Explore the Orlando Weekly restaurant critic’s essential places to eat in 2018
Downtown Orlando gets a taste of Latinx culture this weekend with the 20th annual Calle Orange Festival on Sunday. The festival features live music from big-deal salsa, merengue and bachata groups like El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and Venezuelan pop star Chyno. The earlier you get there, the cheaper it is, and the more…
The best people-watching spot for Halloween is always downtown, and the best people-watching spot downtown is always Wall Street Plaza. Wall Street hosts three nights of Halloween debauchery this year, starting on Friday. Expect live music and entertainment, one of the biggest costume contests of the year, drink specials and plenty of wild get-ups and…
While everyone else is gearing up for Halloween celebrations, the German American Society of Central Florida is giving you one last chance to celebrate Oktoberfest. The weekend features authentic German food, music, dancing and entertainment, but the main attraction for most is the Hofbrau biergarten. Bonus: If you wear your lederhosen or dirndl, you’re kind…
Living proof that the maxims of hardcore being a family aren’t mere posturing: Exhibit A is Freddy Cricien, frontman for New York hardcore legends Madball. Cricien grew up under the watchful eye of his older brother, Roger Miret of Agnostic Front, in the hardcore scene at shows and on stage with AF, keeping Cricien away…
Lil Xan may have taken his rap name from the easily abused tranquilizer Xanax, but he says he’s staunchly against them now. Instead, the 22-year-old rapper – born Diego Leanos – recently found a brand-new thing to overdose on: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Leanos explained to USA Today, “I was in the hospital, not doing any…
In the latest chapter of the oddball Orange County Sheriff race, candidate Darryl Sheppard has begun posting fake tweets by President Donald Trump, in which Trump supposedly endorses Orlando Police Chief John Mina. Though Sheppard says he didn’t produce the fake tweet, in the caption above Sheppard’s screenshot of the fake tweet posted on his…
The Orange County Regional History Center’s popular history-inspired craft cocktail night returns this week. This time, bartenders from the Osprey Tavern, Tuffy’s Bottle Shop and Wine Bar George compete with cocktails inspired by the items in a Civil War field surgeon’s kit. Luckily, the drinks and presentation won’t cost you an arm nor a leg.…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Foreign Dissent 5, Will’s Pub, Oct. 22 Good ideas abound yet many fail to stick while lesser ones persist. It’s an unfair world. Thankfully, Foreign Dissent – the annual global punk-rock showcase diligently and lovingly held by local promoter Punching Babies – has endured to become a proud Orlando tradition. More than…
Gourmet burger chain BurgerFi opened a new location in Oviedo yesterday, and the new outpost will feature facial-recognition technology. The new location, at 25 W. Mitchell Hammock Road, features self-serving facial-recognition kiosks designed to scan your face and remember your order for the next time you visit. The new location will also feature the latest…
Comedian, writer and actor Demetri Martin is bringing his “Wandering Mind Tour” to Orlando this spring. The stand-up comedian will be at the Hard Rock Cafe in Universal Orlando Resort at 8 p.m. Friday, March 22. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, Oct. 26, and cost $45 for the first two rows and…
Republican senate candidate Rick Scott, who as governor of Florida is currently suing to end the federal requirement that insurance companies must cover pre-existing conditions, released a heartwarming new ad today saying he’s in support of *squints at notes* covering pre-existing conditions. The 30-second ad, titled “It’s Personal,” shows a somber Scott reflecting on how…
The future of the Florida Supreme Court is intertwined with the outcome of this fall’s race for governor. At stake are the appointment of replacements for justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, who are leaving the seven-member court in early January because they have reached a mandatory retirement age. After a long-running…
One of the pleasures of spooky movie season, in addition to rewatching old classics like Halloween or The Exorcist, is discovering new classics. Ana Lily Amirpour’s 2014 feature-length debut, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, is quickly becoming part of the “new classic” canon. Shot in beautiful black-and-white, Girl is the story of a…
Likening the November election to “reclaiming America’s soul, for real,” former Vice President Joe Biden held a crowd of supporters spellbound Monday as he shared a stage with Florida’s top two Democratic candidates as early voting started in many parts of the state. “I think there’s something different about this election,” Biden, who was introduced…
The Wallflowers, the alt-rock ensemble led by Jakob Dylan, will be playing the City Beautiful on the same night as his father Bob Dylan. But while Dylan the elder will be headlining the Dr. Phillips Center, Jakob will be playing a Halloween-themed costume party edition of the Velvet Sessions. Choose wisely. The Wallflowers play the…
