Orlando Home & Leisure magazine November 2011

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MIKE THOMAS ON DADS, DAUGHTERS AND TRIBAL WAYS

November 2011

Silver Spoon Awards $3.95

MEDICAL CITY MILESTONES

FALL FASHION IS FRONT AND CENTER A NEW TWIST ON THE OLDEST CITY

After surgery, she spent one night in the hospital. And 90 years in pursuit of her dreams.

The heroes at Florida Hospital for Children are working hard to make sure the heroes of tomorrow live a long and healthy life. Our physicians can perform minimally invasive techniques that allow faster recovery, so your child JHWV EDFN WR DFWLQJ OLNH D NLG VRRQHU :LWK RXU H[SHUWLVH DQG KLJKO\ VNLOOHG VWDII \RX FDQ IHHO FRQÀGHQW WKDW \RXU FKLOG LV LQ JRRG KDQGV $QG WKH\ FDQ JHW EDFN WR IXOÀOOLQJ WKHLU GUHDPV RI ZKDW WKH\ ZDQW WR EH ZKHQ WKH\ JURZ XS That’s Florida Hospital for Children’s goal and just a small part of what we’re doing to help the members of our community live to a healthy 100 years old.

What do you want to do when you’re 100? To learn more about our innovations, or for a physician referral, call (407) 303-KIDS or visit www.FloridaHospitalforChildren.com.

FHFC-11-4474

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36 FEATURES: NOVEMBER 2011

36 Silver spoon awards

From food trucks to five stars, from appetizers to entrées, we recognize culinary excellence in Central Florida restaurants with our annual Silver Spoon dining awards. Our panel of seven veteran foodies picked winners in 22 categories, reflecting excellence in atmosphere, service, creativity and cuisine. Plus, our readers’ have their say. by Michael McLeod • photographs by Greg Johnston

ON THE COVER: Our own Silver Spoon, courtesy of Pier 1 Imports in Winter Park Village, makes its annual appearance, accompanied this year by Kelly McLeod, from Prodigal Model Management. Her creampleated pant, blush color blouse and gray faux fur vest are from Tuni, Park Avenue, Winter Park. photograph by Rafael Tongol 2

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

Photos: (left) greg johnston; (top right and center left) rafael tongol; (CENTER RIGHT) courtesy lake nona; (bottom right) courtesy bayfront marin house

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DEPARTMENTS 8

JAY BOYAR’S AGENDA Irish artist Graham Knuttel is all smiles, more or less, as he helps to usher in the Festival of the Masters at Disney; it’s tree time at the Orlando Museum of Art’s holiday event; A Tuna Christmas hits the deck at Orlando Shakespeare Theater; the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra chimes in with songs of the season; a major music festival comes calling at the Citrus Bowl.

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18 PAGES: BEING ERNEST

Three new books re-examine Ernest Hemingway’s love of women, cats and the fishing boat that outlasted them all. by Nancy Pate

20 STYLE: AVENUE YOU Whether your style is classic, glam, sexy or prep, you’re likely to find your look for fall among the boutiques that line Park Avenue in Winter Park. by Marianne Ilunga • photographs by Rafael Tongol

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24 STYLE: PRINTS AND POPS

Layers, length, Cheetah prints and neutrals with pops of red were the looks for fall at this year’s Mall at Millenia Orlando Fashion Week. by Baileigh Johnson • photographs by Rafael Tongol

28 DAY’S DRIVE: OLD CITY, NEW TWIST Traditionally, a bed-and-breakfast is homey but not luxurious. The Inns of Elegance in St. Augustine want to change all that. by Baileigh Johnson

81 SCOTT JOSEPH’S FLAVOR Scott takes an insider’s tour of Central Florida’s top hotel restaurants, plus his categorized listing of scores of restaurants.

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96 RESTLESS NATIVE In the wilds of Maitland, dads and their Indian-princess daughters are changing the old tribal ways. by Mike Thomas

special REPORT

49 LAKE NONA’S MEDICAL CITY Lake Nona’s burgeoning Medical City will make Orlando an international destination for reasons having nothing to do with cartoon mice. by Randy Noles and Katherine Johnson WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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FIRST

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Of Old Karaoke Tunes and Slowly Fading Stereotypes

nce I saw a man at a r e dn eck

karaoke bar and wondered what on earth he was doing there. He was a head taller and far better dressed than anybody else: white shirt, French cuffs, silk tie. Plus he was the only black man in the place. He couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket but he was giving it a go, singing old-timey countrywestern songs with lyrics like: Tell me why do you drink, Why do you roll smoke? Why must you live out The songs that you wrote? Turned out he was a big shot with a cable company here in town. He had grown up in one of those tiny places with odd-sounding names in southern Georgia, where his family made quite a bit of money growing Vidalia onions, and where the only songs he every heard were of that Okiefrom-Muskogee, Hank Williams Jr. variety. Soon my wife and I were having one of our periodic barroom disputes. Our new friend took an interest in the matter and waded right into the middle of it. He tried to play peacemaker to no avail, but I was impressed enough by his effort to wake up the next day thinking: Who knew that in this life I’d ever run into a tall, black, Vidalia-onion growing, country-western loving marriage counselor? It keeps happening. I keep running into people who defy dusty stereotypes, including those of my own invention. You’d think I’d catch on, but no. A few months ago, I met Baileigh Johnson. She is a journalism student at the University of Central Florida who has been with us here at OH&L for several months now as an intern. She has a soft voice, wispy blonde hair, a gliding gait and what I took to be a languid, what-evar attitude. Turns out she is tough as nails. She’s a quick study and a dogged researcher who finishes 4

Take Note What’s ONLINE Check out our new videos of galas and other events, and send your own photos and videos to press@ohlmag.com for us to post on our website and Facebook page.

my sentences for me and snatches up story assignments as though I’m passing out winning lottery tickets. She has two bylines in this issue, which is extremely unusual, both of them researched and written on a level I have come to expect from her. Alas, just as I’m catching up to Baileigh, she’s leaving us. But we have a new columnist. He’s been around town for a while, so you may have heard of him, and you may have registered an impression as to who he is and what he represents. His new column, which will run on the last page of each issue, is likely to change your mind. I’ve known him for a while myself. Thinking back now, I have fuzzy memory of a time when I realized that either he had changed or I had misjudged him. He was actually a much more interesting person than I had thought. Imagine that.

Michael McLeod Editor in Chief mmcleod@ohlmag.com

What you CAN DO Mark down Dec. 3. That’s when dozens of potters from across Central Florida will take part in the first annual Orlando Pottery and Ceramic Festival at Loch Haven Neighborhood Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’ll be selling their work, and it’s a great chance to do some artful Christmas shopping. What’s ON DECK In December, we’ll profile Orlando area philanthropists, large and small, and provide tips on organizing successful galas and fund-raising events. Correction: In our October issue, CL Studio’s winning entry for the 2011 Bathroom of the Year included the right photo but the wrong description. Here’s what should have appeared under CL Studio’s Windermere project: “This ‘modern bachelor pad’ bathroom was completely overhauled with sleek, modern walnut cabinets in a dark espresso finish accented by fine nickel hardware. Elegant Italian porcelain tiles on both floors and walls and art deco sconces complete the refined look.” Omission: On the cover of our October issue, the photograph of the Home of the Year winner, LaBelle by Phil Kean Design, was not credited. It was taken by Mark Matusek of SLR Pro Shots.

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

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Michael MCLEOD Editor in Chief HARRY WESSEL Managing Editor

Thank you for your support of our celebration of fashion and design! allintocleanair.com • American Heart Association • BAJALIA • Bay Hill Jewelers on Park • Beasley & Henley Interior Design • Bebe's/Liz's • BMG Models • Bonnie W. Stephens • Brite Girl • City of Winter Park • Cocina 214 • Coralia Leets • CORT Funiture Rental • Cote de Chic • Current • Digital Propaganda • Dr. Clifford Clark • Eileen Fisher • Eyes & Optics • Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar • Grafton Wealth Management at Merrill Lynch • Grand Touring Vodka • Harriett Lake • Hot Olives • iCrave Catering.com • iLash Works • Jana Water • Jeanne Atkinson & Nadine Loper • John & Shirley's Catering • John Craig Clothiers • Karl's Event Services • Keke's Breakfast Café • Kendall & Kendall • Kurt Anderson • LaBella Intimates • Lilly Pulitzer • Luma on Park • LuxuryTrips • Marvaldi - A Hair and Makeup Studio • Mercedes Benz of Orlando in Maitland • Model Scout • Monster Energy • Namor Modeling • O,R & L Facility Services • Olive Garden • One Way Valet • Orange Appeal • Orlando Ballet • Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine • Orlando Magazine • Orlando Style • Park Avenue Area Association • Peroni • Peterbrooke Chocolatier • Regions Bank, Carmella Barbarino & DanSmith • RentA-Center • See Eyewear • Shuffield Family Trust • Sky Lake Studios • Sprinkles Cakes • Sultre • Synergy • The Avenue Network • The Meat House • The Park Press • Things & FASHION • Thread • Tolla's Italian Deli & Café • Tresor Gallery • Tropical Smoothie Café • Tuni • Van Gogh Vodka • Winter Park Chamber of Commerce • Winter Park Fish Co. • Winter Park Magazine • Winter Park Memorial Hospital • Winter Park Photography • Winter Park/ Maitland Observer • 98.9 WMMO 6

scott joseph Editor at Large LAURA BLUHM Art & Production Director Natalie Costa, Baileigh Johnson, jennifer pritchard, DARCIE VANCE Editorial Interns Jay Boyar, MarianNe Ilunga, NANCY PATE, MIKE THOMAS Contributors Greg Johnston, rafael tongol Contributing Photographers Editorial: press@ohlmag.com

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Daniel Denton President Randy Noles Group Publisher & Chief Operating Officer Carrie King General Manager

Copyright 2011 by Florida Home Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written permission of the copyright holder. ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE (USPS 000-140) (Vol. 12/Issue No. 11) is published monthly by Florida Home Media LLC, 2301 Lucien Way, Ste 190, Maitland, FL 32751. Periodicals Postage Paid at Maitland FL and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine, PO Box 5586, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310-5586

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

The Addams Family

Nov. 1-Nov. 6 Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre The ghoulish family that materialized first in darkly bizarre New Yorker cartoons and then morphed into a creepy and kooky ‘60s’ sitcom is now the subject of a musical comedy. orlandobroadway.com

Safari Soirée

Nov. 5 Central Florida Zoo What a bunch of animals! It’s a wild, wild world, at least for one night, with a silent auction, dinner and dancing to benefit the zoo. centralfloridazoo.org

Neanderthal Ball

Nov. 5 Orlando Science Center Enjoy food, wine, a “diamond dig” and Flintstones fashions, all set amongst the Science Center’s fossil exhibits. osc.org

NOVEMBER 2011

EDITED BY JAY BOYAR

Irish Artist’s Dark Humor Brightens Disney Festival

PHOTOS: COURTESY RAGLAND ROAD IRISH PUB

VETERAN IRISH ARTIST GRAHAM KNUTTEL

faced a difficult creative challenge recently. He was commissioned to create a 9-by-4 foot painting that will hang above the fireplace at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown Disney. The problem: He had to figure out how to paint a smile. “That was the toughest part of all,” said Knuttel, in a telephone interview from his Dublin studio. The painting, which will be unveiled just before the kickoff of the annual Festival of the Masters juried art show at the Walt Disney World Resort, depicts a group of revelers at a traditional Irish pub. Scattered among them are Gaelic celebrities such as writers James Joyce and Brendan Behan, and rockers Bono and The Edge. None of them appears to be having any fun. A paranoid glare is etched into every face. But that’s Knuttel’s trademark: Subjects in his paintings are always eyeing one another, and the world at large, with suspicion. Biographers have suggested that Knuttel’s paintings reflect a difficult childhood – he had a sadistic grandmother who liked to claw the back of his neck with fingernails and threatened to lock him in a dark wardrobe when he misbehaved. “I like to have a sense of danger in a painting,” Knuttel confessed. “And also I would think all the people I paint are outsiders.” That’s all well and good as a motif, and Knuttel’s paintings have appealed to such celebrity collectors as Robert DeNiro, Whoopi Goldberg and Sylvester Stallone. But this is Disney World. Having pub guests unsettled by all those alarmed faces doesn’t exactly

The White Album

Nov. 11 Hard Rock Live The Beatles’ helter-skelter 1968 double album – recorded at a time when the feuding Fab Four were nearing the end of their history-making run – performed by a live band. hardrock.com

WWW.OHLMAG.COM

Anything Cole

Nov.18-19 Winter Park Playhouse An original musical play featuring songs by and biographical sketches about the sophisticated songwriter whose artfully suggestive lyrics ruled Jazz Age Broadway. winterparkplayhouse.org

set the mood you’re trying to establish – or as Knuttel puts it, “You wouldn’t want one of my paintings in a bank.” So, for the Ragland Road painting, he compromised by adding four children with tentative smiles to the lower left-hand corner of the painting. (Clearly nobody carded the kids.) Knuttel also added one leprechaun. Well, at least one. “There’s more than one in that pub,” he said. “You just can’t see them all.” Knuttel will travel to Orlando to display some of his other paintings during the festival. For more information visit knuttel.com – Michael McLeod

It’s a Masterful Weekend

ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS ARE FINE, BUT WHEN

the weather cooperates there’s nothing quite like an open-air art show. There may not be many Picassos or Rembrandts on view, but where else can you enjoy both art and ice cream? It’s hard to top Festival of the Masters, the Super Bowl of these outdoor events. Last year, the festival attracted nearly a quarter-million people in a single weekend. This year’s festival, the 36th edition, will be held Nov. 11-13 throughout Downtown Disney. As usual, the event is free, even the parking. In addition to painting, photography, sculpture and jewelry by more than 150 prizewinning artists, the festival will offer live music, snacks – including ice cream – and a variety of family-friendly activities. Those activities range from making friendship bracelets to contributing to a giant mural, from participating in a chalk-art display to playing a Disney Interactive videogame or helping to construct a huge Lego dragon. And this year, Disney artists will be at the festival to sketch the company’s iconic characters. Try getting all that at an art gallery! Visit disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-events for more information. – Jay Boyar ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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AGENDA

Cathy Engleman’s first memory

of the Festival of Trees goes back 20 years, when the annual holiday fundraising event for the Orlando Museum of Art was small enough to be held under a tent. The tent wouldn’t do any more. Now, upward of 20,000 attend the 10-day celebration, held Nov. 12-20. Visitors experience a wonderland of gingerbread houses, holiday decorations and decorated trees and wreaths. Engleman is one of more than 300 volunteers who have incorporated the Festival of Trees into their families’ holiday tradition. She and her husband bring their children, 11-year-old Madison and 8-year-old Ian, to the Reindeer Romp. But it’s the decked-out trees that are

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at the heart of the festival. Local organizations and designers decorate the trees, which are then purchased by families and businesses. Some trees wind up in homes or offices, while others are donated to hospitals or other institutions in need of some holiday cheer. The trees have always been uniquely designed, including some adorned entirely with recycled material and others themed after popular sports teams or fictional characters such as Harry Potter. This year’s theme, “Hip Holidays,” means a ‘60’s retro vibe. For the first time, decorations can be bought separately from the trees, as sets. Designerdecorated wreaths and sculpted gingerbread houses will also be on sale. Visit omart.org for more information. – Jennifer Pritchard

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

photo (and tree): courtesy of francia fusik

Treemendous Decorations, By Design

AGENDA

Have a Very Tuna Christmas A TUNA CHRISTMAS MAY SOUND LIKE THE NAME OF A RACHAEL RAY

PHOTO: COURTESY ORLANDO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

holiday-casserole special, but it’s actually the title of a play that will be presented Nov. 30 through Dec. 30 by the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. The second of the four Tuna plays (whichď€? also include Greater Tuna; Red, White ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€„ď€ ď€„ď€…ď€€ď€?ď€šď€œď€•ď€›ď€€ď€Łď€‹ď€?ď€? ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€ƒď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€‚ď€…ď€‰ď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€?ď€‡ď€‹ď€€ď€Žď€‘ď€€ď€€ď€’ď€•ď€™ď€˜ď€€ď€„ and Tuna; and Tuna Does Vegas), it’s a comedy set at Christmastime in what is said to be the third-smallest town in Texas. “There are UFOs, and PETA shows up, and there are giant Christmas trees that can blind you if you look at them the wrong says Patrickď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€ƒď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€‚ď€…ď€‰ď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€?ď€‡ď€‹ď€€ď€Žď€‘ď€€ď€€ď€’ď€•ď€™ď€˜ď€€ď€„ Flick, who’s directď€? way,â€? ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€„ď€ ď€„ď€…ď€€ď€?ď€šď€œď€•ď€›ď€€ď€Łď€‹ď€?ď€? ď€?ď€šď€œď€•ď€›ď€€ď€Łď€‹ď€?ď€? ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€ƒď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€‚ď€…ď€‰ď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€?ď€‡ď€‹ď€€ď€Žď€‘ď€€ď€€ď€’ď€•ď€™ď€˜ď€€ď€„ ing the production. There’s also a group of crusaders known as the Smut Snatchers, which is attempting to ban the singing of “Silent Nightâ€? due to what it believes the lyrics salaciously refer to as “round, young virgins.â€? Basically a collection of interrelated satirical sketches, the show is traditionally staged with two actors playing a dozen or so roles apiece. The production at the Orlando Shakes will be no exception, with Mark Lainer and Michael Kevin Baldwin doing the honors. * ' +, + / 2 33 -' +3 ' '. 3 “They play old, young, male, female – the gamut,â€? Flick explains. “A big part of % & " ' ( * ' +, + / 2 33 -' +3 ' '. 3 the fun is watching how4'3 5' ''3 quickly the complete costume changes are made.â€? , 6 - * 37 % " ' ) " *

" +"# , - + " "#" " - . - / 0 ! " # $ All of which makes Tuna, Texas, a great place to celebrate the season. 1+ 8' % 1 ) "# 2 sound 3 " 4 like * ' +, + / 2 33 -' +3 ' '. 3 4'3 5' ''3 % & " ' ( '-' 39 3*. . % 5 5 2 6 " - 5 2 7 8" - Visit orlandoshakes.org for more information. – Jay Boyar

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Two of Winter Park’s most successful and respected real estate professionals have joined forces under the Coldwell Banker marquee to provide a powerful new source of help for home buyers and sellers. Together, they offer nearly four decades of wideranging experience in listing and selling Winter Park area properties. Both Francetic and Heistand consistently rank within the Orlando Regional Board of Realtors top 25 real estate agents.

David Francetic

Highly respected…analytical…thorough…David brings a wealth of expertise and local market knowledge to every transaction. A skilled negotiator, he is widely known for his ability to bring complex and difficult transactions to a successful close. 407.247.6857 / dfrancetic@earthlink.net

Shelley Heistand

Extremely professional…forthright…focused…Shelley has earned a solid reputation as one of the best real estate professionals in Central Florida. Her dependability, attention to detail, and candid advice throughout the listing and sales process draws high praise from both buyers and sellers. 407.718.9222 / sjheistand@aol.com This dynamic team delivers a level of energy and expertise that assures success in helping you sell your current home or find and purchase a new one.

