Monday, November 12, 2018

Burnt Ends are the Bomb at Oklahoma Joe's

I love trying all the new BBQ restaurants around Orlando, so I was excited to get the invite to a tasting of the new Oklahoma Joe's BBQ opening up in Daytona Beach. We have a lot of North Carolina and Texas BBQ here, but Oklahoma-style BBQ is a new thing here in Florida. Oklahoma Joe's One Daytona is the only Florida location of a Tulsa-based restaurant run by Joe Davidson, one of the winningest BBQ masters ever. I tasted through the menu and found some definite winners.


I was really impressed with the baked beans- they have a lot of smoked meat flavor, with an addictive sweet-spicy thing going on. They're made with a lot of different kinds of beans, and they're not too sweet, just perfect with the BBQ. I loved the pulled pork sandwich as well- it's nice and lean but not dry. I tried it with all the different sauces- they have regular BBQ, hot, and mustard-based sauces that are all really good.

The real stars of the tasting were the burnt ends. They're also known as "Meat Candy" and they're unlike anything I've had in Florida. The pitmasters take the fatty part of the smoked brisket and cube it, then soak it in bbq sauce and smoke it again for 3 hours. It comes out all caramelized and tender- kind of like a sweet bacon with lots of meat. I totally recommend trying these out!

The restaurant itself is bright and open, with a great big back porch with lots of TVs for watching football or Nascar. It's in ONEDAYTONA, directly across from the Daytona International Speedway, right behind the Bass Pro Shops. It's a great place to stop in for a meal on the way to the beach or a road trip. Check it out next time you're in Daytona Beach!



Monday, July 23, 2018

Stasio's Italian Deli - Now Open in the Milk District

Stasio's Italian Deli is open as of today in the Milk District, on the Southwest corner of Bumby and Robinson.

They serve subs, Italian deli meats and salads, Italian coffee, pizza, hot and cold foods and desserts.

I had their signature sub with red peppers, Italian meat and lots of mozzarella. It was good. Also tried the Iced Coffee and the Cannoli Cup, everything was very tasty and enjoyable.

210 N. Bumby Orlando, Florida 32803





















Monday, March 26, 2018

The Florida Film Festival 2018 April 6th-Sunday April 15th



The Florida Film Festival will be held Friday April 6th-Sunday April 15th , 2018 at the Enzian theater in Maitland. They have a number of great events with some spectacular food, chefs and restaurants involved. They also are showing a food related movies.

http://www.floridafilmfestival.com/

The highlight for food lovers is the opening night party.


Opening Night Party:
https://www.floridafilmfestival.com/parties/opening-night-party/


Friday, April 6th
6PM–1AM

Celebrate opening night of the 2018 Florida Film Festival with a thrilling premiere of American Animals and meet the film’s star Blake Jenner. After the movie, sample food and cocktails from your favorite local spots—a moveable feast where you can mingle and celebrate with all the folks who will be your new best friends for the next ten days. Eat, drink, be merry, and discuss all the films you cannot wait to see at the festival ahead. This legendary party launches a non-stop, fun-filled, ten-day celebration of Film, Food, and Friends.

Participating restaurants, bars, and select vendors include

Arthur’s Catering
Bubbalou’s Bodacious BBQ
Cuisiniers
Diageo
Eden Bar
Enzian Theater
Firefly Restaurant & Bar
Hawkers
Hourglass Brewing
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Rosen Shingle Creek
Roque Pub
The Sausage Shack
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Terrapin Beer Co.
Ten10 Brewing Company
Tito’s Vodka


6PM: Champagne reception for film guests
6:45PM: Welcome
7PM: American Animals followed by a conversation with Blake Jenner
8:30PM: Party starts for “Party Only” ticket holders


Another event related to food during the film festival is:

Locally Fresh!

  • Sun, April 8th 11:00AM - 2:30PM Enzian & Eden Bar
Locally Fresh! Scrumptious Cinema
11AM-12:30PM
$12
Feed all your senses! Central Florida foodies partner-up with local filmmakers at this utterly unique (and mouth-watering) event—a festival favorite! Filmmakers dig into the stock and trade of what makes Central Florida delicious. Watch their documentaries, accompanied by cooking demonstrations and sumptuous samples. A feast for the eyes and the taste buds. 
Locally Fresh! Farmers Market
Noon-2:30PM
FREE
Lawn at Eden Bar
After Locally Fresh! Scrumptious Cinema, the lawn at Eden Bar transforms into a Farmers Market, filled with local products fresh from the field. Get to know Central Florida’s finest farmers and vendors, and don’t miss this delicious opportunity to take some local goodies home for your own feast.

