02.12.15 Valentine's Day Edition

Times& WEST ORANGE

Observer

VALENTINE’S DAY EDITION INSIDE: Meet a couple that has been together for more than seven decades / 2 Discover the perfect Valentine’s Day gifts for him and her / 6-7 Learn about six perfect restaurants for your Valentine’s Day date / 10-11

Valentine’s Day | February 2015

2 WOTimes.com

The Boulers attribute their long marriage to love, laughter and the Lord.

Amy Quesinberry Rhode

William and Mary Bouler have five children (four of whom are still living), 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.

72 YEARS

AND COUNTING

AMY QUESINBERRY RHODE COMMUNITY EDITOR

G

rowing up, Mary Massey Bouler knew what she wanted in a husband — or rather, what she didn’t want.

“I always said I would never marry a man named William, and I would never marry a man younger than me,” she says.

Lucky for Winter Garden native William Lester Bouler, she overlooked those two stipulations when he asked her to marry him.

The Winter Garden couple — she’s 94, he’s 93 — will celebrate their 73rd wedding

anniversary in August. They were married in 1942 in Chicago Heights, Illinois, at the home of Dr. Oscar Ballinger, one of the pastors of their church, Institutional Missionary Baptist.

Their paths crossed several times before they actually began courting.

Mary Bouler was working in Chicago and training to be a dietician, living with a cousin during the week and returning to her mother’s house in Chicago Heights on the weekends. William Bouler’s brother lived next door, and she caught his eye on one of his visits.

“He noticed me, but I

didn’t pay him any attention,” she said, smiling.

She and her two sisters went to the Black & Tan bar to hang out, and he was there, too. The two struck up a conversation, and this led to a serious courtship and then marriage.

“When we went to get the license to marry, I didn’t know he wasn’t 21,” Mary Bouler said.

He wasn’t legally old enough, so he had to get his mother to write a letter giving him permission to wed.

On their big day, she wore a simple light-gray, kneelength suit, a hat and gloves; he showed up in a straw hat

and black pinstripe zoot suit.

Three months after the ceremony, William Bouler was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps, attended basic training in Texas and then prepared for war in South Carolina and California before being shipped overseas. He saw his wife only a few times before heading for the Philippines, but enough to produce two children.

There, he helped build airstrips for incoming planes.

His unit was getting ready to go to Japan, but the orders were canceled after the atomic bombs were dropped on the country.

Bouler was honorably discharged as a technical sergeant in 1946 and returned to his wife and two sons in Chicago Heights. Nine months later, a third son was born. Another son and a daughter eventually rounded out the family.

FULL HOUSE

William and Mary Bouler enjoy being around each other and said they are al-

ways joking around. There was constant laughter in the household when the children were growing up.

“We used to have fun in our house,” Mary Bouler said. “The neighbors thought there was a quarrel or fight, but it was just all of together telling jokes and laughing.”

In later years, the couple traveled two or three times a year to visit sons who had moved away.

She says her favorite thing about her husband is this: “He’s not a lazy man; never was. I have a hard time getting him to sit down. There weren’t too many of them in Chicago Heights. He has always been busy working. I got him to retire.”

What does he love most about her?

“She does nice things,” he said. “She would cook. She took care of the kids, and she worked.”

“I took care of everything, the kids, the bills,” she was quick to point out. “That’s why he likes me.”

They both grinned.

He had a 45-year career as a heavy-equipment op-

“We used to have fun in our house.

The neighbors thought there was a quarrel or fight, but it was just all of together telling jokes and laughing.”

Mary Bouler

erator, having learned how to work the machines while in the Army. She held a variety of jobs throughout their marriage, and at the time of her retirement, she was teaching students in a Title I program in an Illinois high school.

They moved to Winter Garden in 2006 and live on East Bay Street, not too far from the place where William Bouler was born 93 years ago.

They have five children, four of whom are still living, 12 grandchildren, 16 greatgrandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.

The Boulers attend West Orlando Christian Center, Church of God in Christ, on East Bay Street, just down the street from their home.

They are quick to give thanks to the Lord for their long marriage.

