Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month is Here

Written By Scott Joseph On August 31, 2012

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It’s here! Well, it’s almost here. Tomorrow it will be here, but I won’t be, so I’m telling you today — it’s here!

It’s Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month. It lasts, you won’t be surprised to learn, a whole month, from the first of September to 30th. Whether or not it’s magical is your call. Frankly, I think that’s a word that’s as overused as awesome.

But each year, Magical Dining Month, or MagDinMo, as it’s called by just about no one, anywhere, offers an awesome opportunity to dine in some terrific local restaurants for a really good deal.

Here’s the way it works. The folks at VO have gathered together a plethora of good eateries who have agreed to offer a special Magical Dining Month menu of three courses for $30. In most cases, you get an appetizer or salad, an entree and a dessert, and usually there are two or three choices in each category. You make your choice, eat your meal, pay your 30 bucks (plus tax and gratuity), and go on your merry way. And of that $30, one dollar of it will go to a charity. This year the Month of Magical Dining benefits Edgewood Children’s Ranch.

Here’s a link to the official Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month website, where you can get a look at the roster of restaurants. But before you go choosing willy nilly (that’s not a restaurant), you’re going to want to do some research.

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Orlando Restaurant Week is Here

Written By Scott Joseph On May 4, 2012

Orlando Restaurant Week logHey, it’s the Orlando Weekly’s Restaurant Week, which historically runs for nine days. That’s my kind of week, except when it takes eight days to get to the weekend.

But this week actually started yesterday, May 3, a Thursday, so it incorporates one and a half weekends. Even better, the nine day run gives you extra time to sample the good-deal menus offered by participating restaurants.

And there are some dandy deals, from what I can see. 

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Win a $50 Gift Certificate to Park Plaza Gardens

Written By Scott Joseph On October 22, 2010

parkplazaIf you haven’t been to Park Plaza Gardens in a while, you need to get back there and see — and taste — the wonderful things that chef John Tan is doing. Tan is a talented chef, and he’s brought PPG up to date while honoring its storied past.

I’d like to help you go back for dinner, so I’m giving a $50 gift certificate as the next SJO giveaway. Drawing will be held Thursday, Oct. 28, at 3 p.m. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is sign up to receive my occasional newsletter. If you’re already signed up, you’re already entered. If you’re not, just fill in your e-mail address in the box below and click Join. That’s it. And no, you won’t get spammed. Promise.

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Win $50 Gift Card to Spencer’s

Written By Scott Joseph On September 29, 2010

Update: Certificate was won by Cindy Wagoner. Congratulations. Another drawing next week!

The giveaways are going to keep coming for the foreseeable future. I’ve got some really great gift cards to some terrific local restaurants I’ll be awarding at random to subscribers of my newsletter. In the last several weeks I’ve given out more than $850 worth of gift cards and certificates. I don’t know about you, but I’m having a blast doing it.

Next up: $50 toward dinner at Spencer’s Steakhouse at the Orlando Hilton. I loved my dinner a this beautiful new restaurant. Here’s my review in case you missed it. Actually, the gift cards (yes, plural) I’ll be giving away from the Hilton may be used for a number of services there, including the spa. I wonder if you can order a steak from Spencer’s and eat it while you’re getting a massage. It’s worth a try.

What’s the catch? You should know by now there isn’t one, other than being signed up to receive my occasional newsletter. You’re not even required to read it, although I think you’ll find some useful information in there. But I’m sort of biased. You should also know by now that I do not spam, nor do I share your e-mail information with anyone else, not even if they say pretty please. And anytime you wish to stop receiving the newsletter, just click on the unsubscribe button and you’ll be removed, just like magic. And why do the restaurants offer the gift certificates? Because it’s a chance to get their names in front of people who enjoy good food, people who know that I would not offer gift certificates to lousy restaurants, not even for double the dollar amount. (And by the way, yes, I have turned down an offer for a gift card from a restaurant I did not feel I could recommend.)

So then, back to Spencer’s or one of the other Hilton services. Let’s set the drawing for 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6. The winning name is drawn electronically at random. I send the winner an e-mail requesting a physical address to which I can mail the gift certificate, so be sure to include your correct e-mail address.

If you’re already signed up to receive the newsletter, you’re already entered to win. If you’re not signed up, it’s about as simple as you can get. In fact, look below this paragraph and you’ll see the newsletter signup box. Put in your e-mail address and click join. Hope you win!

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