OPENINGS: Yummy Taste, a new Szechuan restaurant, has opened in the old V.L.C. Vegan Eatery space in the Waterford Towers shopping plaza on North Alafaya Trail ... Bacán, the Spanish-leaning restaurant inside the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, has opened ... Gou-oui, specializing in (presumably gooey) fresh-baked cookies, has opened at 1737 S. Orange Ave. in SoDo ... An outpost of Fresh&Co, the NYC-based fast-casual eatery specializing in fresh, healthy meals, has opened at 7728 W. Sand Lake Road, in the old Simply Gyros space in Dr. Phillips ... The Yardery in Sanford is promising freshly made Montreal-style bagels when it opens at the end of the month at 415 E. Fourth St. Look for a menu of backyard barbecue favorites as well.
NEWS + EVENTS: Ava MediterrAegean, the Winter Park restaurant taking over the old Luma on Park space, will not have Top Chef Season 3 winner Hung Huynh in the kitchen when it opens Feb. 4. Huynh didn't elaborate on the circumstances, but only said he was no longer involved with the restaurant. Meanwhile, Riviera Dining Group, which operates Ava as well as Mila MediterrAsian in Miami, announced the hiring of Michaël Michaelidis as their Head of Culinary. Michaelidis was previously executive chef at Joël Robuchon Restaurants in Singapore and Tokyo, both of which were awarded three Michelin stars. He'll be charged with elevating the culinary standards across the restaurant group's brands ... Chef Night at the Edible Education Experience in College Park will feature Seito Sushi Baldwin Park executive chef Huy Tin Thursday, Jan. 27, from 6–8:30 p.m. The multicourse menu with pairings will draw on his Vietnamese heritage. Cost is $150. Visit edibleed.org for tickets ... Lake Nona's Lunar New Year celebrations will see a host of food vendors in attendance including Uncle Dendog's, Meng's Kitchen, Ding Tea, Pho Haven, Amy's Mooncakes and more. The event goes from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29, at Nona Adventure Park. Tickets start at $8. Visit lunarlakenona.com for more.
Got restaurant dish? Send tips to [email protected]