“I think it’s because of God,” Mary Bouler said.

“Because it’s God will for us to stay together. I’ve prayed my entire life. The best thing that a married couple can do to stay together is to pray, trust in God, and always when you pray, (trust) that it’s (His) will. Because if it’s not God’s will, it’s not going to work out.”

Harold Bouler, the oldest of the five children, lives nearby in Winter Garden.

He said: “They taught us how to forgive. … The marriage wasn’t always perfect, but they learned how to forgive. … When it’s all said and done, all you have is each other.”

The younger Bouler said he’s amazed at his parents, who are now in their mid90s.

“They’ve been married longer than his dad lived and her mom lived. … I think they’ve got another good 10 to 15 years left in them.”

February 2015 | Valentine’s Day

WOTimes.com 3

Valentine’s Day | February 2015

4 WOTimes.com DIAMOND CENTER JEWELERS OF CLERMONT Family owned & operated since 1945 Your Jewelry Store in the heart of Clermont!

VALENTINE’S DAY

CALENDAR SATURDAY, FEB. 14

‘From the Heart’ Gift Set

$150 (Value $185)

‘Always in my Heart’ Gift Set

Watch Repair Batteries Layaway We buy Gold, Silver and Coins

$200 (Value $235)

U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,5007

Valentine’s Day Gift Sets Largest selection of Diamonds & Gold Jewelry

(352) 394-2612

Se Habla Español

481 State Hwy 50, Clermont, FL 34711 • www.pittmanjewelers.com Mon-Fri 9:30 - 5:30 • Saturday 9:30 - 3:30 • Sunday Closed

Be My Valentine — 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Winter Garden Branch Library, 805 E. Plant St., Winter Garden. Children ages 3 to 12 are invited to join the library for a Valentine’s Day celebration. Share the love while making heartwarming crafts and enjoying special activities with friends. For more information, call (407) 835-7323.

Valentine’s Day Concert — 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at Temple Free Will Baptist Church, 1208 E. Story Road, Winter Garden. The concert will feature Squire Parsons. Throughout his career, he has written and recorded southern gospel mega-hits, such as “Sweet Beulah Land,”“Gone,”“The Master of the Sea” and “He Came to Me.” There is no charge for this concert, but a love offering will be received. After the concert, there will be a time of fellowship and refreshments, along with the opportunity to meet and speak with Squire Parsons. For more information, visit templefwb.org or call (407) 656-7715.

Valentine Movie Night — 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Windermere Town Square, W. Sixth Ave., Windermere. Attendees will enjoy music, flowers, chocolates, giveaways and the film “Sabrina” under the stars. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs, wine and picnic baskets to this unforgettable evening.

This event is for adults only. Admission is free. In the case of rain, the movie will be moved inside Town Hall. For more information, call (407) 909-8000.

Winter Garden Valentine’s Day 2015 10K — 7:30 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 14, beginning at Tri & Run of West Orange, 56 W. Plant St., Winter Garden. The 10K course will wind through downtown Winter Garden. Register at trinrun. com. For more information, contact Jerry Pegram, jerry@trinrun.com or (407) 905-4786.

SUNDAY, FEB. 15

Love The Look Hair Studio & Spa 352-559-3690 • 4 S. Tubb St • Oakland, FL 34760

www.Lovethelookhairstudio.com • book@lovethelookhairstudio.com

70

$

“God is Love: A Celebration of Valentine’s Day” — 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, 8300 Vineland Ave., Orlando. The Basilica Choir will present a special concert, titled, “God is Love: A Celebration of Valentine’s Day,” as part of the Basilica’s annual concert series. There will be a wide variety of sacred and secular music around the themes of divine and romantic love, including music by composers Palestrina, Duruflé, Holst, Schubert and Lennon-McCartney. Selections from romantic opera scenes also will be included. Tickets are $15 for adults and free for children ages 12 and younger. To purchase, visit the Basilica Gift Shop or call (407) 239-6600. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Times WEST ORANGE

Valentine’s Special A signature facial followed by deep conditioning hair treatment with styling included.

Call today to take advantage of this offer!

