On the heels of Segafredo Zanetti, Brass Tap has also opened to the masses in Mills Park, with its 60 taps and selection of 150 craft brews from around the globe. Brass Tap's Windermere locale (at Conroy Windermere and South Apopka roads) is currently under construction. Over near UCF, DeVine Wine & Grill has opened in Alafaya Square, while Nom Nom Bowls is slated to open on campus next to the reflecting pond.
Sip on wine, munch on hors d'oeuvres, and shop at your leisure during the Winter Park Sip, Shop & Stroll Feb. 5 from 5-8 p.m. Admission is $25 and reservations are strongly recommended. The Cattle Barons Ball is Feb. 7 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort; cost is $250 per person, with proceeds going to support the American Cancer Society. Lakeridge Winery celebrates their new wine releases from 2014 at WineFest XXV Feb. 13-15 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sip, stroll, and witness artisans hawking their wares. Admission is a $2 donation. Note: No picnic baskets, coolers or outside food and drink permitted.
Valentine's Day falls on a weekend this year, so best plan your romantic night out now. The Ravenous Pig offers a four-course "perfect match" tasting dinner Sunday, Feb. 15, with such dishes as foie gras-and-lobster croissant and peanut butter-and-jelly soufflé. Cost is $70 per person. Norman's four-course V-Day menu features the likes of strawberry grouper ceviche and brioche French toast with curaçao-scented foie gras. Cost is $150 per person. If you want to be outdoors, consider brunch on the farm – Tomazin Farms in Samsula, to be exact, as Cress Restaurant's Hari Pulapaka prepares a decadent meal Sunday, Feb. 15. Cost is $60 per person.
BRIEFLY:
Ferg's Depot is finally under construction downtown ... Look for the Phantom Lounge, a hookah bar, to open on the corner of Colonial Drive and Thornton Avenue ... The Downtown Food & Wine Fest is Feb. 21-22 at Lake Eola. Cost is $15 in advance, $20 on day of event ... Dates for the 2015 Epcot Food & Wine Fest have been released: Sept. 25-Nov. 16.
