Eating Your Way Around Orlando
Orlando has always seemed to be a hot, breezeless city filled with generic chain restaurants, hotels and stores, where you either go to the theme parks or just drive through.
Then I discovered Unique Eats and Eateries of Orlando, a new guide from edible Orlando publisher Kendra Lott, which prompted me to revisit. Imagine my surprise at so many culinary discoveries! A weekend didn’t seem like enough time to explore this metropolis of more than 2.5 million people, divided into all sorts of fun neighborhoods.
Winter Park
The I-4 construction continues, and after many blocked exits, I turned off on Lee Road, which brought me to Winter Park, home of Rollins College. In the middle of the city’s darling downtown area there’s a train station where you can catch SunRail for regional destinations and Amtrak for points north and south. I started my day at Buttermilk Bakery on Orange Avenue, where it was hard to choose from the dazzling display of croissants, tarts, tea cakes and cookies. At Rollins College, the Cornell Fine Arts Museum features free tours on Saturdays. Other choices are the quaint Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour’s one-hour cruise or the paddleboard tour. On Saturday mornings, visit the award-winning Winter Park Farmers Market from 7am-1pm.
My second stop was the East End Market on Corinne Drive. My GPS took me through Winter Park’s brick streets, graceful oaks on hilly streets, little lakes with cozy parks and an eclectic mix of mid-century modern homes mixed with Spanish Mediterranean, Southern plantation and ranch homes. The market’s carefully curated vendors include a meat market, bakery, cheese shop, juice bar and restaurants. The neighborhood also features great thrift stores, breweries and specialty food shops – the hand pies at P Is for Pie Bake Shop were delicious. If you’re around on a Monday night, the nearby Audubon Community Market showcases local vendors rain or shine. Half a mile away is Harry P. Leu Gardens, with lush camellias and roses, oaks, palms and bamboo. Visit in the cooler part of the day.
Mills 50
Next stop is Mills 50 on North Mills Avenue. Previously known as Little Vietnam, this neighborhood is packed with Asian grocery stores, including Vietnamese, Malaysian, Korean, Chinese, even Laotian restaurants. Next door to the popular Royal Tea, Dong A Imports stocks kitchenware and maneki-neko cat statues. The community is also home to yoga studios, tattoo parlors, visual artists, vegan restaurants, breweries and the LGBT+Center Orlando.
Past Lake Eola is Church Street Station, an old railroad station on the Register of National Historic Places. It’s currently undergoing a new transformation with the nearby Amway Center. Also on Church Street are The Rusty Spoon and Artisans Table and the fun Grand Bohemian Hotel. In the nearby Milk District, the Se7en Bites Bakeshop serves Southern comfort food for breakfast and lunch. I ended up ordering cold beer and empanadas at A La Cart, a food truck park, centered around a craft beer bar.
Taking a break from urban life, I drove to Lake Meadow Naturals Farm near Ocoee Surrounded by housing developments, this farm is a breath of fresh, if humid, air. Their market stocks their own eggs, frozen meats, cheeses and housemade kimchi. You can take a farm tour, but just a walk around is a welcome antidote to city traffic. In nearby Winter Garden, I hear there’s a new food hall. But I’ll save that for my next trip, now that I know that Orlando is filled with culinary adventures.
{ An Insider’s Perspective }
Author and edible Orlando publisher Kendra Lott focuses on places loved by locals that offer authentic flavors at fair prices. “Q’Kenan has friendly sit-down service and solid Venezuelan fare including grilled meats and stuffed plantain sandwiches; Ararat Euro Food & Bistro is perfect for a group so that you can sample a mix of Russian and Eastern European dishes like cabbage rolls, pelmeni and smoked fish; and Selam Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant offers an array of meats and vegetarian dishes you can enjoy communally on a platter of injera bread,” she says. Among top events are the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Aug. 29-Nov. 23 and Fusion Fest on Thanksgiving weekend. “Smaller events such as Serb Fest, which offers live music and dancing along with Serbian food, typically don’t announce their dates until a couple of months out,” she says. Check their calendar for more. Her book includes farmers markets, farms, bakeries, supermarkets and even a winery. Buy Unique Eats and Eateries of Orlando here.
