While the Epcot Food & Wine Festival kicks off this week, the Food & Wine Classic (one of my favorite culinary events) gets underway Oct. 12-13 at Disney's Swan and Dolphin Hotel, with more than 30 stations serving unlimited food, wine, beer and cocktails. This year, guests can get up close and personal with celebrichef Michael Mina, who'll be serving hamachi parfait, crispy rice cake and wasabi tobiko to guests. Tickets are $80, sommelier seminars $45 per person. Visit swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com.
Tickets have sold out for James and Julie Petrakis' cookbook release party at the Ravenous Pig Sept. 30. But you can still pre-order a copy of The Ravenous Pig: Seasons of Florida from their website (theravenouspig.com) and have it shipped – or forgo the shipping cost by picking up the book from the restaurant Oct. 2 – then rush home to make a batch of their signature gruyère biscuits.
What better way to celebrate Winter Park's 125th anniversary than to Sip & Stroll down Park Avenue this Sept. 27, partaking of food and wine samples? Reserve your glass for $25 at winterpark.org, then hit places like Cocina 214, Luma on Park and Ancient Olive for your fill. But check yourself – this Sip & Stroll can easily turn into a "Swill & Stagger."
Former Ruth's Chris CMO Jill Ramsier will open Orlando's first winery in October, just off Virginia Drive in the Mills 50 neighborhood. The Quantum Leap Winery will ship in wines from around the world, create their own blends, then sell the product to consumers.
Briefly:
Following in the steps of O'Boys Bar-B-Q, Blackwater Bar-B-Q on Edgewater Drive has closed.
Flavors of India, which took over the space vacated by Clay Oven and Udipi Café, has also closed.
Add the month of October to the trend of beer pairings and you get the Taste of Oktoberfest at downtown's Boheme Restaurant. Beginning Oct. 1, patrons can enjoy a three-course "Bohemian" dinner paired with Radeberger beers for $54 (or $49 without the beer). Prost!
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