Gov. Rick Scott remained mum Monday about signing an anti-discrimination order that would protect LGBTQ state employees in the wake of the Trump administration’s latest attempt to roll back federal protections for transgender and gender non-conforming people. Since the 2016 massacre at the gay nightclub Pulse, LGBTQ advocates from across the state have been pleading…
Since its opening in 1997, Bongos Cuban Café has seen endless rumors of its demise, but new rumors of its final days look very real. As Downtown Disney transformed into Disney Springs over the past few years, numerous institutions within the complex went away. Now Bongos sits as one of the last witnesses to another…
Since opening in 2010, Wild Florida has continued to evolve well past the simple airboat rides that Ranier Munns and his law firm, originally envisioned for the family ranch. Since the Munns family moved to the site in 1998 some of Munns’ 12 children have focused on making Wild Florida a prime example of what a successful…
Prog-pop maestro Jeff Lynne today announced a North American arena tour set for next summer with his band ELO. And though there’s no Orlando date, Lynne will be landing his musical spaceship in nearby Tampa. ELO were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and undertook an American tour this summer…
Like a drunk guy puking out the window of an Uber, the Orlando dive bar and landmark Wally’s Liquor just refuses to stop partying. Back in August, news that the 64-year-old Wally’s would close for good caused quite the uproar amongst the Orlando bar scene, including a promise to purchase the dive from attorney and…
Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the hit improv television series “where everything is made up and the points don’t matter,” is going on tour and making a stop in Orlando. The tour, cleverly named “Whose Live Anyway?” hits the stage at the Hard Rock Orlando on Jan. 11, and features cast members old and new…
After a dead dolphin washed ashore in New Smyrna Beach, officials are testing it for red tide poisoning, the Daytona News-Journal reports. Last week, state officials reportedly found traces of red tide in the nearby Indian River Lagoon system, though it’s still unclear whether red tide is to blame for the dolphin’s death. Testing for…
The Milk District sandwich shop Bad As’s is expanding its selection and adding some breakfast bites to the menu. Announced yesterday, Bad As’s new breakfast menu is available to customers from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. The sandwich joint is known for its cleverly named sandwiches, and the new additions do not…
Florida’s minimum wage will go up a whole 21 cents in 2019 for a new hourly wage of $8.46. Wages for tipped employees will also increase by 21 cents from $5.23 to $5.44 per hour, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Currently, the minimum wage in the Sunshine State is $8.25 an hour,…
The wait is over – Sprouts Farmers Market in Winter Park is finally opening its doors this week. The new store, which will officially open for business Wednesday, Oct. 24, had been in the works since October of last year, when it was announced that it would take the place of the old Winter Park Whole…
2019 is shaping up to be the battle of the water parks in Central Florida. Aquatica laid out plans for a new ride just a few weeks ago, and work continues on the mysterious new water park found within the Margaritaville resort on 192. But now it looks like Universal is preparing for the new…
It’s been no secret that Disney is looking to give Indiana Jones a more significant presence at Walt Disney World. As is typical with these types of projects, it seems various teams at Imagineering have been assigned to flesh out exactly what Indiana Jones would look like at each of the non-Magic Kingdom resorts for…
Because the lines on Nov. 6 will likely be awful, early voting for the 2018 midterm elections starts today in Central Florida and will run for the next two weeks. Here’s the early voting information for Central Florida by county: Orange County: Lasts Monday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 7…
Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis shredded each other Sunday night during a nationally televised debate, as the gubernatorial candidates appeared in their first face-to-face showdown little more than two weeks before the Nov. 6 general election. The hour-long CNN debate in Tampa, hosted by Jake Tapper, is evidence of the attention garnered by…
Democrat Nikki Fried, a medical-marijuana lobbyist, had to defend her desire to move the state’s oversight of medical marijuana into the agency she wants to run. Her Republican opponent, state Rep. Matt Caldwell, was questioned about his support for a bill that delayed for 20 years an unmet deadline to reduce nutrients flowing into Lake…
Visit Florida is moving forward with a $9 million marketing plan to combat media reports and negative public perceptions about how much of the state remains in ruins from Hurricane Michael. The tourism-marketing agency’s executive committee voted Friday to support a plan that includes highlighting what has reopened in areas hit by the deadly Oct.…
