Sunday, September 21, 2014

Southern Moon Smokehouse now serving Brunch Saturdays & Sundays

Southern Moon BBQ is now serving brunch every weekend starting Saturday the 27th and will be every Saturday and Sunday from 10-4 ‪

They are located on Curry Ford near Crystal Lake next to Winn Dixie & Rogue Pub.

They have some really great creative dishes that are a great mixture of breakfast/brunch and BBQ. One of the best things about Southern Moon is they make almost everything in house even most of the bread.
Tropical Mimosa: lychee, mango, guyaba juices, sparkling wine
I'm not a Mimosa person but this was really good, alcohol was mild, juices were sweet

Pulled Pork Pancakes - Smoked pulled pork shoulder over fluffy corn griddle cakes served with whipped honey butter and whisky maple syrup.$10.99
This was my favorite dish, the pork didn't have a strong BBQ flavor so it didn't overpower the pancake, the corn cakes were very good, the cornmeal was obviously made in house, it had plenty of real chunks of corn.


 
Brioche French Toast - French toast topped with seasonal berry compote. $7.99
 The grits were nice and creamy, in the dishes below, they also had good flavor, grits are hard to do well and they know how to do them right here.


Q Grits - Creamy cheese grits topped with brisket. $6.50

Q Grits - Creamy cheese grits topped with pulled pork. $6.50


Pumpkin Spiced Latte Martini - House made coffee liqueur, Crop Organic Pumpkin Vodka, amaretto and house made ginger beer 


BBQ Benedict - House biscuit topped with smoked short rib, poached egg and Carolina gold hollandaise. $8.99



French toast, hash, grits

Hash Brown Casserole - Crispy hash browns smothered in cheese and creme fraiche topped with your choice of BBQ meat. $9.99


Smoke House Frittata - Filled with tomato, melted onion, and cheese baked fluffy to order. $5.99


Scotch Quail Egg - House sausage wrapped around quail egg, breaded and deep fried served with our Carolina gold hollandaise nestled in a bed of fresh greens. $5.99

Southern Moon Smokehouse Southern Brunch Menu



Thursday, September 18, 2014

Redlight Red Light Chili Cook-Off.

On October 26th 5-10pm Redlight Red Light will be hosting an epic Chili Cook-Off.

Details:

On October 26th Redlight Red Light will be hosting an epic chili competition featuring chilies crafted by AT LEAST 12 different chili masters!

A onetime suggested donation of $10 (or whatever you choose, folks) gets you a bowl of each chili! That's 12 bowls of chili! The proceeds for this event are going to Orlando's own, Armando y Jorge's Orlandoñan Hot Sauce, to help them raise money for a new steam kettle cooker! Support local!

Do you have a great chili recipe? Put your money where your mouth is! There are still spots open to share your chili with everyone and compete for the prizes! The top 3 winners will be decided by voting cards from everyone attending.

Prizes include, but are not limited to:
$50 Redlight Redlight gift certificate
Redlight Redlight Shirt
Redlight Redlight glassware
$30 Will's Pub Gift Certificate
A case of Goofy Boots and Uncle Mills hot sauces
$50 St. Matthew's Tavern at the Orlando Beer Garden gift certificate
$50 Gators Dockside Baldwin Park gift certificate
The Peacock Room gift certificate for 10 Car/Pumpkin Bombs
...many more to come!

Fee to enter the competition is $10 and comes with two beers on the day of. Call Redlight Redlight at (407) 893-9832 to get yourself signed in!

There no rules as far as fillers are concerned. Meat is not always the most important ingredient! We love the other stuff, too! Minimum amount required is 4 gallons and the chili is prepared prior to the event. We will provide bowls, utensils, and napkins. If you're not using a crock pot, bring a table top burner!

Royal Indian Cuisine

New Indian Restaurant opening today September 18th, 2014 in Casselberry in the old Brick & Fire location next to Smokey Bones

Lunch Buffet Daily $9.95

Closed from 3-5 daily then open for dinner, no buffet at dinner time. Closed Mondays.

Decor is very nice and clean, staff is friendly, food is tasty.


Royal Indian Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Kamayan: A Filipino Feast

Kamayan: A Filipino Feast event @EastEndMkt on September 22nd from 7PM-9PM.


Featuring Francis Biondi from MasterChef

MasterChef Top 15 contestant Francis Biondi and Kappo at East End Market present: KAMAYAN, a hand-to-mouth Filipino feast! No plates, no silverware. Just a lot of great food and cocktails. Chef Jonjie Sibayan from PAO Cafe Filipino Restaurant in Tampa will also be joining in for this event, bringing the Filipino food movement across I-4.

A KAMAYAN is a traditional Filipino way of communal eating with your bare hands. No plates or silverware are necessary (but will be provided) for this casual, family-style dinner on top of the East End Market in Winter Park, FL. Try a variety of traditional Filipino delicacies from vegetarian tastings, to different pork/meat dishes, and whole fish, as they are spread atop mounds of steamed rice and banana leaves.

