A cruise leaving from the port of Civitavecchia was a perfect excuse to arrive early and spend several nights in Rome, a city I had been missing for many years. Here are some note from my visit.

Tripadvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Best of the Best has named Earl of Sandwich to its Quick Bites category for 2022, placing it in the top 10 (actually, it came in at number 10). The award specified the Las Vegas location, though Earl of Sandwich is owned by Orlando based Earl Enterprises and its first EoS location opened here in what is now Disney Springs. Number 14 on the list is Blaze Pizza, also at Disney Springs. Portillo’s Hot Dogs, the Chicago fast fooder that recently opened a Disney-adjacent location, came in at no. 9 (watch for my review of Portillo’s soon). See the list here.

Traveler’s Choice Best of the Best lists are generated by analyzing Tripadvisor user reviews and ratings, focusing on quality and quantity. Top quotes for Earl of Sandwich on the Traveler’s Choice Best of the Best page included “Delicious!” and “Photos added.”

Mia’s Italian Kitchen is offering a special three-course, $49 menu through the end of October to help raise funds for World Central Kitchen’s hurricane relief efforts along Florida’s Gulf Coast. For each dinner sold, Mia’s will donate $10 to the organization. Make reservations here.

Chef Reimund Pitts of Le Coq au Vin with his Coquilles St. Jacques. (Photo by S.T. Cardinal of The Community Paper)

Le Coq Au Vin, at 46 Orlando’s oldest French restaurant, was already in operation for six years when Louis Perrotte and his wife, Magdalena, bought it. It is now owned and operated by Chef Reimund Pitz and his wife, Sandy, in partnership with the Perrottes. Housed in its unique A-frame — the original structure was a model for a company selling beach homes — Le Coq Au Vin is still a go-to special occasion restaurant for many Central Floridians.

In this edition of Local Flavor, a collaboration with The Community Paper, Pitz shares his recipe for coquille St. Jacques, a classic French dish of scallops in a creamy sauce. See the full recipe here.

I’ve learned to be leery of the restaurant space that sits midblock in the building that houses the Sanctuary Condominiums. It’s been home to so many restaurants in the past 14 or so years – some with very brief stays and three that announced they would open but never did – that I no longer get my hopes up.

And the name of the latest occupant, Eola Lounge, doesn’t exactly exude culinary confidence or creativity. Such a name tells me the owners are more interested in a drinking clientele so any food served would be secondary. But when I found myself in the area looking for a place to eat after my destination restaurant was unexpectedly closed, I decided to give it a try.

I liked it very much.