Bullet Point Buffet: Tapas-sized nuggets suitable for sharing.
- A full-time food-truck park to be called À La Cart Street Food and Craft Beer is planned for the Milk District. According to a press release, it will be located at 615 Irvington Ave., Orlando, which is one block east of Primrose Drive (and essentially behind Se7en Bites and Pho Hoa Noodle Soup). It will feature five full-time food trucks in an open-air pavilion with seating for 61 people. So, basically an outdoor food court? Mid summer is the target to open, so I’m guessing sometime after Labor Day and before Thanksgiving.
- Hey, ever wonder when the Delaney Hotel and Delaney Tavern will open? Me, too. The projects, you might recall, are on the site of the former Doc’s Streetside Grille, across Orange Avenue from the Orlando Health campus. When first announced, in January of 2016, the project was expected to start checking people into the boutique hotel and dishing up small plates and shareable portions in 12 to 14 months. The developers are a couple of doctors, so anyone who has ever been made to wait for a doctor’s appointment won’t be surprised that the timing was a wee bit off. But now there is apparently enough confidence in an opening date that the hotel’s website has a to-the-second countdown clock for August (yes, 2018). Be plan to arrive 15 minutes before your reservation time and bring proof of insurance.
- The Delaney Tavern’s description on the website says it’s “a place where everybody knows your name.” That phrase used to have a Cheers-y quaintness, but in the age of Facebook and personal information data mining it kind of scares me.
- The Orlando Weekly’s Jessica Bryce Young reports that Artisan’s Table will vacate its Pine Street facing space at the Plaza complex and move into former Urban Flats space on West Church Street, across the courtyard of the 55 West tower from Rusty Spoon. When it first opened, in 2014, AT was serving three meals a day. Breakfast was dropped, and according to Young’s article, when it reopens in the new space, probably January or February (yes, 2019) late night will be the focus. Because Church Street.
- Snowbirds Vintners, headed by local chef Jamie McFadden, took a silver medal for its Rosé at the American Fine Wine Competition’s annual Rosé contest in Fort Lauderdale. I’d drink a toast to Snowbirds but my glass seems to be empty (ahem).
- Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster is celebrating its 25th anniversary even though it’s only five years old. A technicality — it started out as Del Frisco’s PS & L but had to change its name when the original arrangement between Russ Christner and Del’s developer Dale Wamstad expired. The fine steakery will celebrate with an anniversary dinner on June 14. Reservations required. Reservations here.
- Right about the time that Del Frisco’s first fired up the grills on Lee Road, Beefy King was celebrating ITS 25th anniversary. That means — do the math with me — the Orlando sandwich monger is noting its 50th anniversary. On June 2, three generations of the Smith family will be on hand to greet customers and sell the original Beefy and Hammy sandwiches for 50 percent off. Be sure to get the Beefy Spuds, too — they are appropriately golden to commemorate the anniversary.
- Congratulations to Karin Hodge. She won last week’s drawing for a $50 restaurant gift certificate. Another drawing Friday. If you get my weekly e-letter (and by “get” I mean receive it; you don’t have to understand what I’m talking about) you’re entered to win. If not, text SJO to 66866 and you’ll be set.
- To read the glowing reviews of Meza, a Baldwin Park restaurant, it will be around as long as Christner’s and Beefy King. “I come here every morning just for the coffee. It’s a unique flavor that I can’t find anywhere else,” wrote one fan. “Not since I came to the US have I experienced such exquisite Mediterranean food. It’s like being back home in my favorite cafe,” gushed another. I couldn’t wait to try it but apparently I’ll have to. A man who answered the phone when I called told me the restaurant won’t be open for another couple of weeks.