CRAFT COCKTAILS and BEER will be paired with the dinner and provided throughout service. René Nguyen from Orlando's top speakeasy, Hanson's Shoe Repair, will be pairing craft cocktails for the Kamayan Filipino Feast on Monday, Sept. 22!
------
Francis Biondi: MasterChef Season 5 Top 15 Contestant
francisbcookin.com

Kappo at East End Market

PAO Cafe

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Pig Floyd's more pics

I already did a full post about Pig Floyd's Here but I had some more pics to share from a second visit.

They are now open from 4 pm daily. Soon they will be open for lunch as well.






























Thursday, September 11, 2014

Broissants are Back at Peterbrooke Chocolatier of Winter Park for Magical Dining Month!

Ever since Peterbrooke Chocolatier of Winter Park discontinued their popular Broissants last year, fans of the fried croissant doughnuts have been clamoring for their return.  So owners Jami and Kevin Wray decided to bring them back, weekends only, for Magical Dining Month.  These rich yet delicate pastries are light and buttery with many flaky layers, but the toppings are the real stars. Fresh, house-made sauces include dark chocolate & caramel with fleur de sel.  





Chocolate and peanut butter is my favorite dessert combo, and the Nutter Butter Broissant is my favorite way to enjoy it. It's filled with peanut butter, topped with warm milk chocolate sauce, with a crumbly Nutter Butter topping.  Jami was inspired by Winter Park's new Trader Joe's to create the ultimate indulgence: a Broissant topped with their Speculoos Crunchy Cookie Butter and milk chocolate!


If you smell the enticing aroma of fried dough and chocolate when walking down Park Avenue this September, you might want to drop in and satisfy your Broissant craving! Last day you can get these is Sunday, September 28th.
Peterbrooke Chocolatier on Urbanspoon

Green Kitchen: Clean Eating On I-Drive

Green Kitchen brings Clean Eating to the Orlando restaurant scene with a fresh new concept.  What's Clean Eating? Well, it's popular with bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts, and focuses on meats, vegetables, and whole grains, with minimal sugar or added fat.  Green Kitchen provides options for all kinds of special diets, with an array of healthy choices for breakfast and lunch.


Every day they offer a Lean Plate, with grilled meat, brown rice, and veggies, with the options announced on their menu boards.  There are plenty of healthy choices on the regular menu as well, including cold pressed juices named after places in Brazil. Service is friendly, efficient and fast, with an ipad-based ordering system that's perfect for a lunch crowd. Everything is handmade in the open kitchen, but I still got my entire meal within five minutes... impressive!  They offer several fresh-squeezed lemonades, and I enjoyed a nice limeade with my lunch.


Their hummus is clearly fresh, nice and chunky with a clean, lemony flavor, not pasty like at some fast-food joints.  It's topped with a nice olive oil and paprika and served with pita chips. I would prefer if they offered warmed pita wedges or made their own chips to go with this excellent hummus.


For lunch I had the Moroccan Melt on a whole wheat round flatbread, a steal at $6. It was chock-full of tuna salad, organic greens, plump ripe tomatoes, cucumber, shredded carrot and sprouts with melted Colby Jack cheese. It was so much food that I had to cut it and save half for lunch the next day.  I look forward to trying their turkey Moroccan melt, the salmon signature sandwich and the paninis. Other guests ordered these while I was there and they looked quite good.



House-made desserts including key lime pie, chocolate mousse, chocolate pie, and lemon pie are temptingly displayed at the counter, but I opted for a simple chocolate rugelach, which was quite delicious,


Green Kitchen is located at the corner of a new office building, with plenty of reserved parking.  It's a minimalist setting, but has a nice relaxing lounge area in one corner.  I'll definitely stop by again, it's nice to have a fast, healthy choice in the middle of the I-Drive madness.



http://greenkitchenorlando.com/
Green Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Highball & Harvest at The Ritz Carlton Orlando

I don't spend much time seeking out or eating at restaurants in hotels. After trying the brand new Highball & Harvest restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton down near Sea World, I will rethink this philosophy. The food, drinks, service, decor and ambiance were all extraordinary.

If you didn't know the Ritz-Carlton is a high end hotel for those looking for an upscale experience. Check out this link which has a lot of pictures and details on the hotel: http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/the-ritz-carlton-orlando-grande-lakes.html

The Ritz-Carlton also has another restaurant on site I've always wanted to eat at, Norman's, by famed Florida chef Norman Van Aken. I have never been able to justify the high prices, but I'll make it there one day. http://www.normans.com/norman-van-aken/

To get to Highball & Harvest restaurant you go into the hotel and then from the lobby take the grand staircase down to the right to a huge open space that formerly housed the Vineyard Grill.



Highball & Harvest just had their grand opening in early September, 2014 and the amount of work and planning that have gone into creating a quality restaurant and bar are very obvious. I was invited to a media event with other food bloggers to sample and photograph some of the dishes.

The uniforms and menu at Highball & Harvest remind me of Prato or The Coop both in Winter Park, plaid flannel farmer type shirts. The decor is much different than those restaurants however, lots of nice dark woods, comfortable dark brown leather booths, dark heavy wood chairs and tables. It's a huge space, lots of room to get comfortable.



