Eat Local Orlando, Orlando food blog, focused on finding new locally owned non-chain restaurants and food trucks in Orlando and Winter Park, documenting, photographing and reviewing them and their foods.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Txokos Basque Kitchen
After much anticipation Txokos Basque Kitchen opened in Orlando this month in the building housed by East End Market. I've been hearing about the plans for Txokos for what seems like years. I have eaten at it's sister restaurant, Spanish River Grill, in New Smyrna Beach a couple times and was really impressed.
I got there at 5:30 just after opening without a reservation and I was the only guest, I saw some familiar faces among the staff which was nice. I sat down at the bar and ordered one of the Spanish Beers. They had a good selection of beers most of which I hadn't heard of. They also had a couple cidras that according to the staff are similar to ciders but not as sweet and drier. I ordered the 1906 beer which was a darker beer and it was quite good. When I visited Spain about 5 years ago their beer selection was quite poor in most places, with the only beers I could find were Estrella Damm and Mahou, both of which are not very good beers in my opinion. As a result during the trip I would order sangrias instead of beer. It was great to find that the staff had made such an effort to find good Spanish beers to serve at Txokos.
After my date arrived we moved to a table with a view of the wood burning Asador grill. The wheels you see on the top allow the grill plates to be raised and lowered. This is my one complaint about the evening, while the Asador is very visually appealing the grill created a lot of smoke, so the room got a bit smoky at times. I'm told they are working on putting some equipment in to alleviate this. Also we were there when they had just recently started the grill so the smoke was probably thicker than it would be later in the evening.
The name Txokos comes from the Basque region where Spain and France meet and refers to gastronomical societies or groups of friends who get together to cook, sample and talk about food and drinks.
From Wikipedia: "During the Franco years, txokos became increasingly popular as they were one of the few places where Basques could legally meet without state control, speak Basque and sing Basque songs as the constitution of the txokos prohibited the discussion of politics on the premises"
If you are interested in learning more about Txokos and the Basque region, this book: The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky (Amazon link) is required reading by the staff of Txokos.
The Txokos logo also reflects it's Basque influence with the 7 pointed star and the Harpoons in it's logo. The Basques were the first to commercially hunt whales. The 7 pointed star in the logo represents the seven provinces of the Basque region.
We started our meal with the Manchego and fig appetizer $4. Quite simple and delicious. I loved the sweetness of the fig with the mild flavor of the cheese. It was topped with a sherry dressing. Well worth the money.
Next up was the Marrow Bone appetizer $13. Canoe Cut roasted beef bone. Anchovy Vinaigrette, Aioli. This was a superb dish and the bread slice which had a slight char to it was a perfect pairing. The aioli sauce was quite rich and flavorful.
For the main courses, I ordered the Oxtail while my companion ordered the pasta.
The Sherry braised Oxtail "Matador" with pimentón, mire poix, served over Drunken Goat cheese stone ground grits. $23. The sauce had a rich flavor but it took a little work to get all the meat off the bone. I loved the grits.
Fideo Bolognese $23 - Toasted pasta, brisket, foie, Serrano, wild mushrooms. This dish looks rather simple but the taste was excellent.
For dessert was shared the tart, Gateau Basque - Almond Custard Tart, Bordeaux cherries, red wine-cherry gastrique $8
All the food was wonderful and there wasn't a dud in the bunch.
There were many other dishes I will be going back to try, the ones that caught my eye:
"Caldo Gallego" - traditional heary stew with beef, pork, beans and greens
The Foie - Duck two ways, liver, egg, porcini, potato puree
and the Wagyu Brisket.
Txokos is a great place to stop in for a drink or to take a date for dinner. It's a great addition to the East End Market.
Here are some menus:
I got there at 5:30 just after opening without a reservation and I was the only guest, I saw some familiar faces among the staff which was nice. I sat down at the bar and ordered one of the Spanish Beers. They had a good selection of beers most of which I hadn't heard of. They also had a couple cidras that according to the staff are similar to ciders but not as sweet and drier. I ordered the 1906 beer which was a darker beer and it was quite good. When I visited Spain about 5 years ago their beer selection was quite poor in most places, with the only beers I could find were Estrella Damm and Mahou, both of which are not very good beers in my opinion. As a result during the trip I would order sangrias instead of beer. It was great to find that the staff had made such an effort to find good Spanish beers to serve at Txokos.
