Grande Lakes Orlando is hosting Nashville Night Saturday, June 25, at the Ritz-Carlton. The evening features music from Chase McGill and Brock Berryhill, with food stations and open bar. Food and drink start at 6 p.m. and the music will get underway at 7. A fireworks show and meet and greet with the guests will wrap up the night. Tickets are $195 for adults and $165 for kids up to age 12 (no open bar for them). Clicks for tix.
Photo: Walt Disney World Resorts
Sure, you’re all excited about the return of Victoria & Albert’s, but steel yourself for this announcement: Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue has also returned. The “frontier-style family fun” dinner show – because we all know just how zany and family friendly the American West was – turned the footlights back on Thursday after its pandemic-induced closure. The experience features fried chicken, barbecue ribs, beans and more in all-you-can-eat (a term that may have multiple meanings) portions. It also comes with lots of corn, mostly in the form of punny jokes doled out by the singing and dancing cast members. It’s at the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and you can make reservations here.
While we’re still down Disney way, the restaurant that is going up on the unholy land where the Bongos big pineapple used to stand at Disney Springs will now be called Summer House on the Lake, opening sometime next year. It will be operated by Chicago-based restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You. (Lettuce entertain you is just the sort of joke you’d hear at Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue.) Almost 50 years ago, Lettuce Entertain You opened a restaurant called The Great Gritzbe’s Flying Food Show in downtown Chicago. The critic for a Chicago newspaper reviewed the restaurant and was not very impressed – the review ended with a line that said the name should be changed to The Not So Great Gritzbe’s. And that’s exactly what the owner, Richard Melman, did. When I dined in the restaurant shortly after that, a massive banner was hanging from the high ceiling with the entire review printed on it. I instantly became a fan of Lettuce Entertain You.
Salt & the Cellar, a restaurant from celebrity chef Akira Back, is now open at the lowercased ette hotel, 3001 Sherbeth Road, Kissimmee. S&tC is the hotel’s three-meal restaurant.
When I heard that this weekend was the date for the Central Florida Veg Fest, I thought perfect – with all this heat all I want to do is veg out in the pool. But no, this is the vegan festival that, among other things, will feature vegan cuisine. It’s Saturday, June 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Persimmon Hollow Brewing across from Lake Eola Park. And there’s also a Vegan Fest listed for Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. at Orlando Brewing, 1301 Atlantic Ave., Orlando. (Apparently vegans like beer.) Not sure if the two events are connected. Have fun; I’ll be in the pool.