407.644.2215 COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE 400 Park Avenue South, Suite 210, Winter Park

DOUBLE THE EXPERIENCE  DOUBLE THE EXPERTISE  DOUBLE THE PERFORMANCE

AGENDA

Ringing in the Season with the Orlando Phil YOU HEAR IT AT THE MALL. YOU HEAR IT AT THE SUPER-

market. You even hear it in TV commercials. In fact, as Christmas approaches, the music of the season is almost inescapable. But unless you make an effort, you may not hear that music at its best. That’s where the Orlando Philharmonic comes in by offering its annual Christmas concert, the Phil’s way of saying “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (which just happens to be one of the songs on the program). Called Home for the Holidays, this year’s concert will be presented on Nov. 26 at 2 and 8 p.m. at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, with a similar free performance on Nov. 27 at 4 p.m. in Winter Park’s Central Park. “Live music is much, much, much better than recorded music,” says guest conductor Albert-George Schram, who’ll be leading the orchestra. “And we’ll have such a mass of folks on the stage.”

Those folks will include not only the full orchestra, but also the Holiday Singers (a group of a dozen or so local vocalists) and the Children’s Chorus of the Florida Opera Theatre. As for the music itself, the program is eclectic. “We cut a wide swath,” says Schram, who adds that it’s wide enough to include the sacred sounds of “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night” (one of his personal favorites), as well as such secular songs as “When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter” and “Up on the Rooftop.” No, “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” somehow didn’t make the cut, but “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” did. What Schram describes as “a musicological journey through

HOLIDAYS at the Morse Make the Morse a holiday tradition

Live Music, Tours and More Fridays, November 25 – December 30 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

All events are free

33rd Annual Christmas in the Park Thursday, December 1 Downtown Winter Park 6:15 p.m. – 8 p.m. Christmas Eve Open House Saturday, December 24 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

www.morsemuseum.org follow us on

445 north park avenue winter park, florida 32789 (407) 645-5311

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

NOVEMBER 2011

PHOTO: COURTESY ORLANDO PHILHARMONIC

the 12 days of Christmas” looks to be a highlight. “It will start in the Renaissance and get us through the Baroque with all these different kinds of variations,” he explains. “It ends with a big surprise.” The program is varied enough to also include Bizet’s “Farandole” – punningly called “Bassoon It Will Be Christmas,” featuring three of the double-reeded instruments – and “Brazilian Sleigh Bells,” which Schram describes as a sort of “Latin boogaloo.” And while Christmas is clearly the focus, the concert also will include musical tributes to Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. “It’s quite sassy, actually,” says Schram of the Hanukkah medley. Concertgoers are advised to come prepared for an interactive experience that will include a chance to sing along with holiday favorites.“I love doing these kinds of concerts, because everybody is there to share in the warmth and in the great music,” muses Schram. “Celebrating all that stuff ‘in community,’ there’s nothing like it.” Visit orlandophil.org for more information. – Jay Boyar

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Guest conductor Albert-George Schram.

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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AGENDA

It’s not exactly Woodstock, but it’ll do for 2011.

The inaugural Orlando Calling music festival – slated for Nov. 12 - 13 at the Citrus Bowl – will feature an all-star, genre-spanning lineup of 50 acts, including Bob Seger, Kid Rock, The Killers, Chris Isaak, Blues Traveler, the Doobie Brothers, Michelle Branch and Dwight Yoakam. The festival is the brainchild of British promoter Melvin Benn, who has been organizing similar musical extravaganzas in Europe for more than 30 years. Orlando Calling marks Benn’s U.S. debut, but he hopes it will become an annual event. “Orlando has a great mix of residents, from students to established professionals,” he The Killers says.

Around 35,000 fans per day are expected at Orlando Calling, says Benn, who also booked The Killers and The Raconteurs for fans of alternative rock. Ska punk fans can skank to Less Than Jake, while country music aficionados won’t want to miss the quirky Yoakam, the hunky Blake Shelton and the retro-country Hindu Cowboys. Tickets are $87.50 per day. Some of the acts have local ties. Less Than Jake was formed 16 years ago in Gainesville, while members of the Hindu Cowboys have called Orlando home for more than 10 years. Visit orlandocalling.com for information on Orlando Calling. – Darcie Vance

Celebrate the Holidays

with the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce!

Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

presented by Grafton Wealth Management at Merrill Lynch Friday, December 2; 5 p.m. Central Park

13th annual Leadership Winter Park Pancake Breakfast

presented by Fannie Hillman + Associates and Vanson Constructors Saturday, December 3; 7 - 10:30 a.m. Central Park Stage

59th annual “Ye Olde Hometown” Christmas Parade

presented by Bright House Networks Saturday, December 3; 9 a.m. Park Avenue

For information, visit www.winterpark.org or call (407) 644-8281.

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

photo: courtesy orlando calling

Orlando’s Calling to All Rock, Punk and Country Fans

THANK YOU TO THE LOYAL READERS OF ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE FOR AWARDING US WITH THREE

SILVER SPOON AWARDS.

We are appreciative and grateful for your support. www.historicdubsdread.com 7 0AR 3T s

Dubsdread_Nov11.indd

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PA G E S

T

Wives, Cats and a Yacht Reveal Papa’s Softer Side

his wives, belittled his friends and dealt awkwardly with his sons, esbeing Ernest Hemingway Three new pecially the third – the troubled, hasn’t faded. Fifty years afbooks view ter his death, he’s still with Hemingway’s cross-dressing Gregory (Gigi). Hendrickson does not forus in spirit as his works are life through give the great man because of read and analyzed. Papa’s boat, different his great talent, but he does Papa’s wives and even Papa’s prisms. show “amid so much ruin, still pets remain capable of reaching the beauty,’’ and how he bravely out to us from the past to tell us engaged with life and was often at his best on something about him and about ourselves. Three Pilar. recent books about those subjects offer proof. Hendrickson interviewed Hemingway’s sons, Award-winning writer Paul Hendrickson read all the books and many of the thousands (Sons of Mississippi) takes an unconventional of letters Papa wrote and quotes liberally from tack with Hemingway’s Boat: Everything He these and other sources. Not as boat-struck as Loved, and Lost, 1934-1961 (Knopf ), anchoreither author, I skimmed the complete guide to ing an engaging analysis of Hemingway to his boat building and Pilar’s specs but found the love for his “fishing machine,’’ the 38-foot yacht rest of the book fascinating. he named Pilar. I had recently reread Hemingway’s memoir A As Hendrickson puts it in his prologue: “So Moveable Feast when The Paris Wife (Ballantine it’s about such ideas as fishing, friendship, and Books), Paula McLain’s best-selling novel, came fatherhood, and love of water, and what it means out earlier this year. Written from the perspecto be masculine in our culture ... and how the tive of Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley Richdeep good in us is often matched only by the perverse bad in us, and – not least – about the ardson, The Paris Wife is a romantic evocation damnable way our demons seem to end up alof their meeting and courtship in Chicago in ways following us.’’ 1920, and then the next five years in Jazz-age Hendrickson, forgoing the terse, laconic style of Paris among the fabled “Lost Generation.’’ Hemingway for his own looping elegance, isn’t the Many of the incidents in the novel – first encounters with F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude first to point out that those demons arose from Stein, Ernest’s struggles to claim his own voice, Papa’s past (his father’s suicide, for instance) and Hadley’s loss on a train of her husband’s manuthe flaws in his character. Hemingway cheated on

by Nancy Pate

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

COVERs: (top) Knopf; (center) Ballantine Books; (bottom) pineapple press

he importance of

scripts – were recounted by Hemingway in A Moveable Feast, so a tandem reading can double your enjoyment. Hemingway was a great believer in finding the truth in fiction, and McLain’s sympathetic voicing of Hadley feels authentic. She was passionately in love with her younger husband, but her traditional upbringing and values were no match when the poisonous Pauline, soon to be the second of four Mrs. Hemingways, literally moved in on her marriage. Pauline reluctantly retreated with young son Jack. And although she had regrets, she also felt that they would always have their Paris. “We got the best of each other.’’ (If you read A Memorable Feast, you’ll know Hemingway felt much the same near the end of his life. In Hemingway’s Boat, Hendrickson writes that it was because Had-

ley “was his truest love, or at least his truest marriage’’ that Hemingway’s subsequent marriages were doomed from the start. In real life – and in The Paris Wife – Ernest affectionately called Hadley “Feather Cat,’’ and in Carlene Brennen’s recently reissued Hemingway’s Cats (Pineapple Press), there are two felines similarly named. Hemingway loved animals, especially cats, throughout his life. They brought out his softer side. At one point in Cuba, he counted 57 on the farm, writing philosophically, “One cat just leads to another ...” The many photos in Brennen’s informative book testify to this. A favored blackand-white named Boise is shown taking a daily walk with Hemingway. Hemingway enjoyed the company of cats when he was writing, claiming they gave him “valuable aid.” As to the term

“Hemingway cat,’’ it generally refers to the many Key West cats with extra toes that still live at the Hemingway House, enchanting tourists and keeping away the rats. The polydactyl felines were thought by sailors to bring good luck, and those of us who have a Hemingway cat do consider ourselves fortunate. I’m sure Papa would approve of my Giant Peach, who has enormous mitts, and he would dearly love my friends’ little Hemingway cat, appropriately named Hadley. l Nancy Pate is an author of southernthemed mysteries and a longtime book reviewer, including nearly two decades for the Orlando Sentinel. Her column appears courtesy of her books blog, “On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever,” located online at patebooks.wordpress.com.

538 Virginia Drive Orlando, Florida 32803 Office:

407-897-8988

www.cabinetrycreationsinc.com WWW.OHLMAG.COM Cabinetry Creations_Nov11_.5H.indd

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STYLE

Welcome to Avenue You Winter Park’s fashion mecca is just your style. by Marianne Ilunga hair and makeup by Elsie Knab photographs by Rafael Tongol

credits: sharon gonzalez, STYLIST Assistant; bailiegh johnson, editorial intern

Whether your style is classic, glam, sexy or prep, you’re likely to find your look for fall among the boutiques that line Park Avenue. We sent our fashion team to Winter Park’s iconic thoroughfare to see what’s new, and here’s what they found.

Sexy Seductress

Kelly McLeod, from Prodigal Model Management, wears a black dress with leather detail by Alice + Olivia, $550, lasercut pony hair bootie by Alice + Olivia, $465; skull bracelets, $110-$115 each, multilayer metallic necklace, $109, gold flower details earrings, $160, all by Ryn & Rae. All are from Sultre Boutique, Park Avenue, Winter Park. Jeweled headband by Jane Tran, $100, is from Thread, Park Avenue, Winter Park.

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

November 2011

Retro-chic ‘70’s glam

Cream-pleated pant by Joy Cioci, $395; off-white leather belt by Elegantly Waisted, $112; blushcolor blouse by Haute Hippie, $275; ivory and gray faux-fur vest by Love Token, $224; soft pink deco stretch ring, $28; gold and pearl necklace, $98; snake detail gold ring, $54; gold bead stretch bracelet, $35; blush satin sandals with rhinestone details by Bourne, $266; gray swirl rhinestone bracelet, $40; all from Tuni, Park Avenue, Winter Park. Pearl disc earrings by Coralia Leets, $232; rose quartz ring by Coralia Leets, $349; long gold necklace with rose quartz pendant by Coralia Leets, $675; all from Coralia Leets, Park Avenue, Winter Park. Horn cuff by Brass Tack, $20; leather gray clutch by CC Skye, $275; both from Thread, Park Avenue, Winter Park.

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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STYLE

Preppy meets Bohemian

Cognac-color equestrian boots by Tory Burch, $495; gray tweed skirt with front slit detail by Tory Burch, $325; mustard-color V-neck cardigan by Tory Burch, $225; mushroom-color ruffle blouse by Sunner, $172; multicolor statement necklace by AV Max, $105; magnesite earrings by Tuka Grant, $38; brown haircalf cuff by Misty, $45; karma bead bracelets by Roxsanna Gamache, $89-$99 each; wrap bracelets with gold bead details, $8 each; gold ring with pearl and crystal details, $110; all from Thread, Park Avenue, Winter Park. Multicolor suede vest by Clover Canyon, $432, from Tuni, Park Avenue, Winter Park. The light gray boot socks are the stylist’s own.

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

Timeless Classic

Black and white coat by Yoana Baraschi, $395; black and polka dot dress by Halston Heritage, $495; fur and chain necklace by Yochi, $128; black leather gloves with ruffle details by Diane Von Furstenberg, $168; all from Tuni, Park Avenue, Winter Park. Long tulle and rhinestone necklace by Candace Ang, $138; plum-color sunglasses by Burberry, $190; both at Thread, Park Avenue, Winter Park. Black drop earrings by Coralia Leets, $473, from Coralia Leets, Park Avenue, Winter Park. WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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STYLE

Fall Looks Are Front and Center Animal prints and neutrals with pops of red dominated this year’s Orlando Fashion Week. by Baileigh Johnson photographs by Rafael Tongol

L

ayers, length, cheetah-

prints and neutrals with pops of red were front and center during this year’s Mall at Millenia Orlando Fashion Week. With outfits assembled by Melanie Pace, the mall’s resident stylist, and hosted by celebrity stylist and cast member of E!’s Fashion Police, George Kotsiopoulos, the event’s signature runway shows included fall offerings from Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Cache, GUESS, Lucky Brand, Macy’s and others. One of the fashion shows benefited Runway to Hope, a not-for-profit that supports families impacted by pediatric cancer. Here are some of the hottest looks from the runway, along with tips on how to wear the season’s must-haves.

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Bulky Layers. Layer a chunky sweater with a cape or trench coat for a cozy-goes-chic look. Proportion, however, is key; keep your bottom half slender if you pile on up top. Dark, slender trousers and high-heel booties contrast and balance the looseness of the sweater and coat. – outfit from Ann Taylor

Animal Print. Whether it’s a blouse subtly tucked under a leather bomber jacket or a bold printed handbag, animal prints have gone wild this season. Although cheetah-prints are the most popular, leopard, zebra and tiger motifs are also gaining favor. – outfit from Ann Taylor

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

Ponchos and Tights. Ponchos are another layering technique for dressing up or dressing down. Pair a poncho with tights, which aren’t just for keeping warm anymore. Choose blacks and dark neutrals for a professional look, or go funkier with bright colors and printed pairs. — outfit from Ann Taylor WWW.OHLMAG.COM

Muted Colors. Summer is all about embracing color. Fall, however, is time to step back and let the garment speak for itself with seductive, muted colors. Dulling down the palette plays up details such as ruffles, pleats, stitching and fabric. – outfit from Caché

Booties & Belts. When piling on layers, be careful not to sacrifice shape. To avoid a square look, cinch outfits together with a belt. Play with size, color and texture. As for the feet, it’s all about booties. Peep-toe, patent leather and studded details – nothing is off limits. — outfit from Ann Taylor ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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STYLE

Tweed. Fall brings a need for tweed. Once reserved for the office or Ivy League professors, tweed is making its way out of the faculty lounge and into the closets of fashionistas. Pair with cropped trousers and heels for a night out, or with darkwash, skinny jeans and ballet flats for a trip to the grocery store. — outfit from Caché 26

Pop of Red. Scarlet, crimson and vermilion have caught fire this fall. Bright reds can impact any outfit – and you don’t need to don a head-to-toe cherry jumpsuit to get the desired effect. Nail polish, a swipe of lipstick or a structured handbag are all you need. — outfit from Macy’s

Longer Hem Lines. Fall is the perfect time to sacrifice leg for length. Try a fullfloor maxi or a length that just grazes your calves. Choose from among a straightcut, an A-line and a full silhouette. Calflength skirts are best with heels, while maxi skirts are flat-accessible. — outfit from Macy’s

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

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D AY ’ S D R I V E

A New Spin on an Old City In St. Augustine, a bed-and-breakfast stay can mean luxury – and maybe ghosts.

W

hat “bed-and-breakfast” means to most

people is, well, self-explanatory. You get a bed and you get a breakfast. Unless it’s the homey ambiance provided by an antique chifforobe and lacy curtains or the charm of chatty mom-and-pop proprietors dispensing local lore, nobody expects extras beyond that. Joe Finnegan had a different notion. The owner of a bedand-breakfast in St. Augustine, Finnegan contacted four other innkeepers and formed a loose alliance called The Inns of Elegance. His notion was that each member would provide amenities above and beyond the usual bed-and-breakfast basics, including such perks as champagne upon arrival, Jacuzzi-style tubs for two in every room, complimentary robes and personal fireplaces. All of the participating inns, in which room rates range from

$99 to $350 per night, are located in the downtown historic district, epicenter of the oldest occupied European settlement in the United States. Bound by Old Mission Avenue on the north, Avenida Menendez on the east, St. Francis Street on the south and Ponce de Leon Boulevard on the west, the district is filled with cobblestone streets, close-quartered boutiques and houses and quaint storefronts. In 1872, Harriet Beecher Stowe described the area as “quaint and strange, in harmony with its romantic history ... the current of life has an indolent, dreamy stillness.” More than a century later, the description still fits – for the most part. However, the Oldest City isn’t particularly indolent. It’s a bustling place, teeming with shopping, nightlife and some of the state’s best restaurants.

by Baileigh Johnson

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

PHOTOS: (left) courtesy st. francis inn; (right) florida’s historic coast

It’s a perfect place for a long weekend. And here are some wonderful places to stay and visit while you’re here. The St. Francis Inn, built in 1791 and owned by Finnegan, is the Inns of Elegance flagship. It’s also the city’s oldest bedand-breakfast, which in St. Augustine is saying something. The St. Francis began accepting lodgers in 1845, when Anna Dummett converted her family home into an inn. There are now two additional guest facilities on the property, including the 1880 Wilson House. And on Anastasia Island, across the Matanzas River and over the iconic Bridge of Lions, Finnegan owns a beach house that offers visitors a more sand-and-seafriendly experience. Breakfasts certainly suit the posh ambience at the St. Francis. They’re inventive, rotating wake-up specials including Belgian waffles with mixed berry sauce, citrus pancakes with Mandarin orange sauce or cinnamon-pecan French toast. The inn also offers complimentary wine and beer during happy hour, as well as a bedtime dessert. A small fleet of complimentary bicycles are perfect for pedaling the short distance to the city’s shopping and dining district. There’s breakfast. Then there’s breakfast in bed. It’s a bonus service offered at The Bayfront Westcott House, a Victorian charmer on Matanzas Bay. Having your morning meal and champagne mimosas brought to you in the comfort of your own bedroom is a lovely treat. But with a stunning view of the bay from the front porch of the main building, who wants to stay in bed? The Westcott House, naturally, offers afternoon tea and hors d’oeuvres. And if you should find yourself at the inn on a Monday or Wednesday, you might just catch the storyteller who stops by in the evenings to spin spooky yarns about St. Augustine’s ghosts, of which there are many. For example, the Old South-style Casablanca Inn, with its colonial columns and second-story porches, seems to have some other-worldly residents. I thought I heard a knock at my door late one night and opened it up to an empty hallway. I later heard phantom footsteps on the stairs and some eerie whistling. Maybe it was just wind wafting through the old building. Maybe not. At the St. Francis Inn (left), up-to-date luxuries have been added to the city’s oldest bed-andbreakfast. Every one of the aptly named Inns of Elegance is within easy reach of (top to bottom) the beach at Anastasia Island, carriage rides through the historic district and charming walkways along the Matanzas River. WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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PHOTOs: courtesy bayfront marin house

D AY ’ S D R I V E

The next morning, the innkeeper, Bland Holland, told me the suitably hair-raising story of a woman who ran the inn back in the early 1900s and catered largely to the rumrunner trade. On nights when her outlaw guests were due to arrive, she would stand on the roof of the inn and signal with the movement of her lantern whether it was safe to come ashore. As legend has it, one of the rumrunners was the woman’s lover, who failed to appear and was presumably lost at sea. The woman died broken-hearted and her spirit now roams the inn, searching in vain for her long-lost soul mate. Perhaps you’ll hear that story told over drinks at the Tini Martini Bar, where guests of the inn enjoy a $15 bar credit per room per night. A couple of blocks south of Casablanca lies the Bayfront Marin House. My favorite luxury here: homemade, gourmet ice cream. The inn’s owner, Mike Wieber, turned what had been a hobby into an irresistible amenity with his Wednesday night ice-cream socials. Flavors this past summer included “Girl Scout Shout Out” (a chocolate ice cream base with marshmallow, caramel and chunks of Samoa cookies); “Chocolate Cheesecake Crunch” (a chocolate cheesecake base with Oreo sandwich cookies); “You’re a Peach Fruit Cobbler” (peach ice cream with a swirl of caramel and sweet pie crust pieces); and “Gimme Some More S’mores” (chocolate ice cream with chocolate-covered graham crackers and a marshmallow swirl). The Bayfront’s private balconies and verandas boast picturepostcard views, with St. Augustine’s famous lighthouse visible in the distance. The inn also offers an evening beer-and-wine happy hour. Just behind the Casablanca is the Inn On Charlotte, built in 1918. In St. Augustine, that practically makes it new construction. A variety of packages are available from which to choose, including the Gourmet Package, which includes free transportation aboard the Old Town Trolly, admission for two to the Lightner Museum, and gift cards to Café Alcazar and Collage Restaurant. The Adventure Package also includes transportation via the trolley as well as tickets to a zip-lining adventure at the Alligator Farm and a gift card to Café Alcazar. Brick-paved Charlotte Street leads the way straight to the inn’s doorsteps. Originally a home, the Inn On Charlotte has been elegantly restored and offers complimentary parking and wine during social hour. Guests may also relax in the parlor or enjoy the large, shaded front porch.

