Cover Story
New Orlando restaurants 2021: All the new food halls, sushi bars, burger joints, pizza places and doughnut shops expected to open this year
Let’s put 2020 where it belongs — in a slop-filled dumpster strewn with red baseball caps coated in fryer grease and set ablaze by a flamethrower-brandishing Anthony Fauci. That destructive image helps nurture a sentiment of hope and optimism within me, particularly when looking ahead to what the next 12 months will bring to our…
New socially distanced Florida music festival Moon Crush debuts in April
Moon Crush, a new spin on the music festival concept in the time of COVID-19, is happening in Florida in April. Taking place in Miramar in the Panhandle, the Moon Crush venture is an attempt at a COVID-safe live music event, with a beach getaway thrown in for good measure. To wit, the festival ticket…
Disney has promised greater diversity. These Imagineers are charged with making sure that happens
Amid last year’s national reckoning with racism and equity, rumors emerged that Disney was forming a Diversity and Values Review Team to address, er, problematic attractions. Now, as the company confirms the second attraction in less than a year will be updated, we’re learning new details regarding Disney’s internal review. At the top of the…
Disney World partners with Chevrolet on new EV marketing campaign and Bolt EV hatchback and EUV reveal
On Valentine’s Day, Chevrolet will unveil its latest 2022 Bolt electric vehicles in a marketing campaign partnership with Walt Disney World. The announcement will include the unveiling of the 2022 Bolt hatchback and EUV. Chevrolet and parent company General Motors have long been sponsors at Walt Disney World. GM has sponsored the transportation pavilion since…
New Florida bill would lift restrictions from carrying guns in churches that host preschool or day care programs
A proposal that would expand the authority of people to carry concealed firearms at religious institutions began moving forward Monday in the Florida Senate. In a party-line vote, the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee backed the measure (SB 498), which would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to bring guns on properties that churches, synagogues or other…
Legal Public Notices 2/3 issue
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices ALL ABOARD STORAGE NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Personal property of the following tenants will be sold at public sale to the highest bidder to satisfy a rental lien in accordance with Florida Statutes, Sections: A83.801 – 83.809. All units are assumed to contain general household goods unless otherwise indicated. Viewing of…
Unofficial Thornton Park mascot Lulu immortalized in new 12-month cat calendar
If you’ve spent any amount of time in Orlando’s Thornton Park, you’ve probably had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of the unofficial mascot (and Mayor?) of the neighborhood, Lulu the cat. (If you haven’t yet checked out Lulu’s official Instagram account, we’ll wait for you to catch up.) But if just staring at online…
New York’s Crave Hot Dogs and BBQ heads south to open Orlando location
New York-based chain Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ is coming to Orlando’s SoDo neighborhood, and will be bringing their self-serve beer wall with them. As reported by the Orlando Business Journal, Crave is looking to open an outpost at 1737 S. Orlando Ave. by late spring. This will be Crave’s first location in Orlando and the start of…
Florida GOP noncommittal on ensuring rights of front-line workers to access COVID-related workers’ compensation
The Senate will “look” at coronavirus-related workers’ compensation claims during this year’s legislative session, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Monday. But Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, made no promises the Senate would make changes to ensure front-line health care workers and teachers can tap into workers’ compensation benefits. A state Division of…
Orlando’s Deli Desires to hold soft opening this weekend at new Colonialtown shop
The formerly Instagram-only food operation Deli Desires is busily preparing for a soft opening this weekend at their new Colonialtown brick-and-mortar location. The specialist in Jewish deli fare has been whipping up classic staples like bialys, challah bread, latkes and labneh since the summer of 2020. Orders were placed through Instagram DM, and then delivery or pickup…
Celebrated Wa Sushi reopens in new Casselberry location
Wa Sushi has at last reopened at a new location in the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet plaza — remaining in the Casselberry area. The popular sushi restaurant, renowned for serving up superior concoctions of local and Japanese seafood, opened their doors on Jan. 28, and can be found at 908 State Road 436, behind the Buffalo…
Blue Man Group close up shop in Orlando after 14 years
With a tweet — perhaps ironic for a group notable for their stoic silence during performances — posted on Monday, the Blue Man Group’s 14-year run in Orlando officially came to an end. Amid growing rumors that the Blue Man Group production at Universal Orlando’s CityWalk would not reopen — shows were halted back in March and never restarted — the…
Florida Legislature seeks to undermine the will of the voters yet again by gutting the $15 minimum wage mandate passed in 2020