Valid thru 2/28/15

• microdermabrasion • customized facials • spray tans • body wraps • eyelash extension • eyebrow & eyelash tinting • waxing services • chemical peels • micro-needling

720 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden FL 34787 (407) 656-2121; WOTimes.com

Publisher / Dawn Willis, dwillis@wotimes.com Executive Editor / Michael Eng, meng@wotimes.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry Rhode, aqrhode@wotimes.com Sports Editor / Steven Ryzewski, sryzewski@wotimes.com Staff Writer / Zak Kerr, zkerr@wotimes.com Advertising Executives / Cyndi Gustafson, cgustafson@wotimes.com; Kim Edwards, kedwards@wotimes.com Creative Services / Laine Richardson, lrichardson@wotimes.com

February 2015 | Valentine’s Day

WOTimes.com 5

Sweet Valentine Special

Up to

50% OFF* EVERYTHING in the store on sale! *Up to 50% OFF on select items.

Offer good thru Feb. 21st

WE BUY GOLD AND DIAMONDS!

407-298-0890 www.aldosfinejewelry.com Kirkman Oaks Shopping Plaza at the corner of Kirkman and Conroy Rd, next to Publix

4662 South Kirkman Rd. Orlando, FL 32811 - CUSTOM JEWELRY REPAIR 35 yrs. in the business HOURS: T-F 9:30-6pm, Saturday 9:30-4pm, SUN/MON CLOSED

Valentine’s Day | February 2015

6 WOTimes.com

VALENTINE’S DAY

GIFT GUIDE

Valentine’s Day is a day devoted to showing your significant other how much he or she means to you. Simple gestures — such as breakfast in bed or a handwritten note — certainly will make your loved one feel special.

And, of course, some special gifts on Feb. 14 certainly won’t hurt.

Fortunately for West Orange residents, there are plenty of local options from which to choose. From the classic bouquet of red roses to a relaxing walk through Oakland Nature Preserve, our community has all the makings for a perfect Valentine’s Day. Here, we present just a few options — both for him and her.

— Zak Kerr

FOR HER ALDO’S FINE JEWELRY

IF BLING IS HER THING

Sure, any guy could stop into the closest shopping mall and randomly select something sitting in a jewelry case in one of the handful of chain jewelry stores.

But, how about working together with your lovely lady to create a custom piece just for her?

Aldo’s Fine Jewelry has been serving the Orlando area for 25 years and specializes in custom design and fabrication such as engagement, bridal, anniversary and heirloom jewelry.

CAN’T GO WRONG WITH A CLASSIC

As long as a woman is not allergic to flowers, the red rose bouquet is a classic option for Valentine’s Day gift.

Windermere Flowers and Gifts is one local florist option, with delivery available within a day’s notice.

If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, the shop also offers options for modern bouquets, and its florists can assist stumped boyfriends and husbands by helping them select the perfect bouquet for their significant others.

Windermere Flowers and Gifts can deliver throughout the Greater Orlando area and nationwide.

ADDRESS: 5008 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday COST: Varies PHONE: (407) 296-9002 WEBSITE: windermereflowers orlando.com

Road, Orlando

HOURS: 9:30 a.m. to 6

p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday COST: Varies PHONE: (407) 298-0890 WEBSITE: aldosfinejewelry. com

SWEETS FOR YOUR SWEETIE

For the foodie in your life, a box of gourmet Swiss chocolates might be appreciated, but it does not offer a taste of local quality.

Swirl Bakery in Windermere offers home-cooked and baked treats such as doublechocolate fudge cupcakes, French macaroons and custom cake pops. Perhaps a batch of red velvet cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream hearts on top is right for your significant other.

Owner Shellie Hutchinson produces all of her creations in her home kitchen with only ingredients she considers the best.

SWIRL BAKERY WHERE: Based in Windermere; HOURS: Two-day notice is required for all orders, freshly baked; COST: $16 and up; CONTACT: (407) 902-6188, swirl.treats@gmail.com; WEBSITE: shellswirls.com

FOR THE FASHIONISTA

WINDERMERE FLOWERS AND GIFTS

WHERE: 4662 S. Kirkman

Anyone can pull clothing from a rack, but what about a piece of clothing designed specifically for the woman in your life?

