OPENINGS: ViVi Bubble Tea has opened next door to Chuan Lu Garden in Mills 50 ... Look for Pier 36 Fish Camp, a full-service seafood restaurant offering "locally sourced seafood from well-managed fisheries," to open toward the end of the month or early April in Casselberry ... Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery will move into a space at the foot of Park Avenue ... The Cookery, a specialty grocer stocking sundry locally made, organic and all-natural foods, pastries, sauces, spices, beverages, botanicals and more, has opened on South Street ... NYC-based café/bakery Café D'Avignon will open five locations in Orlando, two of them by the end of the year. Locations have yet to be disclosed ... Florida's first outpost of Andy's Frozen Custard has opened on I-Drive. Look for another to open off Rinehart Road next to Buffalo Wild Wings in Sanford ... The Simple Greek, a fast-casual chain playing up the Cretan diet, has opened in Oviedo.
NEWS: Boozehounds, rejoice! Restaurants of at least 1,800 square feet and equipped to serve 80 persons can now get a special liquor license thanks to a recent law passed by the Florida Legislature ... Savor Our City, a walking food tour operator based in Boca Raton, has expanded to Orlando. Visit savorourcity.com for more ... The Tasting Room Orlando, the slick bar at the back of Vines Wine Shop in Dr. Phillips, has a new bar manager, a new menu and a totally legit cocktail program ... Family Meal Mondays at K Restaurant means families can eat for $15 per person (minimum three people) ... El Buda celebrates Tiki Tuesdays on the first Tuesday of every month.
EVENTS: The Dinner Gang Dining Club by Eddie Nickell and Nick Olivieri hosts a wine dinner March 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the historic Dr. Phillips House. The four-course meal costs $80 ... The International Orlando Wine Festival goes from 2-7 p.m. March 24 on Church Street. Admission is $15-$95 ... Chef Frank Anderson of the Rez Grill will cook with James and Julie Petrakis in a collab dinner at the Ravenous Pig March 25 at 6:30 p.m. The five-course dinner is $125 ... The Heart of Florida United Way Chef's Gala is April 14 at the Epcot World Showplace with a host of Disney and non-Disney restaurants participating. Cost is $325 per person.
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