Death in the Afternoon

Death in the Afternoon is a bar and restaurant based around the theme of Absinthe.

Many of the cocktails have Absinthe as an ingredient.

We came primarily for the food.

This place is located on Mills Ave between King Cajun and Taki Cheena in a former thrift store.

Service and atmosphere were excellent and the seating was comfortable.

I would recommend reservations especially on Friday and Saturday. I think you could do a walk in on slower days.

Dishes we tried were:

Boursin Cheese with fennel and toasted bread - rich and tasty, could have used a few more pieces of bread

Escargot in garlic herb butter - this was a special, not typically on the menu, served with toasted baguette, tomato jam, and a small salad. The combination of the tomato jam and the Escargot was an unexpected delight.

Jamon Puff Pastries - I liked these but I think the honey might be a bit much for some.

Gnocchi with rock shrimp - the menu described this as being served with mussels not rock shrimp, but apparently that's changing. That was good news to me. I love gnocchi but not mussels. Really enjoyed this.

Chorizo Burger - It was a good size burger that had Manchego cheese and peach jam. The burger was accompanied by larger size cut of fries.

We also had the pork belly which was served with a pepper sauce and grilled onion.

Everyone in our group really enjoyed our cocktails each in their own unique glasses.

We will definitely be back and keeping an eye on their social media for special dishes.

Reservations: https://tables.toasttab.com/restaurants/5c889355-4704-4320-a5d8-c9004bd1a8e1/findTime

https://www.instagram.com/death.in.the.afternoon_

https://maps.app.goo.gl/wpFuLqw1aogVaG1C6

930 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803

Sun 5pm-12am

Mon 5pm-10pm

Tues-Thur 5pm-12am

Fri-Sat 5pm-1am

Pop's Pizzeria on Mills

A new pizza place has popped up on the map. Pop's Pizzeria in #Mills50. 932 Mills Ave N, Orlando, Florida. Open 6-11pm Tuesday-Saturday for takeout only.  Order on the UberEats platform for delivery or takeout (ordering link). The pickup window is in the back.

We tried 2 different pizzas, the cheese and the pepperoni. Both crusts were just the right thickness, toppings had great flavor, especially the pepperoni cups that formed on top.

They also have wings, calzones, burrata and Caprese salads.

ChauHaus Winter Park

ChauHaus is now open for lunches in Winter Park.

Located in Sushi Pop Winter Park at 115 East Lyman Ave, Winter Park, FL
https://goo.gl/maps/eF2MiyNvRoM2

They are open 11am-3pm Wednesday-Sunday

I'm so glad Sushi Pop and now ChauHaus are in Winter Park, it's very convenient and in a beautiful space.

The menu features traditional Vietnamese foods inspired by Chef Chau's mother. They serve Pho, Banh Mi, Spring Rolls, Duck Curry & Wings. Also they have cocktails.

One exciting thing I noticed on the menu is you can order Pho broth to dip your Banh Mi in.

They also plan to start serving Poke bowls.

Food Menu

Drink Menu

Spring Rolls with Shrimp and Roasted Pork Belly

Fish Sauce Caramel tossed Chicken Wings topped with chilis, toasted peanuts, cilantro, lime and toasted garlic

 These wings had a great unique flavor and as with all the dishes the presentation was excellent. The fish sauce flavor was not overpowering, the wings had a very good flavor.

Chicken Pho - Chicken Broth, rice noodles, pulled chicken, black garlic oil, fried chicken skin, caramelized shallots, ginger-shallot schmaltz dipping sauce

The broth was richer than typical chicken broths, but not heavy. The chicken flavor was superior to typical Vietnamese restaurants.

Grilled Pork Vermicelli - Binchotan grilled marinated pork shoulder and port sausage, spring roll, rice vermicelli topped with pickled carrot and kohlrabi, lettuce, toasted peanuts, fish sauce, crispy shallots, scallion oil, mint

 I loved the variety and mixture of flavors of my Grilled Pork bowl, this is the dish I typically order at Vietnamese restaurants.

ChauHaus is a very welcome addition to the Winter Park food scene.

