NEWS: Austin Boyd, who served as executive chef for Seito Sushi Baldwin Park, Osprey Tavern and Reyes Mezcaleria, is no longer working for Jason Chin's three restaurants. Chef de cuisine Huy Q. Tin will head up the kitchen at Seito, chef de cuisine Elek Kovacs will head up Osprey, and both will help Chin at Reyes ... Executive chef Val Domingo is no longer at Nova Scratch Kitchen in Ivanhoe Village, and is now the banquet chef at the DeSoto Hotel in Savannah ... Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Month has been extended to Oct. 12 ... The College Park Farmers Market will now take place in the Infusion Tea parking lot every Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
OPENINGS: Cafe Rio Mexican Grill, the popular Utah-based Tex-Mex chain, has soft-opened in the Winter Park Whole Foods plaza ... The restaurant side of Orlando Meats is now serving breakfast and lunch; I'm looking forward to sampling the curry lamb roti ... Piccolo Coffee Co., a retro teardrop trailer-cum-mobile espresso bar, has hit the streets of Orlando. Look for them at the Orlando Brunch Festival Saturday, Sept. 30, at Festival Park ... Foxtail Coffee Co. will debut a drive-thru in Altamonte Springs later this fall ... Barring issues with the city, Four Rebels American Taco Kitchen & Bar will open in Mills Park mid-October.
CLOSINGS: The Paramount Fine Foods at I-Drive 360 is now Sofra Mediterranean Grill, promising "farm-to-table" eats.
EVENTS: IDignity, the charitable organization that helps those in need obtain valid forms of identification, hosts its annual Souper Douper fundraising dinner Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Sheraton Orlando North Hotel in Maitland. Chefs (Kathleen Blake, Clay Miller, Laurent Hollaender, Trina Gregory-Propst, to name a few) pair up with local celebs like Scott Maxwell, Kay Rawlins, Patty Sheehan, and Tom and Dan to make a soup to be judged by attendees and a trio of judges (I'm one of them). A $400 contribution will snag you a table that holds up to 10 people. Visit idignity.org for more ... Norman's celebrates its 14th anniversary Saturday, Sept. 30, with a multicourse feast prepared by chefs from the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons as well as a group of master sommeliers and master mixologists. Cost is $190 ... The second annual DeLand Bacon & Brewfest happens Saturday, Sept. 30, at Earl Brown Park ... Tin Roof Orlando hosts its Oktoberfest celebration Sunday, Oct. 1, starting at noon.
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