A Republican senator looking to alter Florida’s newly adopted $15-an-hour minimum wage mandate defended his proposal on Monday amid a growing chorus of criticism. Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, said his proposal to amend the state Constitution to allow the Legislature to exempt convicted felons and people under 21 from the new minimum-wage…
Single and wanting to mingle? If you’re in Florida, you’re in ‘ground zero’
If you’re single and wanting to mingle — though we humbly suggest that you slow down on that because of a little ongoing pandemic — then you’re in luck because Florida is the best state for it, according to a recent study. Wallethub released the 2021’s Best & Worst States for Singles study on Monday, and Florida took the…
Ivanhoe Boulevard under I-4 will be closing nightly for construction through Feb. 8
Have your handy road atlas at the ready because this is going to make the GPS sputter. Ivanhoe Boulevard under I-4 will be closing nightly for construction through Feb. 8. Beginning tonight at 10 p.m. and running nightly through next Monday, Ivanhoe Boulevard under I-4 will be closed in both directions for I-4 Ultimate-related construction work. The stretch…
As Crossroads Plaza closes, new retail near Disney prepares to open
After more than a decade of planning, the popular Crossroads Plaza at Walt Disney World’s entrance is now just months away from permanently closing. But O-Town West in southwest Orlando will inherit many of Crossroads’ tenants. The Lake Buena Vista plaza’s fate was secured in 2019 when after months of negotiating with the Florida Department…
SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival returns with a beer garden and classic rock
SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival is returning starting Friday, Feb. 5, and live music is indeed on the menu. Running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through May 9, the event will feature a world of flavors from 26 festival marketplaces offering Caribbean, Mediterranean and vegan fare — among manifold other varieties. A new innovation this year is the…
There’s growing consensus that the cruise industry is still months away from reopening
Hope that cruising will begin again any time soon has now been all but crushed as it becomes clear the pandemic will be here for months to come. As the first vaccines started being approved in November and December, there was an expectation that cruising would restart in some capacity within the first quarter of…
President Biden gives the green light to reopen enrollment in Obamacare, beginning Feb. 15
How many more people want help getting health insurance in Florida? Well, the state is about to find out. President Joe Biden gave the green light to reopen enrollment in federally maintained health insurance created under Obamacare, beginning Feb. 15. And that’s a significant development in Florida, where Republican elected officials loathe the law, but…
The English proficiency exam is optional for Florida students this year due to the coronavirus
In a win for advocates of English-language learners, Florida is allowing students to opt out of taking an annual English proficiency exam that is administered in person. The state Department of Education also is expanding the window of time for K-12 public-school students to take the test, if they choose to do so. Jacob Oliva,…
Another Central Florida Chipotle drive-through will open in Casselberry
Chipotle Mexican Grill’s newest Florida “Chipotlane” — a regular Chipotle with the added convenience of a drive-through lane — will open in Casselberry in early 2022. Patrons can place orders via Chipotle’s website or mobile app and pick up their food at a Chipotlane location without entering the store. By early 2022, one hopes the pandemic…
Move over, Wawa — Texas chain Buc-ee’s is set to open a Central Florida location in March
Beloved Texas gas station chain Buc-ee’s is arriving soon in Central Florida, with a Daytona Beach location set to open in March. As spotted by Spectrum News 13, construction is well underway at the coming-soon Buc-ee’s site in Daytona Beach — at the well-traveled corner of Interstate 95 and LPGA Boulevard. Initially announced in September 2019,…
In ‘Supernova,’ Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth stage a heartbreaking fight against the dying of the light
A supernova is an explosion often caused by the spectacular demise of a dying star. Not surprisingly, that death has a profound effect on everything or, in the case of the new film from British writer-director Harry Macqueen (Hinterland), everyone it touches. In Supernova, Stanley Tucci plays Tusker, a writer struggling with early-onset dementia. To…
The feds will deploy a nuke-sniffing helicopter to Tampa for upcoming Super Bowl
Tampa residents may notice a low-flying helicopter presence next week. In preparation for Super Bowl LV, which is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 7, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration announced that on Monday one of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) Bell 412 helicopters will begin measuring naturally occurring background radiation in…
No MAGA hats allowed on Super Bowl seat-filler cutouts at Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium will only have 24,700 people in attendance at Super Bowl 55, but fans can pay to have a cutout of themselves “attending” the big game. There are just a few rules, however. For just $100, fans can upload a picture online through either the AFC or NFC websites. The photo will be printed…
