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100 things to do in Orlando before you die (updated for 2015)
See this list as a slideshow. 1. Go to a reading at the Kerouac House (kerouacproject.org) and see the unassuming College Park room where Dharma Bums was written. 2. Drink a Duff beer (or a Flaming Moe) and eat a Krusty burger at the Simpsons Springfield at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure (6000 Universal Blvd.,…
Restaurant openings: Six new spots where you can put on the feedbag
A second Toasted Crafted Grilled Cheese & Burgers is officially open on Narcoossee Road in Lake Nona. 5 & Diner, a ’50s-style diner with 12 signature burgers and breakfast service, has opened in Avalon Park. The Shisha Bowl, serving up hookah pipes, craft beers and kava shots, has opened on East Washington Street. Pier 407…
Bite Night is Monday! What better way to wind up a month of delicious Bite 30 dining?
Hide your Fitbit, hide your diet journal … Bite Night is coming! If you’ve been eating along with Bite 30 – and hey, this is your last weekend to catch those deals – this is the best way to end the most delicious month of the year. Monday is the traditional chef’s night off, but…
Which animals cause the most deaths per year (hey, FWC, it’s not bears!)
While The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy was scared of lions and tigers and bears, recent statistics show that it’s the unlikely creatures people need to watch out for. As the state of Florida just made it legal for hunters to kill one bear per year each, we thought this was the perfect time to point out that…
20 free concerts in Orlando this week (6/24-6/30)
Wednesday, June 24 The Deltaz 9:30 p.m. at Little Fish Huge Pond, Sanford Eugene Snowden’s Ten Pints of Truth 10 p.m. at Lil Indies Haley Mae Campbell & the Hardware 8 p.m. at Tin Roof Reggae Night with Hor!zen and DJ Red I 10 p.m. at the Caboose The Imperial’s Acoustic Soundcheck With Megan Katarina 9…
VIDEO: The Groove Orient on Off the Avenue
The Groove Orient has long been one of Orlando’s slickest bands, with book-smart musicians who all studied music at Rollins College. The guys occasionally gigged together but never mindfully considered forming into a band until David Vanegas (percussion, bass, vocals) and Chuck Magid (guitar, vocals) became mildly obsessed with performing at WPRK’s Fox Fest in…
Walt Disney Corp. and DeadMau5 settle suit over who gets to wear mouse ears
According to the BBC and the Guardian, Walt Disney Corp. and EDM DJ DeadMau5 have settled a dispute over whether the DJ can trademark his grinning mouse head logo, which Disney thinks looks too much like its iconic Mickey Mouse head logo. See above. The fight began in 2013 when DeadMau5 attempted to register his…
10 local lunches under $10: brown stew chicken, artichoke-fontina flatbread, spicy dogs and more
Hey, it’s our monthly roundup of 10 lunches that are a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, yet cost less than $10! Don’t see your fave? Send your nom-nominations to jyoung@orlandoweekly.com (no fast-food chains, please), and don’t forget to vote for your favorite Cheap Eats in our Best of Orlando Readers Poll. Beth’s…
Petition begun to have monument to Confederate soldiers at Lake Eola removed
Beth Kassab said it in her column in the Sentinel yesterday: The best place for Confederate monuments, flags and other relics of the Confederacy is in museums, not public buildings, parks and schools. Today, a petition has been started by Organize Now asking Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to have the monument to Confederate soldiers, located…
Taverna Opa’s summer wine dinner series returns this week
Sometimes we crave ice cream. Sometimes we crave pizza. Sometimes we crave five-course, wine-paired tasting menus. At Taverna Opa this summer, their wine dinner series returns on Thursday, June 25 (with following dinners on July 30 and August 27). This year’s theme: Air, Land and Sea. The dinner this week follows the “Air” theme with…
Six cool cocktails for a summer full of hot days and nights
Daaaaamn, it’s hot out there – and it doesn’t look like the weather is breaking any time soon. Steamy temps like these call for easy, cooling cocktails, so we’ve gathered up a few from our monthly Remix column. Just click the links for full recipes. Rum and Coke is easy, sure, but Materva and bourbon is…
Can you endure the Geek Easy’s Trapped in the Closet marathon?
