Artisan’s Table, the downtown restaurant owned and head-cheffed by Scott Copeland, has a pleasant vibe on Sunday mornings. It’s a decidedly young crowd, and I got the distinct impression that some of them had not yet been home since the night before. At least not to their own homes.

My guest and I were shown to a dark table in the center of the dining room. When we asked if we could possibly have the empty table next to the window overlooking Pine Street, she told us that they were waiting for clean butcher paper (which is what covers the tablecloths here) and that that paper was too dirty. There was no offer to seat us at one of the other, less dimly lit tables, so we alighted.

I went out to Winter Garden to attend a show at the Garden Theater and had a thoroughly enjoyable pre-theater dining experience at alFresco.

Despite the name, alFresco is not all outdoor dining. In fact, from what I could see of the actual patio space, it wasn’t nearly as comfortable and inviting as the indoor dining space, which has a balance of old and new in its decor of rustic bricks and brightly painted walls.

My guest and I started with appetizers of arancini and empanadas. The two risotto balls were substantial and perfectly fried, served sitting in a puddle of fresh tomato sauce and topped with greens and shaved parmesan. I liked them, though I thought the pomodoro, though clearly freshly made, lacked any distinctive flavor.

Editor’s note: Scott was hosted on the trip by Raglan Road and Dunbrody Country House Hotel. Read Raglan Road Trip to Ireland, Part 1, here.

COUNTY WEXFORD, IRELAND — The group — five contestants and five media reps, along with our guide, Aileen Ferguson — had spent the first two days in Ireland in Dublin and then motoring south to this region on Hook Peninsula to Dunbrody Country House, the elegant hotel and cooking school owned and operated by Kevin and Catherine Dundon. The main house is a stately old manor that was once the hunting lodge of an Irish prime minister. (Only prime ministers warrant hunting lodges with 22 bedrooms.)

While the main structure keeps true to its 1800s heritage, Dundon’s Cookery School, located in perhaps an old stable structure, is a modern facility where students are given instructions designed by Dundon and often carried out by his full-time chef de cuisine, Julien Climot.

It was here that the contestants gathered on the morning of the third day to learn what dish they would be assigned to cook for the 10th anniversary dinner at Raglan Road back in Orlando in October.

All five had submitted videos that demonstrated a three course menu. From those submissions, Dundon selected five that would make up the anniversary dinner.

But not quite.

Summer has arrived, and that means plenty of casual get-togethers that happen at the beach, poolside or in the back yard. And for the divas it also means steering clear of the kitchen. This is one of our go-to salads that eschews lettuce, a riff on old-fashioned slaw that’s gussied up with peas and fresh mint – a little ah-ha that makes everyone want the recipe. (It’s from the “Good Catch” cookbook co-authored by diva Pam Brandon, Heather McPherson and Katie Farmand.)

With five ingredients, it comes together in about five minutes. Who wants to cook when a cool cocktail awaits?