Local seamstress and fashion designer Jennifer Welch can help you turn an idea into a real top, bottom, dress — whatever the imagination might have in store. The finished product might not be ready by Feb. 14, but imagine taking your sweetheart straight to a custom fashion designer who can help her design the clothes of her dreams.

JENNIFER WELCH CUSTOM SEWING WHERE: 17538 Satsuma

Circle, Suite 2, Winter Garden HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday (appointment recommended) COST: Moderate; quotes available online PHONE: (850) 532-9062 WEBSITE: jenniferbwelch. com

February 2015 | Valentine’s Day

WOTimes.com 7

FOR HIM

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

For the adventurous, natural or outdoors type, he would be thrilled to spend a day hiking or touring the preserve with you. A guided tour will begin at 2 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, but self-guided tours are always a possibility. And imagine how romantic it would be to have a picnic lunch with some of his favorites and then watch the sun set from the shore of Lake Apopka.

Plus, the Environmental Education Center is sure to offer something for even the most avid nature-lover to learn.

Best of all, it is free!

BIG NIGHT OUT

This new venue will sponsor a plethora of personalities and performers in its inaugural season. For a decent price, you can purchase tickets to an event you and he will both enjoy.

For the classical music crowd, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will have three shows from now to March 21. For fans of other music, Jason Mraz & Raining Jane will perform Feb. 15, Hundred Waters will play March 13, and Elvis Costello will sing March 17.

Theater buffs have an array of choices, including: “Slava’s Snowshow” in the second half of February; “Touch and Go,” the stories of Sanford through the eyes of a Navy pilot and featuring a local cast Feb. 21; and “Motown the Musical” in mid-March.

Comedy lovers might be willing to wait until March 30, when Jay Leno hits the stage.

DR. PHILLIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ADDRESS: 445 S. Magnolia Ave., Orlando; HOURS: Box Office open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday to Friday; COST: $20 and up; PHONE: 844-513-2014 ; WEBSITE: drphillipscenter.org

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

TREAT HIM LIKE A KING

Some couples are fortunate enough to have magic hands that can relieve any knots and tension with a quick massage. Others just do not have that certain touch that a massage therapist such as Audra Steding can provide.

A graduate of the Central Florida School of Massage Therapy, Steding offers a variety of services, including spa treatments, medical massage and sports massage.

Of course, guys aren’t the only ones who could use a little pampering. How about a couple’s massage? Steding is offering a Valentine’s Day special that can be used the week of Valentine’s Day or the week after.

MASSAGE THERAPY

BY AUDRA STEDING ADDRESS: 7535 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando HOURS: Contact for appointment COST: Varies PHONE: (407) 435-3152 WEBSITE: facebook.com/MassageTherapy

Looking for a new experience for your special guy? How about signing him up for a few lessons at the Winter Garden Fencing Academy?

For the competitive types, the local school is a member of the United States Fencing Association, Central Florida Division.

Students receive basic competitive training and are encouraged to test their might in sanctioned tournaments throughout the state.

For those who just like trying something new, the school also provides a more recreational route for those pursuing physical-fitness goals without the positive and negative stress of sport combat.

OAKLAND NATURE PRESERVE WHERE: 747 Machete Trail, Oakland HOURS: Sunrise to sunset, every day

WINTER GARDEN FENCING ACADEMY

(Environmental Education Center: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday) COST: Free; donations always welcome PHONE: (407) 905-0054 WEBSITE: oaktownusa.com/Pages/ Preserve/index

ADDRESS: 44 S. Main St.,

Winter Garden

HOURS: Varies COST: $60 per month

for one class per week; $80 per week for two classes per week; recreational memberships are $60 per month or $20 per visit PHONE: (407) 347-3807 WEBSITE: wgfencing academy.com

ByAudraSteding

Valentine’s Day! As the holidays end and we greet the New Year, Spring cleaning approaches! A time I sure fear!

The last time I cleaned, I can’t even guess.

And my visiting relatives have made such a mess!

