-eter part of Winter Park. The offerings range from hot subs and pizzas to antipasto and veal saltimbocca. Be sure to try the bruschetta. $$

LATINMi Tomatina 433 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, 321-972-4881 / mitomatina.com. This eatery bills itself as a paella bar, and indeed guests share a half-dozen varieties of the signature Spanish rice dish. Yet others come for a mellow meal over tapas (garlic shrimp, potato omelet, croquettes) and sangria, enjoyed while seated within a small contemporary dining room or outdoors overlooking Hannibal Square. $$-$$$

Pio-Pio 5752 International Drive, Orlando, 407-248-6424 / mypi-opio.com; 2500 S. Semoran Blvd., Orlando, 407-207-2262 / piopios.com; 11236 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, 407-438-5677. Latin American-style marinated roast chicken is a mainstay at this trio of Peruvian-Columbian restaurants, where families fuel up on heaping platters of pollo along with garlicky salad, fried plantains (sweet and green), and rice and beans. $$

MEDITERRANEANalFresco 146 W. Plant St., Winter Garden, 407-654-5889 / alfrescow-intergarden.com. Locally sourced foods take on a Mediterranean bent at this upscale-casual restaurant hidden behind downtown Winter Garden’s charming Plant Street. $$

Bosphorous 108 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-644-8609; 7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd., 407-352-6766 / bosphorousrestaurant.com. This is the place for flavorful Turkish fare in either a white-tablecloth setting or

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alfresco along Park Avenue or Dr. Phillips Boulevard. Many couples fi ll up on the appetizer sampler with oversized lavash bread. For a heartier meal, try the ground lamb “Turkish pastry,” a shish kebab or a tender lamb shank. Outdoor diners can end their meals by smoking from a hookah. Or not. $$

Taverna Opa 9101 International Drive, Orlando, 407-351-8660 / opaorlando.com. The food is excellent, but that’s only half the reason to visit Taverna Opa. On busy nights, the place is festive indeed: Some guests join a Zorba dance around the dining room while others toss white napkins into the air, joyously shouting “Opa!” Then there’s the belly dancer. $$

MEXICAN/SOUTHWESTERNBorder Grill Fresh-Mex 5695 Vineland Road, Orlando, 407-352-0101 / bordergrillorlando.weebly.com. The fl avors are crazy-fresh at this tiny Mexican restaurant near Universal, where Veronica Starling and her mother, Esther Fragaso, run the kitchen and dining room with the help of assorted relatives. $

Cantina Laredo 8000 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, 407-345-0186 / cantinalaredo.com. Modern Mexican cuisine in a spiffy setting draws lovers of cilantro, jalapeño and pico de gallo to this Restaurant Row eatery, where the margaritas fl ow, the guacamole is made tableside and the portions are generous. The spinach enchilada is a vegetarian-friendly treat. $$

Cocina 214 151 E. Wellbourne Ave., Winter Park, 407-790-7997. The area code of Dallas is 214, so this stylish eatery’s name makes sense when you consider that its menu offers creative, gourmet in-terpretations of traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. The huevos rancheros, fl anked by Mexican rice and black beans, makes an ideal brunch, with fried eggs served atop corn tortillas and topped with melted queso blanco and red rancheros sauce. Also notable: the truffl e mushroom quesadilla and braised pork tacos with mango as well as pescado rico, a large serving of mahi-mahi, wilted spinach and grilled veggies in a roasted poblano cream sauce. The main dining room encompasses freestanding tables and banquettes and there’s a spacious patio where pooches are welcome. $$

P.R.’s Taco Palace 499 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 407-645-2225. This charmingly dumpy but iconic Winter Park eatery, located adjacent to the railroad tracks, serves up hearty portions of Tex-Mex fare including chimichangas, fajitas, tostadas and, of course, tacos. A specialty of the house is the outrageously proportioned fundido, a deep-fried fl our tortilla fi lled with your choice of shredded or black-ened chicken, shredded or ground beef and cream cheese. Many, many margaritas are consumed on the premises, and discounted te-quila shots are offered whenever a train rumbles past. $-$$

SEAFOODFlying Fish Café 2101 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, 407-939-2359 / disneyworld.com. Creative seafood — and some great steak — are on the menu at this upbeat eatery in Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. For a special experience, enjoy a fi ve-course Chef’s Tasting Wine Dinner while seated at the food bar. $$$$