Sip and Savor: Cocktail Tasting

Wednesday, April 11
6:00PM–8:00PM
Location: Eden Bar
Free and open to the public
Join festival friends to sample a fun selection of craft cocktails. A sip or two of something new—flavors and concoctions all provided by our friends at Diageo!

Movies


Here are a few of the movies that are food related:


Food Films

Ramen Heads

https://www.ramenheadsfilm.com/
https://www.floridafilmfestival.com/films/ramen-heads/
Sun, 4-8, 1:45 pm
Directed by: Koki Shigeno
Japan, 2017, 93m
Japanese
We all lived on instant ramen in college, and today we might aspire to a bowl of David Chang’s Momofuku Ramen. But what do we really know? Ramen Heads, Koki Shigeno’s passionate deep dive into the fanatical culture behind the Japanese working man’s meal, is a revelation. Shigeno’s film centers on the “King of Ramen,” Tomito Osamu, who has kept this most prestigious title for three years. The charming chef and inspired director share the world of ramen, the philosophy, the history, the sacred broth, the “slurpability” of the noodles, the tiny shops, the many styles, the lineage and passion of fellow chefs, and the heart and soul of lives dedicated to an exquisite-yet-humble dish. Ultimately, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his tiny restaurant, Tomito collaborates with two other top ramen chefs on a super broth. The pressure is high, the camaraderie is inspiring, and you will join us in wishing you could taste the result.
Japan, 2017, 93m, NR, Directed by Koki Shigeno



Back to Burgundy

https://www.floridafilmfestival.com/films/back-to-burgundy/ Sat, 4-7, 1:30 pm
Directed by: Cédric Klapisch
France, 2017, 113m
French/English/Spanish
After ten years abroad, a peripatetic eldest son returns to visit his dying father. His mysterious life away from his sister (now running the family vineyard) and brother (married with overbearing in-laws) unfolds while they work together to keep the estate. Life, death, and taxes; fathers and sons; and the rhythms of seasons and harvests are entwined in this vineyard tale. For years director Cedric Klapisch visited his friend Jean-Marc Roulot—an actor, Meursault grower, and star Burgundy wine-maker who plays the family’s manager and serves as technical consultant to the film. The result is authentic and illuminating. The end-of-the-harvest party scenes alone are worth the price of admission. This beautiful, earthy drama is an intimate look into a disappearing lifestyle. There are fewer and fewer small family-held domains in Burgundy. Several have sold recently as astronomical growth in land value and unaffordable inheritance taxes threaten a bucolic way of life.
France, 2017, 113m, NR, Directed by Cédric Klapisch


Sunday, March 11, 2018

Simple Greek Oviedo


The Simple Greek is now open in Oviedo.


They serve Gyros, Greek Bowls, Soups, Hummus, Spanakopita, Garlic Green Beans, Baklava.

The primary concept is bowls or pitas filled with your choice of protein, sauce and toppings.

I recently visited and tried the hummus, gyro, village salad and baklava all of which were good.

I especially enjoyed the village salad, the dressing on it was very good.

The Simple Greek is located at the new beautiful plaza which also houses a few other interesting restaurants.

945 City Plaza Way, Oviedo, FL 32765 https://goo.gl/maps/7PFRycgkVyw

Here are some pics:

Greek Fries With Feta
Greek Bowl

Gyro

Baklava

Menu
Menu

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Foxtail Farmhouse Winter Park

Foxtail Coffee shop in Winter Park has been around for about a year, but recently they expanded next door into a new huge space. The grand opening was on 2/10/18 and it's pretty impressive.

The Coffee shop next door is still open as it always was, nothing really changed. The new space has a much larger variety of foods and coffee related drinks and additionally beer, wine, bubbles, etc.

I tried the Quiche, Goat Cheese/Beet Side, Mocha Coffee and a few other handout freebies like the Matcha chocolate ball and some other chocolate balls. All were good and I really like the atmosphere. There is a lot more seating, I always found finding a seat at the coffee shop a bit of a pain as they were always taken. Hopefully that isn't an issue at the new space.

Here are the pics and menus:



 





Cà phê sữa đá Vietnamese style coffee drip

Induction Coffee Machine

Goat Cheese and Beet Side Salad, tasty

Mocha

French Press Coffee

Quiche


Vegan Donuts








Address: 1282 N Orange Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
Hours: Open 8am ⋅ Closes Midnight
Phone: (407) 951-7931