Save

45

$

$15 off your first, third and fifth regularly scheduled cleaning.

With this ad. New customers only.

My kitchen, my bathrooms, the dusting, the floor, But if I call MOLLY MAID, they’ll do all that and more!

I’ll have time to relax as soon as I call, because my MOLLY MAID team will take care of it all!

Gift Certificates Available

407-877-0184 www.mollymaid.com

Valentine’s Day | February 2015

8 WOTimes.com

LOVELY

HEADLINES In honor of Valentine’s Day, we take a look back at some of the significant courtships that helped shape West Orange history.

AMY QUESINBERRY RHODE COMMUNITY EDITOR

S

ociety pages have always been popular in newspapers, including the West Orange Times. In the days before the Internet, readers went there first to see who became engaged and who tied the knot.

Announcements frequently included lengthy details about the bride’s wedding gown, headpiece, accessories, flowers, attendants and musical selections.

This was often the first chance to see which exquisite gown the bride selected (did it have drop beads or seed pearls, a cathedral-length train?), what flowers were carried (roses? lilies? baby’s breath?) and who was in the wedding party (siblings, friends, neighbors, anyone I know?).

The wedding announcement in the Jan. 8, 1954, issue of the Winter Garden Times read: “Of interest to a wide circle of friends in Winter Garden and Central Florida is the announcement of the marriage of Miss Dorothy Yates and Paul McBride. The wedding was solemnized in Folkston, Georiga, on New Year’s night, with Mr. and Mrs. Talmadge Kolton as the only attendants.

“Mr. McBride is superintendent of the warehouse of the Winter Garden Citrus

Products Cooperative, and his bride has been an employee.”

The next month, another wedding was announced: “The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.F. Donaldson, of Winter Garden, and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Kennedy, also of Winter Garden, plighted their troth at 8 p.m. at the bride’s home in Winter Garden Shores in the presence of close friends and relatives.

“Palms and other greenery formed the background for the improvised altar in white and flanked on either side with floor baskets of white gladioli. Indirect lighting provided a soft twilight effect.”

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Ficquette married in the Church of Christ in Ocoee. The bride was the former Miss Frances Robertson, daughter of Mrs. J.W. Robertson, of Ocoee. Mr. Ficquette is the son of Mr. and Mrs. R.M. Ficquette, of Winter Garden.

PRESERVING THE PAST The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation has a bridal scrapbook that dates back to the World War II era.

Many of the articles on the early couples featured in the album make reference to the war or to the groom as a member of the military.

When Miss Mary Elizabeth Kannon married Cpl. Floyd Charles Payne in 1947, their announcement said he was stationed at the Army Air Forces Tactical Center in Orlando and that “during the past year, she has been quite active in volunteer war work.”

When a Windermere couple, Miss Dorothy Perdue and Lt. Paul E. Jones, were married in 1945, he had “recently returned from overseas duty in the European

When Dorothy Louise “Dottie” Hall married Lt. Harold W. “Johnny” Johnson, she “wore a white marquisette basque-waist gown with bertha trimmed in lace and seed pearls, long sleeves with points over the hands and bouffant skirt with full-length train. She wore a veil of full-length illusion with Juliet cap of seed pearls. She carried a prayer book with a white orchid and shower of ribbons and tube roses.”

Betty “Jean” Sadler, of Oakland, became engaged to Cpl. Robert A. Macchi, who had just returned from overseas service in Europe.

February 2015 | Valentine’s Day

“One of the most beautiful weddings of the season was that of Miss Dorothy Imogene Hull and Mr. Miles Minor, a social event of Tuesday night at 8 o’clock in the First Presbyterian Church in Oakland.” She wore a white satin gown fashioned with sweetheart neckline, long sleeves, fitted bodice and long full skirt ending in a train. Her fingertip veil of illusion was held in place by a coronet of lace. She wore a single strand of pearls, the gift of the groom. Her bouquet was of white gladioli centered with a purple orchid.

Theater of operations.”

Laura Lovie Ray, of Webster, married Dolphus C. Reeves, the son of Mr. and Mrs. M.C. Reeves, of Ocoee, who served overseas with the U.S. Marines.