Mitchell’s Fish Market 460 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-339-3474 / mitchellsfi shmarket.com. A high-end seafood chain that prides itself on being “absolutely, positively obsessed with freshness,” the family-friendly restaurant also offers a gluten-free menu and special meals for kids. Signature dishes include charbroiled oysters, Maine lobster bisque and a “Fish Market Trio” of blackened salmon, broiled salmon and sea scallops. $$-$$$

Ocean Prime 7339 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-781-4880 / ocean-prime.com. Designed to evoke the ambience of an old-time supper club, Ocean Prime’s white-jacketed servers offer sensational steaks and fi sh dishes along with creative options such as sautéed shrimp in a spectacular Tabasco-cream sauce, crab cakes with sweet corn cream and ginger salmon. End with the chocolate peanut but-ter pie. $$$$

Todd English’s bluezoo 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, 407-934-1111 / thebluezoo.com. Creatively prepared seafood is served in an over-the-top undersea setting at this fi ne-dining restau-rant, located in Disney’s Swan and Dolphin hotel. The fashion-forward choices might be a miso-glazed Hawaiian sea bass or fried lobster in a soy glaze. The desserts are among the best in town. $$$$

Winter Park Fish Co. 761 Orange Ave. Winter Park, 407-622-6112 / thewinterparkfi shco.com. Fish and seafood dishes are fresh and well-prepared at this humble Winter Park spot, where a counter service format helps keep the prices reasonable. Crab cakes, lobster rolls, mahi-mahi sandwiches and more ambitious dishes such as grouper cheeks in parchment and stuffed grouper are among a day’s assort-ment. $$

STEAKBull & Bear 14200 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando, 407-597-5500 / bullandbearorlando.com. Orlando’s Bull & Bear looks similar to

New York’s legendary steakhouse (except for the pool and golf course views), but ours has its own ambitious menu. Guests of the Waldorf Astoria’s fi ne-dining restaurant can feast on traditional items such as veal Oscar and prime steak that’s dry aged for 21 days, and intriguing ones such as appetizers of gnocchi and escargot with crescents of black garlic. The chocolate and lemon desserts are superb. $$$$

Capital Grille 4200 Conroy Road, 407-351-2210; 9101 International Drive, 407-370-4392 / thecapitalgrille.com. Capital Grille tries to one-up its upscale steakhouse competitors by dry-aging its beef, an expen-sive process that results in especially fl avorful meat. Try a beautifully unadorned chop or a more creative dish, such as citrus-glazed salmon or Kona-crusted sirloin. The setting is clubby; the wine selection is generous. $$$$

Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster 729 Lee Road, Orlando, 407-645-4443 / christnersprimesteakandlobster.com. Locals have been choos-ing this prototypically masculine, dark-wood-and-red-leather enclave for business dinners and family celebrations for more than a decade. Family-owned since 1993 yet under the Del Frisco’s banner until mid-2013, Christner’s features USDA Prime, corn-fed Midwestern beef or Australian cold-water lobster tails with a slice of the restaurant’s leg-endary mandarin orange cake. And there’s a loooong wine list (6,500 bottles). On select nights, Kostya Kimlat hosts magic shows along with a prix-fi xe menu in a private dining room. $$$$

Fleming’s 8030 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, 407-352-5706; 933 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-699-9463 / fl emingssteakhouse.com. Fleming’s puts a younger spin on the stately steakhouse concept, fea-turing sleek décor and 100 wines by the glass along with its prime steaks and chops. The tempura lobster “small plate” with soy-ginger dipping sauce is a worthy pre-entrée splurge. For a taste of the old-fashioned, visit on Sunday, when prime rib is served. $$$$

Linda’s La Cantina 4721 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, 407-894-4491 / lindaslacantina.com. An Orlando icon, this style-free, windowless restaurant is always packed, and that’s because it serves top-quality steak dinners at wallet-friendly prices. Namesake Linda’s daughters Karen Hart, Debra Tassoni and Lori Coley, run the establishment to-day. $$-$$$

