Tickets are now available online for the Jetport Food and Wine Party, Saturday April 9, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Kissimmee Airport. Early registration (through March 20) is $125 per person. Regular price is $150 per person. VIP tickets are $350 (early) and $400 (regular).

This link will take you to the Jetport Food and Wine Party Web site.

A private jet hangar is transformed into a South Beach inspired nightclub.  Enjoy music, fine wines, cocktails and champagne. Host Jerome Bocuse of  Bocuse d’Or and Les Chefs de France will be joined by chefs from local restaurants and top celebrity chefs to prepare a world-class culinary extravaganza. Highlighting the evening will be an air show,  silent auction, and fashion show presented by Saks Fifth Avenue.

Besides the previously announced Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud, Scott Boswell of New Orleans’ Stella! and our own Scott Hunnel will be cooking. Here’s a list of the restaurants so far:

Lots of food and wine events this weekend, almost too much. Almost.

The Festival of Chocolate is Saturday and Sunday, March 5 and 6, at the Orlando Science Center in Loch Haven Park. There will be classes, competitions, demonstrations, chocolate activities for kids only, chocolate activities for adults only (not what you think), chocolate and wine pairings, and, of course, lots of opportunities to indulge in chocolate edibles of all kind.

The FOC is from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Follow this link to the Festival of Chocolate’s Web page for more information and to purchase your “chocolate chip” currency in advance.

Just a few miles east of Loch Haven, the Food & Wine Festival at Baldwin Park will kick into gear at 6 p.m. Saturday. Benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Baldwin Park event has become an anticipated annual event that fills the neighborhood’s Village Center. There will be food and wine stations for you to stroll among and sample. You can get a list of participants at the Food & Wine Festival at Baldwin Park Web site. You can purchase tickets there, too. Cost is $65 if you purchase in advance or $75 if you just show up at the gate.

Also Saturday night is the Central Florida Cattle Barons’ Ball, benefiting American Cancer Society. This is one of the top events of the gala season. That might be because instead of wearing the usual taffeta gown and tuxedo (not the same person), attendees get duded up in clean cowboy shirts, jeans, boots and gingham dresses (again, not the same person).

The event features a dine around with culinary creations from restaurants including Rosen Shingle Creek, including Cala Bella, one of my favorites, Rosen Centre, Rosen Plaza, J.W. Marriott, Double Tree at Sea World, Hilton at O.C.C.C., Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, K Restaurant, Cafe Tu Tu Tango, Omni at Champions Gate, Sysco Foods, Nestle Foods, Three 2 Oh Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream, Windermere Country Club, Cuisinier's Catered Events, Vital Flair Catering, Marriott Orlando World Center, BB Kings, and City Fire.

Entertainment will be provided by country music recording artist Ty Herndon.

I’m exhausted already and it isn’t even the weekend.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Cattle Baron’s Ball Web site.

{fblike}

Jamie McFadden, the much celebrated chef and co-owner of Cuisiniers Catering, will open a new dining experience next month called barJme (pronounce it bar Jamie).  will be a 10-seat interactive food counter in the kitchens of Cuisiniers facilities at 5470 Lake Howell Road, Winter Park. McFadden says the inspiration for the concept was Joel Robuchon’s L’Atelier in New York. After what he describes as an “amazing” evening, McFadden began planning to bring the tasting bar concept to Orlando.

“There were many considerations for this undertaking,” says McFaddne, “especially with a struggling economy, however, barJme gives our culinary team another outlet to expand their creativity, research unique food trends, and interact with other ‘foodies.’” McFadden will cook and interact with the guests, who will be seated at a food bar overlooking the kitchen. He’ll be joined in the kitchen by Harold Henderson, formerly of K restaurant.

Besides the limit of 10 seats, barJme will have another facet of exclusivity: it will be open a limited number of days each month, with those dates announced on the first of the month.

The experience will include an eight-course tasting menu for $75 per person. That fee includes the service charge but not beverages. The first opportunities will be for Tuesday March 15 and Wednesday March 16 for a 7:15 p.m. seating. Prepaid reservations are mandatory and can be made by calling 407-975-8763 or visiting jamiemcfadden.com.

McFadden, who is considered one of the area’s preeminent chefs, is not new to running a restaurant. In 1992 he opened MiMi’s in Longwood. It was critically acclaimed but, perhaps due to a low-profile location, short-lived. McFadden has cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in New York more than once, most recently last June with other Central Florida chefs.

BarJme is sure to become one of the most sought-after seats in town.

{fblike}