A Lakeland city commissioner was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for shooting a suspected shoplifter trying to leave from a military supply store. City Commissioner Michael Dunn, 47, was indicted by a grand jury for the Oct. 3 killing of Christobal Lopez, 50, on Friday, says State Attorney Brian Haas, the prosecutor for Polk, Highlands and…
Gov. Rick Scott has investment ties to the contractor that botched an upgrade to Florida’s SunPass toll system last summer and caused an enormous backlog of 170 million transactions that took months to fix. The Tampa Bay Times traced the Republican governor’s financial link to the vendor Conduent through financial disclosure statements filed in July. Scott is running against…
Hard-working local alt-folk upstarts Beemo, winners of “Best Folk Act” in Orlando Weekly’s Best of Orlando awards, are set to release their debut album Bustin’ Out and are giving our readers a sneak peek at a track before the album drops tomorrow at a release show at the Timucua Arts House! Get an exclusive first…
Spooky season is finally upon us and Halloween events are popping up all over Orlando. Here are all the Halloween events happening in the Orlando area so far. Wednesday, Oct. 24 Halloween Horror Nights – Annual Halloween event with haunted houses, scare zones, shows and more. through Nov. 3; Universal Studios, 6000 Universal Blvd; $62.99-$599.99;…
Giant gators aren’t the only reptiles wandering onto Florida golf courses. According to Fox 13, a friendly game of golf was interrupted yesterday when a large rattlesnake slithered by the 14th hole at the Mangrove Bay and Cypress Links Golf Course in St. Petersburg, Florida. Logan Ungerer, one of the golfers, is the brave soul who…
U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis’ campaign for Florida governor is apparently breaking into the piggy bank – in fact, he’s enclosed a $1 bill in letters to potential donors, and he expects you to donate it right back. It gets better: DeSantis’ campaign is actually asking those who received the letter and accompanying $1 bill to…
Pearson’s Cafe in Downtown Orlando closes its doors today, Friday, Oct. 19. The cafe, known for its gourmet sandwiches and baked goods, was in business for two and a half years. Kimberly Pearson, owner and executive chef, announced the closing on Facebook yesterday, explaining that they are shutting down to focus on expanding their catering…
In an unintentionally fitting answer to Aziz Ansari’s apology tour, the Winter Park Institute presents a talk by one of the world’s foremost thinkers on moral theory, human rights and social equality. Dr. Martha Nussbaum is a professor of law and philosophy at the University of Chicago whose pure, clear discussion of the emotions encapsulated…
In a Sept. 30 interview with CBS Miami’s “Facing South Florida,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum was asked whether or not he gives Gov. Rick Scott credit for the economy. Gillum’s answered, “I give him credit for an economy that is largely propped up on low-wage work. Of course you’ve got a…
For those still waiting on vacancy at one of 15 Disney World resorts, there may be hope for you yet. Disney announced that they’re building a brand-new deluxe resort on the shore of Bay Lake, between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge complex and the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. The new property, which is yet to be…
MASS FISH KILL: thousands of dead fish wash up at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach. #RedTide to blame. More @MyNews13 @MyNews13Weather #Brevard @BrevardCo_FL @MyFWC @BCFRpio pic.twitter.com/ShLYf6EcdK — Greg Pallone (@gpallone13) October 19, 2018 This morning, thousands of dead fish washed ashore at Cocoa Beach, the closest patch of sand to Orlando, after tests have…
A state appeals court Friday cleared the way for a couple to pursue a lawsuit against Orange County and local officials in a dispute about operating a toucan farm out of a home. A panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal said an Orange County circuit judge incorrectly dismissed the lawsuit because of a…
Former Vice President Joe Biden will be in key Florida cities next week to campaign for Democratic candidates on the general election ticket. Biden will be making a stop in Orlando on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at the Cheyenne Saloon, 128 W. Church St., with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy and Orlando Mayor Buddy…
Florida eased restrictions Thursday on vote-by-mail ballots in eight counties ravaged last week by Hurricane Michael, while also giving elections supervisors more time to conduct early voting. Secretary of State Ken Detzner, the state’s top election official, said the changes included in an executive order by Gov. Rick Scott were requested by local supervisors and…
Hot on the heels of new album N/O/I/S/E’s surprise early release last week (independently produced and released by the artist himself, it should be noted), haunted and hotly tipped rapper Ghostemane is returning to the City Beautiful to kick off his new tour. The L.A.-via-South Florida MC made his name as part of the SoundCloud…
