Coro Restaurant 3022 Corrine Drive, Orlando Tim and Natalie Lovero’s highly anticipated Audubon Park restaurant Coro will feature Italian-leaning small plates embodying Japanese techniques, philosophy and ingredients. At Coro’s pop-up dinner at Farm & Haus, Lovero’s dishes were a composition of Italian, Indian, Japanese, French and Middle Eastern flavors, with every dish full of surprising turns. Credit: photo courtesy of Natalie Lovero

And the wheels of restaurant life turn. Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux closed last November at 3022 Corrine Drive after 15 years of serving the Audubon Park community and, nearly a year later, Coro Restaurant by chef Tim Lovero is poised to move in.

Lovero, who most recently served as the executive sous chef of Luke’s Kitchen & Bar in Maitland, says the concept will serve “American-style small plates with a slight Italian bent” which explains the restaurant’s name.

“Coro means choir in Italian but, for me, it means all the flavors and ingredients working together in harmony to create the perfect dish. On a larger scale, it’s about the people, the food and the atmosphere all working together to create a unique and memorable experience.”

Chef Tim Lovero Credit: courtesy photo

Regarding that atmosphere, Lovero is promising a laid-back, unpretentious vibe where a menu of fresh pasta and lighter sharing fare “embodying Japanese techniques, philosophy and ingredients” will be offered. He says the menu will also be very vegetable-focused and based on the seasonality and availability of local produce.

“I really want to utilize all of an ingredient and minimize waste by being creative and having fun with by-products.”

Lovero hopes to open Coro by the end of October, but that will depend on construction timelines and permitting.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was 8 years old,” Lovero told Bungalower, who first reported the story. After working his way through the ranks at Park Lights Hospitality, including stints at the now-shuttered Luma on Park, Prato and Luke’s, the 39-year-old culinarian has finally realized his dream.

“I didn’t think it would ever happen,” he says. “Earlier in my career, it would have been all about me. Now it’s more about my faith and my family. I just feel blessed to be able to do what I love and have this opportunity.”

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This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2023.

Orlando restaurant critic. Orlando Weekly restaurant critic since 2006.