OPENINGS & CLOSINGS:
The Moderne, an art deco/nouveau-styled social lounge serving Asian-inspired tapas and craft cocktails, will soft-open the week of Dec. 19 on the corner of East Colonial Drive and Shine Avenue ... Beneficial Breads, an organic German bakery, has opened at 103 S. Main St. in Winter Garden offering everything from schwarzbrot and rye bread to cupcakes and Black Forest cake ... The Park Avenue location of Farm & Haus, the modern café/diner concept with a menu rooted in fresh, seasonal and local ingredients, is hosting friends and family — which means a soft opening isn't too far off ... DUMPiES, a dumpling concept by Jen Mak and Amy Brown, will debut New Year's Eve at Redlight Redlight. Look for pork, garlic and chive dumplings as well as other versions, including vegan options ... Cask & Larder, the Southern kitchen and brewery by Ravenous Pig founders James and Julie Petrakis, has opened inside the new Terminal C at Orlando International Airport ...
The Current Seafood Counter will open this March in the space recently vacated by Jade Sushi & New Asian, next door to Pizza Bruno, in College Park. Expect a menu of fried and blackened seafood, shellfish and lobster rolls, as well as sandwiches, soups, pasta and non-seafood items ... Foxtail Coffee, Kelly's Homemade Ice Cream and the Ravenous Pig Brewing Co. will be the tenants of an 1,800-square-foot, retro-replica juice stand in the Packing District. The stand is expected to be completed in early 2023 ... Popeye's Chicken, a decades-old mainstay on the corner of Orlando and Fairbanks avenues in Winter Park, has closed. Fried chicken lovers are crying ... fowl.
NEWS & EVENTS:
Chef Chau Trinh will stage a special end-of-year Chef's Omakase Saturday, Dec. 17, at Sushi Pop in Oviedo. The nigiri-focused experience will feature at least 10 courses of seasonal, domestic and imported fish. A light salad, chef's cold tasting, specialty handroll and dessert will be included. Seating times are 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Cost is $175 ... The 7th Annual Seafood & Jazz Festival goes from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at Eagles Nest Park, featuring plenty of food trucks and live music. Cost is $10 ... The Courtesy in Winter Park is staging Miracle on Orange through Dec. 30. The halls of the bar have been decked out with holiday trimmings, and the cocktail menu is equally festive.