Is it, perhaps, prophetic that Aziz Ansari’s very name says “sorry” to his audience? After gaining fame as the cool kids’ comedian through his stand-up work, which dissects current hip-hop and internet culture, and his Netflix show Master of None, an exegesis on dating and eating in NYC, Ansari seemed to be set on a…
Over the past 24 hours, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida congressman who very well could be three kids stacked on top of each other in a suit, took to Twitter to post an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, as well as discredit Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist who many presume was murdered by the Saudi…
Early voting for the Nov. 6, 2018 midterm election begins this Monday in Central Florida and will be open for the next two weeks. Here is the early voting information for Central Florida by county: Orange County: Lasts Monday, Oct. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find all locations here.…
Environmental groups expressed indignation this week after the Everglades Trust endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis. But the support from the Everglade Trust, which backed DeSantis and Democrat Gwen Graham in their respective gubernatorial primaries, shouldn’t really have been that shocking. DeSantis successfully used his opposition to Big Sugar —- refusing to directly take money…
The Orlando Police Department signed a new agreement with Amazon this week to test its controversial facial recognition software, marking the latest move to bolster the city’s security network amid widespread civil liberties and privacy concerns. The city will test the software, known as Rekognition, for a nine-month period starting Thursday using eight surveillance cameras deployed…
Local developer Chuck Whittall reportedly has a plan for the future of one of the City Beautiful’s cultural touchstones – Orlando Fashion Square Mall. WESH reports that Whittall, the president of Unicorp National Developments, and who’s commonly known as the developer behind the Orlando Eye, wants to purchase the property and turn it into an…
Seacrest Wolf Preserve in Chipley, Florida is currently searching for an elderly wolf named Tahané, who fled after Hurricane Michael struck the preserve, and they’re offering a reward to anyone who ensures his safe return. In a video posted to Seacrest Wolf Preserve’s Facebook, president and founder Cynthia Watkins explains that Tahané is a harmless,…
A white woman in Ponte Vedra earned the notorious nickname “Golfcart Gail” after she apparently felt so threatened by a black man enjoying his son’s soccer game that she decided to call police on him. First Coast News reports a witness named Ginger Galore Williams wrote on Facebook that she was at her son’s soccer name…
With a 5 p.m. Friday deadline looming, Gov. Rick Scott has sought support from legislative leaders before appealing a Tallahassee judge’s order that critics say would create pandemonium in the state’s medical-marijuana industry if allowed to stand. Responding to Scott’s request, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, incoming Speaker Jose Oliva and other Republican House leaders on…
Voting in the Nov. 6 general election has already surpassed the half-million mark. Numbers posted Wednesday morning by the Florida Division of Elections show 554,350 people had cast vote-by-mail ballots. Also, the latest figures came as a number of counties hit hard last week by Hurricane Michael – Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty…
Local powerhouse art collector Robert Feldman loans works by 25 artists to the Mennello Museum for Shifting Gaze: A Reconstruction of the Black & Hispanic Body in Contemporary Art, a powerfully resonant exhibition. As the nation grapples with rapidly changing norms of identity – some struggling to accept what feels sudden; others impatient of waiting for…
There are times when it’s necessary to rage, when music needs to provoke intense emotion – when smashing your head against the punk rock is just what the doctor ordered. This is not one of those times. Sometimes you just want music to simply make you feel good. You wanna scrub away the daily grime,…
Acrobats swinging on silks suspended over Orange Avenue, trumpeters emptying their spit valves on the sidewalk, sweat flying off ballerinas’ false eyelashes … Immerse is truly immersive, allowing spectators to get up-close and personal with the working artists of their community. This year the CCP has expanded their massive annual event across two days, so…
The VHS Swap & Show monthly meet-up at Stardust is an ’80s horror fan’s dream come true, even in non-Halloween months. But this week, they screen a jewel of the decade, 1988’s Night of the Demons, the tale of a group of teenagers who hold a seance in an old mortuary and unwittingly release a…
Former employees of Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg have filed a federal lawsuit against him alleging Greenberg violated their First Amendment rights by firing them for supporting his political opponent during the 2016 election. The complaint, filed Oct. 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, is the second high-profile lawsuit…
Downtown Orlando traffic is already bad, but it’s about to get worse. Tonight both of our home teams, the Orlando Magic and Orlando City SC, will host home games, which means that sports fans and residents alike should expect traffic to be especially dreadful. The Magic tip off their first game of the season against the…