Oakland’s Miss Betty Jean Sadler wed Cpl. Robert A. Macchi, who served in the war’s European Theater.

Miss Dorothy Louise “Dottie” Hall, of Winter Garden, became the bride of Lt. Harold W. “Johnny” Johnson in 1945. The next page of the album features the 1947 wedding of their good friends, Miss Charlotte Elizabeth “Betty” Roper, of Winter Garden, and Army Capt. Dallas Edward Duppenthaler, who met when they were attendants at the Johnson nuptials. Johnson and Duppenthaler came to Winter Garden as members of the Army’s 352nd Separate Searchlight Battalion, and this is where they would meet their brides and settle down. The Johnsons were married for 47 years, the Duppenthalers for 67, before the wives’ deaths.

The double-ring ceremony of Charlotte Elizabeth “Betty” Roper and Dallas Duppenthaler included “lighted tapers in candelabra (gracing) the sanctuary and Easter lilies, peonies and white gladioli (adorning) the altar. The chancel was banked with palms.”

WOTimes.com 9

Valentine’s Day | February 2015

10 WOTimes.com

Boston Hair Works COLOR BAR & SPA

20 OFF %

1 service on 1st visit.

New customers only.

Book your appointments today, for a day of relaxation and pampering!

OPEN HOURS: Monday 9-5 Tuesday 9-7 Wednesday 9-7 Thursday 9-7 Friday 9-6 Saturday 9-4

407-614-1630

13650 W. Colonial Dr. Suite 110 Winter Garden, FL 34787

We are OPEN!

Massage Enrich your health with a well deserved

DATE-NIGHT

DINING

Of course, no Valentine’s Day would be complete without a romantic dinner. And West Orange has a plethora of places from which to choose.

If you’re looking for something elegant, The Chef’s Table at the Edgewater will offer special menus for both its Valentine’s Day lunch and dinner meals. For those seeking something more casual, Mexican fare at MetroWest’s Agave Azul will add some sizzle to your day. And, if you’re looking for something with a little more mystique, try the curiously unassuming Pharmacy in Dr. Phillips.

— Steven Ryzewski

AGAVE AZUL

ADDRESS: 4750 S. Kirkman Road, Orlando PHONE: (407) 704-6930 WEBSITE: agaveazulorlando.com Representing the MetroWest area is Agave Azul, the go-to eatery for a great margarita — whether it be a Blueberry, Presidential or Skinny Margarita.

The restaurant has an energetic, bumping atmosphere on most nights and is a good way to set the tone for a fun evening. A selection of tasty salsas and shareable dishes such as the pastor tacos and the sopes can make for great choices. And did we mention the margaritas?

alFRESCO

ADDRESS: 146 W. Plant St., Suite 140, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 654-5889 WEBSITE: alfrescowintergarden.com It’s name, which translates to “open air,” says it all about this downtown Winter Garden establishment.

Serving modern Mediterranean cuisine created from fresh ingredients in an open setting, alFresco aims to give its customers a perfect blend of yesterday and today. Its dining room features historic photos and original brick from The Garden Building along with more modern fixtures and furniture.

The restaurant’s dinner menu features Mediterranean favorites such as hummus, tzatziki and tabouleh as well as a rotating chef-inspired pasta of the day, signature paella, lamb bolognese and seared lamb loin.

VALENTINE’S SPECIAL Free 1/2 hour upgrade on any 1 hour massage.

BELLA TUSCANY RISTORANTE ITALIANO

PREGNANCY MASSAGE

ATHLETIC MASSAGE

Audra Steding

MASSAGE THERAPIST 407.435.3152 Pain • Injury • Stress Management Nationally certified Massage Therapist Lic# MA 36072

GOLFER

MASSAGE DR. PHILLIPS AREA

7513 W. Sand Lake Rd. Orlando, FL

ADDRESS: 13424 Summerport Village Parkway, Windermere PHONE: (407) 656-2355 WEBSITE: BellaTuscanyWindermere.com This restaurant represents the Horizon West/Windermere area and features a more traditional Italian dining experience. The restaurant prides itself on providing a nice, romantic ambiance paired with food of the highest quality and freshness.