Follow them at:
https://www.instagram.com/chauhauswinterpark/
and
https://www.instagram.com/sushipopwinterpark/

Appetite for the Arches Returns March 2 to Rosen Shingle Creek

SAVE THE DATE: Get ready for Appetite for the Arches on March 2nd, 2019 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel as top chefs create memorable dishes using McDonald’s ingredients! Don’t miss this unique event that benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida. From unique savory samples to delectable desserts, this event is the perfect opportunity for foodies to experience a unique twist on the chef tasting event.

 Julie and James Petrakis from the Ravenous Pig, Orlando's own #hunkychef Kevin Fonzo, and chefs from Dovecote, LUMA on Park, The Rusty Spoon, 4Rivers Smokehouse, Morimoto Asia, and Talk of the Town Restaurants, among others, make this a rare opportunity to taste Orlando's finest cuisine all in one place, and all for a great cause!

I went to Appetite for the Arches a couple of years ago, and it was incredible. I loved meeting all the chefs and discussing the ways they used basic ingredients to make truly special dishes. Find out more and get your tickets on the Appetite for the Arches Facebook Page. See you there!

Sushi Pop

Went to dinner last night at Sushi Pop Oviedo, had a lot of different items. Salmon Belly, Bluefin Tuna, Buffalo Rock Shrimp. Here are a few photos. Great as always.  

Tasmanian Trout with chives and bourbon barrel maple syrup.

Korean Fried Chicken Wings

Salmon Belly - Blood orange ponzu, sesame seeds, radish, olive oil, kaiwari, fried pickled shitake mushrooms, lemon grass xo on Himalayan salt

Blu on the Avenue

Here are some pics from a recent meal at Blu on the Avenue in Winter Park.

 Kale Salad, was good, the red onions were a bit strong and dominated the flavor. The goat cheese was good, I wish there was more cheese though. The pecans were nice.

 Salmon with Farro. The Farro was very mild but a nice complement to the Salmon which was rich and sweet and had a great crisp crust on the bottom. I never could figure out what that green stuff on the side was, it didn't have any flavor. I'd get this again but $28 the price is a bit high.

These were what we got when we ordered roasted vegetables, they weren't bad. 

Lobster Grilled cheese, nice crust on the bread, there was a good amount of lobster but the cheese they chose didn't complement it well.

Overall I like Blu on the avenue a lot but if you go on the weekends expect it to be very loud and crowded. They also have a lot of creative dishes and sushi.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/blu-on-the-avenue-winter-park


326 S Park Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789

(407) 960-3778

bluontheavenue.com

Market on South

Recently visited market on south for a meal with some friends. It's a new vegetarian restaurant/market which is a mash up of 3 unique companies.

Tapa Toro

Tapa Toro is located in the Orlando Eye 360 complex near that giant ferris wheel on International Drive. As the name might hint they are a Spanish Tapas restaurant, featuring paella and tapas style dishes inspired by the cuisine of Spain with their own unique twists.

In addition to the great food they have a nice bar and outdoor patio atmosphere and Flamenco dancers that dance through the dining room at regular intervals. Tapa Toro serves a nice selection of wines, sangria and cocktails.

 

Started off our meal with the grilled octopus, as you can seen from the pictures this dish had a spectacular presentation. The tentacles had a nice char on them. The green sauce shown is a green olive puree. Flavor was good, octopus was tender and not chewy. Though the green grapes seemed a bit out of place, I can see the chef wanting to add some sweetness, they were such a small part of the dish it really didn't matter.

  

Next up was the pork belly with carrot puree, arugula and Marcona almonds. The milder puree was really creamy and played really well with the light crunch of the almonds and the richness of the pork. I really liked this dish the best of everything we ate. 

Datiles con pan - Medjool dates, goat cheese mousse, pan rustico, preserved lemon curd, honey and arugula. I really enjoyed this as well, the lemon curd had a great tang to it and the goat cheese was mild and creamy.

 Croquetas de Jamon - Kurobuta ham & potato croquettes with aioli

Croquetas de Jamon

Chicken liver pate 

Patatas Bravas

Paella stove at the round bar

All in all I'd definitely return to Tapa Toro there are at least a dozen other items and some cocktails that I wanted to try. As with all tapas style restaurants it's best to go with a decent sized group and share many different tapas.

Menu can be seen on their website. http://tapatoro.restaurant/menu/lunch-and-dinner/

8441 International Dr #260
Orlando, FL 32819
Google Maps

(407) 226-2929