OPENINGS: Bird of Paradise will be the new brand taking the place of Florida & Co. inside East End Market. Expect locally sourced meats and produce along with tropical flavors, courtesy of chef-owner Emily Rankin … Sideward Brewing, a family-owned and -operated brewery, taproom and kitchen, will open in early spring next to Stasio’s in the Milk District. Former head brewer at Red Cypress Brewery and Sideward co-founder Garrett Ward will make beer, cider and cold brew coffee in-house … Forever Naan Curry Street Grill has opened on Curry Ford Road near Conway … Danny & Pat’s will transform into CHKN & CAKE, a new bar/restaurant/lounge serving a menu of fried chicken, wings, cheesesteaks and cakes downtown at 25 W. Church St. … Look for the Taco Bus to finally open this month on University Boulevard … The booze-serving Taco Bell Cantina will open in a 2,475-square-foot space downtown at 1 S. Orange Ave. this fall … Currito, serving burritos, bowls, salads and smoothies, has opened on International Parkway in Lake Mary … Little Greek Fresh Grill has opened in the Lee Vista Promenade near the airport. Look for other outposts in SoDo and Winter Park by this summer … Lotte Plaza Market, a Korean grocery chain, has opened a 63,000-square-foot space at 3191 W. Colonial Drive … A Lucky’s Market has opened in the SoDo District at 3171 S. Orange Ave.
CLOSINGS: Lisbon, the Portuguese restaurant at ICON Orlando 360, has closed, but will relocate to the Marketplace at Dr. Phillips. An opening date has yet to be announced.
NEWS/EVENTS: Park Pizza & Brewing Co. is now serving eight draft beers by in-house brewer Marco Reyna … On Thursday, Feb. 7, chef Hari Pulapaka whips up a multicourse dinner spotlighting the cuisine of Louisiana at Cress Restaurant, with proceeds benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Cost is $55, $79 with wine pairings … SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival goes from Feb. 9 to May 5 featuring culinary marketplaces offering craft beers and cuisines from around the world … Kathleen Blake (Rusty Spoon) and Kevin Fonzo (formerly of K Restaurant) join forces at the Rusty Spoon Tuesday, Feb. 12, for a four-course dinner featuring wines from Arrowood Winery. Cost is $100.
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This article appears in Feb 6-12, 2019.