The Bayfront Marin House (top and bottom, right) where gourmet ice cream is a daily treat, is within walking distance of fresh-baked delicacies at Bistro de Leon (center right). 30

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

35th Annual Maitland Rotary Art Festival The Rotary Club of Maitland thanks our Sponsors, Partners and Members for their support and involvement in making the 35th Annual Maitland Rotary Art Festival our most successful ever.

We couldn’t have done it without you. Also, heartfelt thanks to the Performing Arts of Maitland for providing continuous live entertainment including the Maitland Symphony Orchestra and Stage Band. Mark your calendars for an exciting

36th Annual Maitland Rotary Art Festival October 5-7, 2012

D AY ’ S D R I V E

Just a short walk away is the Plaza de la Constitucion, the oldest public park in the United States, established in 1573. And it’s also near the Basilica Cathedral of St. Augustine, the oldest North American parish north of Mexico. Indeed, almost every building looks like something you’d ordinarily have to cross the Atlantic to see. As Stowe said: “It is impressive in its unlikeness to anything else in America. It is as if some little, old Spanish town, with its fort and gateway and Moorish bell towers, had broken loose, floated over here and landed on a sand bank.”

OLDEST CITY EATERIES

PHOTOs: courtesy casablanca inn

St. Augustine boasts some of the state’s best restaurants. St. Augustine’s eclectic dining scene includes some of the state’s finest restaurants, in every category imaginable. The following list is far from comprehensive, but it does indicate some of the best dining options located within walking distance of one or more Inns of Elegance. Bistro de Leon. Fifth-generation Chef Jean-Stephanie Poinard offers only the freshest homemade entrées, breads and pastries in his cozy bistro off Cathedral Place. Order the split pea soup with bacon chips, the beef tail “confite” ravioli or the flounder civet with red wine sauce. All are très bien. La Pentola. Allow Chef Jorge Talavera to prepare you a continental dish at this Mediterranean-style, Charlotte Street eatery. Try the lobster ravioli or the juicy and spiced camarones al ajillo (shrimp) served with sourdough bread and extra virgin olive oil. There’s also an extensive wine list. Café Alcazar. One of St. Augustine’s hidden gems, it’s tucked inside the bottom floor of the Lightner Museum. The café is open daily for lunch and once a month for dinner during the city’s Art Walk. Order the New England clam chowder or the artichokes Giovanni with basil and beer. Leave room for Southern-style oatmeal pie with vanilla bean ice-cream. Athena Café. This traditional Greek diner features murals decorating the walls and arched ceiling, a continuous chorus of “Opas!” and specials such as saganaki (flaming cheese), lamb kabobs, chicken souvlaki gyro and rice pilaf. Sara’s Crepe Café. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, here’s a tasty choice. Enjoy Belgian waffles and savory crêpes made from Russian recipes handed down from the owner’s grandmother. At the Casablanca Inn, breakfast can be enjoyed either in-room or from the second-story porches that offer a view of the city’s historic district. Tales of St. Augustine’s resident ghosts are often told at the Tini Martini bar. 32

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

Order the Napoleon crêpe, made with eggs, ham and hollandaise for a hearty treat. Or indulge in a La’Belle crêpe with chocolate and vanilla/chocolate ice cream.

DISNEY IT ISN’T

St. Augustine’s tourist attractions tend toward the old, fun and funky. St. Augustine doesn’t have the sort of glitzy, high-tech attractions that have made Orlando famous. Like the city itself, its attractions tend toward the funky and oddball. But they’re delightful all the same. Alligator Farm. One of the city’s more well-known tourist destinations, the facility now offers an aerial adventure through the property. Zip-lining across crocodile ponds and alligator feedings makes for an exciting and somewhat nerve-wracking adventure. For more information, visit alligatorfarm.us. Villa Zorayda. Built by Boston millionaire Franklin Smith in 1883 as a winter retreat, the mansion is now open to the public as a walk-through museum. Still family owned, the facility also offers audio tours and is available for wedding receptions.

WWW.OHLMAG.COM

For more information, visit villazorayda.com. City Walk Food Tour. Want to enjoy all of St. Augustine’s cuisine but don’t have time to do it? On the tour you’ll visit an array of restaurants and enjoy an assortment of quicker, smaller-sized meals. Options for tours include the “Savory Fair,” “The Plaza Stroll,” “Pub Crawl,” “Bachelorette Party,” “Creepy Crawl,” and “History, Mayhem and Murder.” For more information, visit staugustinecitywalks.com. Lightner Museum. See elegant artifacts from America’s Gilded Age, including stained-art glass from Louis Comfort Tiffany, mechanical musical instruments, and costumes and furnishings. What was once the Hotel Alcazar also houses the city’s largest collection of Spanish Renaissance furniture and relics. For more information, visit lightnermuseum.org. Old Florida Museum. Explore Fort Menendez, learn about early Spanish St. Augustine and hear the city’s history explained by costumed characters straight from the city’s storied past. For more information, visit oldfloridamuseum.com. San Sebastian Winery. Dating back to 1562 and located in one of Henry Flagler’s old East Coast Railway buildings,

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Luma on Park: winner, Best Wine Cellar, Best Cocktail (Readers’ Choice), Best Décor. Shown is the White Linen cocktail.

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

2011 Silver Spoon Awards

W

by Michael McLeod • photographs by Greg Johnston

e have a food truck that offers five-star cuisine, a restaurant with a view of giraffes and wildebeests, a chef with a green thumb and another who invented a whole New World. We have a dessert from another century and one that arrives in flames. We have a Manhattan steakhouse with a Disney World view. We have 200 bottles of beer on the wall. Welcome to the 2011 edition of the Silver Spoon Awards, in which our panel of foodies recognizes culinary excellence among local eateries. There’s an accompanying readers’ poll. As you’ll discover, Orlando’s dining scene boasts a broad and often surprising array of unique individuals, settings, and above all, cuisine.

FINE DINING

1. Norman’s 2. Victoria & Albert’s 3. Bull & Bear Every dedicated foodie and restaurant reviewer in Orlando appears to be on a first-name basis with celebrity chef Norman Van Aken. Whenever they get together, it’s all “Norman this” and “Norman that.” The familiarity reflects affection and respect for Van Aken and his namesake restaurant, NORMAN’S (normans.com) at The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando, Grande Lakes. That’s where Van Aken and his chefs continue to perfect the “New World Cuisine” he invented – dishes that blend influences from Latin America, the Caribbean and Florida. More recently, an Asian flair has been added. “The menu items always seem to be astounding, and staff gives the utmost attention to your needs,” said one judge. “Try the Mongolian marinated and grilled veal chop.” “Conch chowder remains tops on WWW.OHLMAG.COM

my list,” added another. All the judges praised the extravagant ambience, with one saying: “Maybe it’s just the dining room with the curved, off-white banquettes and its round beamed ceiling and rich drapery, but Norman’s sets a tone that says ‘special.’” An evening at VICTORIA & ALBERT’S at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (victoria-alberts.com) is, in the understatement of one of our judges, “a big production.” The servers dressed in late 19th century garb; the six-course, personalized menu; the Wedgwood china – and we haven’t even gotten to the pan-roasted foie gras or the grilled prime filet with celery root-potato purée yet. At V&A, you have three choices: You can sit in the main dining room, with its doting service and live harp music; in the Queen Victoria Room, with only four tables; or, if you’re lucky enough to snag a reservation, at the chef ’s table in the kitchen. One judge’s comment, in particu-

lar, reflected the opinion of the group: “Wherever you dine, you’ll receive an exquisite multicourse meal, artfully paired with wines, upon request. The food is as fine as it gets, and cutting edge, too.” The BULL & BEAR PRIME STEAKHOUSE (bullandbearorlando.com) earned points for everything from its lobster bisque to gourmet macaroni and cheese, not to mention the marquee entrée: the Tomahawk – an enormous, 36-ounce steak, dry-aged for 28 days. The restaurant is on Walt Disney World grounds in the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, sister to the historic art deco hotel in midtown Manhattan. Though it’s patterned after a steakhouse of the same name in the original Waldorf, the Orlando iteration of the Bull & Bear has developed its own personality. “The restaurant has made significant changes and has become more comfortable in its role representing a legend while expressing its own individuality,” said one judge. Another simply offered this advice: “Share the Tomahawk.” ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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Kevin Fonzo is a chef with a green thumb and a busy schedule. The workaholic force behind K RESTAURANT (kwinebar.com) in College Park donates his rare off hours to teaching local schoolchildren how to manage a kitchen garden and prepare tasty dishes from the proceeds. As a chef, Fonzo practices what he preaches, changing his restaurant’s menu daily in order to include locally harvested vegetables – extremely local, sometimes culled from his own vegetable patch just beyond the kitchen door. “A top-notch chef with a cozy restaurant tucked into a great neighborhood,” said one judge. Another praised Fonzo’s locavore leanings: “Love the backyard garden, providing instant, fresh ingredients.” Even if you’re not a golfer, you can’t help but be charmed by the view of the historic, city-operated golf course from THE TAP ROOM AT DUBSDREAD (taproomatdubsdread.com). Service is excellent, as are the homemade desserts, prime-cut steaks and what one judge described as “the best burger in town for my money.”

Added another: “Over-the-top, scratchmade food with down-to-earth service distinguishes The Pig as the place to go for fine fare without fuss.” LUMA ON PARK (lumaonpark.com) is, as one judge put it, a place where diners “can go dressed up or dressed down, and have a few nibbles or a whole meal. Always great. You can’t help but get caught up in the energy and positive vibe that radiates throughout.” Another gushed: “Every element of Luma dazzles, consistently, on every visit. The dining room is stunning, and abuzz while not too loud. The servers are always knowledgeable and friendly without that mechanical ‘My name is’ nonsense – and every dish is made from scratch.” As for COCINA 214 (cocina214.com) in Winter Park, a somewhat surprising winner given its relative newcomer status, one judge praised its authenticity and was grateful to see a Tex-Mex option added to the Park Avenue lineup. The restaurant won points for its salsas, for its huevos rancheros with melted quesos blanco and red ranchero sauce, and for “not making apologies for being a Tex-Mex restaurant.” Along those lines, just in case you’re wondering, 214 isn’t the restaurant’s street address. It’s the area code for Dallas.

ANTONIO’S LA FIAMMA RISTORANTE (antoniosonline.com) combines classy

WINE LIST

NEIGHBORHOOD FAVORITE

1. K Restaurant 2. Tap Room at Dubsdread 3. Antonio’s

with casual in an atmosphere that suits its Maitland location overlooking Lake Lily. Said one judge: “The chef is doing some amazing things with the food. Try the pork tenderloin with figs (Filetto di Maiali).”

UPSCALE CASUAL

1. Ravenous Pig 2. Luma 3. Cocina 214 THE RAVENOUS PIG (theravenouspig.com) never wants for compliments from the culinary cognoscenti. “Creative fare in a comfortable atmosphere,” said one judge. “I’m never disappointed.” 38

1. Luma 2. Seasons 52 3. Fleming’s LUMA ON PARK (lumaonpark.com) impressed judges not just with its extensive, thoughtful wine list, but by the way in which its wines are incorporated into the sleek décor. “Very cool wine room in the middle of the restaurant that piques your curiosity,” said one judge. SEASONS 52 (seasons52.com) was lauded by one judge for coupling “a fresh take on seasonal flavors with great wine.” Said another: “Their philosophy speaks volumes on a plate, in a glass and with service.”

It didn’t escape our judges’ notice that FLEMING’S PRIME STEAK HOUSE & WINE BAR (flemingsteakhouse.com)

recently introduced “100 wines by the glass.” A third of those wines were selected by the restaurant’s wine manager. One judge expressed particular appreciation for Silver Oak 2007 as his favorite red, and Mosella Rielsing as his favorite white. In partnership with Salvatore Ferragamo’s Il Borro Winery, a new private-label wine called Forty-Six Diamonds Toscana 2009 is now available at both the Winter Park and Dr. Phillips locations.

BEST ETHNIC

1.Tie: Bosphorous, Hawkers, Nile Ethiopian We are the world, at least when we’re hungry. There’s some sort of multicultural moral in the three-way tie we wound up with in this edible Olympics category. BOSPHOROUS RESTAURANT, on Park Avenue in Winter Park (bosphorousrestaurant.com), is “a delightful restaurant with stylized Turkish classics,” said one judge, singling out the hunkar begendi, which sounds like the name of a Star Wars alien but is in fact seasoned beef sautéed with onions and tomatoes, served with a purée of smoked eggplant. The menu at HAWKERS STREET FARE (hawkersstreetfare.com) is patterned after the exotic foods offered by Asian street vendors. “I’ve tasted half the menu and have absolutely loved everything,” said one judge. Added another: “A friend who lived in Malaysia and Bangkok told me that the food is super authentic.” At NILE ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT (nile07.com), I-Drive diners sop up delicious fare with a pancake-like dough called injera and eat traditional stew called wat, while the scent of freshly roasted coffee beans wafts past their tables and everybody makes corny com-

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

Gargi’s Lakeside: winner, Best View, Best Outdoor Dining. Shown is the filet mignon and Zupa di Pesce.

WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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Bull & Bear: winner, Fine Dining, Best Décor. Shown is the Tomahawk, the restaurant’s 36-ounce steak.

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

2011 Readers’ Choice Awards Your vote counts too! Orlando Home & Leisure’s Readers’ Choice survey, sent via email, drew hundreds of enthusiastic responses. Here are your picks for your favorite dining places in the following categories:

ments like: “Wat? Wat did you say?” Honorable mention: PACO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT (pacosmexican.com); WAZZABI SUSHI(wazzabisushi.com).

BEST CHEF(S)

1. James and Julie Petrakis 2. Brandon McGlamery 3. Kevin Fonzo JAMES AND JULIE PETRAKIS are

the creative couple who brought perennial favorite THE RAVENOUS PIG to Orlando. “A down-to-earth, well-versed team,” lauded one judge. BRANDON MCGLAMERY is currently chief chef at LUMA ON PARK, but is also developing a new, much-anticipated Italian restaurant. KEVIN FONZO is the picture of consistency and creativity at his K RESTAURANT on Edgewater Drive in College Park.

BEST DESSERTS

1. Dessert Lady’s Carrot Cake 2. Café de France’s Tarte Tatin 3. Bull & Bear’s Flaming Crème Brûlée It’s tough picking one delicacy over another at THE DESSERT LADY (dessertlady.com), but the carrot cake, as the initial creation that wunderkind restaurateur Patti Schmidt used to kick-start her career, is the sentimental favorite. The Tarte Tatin at CAFÉ DE FRANCE (lecafedefrance.com) is a caramelized, upside-down tart, usually made with apples or peaches, which was created by accident at the Hotel Tatin in LemotteBeuvron, France in 1898. If you like a little drama with dessert, you’ll get it as your Flaming Crème Brûlée is prepared tableside at the BULL & BEAR PRIME STEAKHOUSE (waldorfastoriaorlando.com). Honorable mention: The sweet potato pie at NARCOOSEE’S, Grand Floridian (disneyworld.disney.go.com); the salted caramels at the BLUE BIRD WWW.OHLMAG.COM

BAKE SHOP (bluebirdbakeshop.com); the Pigtails at THE RAVENOUS PIG

(theravenouspig.com); the chocolate soufflé at ROY’S (roysrestaurant.com); the vanilla cupcake with coconut icing at CHOCOLATE PROVOCATEUR’S (chocolateprovocateur.com).

BEST VIEWS

1.California Grill 2.Tie: Hillstone, Sanaa At the CALIFORNIA GRILL on the 15th floor of Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort, you can watch the sunset and Magic Kingdom fireworks display. If it’s an earthier view you seek, indigenous African animals may meander by just outside your window as you dine at SANAA RESTAURANT at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. (Information for both restaurants is available at disneyworld.disney.go.com.) For a tamer but more relaxing feast for the eyes, HILLSTONE’S panoramic vista of the sunset across Lake Killarney is a longtime Winter Park favorite (hillstone.com/hillstone). If Hillstone doesn’t sound familiar to you, that’s because it used to be Houston’s. Honorable mention: LA HACIENDA DE SAN ANGEL in Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion (disneyworld.disney.go.com); BICE RISTORANTE at Universal Orlando (universalorlando.com); GARGI’S LAKESIDE (gargislakeside.com); 310 LAKESIDE (310parksouth.net); JERNIGAN’S RESTAURANT at Amway Center (amwaycenter.com).