Highball & Harvest describes itself as "A Modern Approach to Southern-Inspired Cuisine". The most impressive thing about the restaurant is that many of the ingredients are grown in the Whisper Creek Farm which is on the property. They grow: cucumbers, acorn squash, collard greens, avocado, mango, sweet potatoes, a variety of herbs & citrus including tangerine, kaffir lime and kumquat. More Info about the farm:http://www.grandelakes.com/Whisper-Creek-125.html


They serve an extensive breakfast buffet, with lots of fresh fruit, salmon, breads, cheeses, etc.





Lunch starts at 11 everyday, our meal started with H&H Parker House Rolls, made with ancient grains served with Herb Butter & Apple Butter, $4. The flavor was a sweet honey style wheat bread, the butters were both great but they didn't go together, so pick one or the other depending on your taste preference.

Parker House Rolls



Cocktails
They have a lot of creative cocktails, averaging in price from $10-12. 



Orange Ave Officers Club - Death’s Door Gin, Pimm’s #1, Passionfruit and Ginger

Dill or No Dill - Sipsmith's Gin, Elderflower, Cucumber, Dill and Lemon

Doc Holliday - Blueberry Jam, Tito’s vodka, Ruby Grapefruit and House Ginger Beer

Whistle Stop - Death’s Door White Whiskey, Cocchi Barolo, Chinato, and Tangerine-Honey Cordial

Back 40 Punch - Blackberry, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Sweet Tea and Lemon

Last Wish - High West “Campfire”t Whiskey, Spiced Cola Syrup, Old Havana Tobacco Bitters, Orange Essence

Summerlin’s Smash - Pineapple and Orange and Mint muddled with Bacardi 8 Rum, Luxardo Maraschino, Lime and Chilies
Summerlin’s Smash

Appetizers


Next up was the Crab Cake & Fried Green Tomato appetizer with Cajun Remoulade and Corn Chow Chow, $16. A wonderful mix of rich flavors, the breading was sweet on the tomatoes. This is a huge appetizer that should be shared among at least 2 people.
Crab Cake & Fried Green Tomato 
Our Second appetizer was The Southern Spread - Pimento Cheese, Smoked Fish Dip,  Pickled Vegetables, Benne-Seed Lavash, Sourdough Bread, $16. I really liked the pickled vegetables, they were simple but very tasty, a little sweet. Again the mixture of the two different kinds of spread were odd combinations of flavors so just pick the one that suits your taste more. 

The Southern Spread


Main Courses
My main course was the Shrimp and Grits - Canaveral Red Shrimp, Anson Mills Grits, Charred Tomato BBQ, Arugula, Fennel & Crisp Onions. It was a creative variation on a tried and true southern dish. The red shrimp have a much different texture than the more commonly available shrimp. The sauce and the grits had good flavors, I didn't find that the fennel added anything to the dish but it didn't take anything away from it either. You can get it in a smaller portion $16 or the large one pictured here $25


Many of the other dishes were very visually appealing and if I had enough space I'd have tried them all.  

 Boneless Chicken Fried Chicken - Potato Puree / Garlic Kale / Watermelon $27

Pig-n-Potatoes - Poached Egg / Potato Hash / Pork Cheeks / Hollandaise $17

Grilled Line-Caught Swordfish - Beluga Lentils / Cilantro Coulis / Mango $32

Booker’s Skirt - Grilled Corn & Tomato Salad / Potato Puree / Charred Onion Vinaigrette $30

H&H Pimento Cheese Burger - Double Short-Rib Patties / Bacon / Mustard / Pimento Cheese / Spicy pickles $18

Blackened Grouper - Hominy Ragout / Andouille / Pickled Okra $29

Desserts
H&H Key Lime Tart - Winter Park Honey Infused Oranges / Margarita Sorbet $9

Baby Donuts - Cappuccino Ice Cream / Chocolate Hazelnut Spread $9

Strawberry Shortcake - Strawberry Sorbet / Poached Rhubarb / Bubble Gum Marshmallow $9

Warm Chocolate Cake - Bourbon Pickled Apples Chutney / Madagascar Vanilla Ice Cream $9

They make their own hot sauce from scotch bonnet and other peppers grown at the on site farm. It wasn't very spicy but had a nice smokey flavor. It's not very vinegary and very thick. 



Another interesting part of Highball & Harvest is the wine bar. I've never heard of having wines on tap that weren't drawn from wine bottles. Here they have wine casks served via taps just like beer. According to their sommelier, it's a better way to keep the wines fresher because no oxidation occurs like when they are served from a previously opened bottle. Also they are able to better regulate the correct temperatures of each type of wine. They have 8 reds and 8 white wines on tap. 
Reds
Whites






Overall I'd say Highball & Harvest is a great place to have a quality southern meal or to just experience some creative cocktails in a relaxing, comfortable environment. Give it a try for yourself.

You can view the menus here: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Orlando/Dining/Highball_Harvest/Default.htm#




Highball & Harvest on Urbanspoon