After my date arrived we moved to a table with a view of the wood burning Asador grill. The wheels you see on the top allow the grill plates to be raised and lowered. This is my one complaint about the evening, while the Asador is very visually appealing the grill created a lot of smoke, so the room got a bit smoky at times. I'm told they are working on putting some equipment in to alleviate this. Also we were there when they had just recently started the grill so the smoke was probably thicker than it would be later in the evening.
The name Txokos comes from the Basque region where Spain and France meet and refers to gastronomical societies or groups of friends who get together to cook, sample and talk about food and drinks.
From Wikipedia: "During the Franco years, txokos became increasingly popular as they were one of the few places where Basques could legally meet without state control, speak Basque and sing Basque songs as the constitution of the txokos prohibited the discussion of politics on the premises"
If you are interested in learning more about Txokos and the Basque region, this book: The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky (Amazon link) is required reading by the staff of Txokos.
The Txokos logo also reflects it's Basque influence with the 7 pointed star and the Harpoons in it's logo. The Basques were the first to commercially hunt whales. The 7 pointed star in the logo represents the seven provinces of the Basque region.
We started our meal with the Manchego and fig appetizer $4. Quite simple and delicious. I loved the sweetness of the fig with the mild flavor of the cheese. It was topped with a sherry dressing. Well worth the money.
Next up was the Marrow Bone appetizer $13. Canoe Cut roasted beef bone. Anchovy Vinaigrette, Aioli. This was a superb dish and the bread slice which had a slight char to it was a perfect pairing. The aioli sauce was quite rich and flavorful.
For the main courses, I ordered the Oxtail while my companion ordered the pasta.
The Sherry braised Oxtail "Matador" with pimentón, mire poix, served over Drunken Goat cheese stone ground grits. $23. The sauce had a rich flavor but it took a little work to get all the meat off the bone. I loved the grits.
Fideo Bolognese $23 - Toasted pasta, brisket, foie, Serrano, wild mushrooms. This dish looks rather simple but the taste was excellent.
For dessert was shared the tart, Gateau Basque - Almond Custard Tart, Bordeaux cherries, red wine-cherry gastrique $8
All the food was wonderful and there wasn't a dud in the bunch.
There were many other dishes I will be going back to try, the ones that caught my eye:
"Caldo Gallego" - traditional heary stew with beef, pork, beans and greens
The Foie - Duck two ways, liver, egg, porcini, potato puree
and the Wagyu Brisket.
Txokos is a great place to stop in for a drink or to take a date for dinner. It's a great addition to the East End Market.
Here are some menus:
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Spacebar Beer Pairing dinner with Fork in the Road
On Monday March 31st Spacebar and Fork in the Road food truck are having a Unibroue beer pairing dinner.
Monday, March 31 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Spacebar, 2428 E Robinson St, Orlando, FL
This is a limited engagement. Only 48 tickets will be sold to this exclusive Beer x Food tasting. Come enjoy some of the worlds finest beers from Unibroue pared with the talents of Chef Bryce from the award winning food truck Fork in the Road.
Unibroue Tasting:
Blanche De Chambly Ceviche, Nasturtium, Citrus Maudite King Salmon, Maple Glaze, Pickled Heirloom Beets, Horseradish
La Fin Du Monde Porkbelly, Barley Risotto, Braised Greens
Trois Pistoles Crawfish polenta "Fries", Etouffée Sauce
Terrible Beef Shortrib, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Balsamic Cippolini Onions
Ephemere Hazelnut Sponge Cake, Vanilla Bean ice cream, 17 grande reserve redux
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Artisans Table Downtown Orlando
Brand new restaurant that took over the space that was formerly 22 Pine Burgers downtown:
http://www.artisanstableorlando.com/
One reviewer mentioned a Kalbi Cheesesteak which sounds really great!
Another interesting item was a wrap with octopus, chorizo sausage?!!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/artisans-table-orlando
I recently stopped in for breakfast on a Monday about 9 am. I had the place all to myself which was nice and I got to talk to Chef Scott Copeland who I knew from Antonio's La Fiamma in Maitland.
He started Artisan's table with some partners, and I hope they are successful as I know he's a great chef from the food I ate this morning and on my previous visits to Antonio's.
http://www.artisanstableorlando.com/
One reviewer mentioned a Kalbi Cheesesteak which sounds really great!
Another interesting item was a wrap with octopus, chorizo sausage?!!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/artisans-table-orlando
I recently stopped in for breakfast on a Monday about 9 am. I had the place all to myself which was nice and I got to talk to Chef Scott Copeland who I knew from Antonio's La Fiamma in Maitland.
He started Artisan's table with some partners, and I hope they are successful as I know he's a great chef from the food I ate this morning and on my previous visits to Antonio's.
