Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana has secured the services of Giulio Abussi, a Neapolitan pizzaiolo who could be the best in the city. The pizza and pasta house is set to open an outpost in St. Pete next month and one in Lake Nona later this year.
OPENING
DoveCote, the highly anticipated brasserie from Clayton Miller (Food & Wine's Best New Chef 2010), James & Julie Petrakis (Ravenous Pig) and Gene Zimmerman (Courtesy Bar) will open in mid- to late-June, not this spring as initially thought ... Black Rock Bar & Grill, a Michigan-based outfit specializing in certified Angus beef steaks served on a sizzling black stone, will open later this spring on Conroy-Windermere Road.
CLOSING
Sankalp, the Indian restaurant on West Sand Lake Road near the Florida Mall, has closed.
EVENTS
Fresh off his cooking stint at the James Beard House, Cress Restaurant's Hari Pulapaka will stage Sunday brunch at Vo-LaSalle Farms in DeLeon Springs Sunday, April 17. Cost is $50; see cressrestaurant.com for details ... Calling all Pappy Van Winkle fans! The second annual Orlando Whiskey Festival takes place at the Audi South dealership on Vineland Road Sunday, April 17. Tickets range from $95 to $295; see whiskeynbizz.com for details ... The sixth annual Science of Wine event at the Orlando Science Center is Saturday, April 30, from 7-10 p.m. For $95, you can sample more than 150 wines from around the world and fare from many local restaurants, including Black Rooster, Ravenous Pig, Hawkers, Kasa and more. Go to osc.org to learn more ... The sixth annual Taste of I-Drive is Sunday, May 1, at I-Drive 360 with food and drink from nine area restaurants including Tapa Toro, Naru Sushi and Sugar Factory. Tickets are $40; go to tasteatidrive360.com to purchase ... Cask & Larder pairs up with the Funky Buddha Brewery for a three-course brunch Saturday, May 14. Cost is $50; for reservations, call 321-280-4200 ... PB&G at the Four Seasons Resort now serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday nights from 6-9:30 p.m. Coffee-crusted rotisserie rib-eye and Okinawan sweet potatoes, here I come.
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