BEST DÉCOR

1. Luma 2. Rusty Spoon 3. Bull & Bear

NEW ESTABLISHMENT 1. Tie: Prickly Pear, Rusty Spoon, Shipyard Emporium BREAKFAST 1. First Watch (4 locations) 2. Mission Inn 3. Peach Valley Café LATE NIGHT 1. Chef’s Table at the Edgewater Hotel 2. 310 Lakeside 3. Bananas WINE LIST 1. Vineyard Wine Co. 2. Chef’s Table/Edgewater 3. Seasons 52 (2 locations) DESSERT 1. Chef’s Table/Edgewater 2. Mission Inn 3. Dessert Lady SERVICE 1. Chef’s Table/Edgewater 2. Vineyard Wine Co. 3. Mission Inn SERVER 1. Matt Gallagher, 310 Lakeside 2. Tie: Holly Daniels, Fleming’s; Nicole Gordils, Emeril’s Tchop Chop; Jory Miller, Terra Mia; Arnaud Soules, Bull & Bear CHEF 1. Kevin Tarter, Chef’s Table/Edgewater 2. Derek Peters, Vineyard Wine Co. 3. Scott Hunnel, Victoria & Albert’s TAKE OUT 1. Pei Wei (3 locations) 2. Tie: China 3, Panera (21 locations)

Oddly enough, our judges disagreed more with each other in this category than any other. In the end, LUMA ON PARK (lumaonpark.com) won out for being “just plain pretty, with an upscale, big-city feel.” ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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The airy, minimalist décor of THE RUSTY SPOON (therustyspoon.com) was bright and restful to most judges, while a dissenter found it sterile. If, at the other end of that spectrum, you like a little jolt of visual testosterone with your steak, you’ll like the BULL & BEAR PRIME STEAKHOUSE (waldorfastoriaorlando.com), whose décor was described by one judge as being “extremely masculine and powerful.” Honorable mention: RANGETSU (rangetsu.com); CUBA LIBRE RESTAURANT & RUM BAR (cubalibrerestaurant.com); HILLSTONE (hillstone.com); LA LUCE (laluceorlando. com); SHIN SUSHI (shinsushi.com); NORMAN’S (normans.com); WHITE WOLF CAFÉ (whitewolfcafe.com); SANAA (disneyworld.disney.go.com).

BEST FOOD TRUCK

1. Big Wheel Provisions 2. Crooked Spoon 3. Yum Yum Cupcake Truck

Arnaud Soules (top), Bull & Bear: winner, Best Server (Readers’ Choice); and Brandon McGlamery (above), Luma on Park: winner, Best Chef.

Chef, owner and driver Tony Adams of BIG WHEEL PROVISIONS (bigwheelprovisions.com) serves fine dishes that you wouldn’t expect to get from the side of a truck. Sautéed foie gras, anyone? Adams is best known for his charcuterie, the craft of salting, smoking and curing meat. THE CROOKED SPOON (facebook. com/thecrookedspoon) boasts one of the best burgers in Central Florida, on wheels or off. At THE YUM YUM CUPCAKE TRUCK (theyumyumcupcaketruck.com), the little cakelets fly away as fast as that little confection-decorated truck can make them.

BEER SELECTION

1. Redlight Redlight 2. Taps Wine & Beer Eatery 3. Draft Orlando With its two dozen drafts and a selection of 200 bottled beers, REDLIGHT REDLIGHT BEER PARLOUR (redlight-

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redlightbeerparlour.com), an unpretentious but dead-serious local craft beer bar on Bennett Road, sloshed its way to the No. 1 spot. TAPS WINE & BEER EATERY (facebook.com/tapswinterpark) was close behind, offering 250 varieties of beer and 100 wines. Like the others, DRAFT ORLANDO (draftorlando.com) features a dizzying and delectable array of IPAs, stouts, lagers, pilsners, ales and cider.

BAR FOOD

1. Vine’s Grill 2. Tap Room 3. Rusty Spoon The mini Kobe cheeseburgers, artisanal cheese platters, Parmesan fries, steak kabobs, ceviche, spicy lamb meatballs, oysters and flatbread pizzas carried the day for VINES GRILL & WINE BAR (vinesgrille.com). THE TAP ROOM AT DUBSDREAD

(taproomatdubsdread.com) is no slouch with its fresh-seared tuna sashimi, buffalo shrimp, jumbo lump crab cakes, baked brie and cheese platter and Caprese salad. THE RUSTY SPOON (therustyspoon.com) boasts carpaccio, oysters, butter-poached clams, stuffed eggs charred squid steak and octopus. Honorable mention: 310 PARK SOUTH (310parksouth.net); WALL STREET CANTINA (wallstplaza.net/cantina); PRIMO (primograndelakes.com); LE ROUGE WINE BAR & TAPAS (lerougewinebar. com); ROCCO’S ITALIAN GRILLE & BAR (roccositaliangrille.com); THE RAVENOUS PIG (theravenouspig.com); JOHNNY’S FILLIN’ STATION (johnnysfillinstation.com); EDEN BAR at the Enzian (enzian.org); URBAN FLATS (urbanflats.net).

MOST ROMANTIC

1. Chez Vincent 2. Victoria & Albert’s 3.Tie: Café de France, Chatham’s Place We have two French restaurants rep-

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

resented in this category, which isn’t surprising, since so many of us become easily seduced simply after hearing certain key French-restaurant words, such as “escargot” or “crème brûlée.” An evening at subdued CHEZ VINCENT (chezvincent.com), in charming Hannibal Square, can turn romantic even if you aren’t expecting it to. And how could love not blossom at VICTORIA & ALBERT’S (victoria-alberts.com) when there are fresh flowers at every table, a harpist plays in the background and a long-stem rose is presented to every woman who walks into the place? The intimate, Old-World feel of CHATHAM’S PLACE RESTAURANT

(chathamsplace.com) is a setup for love; so is the refined, European-styled ambiance at CAFÉ DE FRANCE (lecafedefrance.com). Honorable mention: THE VENETIAN ROOM (thevenetianroom.com); THE CHEF’S TABLE AT THE EDGEWATER HOTEL (chefstableattheedgewater.com); NORMAN’S (normans.com).

BEST PLACE FOR A BUSINESS MEETING 1. Capital Grill 2. The Boheme 3. Rocco’s

Choices in this category all depend on the kind of business you have in mind. THE CAPITAL GRILL (thecapitalgrill. com) on International Drive is, as one judge put it, “a favorite destination for a closing dinner or an out-of-town business guest.” THE BOHEME at the Grand Bohemian (grandbohemianhotel.com/theboheme) is ideal for the downtown business crowd, particularly those who like to include jumbo lump crab cakes and fried green tomatoes in their power lunches. In Winter Park, ROCCO’S ITALIAN GRILLE & BAR (roccositaliangrille.com) is the perfect place for after-hour gettogethers, either in the main restaurant WWW.OHLMAG.COM

or the bar, over “small plates” of ricotta gnocchi, fried seafood with a sun-dried tomato aioli and sausage-stuffed mushrooms. Honorable mention: KRES CHOPHOUSE (kreschophouse.com); CITRUS RESTAURANT (citrusorlando.com); THE RAVENOUS PIG (theravenouspig.com); NAPA RESTAURANT (peobodyorlando.com/dining); SEASONS 52 (seasons52.com); DEL FRISCO’S PRIME STEAK & LOBSTER (delfriscosorlando.com); CHRISTINI’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO (christinis.com); SHULA’S 347 GRILL (donshula.com)

LONGTIME FAVORITES 1. K Restaurant 2. Coq au Vin 3. California Grill

One judge described the experience of having dinner at College Park’s K RESTAURANT (kwinebar.com) as “like going to a friend’s home for dinner – a friend who happens to be a chef.” That same human touch factors into the staying power of LE COQ AU VIN (lecoqauvinrestaurant.com), which maintains its standing in this category because of a smooth transition from retiring chef Louis Perrotte to new operators Chef Reimund Pitz and his wife, Sandy. CALIFORNIA GRILL (disneyworld. disney.go.com) is a mainstay not only because of its theme-park view but because, at least for one judge, it serves the “best sushi on Disney property, if not in Orlando.” Honorable mention: CHATHAM’S PLACE RESTAURANT (chathamsplace. com); CAFÉ DE FRANCE (lecafedefrance.com); ANTONIO’S LA FIAMMA RISTORANTE (antoniosonline.com); THE TAP ROOM AT DUBSDREAD (taproomatdubsdread.com); DEL FRISCO’S PRIME STEAK & LOBSTER (delfriscosorlando.com); HOT OLIVES RESTAURANT (hotolives.com);THE RAVENOUS

APPETIZER 1. Artichokes or smoked salmon at Hillstone 2. Calamari at Shine 3. Tie: Firecracker shrimp at Bahama Breeze, fried goat cheese at Funky Monkey, fried pickles at Gator’s Dockside, fried olives and calamari at La Luce, French onion soup at Sam Snead’s COCKTAIL 1. Bloody Mary at Dexter’s (3 locations) 2. Champagne Cocktail at Christini’s 3. Tie: White Chocolate Martini at Boheme; White Linen Cocktail at Luma, 1988 Martini at Roy’s BEER 1. World of Beer 2. Taps at Dubsdread 3. Vineyard Wine Co. DELI 1. Too Jays (6 locations) 2. Tie: Pickles, Shakers, That Deli PIZZA 1. Winter Garden Pizza Co. 2. Mellow Mushroom 3. Tie: Anthony’s, La Luce BURGER 1. Five Guys (13 locations) 2. Vineyard Wine Co. 3. Hamburger Mary’s BUFFET 1. Mission Inn 2. Dux 3. Tie: Boma, Golden Corral (9 locations) COFFEE 1. Starbucks (multiple locations) 2. Tie: Axum Coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts (multiple locations) SUSHI 1. Amura (3 locations) 2. Ichiban 3. Shari HAPPY HOUR 1. Chef’s Table/Edgewater 2. Vineyard Wine Co. 3. Mission Inn

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Lake Meadow stuffed eggs with herbs and oven-dried tomatoes at The Rusty Spoon, winner for Best Décor, Best Happy Hour and Best New Establishment.

Grown-up S’mores, a popular dessert at the Rusty Spoon.

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DATE PLACE 1. Chef’s Table/Edgewater 2. Vineyard Wine Co. 3. Victoria & Albert’s

PIG (theravenouspig.com); ENZO’S ON THE LAKE (enzos.com).

SERVICE

1. Victoria & Albert’s 2. Tie: Bull & Bear, Norman’s Years ago the management did away with the Disneyfied conceit of naming all the servers, dressed as servants, either Victoria or Albert, but they retained the attendant skills that keep VICTORIA & ALBERT’S (victoriaalberts.com) among the finest restaurants in the southeastern United States. The staff at the BULL & BEAR PRIME STEAKHOUSE (bullandbearorlando. com) has come a long way in learning proper serving techniques and now are worthy of being part of a Waldorf Astoria-branded property, agreed the judges. Under the direction of Yusuf Yildiz, the staff at NORMAN’S (normans.com) is part of what makes a dinner here the fine occasion that it is – consistently. Honorable mention: THE VENETIAN ROOM (thevenetianroom.com); LUMA ON PARK (lumaonpark.com); THE RAVENOUS PIG (theravenouspig. com); CHATHAM’S PLACE RESTAURANT (chathamsplace.com); SPENCER’S FOR STEAKS & CHOPS (spencersforsteaksandchops.com); EMERIL’S TCHOUP CHOP (emerils.com); LA COQUINA CHEF’S TABLE (grandcypress. hyatt.com); THE BOHEME (grandbohemianhotel.com/theboheme); BANANAS DINER (bananasdiner.com).

BRUNCH

1. Hue 2. Coq au Vin 3. Tie: Bananas, The Boheme, La Coquina Who knew that eating to songs from the ‘70s could be so much fun? But it is at HUE RESTAURANT (huerestaurant. com). The disco brunch is one of the most anticipated morning meals ever. LE COQ AU VIN (lecoqauvinrestaurant.com) is a new addition to the WWW.OHLMAG.COM

brunch bunch, giving fans yet another reason to visit the longtime favorite. At BANANAS DINER (bananasdiner.com), the gospel brunch is not for the faint of heart (nor the devout, for that matter). Hint: Those women flailing and wailing and lip-syncing up and down the rows of booths aren’t really women. THE BOHEME (grandbohemianhotel.com/theboheme) brings a bit of elegance to downtown Orlando. Brunch is usually accompanied by live jazz in the rotunda. LA COQUINA CHEF’S TABLE (grandcypress.hyatt.com) is still one of the best – definitely the priciest – brunches, with food stations set up in the kitchen and dining in the über-elegant dining room that is now used only for this Sunday meal.

OUTDOOR DINING

1. Hillstone 2. Eden Bar 3. Gargi’s Lakeside Straight from the judges: HILLSTONE (hillstone.com/hillstone): “Love it for the lake view from the tables, drinks in the Adirondack chairs or, for the ultimate, eating a private meal on the dock.” EDEN BAR at the Enzian (enzian. org): “It’s like dining in the middle of a garden.” And GARGI’S LAKESIDE (gargislakeside.com): “Not for everyone, but if you enjoy being lakeside and smack in the middle of the city, it’s perfect.” Honorable mention: ORCHID THAI CUISINE (orchidparkavenue.com); LUMA ON PARK (lumaonpark.com); CITY FIRE AMERICAN OVEN & BAR

(cityfirerestaurants.com); MI TOMATINA PAELLA BAR (mitomatina.com).

BEST KEPT SECRET 1. Bar Louie 2. Café de Paris 3. City Fire

BAR LOUIE (barlouieamerica.com) will be getting more attention soon enough for its good food and drink prices.

FAMILY PLACE 1. Winter Garden Pizza Co. 2. Mission Inn 3. Olive Garden (28 locations) AFRICAN 1. Boma 2. Jiko AMERICAN 1. Seasons 52 (2 locations) 2. Tie: Chef’s Table/Edgewater, Mission Inn BBQ 1. 4Rivers (3 locations) 2. Harry & Larry’s 3. Bubbalou’s (5 locations) BRAZILIAN 1. Texas de Brazil 2. Nelore Churrascaria CARRIBEAN 1. Bahama Breeze 2. Tamboras Grill 3. Tie: Guavate, Bob Marley’s, Mama Millie’s, Puerto Rico’s, Singh’s Roti CHINESE 1. Tie: Jade Bistro, P.F. Chang’s (2 locations) 3. Imperial Dynasty CREOLE 1. Tie: Emeril’s, Tibby’s 3. Big Easy, King Cajun Crawfish CUBAN 1. Black Bean Deli 2. Tie: Padrino’s, Rolando’s FRENCH 1. Chez Vincent 2. Coq Au Vin 3. Paris Bistro GERMAN 1. Hollerbach’s Willow Tree 2. Biergarten at Epcot 3. Tie: Bavarian Haus, Matthew’s Steaks, Yalaha Bakery (2 locations)

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GREEK 1. Athena 2. Tie: Greek Corner, Mykonos, Taverna Opa INDIAN 1. Memories of India 2. Passage to India 3. Saffron MIDDLE EASTERN 1.Tie: Bosphoros, Cedars 3. Tie: Anatolia, Chef Henry’s, Tony’s Deli SEAFOOD 1. Bonefish Grill (5 locations) 2. Boston’s Fish House (2 locations) 3. Oceanaire SOUL 1. Mama Nems’ 2. Lowe’s 3. Mel’s STEAKHOUSE 1. Bull & Bear 2. Tie: Del Frisco’s, Fleming’s, Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris (3 locations) THAI 1. Tie: Soong Thai, Thai House 3. Thai Blossom VEGETARIAN 1. Infusion Tea 2. Woodlands 3. Tie: Dandelion, Ethos, Sweet Tomatoes (6 locations) VIETNAMESE 1. Little Saigon 2. Viet Garden 3. Pho 88

LE CAFE DE PARIS (no website) may

not, but it should: This small eatery in the Dr. Phillips area has the sort of food you’d find in a corner cafe on Saint-Germain-des-Prés. CITY FIRE AMERICAN OVEN & BAR

(cityfirerestaurants.com) is bound to do well just on the nostalgia factor alone. It is a project of Manny Garcia, whose Pebbles and Harvey’s Bistro restaurants were local favorites for many years. Honorable mention: THE TAP ROOM AT DUBSDREAD (taproomatdubsdread.com); CITYFISH RESTAURANT (cityfishorlando.com); WINTER PARK FISH COMPANY (thewinterparkfishco. com); DYLAN’S DELI (dylansdeli.net); STEFANO’S TRATTORIA (stefanostrattoria.com); HAWKERS STREET FARE (hawkersstreetfare.com); TECHNIQUE RESTAURANT at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts (techniquerestaurant.com).

HAPPY HOUR

1. Urban Flats 2. Bar Louie 3. Tie: Eden Bar, Rusty Spoon URBAN FLATS (urbanflats.net) is best on Wednesdays during the Wine Down Wednesday promotion, when the crowds generally spill out onto the sidewalk. BAR LOUIE (barlouieamerica. com) offers half-price appetizers and Angus beef burger for a dollar during its 46

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extended happy hours. The al fresco EDEN BAR at the Enzian Theater (enzian.org) sports a new menu, ample bar seating and small hightops. THE RUSTY SPOON (therustyspoon. com) is a downtown newcomer that offers a pleasant space for office workers to gather at the end of the day. Honorable mention: BLUE MARTINI LOUNGE (bluemartinilounge.com); DRAFTORLANDO (draftorlando.com); H U E R E STAU RANT (huerestaurant. com).

BREAKFAST

1. Bananas 2. Shakers 3. White Wolf Café At BANANAS DINER (bananasdiner. com) you’ll find everything from basic eggs to chicken and waffles and an array of eggs Benedicts. And you can get it at any hour, including 24 hours on weekend days. SHAKERS AMERICAN CAFÉ (shakerscafe.com) is a little College Park eatery that has lasted so long because of its consistently good food, and it’s reassuring to know that you never have to ask for salt or pepper: The place gets its name from the collection of shakers used for decoration. At the WHITE WOLF CAFÉ (whitewolfcafe.com), it’s the cinnamon rolls and the funky antique décor that make the place a good waker-upper. NOVEMBER 2011

MEET THE JUDGES

Big Wheel Provisions, The Crooked Spoon: winners, Best Food Trucks

BEST NEW PLACE

1. Hawkers 2. Rusty Spoon 3. Shipyard Emporium At HAWKERS STREET FARE (hawkersstreetfare.com), the food is based on dishes offered in open-air markets throughout Asia. This unique conceit got points for sheer creativity from the judges. Meanwhile, TH E R USTY S POON (therustyspoon.com) elicited this comment: “Look out Ravenous Pig, this restaurant is consistently described as a rival.” SHIPYARD EMPORIUM (shipyardemporium.com) is a market, bakery and brew pub – a unique combination for Orlando, and likely one that will be around for some time. Honorable mention: FINESSE RESTAURANT (finesse-therestaurant. com); NAPA RESTAURANT (peobodyorlando.com); PRICKLY PEAR (pricklypearorlando.com); PINE TWENTY 2 (pine22.com); TIBBY’S NEW ORLEANS KITCHEN (tibbysneworleanskitchen. com); DRAGONFLY SUSHI & SAKI CO. (dragonflyorlando.com).