Florida opens statewide COVID-19 vaccination pre-registration site
The state of Florida has gone live with a website for Floridians to “pre-register” to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. We can only hope it functions better than the DEO virtual waiting room to register for unemployment benefits. The site, myvaccine.fl.gov, aims to offer a central online hub where residents can get in the queue to receive…
Walt Disney World will require vaccinated guests to continue wearing masks at the parks
Walt Disney World Resort has updated its COVID-19 mask policy — and even park guests who have been vaccinated must still mask up. The wording on the “Face Coverings” sub-section of the theme park’s “Returning to a World of Magic” website has been changed to read: Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2…
Dead Meadow concert film to be screened outdoors at Orlando’s Will’s Pub for one night only
Psych-rock stompers Dead Meadow convened last autumn to record a greatest-hits set for both a live album and video, and in February that film will be screened (or streamed) as a one-night only outdoor event that you can check out at Will’s Dirty Laundry. The band’s 70-minute performance was filmed for the Levitation Sessions at…
Catch the last two shows of Orlando Fringe fave and not-Muppets cabaret ‘Frogpig’ this weekend
It’s been likened to “Liza Minnelli in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Avenue Q,” and if that perks up your virtual ears, hasten to downtown venue HÄOS on Church to catch the last two nights of Joel Swanson’s one-man show Frogpig. The 2018 Fringe Festival fave — winner of the Critics Choice Award for Best Solo Show…
Florida lawmaker looks to beef up COVID-19 employee protections statewide
As the Republican-led Legislature moves quickly to provide broad COVID-19 liability limits for businesses, some lawmakers say additional protections should be provided for “essential” and front-line employees showing up for work. Members of House and Senate panels have expressed concerns that workers who allege they contracted COVID-19 on the job aren’t getting workers’ compensation benefits.…
Gov. DeSantis proposes $285 million funding increase for Florida public schools
Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking lawmakers for a $285 million increase in public-school funding in the coming year and to keep tuition rates flat for college and university students — a potentially stark contrast to what House and Senate budget leaders have signaled could be coming. DeSantis on Thursday released an overall $96.6 billion budget proposal for…
Alumni from Winter Park’s Full Sail get some Grammy shine for work on hits by Beyoncé, Dua Lipa and more
A number of grads from Winter Park’s Full Sail University are getting some Grammy recognition for their roles in recording and crafting hit songs and albums by heavy hitters like Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa. Full Sail runs a robust Music & Recording degree program that has fostered more than a few big talents in…
Universal Orlando teases opening ‘Jurassic World VelociCoaster’ ride ahead of summer 2021 projection
Universal Orlando revealed some new details on Wednesday about its long-awaited Jurassic World VelociCoaster ride, set to finally open this year. Since 2019 we’ve been writing about and anxiously awaiting the VelociCoaster, which looks to be Orlando’s next big thrill ride, and is being touted as Florida fastest coaster. Or in Universal parlance, “a new…
Howl at the full ‘Wolf Moon’ tonight in Orlando
If you’ve been feeling a little 1980s Ozzy Osbourne and just want to “bark at the moon,” tonight’s full “Wolf Moon” is the perfect excuse. The full moon in the month of January has been long known as the “Wolf Moon,” thought to originate, according to the Farmer’s Almanac, from hearing wolves howling during the…
Black Girl Theatre Magic takes over Orlando Museum of Art’s 1st Thursday series with ‘Onija’
Orlando’s Black Girl Theatre Magic arts collective will be taking over Orlando Museum of Art’s “1st Thursdays” series on Feb. 4 with the multimedia event Onija. Onija will be a group exhibition of “portraiture, poetry and performances” all inspired by Black warriors. BGTM outlined what the word and theme of “onija” means to them in a…
‘It will only fill up our jails’: Florida Democrats rip proposed anti-protest bill
An effort to enhance penalties associated with violent protests, create new crimes when mobs attack property or police and make it difficult for cities to trim law-enforcement spending had a rocky legislative debut Wednesday, drawing heated criticism from opponents. The measure is backed by the state’s three most powerful Republican leaders but was decried as…
Bach Festival returns to Winter Park for an 86th year of music in February
The Bach Festival is returning to Winter Park — on stages both physical and virtual — in February for its 86th year. This will be a very different Bach Festival than in previous years, but the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park have put the work into planning new safety considerations for both audience and performers. One big difference…
Florida’s little-known honor system for online sales tax could be costing the state millions