Bella Tuscany will offer a special five-course meal on Valentine’s Day with a wine-pairing option. Some dishes will include a scallops and shrimp brulee, crispy duck and mixedgreen salad, bucatini and truffle, braided long-bone short ribs and more.

Management confirmed that a harpist will be playing live music for guests that evening, making for an intimate, romantic atmosphere.

February 2015 | Valentine’s Day

WOTimes.com 11

THE CHEF’S TABLE AT THE EDGEWATER

RUSTEAK RESTAURANT AND WINE

ADDRESS: 1568 Maguire Road, Ocoee PHONE: (407) 614-3765 WEBSITE: rusteakwinebar.com Representing Ocoee on our list of Valentine’s Day restaurants is RusTeak Restaurant and Wine, located at the corner of Maguire and Old Winter Garden roads.

Classified as a wine bar and gastropub, the establishment boasts a versatile menu — everything from hand-crafted sandwiches and burgers to steaks and seafood — and a polished, casual atmosphere great for a comfortable date setting. The Mahi Out of Control is a favorite of many, according to General Manager Layla Friend. A selection of more than 150 wines from around the globe and hand-crafted signature cocktails can’t hurt, either.

RusTeak Restaurant and Wine is owned and operated by two graduates of The Culinary Institute of America.

ADDRESS: 99 W. Plant St., Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 230-4837 WEBSITE: chefstableattheedgewater.com The Chef’s Table at the Edgewater has become a destination for Central Florida couples looking for an intimate evening.The award-winning restaurant offers two different styles of dining in both the Chef’s Dining Room and the Tasting Room. The establishment prides itself on its farm-to-table kitchen, and its Chef’s Dining Room has a hidden, speakeasy feel to it.

Shareable dishes make for a great date atmosphere.

Some favorites include a centercut filet, the everchanging cheese board and lobster mac & cheese and minibeef wellingtons.

This charming, romantic restaurant has been recognized as such with awards for good reason and is a can’t-miss on Valentine’s Day. This Valentine’s Day, the Chef’s Table at the Edgewater is offering two dining options — a Valentine’s Lunch ($35 per person) featuring favorite tapas from the Tasting Room and a Sweetheart Dinner ($75 per person) that will feature a fourcourse meal selected from the Chef’s Table Tasting Menu.

THE PHARMACY

ADDRESS: 8060 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando PHONE: (407) 985-2972 WEBSITE: thepharmacyorlando.com A popular new restaurant in the Dr. Phillips area with a unique twist, The Pharmacy has made quite an impression since it opened in 2014. The restaurant and bar, located among the vibrant stretch of Sand Lake Road, has a hidden, unassuming entrance to keep with its speakeasy theme. There’s no sign on the door in an exterior hallway in the Dellagio complex, just across from the Regions Bank. The entrance is a lone elevator door in the middle of the hallway.

Also adding to the Prohibition-era theme is a bar offering house-made bitters, artisan tonics and sodas for craft cocktails and an impressive drink menu. For couples looking to get dressed up, perhaps even with a little bit of a 1920s theme, The Pharmacy may be just the place for a great date.

Be My Valentine At Mimi’s

Hours: M-S 10-7; Sun 11-5 Follow us on facebook @ Mimis Boutique and Instagram @ Mimisboutique1

4750 The Grove Drive, Ste #132 • Windermere, FL 34786 • 407-738-4550 • www.mimisboutique.com

Valentine’s Day | February 2015

12 WOTimes.com

GOLDEN POND COMMUNITIES ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARE

Feel the Love this February with Us

and we'll waive the Move In Fee (a $1500 value)

WE OFFER: 24 Hour Nursing 3 Meals Daily Laundry/Housekeeping Daily Activities Cable TV & WiFi Pets Welcome

Limited units available. Call today!

TOURS AVAILABLE

Offer not available for cash and good for new residents only

Experience the Golden Pond Lifestyle

Select your new apartment and sign before

March 1, 2015

ALF #9626