As of now, Visit Orlando is planning to go ahead with its Magical Dining Aug. 28 through Oct. 4. It will be the 15th year for the event formerly known as Magical Dining Month. Magical thinking? For those unfamiliar with the popular promotion, participating restaurants offer a $35 three-course menu, which often means big savings over the restaurant’s regular menu. One dollar from every meal sold goes to charity. Currently, no restaurants are listed on the official Magical Dining website. My question: Will the meals be available for takeout?
Oh hey, did you see where Florida had another record number of positive coronavirus test results? Sad news, but if you want to drown your sorrows with a drink from your favorite bar, it’s going to have to be one for the road – governor Ron DeSantis has extended the on-premise consumption ban for bars indefinitely.
Not unrelated, if you’ve been anxiously awaiting the opening of downtown Orlando’s Taco Bell Cantina – and if you have, we really need to talk about your priorities – you’re going to have to wait a while longer. The opening is officially on hold. A Taco Bell Cantina (one in Las Vegas is pictured) differs from a regular TB in that it sells alcohol, allowing patrons to cut out the middle man and get drunk while eating the cheesy fast food instead of after they get drunk, which is the traditional sequence. When (or if) it finally opens, the Taco Bell Cantina will be on Orange Avenue at Central Boulevard, so its bar will have lots of competition. (There is a Taco Bell Cantina across from UCF.)
A Clearwater brewpubber with one of the best names for a Florida beermaker, Big Storm Brewing Co., plans to open a location inside the Amway Center by December. Best of luck to them, but we’re more likely to be hit by a big storm by then. And just a reminder that big storm season ends Dec. 1.
Tornatore’s Cafe & Pizzeria is extending its gift card promotion through July 18. Buy a $100 gift card and get a $50 gift card free. That seems like a pretty good deal to me. Owner Denny Tornatore reports that patrons are buying cards to give away to others, even leaving it up to Tornatore to decide who could use a meal. I guess that’s what’s called paying it forward.
