Local restaurant openings:
Baires Grill, the Miami-based Argentinean steakhouse from the same folks who run Corazon by Baires, will open at the Hollywood Plaza Garage in the former Mooyah space at 8050 International Drive … Nearby, Sushi Kingdom, an AYCE sushi restaurant, will move into the old Flapjack Johnny’s/Village Inn space later this year at 6275 Westwood Blvd. … Tambayan at Kusina, a Filipino restaurant serving everything from bistek tagalog to pork sinigang to bulalo, has opened at 1718 N. Goldenrod Road near Colonial Drive …
Z Cafe (no relation to Z Asian Vietnamese Kitchen) has opened at 831 N. Mills Ave. serving banh mi, fried rice, sizzling steak, noodles and a slew of various beverages … Aroma Gastro Bar is now serving modern Latin fare (jerk chicken empanadas, guava-glazed wings, whole fried snapper, La Bandera) and cocktails at 1700 N. Semoran Blvd. … Shaka Donuts, now under new ownership, has moved from its SoDo location to 2641 Curry Ford Road in the Hourglass District … Mii Cafe, offering a bevy of Vietnamese dishes and fresh fruit smoothies, has moved into Shaka’s old space at 225 E. Michigan Ave. … Taiwan Cafe, with a packed menu of classics like General Tso’s chicken along with stir fries, noodles and rice plates, has opened at 158 W. State Road 434 in Winter Springs …
In Casselberry, Velvet Brew Cafe is now offerings coffee, cakes, pastries and artisanal breads at 3950 S. U.S. Highway 17/92 … Over in Apopka, Bombay Social has opened at 484 S. Hunt Club Blvd. offering a variety of Indian classics, street fare, Indo-Chinese and Thai dishes … Banks are now getting into the coffee game, with Capital One Cafe opening a branch inside the Florida Mall. What’s in your wallet?
Local food news & events
The Winter Park Public Library hosts a Book Tasting (!) from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, in celebration of America250. Chefs Mario Pagan (Chayote), Sonny Nguyen (Domu), Tyler Brunache (Smokemade Meats), Joyce Cai (Chuan Fu/A Gourmet Chinese Cuisine) and Teddy Dumoulin (J’Adore the French Bakery) will be on hand serving light bites and discussing their perspectives on the American experience. Cost is $12.
Chef Norman Van Aken will host a Quintessa Family of Wines Dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, at Norman’s in Dr. Phillips. The multicourse affair with pairings will serve A5 wagyu sandos, cobia tataki, grilled quail, veal tenderloin, bison short ribs and Valrhona chocolate soufflé. Cost is $300. Visit normans.com for more information.
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This article appears in Feb. 18-24, 2026.