Nelore Churrascaria 115 E. Lyman Ave., Winter Park, 407-645-1112 / neloresteakhouse.com. This is one of two Nelore Brazilian all-you-can-eat steakhouses — the other one is in Houston — where the servers, or “gauchos,” come to your table as often as you’d like bear-ing skewers of premier beef, chicken or pork. There’s a world-class salad bar and Brazilian cheese bread to keep you happy between meat courses. $$$$

Ruth’s Chris 7501 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-226-3900; 610 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-622-2444; 80 Colonial Cen-ter Parkway, Lake Mary, 407-804-8220 / ruthschris.com. With three stately steakhouses and corporate headquarters by Winter Park Vil-lage, Ruth’s Chris, a native of New Orleans, has become an Orlando special-occasion mainstay. Its service-oriented restaurants specialize in massive corn-fed Midwestern steaks served sizzling and topped with butter. $$$$

Shula’s 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Orlando, 407-934-1362; 2974 International Parkway, Lake Mary, 407-531-3567 / donshula.com. Coach Don Shula, who led the Miami Dolphins to a perfect season in 1972, is now in the restaurant business. One of his Orlando outposts, located in Disney World’s Swan and Dolphin resort, is a dark, taste-fully sports-themed steakhouse where the menu is painted on a foot-ball. Offerings include Premium Black Angus beef as well as barbecue shrimp, wedge salad and crab cakes. Up in Lake Mary, Shula’s 347 Grill is more of a sports bar with ambitious food. $$-$$$$

VEGETARIANCafé 118 153 E. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, 407-389-2233 / cafe118.com. Raw foods—none cooked past 118 degrees—are the focus of this health-conscious niche café, which attracts raw foodists, vegans and vegetarians. The spinach and beet ravioli stuffed with cashew ricotta is an impressive imitation of the Italian staple. Thirsty Park Av-enue shoppers might stop by for a healthful smoothie. $$

Ethos Vegan Kitchen 601 S. New York Ave., Winter Park, 407-228-3898 / ethosvegankitchen.com. Ethos is a vegan restaurant with a menu that also satisfi es open-minded carnivores. Fuel up on pecan-crusted eggplant with red wine sauce and mashed potatoes or a meat-free shepherd’s pie, if salads, sandwiches and coconut-curry tofu wraps won’t do the trick. $-$$

Infusion Tea 1600 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, 407-999-5255 / infu-sionorlando.com. College Parkers have umpteen options for lunch and dinner, yet Infusion Tea always has a buzz. It sells tea, sure, but also healthy, fl avorful, meat-free paninis, pizzas, salads, wraps and quiches. $

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PEOPLE & PLACES with paula

If you’re going to celebrate your birthday in style, you might as well invite a legendary French fashion designer to the event, n’est-ce pas?

Well, Christian Lacroix wasn’t exactly on the guest list of Exposé, the gala celebrating the Orlando Ballet’s 40th year. But then, neither was Mikail Baryshnikov. Both had a presence in the

celebration just the same.As part of the festivities, the American Ballet Theatre was kind

enough to send the colorful costumes created for its 1988 production of Gaîté Parisienne to go on display — fi rst at the Neiman Marcusstore at The Mall at Millenia, then as part of the Exposé soiree at the new Aloft Hotel.

The costumes were designed by Lacroix at Baryshnikov’s request. Sending them to Orlando was a generous gesture on behalf of ABT. It was one heck of a birthday present and a sentimental moment for Orlando Ballet’s artistic director, Robert Hill, a former principal dancer at ABT who was in the cast of Gaîté Parisienne.

Artsy BirthdaysPLUS COURAGEOUS KIDS AND A GREAT HOUSE WARMING.

Costumes from the American Ballet Theatre’s 1988 production of were on full display at the Exposé gala celebrating

the Orlando Ballet’s 40th anniversaryGaîté Parisienne

Hope is the sparkle we bring.

S AT U R DAY, M AY 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 , a t R O S E N S H I N G L E C R E E K

r u n w a y t o h o p e .o r gLet’s hold hands. Let’s walk together. Let’s end childhood cancer.

14FOR004_ORLANDO_LIFE_FP4C_MARCH_RTH-PRESS.pdf 1 2/11/14 12:54 PM

9OL_Mar14 Paula.indd 60 2/14/14 11:42:57 AM

Hope is the sparkle we bring.

