OPENINGS: Another day, another food hall announcement. Kevin O’Donnell, co-owner of the Local Butcher and Market and The Porch in Winter Park, will open a 4,000-square-foot food hall and biergarten concept at the redeveloped Fort Gatlin Shopping Center this November. The space will see Da Kine Poke, Swine & Sons, the Local Butcher and Market, and Gatlin Hall Brewing. A TBD pizza concept will also move in … Lunch eatery Bite (“Be Inspired to Eat“) has opened in the old Your Pie space at the SkyHouse condo downtown. They serve made-to-order rice and salad bowls, wood-fired flatbreads, and sandwiches served on telera rolls Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. … Jam-Eng, a “jazzy island restaurant” serving both Jamaican and English fare, has opened at 65 N. Orange Ave. … The Steer, a “pioneer steakhouse,” will open in the former Bauern-Stube building on South Orange Avenue in Pine Castle … Jaber, a chain out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, will open in the old Peppy’s Bistro space in College Park. The menu features Mediterranean fare with Brazilian twists. Judging from my experience a few years back at their I-Drive location, I wouldn’t get overly excited just yet … A new conveyor-belt hotpot joint called Juicy Pot will open in West Side Crossing at 5206 W. Colonial Drive … Also on West Colonial Drive, Wang Sports BBQ, specializing in meats on a stick, has opened … Look for specialty burger and milkshake joint Burger Barn to celebrate its grand opening May 18 on I-Drive near Westwood Boulevard … Lucky’s Market will open in the old Sports Authority space on East Colonial Drive next month … Outpost Neighborhood Kitchen will open in the Maitland City Centre later this fall or early winter. The College Park location will remain open until their lease expires in October … Eliot Hillis of Orlando Meats has soft-opened his pizza concept called Recess inside Orange County Brewers. Recess takes the place of Pizza Bruno, which vacated the space April 30.
CLOSINGS: Norman’s at the Ritz-Carlton will close Sept. 1 after 16 years, though chef Norman Van Aken and his partners say they will relocate the restaurant somewhere in the Orlando area … Bongos, Gloria Estefan’s longstanding Disney restaurant, will close in August, but look for her Estefan Kitchen to open this fall in the Margaritaville Resort.
NEWS:
Shula’s Steak House at the Swan & Dolphin Resort has a new look, new branding and new menu: They’re going full veg. Just kidding! You’ll still find the steakhouse classics … Denny’s has also undergone a brand revitalization. They’re now a place “where the modern American family can come together and connect over a delicious meal” … The char-grilled brisket burger makes a return to all 4 Rivers Smokehouses this month. It’ll be available through June 1.
EVENTS:
Ace Cafe’s second anniversary bash goes Saturday, May 18, at 7 p.m. with live music, drink specials and swag giveaways. Purchase a $10 VIP pass for priority patio seating … Bangrak Thai Street Kitchen and the Ravenous Pig collaborate on a five-course dinner May 22 at 6:30 p.m. featuring lamb hearts, green curry mussels, whole smoked duck and more. Cost is $65 … Cress Restaurant stages an eco-friendly Zero Waste Feast May 31. Cost for the multicourse dinner is $60.
This article appears in May 15-21, 2019.
