The kitchen of Victoria & Albert’s in June, 2019.
Everyone seems quite excited about the news that Victoria & Albert’s, the ultra posh high-end restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, will reopen “later this year.” There is still quite a bit of year left to still qualify as later, and Disney is offering no hints as to how much later. It’s also not saying why its top restaurant – arguably one of the finest in the country – has remained dark while so many others have reopened. And with the announcement that Michelin Guide inspectors will begin visiting area restaurants, you’d think the culineers would want it open as soon as possible since it’s almost a shoe-in for a starred rating.
The Michelin inspectors will just have to make do with Grilled Cheezus, which has opened in the Mills 50 space Bites & Bubbles left empty when it moved up the street. GC occupies the front of the store and Phat Ash Bakes, a cookie company, works out of the rear.
In its annual version of “No soup for you!”, the James Beard Foundation and its panel of judges for its once-prestigious awards have again excluded Central Florida semifinalists from the final ballot. Sue and Jason Chin of Good Salt Restaurant Group had been nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur; Rabii Saber of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney Resort for Best Pastry Chef; Evette Rahman of Sister Honey’s in Orlando for Best Baker; and Kabooki Sushi’s Henry Moso for Best Chef – South region. As usual, the South region chef category is dominated by New Orleans chefs, with three of the five slots. Two Alabama restaurants somehow sneaked in this year. Here’s the full list of finalists, if you care to see it.
Bread & Wine sounds like a soggy mess but that’s the name of a new three-mealer restaurant in downtown Orlando, situated between Neon Beach and Insomnia Cookies. B&W has a website that doesn’t do anything, so I can’t tell you what’s on the menu. Maybe a Sauvignon Sandwich? Pinot Panini?
We told you in January that beleaguered Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar-b-que closed its Apopka location. Now comes word that the property has been sold and Mexican restaurant Cielito Lindo will move in.
Rioja Reuben?
The next Diversitastic! Dining Experience will explore the cuisine of Korea at Oshio Korean BBQ, 6800 Visitors Circle, Orlando. It will be a lunch visit, Sunday, March 27, at 1 p.m. Tickets for the multi-course exclamatory dining experience are $49 per person and can be purchased here.
