Friday, January 31, 2014

The Strand new restaurant on Mills

The Strand is a new restaurant on Mills in the old Chucks Diner.

from their website:"The Strand was conceived as a small neighborhood restaurant with the purpose of becoming an everyday tradition in the larger fabric of Orlando. We feature the “New Old,” contemporary interpretations of classic culinary fare. Our New American cuisine emphasizes seasonal dishes made from scratch, with daily Chef’s specials inspired by fresh ingredients. Compliment your meal with one of our carefully selected craft beers and wines. Our restaurant highlights the historic, mid-century sensibilities of Orlando’s Mill’s 50 District. With a knowledgeable and friendly staff it is our sincere desire to offer you a memorable dining experience."

Website: http://strandorlando.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strandorlando

807 North Mills Ave
Orlando, FL 32803(map)
(407) 920-7744
The inside is very wide with a lot of open space. Has a kind of gray 50's style to it.




The have a nice bar with beer taps. Long booths along the wall with tables and chairs in front of them. In the very front where you come in there is a huge wooden table which is very interesting. Staff was very nice and attentive.




I started with the salad, It was a little disappointing.The lettuce was just unexciting, the pears had a good flavor but were a little firmer then I would have liked, the blue cheese was good.



I also tried the Bocadilla Sandwich which reminded me a little of a Cuban sandwich, it had Prosciutto, Manchego, tomato rub, Aaffron Aioli on baguette. I would have preferred a little more sauce on mine, it was tasty but thin on the meat and a little dry. It came with a side of couscous which seemed an odd pairing to me but it had a good flavor.




my friends had:
Pisto Espagne from The Strand. Warm zucchini-tomato compote over potatoes, egg, manchego, fried prosciutto



 Porkzilla sandwich - Pulled Pork, Papaya Glaze, Coleslaw on a Brioche Bun. He said he would have liked some BBQ sauce with it but there was none to be had.


For dessert I had a wonderful slice of the Olive Oil Cake  which was great and had a light cream sauce and orange slices on it. I'm typically not a big cake fan but this was really good.

 They are open from Lunch 11-3. Possibly dinner and also brunch on weekends. Call them to confirm.


Menus:


  

The Strand on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Sips and Sides: The Social Edition (at Christner's Prime Steak and Lobster)

Christner's Prime Steak and Lobster (729 Lee Road in Orlando, FL) hosted last night's Sips and Sides social gathering, and I enjoyed it very much. The event, which brought together a number of our community's food enthusiasts and bloggers as well as business professionals, was impressively put together and attended by many interesting people, including Rashmi Primlani of The Primlani Kitchen and Julius Mayo of Droolius.com.





The restaurant offered samples of several of its appetizers/sides in addition to select complimentary cocktails. I loved the crab cakes (pictured below, with a spinach dip); if I return for a meal here in the future, I definitely will consider ordering those. The crab meat was delicious and tender. These are among the best crab cakes I've recently tried and I highly recommend them. The spinach dip also was very tasty. Sautéed mushrooms also were offered, but I passed on those as I don't really like mushrooms very much. I'm sure they would have appealed to those who do enjoy them, though, and I did hear from one attendee that they were very good.


The complimentary cocktails contained liquors provided by the Winter Park Distilling Company. I tried one Manhattan (below, left) and two of the Moscow Mule drinks (below, right), which, respectively, featured the distillery's whiskey and vodka. All of them were excellent. The bartender did a great job.



For the latest about the restaurant, look it up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.


Overall, it was a great event and I'm glad I was able to attend. Everyone with whom I conversed was pleasant and friendly. I hope to go to more events like this in the future.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Eat St. Food Trucks in Orlando


Eat St. The television series about food trucks throughout the US is going to be filming in Orlando next week. Public is welcome

http://eatst.foodnetwork.ca/blog/eat-st-on-location-flavours-of-florida.html


MONDAY, JANUARY 13 - 12 PM
Treehouse Truck
Golf Channel
7580 Golf Channel Dr
Orlando, FL 32819

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 - 12 PM
Bem Bōm
@ Southeast Steel
63 W Amelia St
Orlando, FL 32801

SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 - 12 PM
Sushi & Seoul On The Roll
East End Market
3201 Corrine Dr
Orlando, FL 32803

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 - 12 PM
SwedeDISH
Eat More Produce
1111 S Orlando Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 - 12 PM
Cafe Rouge Express
First United Methodist Church of Orlando
142 E Jackson St
Orlando, FL 32801 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 - 12 PM
Curbside Chef
Orlando Weekly
1505 E Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32803