S AT U R DAY, M AY 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 , a t R O S E N S H I N G L E C R E E K

Benefitting pediatr ic oncology programs at:

For tickets, sponsorships and additionalinformation, please contact us at

407-802-1544 or [email protected].

P h o to co u r te s y o f t h eN i e l se n s P h o to g ra p h y & D e s i g n

r u n w a y t o h o p e .o r gLet’s hold hands. Let’s walk together. Let’s end childhood cancer.

Join us at Runway to Hope’s Spring Fashion Soiree for an unforgettable evening celebrating the bravery, hope and beauty of more than 90 children fighting pediatric cancer.

14FOR004_ORLANDO_LIFE_FP4C_MARCH_RTH-PRESS.pdf 1 2/11/14 12:54 PM



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Spoon Full o F SugarWhen I heard that I could dust off my hat and break out my pearls to join a ballroom full of the coolest ladies in Orlando for a classic afternoon of tea and sweets, I sweetly clicked “yes” on the invite from Kids Beating Cancer’s Spoon Full of Sugar event.

There was a lovely spring fashion show provided by Macy’s, whose emcee was my friend and WFTV Channel 9 anchorwoman Vanessa Echols, who always arrives emanating a built-in style and grace all her own.

The event, which was held at the new Alfond Inn in Winter Park, boasted a long list of partners: Florida Pediatric Associates, Em-braced by Grace and Florida Child Neurology, just to name a few.

And, of course, my heart melted at the sight of the kids, who were not only in attendance but were also part of the fashion show. As they shared tea with committee chair Donna Boyer, I enjoyed chatting it up with Shane Nguyen Barr and Bob Delvecchio.

Kids Beating Cancer was created in 1992 by Margaret Voight Guedes in memory of her son, John, who lost his battle with leu-kemia earlier that year. I love being around Margaret. She brings an elegant passion to all she does.

par ty at the plazaThis year’s annual fundraiser for the Orlando Philharmonic Or-chestra doubled as a housewarming party.

A crowd of more than 400 attended the Party at the Plaza — meaning the Plaza Live Theatre, a renovated, two-screen movie theater that the Phil purchased last year as its office, rehearsal and

1. Emily Scotson, Donna Boyer, Tari Kazaros

2. Kaitlin Silviano, Desi Garrison, Patsy Kruppenbacher, Logan Finney

3. Joshua Chambers, Erica Barr

4. Shane Nguyen Barr, Donna Boyer, Paula Wyatt, Erica Barr

5. Margaret Guedes, Donna Boyer, Dawn Mateer

6-8. The Party at the Plaza raised big bucks for the Orlando Phil

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PEOPLE AND PLACES with paula



Native Floridian Paula Wyatt is an Orlando event planner, social-media ex-pert and entrepreneur whose companies include Posh Able Events, Posh Able Image Builders and the nonprofit Posh Abilities. You can reach her at [email protected].

THERE’S MORE ONLINEUsing your mobile device, scan the QR code or go to orlando-life.com and see more pictures and stories from these and other events held throughout Cen-tral Florida.

performance space. Previous galas were seated dinners with full-orchestra performanc-

es. This one offered more of a variety-show format, and included musical performers ranging from folk to funk to classical.

The evening was topped off by long-time favorite Michael An-drew & The Atomic Big Band.

David Schillhammer, the Phil’s executive director, said the event net-ted over $70,000 — more than any of the orchestra’s past three galas.

OMA’S 90THWe were impressed by the ballet’s costume party, but in terms of the guest list — well, you couldn’t have a more distinguished roster than the Orlando Museum of Art welcomed at its 90 birthday party.

Let’s just take a peek at that guest list: Peter Paul Rubens and Thomas Gainsborough were on hand, for starters. And we’re all on a first-name basis with that other fellow that nobody could keep their eyes off of: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn.

One of the most lively crowds ever to gather at the museum savored snacks and conversation in the lobby, listened to opening remarks, then filtered in to see the exhibit: Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough and the Golden Age of Painting in Europe.