JUDGES’ BEST OUT-OF-TOWN

OLD SPANISH SUGAR MILL (De

Leon Springs): “It’s fun to be a kid again and make your own pancakes.” (planetdeland.com/sugarmill) MON DELICE (New Smyrna Beach): “The best turkey sandwich there is WWW.OHLMAG.COM

and exquisite French pastries.” (mondelicebakery.net) SATCHEL’S PIZZA (Gainesville): “Best. Pizza. Anywhere. Hands-down. Plus, it’s just about the most fun you’ll have dining out.” (satchelspizza.com) ORSAY (Jacksonville): “Great young chef doing terrific things with local ingredients. French bistro atmosphere. So wonderful.” (restaurantorsay.com) BISTRO AIX (Jacksonville): “Another fun chef using local products and doing a great job.” (bistrox.com) HORSERADISH GRILL (Atlanta): “Seriously delicious southern food in a seriously gorgeous restaurant.” (horseradishgrill.com) MURPHY’S RESTAURANT (Atlanta): “Popped in on a whim, wish I lived closer. Without a doubt, best place on a Sunday morning with the New York Times in hand. I had the crab cake Benedict with jalapeno hollandaise. Perfect.” (murphys-atlantarestaurant.com) THE INN AT LITTLE WASHINGTON (Virginia): “Now that’s a seri-

ously long drive but the best meal I’ve ever had in my life.” (theinnatlittlewashington.com) ●

PAM BRANDON is a food and travel writer and publicity consultant based in Winter Park. She has written and edited several cookbooks for Disney Publishing and is managing editor of Edible Orlando magazine. KATIE FARMAND is an Orlando food writer, stylist and recipe developer. Her writing and recipes have appeared in numerous magazines and in her blog, The Thin Chef (thethinchef.com). RONA GINDIN has been writing about restaurants since 1982. She spent nine years as Orlando magazine’s restaurant critic, and writes for Zagat and Fodor’s as well. She hosts a restaurant show that airs on Bright House. CHELE HIPP lives in Winter Park with her husband, Kent, and their two sons. She was born into an Italian family and grew up in Long Island. “Food was the center of our lives,” she says. “My husband says we are the only people he knows who talk about lunch while we’re eating breakfast, then talk about dinner when we’re eating lunch.” SUSAN LOMAX is associate vice president in charge of publicity with VisitOrlando. She says one of the job’s fringe benefits is that it requires her to “eat my way around town in the name of research.” SCOTT JOSEPH is the dean of Orlando restaurant reviewers and food critic for Orlando Home & Leisure. He spent 20-plus years as restaurant reviewer for the Orlando Sentinel. His book, Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide and his website, scottjosephorlando.com are definitive guides to the city’s restaurant scene. SCOTT RICHARDSON was hired by SeaWorld Orlando to open its fullservice restaurant, Sharks Underwater Grill, in 2001, The European-trained chef also worked as general manager of Lombard’s Seafood Grille at Universal Studios. He is an associate professor of Hospitality and Culinary Arts at Valencia College and food critic for The Park Press in Winter Park.

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Lake Nona’s

MEDICALCITY

The University of Central Florida School of Medicine, Nemours Children’s Hospital, the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and the Orlando Veteran’s Administration Hospital are among Medical City’s anchors.

A SPECIAL REPORT PRESENTED BY S P E C I A L R E P O R T: L A K E N O N A

1

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INTRODUCTION

JOE LEWIS WILL RANK MEDICALCITY ALONGSIDE DISNEY IN , LOCAL HISTORY BOOKS Randy Noles Lake Nona’s

a special publication of florida home media llc

FLORIDA HOME MEDIA LLC

Group Publisher

You may never have heard of Joe Lewis. And that’s probably okay with him. Lewis, a British billionaire, is the principal in the Tavistock Group, a private investment company with interests in more than 175 firms worldwide. Lewis keeps a low profile locally, but when the history of Orlando is rewritten decades from now, he will undoubtedly rank alongside Walt Disney as the most important businessperson ever to turn a shovel of Central Florida sand. Lewis left school at 15 to help his father run Tavistock Banqueting, a London catering company. He later owned a West End nightclub called Hanover Grand, where, ironically, he gave Robert Earl his first job. Earl would later found Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood. After selling his family business some 30 years ago, Lewis founded the Tavistock Group. One of its subsidiaries, Lake Nona Property Holdings, owns Lake Nona Golf & Country Club and the land on which Medical City is taking shape. Tavistock was instrumental in laying the groundwork for Medical City through its donations of land and cash, its work with local planning and economic development organizations, and its significant investments in life-sciences companies. If that weren’t enough, the company has bolstered its corporate citizenship with an array of philanthropic efforts. The annual Tavistock Cup golf tournament, for example, has raised millions for such recipients as the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando, The First Tee, Tavistock Scholars and the Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association. This special report, produced jointly by Florida Homebuyer Orlando and Orlando Home & Leisure, is meant to update the development’s progress for local residents — and to introduce it to thousands of relocators. Thanks in large part to Joe Lewis and his partners, it’s an exciting time to be living in Central Florida. After reading this special report, I think you’ll agree.

Carrie King

General Manager GULFSHORE MEDIA LLC

Dan Denton

President/CEO FLORIDA HOMEBUYER ORLANDO

Theresa Swanson Publisher

Katherine Johnson Editor

Jenna Carberg Art Director

Naomi Martin

Research Coordinator ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

Mike McLeod Editor in Chief

Harry Wessel

Managing Editor

Laura Bluhm

Production Director

Mimi Briegel, Lorna Osborn, Nicole Rego, Carol Bradford Sales and Marketing

Randy Noles Group Publisher Florida Home Media LLC 4 S P EC I A L RE P ORT : L A K E N O N A

Contact us at: Florida Homebuyer Orlando 2301 Lucien Way, Suite 190, Maitland, FL 32751 Ph.(407) 647-7598 Fax (407) 647-7796 www.florida-homebuyer.com o c t o b e r

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SPECIAL REPORT

Just what the doctor ordered

I

Lake Nona’s booming Medical City lets Central Florida redefine itself. n 1964, unknown buyers began quietly assembling thousands of acres of swamps, groves and pastures south and west of Orlando. The sophisticated stealth of the operation, combined with the apparent willingness of the local daily newspaper to keep secrets, allowed the Walt Disney Company to lay the groundwork for an entertainment complex that would thrust Orlando onto the world stage and define its image for decades to come.

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A complex of medical research, education and treatment facilities is taking shape on 650 acres in southeast Orange County. The complex will train a new generation of medical professionals and become an incubator for breakthroughs in the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer and diabetes.

By RANDY NOLES and KATHERINE JOHNSON S P E C I A L R E P O R T: L A K E N O N A

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SPECIAL REPORT

Nemours Children’s Hospital, a 630,000-square foot, 95-bed facility, is the Delaware-based pediatric healthcare provider’s first major hospital in the South. It will open in 2012.

For better or worse — and on balance, most would agree, it has been for the better — modern-day Orlando is in large part a Disney creation. But Disney was an

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invader, albeit a benevolent one, setting its sights on a desirable geographic location, surreptitiously securing a beachhead and even setting up its own governmental structure to protect its interests from nosy locals. But if Disney was done to us, the so-called Medical City development at Lake Nona was done by us, and for us. The effort to redefine Orlando as an international destination for leading-edge medical research, education and treatment has been a carefully managed, brilliantly coordinated local effort involving politicians, developers, educators, philanthropists and boosters. “If this all works according to plan, as I suspect it will, two things will happen,” says Rick Weddle, president and CEO of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. “It will be a best-practices model for how local, regional and state governments — the triple helix of economic opportunity — can work together to get things done.”

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special report The 1.2-million-square-foot Orlando Veteran’s Administration Hospital will care for more than 100,000 veterans per year, virtually all of the from Central Florida. The facility will also host a research unit focusing on diabetes and obesity.

••• Just east of Orlando International Airport sits Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, a 7,000-acre, masterplanned community that’s now home to nearly 10,000 residents. About 650 acres is an emerging $2 billion medical campus, including a medical school, research laboratories and hospitals. The project has powered forward at warp speed and pretty much according to plan, despite a national economic collapse that stopped growth in its tracks elsewhere. And it all began with a high-profile failure. 10 S P EC I A L RE P ORT : L A K E N O N A

In 2003, then-governor Jeb Bush announced plans to use government incentives to attract large biomedical companies — and their high-paying jobs — to a state where tourism had always powered the economic engine. The Scripps Research Institute, based near San Diego, accepted $579 million in grants to open a location in the state. In an effort to lure Scripps to Orlando, the Tavistock Group, a private investment firm that owns Lake Nona and much of the surrounding property, set aside about 650 acres and proposed creating a medically oriented o c t o b e r

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Two Medical City anchors: The University of Florida Research and Academic Center (top) and the SanfordBurnham Medical Research Institute (right), where finding new medications to complex encompassing retail attack vexing illnesses stores and housing. will be a top priority.

After all, doctors were already favorably disposed toward Central Florida. Since the early 1990s, the region had hosted roughly half of the medical conventions held in the United States, according to EDC statistics. Scripps even tentatively accepted a proposal of more than $500 million in grants to relocate to the Lake Nona area. But in the end, the institute reneged — in part because Orlando lacked a medical school — and relocated to Jupiter, an affluent, midsized city in Palm Beach County. 12 S P EC I A L RE P ORT : L A K E N O N A

Nearby Florida Atlantic University launched the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, which now offers a dual M.D./Ph.D degree in conjunction with the institute’s Kellogg School of Science and Technology. The loss stung, but Orlando boosters learned from the experience and began looking for another opportunity. Three years later, that chance came when the Burnham Institute for Medical Research — now renamed the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute after a $50 million donation from billionaire T. Denny Sanford — agreed to build a campus somewhere in Florida in exchange for a $310 million incentive package. o c t o b e r

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SPECIAL REPORT

The UCF College of Medicine (top) admitted fewer than 1 percent of its applicants in the 2009-2010 academic year, making it the most selective medical school in the country. But the land surrounding the school (bottom) still shows vestiges of its rural roots.

Concurrently, the University of Central Florida won approval from the Florida Board of Governors and the Florida Legislature to build its own medical school. Tavistock, which donated 50 acres on which the school could be built as well as $12.5 million in cash, challenged the community to raise an additional $12.5 million. That $25 million was doubled via a matching grant from the state. In all, enough money was raised to launch the school and pay tuition and living expenses — worth about $40,000 per year per student — for all 41 members of the school’s inaugural class. That kind of grass-roots commitment appeared to clinch the deal for Sanford-Burnham, which is based in La Jolla, Calif. The institute’s $85 million, 178,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 2009, is now home to the Diabetes and Obesity Research Center and the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics screening center. Sanford-Burnham’s Lake Nona campus, which employs 14 S P EC I A L RE P ORT : L A K E N O N A

160 people including 110 research scientists, is now hiring additional scientists and support staffers to focus on treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. In its first year, it attracted $40 million in research grants. “We’re attracting top-level scientists who come from well-established institutes or universities, many of which are located in metropolitan areas such as Boston or Dallas,” says Deborah Robison, the institute’s communications director. UCF’s medical school is also thriving. It enrolled 80

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SPECIAL REPORT students in 2011, 100 students in 2012 and expects 120 in 2013. Enrollment is slated to top out at 485. As of the 2009-2010 academic year, when fewer than 1 percent of applicants were accepted, it was rated the most selective medical school in the U.S. The adjacent Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences houses UCF’s Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, the Biomolecular Science Center, the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program and the PreHealth Professions Advisement Office. The medical school’s first phase consists of a 130,000-square-foot instructional building and a 60,000-square-foot library. The Burnett School’s facility is 113,000 square feet and serves 2,500 degree-seeking students. The two programs employ more than 500, with as many as 800 anticipated at full enrollment The hoped-for Medical City clustering effect further accelerated when the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando’s Research Institute moved from downtown Orlando to the top floor of the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. “There’s a lot of room for collaboration and synergy when you have so many institutions so close to one another,” says Dr. Clarence Brown, president of

the center. “It’s very exciting. Brown expects that his staff of 25, which includes 10 researchers with doctoral degrees, will work closely with neighboring facilities on cancer research. The University of Florida, based in Gainesville, is also adding its formidable resources to the Lake Nona mix. In 2010 UF broke ground on a $40 million, 100,000-square-foot Research and Academic Center in Medical City. “Our university is very receptive to creating programs outside of Gainesville,” says UF spokesperson Joseph Kays. “We believe the players involved at Lake Nona are capable of making this a major research center, and I’m sure the folks are hopeful there will be many more spinoffs from the work they do.” The first floor of UF’s multilevel facility will house its Institute on Aging — a program that studies, among other things, drug interactions in the elderly — as well as the UF College of Pharmacy, which will relocate its 200 students from Apopka to Lake Nona next June. Dr. Lawrence J. Lesko, professor of Pharmaceutics and director of the Center for Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology, says the center’s researchers will focus on diseases such as Alzheimer’s, looking for revolutionary treat-

VillageWalk at Lake Nona is a 500-acre neighborhood including luxury singlefamily homes, patio homes and townhomes. The waterfront Village Center encompasses a fitness center, two swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts and an event hall as well as a library, a bank and a post office.

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ments to help the nearly 500,000 people in Florida each year who are diagnosed with some form of dementia. “We’ll be designing chemical trials on the computer and integrating data from literature and other failed trials to help find a new drug,” Lesko says. That’s significant, he adds, because the FDA has not approved any new Alzheimer’s drug since 2002. And that’s not all. Through the UF Institute of Therapeutic Innovation, also housed in UF’s Lake Nona facility, researchers will focus on identifying new treatments for cancer, diabetes and other diseases. Noted clinical pharmacologist Dr. George Drusano and his entire staff are relocating from New York to Lake Nona specifically to study infectious diseases. “If I was 20 years younger, you wouldn’t see me in Gainesville,” says Dr. William Millard, the College of Pharmacy’s executive associate dean. “I’d be down there. We can have the students interact with research and faculty, and develop a lot of collaborative interactions with the idea that directly across the street from us is a biotech park.” Another major Medical City anchor will be the Orlando Veteran’s Administration Hospital, slated to open next year. The $665 million, 1.2-million-squarefoot facility will encompass 314 beds, including 22

Among the retail options adjacent to Medical City is Lake Nona Village, with 70,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and offices along with more than 120 residential condominiums and apartments.

intensive-care beds and 40 mental-health beds. A 60-bed domiciliary will provide assisted living and other services to economically disadvantaged veterans. The hospital’s 2,000-plus employees will care for more than 100,000 veterans per year, virtually all of them

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SPECIAL REPORT

The Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences houses UCF’s Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, the Biomolecular Science Center, the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program and the Pre-Health Professions Advisement Office.

Central Florida residents, say officials. In addition there’ll be a medical simulation center and a research unit focusing on diabetes and obesity, which are problems disproportionally impacting veterans. “Medical City was a very big driver for this hospital,” says Courtney Franchio, a VA spokesperson. “One of our 18 S P EC I A L RE P ORT : L A K E N O N A

missions is education and research, so to co-locate with these other facilities is ideal.” Finally, Nemours, a major pediatric healthcare provider with a hospital in Wilmington, Del., and clinics throughout Florida (including Orlando), New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has chosen Lake Nona for a 95-bed, 630,000-square-foot hospital. Nemours Children’s Hospital, now under construction on a 60-acre site, is the not-for-profit organization’s first major hospital in the South. The Lake Nona facility, which is expected to employ about o c t o b e r

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INTRIGUING COLLABORATIONS INCLUDE EQUESTRIAN THERAPY One of the most intriguing collaborations involving the Medical City anchors is an effort to develop an equestrian therapy program that will benefit wounded veterans being treated at the neighboring VA Hospital. Dr. Manette Monroe, a lifelong horse enthusiast, is leading UCF’s effort to bring the program to Lake Nona. Monroe wants to scientifically quantify the ways in which horseback riding helps vets who are physically disabled or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. According to Wendy Spirduso Sarubbi, coordinator of information and publication services at the UCF College of Medicine, the research will be groundbreaking. “Veterans who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with amputations and serious brain injuries from roadside bombings need this program,” says Sarubbi. “Using equestrian therapy allows vets to ride the horses to improve balance, hand/eye coordination and core strength.” UCF is finalizing a proposal to Osceola County leaders requesting donated land on which to build a covered equestrian center for year-round training and classes. The school is seeking research grants to fund the program and hopes to eventually expand it to encompass children with autism.

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From the air, the vastness of the Lake Nona area is especially apparent. In the coming years, planners envision the empty acreage becoming a booming hightech center with neighborhoods and businesses supporting the core medical facilities.

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800, will include healing gardens, nature trails and pet therapy areas for patients. Construction is already 60 percent complete, and the entire cost of the project — $380 million — will be funded by the private Nemours Foundation. “No tax money and no philanthropic dollars will pay for the brick and mortar,” says Josh Wilson, senior manager, public and community relations for Nemours Florida. Once the hospital opens, Wilson adds, Nemours plans to create an endowed chair to raise funds for future research in children’s health. In fact, just about the only type of medical treatment, research and educational facility not found in Medical City is a dental school — but that isn’t for a lack of trying. The three state universities that want to either build new dental schools or expand an existing one — UCF, UF and Florida A&M — were urged in early October by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System, to explore some sort of joint agreement. UCF had wanted to build a new 394-student College of Dental Medicine as an adjunct to its medical school. But at the same time, Florida A&M University was seeking to start a dental school to train minority dentists, while UF was pushing to expand its nationally ranked dentistry program in Gainesville. At press time, the outcome was unknown. With or without a dental school, the investment required to assemble the components of Medical City has S P E C I A L R E P O R T: L A K E N O N A

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SPECIAL REPORT already generated a significant return — and will continue to do so for decades to come. An economic impact study by Arduin, Laffer & Moore Econometrics in 2008 found the UCF College of Medicine, combined with a life-sciences cluster, could create 30,000 jobs with $2.8 billion in annual wages, generate $460 million in annual tax revenue and spur $7.6 billion in annual economic activity for the region. “Since 2005, there’s been $2 billion in active construction on site,” says Rob Adams, vice president of marketing for Lake Nona. “From the infrastructure we put in, to the hospitals, the research institute and medical school.” But even more important than Medical City’s economic impact is this: The next major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of mankind’s most vexing diseases may very well originate in our own backyard. And that’s truly invaluable. Students at the UCF College of Medicine’s Anatomy Lab have access to state-of-the-art imaging equipment. Tuition for all 41 students in the inaugural class was paid via grants.

