Taste of the Nation Orlando 2011

Originally posted on Blogger on June 16, 2011

The only thing better than going to a local foodie event that I can think of is, well, going to a local foodie event that benefits No Kid Hungry, Share our Strength’s nationwide effort that was established to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. Taste of the Nation Orlando is an event that does just this. Here’s the amazing thing: 100 PERCENT of the ticket sales will go to No Kid Hungry. Every restaurant, chef, mixologist, planner, etc that is involved is donating their time to make sure that ticket sale prices will purely go to this worthy cause.

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

This year, the Taste of the Nation Orlando event will take place at the Orlando World Center Marriott on August 6th, 2011. VIP entrance begins at 6pm, with general admission at 6:45, and the event will last until 10pm. General admission tickets are $100 each. VIP admission is $150 a ticket, and includes general admission plus early entry to the event, goody bags (eep! goody bags!!), and exclusive seating.

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

Taste of the Nation Orlando includes representatives from tons of local restaurants and venues, including The Capital Grille, K Restaurant & Wine Bar, Sanaa (at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge), Whole Foods Market, plus many more. For the current full restaurant list, check here. As the event gets closer, I will post any further information I get regarding participants and the morsels they will be offering.

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

During the event there will also be an auction held, with some seriously awesome items up for bid. Some of these include getaways (both in-state and out; there is even a getaway to the Arizona Biltmore up for grabs!), sporting events, and (probably most exciting to all of the foodies) some seriously awesome restaurant items. One of them is a four course chef’s tasting for two with wine at The Ravenous Pig. Those of you with upcoming weddings or children take note: there are also various photography sessions up for bid. Those that I’ve listed are only a small sample of the auction spoils that will be available that night!

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

Who will the proceeds from this event benefit locally? Both the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. In addition, Florida Impact will also benefit from all of the events of this kind statewide.

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

At this point, how could you not want to attend Taste of the Nation Orlando? I know I sure cannot WAIT for August 6th to get here.

To buy tickets, or to donate if you cannot attend, click here.

Also, if you purchase a VIP ticket between now and June 20th, use code ORLDAD for 10% off. What a great Father’s Day gift that would be!

Photo from Taste of the Nation 2010 by MPuckett Simple Reflections

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Anatolia in Dr. Phillips

Originally posted on Blogger on June 13, 2011

My mother had recommended Anatolia to me a few months ago, saying the Turkish and Lebanese offerings were amazing and “just like the little place across from our old house in Boston,” so with praise like that, it was immediately on my list of must-eats. However, I kept forgetting about it when trying to decide on a place to eat! Then, a couple of weeks ago, I got into a chat on Twitter about it with a few fellow foodies, and decided C and I would have to try it that weekend for lunch.

Located in the Dr. Phillips shopping center off of Sand Lake Rd (right in the “Restaurant Row” area), Anatolia is a small restaurant with gorgeous decor wedged in between Einstein’s Bagels and Starbucks. It has a few tables on the outdoor walkway for when the weather isn’t too hot and is great, in my opinion, for both a casual lunch and a semi-dressy date night.

C and I have been looking for great Mediterranean food (his goal is to find a kebab as good as the ones from The Golden Grill in Clevedon, the little town we lived in in the UK) for some time now, and we definitely found it at Anatolia. This is far from street food, though, and the prices reflect that to an extent. However, it is worth the money, be it for lunch or dinner.

Disney Series #2: Kouzzina by Cat Cora

Originally posted on Blogger on May 26, 2011

C and I stayed at Disney for our anniversary back in January and took advantage of the Disney Dining Plan as part of our mini-vacation. I know this post is way late but hey…I didn’t have a blog back in January! On the first night of our stay we decided to try out Kouzzina by Cat Cora (here’s a link to the full menu, a new-ish restaurant (it opened in August of 2009) that took the place of Spoodles at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. I had made reservations a few days prior, and boy was I happy that I had!

Photo taken from WDW Info

I have been a fan of Cat Cora’s since her show Kitchen Accomplished aired on the Food Network, and love watching her on Iron Chef America, so when I saw that she was opening a restaurant nearby, I was psyched. Mediterranean food is a particular favorite of mine and C enjoys it as well, so it was a good choice for us for our anniversary trip. The anticipation was high enough as it was, but when we got to the restaurant and checked in for our reservation and saw a sign stating that Cat was actually at the restaurant that night and meeting the patrons, I got a little bit star-struck. Movie stars and famous singers do nothing for me. They might as well just be really rich (and often very attractive) random people. For the most part, anyway. Chefs and writers that I admire, though? As much as I say “oh they are just normal people, why would I get all worked up over meeting so-and-so”…I am 100% full of crap. When I saw Cat Cora walking around her restaurant and greeting people, I got positively giddy. Please forgive the horrible quality of these photos; they were taken with my old and incredibly crappy cell phone.

Me looking ridiculous and giddy and Cat Cora….not looking at the camera. Oops!

Oishi Japanese Hibachi Restaurant

Originally posted on Blogger on May 20, 2011

I bought a coupon from EverSave awhile back for $40 worth of food at Oishi Japanese Hibachi Restaurant for $20 and kept forgetting to use it. So, when I realized I had both a free evening and a craving for sushi, a foodie friend and I went off to take advantage of my awesome deal. I had read very mixed reviews of Oishi on Yelp so went in with an open mind and fairly average expectations.

Oishi is located at the corner of International Drive and Central Florida Parkway in a shopping plaza. It looks unassuming from the outside, but the decor is very nice. The tables are made to look like natural wood, and while there is a lot going on, it is tastefully done. Since it was relatively late (almost 10pm, and they close at 11), we decided to sit at the sushi bar with hopes of seeing some exciting stuff being made right in front of us. Alas, the clear window was a bit too high to see anything going on behind the counter. A little disappointing, but no biggie; we could decide what we wanted from the menu instead of just picking and choosing as things that looked good went out to other tables.

We ordered four rolls (spicy tuna roll, sex on the moon roll, spider roll, and ninja roll) plus two pieces of octopus sushi. I’ll be honest, I tend to like to order rolls that sound a little different, so I was excited about both the sex on the moon and the ninja rolls because of their wild descriptions, but I was really most pleased with the simpler rolls.