The R. Kelly epic Trapped in the Closet expands over 33 chapters and, despite its subject’s solitary confinement, is best enjoyed in a crowd. Tomorrow night (7:45 p.m. Wednesday, June 24), the Geek Easy asks you to commit to the closet for much less time than Kelly endured: If you can make it through the…
This Little Underground: Illuminated Paths label showcase tour kickoff (Uncle Lou’s)
The kickoff show for Illuminated Paths’ first label showcase tour (June 21, Uncle Lou’s) just happened over the weekend. I’ve been thinking a while now about the enigmatic Central Florida music label – what it’s doing, what it is – and the launch of this maiden East Coast tour and the feature story it compelled…
Children of legal immigrants left out of state’s subsidized health care program KidCare
Florida lawmakers have again turned back a proposal aimed at helping thousands of children of legal immigrants get subsidized health coverage through the state’s KidCare program. The proposal, which did not pass during a special legislative session that ended Friday, would have eliminated a five-year waiting period for lawfully residing immigrants to qualify for KidCare,…
Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh sues SeaWorld, Universal Orlando sues Singh, county to audit Singh’s spending
Last week, Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh filed a suit against SeaWorld claiming that the amusement park’s property is worth about $10 million more than the amount the county’s Value Adjustment Board allows it to claim. (Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph and executive director of the Florida Department of Revenue are both named…
Spacebar creates a scene that reminds us an awful lot of the Peacock Room
While Sportstown and Bull & Bush remain the linchpins of Milk District nightlife, if you haven’t been in a while, it’s also worth peering into the always-morphing Spacebar to see what color’s splashing the walls lately. The bar’s culture has shifted some (kinda like a bored teenager trying to find clothes that fit his awkward…
Disney wants you to eat poo and enjoy it
Generally the invitation to eat shit is only extended to one’s enemies, but at Disney’s new Harambe Marketplace, they’re hoping you’ll pay for the privilege. Zuri’s Sweets, a shop in the new Animal Kingdom marketplace, is selling animal poop-themed treats in four different species: elephant, giraffe, hippo and tamarin. The Disney pastry chefs worked with…
This Little Underground: Wrong, House of Lightning, Rapturous Grief, Waste Layer, Strategic War Heads (Backbooth)
Headlining a recent heavy bill (June 19, Backbooth) was a pair of Florida bands that blew me down back in March in support of Torche: Stylish but not wanky Winter Haven thrash crew House of Lightning and Miami brute rockers Wrong. Perhaps nobody works that classic Helmet chug better than Wrong right now. Shit, maybe they…
Father’s Day at Enzian featuring Fast Times at Ridgemont High
There probably isn’t enough space here for all of the sociopolitical import that a film so profoundly definitive of its age as Cameron Crowe’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High would require, nor are there enough carrots for the fellating, but if there’s any holiday that deserves a little extra Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn, way back…
Florida taxpayers on the hook for $1.5 million for Gov. Rick Scott’s fight to drug test welfare applicants
Florida taxpayers are on the hook for more than $1.5 million in legal fees – including nearly $1 million to civil-rights lawyers – because of Gov. Rick Scott’s failed push to force welfare applicants and tens of thousands of state workers to submit to suspicionless drug tests. The state agreed earlier this month to pay…
Politico takes on Disney and its role in Florida politics
Over the years, we’ve covered some of the incidences in which Disney inserted itself into local and state politics. Remember that time, for instance, when Disney’s Entrepreneur Center was mysteriously involved in Orlando’s Buy Local Orlando campaign, which welcomed chains into its fold and competed directly with a genuinely local campaign called Ourlando? Or the…
6 places to buy steak and eat steak for Father’s Day
So your dad’s a carnivore, huh? In that case, a really good, potentially really expensive steak is the best way to say, “Dad, thanks for providing the second zygote that led to my conception,” or whatever other one-line phrase you can’t bear to write in a card or say out loud that best describes your…
This Little Underground: The War on Drugs and the Everymen (The Beacham)
I’m an original fan of the War on Drugs. Having fallen hard for their debut LP Wagonwheel Blues back in 2008, I’ve been waiting an eternity for their Orlando debut (June 17, The Beacham) to come. Thing is, I’m really only an unconditional fan of that first album. By the time they finally made it…
Wolfie’s Pizzamia closing in July; space will become Better Than Sex
Let loose a howl for Wolfie’s Pizzamia, closing in two to six weeks. The pizzeria that won an Editor’s Pick for Best Pizza Crust last year, operated by the owners of White Wolf Café, is soon to be no more. In its place on Orange Avenue in Ivanhoe Village, as of October you’ll find Better Than…
Summer Snowstice: OW and Coors Light will make it snow at Wall Street Plaza this weekend