MEDICAL CITY TIMELINE

To Orlandoans – even those accustomed to instant suburbs and a constantly changing skyline – Medical City seems to have appeared instantly and out of nowhere. In a way, it has. 1996 Tavistock Group purchases Lake Nona Development 1998 Development begins on NorthLake Park community in Lake Nona 2004 Development begins on VillageWalk, Morningside and Waters Edge communities 2005 Tavistock donates 50 acres and $12 million for UCF College of Medicine 2006 UCF College of Medicine approved by state • Burnham Institute announces it will locate at Lake Nona • University of Florida announces it will locate a research facility with Burnham at Lake Nona 2007 Lake Nona sells its 1,000th residence • V.A. announces it will build a new hospital at Lake Nona • UCF pours foundation for its first building at Lake Nona • Burnham breaks ground on its building • State approves Nemours application to build hospital in Central Florida • MD Anderson Cancer Research Institute announces agreement to rent space from UCF at Lake Nona 2008 Tavistock and Nemours agree to locate Children’s Hospital at Lake Nona • V.A. hospital breaks ground 2009 Nemours breaks ground • Burnham building ready for occupancy • Nemours and VA commence construction on their hospitals at Lake Nona 2010 UCF opens its Medical Education Building and Burnett Biomedical Research Building at Lake Nona 2011 Lake Nona opens its newest neighborhood, Laureate Park. 22 S P EC I A L RE P ORT : L A K E N O N A

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AS GROWTH ACCELARATES, A NEW CITY TAKES SHAPE As Medical City’s facilities are taking shape, surrounding

housing and retail projects are also beginning to blossom. The northern part of Lake Nona already encompasses large estate homes in the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club as well as more affordable offerings in NorthLake Park, Waters Edge and Village Walk. Now residential development tied specifically to Medical City is gearing up. “Our residential demand has been steady for two-and-ahalf years, which has been contrary to the Orlando market,” says Rob Adams, Lake Nona’s vice president of marketing. “And demand is increasing as we diversify the product.” Lake Nona’s newest neighborhood is Laureate Park, a traditionally styled project in which the streets are named for Nobel Prize winners. The neighborhood will include 503 homes priced from the low $200s to the mid-$500s. David Weekley Homes, K. Hovnanian Homes and Ashton Woods Homes are the exclusive builders. While Laureate Park shares Norman Rockwellian styling elements with such successful local projects as Celebration and Baldwin Park, it will have a somewhat more organic feel. Instead of plotting the neighborhood using a traditional square grid, Laureate Park developers followed a bent grid, which means curved roads will meander around green, landscaped pathways. The homes, some of which will be inspired by Southern California architecture, will feature modern touches of color and sustainable materials. Miles of walking/jogging paths and man-made lakes are planned. “It’s going to feel different and edgy,” says Adams. “You won’t be able to find it anywhere else.” Ashton Woods will offer single-family homes as well as three urban loft floorplans ranging in size from 1,689 to 1,877 square feet. David Weekley will offer four single-family floorplans ranging in size from 1,500 to 2,900 square feet, while K. Hovnanian will offer duplexes with alleyway garages. The neighborhood is participating in a General Electric program called Homes Inspired by Eco-Imagination, through which homes are pre-wired for electric vehicles and illumination is provided by LED streetlights. In addition, each Laureate Park home will be equipped with a geo-springs water heater/heat pump that cuts water and energy usage by 30 percent. 24 S P EC I A L RE P ORT : L A K E N O N A

Laureate Park, a traditionally styled neighborhood, will be highlighted by curved roads meandering around lushly landscaped public spaces. Homes will be equipped with state-of-the-art energy saving features.

A Nucleus Energy Management System helps monitor a home’s energy consumption. “It looks like a cell phone charger that you plug into the wall,” says Adams. “It talks to the meter outside. You can hook it up to a special thermostat and go on the Web and see what your house is doing.” Surrounding Laureate Park will be a Village Center packed with retail shops, restaurants, a fitness center and an array of other amenities. Another big retail project taking shape is the walkable Lake Nona Town Center, which will boast twin hotels. “Lake Nona is an attractive community and is only going to get better,” says Randy Hartley, chief administrative officer for Nemours Children’s Hospital, who recently relocated to Lake Nona. “As we see the retail center open and more homes built, I’m sure this area will wow many of the candidates we’re recruiting.” In addition, road projects will make traveling to, from and within Medical City more convenient. Linking existing roads such as Lake Nona Boulevard with Boggy Creek Road and tying the development to SunRail, Central Florida’s commuter train system, is also a top priority for regional transportation officials. “Rail is a part of the plan for that area,” says Kelley Teague, director of public affairs for Metroplan Orlando. “We are mindful of the need to have a transit component serving Lake Nona.” o c t o b e r

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VALENCIA’S LAKE NONA CAMPUS IS AN IDEAL FIT

Valencia College isn’t a medical facility, but it’s still a perfect fit for Medical City. Students at Valencia’s Lake Nona Campus will be able to choose from among a variety of courses such as microbiology and chemistry, which are mandatory for careers in health and medicine. “When we knew we needed a presence in southeast Orange County, Lake Nona loomed large,” says Valencia President Sanford Shugart, citing Lake Nona’s appeal as a community where “education is a primary part of the design.” In addition to offering advanced science and math courses leading to an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree, the campus will focus on meeting the technical training and employment needs of the surrounding research facilities and hospitals. When it opens next year, Valencia’s three-story, 83,000- squarefoot building will encompass 18 classrooms, six science labs, a library, a bookstore, a café and administrative offices. Eventually, four buildings totaling about 250,000 square feet will accommodate about 5,000 students.

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Hotel Eateries Aren’t Just for Out-of-Towners

PHOTO: COURTESY DISNEY

IT USED TO BE THAT ANY RESTAU-

rant you’d find in a hotel was the last place you’d want to dine. These were the three-mealers that existed for travelers too busy, too intimidated or too lazy to leave the confines of their hotel to find something better to eat. With a captive and ever-rotating clientele, these internal eateries didn’t have much motivation to do better. All that has changed. Perhaps it’s because the traveling public is more savvy, or that hotels realize that locals can keep their restaurants full during tourism downturns. The upshot is that hotels now encompass some of a city’s better dining venues – and that’s true of Orlando, too. There still are people who refuse to go to a hotel for dinner. Heck, some won’t get anywhere near a place where tourists tend to gather. But there’s real pleasure in strolling through the lobby of an elegant hotel on the way to and from a good dinner. There’s the convenience of pulling up to the front of a hotel and leaving your car with a valet. And, although Disney properties are a major exception, most hotels will validate your parking when you patronize their restaurants. Here are some hotel restaurants worth checking out without checking in: NAPA, Peabody Orlando, 9801 International Drive, Orlando; 407-3454570. Although it’s named for a county in California, Napa celebrates regional Florida fare. Thankfully, though, the extensive wine list features Napa labels. CASA BELLA, Rosen Shingle Creek, 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, 407996-3663. Enjoy upscale Italian in a grand setting, with windows overlookWWW.OHLMAG.COM

Victoria & Albert’s at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa isn’t just a great hotel restaurant. It’s a great restaurant, period. One of the standout entrées is butter-poached Maine lobster salad with Florida tangerine vinaigrette.

ing the resort’s pool and, just beyond, Shingle Creek, the headwaters of the Everglades. EVERGLADES, Rosen Centre, 9840 International Drive, Orlando; 407996-2385. This is one of the area’s hidden gems. But it’s one of the few places I recommend for alligator, a meat that rarely satisfies. Plus, the gator chowder is excellent. THE BOHEME, Grand Bohemian, 325 S. Orange Ave., Orlando; 407313-9000. As the hotel’s lone restaurant, The Boheme (pronounce it bohHEEM) serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Noontime might find downtown businesspeople power-lunching through deals. Evenings, however, are more relaxed and often feature the live music in the rotunda just outside the front door. Kessler calamari and sautéed scallops are menu highlights. EMERIL’S TCHOUP CHOP, Royal Pacific, 6300 Hollywood Way; 407503-2467. Chef Greg Richie serves as Emeril Lagasse’s proxy and offers stylized pan-Asian cuisine. Order the pan-

seared Maine jumbo sea scallops just to get the shrimp and corn risotto they’re served with. THE VENETIAN ROOM, Caribe Royale, 8101 World Center Drive, Orlando; 407-238-8060. This is one of the region’s last bastions of old-school fine dining, with an emphasis on the fine. Crab cake, foie gras, lobster bisque – all wonderful, and impeccably served. VICTORIA & ALBERT’S, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, 4401 Grand Floridian, Lake Buena Vista; 407-8242591. It’s funny, but I rarely think of this as being a hotel restaurant. It’s simply one of the best dining experiences in the southeastern United States. Also at this hotel: the very good Citricos and the much-improved Narcoossee’s. CALIFORNIA GRILLE, Contemporary Resort, 4600 N. World Drive, Lake Buena Vista; 407-939-3463. It’s easy to forget that this local favorite is located in a hotel, even though you have to pass all of the resort’s guest-room floors to get to the restaurant’s 15th-floor aerie. – Scott Joseph ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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F L AV O R L I S T I N G S COMPILED BY SCOTT JOSEPH FEATURED LISTING

BIG FIN SEAFOOD KITCHEN

WHAT: Casual, high-quality seafood on Restaurant Row WHERE: 8046 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando WHEN: Dinner daily WHY: Florida stone crab season has begun, and Big Fin owner Bobby Moore has been driving around the docks buying up “super colossal” claws that weigh as much as 1 pound each. The season continues through May 15. CONTACT: 407-615-8888

Jiko The Cooking Place $$$ Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Orlando, 407-939-3463 Jiko is the Swahili word for cooking place. Therefore, the full name of the restaurant translates to The Cooking Place The Cooking Place. Whatever. Jiko’s food may not be entirely authentic African cuisine, but it’s good. Be sure to try the ostrich schnitzel and the lamb shank, which, on my visit, was rubbed with a sauce spiced with berbere, a mixture of spices used in Ethiopian cooking. Service was about as good as I’ve seen at Disney restaurants. Menu knowledge was first-rate, and all the servers were attentive and prompt. Even more impressive was the servers’ grasp of the wine list, which boasts the largest collection of South African wines in North America. Nile Ethiopian Cuisine $$ 7040 International Drive, Orlando, 407-354-0026 Wash your hands — you’ll be eating with them — and order an array of wat to sample. What? No, wat. It’s a sort of stew. Wats are the most common dishes in an Ethiopian restaurant. These might include variations of beef or chicken but pork is never served. Ethiopian restaurants are wonderful places for vegetarians to dine, as meatless meals are a big part of the country’s cultural heritage. If you feel lost, ask one of your gracious hosts to guide you. Sanaa $$$ Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Lake Buena Vista, 407-939-3463 The menu is African with Indian influences, but not to the point of excluding beef or pork. Look for those touches in the spicing. The food may be a bit more exotic than most people are willing to try, but it’s almost all done expertly. And you can’t beat the atmosphere, with a ground-level view of the grazing area where you’re likely to see giraffes galloping by.

AMERICAN

The Boheme $$$ Grand Bohemian, 325 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-581-4700 The Boheme has grown into a more consistent finedining experience but now is trying to position itself as more accessible. Try the Kessler calamari, a silly name for a delicious appetizer, and follow with the 82

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lamb duet or the Chilean sea bass. The kitchen also has a way with scallops. Chatham’s Place $$$$ 7575 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando, 407-345-2992 Chatham’s Place has gone through some changes but retains a continuity, even though there are no longer members of the Chatham family involved. Many of the dishes that became signatures back in Louis Chatham’s days remain on the menu, including the Florida black grouper, which has been one of my favorite Central Florida entrées for many years. It features a fresh fillet, thick and white, lightly sautéed and topped with pecan butter and scallions dusted with just a soupcon of cayenne pepper. The pecan butter places the dish firmly in the south, and the pepper points it towards New Orleans. But with the use of Florida black grouper, I think we can just claim this one as one of our native dishes, don’t you? Circa $$$ 358 Park Ave. N., Winter Park, 321-972-3926 Chef Anukul Hampton calls on his Thai heritage to influence what is largely a menu of American fare. His tuna tower appetizer and tamarind braised beef short ribs are two of his signature dishes. Citrus $$$ 821 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-373-0622 The kitchen has improved greatly since the restaurant first opened and is now turning out some pretty tasty dishes. There’s a very popular citrus salad named for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. Skirt-steak flatbread and the bacon cheddar burger are other favorites. CRAVE $$$ 4158 Conroy Road, Orlando 407-345-8788 This is the fourth location for a Minneapolis-area chain whose slogan is “Fresh, Vibrant, American,” which doesn’t explain the sushi bar. But the sushi

EDITOR-AT-LARGE SCOTT JOSEPH HAS been reviewing Central Florida restaurants for more than 20 years. He is a past Association of Food Journalists award-winner and also presides over a dining-oriented website, scottjosephorlando.com.

is good, as are most of the other items. There’s a little something for everyone – pizzas, pastas, steaks, seafood. The decor is upscale, but this can be a very loud place to dine. Dexter’s $$ 558 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, 407-629-1150 808 E. Washington St., Orlando, 407-648-2777 950 Market Promenade Ave., Lake Mary, 407-805-3090 There are three distinct Dexter’s, but all offer the same basic menu, which is un-ambitious but functional. Much more emphasis is placed on producing a lively atmosphere, which often includes live music. For food, the pressed duck sandwich is a classic. And the chicken tortilla pie, a tall, layered affair, is one of those things you feel guilty for liking but keep ordering each time you go. Emeril’s Orlando $$$$ Universal Orlando CityWalk, 407-224-2424 The food can be very good, but the quality can also be spotty. It’s a very noisy restaurant, too, so it’s not a good choice for a romantic meal. But if you can, choose a spot at the bar for your meal, it’s more entertaining. The menu changes frequently, but if Lagasse’s oyster stew is on the menu, order as big a bowl as you can. Emeril’s Tchoup Chop $$$ 6300 Hollywood Way, Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando, 407-503-2467 Chef Gregory Richie has turned Emeril Lagasse’s troubled restaurant around. The menu now has more focus — and the food is consistently good. Try the grilled oysters or the salmon Napoleon appetizer. The scallops entrée is good, but the shrimp risotto that comes with it is better. The grilled filet of beef is a study in tenderness. Manager and wine expert Jeff Kundinger keeps the dining room running smoothly. Funky Monkey Pointe Orlando $$ 9101 International Drive, Orlando, 407-418-9463 A second location for the popular Mills-50 original, this Monkey is less funky — at least from the outside — but still has all the good food and wine inside that has made it a local favorite. Although you wouldn’t get it from the name, sushi is a forte. But you’ll also find more substantial fare, such as bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin — ah, nothing like pork products garnished with more pork products. You may also NOVEMBER 2011

PHOTO: RAFAEL TONGOL

AFRICAN

F L AV O R L I S T I N G S find entertainment here with the occasional show of drag.

entrées, but I think the burger is one of the best in town.

Hemisphere $$$ Hyatt Regency, Orlando International Airport, Orlando, 407-825-1234 This steak and seafood restaurant is literally above the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest airports in the country. Its location on the 10th floor of the upscale Hyatt hotel inside the terminal provides a sweeping view of planes landing and taking off. Here’s something most people don’t know: you can drive up to the Hyatt entrance, have your car valet parked (it’s complimentary for restaurant patrons), then hop on the elevator to whisk you to the restaurant. Yes, it’s the airport. But I recommend this restaurant to locals, just the same.

K Restaurant $$$ 1710 Edgewater Drive, Orlando 407-872-2332 Kevin Fonzo, who turned this College Park eatery into a nationally known destination restaurant, recently combined K and his second restaurant, Nonna Trattoria, into one. The towering presentation of three fried green tomatoes layered with crab and corn salad is wonderful. The filet mignon is still a good choice, but so many other things on the ever-changing menu are too. You can scarcely go wrong.

Houston’s $$ 215 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-740-4005 Houston’s is one of the better examples of how a chain restaurant should operate. It does what it does well, and the food is consistent. But one of the draws of this particular location is its lakefront view – every table has a perfect vantage point. One negative: the chain’s no-reservations policy – waits can be long, especially on weekends. HUE Restaurant $$$ 629 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, 407-849-1800 A centerpiece of Orlando’s vibrant Thornton Park neighborhood, Hue has been an important part of downtown Orlando for more than seven years. Although the name is pronounced hyoo and not the Asian hway, the menu adds confusion with its Asian touches. The fried oysters served in ladle-shaped spoons are a good starter. There are more elaborate

La Coquina $$$$ Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, 1 Grand Cypress Blvd., Orlando, 407-239-1234 La Coquina has been relegated to use only during Sunday brunch. But oh what a brunch it is, with a wall full of awards and accolades to attest to it. The various food stations are set up in the kitchen, where guests enter to load up on salads, soups, cold seafood, salumi, cheeses and such. When you’re ready for your entrée, step up to the chef’s station and place your order from among the day’s options. The chef then prepares it for you on the spot. No steam tables here.

THE KEY

$ Cheap eats, most entrées under $10 $$ Moderate, dinner entrées $15-20 $$$ Pricey, most entrées over $30 $$$$ Many entrées over $30 Full review at scottjosephorlando.com

Logan’s Bistro $$-$$$ 802 Virginia Drive, Orlando, 407-898-5688 A neighborhood favorite that goes beyond corner bistro fare and presents wonderful dishes presented as stylishly as you’d find in a top-drawer restaurant. The pot roast is a favorite. LUMA on Park $$$ 290 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, 407-599-4111 Under the direction of Chef Brandon McGlamery, this stylishly chic restaurant on trendy Park Avenue has become a real jewel in Central Florida’s culinary corona. The dining room can be a bit noisy. The decor is still modish, even after four years. And the automated restrooms with their sliding glass doors and confusing washbasins still annoy me. A fun thing to do here is make a feast of small plates, but if you want to have a full entrée try the flank steak or the black grouper. Norman’s $$$$ Ritz-Carlton, 4000 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, 407-393-4333 Owner Norman Van Aken is one of the founders of Floribbean or New World Cuisine and arguably one of Florida’s most celebrated chefs. Van Aken and the Ritz-Carlton have teamed up to present the sort of fine-dining experience seldom seen in Orlando. The menu changes regularly, but if it’s your first visit, ask your waiter for some of Van Aken’s signature dishes. A dinner at Norman’s is pricey — it’s the Ritz for crying out loud! — but it’s worth an occasional splurge. Park Plaza Gardens $$$ 319 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, 407-645-2475 Once upon a time, Park Plaza Gardens was one of

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F L AV O R L I S T I N G S the few fine-dining places in the area. The food was superb and the setting — an indoor dining room that had an outdoor appeal — was special and elegant. Then it sort of lost its way. But now Park Plaza Gardens seems to be on a path leading back to its original splendor. The kitchen is helmed by chef John Tan, and he’s doing some wonderful things. Steak and fish are both highlights, but the crab-stuffed grouper is a stunner. The Ravenous Pig $$$ 1234 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park, 407-628-2333 The Ravenous Pig calls itself “an American gastropub,” gastropub being a British term for a pub that serves more than a basic bar menu. This wonderful restaurant goes way beyond that. Chef/owners James and Julie Petrakis met while attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and they obviously learned a lot while there. The menu changes regularly, but everything is worth trying. Have the pork belly if it’s available. Seasons 52 $$ 7700 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-354-5212 The original conceit of the restaurant was that something somewhere was coming into season every week of the year. The kitchen has gotten away from following that concept too closely but continues to offer entrées with lots of flavor and fewer calories. You won’t notice a difference when you taste the grilled pork with polenta or the filet mignon. If you start feeling too goody-goody, go crazy and order all the mini desserts. There is a second location at 463 E. Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs (in front of Altamonte Mall), 407-767-1252.

