Eat Local Orlando: May 2012

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Food Network UK featuring Orlando Food Trucks

Food Network UK will be taping with the Big Wheel Food Truck today at the Maitland Food Truck Cafe Pod at Lake Lily!

More info via Anjali Fluker BizJournals:
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2012/05/food-network-uk-visits-big-wheel-truck.html

" Big Wheel Truck’s Tony Adams is getting ready for yet another taste of stardom.
Chef Adams, who last November joined two other local mobile eateries on Cooking Channel’s Eat Street TV show, will be filmed by Food Network UK for a show called Street Feasts at the May 23 Maitland Food Truck Cafe food truck gathering. Here’s more details on that event.
Big Wheel Truck plans to highlight its locally grown and produced ingredients and expects the taping to be from about 5:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
Twisted Cuban and Fish Out of Water food trucks also will be featured on the show. Twisted Cuban was filmed on May 22 at the Tasty Tuesdays pod in downtown Orlando's Milk District. Check back for more details on the sushi food truck.
You can still see reruns of the Orlando food trucks on Eat Street. Check out the schedule for Big Wheel Truck here, Yum Yum Cupcake Truck here and Crooked Spoon here."

Blu

http://www.winterpark.org/content/know-your-neighbor "Opening in Fall 2012 will be a new restaurant, “Blu” On Park Avenue, This steak and seafood house is affiliated with 310 Park South and will focus on specialty martinis and fine wines. Fresh ingredients will be used for the drink selection, and infused items will be listed as well. " via Winter Park .org

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen Winter Park

Went for a private party where we rented out the back room called the Napoleon Room. It fits 12-20 people and had a TV in it and music playing on the speakers, the room also had great decor and art.

Service was outstanding.

Since we had a decent sized group of about 15 our host ordered an array of appetizers for us all to sample. Alligator & shrimp "cheesecake", onion rings, fried pickle slices, French bread, shrimp in a hearty sauce. All these were quite good, I personally liked the huge onion rings with the Remoulade sauce. Many others raved about the cheesecake which despite it's name is not a dessert at all but more like a loaf or casserole. Only bad thing was the cheesecake was kinda hard to slice up and split with people, I personally thought it was good but not great, though most everyone else loved it.

Onion Rings

Shrimp & Alligator Cheesecake Shrimp, alligator meat, three cheeses & Panko bread crumbs.

Shrimp Remoulade Appetizer

Fried Pickles

Crawfish Etouffee

Our server wisely kept the drinks flowing, they had a wide variety of cocktails: Hurricanes, Sazerac, Mint Juleps, and beers served in large heavy chilled thick glass goblets. While drinking my Abita Turbodog, I felt like a medieval king because of the goblet I was drinking it out of.

Drink Menu

For my main course I ordered the shrimp and grits with Andouille and caramelized onions. I love grits but most places don't know how to make them. Tibbys sure does! This dish was spectacular, tons of rich flavor, it had a dark broth pooled around the edges which had a great rich flavor. The Andouille were finely diced and the onions were cooked until soft and glistening but not darkened. Onions which are typically the strongest flavor of a dish were a nice mild light bite which complemented the other bold flavors if the sauce, grits and sausage. The grits were thick and well flavored with cheese. I was very impressed with this dish.

Sautéed shrimp, andouille sausage & sweet onions over cheese grits & finished
with a red wine gravy.

We finished off with Beignets, piled with powdered sugar they were large and pretty good, I had to specifically ask for chicory coffee, which our server should have suggested, but it was the middle of the day so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. I must have chicory coffee to dip my begets in and stir in some of the excess powdered sugar. Make sure you don't laugh or breath too heavy while eating your Beignets or you may end up looking like Tony Montana with white powder all over your face.