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| Artisan's Table Interior |
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| Grits and Gravy |
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| Maple Bacon |
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| Hash Browns |
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| French Toast Muffin |
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| Breakfast Bowl Menu |
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| Drip Coffee Maker |
Friday, March 7, 2014
South + York
South + York is located in Winter Springs at the north end of Tuskawilla Road at 434 in the Publix plaza. It's a gourmet farm to table restaurant in the former location of Hollywood Bistro. South + York opened in late 2013. Their menu changes daily and with the seasons using whatever ingredients local farmer's have available.
Chef Edgar Cruz was born in New York and did his culinary training in the South where he met his wife, hence the name South + York.
The decor is very pleasant with a mix of stand alone tables and some leather booths, atmosphere is modern and simple yet well done.
For dinner we ordered the following dishes:
Tempura Goat Cheese with Cracked Black Pepper & local Honey $8 - This was excellent I would have preferred something to to eat the goat cheese with like a cracker or toast points, they are very soft and delicious but something more firm to counterbalance it would be great.
Arugula Salad - Blackberries, Pine Nuts, Red Onion, Sweetgrass Dairy(link) green hill cheese $9 - The cheese was from Georgia, and is a double-cream Camembert-style cheese. Very good.
Mussels - House made Fettuccine, Swiss Chard, Fennel, Onion, Saffron Broth $22 - Superb seafood flavor, the mussels are served without the shells and the broth had a wonderful bite to it. I was spooning up every last drop of the broth at the end.
South + York Burger - bacon jam, pimento cheese, fiery pickles, fried green tomato, truffle fries $15 - Burger was made medium rare with Wagyu beef. The pickle had a great homemade flavor. The truffle fries were very large I'd call them potato wedges. They had a nice crisp crust on them and the truffle flavor was quite strong.
Another interesting item they had which I didn't get a chance to try was the Fried Green Tomato Oreo which was served with the snapper, I'll have to order that another time. I also hear great things about the seared scallops, see a picture here from their Instagram link
For dessert I had:
Bread Pudding - dried cherries, golden raisins, vanilla ice cream, ginger raisin sauce $7 - strong and sweet flavor, you must like raisins and dried cherries to enjoy this dish.
Overall I'd say my experience was excellent as was the food. I think South + York is a great addition to the Tuskawilla area, the only other restaurants of note anywhere nearby are Stefano's Trattoria & Thai Basil a few miles south. The lack of great dining choices in the area and the excellent food at South + York should be the recipe for success. The location is a little hard to see from the road, hopefully they can get the word out, as we all know good news travels fast.
They also have a decent beer selection, I had a very nice Swamphead IPA from Gainsville, not as hoppy of an aftertaste as I would have expected.
South + York serves breakfast on Saturdays and Brunch on Sundays where you can order unlimited mimosas!
Here are the pics of the food:
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| Arugula Salad - Blackberries, Pine Nuts, Red Onion, Sweetgrass Dairy green hill cheese $9 |
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| Tempura Goat Cheese with Cracked Black Pepper & local Honey $8 |
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| Mussels - Handmade Fettuccine, Swiss Chard, Fennel, Onion, Saffron Broth $22 |
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| Truffle Fries |
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| Burger with Truffle Fries |
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| South + York Burger - bacon jame, pimento cheese, fiery pickles, fried green tomato, truffle fries $15 |
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| Bread Pudding - dried cherries, golden raisins, vanilla ice cream, ginger raisin sauce $7 |
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| Dinner Menu |
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| Breakfast Menu |
http://www.southandyork.com
Yelp Reviews:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/south-york-winter-springs
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SouthandYork
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Southandyork
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/southandyork#
Urbanspoon:
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Orange Blossom Brewing Brwery and Tasting Room coming to Virginia Drive
Orange Blossom Brewing Company (Facebook), makers of OBP & OBP2, are going to open a tasting room brewery on Virginia Drive. Thanks to the awesome Bungalower for the tip...
details: http://bungalower.com/2014/02/orange-blossom-pilsner-plans-brew-pub-virginia-drive/
details: http://bungalower.com/2014/02/orange-blossom-pilsner-plans-brew-pub-virginia-drive/
Extract Juice & Tapas Bar
Extract Juice & Tapas Bar just opened last month in Winter Park near Dexters. Go check them out. They serve Tapas, Juice and Brunch.
400 W New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
(949) 945-3206
http://www.yelp.com/biz/extract-juice-and-tapas-bar-winter-park
400 W New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
(949) 945-3206
http://www.yelp.com/biz/extract-juice-and-tapas-bar-winter-park
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