OPENINGS & CLOSINGS:
Leiah Restaurant, the downtown boîte on the ground floor of the Hilton Garden Inn fronted by chef Omar Torres, will soft-open this weekend. The restaurant is billed as a “chef driven home-style kitchen that makes perfect symphony with the most luxurious elements of land and sea.” Leiah will offer lunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a chef’s tasting menu on Friday and Saturday from 5-10 p.m. during their soft opening … Hot Asian Buns, the food truck specializing in handcrafted steamed bao by Jimmy Nguyen and Chau Vo, has opened its brick and mortar at 204 S. Sanford Ave. in Sanford … Zen Dumpling, the Jacksonville-based restaurant with a menu of soup dumplings, fluffy pan-fried bao, pan-fried dumplings, steamed dumplings and boba tea, has opened in the former Moe’s Southwest Grill at 423 N. Alafaya Trail in Waterford Lakes Town Center. Another Zen Dumpling is slated to open later this year in the old Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza spot at 420 E. Altamonte Drive …
TK Coffee & Donuts, featuring handcrafted doughnuts, coffee, boba and breakfast items like sausage rolls and croissant rolls, has opened at 1155 W. State Road 434 in Longwood … Paradise Tandoor and Biryanis is now serving both Indian and Thai fare at 484 S. Hunt Club Blvd. in Apopka … The Yardery, a 5,400-square-foot family-friendly restaurant, opens March 1 at 221 N. Baker St. in Mount Dora. It will feature the only rooftop bar in Lake County, along with 11,000 square feet of yard and patio space for games and activities … Black Bean Deli Winter Garden is now slated to open in July or August at 126 W. Plant St. Owner Andres Corton says he’s experienced numerous delays as a result of renovating inside two historic buildings, but they finally broke ground in January.
NEWS & EVENTS:
Brunch in the Park, an outdoor gastronomic extravaganza featuring numerous restaurants like The Pinery, The Drake Kitchen & Bar, Lamp & Shade Kitchen, Superica and more, sets up Saturday, March 1, from noon to 3 p.m. at Gaston Edwards Park. Tickets are $60 and include limitless grazing and limitless mimosas, Bloody Marys and beer. VIP ticket is $90 and includes early admission at 11 a.m. … The Chef’s Counter at Nami in Lake Nona will present a bespoke nine-course menu by chef Jason Beliveau paired with nine Italian wines from Marchesi Antinori. Cost is $400. Visit namilakenona.com for tickets and info.
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This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2025.
