OPENINGS
Luke's Kitchen + Bar by chef Brandon McGlamery (Luma on Park, Prato) opens in Maitland Monday, Jan. 9 ... Phan's Asian Cuisine, a new eatery by local B-boy Tung Fu (of MF Kidz), is in the soft-open mode on South OBT near West Taft-Vineland Road ... Fratello's Pizza celebrates its grand opening Saturday, Jan. 7, in Coytown ... Teak Neighborhood Grill opens a second location in the former RanGetsu space in Maitland sometime this spring ... The Halal Guys, the popular NYC street-cart outfit, will open near Waterford Lakes in early 2017 ... Kalienne's Filipino-American Bakeshop & Eatery has opened in Altamonte Springs ... Near the Mall at Millenia, Habit Burger Grill has opened on Millenia Plaza Way; nearby, Tijuana Flats has opened on Gardens Park Boulevard – this location is debuting a new look with butcher-block tables, banquette seating and a 24-seat patio ... Chef Wang's Kitchen has opened in the 1st Oriental Supermarket plaza on West Colonial Drive ... Also on West Colonial Drive, Taco Twist, specializing in Korean tacos, has opened in the old Italian Beefstro space ... MidiCi, a Neapolitan pizza joint based out of Sherman Oaks, California, has opened an outpost in the Crosslands Shopping Center in Kissimmee.
NEWS/EVENTS
Claddagh Cottage, the venerable Irish pub on Curry Ford Road that closed at the end of 2016, is hoping to reopen a mile down the road and is asking the public for a little financial help. Head over to gofundme.com/ claddaghcottagepub to help them out.
Executive chef Joseph Burnett has left Osprey Tavern and is looking to open his own restaurant in Winter Garden sometime in 2017. Seito Sushi executive chef Austin Boyd will oversee Osprey Tavern's kitchen.
K Restaurant is no longer serving lunch, but chef-owner Kevin Fonzo will focus on "kicking up" happy hour specials as well as adding Sunday-night supper service.
Ten10 Brewing's second annual rib competition event is at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7; one week later, Sonny's BBQ's second annual Smokin' Showdown Invitational takes place at the Central Florida Zoo at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14.
According to the James Beard Foundation, here are some trends to watch for in 2017: a revival of French cuisine; a new "it" grain, sorghum; and the rise of delivery-only restaurants.