In Central Florida, we don’t need anybody to make it rain for us – the late afternoon storms come like clockwork during summer, thanks. But when it’s hotter outside than two rats making love in a wool sock, we’d like it if someone would make it snow, please. And since nobody else has stepped up…
Tax cut package that’ll save the average Floridian $20 per year could save rich boat owners thousands
Here’s the good news: After days of negotiation and debate, the Florida Legislature voted Monday to grant Gov. Rick Scott more than $400 million in tax cuts. Floridians will see the package’s benefits when they pay their TV and cellphone bills, as well as go back-to school-shopping. The deal decreased Florida’s communications service…
Tonight only: Ramen Night at Cask & Larder
Nobody doesn’t love warm, comforting bowl of broth and noodles, and if it’s accompanied by a thoughtfully built cocktail, so much the better. Which is why we’re pumped about tonight’s “Ramen After Dark” event at Cask & Larder. We’ll let the C&L folk give you the deets in their own words: If you can’t read…
Cigar City Brewing teams up with Florida Cattlemen’s Association to launch Cow Boss milk stout
For sale at a beer store near you later this month: A milk stout from Cigar City Brewing Co. called Cow Boss that’s being made in collaboration with the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. The Orlando Sentinel reports that the beer will be unveiled in Orlando today, and we’re assuming that’ll happen at the association’s annual convention, which…
Barbara Alfano’s Peperoncino restaurant to expand, add imported pizza oven
Here’s some welcome food news: Peperoncino in Dr. Phillips is expanding into the adjacent Bay Hill Eye Care space. The expansion will allow chef Barbara Alfano and executive chef Danilo Martorano (her husband) to make authentic Italian pizzas in the Roman and Neapolitan style. In my 2012 review, I praised Alfano’s “clear, brilliant flavors,” which “give the…
Disney princesses with Steve Buscemi’s eyes
They work hard for the money, those Disney princesses, keeping your children happily bamboozled into thinking the world is a just and sparkly place. It can be pretty tiring keeping up a front like that … which is why these images of Disney princesses with Steve Buscemi’s eyes look so very real. Thanks, internet. And…
Check out this photo of Mick Jagger in the Florida wild
Man, if we knew Mick Jagger wanted to hit the trails, we would’ve pointed him down the right path, but it looks like he found himself taking in real Florida during his stop here as part of the Rolling Stones Zip Code Tour. He posted this photo to his Facebook with the parting words, “Goodbye…
International Sushi Day, Part Deux: Buy 2 get 1 free sushi rolls at Bento on Thursday, June 18
Yesterday we touted Dragonfly Robata Grill & Sushi’s celebration of International Sushi Day (roll-your-own, FTW!), but Bento Café is getting in on the action, too, just in case eating all the raw fish is in your list of ambitions this week. On Thursday, officially International Sushi Day, all Bento locations will offer a buy-two-get-one-free* deal…
10 cool ways to spend Father’s Day with good ol’ dad
Can’t think of what to get dear ol’ dad for Father’s Day (Sunday, June 21)? Get him out of the house and spend some quality time with him around Orlando! Here are 10 cool ways to pass the day with your pa. 1. Shop, cook and eat local.Meander around Lake Eola and pick up some…
John Cleese and Eric Idle of Monty Python to perform in Orlando
The British are coming, the British are coming … to Florida, that is. British comedians John Cleese and Eric Idle will make a stop in Orlando this fall as part of their touring show, John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Again at Last … For the Very First Time. In the new show, Cleese and Idle…
Get drawn to the dark arts of Third Thursday’s ‘Heroes, Myths and the Make Believe’ exhibition
As part of downtown’s Third Thursday Gallery Hop, the Gallery at Avalon Island opens a new exhibition tonight, and it’s a particularly strong one. Another group show, it brings together painters Tara Atefi, Matt Duke, Bethany Duvall, Brandon Geurts and Plinio Pinto, and while there’s no theme per se, the collection of darkly glowing, pretty-but-raw…
Wet ‘N Wild closing permanently on Dec. 31, 2016
Sad (but not unexpected) news today for fans of burning-hot cement and barely themed water slides: Universal Orlando has finally made it official and announced that Wet ‘n Wild, the nearly 40-year-old International Drive attraction that basically invented the modern water park, will see its last guests ever Dec. 31, 2016. Universal, which purchased Wet…
Picks this week: Marc with a C, Talib Kweli, Hot Hands, Ceremony and more
The War on Drugs “The War on Drugs is Adam’s vision,” says keyboardist Robbie Bennett. “We’re extra hands for him. We all make contributions, but Adam is at the helm. That’s why the War on Drugs sounds like the War on Drugs.” Read our interview with the War on Drugs. 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 17,…
This Little Underground: The rock & roll eternity of the Rolling Stones