Shula’s 347 Grill $$ Westin Lake Mary, 2947 International Parkway, Lake Mary, 407-531-3567 This is a new concept from the folks at Shula’s Steak House, the high-end eatery that bears the name of the legendary Miami Dolphins coach. He’s legendary for the number of wins to which he led his team: 347. There are a few steaks on the menu, but there are other items, too, including crab cakes, seared Ahi tuna sandwiches and other fare. The atmosphere is that of an upscale sports bar with requisite televisions and casual seating arrangements. Two Blondes and a Shrimp $$ 112 E. First St., Sanford, 407-688-4745 Located in what once was the home of The Sanford Journal, that city’s first newspaper, Two Blondes specializes in local seafood. A highlight is the barbecued shrimp and grits. The menu leans a bit to the South with an occasional dip in the Caribbean. You’ll find such things as she-crab soup, Caribbean meatloaf and Cuban pulled pork. The name, by the way, refers to the two owners, both tow-headed, and one of the owners’ sons, who — presumably — is, well, diminutive. Toojay’s $-$$ Various locations, including: Colonial Market Plaza, 2400 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, 407-894-1718 Whenever I feel a cold coming on, I head right for Too-

THE KEY

$ Cheap eats, most entrées under $10 $$ Moderate, dinner entrées $15-20 $$$ Pricey, most entrées over $30 $$$$ Many entrées over $30 Full review at scottjosephorlando.com

jay’s for some chicken soup. The rich golden broth, with or without noodles, may not cure the cold, but it doesn’t hurt. Others go here for the big overstuffed sandwiches, potato pancakes and blintzes. The Tap Room at Dubsdread $$ 549 W. Par St., Orlando, 407-650-0100 Finally, a good restaurant at Dubsdread. It’s Sam Snead’s-like (the owners here were involved in developing the Sam Snead’s Tavern concept) with an emphasis on simple foods. The pot roast and filet mignon are standouts, and if you get the Buffalo shrimp ask the kitchen to make them spicy. The rustic dining room is fronted by a wraparound porch that overlooks the Dubsdread Golf Course. It’s a lovely spot to enjoy Sunday brunch, and as luck would have it, the Tap Room serves an excellent one. The Venetian Room $$$$ Caribe Royale Hotel, 8101 World Center Drive, Orlando, 407-238-8060 This fine-dining holdout is pricey, but Chef Khalid Benghallem’s French/American food is very good. I enjoyed the appetizer of foie gras, which had two seared lobes layered in an alternating stack with cakes made with smoked polenta. My favorite among the entrées was the tenderloin of beef – two thick slabs of seared meat served with marrow, barley, rhubarb, chard, fennel strudel and red-wine reduction sauce, tinged with black truffles. For dessert, share the soufflé. Victoria & Albert’s $$$$ Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, 407-939-3862 This not only is one of the best restaurants in Central Florida, it’s one of the best in the South-

WINNER

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W inter Park 400 South Orlando Avenue s 407-644-7770 Reservations online at www.roccositaliangrille.com 84

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F L AV O R L I S T I N G S eastern United States and could easily hold its own with some of the top-rated restaurants in the world. The cuisine, under the direction of Chef Scott Hunnel, is creatively American with classical roots. V&A now offers two dining experiences: the main dining room, with its quiet elegance and six-course menu; or the chef’s table, with its own menu offering at least twice as many courses. The chef’s table, previously available only in the kitchen, now is offered in the newly christened Queen Victoria Room. Vineyard Grill $$$ Ritz-Carlton, 4012 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, 407-206-2400 A hidden gem among the jewels, the Vineyard Grill does a better than expected job with its American cuisine of steaks and seafoods. Its Sunday brunch is developing a loyal local following.

BARBECUE

Blackwater Bar-b-q $ 3405 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, 407-447-9511 I prefer the College Park location to the South Orlando spot, but that’s just me. Blackwater does a little bit of everything. You’ve got pulled pork. You’ve got sliced beef or sliced chicken. There are baby back ribs and St. Louis style ribs. I liked most of everything I sampled at Blackwater. The pulled pork was especially good, moist and tender with a taste of smoke that made extra sauce superfluous. And the baby back and St. Louis style ribs were pretty tasty, too. I especially liked the spiciness of the dry rub on the ribs.

4 Rivers Smokehouse $ 2103 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 407-474-8377 Open a good barbeque joint and the world will beat a path to your door. And in the case of Four Rivers Smokehouse, they will then line up outside that door and wait more than 20 minutes to be served, with a minimum of complaining. Brisket is the specialty here, but spice rub tends to be a bit salty. The pulled pork is moist and comes in generous proportions.

BRAZILIAN

Nelore $$$ 115 Lyman Ave., Winter Park, 407-645-1112 A Brazilian churrascaria where the buffet comes to your table! Go hungry, pace yourself, just nibble until you find something you love and keep calling the gaucho (that’s what the servers are called) back until you’re full. Here’s how it works: Diners are given a little disk to put next to their plates. One side is green and the other side is red. Green go; red stop. As long as the green side is facing up the servers will offer you meats. When you’ve had enough or just need a breather turn the red side up. Don’t miss the caipirinha and mojito.

CHINESE

Eastern Pearl $$ 5749 T.G. Lee Blvd., Orlando, 407-373-6888 This is the second location for the acclaimed Altamonte Springs Chinese restaurant, winner of more than a few Foodie Awards, including several Critic’s Choice nods. The atmosphere is more stylish and the food is more creative than at many other local Chinese restaurants. The decor is pleasant and so is the staff.

Ming’s Bistro $$ 1212 Woodward St., Orlando, 407-898-9672 Ming’s Bistro not only serves good Chinese food but also does a full complement of dim sum, including traditional cart service on weekends. Be adventurous and point to something you’ve never had before. I had some very nice entrées from the main menu, none better than the ginger scallion fish fillets.

CUBAN

Padrino’s Cuban Bistro $$ 13586 S. John Young Parkway, Orlando, 407-251-5107 I’m prepared to call this the best Cuban restaurant in Central Florida. It’s really that good. A family operation out of South Florida, Padrino’s features both traditional Cuban dishes and some more stylized bistro items, and they’re served in a pleasant bright dining room. The owners are usually at the restaurant tending to the customers and making sure that everything is first-rate. And it usually is.

FRENCH

Café de France $$ 526 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, 407-647-1869 Café de France is a Park Avenue mainstay, surviving the iconic thoroughfare’s slump in the ‘90s and prospering during its recent revival as one of the area’s premier dining destinations. Locals love the quaintness of its small dining room and the charm of its hostess and owner, Dominique Gutierrez. Though not everything on the menu is strictly French, the ingredients are always fresh and specials change daily.

Urban Life Management Restaurant Group Wins Orlando Home & Leisure Silver Spoon Awards

HUE Restaurant 629 E Central Blvd 407.849.1800

Citrus Restaurant 821 N Orange Ave 407.373.0622

Cityfish Restaurant 617 E Central Blvd 407.849.9779

downtown orlando ulmcommunity.com

urbanlifemanagement.com

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Chez Vincent $$$ 533 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, 407-599-2929 Chez Vincent continues to serve classic French dishes in pleasant, if slightly worn, surroundings. Chef/ owner Vincent Gagliano is a master with soup, and the coquille St. Jacques is one of the better seafood entrées. Steak au poivre is a good choice for a meat dish. The waiters here allow the guests to dictate the pace of the meal. If Chez Vincent has survived over the years, it’s because there is an appreciation among Central Florida diners for a quiet place to enjoy a good classically prepared meal. Le Coq Au Vin $$ 4800 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-851-6980 New owners Sandy and Reimund Pitz are continuing to serve some of the area’s best food regardless of cuisine type. The namesake dish is one of the best, but the menu changes with the seasons. In winter the cassoulet is a treat. I really like that Coq Au Vin offers half portions of most of its entrées. It’s a smart thing both nutritionally and, in the current financial climate, economically. And the half-portions here are ample enough to satisfy. Paris-Bistro $$ 3586 Aloma Ave., Winter Park, 407-671-4424 My initial reaction when I visited the new location of Paris Bistro: Wow! The decor is the very epitome of a typical bistro in the City of Lights, right down to the red velvet banquettes and gilt-framed mirrors. My beef Burgundy was delightful, a sizable dish of bitesized meat braised in red wine. My companion chose the quiche Lorraine, a classic egg pie with bacon and Swiss cheese. It was deliciously light. Crème brulee is the dessert of choice.

GERMAN/ EASTERN EUROPEAN

Chef Henry’s $$ 1831 W. State Road 434, Longwood, 407-331-4836 It’s technically a reincarnation of the former Chef Henry’s Café. Henry is in the kitchen and his wife, Estera, is still making the sort of strudel you’d commit a felony to taste. But this time it’s their daughter, Simone, who is the owner. Most everything rises to the level of the strudel, so it doesn’t matter what you have as long as that’s how you finish. Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café $$ 205 E. 1st St., Sanford, 407-321-2204 Voted the second best German restaurant in the U.S. by readers of GermanDeli.com for 2009. (Bavarian Grill of Plano, Texas was number one; go figure.) I’m not in a position to say it merits the national rank, but I’m prepared to call it the best German restaurant in Central Florida. Although the surroundings leave something to be desired, there’s good German food to be had here. Have a schnitzel or the sausage platter, but beware: it’s a lot of food. The place is espe-

THE KEY

$ Cheap eats, most entrées under $10 $$ Moderate, dinner entrées $15-20 $$$ Pricey, most entrées over $30 $$$$ Many entrées over $30 Full review at scottjosephorlando.com

cially festive Thursdays through Sundays when there is entertainment. Oom-pah-pah! Polonia $ 750 S. Highway 17-92, Longwood, 407-331-1933 You don’t have to be Polish to admire Polish food. You need only an appreciation for hearty fare whose origins come from the necessity to make do with what the earth and the seasons give you. This is farmland food, Eastern European style, where root vegetables like beets and carrots and cured meats like kielbasa are used in abundance. And simple ingredients like flour, water and potatoes can be turned into something as splendid as pierogi. This is the sort of establishment where something with a reputation as unflattering as a stuffed cabbage can be made into a delicacy that will change your mind about it forever. The small dining room is rather plain with white walls decorated with a couple of colorful Polish costumes and undistinguished paintings. No, this is not a fancy dining experience. But for those who enjoy Polish food it’s as fine as it gets. Steak & Salad $$ 1326 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, 407-898-0999 Eateries don’t get a lot more eclectic than this. As the names suggests, steaks and salads are a focus of the menu. But so is an array of authentic Turkish dishes that represent the owners’ native cuisine. And it’s those items that should get your attention when you visit.

GREEK

Greek Corner 1600 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-228-0303

$$

Come Share in a Thanksgiving Feast at Caribe Royale. Make your early reservations today for a traditional Thanksgiving Day buffet at Caribe Royale from 1:00pm – 7:00pm. Enjoy a variety of freshly prepared appetizers and salads, cream of pumpkin and sweet potato soup, roasted tom turkey, prime rib, smoked pork loin and an array of traditional sides and accompaniments. Plus a lavish display of homemade desserts! All set to the delightful sounds of our live jazz duo. Adults - $44, Children 3-9 yrs - $15, Kids under 3 eat free. Seating is limited so make your reservations today by calling 407-238-8020.

5 ) & $ " 3 * # & 5 . ) 0 5 & - 4

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F L AV O R L I S T I N G S Mykonos was part of a small Greek revival in 2000 when Central Florida, previously Greek deficient, finally started to get good Greek restaurants. Mykonos is one of the best, and was a recipient of multiple Critic’s Foodie Awards on my watch. Have the patatokeftedes or chargrilled squid appetizer, avgolemono soup and entrées of chicken Mykonos or the combination platter of moussaka, pastitsio and stuffed grape leaves. Even if you can’t pronounce it, order the galaktoboureko for dessert.

INDIAN

Memories of India $$ Bay Hill Plaza, 7625 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, 407-370-3277 Memories of India is a delightful place with wonderful food served in a pleasant atmosphere. One of my favorites among the many entrées was the chicken saagwala, which featured tender chunks of chicken breast meat plus potatoes in a creamy curry made of spinach and spices. I also liked the lamb vindaloo, cubes of lamb marinated in a vinegary gravy and cooked with potatoes and pearl onions in freshly ground spices. Be careful: hot means hot. Order accordingly. And be further warned: food comes out of the kitchen at a snail’s pace. Slow means slow.

ITALIAN

Adriatico $$ 2417 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, 407-428-0044 College Park and Adriatico are a perfect match. One of Orlando’s best neighborhoods now has a great neighborhood osteria. Have the scallopine alla Sienese or the pollo al limone. The scallops are a perfect appetizer. I could have made a meal of the three

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huge scallops sautéed with shallots and brandy in a creamy sauce, tinged with a touch of mustard and served over fresh spinach. Antonio’s La Flamma $$$ 611 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland; 407-645-1035 When Greg Gentile opened this massive two-story restaurant in a renovated family steakhouse, everyone thought he was crazy and that the place would close in one year. That was about two decades ago. Why did it succeed? Simple: good food, good service and an atmosphere for everyone; fine dining upstairs and a casual deli down. The upstairs has recently been expanded to include patio dining. Antonio’s Ristorante $$$ 7559 West Sand Lake Road, Orlando; 407-3639191. Think of it as Antonio’s La Fiamma without the deli downstairs. The Restaurant Row outpost offers an elegant Italian dining option. BiCE $$$$ Portofino Bay, 5601 Universal Blvd., Orlando 407-503-1415 Dinner at BiCE is not an inexpensive night out. But when you consider cost vs. quality, you’ll find that BiCE is not overpriced. Just consider the restaurant’s signature dish, ravioli stuffed with beef short ribs and spinach. The pasta was delicately thin and tender, and the braised meat inside had a rich, fatty mouthfeel that blossomed with the sauce of mushrooms and Marsala wine. Absolute heaven. Desserts are worth lingering over.

Café d’Antonio $$$ 691 Front St., Celebration; 407-566-2233 A smaller version of Greg Gentile’s flagship restaurant Antonio’s La Fiamma, Café d’Antonio is a consistently good choice for residents and visitors in Celebration. Enzo’s on the Lake $$$ 1130 S. Highway 17-92, Longwood, 407-834-9872 Enzo is gone, but his restaurant continues on. Let your server put together an antipasti selection from the table in the dining room. One of my favorites was bucatini alla Enzo; costoletta di vitello was as good a veal chop as you’re likely to find anywhere in town. Go before sunset and enjoy the gardens before going inside. Primo $$$-$$$$ JW Marriott, 4040 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando 407-393-4444 A second restaurant for celebrity chef and James Beard Award winner Melissa Kelly. The food is only ostensibly Italian, with more creative touches menuwide. Kelly was one of the first to promote the use of local ingredients. Most of the herbs used in the restaurant are grown outside the kitchen door. The lamb is good, and so was the pork saltimbocca. Have the banana Napoleon for dessert. The décor is upscale, and although jackets are not requested, you wouldn’t feel out of place wearing one. Rocco’s Italian Grille $$$ 400 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-644-7770 This old space, which has held Italian restaurants for decades, has been re-imagined into a beautiful restaurant. The menu is classic, and some things are done very well. The veal Milanese was brilliant. Fritto

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

misto alla Ligure was a terrific appetizer of lightly floured calamari and shrimp and spears of zucchini. The breading was crisp to a precision point and the sun-dried aioli — from Sardinia in the other direction from Liguria — was a nice complement.

JAPANESE

Wa $$$ 5911 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando 407-226-0234 Ostensibly a Japanese restaurant, Wa could pass for a French Bistro. Some of its daily specials include such things as truffle fries and bacon-stuffed quail. A very stylish space, but one that is difficult to locate.

MEXICAN

Cantina Laredo $$ 8000 Via Dellagio Way (one block west of Dr. Phillips Blvd.), Orlando, 407-345-0186 The menu isn’t exactly authentic Mexican – the nachos, fajitas and crepes wouldn’t be found on many menus south of our border, unless it was a restaurant specializing in Ameri-Mex cuisine. But the food done here is very good, especially the guacamole, prepared tableside. The chile relleno is a menu standout, but the chicken enchilada is pretty good, too.

MIDDLE EASTERN

Bosphorous $$ 108 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, 407-644-8609 Bosphorus is a delightful restaurant with stylized Turkish classics. My favorite from the list of entrées was the hunkar begendi or sultan’s delight, a classic Ottoman dish. It featured hunks of seasoned beef

sautéed with onions and tomatoes in the center of the plate surrounded by a moat of creamy-textured puree of smoked eggplant. The etli guvec, a meat casserole with cubes of lamb mixed with green beans, was good, too. The desserts are worth sampling. Cedars $$ 7732 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-351-6000 Cedar’s represents itself as a fine dining restaurant, and indeed the atmosphere is a bit more upscale than you’d find in the average Middle Eastern restaurant. The cuisine is above average, too, with a menu that goes well beyond the basic hummus spreads and falafel sandwiches. You can put together a lovely meal with the mouhamara dip, a bowl of lentil soup and the fish tajine entrée. Other entrées may seem repetitive, but they are good, especially the lamb.

SEAFOOD

Cityfish $$ 617 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, 407-849-9779 The people at Urban Life Management Restaurant Group have always appeared to have a goal of bringing a bit of big city life to downtown Orlando. After all, Urban Life is part of the company’s name. They’ve hit it just right with Cityfish. Why? Instead of trying to emulate a city like New York or Miami, they’ve created an urban environment for Orlando. Seems fitting, doesn’t it? Cityfish offers a variety of seafood options in a pleasant atmosphere. Try the shrimp and bacon poppers or some freshly shucked oysters to start. Fresh fish options are good, and the lobster roll is authentically prepared. The Oceanaire Seafood Room $$$ Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Drive, Orlando,

407-363-4801 The promise of a good seafood restaurant has sailed into Central Florida aboard The Oceanaire. The Oceanaire Seafood Room is meant to take you back in time with an interior that suggests a 1930’s ocean liner. Sample some of the fresh fish selections after you enjoy the crab cake appetizer. It’s a bit pricey, but quality is worth paying for.

STEAKHOUSE

Bull & Bear $$$$ Waldorf Astoria, 14200 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando, 407-597-5500 The first Waldorf Astoria to be built outside of Manhattan also features a steakhouse called Bull & Bear, just like New York. Well, not exactly like New York. The decor here is less dark and clubby; it’s actually quite an attractive room with windows overlooking the resort’s pool area (and Disney fireworks in the distance). The menu features steak, of course, but also does some fine fish, including a lovely Dover sole filleted tableside. Also performed tableside is a traditional Caesar salad. Curiously, there is no Waldorf salad. And the veal Oscar (another invention of the New York hotel’s) is a stylized version. Capital Grille $$$$ The Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Drive, Orlando, 407-370-4392 One of Darden Restaurants’ most recent acquisitions and easily their most upscale. The steaks here are very good, and the service is attentive if not downright solicitous. I had the Delmonico that had a flavorful, well-seasoned crust and beautiful red center. Atmosphere is clubby and posh.