Were you aware that when you buy something online — say, Sarah Jaffe’s latest at Bookshop.org or a bag of Rancho Gordo cranberry beans — if you aren’t charged sales tax, you’re supposed to download Form DR-15MO from the Florida Department of Revenue, calculate what the local sales tax would be, and send in a payment?…
‘Office’-themed theatrical walking tour invites you to solve the mystery of the ‘Scranton Strangler’ on the streets of Thornton Park
There’s something rotten in the city of … Scranton. And come this spring you’ll have a chance to help “Michael Scott” from The Office solve a murder while taking in the fresh air of Thornton Park. Beginning in late March, the interactive parody musical/mystery/walking-tour (phew!) The Office: A Murder Mystery Parody: Who Is the Scranton…
Eatonville’s annual Zora Festival hosts two days of Afrofuturist exploration Friday-Saturday
Eatonville’s annual Zora Festival presents cultural programming that honors Zora Neale Hurston, one of the most beloved African American writers of the 20th century, and the historic heritage of Eatonville, the Central Florida town she once called home. Hurston, author of celebrated books Their Eyes Were Watching God, Mules and Men and Tell My Horse, grew up…
Rep. Eskamani files bill to repeal tax credit program exploited by Universal Orlando
Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, has filed legislation to eliminate a corporate tax break regularly used — and abused — by big businesses including, in our own backyard, Universal Orlando. The bill, HB 6043, would repeal the Urban High-Crime Area Job Tax Credit Program which has been on the books since 1997. The tax break was originally meant to…
Long-awaited Taco Bell Cantina soft-opens in downtown Orlando
The dream is still alive after all this time — has it really been two years? — and the Taco Bell Cantina in downtown Orlando is reportedly in a soft-opening mode starting Wednesday. As reported by Bungalower, the doors to the long-awaited Taco Bell Cantina will swing open to a hungry and thirsty public at some point on…
Orlando Burger Week winner is the Mamba Tribute Burger from Alex’s Fresh Kitchen in Casselberry
Orlando Burger Week, 15 epic days (you can’t fit all those burgers into a mere week!) devoted to the art of the hamburger in the City Beautiful, went down in November. Over 30 local restaurants each offered a specialty burger devised and cooked up just for the event with a $5 price tag, with to-go…
Publix won’t stop selling coconut milk from company that uses monkey slave labor, says PETA
After activists with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) dumped coconuts at the Lakeland headquarters of Publix last December, the group now says the grocery giant is still refusing to stop selling coconut milk derived from monkey slaves in Thailand. Last year, PETA Asia went undercover at eight farms in Thailand, some of…
Don’t feel guilty for breaking up with your boyfriend, who is either a closeted necrophilia or a complete bastard
Dear Dan: Sex-positive bi woman here. I’m having a difficult time. I was in a three-year relationship with a cis straight man. I recently moved across the country for graduate school and this was the catalyst for me to put my foot down about opening the relationship in order to get my sexual needs met.…
Adoptable dog Astro looks positively presidential — and you can meet him at Orange County Animal Services today!
Meet Astro! Astro (A462775) is 8 years old and arrived as a stray in early December. He has been looking for a home ever since. He is friendly with people, enjoys treats, and sits on command. He would do best as the only pet in the household. If you are interested in meeting Astro, email…
Walt Disney World’s recently announced alterations, interruptions and outright extinctions
Only two weeks ago, I was sharing optimistic news about upcoming additions to Orlando’s attractions. Well, the theme park gods giveth, and the theme park gods taketh away. Here’s the latest scoop on some recently announced alterations, interruptions and outright extinctions at the Walt Disney World Resort. An iconic opening-day Magic Kingdom attraction shut down…
Orlando fusion band Leisure Chief drops new album ‘Cosmic Comics’
This week, Orlando fusion band Leisure Chief will release their first new full-length album in five years. Titled Cosmic Comics, the record is an eight-song ride that’s a smooth, easy brew of funk, R&B and jazz that even features a cameo by local legend Anthony Cole. Beginning Friday, Jan. 29, the album will be available…
Denzel Washington and Rami Malek hit the streams with ‘The Little Things,’ a new serial killer thriller
Streaming premieres you won’t want to miss this week. Premieres Wednesday: 50M2 – Only three weeks ago, I observed that Netflix was starting to take after SCTV by filling their schedule with Turkish programming. Well, they’re definitely calling my bluff, because here comes another Istanbul-bred offering — this one a black-comedy series about a hitman…
Things to do in Orlando, Jan. 27 through Feb. 2
A selection of safe, socially distanced, and virtual events around Orlando. Wednesday, Jan. 27The Blooms, Burrows & Burns of Orange CountyHost Beth Jackson runs down some of the highlights of the 18,000-plus acres of environmentally sensitive lands you can explore as part of Orange County’s Green PLACE Program. Zoom presentation. 6:30 p.m., free. Orange County…