The DeVos family, a name synonymous with the development of downtown Orlando, the NBA’s Orlando Magic franchise and, of course, “multi-level marketing” company Amway, recently injected themselves into the Florida governor’s race by doing what they do best: throwing a massive wad of money at a Republican. On Oct. 11, four members of the DeVos…
The downtown outpost of World of Beer hosts the Lake Eola Oktobeerfest this weekend. Instead of a gauntlet of sample tents, expect the ultimate beer games competition, with beer pong, cornhole, quarters, flip cup and more represented. You can compete individually or register a team. It’ll be just like college, but with the opportunity to…
The Constitution Revision Commission was in their right to bundle three proposed constitutional amendments for the Nov. 6 ballot, the Florida Supreme Court ruled in a slim 4-3 vote on Wednesday. The Justices’ ruling follows a challenge by retired Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead that said the ballots items were improperly bundled. The potential…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Bob Log III, Oct. 16, Will’s Pub “Original” is a word that’s thrown around too much. But not when it comes to the one and only Bob Log III. The one-man band has long been the quintessence of the word, one of the truest there’s ever been. He exists on an outer…
Starting Nov. 9, dog-friendly dining will be an option for Orange County restaurants with outdoor seating, but only if they get a permit. On Tuesday, Orange County commissioners approved an ordinance allowing folks to bring their dogs to restaurants. With the ordinance’s passage, the county falls in line with neighboring local governments that have passed…
Puerto Rican comedian Chente Ydrach is coming to Kissimmee this Sunday as a stop on his stand-up tour “Radical Afuego.” Ydrach, who hosts the popular “Masacote With Chente Ydrach,” will be performing Oct. 21 at the Salsa Latina Night Club, 2783 N. Orange Blossom Trail, at 9 p.m. Tickets are available online here. Ydrach, who also…
Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux, who serves as president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections, wants the state to consider changes for the general election —- from emailed vote-by-mail ballots to combining precincts —- to help people directly affected by Hurricane Michael. Noting polling places may not be available and…
The number of reported Zika cases in Florida this year has increased to 80, while a baby has been born with a condition known as congenital Zika syndrome, according to newly updated information from the state Department of Health. The 80 cases reported Tuesday were up from 74 reported on Oct. 1, as a gradual…
Longtime Live Active Culture readers may recall that I was a reluctant adopter of social media, resisting the siren song of Facebook long after most others had succumbed. How times have changed! I’ve spent the last couple weeks being a beta tester (read: guinea pig) for Connections, the new social media network that promises to…
THIS WEEK: Halloween When even the Suspiria remake is afraid to open until two days after Halloween, you know there’s an 800-pound gorilla in the room – and that’s the movie with “Halloween” right there in the title. It’s also the first sequel to the 1978 classic that anyone has significant hopes for. (Speaking of…
I have a secret: For the past three months, I’ve been attending a local Jacks club (a men-only masturbation event). As someone recovering from sexual abuse, I find the party to be safe, therapeutic and just sexy fun. I feel like I need this! Unfortunately, I spotted one of my employees at last week’s event.…
Meet Fritz! Fritz (A415166) is a sweet senior boy who is a total fluffball. Fritz is 65 pounds of fun and love. He was surrendered by his owners because they could no longer care for him. Due to his age (he’s 7 years old), Fritz’s adoption fee is waived! You can adopt and take him…
Faiyaz Kara’s 55 best restaurants in Orlando
NEWS: Reyes Mezcaleria stages a National Mezcal Day Dinner by chef Wendy Lopez Sunday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. The five-course dinner with Del Maguey mezcal pairings is $85 … The second installment of Monday Night Bites at the Imperial Wine Bar in Ivanhoe Village will see Edgar Massoni and Elliot Hillis of Orlando Meats…
TTN Freak-skronk trio suits up for a fringe-tastic Illuminated Paths-curated locals-only show with Lush Agave, J.A.S.O.N. and Sombir. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Falcon, $5 Ha*Ash Sibling duo Ha*Ash combine Latin pop and country seamlessly, and their songwriting savvy is winning them international acclaim. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at House of Blues, $44.50-$95 Beth…
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer appoints new police chief: Orlando Rolón will replace Chief John Mina as the new head of Orlando Police as Mina retires to run for Orange County Sheriff. Rolón, who was appointed by Mayor Buddy Dyer last week, is a 25-year veteran of the department and will be Orlando’s first Hispanic police…