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Bice at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel 5601 Universal Blvd Orlando, FL 32819 ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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F L AV O R LISTINGS Del Frisco’s Prime Steak & Lobster $$$$ 729 Lee Road, Orlando, 407-645-4443 The steaks here are always high quality. The atmosphere isn’t quite as posh as some of the other topdrawer steakhouses, but it at least rises to meet the price point, which is high. Since you’ll probably be having meat for your main entrÊe — and if you’re not, why are you here? — have the fried oysters for your appetizer. What, you’re worried about the cholesterol? Again I have to ask: Why are you here?

SUSHI

Izziban $$ 1700 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-850-5088 Really good sushi, if somewhat unorthodox. For something really special, try the restaurant’s namesake Izziban roll. It has tempura shrimp and asparagus with cream cheese rolled in rice. The cream cheese alone would be enough to give sushi purists the shudders. But then the chef topped the sliced sushi coins with a sauce of sorts comprised of mayonnaise, fish eggs, crab and cheese baked so the cheese was melted and the sauce hot. Unusual and amazingly delicious. If you’re a purist, you’ll find the traditional items just as satisfying.

/ 0SMBOEP "WF 8JOUFS 1BSL '- t

www.tapswineandbeer.com Taps_Nov11.indd

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THAI

10/18/11

• Seasonal American Cuisine

• 8 American Microbrews On Tap

• Extensive Wine List and Full Bar

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SCOTT JOSEPH’S 2011 ORLANDO RESTAURANT GUIDE

Orchid Thai $$ 305 Park Ave. N., Winter Park, 407-331-1400 A splashy and elegant restaurant with a hip vibe that befits its Park Avenue milieu. Short rib massamam 10:24:05 featured AM a large beef short rib braised and then sautĂŠed with potatoes and small pieces of sweet bell peppers with a chili sauce and a bit of roasted peanuts. Part of the enjoyment of this entrĂŠe, and indeed most every dish served here, was the elegant presentation, which almost invariably included luminous purple orchid blooms as plate garnish. (Yes, orchid petals are edible, but, frankly, I enjoy looking at them much more than ingesting them.)

VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN

407-628-2333 1234 N. Orange Ave. www.theravenouspig.com

Ravenous Pig Nov11.indd

Seito Sushi $$ 510 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-644-5050 4898 New Broad St., Orlando, 407-898-8801 8031 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, 407-248-8888 671 Front St., Celebration, 407-566-1889 It’s becoming its own little local chain, but it keeps its quality high, both in terms of the sushi and the elegant surroundings.

10/13/11

scottjosephorlando.com

CafÊ 118º $$ 153 E. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, 407-389-2233 If veganism can be defined as extreme vegetarianism, the raw food movement could be classified as extreme veganism. The 118 in the restaurant’s name refers to the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit to which some of the foods here are heated. I stew myself in temperatures higher than that in the 10:33:21 AM at the Y. Going above that temperature, steam room aficionados of raw cuisine profess, saps foods of their vitamins, enzymes and minerals. Raw foods, they assert, aid in digestibility and cell reconstruction, among other things, according to information on CafÊ 118’s menu. I can’t attest to any of that. But I can tell you that the food I had at CafÊ 118 was all

THE KEY

$ Cheap eats, most entrĂŠes under $10 $$ Moderate, dinner entrĂŠes $15-20 $$$ Pricey, most entrĂŠes over $30 $$$$ Many entrĂŠes over $30 Full review at scottjosephorlando.com

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ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

City Fire American Oven & Bar is a comfortable neighborhood restaurant, daily happy hour specials, group dining, indoor and outdoor seating.

quite delicious, and presented in a stylish and even (dare I say?) gourmet fashion.

VIETNAMESE

Lac Viet Bistro $$ 2021 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, 407-228-4000 Lac Viet Bistro isn’t exactly fine dining but, relatively speaking, it’s finer than you’ll find at most other area Vietnamese restaurants. The menu features dishes from all over Vietnam, but its Northern specialties might be less familiar to even those who frequent area Vietnamese restaurants. Try one of the banh cuon or the vermicelli soups. And start with one of the crispy shrimp cakes. Pho Vinh $ 657 N. Primrose Drive, Orlando, 407-228-0043 Like most of the other Vietnamese restaurants in the area, Pho Vinh’s menu is larger than you would think it needed to be. With over 180 items, the menu is a lot to take in and, well, digest. I selected the bun mang vit, or what is more commonly referred to as ol’ number 72. It was a beef-based soup with slender rice vermicelli noodles, the meat of a duck leg (sans bones) and miniature planks of bamboo shoots. A good filling soup — especially nice on cold days. The decor is pleasant, bright and tidy. Service was friendly and welcoming. Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation

7958 Via Dellagio Way, Sand Lake Road, Dellagio Plaza s CITYlRERESTAURANTS COM

(Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) Statement required by the act of August 12, 1970, section 3685, Title 39, United States Code, showing ownership, management and circulation of Orlando Home & Leisure, publication number 140. Published monthly (12 times per year) at 2301 Lucien Way, Suite 190, Maitland, FL 32751. Annual subscription price: $12.95. The names and addresses of the publisher and editor are: Publisher, Randy Noles, 2301 Lucien Way, Suite 190, Maitland, FL 32751; Editor, Mike Mcleod, 2301 Lucien Way, Suite 190, Maitland FL 32751. The owner is Florida Home Media, LLC, 2301 Lucien Way, Suite 190, Maitland, FL 32751. Stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of stock are Dan Denton, 1292 Forest Avenue, Naples Florida 34102. CityFire_Nov11.indd The known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities are: none. Total Number of Copies printed: average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 15,507; number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 12,383. Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 278, number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 283. Paid In-County Subscriptions: average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 7,604, number copies of singe issue published nearest to filing date, 6439. 3) Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales and other non USPS Paid Distribution: average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 925; number copies of singe issue published nearest to filing date, 850. 4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS: average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 65, number copies of single-issue published nearest to filing date, 54. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 8807; number copies of single-issue published nearest to filing date, 7572. Free Distribution by Mail: 1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541; average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 65; number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 54. 2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541: average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months; 7604; number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 6439. 3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS; average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 1497; number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 1131. 4) Free Distribution Outside the Mail; average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 5748; number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 3680. Total Free Distribution: average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 5748; number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 3680. Total Distribution average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 15504; number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 12383; Copies not Distributed; average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 0; number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 0. Total average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 15507; number copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 12383. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

FEATURING OVER 100 MENU ITEMS UNDER $9.00 SERVED ALL DAY. 1 10/18/11

*Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: average number copies each issue during preceding 12 months, 54.7%; number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 61%. Randy Noles - Publisher

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THE HEART

OF A DELI

THE SOUL OF A RESTAURANT

BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER

ORLANDO Colonial Marketplaza (407) 894-1718 SOUTHWEST ORLANDO The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips (407) 355-0340 EAST ORLANDO Waterford Lakes Town Center (407) 249-9475 ALTAMONTE SPRINGS Palm Springs Shopping Center (407) 830-1770 LAKE MARY Lake Mary Centre (407) 833-0848 OCOEE Shoppes of Ocoee (407) 798-2000 ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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9:41:01

CONGRATULATIONS, AURORA AWARD WINNERS Local firms take top home-design honors, including the coveted Golden Aurora

A

spectacular custom home by Phil Kean Designs in Winter Park earned one of the homebuilding industry’s highest honors when it captured the coveted Golden Aurora Award in the 2011 Aurora Awards design competition, presented at the 33rd annual Southeast Building Conference. The nationally recognized awards honor builders, planners, architects, developers, designers, interior merchandisers and other housingrelated professionals in a 12-state region stretching from Texas to Virginia, plus the Eastern Caribbean. Following are the Central Florida companies that won Aurora Awards. In addition to Kean, there were numerous Central Florida winners in the competition. Orlando Home & Leisure salutes the top-notch professionals locally who brought home awards.

GOLDEN AURORA AWARD

Phil Kean Designs, Residential Construction, Custom Home

(One of a Kind), Over $3,000,001: Miwa, Winter Park. Team members – Evergreen Consulting, CRT Studio, Cabinetry Creations, Harvey Smith Photography

Phil Kean Designs: (see Golden Aurora Award) R. Nursey Development, Remodeling, Rehabilitation or His-

torical Restoration, Whole-House Renovation, Over $100,000: Richbourg Residence, Orlando. Team members – Home Accessibilities, FDS Engineering Associates, Frank Joseph Brooks, KJR Interiors, Everett & Soulé

AURORA AWARDS

Cabinetry Creations, Interior Merchandising/Design, Kitchen, Over $3,000,001: Miwa, Winter Park. Team members – Phil Kean Designs, Evergreen Consulting, CRT Studios Central Kitchen & Bath, Residential Construction, Remodeling, Rehabilitation or Historical Restoration, Kitchen Remodel, Over $50,000: The Greenovation of Terra Verde, Umatilla. Team members – Lucia Custom Home Designers, Kay Green Design

GRAND AURORA AWARDS

Continental Homes and Interiors, Residential Construction, Custom Home (One of a Kind), $2,000,001-$3,000,000: (See Grand Aurora Award)

ter Park. Team members – Evergreen Consulting, CRT Studios, Harvey Smith Photography

CRT Studio, Interior Merchandising/Design, Over $3,000,001: Miwa, Winter Park. Team members – Phil Kean Designs

Continental Homes and Interiors, Custom Home (One of

Evergreen Consulting, Environmental Design, Landscape/

a Kind), $2,000,001-$3,000,000: The New American Home 2011, Orlando. Team members – Donnelly Architecture, Bowyer-Singleton & Associates, Redmon Design Company, Furniture Brands; UNEEK

Pool Design, Custom Home (One of a Kind): The Retreat, Winter Park. Team member – CRT Studio

Cabinetry Creations, Kitchen, Over $3,000,001: Miwa, Win-

KB Home of Central Florida, Best Energy-Efficient Home:

KB Home Greenhouse/An Idea Home Created with Martha Stewart, Windermere. Team members – Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Lawrence Custom Builders, Bathroom, Over $3,000,001: The Gallagher Residence, Winter Park. Team members – Ewseychik Rice & Miller, Lynn Conte Design, Michael Lowry Photography

Lamar Design, Residential Construction, Remodeling, Rehabili-

tation or Historical Restoration, Whole-House Renovation, Over $100,000: Chelsea Street, Orlando. Team member – Basso Homes & Remodels Lawrence Custom Builders, Interior Merchandising/Design, Bathroom, Over $3,000,001: Villa Lugano, Winter Park. Team members – Ewseychik Rice & Miller, Lynn Conte Design Lawrence Custom Builders, Residential Construction, Custom Home (One of a Kind), $1,000,001-$1,500,000: (See Grand Aurora Award)

Marc-Michael Interior Design, Interior Detailing, Over $2,000,001: Costa, Boca Raton. Team members – Frankel Estate Homes, Carlos Martin Architects, IBI Designs 92

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011 PROMOTION

Connect with us on

Lucia Custom Home Designers, Inc. Established in 1974

WWW.OHLMAG.COM

ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

93

LUCIA CUSTOM HOME DESIGNERS, Interior Merchandising/ Design, Kitchen, $500,001-$1,000,000: The Shakespeare, Ormond Beach.Team members – Luxury Builders, Rare Earth Landscaping, Design Studio A Design Group, Interior Merchandising Design, $750,000-$1,000,001: Casa Cortile, Waterstone, Windermere.

R. Nursey Development, Residential Construction, Remodeling, Rehabilitation or Historical Restoration, Whole-House Renovation, Over $100,000: Richbourg Residence, Orlando. Team members – Home Accessibilities, FDS Engineering Associates, Frank Joseph Brooks, KJR Interiors

Masterpiece

Signature Landscape Contractors, Environmental Design, Landscape/Pool Design, Custom Home (One of a Kind): Oasis, Winter Park. Team member – Swanson Custom Homes

Musgrave Building & Restorations, Residential Construc-

tion, Remodeling, Rehabilitation or Historical restoration, WholeHouse Renovation, Over $100,000: American Craftsman Revival, Orlando. Team members – Lucia Custom Home Designers, Conceptual Interior Planning

Signature Landscape Contractors, Environmental Design, Landscape/Pool Design, Single-Family or Detached Home: Stirling, Winter Park. Team member – Swanson Custom Homes

Pam Niemann Interiors, Interior

Phil Kean Designs: (see Golden Aurora Award)

Merchandising/Design, $1,500,000-$2,000,000: Charmant Maison, Lake Mary.

BEST OF STATE

Phil Kean Designs, (see Golden Aurora Award)

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PROMOTION ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE november 2011

SPOTLIGHTS

MIWA NAMED THE BEST OF THE BEST

Phil Kean Designs earned the coveted Golden Aurora Award for “Miwa,” a 4,728-square-foot, $4 million luxury home. A team of independent judges deemed the Kean project to be the best of more than 200 entries. This contemporary stunner features clean lines, extensive details and large indoor/outdoor living areas on both levels. The entrance of the home showcases steps that appear to float over moving water. Through the lush garden, a pathway that mimics the entrance connects the main house with the guest house. Beneath the steps, LED lights provide dramatic illumination. Aging-in-place features include master suites on both levels, as well as an elevator and a garage entrance. The great room and kitchen open onto the lanai, summer kitchen and garden via folding and pocketing glass doors. Miwa also has a theater room, library and office/workshop with a Murphy bed. Partners in the project included CRT Studio and Cabinetry Creations. In addition to the Golden Aurora, the Miwa home won Grand Auroras for Best of State, Best Kitchen and Best Custom Home as well as Interior Detailing and Interior Merchandising. PHIL KEAN DESIGNS, INC., 963 Orange Ave., Winter Park, FL, 32789; (407) 599-3922. philkeandesigns.com WWW.OHLMAG.COM

HOME DESIGNS WITH A SPLASH OF GREEN

Jim Lucia, owner of Lucia Custom Home Designers, has emerged as one of the region’s leading “green” residential designers. That expertise has earned him a number of high-profile assignments, including several Aurora Award winners. Lucia designed Greenovation of Terra Verde in Lake County, which won a Grand Aurora as Best Water-Wise Home. The project is actually a net-zero structure, which means that it produces more energy than it uses. “That means the meter actually runs backwards,” says Lucia of the home, which has earned Platinum Certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition. Another Lucia design, the Shakespeare in Ormond Beach, won an Aurora for Interior Merchandising/ Kitchen. That project, which was also the Showcase Home for the Volusia County Building Industry Association’s 2011 Parade of Homes, is another model of sustainability and energy-efficient technology, earning Gold Certification from FGBC. A third Lucia-designed project took home an Aurora in the Remodeling, Rehabilitation or Historic Restoration category. The American Craftsman Revival in Orlando charmed the judges with its authenticity and detailing. Check out Lucia’s projects on Facebook at Lucia Custom Home Designers. LUCIA custom HOME DESIGNerS, INC., (407) 629-7001; luciadesigns.com PROMOTION

IN THE KITCHEN, IT’S ABOUT ZEN

Cabinetry Creations won a Grand Aurora Award for the unique and tranquil “Zen” kitchen in Miwa, the Winter Park custom home that won the competition’s Golden Aurora Award. The kitchen, which combines clean-line cabinetry with exotic materials, is a masterpiece of function and beauty. The ambience is enhanced by accents of stainless steel, dark Caesarstone and glass with an embossed leather hood. The refrigerator and freezer are hidden behind sycamore and walnut panels. Other features include a speed oven, steam oven, coffee machine, prep station, cleanup station and menu-planning desk. There’s also a full walk-in pantry and connecting laundry room. The dining room table is incorporated into the island to ensure that every guest feels included. In a nod to nature, all exterior doors surrounding the kitchen completely pocket, and open onto the lanai and summer kitchen. Cabinetry Creations is one of the most respected cabinet providers in the entire Orlando area. Whether you’re building a multimillion-dollar custom home or remodeling a vintage classic, you’ll get one-on-one, personal attention from Cabinetry Creations’ design and installation teams. CABINETRY CREATIONS, 538 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL, 32803; (407) 8978988. cabinetrycreationsinc.com ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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T

In the Wilds of Maitland, Dads Change Tribal Ways

he women do not come with

come back with dirty feet and dirty cheeks, our tribe when we go into the wilderwith scraped knees and stories to tell. ness. They chew on hot dogs. They smear the Bonding minus It is not their place. They are incamelted marshmallow that spills out of their Band-Aids for pable of not fussing over tangled hair s’mores on their shirts. They grin and want fathers and and dirty clothes, not organizing acmore, and of course the answer is yes. They daughters. tivities, not immediately patching boo-boos smell of woods and smoke. with Band-Aids. They look like feral children. The dads not do these things for our prinThey look like happy children. cesses. There is no squabbling and whining, because they understand That is why our tribe, the Miccosukees, broke away from we are not interested. And so they work things out themselves. the YMCA’s Indian Princess nation years ago. Our ancestors They are free to be children. We are free to be dads. We gather decided that there was too much time spent on planning and around the tribal television, set up in front of the tribal RV, organizing, of adhering to protocol, and too little time spent on and watch college football while drinking the tribal brew out of letting girls be girls and dads be dads. large, red plastic cups. And so they formed a renegade tribe. Those from the Clan of the SEC and the Clan of the Big 10 There are no directors, no headquarters, no merit badges, no make their cases for superiority, while those from the ACC aspopcorn sales and no uniforms, aside from the chief ’s headsume that good things will come to those who wait. dress. The tribe simply perpetuates itself. As daughters move We divide the responsibilities. into middle school, their dads drop out and new dads with Chief Meat is a partner in a boutique butcher shop and brings younger daughters take their place. fillets that we cut with plastic utensils. Chief Headsoflat brings Each year a new chief is chosen. Each year an old chief the salad. leaves. It is good for daughters to see there are so many good dads We don’t need membership drives, because we live in a fanin the world. It is good for dads to know there are so many like tasyland called Maitland where good dads seem as plentiful as him sharing the duty of keeping an eye on his little ones. buffalo once were. It takes a tribe to raise a daughter. We take our tents to Disney, Wekiwa, Kissimmee and St. AuIt takes a dad to really raise her right. gustine. We go wherever we can turn our princesses loose. The Girls with good dads are much less inclined to do any numolder ones go off to explore on bike and foot. They talk about ber of dumb things, such as getting mixed up with drugs, sex things that girls on the verge of becoming teenagers talk about, and abusive boyfriends. In the woods, we help vaccinate them things that perhaps dads best not hear. against such widespread diseases. At night they poke the fire and throw dried leaves and palm Long after princesses leave the tribe, Dad always will be with fronds on it to prompt an outburst of flames. them as the model by which all men are measured. A dad who Lord of the Flies. shows his daughter love, respect, attention and loyalty will creThe young ones scamper about, darting into one tent after the ate a woman who looks for men of the same sort. next like raccoons, playing games they invent, getting their first Men who will treat her like a princess. l taste of not asking an adult before they do every little thing. There are no arranged play dates. They discover new friends like they Native Floridian and longtime Orlando columnist Mike Thomdiscover everything else out here, pretty much on their own. They as is a freelance writer.

by Mike Thomas

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