When it comes to rock & roll icons, there is none greater than the Rolling Stones. They’re testament to not only the reach of the art form, but also to its immortality. Their longevity is superhuman, in defiance of all known natural law. Consider the few bona fide stadium bands still going and you realize…
Jurassic World: one of the best action-adventures of the year
3 stars The fourth installment in the Jurassic series is spectacular summer entertainment, a sort of Cecil B. DeMille on speed. But if you long for intelligence, scientific credibility and a plot that actually makes sense, rent Steven Spielberg’s 1993 masterpiece. Jurassic World, directed and co-written by Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed), with Spielberg as…
Opening in Orlando: Dope and Inside Out
DopeIt wasn’t until I entered college that I learned there were black nerds. Having grown up in a lily-white New Jersey suburb in the 1970s, I just naturally assumed all kids of color were streetwise, jive-talking sidekicks, like that funky Sly on James at 15. But one day, a brother walked through our dorm who…
Fast-casual Italian joint Spoleto Italian Kitchen gratifies the college crowd
A drive out to the Plaza on University convinced me that college kids have it pretty good nowadays. The gleaming new student housing complex stands proudly on the corner of University Boulevard and Alafaya Trail, with nary a whiff of cheap weed, mildewed unmentionables or inebriated circus animals greeting one’s nostrils. The aberrance is further…
Smoke’s Poutinerie has Orlando in its sights, Ravenous Pig now open on Mondays and more in local foodie news
The poutine trend is about to make a serious gravy and cheese curd-infused splash around the globe. The ambitious expansion effort of popular Toronto-based outfit Smoke’s Poutinerie will result in 1,300 new restaurants around the world by 2020, 800 of those in the U.S. alone planned for the next five years. And according to a…
Savage Love: Jackhammering, jealousy and friends with benefits
My boyfriend and I both spent a lot of time masturbating when we were young, and pretty much trained our brains to come only one way. He can only come from masturbating furiously, or sometimes from a marathon of jackhammer sex. A few years before I met him, I toned down the masturbating to retrain…
Avenue Gastrobar’s sophisticated atmo makes it an Orange Avenue happy hour hit
Address/phone/web: 13 S. Orange Ave., 407-839-5039; avenuegastrobar.com After work or after hours? After work shading into late-night supper and cocktails Beer/wine or liquor too? All three Check all that apply: ☒ fancy cocktails ☐ make ’em strong and keep ’em coming ☒ wine list (5 choices or more) ☒ craft beer ☒ beer: the usual…
Free Will Astrology, June 17, 2015
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Would you like to stop pushing and struggling for a while? Is there a clenched attitude you would love to let go of? Do you wish you could take a break from having to give so much and try so hard and be so strong? Then do it! Now would be…
Sappytown: my last column for Orlando Weekly
Odds … and ends Four score and seven million years ago (OK, like a decade), in some front-of-the-book whimsy fit, Orlando Weekly decided to condense its seven-day news-blotter blurbathon into a thing with a voice and a hangover. The aggregation of said news ruminations – generally reported, but often spat upon at the same time…
Adoptable dog of the week: Lover Boy
If you’re looking for love, look no further because Lover Boy is full of more unconditional love than you could ever hope for. He’s a friendly 2-year-old dog who loves to be petted. This big boy will rub up against your legs like a cat to beg for affection. And Lover Boy’s not only cuddly,…
The good and the meh at Universal Studios Hollywood; blockbuster announcements from Universal Studios Florida
Last week, I took you on my trip to Anaheim for a look at the Disneyland Resort’s Diamond Anniversary, and how the new entertainment there might migrate to Orlando. (Sorry about the jet lag.) But Disney isn’t the only California-based theme park company celebrating major milestones on both coasts; Universal Studios Hollywood is in the…
Philly dad-rockers the War on Drugs translate dreamy, textural rock into international success
By now, the critical superlatives describing Philadelphia sextet the War on Drugs have reached an ad nauseam pitch: “sounds like Tom Petty,” “sounds like Bruce Springsteen,” “sounds like Dire Straits.” Perhaps because few modern bands reference such dad-approved heartland rock, critics piled it on in the wake of breakout 2014 album Lost in the Dream,…
Musically rebellious Tony Molina cooks up his own power pop formula by stripping songwriting conventions
With a title like Dissed and Dismissed and emotionally exasperated song names like “Nowhere to Go,” “Nothing I Can Do” and “Don’t Come Back,” at first glance Tony Molina’s 2014 power pop offering seems like your basic breakup listening. However, due to his varied background in San Francisco hardcore bands like Caged Animal, Dystrophy, Scalped…
Highway to heck: Travel books for Father’s Day
With Father’s Day coming up (it’s Sunday, slacker), it’s interesting to take note of how the construct of “dad” is getting a general airing this year in pop culture. It’s a good time for dads; we wouldn’t be throwing around “dad bod” and “dad rock,” back-handed compliments that they may be, at all if dads…
