OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
Ziggie’s Pizza, the artisanal, thin-crust pie joint run by brothers Christian and Floyd Ziegler in Ivanhoe Village, has taken over the Thirsty Topher space next door. The pair will maintain the space as a separate bar and will rename it The Topher Taproom at Ziggie’s … Juan Rios, the man behind Agave Azul, the soon-to-open Naya Comida + Barrita in Maitland (July) and the under-construction restaurant inspired by the Yucatán/Riviera Maya in Mills 50, will open Somos Cafe & Bar in two locations: 819 N. Mills Ave. and 1209 Park Lake St. behind The Strand. Somos will offer coffee, brunch and lunch by day and transform into a wine bar by night featuring small plates, natural wines and vinyl sessions capturing “the charm of Mexico City’s beautiful and simplistic café bars” …
Pom Pom’s Sandwiches will open May 1 inside Henry’s Depot in Sanford offering many of the old menu’s mainstays, like the Fu Manchu with Asian pulled pork and ginger-cranberry chutney and the Big Daddy with turkey, ham and roast beef … Rawsha Mediterranean Cuisine, specializing in shawarma and Iraqi cuisine, has opened at 8956 Turkey Lake Road … Not too far away, Ji Bei Chuan, the rice noodles and ramen chain founded in Shuzhou, China, in 2018, has opened a location at 7750 Palm Parkway between World of Beer and Tijuana Flats. The Ji Bei Chuan on East Colonial Drive and North Alafaya Trail closed in November 2024 …Look for Z Cafe Restaurant, a Vietnamese joint with no relation to Z Asian Vietnamese Kitchen, to move into the new space at 831 N. Mills Ave. That building was originally going to house an outpost of Hong Kong-based dessert chain Hui Lau Shan and its mango-based delectables. No word on when Z will open.
NEWS & EVENTS
East End Market will host Celebrate Lunar’s second annual East Meets West event Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month. More than 25 vendors will be on hand … On the same day, the Celebrasian Orlando Night Market, put on by Lucky Cat Mini Mart, Sticker Print Go and Mills Market, takes place from 5-9 p.m. at Credo Conduit at 1001 N. Orange Ave. The event and parking are free … Hikiniku To Sumi, Lewis Lin’s hambagu concept, will pop up inside Juju May 15 and 16 at noon, offering binchotan-grilled Hamburg steaks served over steamed koshihikari rice.
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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2025.