Talk about great birthday presents: The exhibit, which is on loan from the Speed Museum in Louisville, will be on display through May 25. n

1. Derrick and Stacey Cox; Brenda and Jim Wetmore

2-3. Guests admire the Old Masters at OMA’s 90th birthday celebration

4. Jennifer Gordon, Tyra Dance, Linda Santiago, Betty Ross, Joseph Rosier

5. Harry Sykes

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Reelections tend to be coronations in this town. The incumbent announces he or she is running again. Supporters and special interests who want something sign on as fundraisers. They

raise a gazillion dollars. The media finds out. Indignant columnists lash out at the mass infusion of special-interest

campaign money and list a few of the top offenders. And everyone at campaign headquarters exchanges high-fives because that was just their intent — a blinking billboard that says, “Hey, look who’s on our side.’’

The effect is akin to the alpha wolf howling at the top of the moun-tain to scare away challengers.

Everybody uses this strategy, even Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. Most everyone who was against her in 2010 is for her in 2014 because everyone understands the system. But this time, at the last moment, a potentially serious candidate ignored the howl and en-tered the race: former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings.

Full disclosure: I worked for Mayor Jacobs and admire her. But former political minions always are commenting on campaigns. I’ll try to refrain from blatant spinning because I have great admiration for Demings, though I don’t think she has a lemming’s chance in this race. She is up against a very good politician.

Consider our little world back in 2011. Jacobs had just entered of-fice. In her official first act, she responded to a request for more money for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts by publicly ripping the project to shreds, citing mismanagement and cost overruns.

This put Jacobs on a war footing with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Democratic, downtown establishment. Meanwhile, the future for the Citrus Bowl project, which also hadn’t gotten off the ground because of insufficient funds, didn’t appear much brighter.

This made Buddy one-for-three on his coveted venues.Fast forward to today. The performing arts center is rising. The Cit-

rus Bowl not only is under construction, but the plans have been up-graded. Add to those plums a new soccer stadium and MLS franchise.

Now, instead of one-for-three, Buddy is four-for-four. Everybody is happy, even the I-Drive hoteliers, who are getting a major renova-tion of the Orange County Convention Center.

Such is the magic that can be produced when, like Jacobs, you have the most say over how the resort tax on hotel rooms is spent.

You can speculate about how much politics had to do with some or all of this, but I would respond that politics have something to do with everything. What matters are results.

Turning our attention back to Demings, she is not acting like a very good politician. She pre-announced her intention to run for mayor, undermining the official announcement, which otherwise would have been a huge, front-page photo-op.

She has not been endorsed by Dyer, who appointed her police chief. Jim Pugh, the driving force behind the arts center and perhaps the top Democratic fundraiser in town, is working for Jacobs, who has also been embraced by the downtown establishment.

Not one A-team Democrat has backed Demings, whose entire strategy is based on making this a partisan race.

This has left her with a ragtag assortment of B-teamers — all with various gripes against Jacobs — who hope to cobble together a grassroots campaign. Their complaints include Jacobs’ handling of a domestic-partner registry and the so-called “textgate” scandal, in which special interests appeared to be lobbying some commis-sioners on their cell phones during a meeting on the paid-sick-days referendum.

This progressive coalition may be joined by some Republicans, mostly those unhappy with how Jacobs has battled with Gov. Rick Scott’s appointees over control of the Orlando-Orange County Ex-pressway Authority. All in all, it’s a disgruntled coalition without fo-cus, professional direction or traction with the public at large.

And Demings is in something of a box. She never has objected to her former boss’ venues, so she can’t go after Jacobs on that. If she supports the paid-sick-days proposal, Jacobs would get $5 million from the tourism, restaurant, retail and transportation industries the very next day.

All this is readily apparent as Demings struggles to find a message to ignite her campaign. The longer that struggle continues, the more this race becomes less about winning, and the more about salvaging a respectable enough loss so that she stays in the political picture afterward. n

Native Floridian and longtime Orlando columnist Mike Thomas is a free-lance writer. You can reach him at [email protected].

Climbing Jacobs’ LadderNO MATTER HOW VALIANT, DEMINGS HAS A TOUGH RACE.

RESTLESS NATIVE mike thomas

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Introducing...

Why did we join together? So leading researchers can share their discoveries

with top doctors. So you can have access to the latest treatment options,

new targeted therapies and advanced clinical trials. Close to you.

Call 321.843.7770 or visit UFHealthCancerOrlando.com

STRONGER. TOGETHER. FOR YOU.

ORL_LIFE full (doctors_new).indd 1 1/23/14 10:15 AM


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Orlando Life March 2014