L-R: Brandon Manly (CEO, The Foundry Group), Vincent Gagliano (Chez Vincent), Brandon McGlamery (Chef/Founder, The Reverie) Credit: courtesy image
When Chez Vincent owner Vincent Gagliano took to social media last week to announce the closure of the French restaurant he and his wife Teri ran for 28 years, he mentioned both Chez Vincent and the adjacent Hannibal’s Lounge had been sold to “a respected local chef and restaurateur.”
While Gagliano was keeping mum on who the mysterious person was, news of the closure was noteworthy. In fact, I talked about it on Real Radio’s “Jim Colbert Show” last week and even speculated — correctly, I might add! — that Brandon McGlamery, the man behind the much-missed Luma on Park, as well as Prato and Luke’s Kitchen, was said chef/restaurateur.
Yes indeed, the two-time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef South has teamed up with the South Carolina-based Foundry Group to bring The Reverie, billed as an American brasserie, to Hannibal Square in Winter Park.
Credit: Chez Vincent (via Instagram)
The Reverie will take over both Chez Vincent and Hannibal’s Lounge spaces and present “refined yet approachable” cuisine, along with a curated beverage program highlighting classic cocktails with seasonal variations and a “thoughtful” wine list based on New World and Old World vintages. A “vibrant” dining room and bar will incorporate “warm textures,” courtesy of Michael Wenrich Architects.
“Winter Park has been my home for more than 20 years and there’s no place where I’d rather introduce The Reverie,” McGlamery says. “It’s an honor to build our new concept in the same space where Vincent Gagliano and his family built the legendary Chez Vincent.”
The Gaglianos, in fact, will retain ownership of the property and will serve as The Reverie’s landlords.
“I understand the dining habits of Winter Park. I’ve never cooked super avant-garde; no smoke and mirrors. The menu will be ingredient- and seasonally driven. It’ll be grounded, approachable, craveable and delicious. And it will always be rooted in tradition and technique.”
Brandon McGlamery
McGlamery will collaborate on The Reverie, slated to open in the fall of 2026, with Foundry CEO Brandon Manly, who oversees such South Carolina-based concepts as Ember (an upscale steakhouse in Lexington), Cafe Strudel in West Columbia, and the Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli in Columbia, as well as national chains Chicken Salad Chick and Nothing Bundt Cakes.
There’s no doubt McGlamery’s name still resonates with Orlando’s food community, as he’s often cited, along with old guard stalwarts Kevin Fonzo, James and Julie Petrakis, Kathleen Blake and Scott Hunnel, as someone who helped establish Orlando’s culinary reputation.
After nearly 20 years with Park Lights Hospitality as chef-partner, McGlamery left the group in June, but says he’s excited about what he calls “the second version of his first career.”
“I look forward to a full-time return to the kitchen, but I’m just as excited to grow different concepts with the group here in Orlando.”
Chef Brandon McGlamery Credit: Rob Bartlett
The Reverie’s menu will lean back into the style of what McGlamery refers to as “my first chef position in Winter Park” with a nod toward French and European nostalgia incorporating American sensibilities. “I understand the dining habits of Winter Park. I’ve never cooked super avant-garde; no smoke and mirrors. The menu will be ingredient- and seasonally driven. It’ll be grounded, approachable, craveable and delicious. And it will always be rooted in tradition and technique.”
With the recent opening of Corner Chophouse, fronted by another James Beard Award nominee, the complexion of Hannibal Square’s restaurant landscape is changing, and changing for the better.
It’s “a new chapter of dining in Winter Park,” as McGlamery says, and perhaps one that will put diners into a reverie.
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