Light Bites

The Best of Orlando

Posted on by leolawrence94

Dearly beloved readers, today I thought I’d try something a little different and make a post with an amalgamation of several hot culinary destinations to visit instead of one review. The place under scrutiny is Orlando, Florida and the locations are spread out around the city so essentially I’ve given you a guided foodie tour of the City Beautiful (but also check out the singular post on The Briarpatch!). You’re welcome. Here goes!

Seasons 52: Altamonte

A little on the upmarket side of things, Seasons 52 is a fantastic place for celebrations with chic décor and great service. As one could guess from the name, it always has an imaginative seasonal menu with a plethora of tempting choices. The flatbreads make for an excellent sharing starter and this is most definitely a place for making room for dessert, as they bring over a platter of choices ranging from a mini key lime pie to a s’mores pudding. Now perhaps you understand why I suggested that this was a good place for group celebrations because GOOD LUCK being able to choose just one dessert from these options. I believe there is also a great wine selection, however I wouldn’t know since, in an unprecedented turn of events, Papa L wouldn’t let us try his selection because evidently our taste buds aren’t valuable enough. Shocking behaviour.

http://www.seasons52.com/home

Boca: Winter Park

Boca has a delightful al fresco dining area on Park Avenue, making it a hotspot for lunching and people watching in the Floridian sunshine (perhaps head inside in the summer months unless intense sweating is your thing) of an afternoon. A solid lunch menu included various gourmet sandwiches, interesting salads and, as fate would have it, on National Grilled Cheese Day, grilled cheese was featured also. This was no ordinary grilled cheese however, as it included Gruyere and blue cheese with caramelised onions and artichoke. The fanciest humble grilled cheese around. If the weather isn’t playing the game, the restaurant is very accommodating inside with a large private dining area reminiscent of a restaurant in the Hamptons attached to the main area. Be sure to check out the lettuce leaves growing on the walls – they use these in the salads!

http://www.bocawinterpark.net

World of Beer: Lake Eola

While there are several WoB locations in Orlando, the most scenic is arguably the Lake Eola location, which has a wonderful outside deck looking over the city’s most iconic lake. It is the craft beer lover’s oasis, with hundreds of varieties from which to choose. Handy hint: be sure to download the app to check out all the options and select your favourites before they inevitably inhibit you from making any sound decisions after sampling (for the sake of research, of course). For those less hop-enthused, rest assured there are plenty of other options to ensure you keep pace with those merry beer folk. For when the hunger sets in, there is an extensive menu with some great sharing options (suspicious, I know) such as chicken wings, shrimp and a giant pretzel with a plethora of dip choices fit for kings. All in all, WoB makes for a great place to gather the troops for an evening of shenanigans.

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https://worldofbeer.com

Park Station: Winter Park

Having raved about the joys of Park Avenue in the morning light for a brunch experience, it appears that it must be stated that it is also rather lovely at sunset if an evening meal is on the cards. Park Station is a restaurant dealing primarily in American fare and, like most of the other establishments on this street, has outdoor seating. Albeit slightly less extensive than the other restaurants featured in this wonder-post, the menu at Park Station is certainly interesting and diverse. The flatbread was a delectable starter (flatbreads will always be noted on this blog because I have a great appreciation for the fact that they are essentially pizzas that masquerade as starters) and the main course of fish in a caper sauce and seasonal vegetables went down swimmingly (hehe, geddit?). Good food, good happy hour and good vibes, but be sure to sit outside to get the full effect of that wine in the sunset.

http://www.parkstation212.com

So concludes this list of Orlando hotspots, tailored to (nearly) every possible experience one could wish to enjoy in this city. Just kidding; there is plenty more to discover but I’ll be darned if this isn’t a swell place to start.

The Argyle

Posted on by leolawrence94

The Argyle, Sydney, Australia

If you’re looking for nightlife hotspots and funky restaurants that will spice up your Instagram feed, look no further than The Rocks, Sydney. This area is popular for the aforementioned features but the main draw is its proximity to the famous Sydney Harbour (which – fun fact – is actually called Port Jackson) where you can take as many Harbour Bridge and Opera House selfies as your little heart desires. Unsurprising, then, that there are so many places to wine and dine in this tourist trap. Once you’ve finished trying to avoid photobombing seagulls at the harbour, The Rocks is the place to be.

The Argyle, located at The Rocks, is definitely one of our favourite stomping grounds thus far and this is mainly because you can do literally everything there. It’s the ideal location to choose for a relaxed beverage on a Sunday afternoon, an all day drinking fest, a nightclub, a restaurant, an outdoor movie theatre etc. etc. etc. The list goes on. It’s a pretty sizeable venue with two floors, the second of which turns into a dance floor for the more hoppin’ evenings of the week, as well as a vast outside terrace with its own bar. The best way I can describe the décor of the inside area is as a retro Hawaiian lounge. The lighting is very moody and there are palm trees and lounge chairs in smaller groups as well as high tables and stools if you’re going down the food route.

Be prepared to question everything you thought you wanted to eat upon arrival when you take a look at the menu. Ole Sib and I went in there contemplating some classic burgers and somehow ended up with a mozzarella and bruschetta bar, cheesesteak egg rolls and fried mac n cheese balls in front of us wondering how we had come this far and questioning all of our life choices up to this one moment of pure happiness. Who needs burgers when you can experience these crazy culinary creations? (I’m sorry, that was rash. I will always need burgers. Please forgive me, burger gods.) Rest assured, however, that there are so many options ranging from wood fired pizzas to burgers to barbecue ribs to salads (no thanks) that there really is something for everyone and for every occasion.

We began our feast with the mozzarella and bruschetta bar. It was presented on a cool wooden platter with sections for each food item. The sections were filled with mozzarella, caponata tapenade, pesto and a crushed tomato sauce. In a create-your-own kind of situation, these flavours came together beautifully on the crusty (another word that is only acceptable when referring to food. See Muriel’s Kitchen post: moist.) Sourdough bread. Bread and sauce and cheese are three of the major food groups of my life and all three were satisfactorily featured in this meal. The journey continued with the cheesesteak egg rolls. I am a big Philly cheesesteak fan but, of course, am used to the more conventional sub roll as the foundation for this iconic sandwich. The egg roll aspect was surprisingly wonderful in the sense that it added a welcome crisp to a usually sloppy experience. A drizzle of sriracha ketchup made for a solid Asian-American fusion flavour.

Ok, everyone. Let’s talk about those mac n cheese balls. Now, before this impromptu gastronomic adventure, I had indeed heard of such a thing as fried mac n cheese balls and could only dream that one day I would be so lucky as to be able to experience them. Thankfully, they lived up to my astronomically high hopes. They were little golden parcels of joy resting angelically on a light bed of blue cheese mayonnaise and on top of each little ball was a delicately placed piece of crispy bacon. Salivation had kicked into overdrive by the time the fork reached its destination on this one. My sincerest compliments to the imagination from whence this glorious idea sprung.

After demolishing the most wonderfully random combination of platters, Ole Sib and I were stunned into silence. What a journey. Whilst we reflected on the good times, a talented musical duo played some welcome acoustic 90s R&B tunes and all was right in the world for a little bit longer…

http://www.theargylerocks.com

Muriel’s Kitchen

Posted on by leolawrence94

Behold the inaugural restaurant post! Many posts are in the making and will be posted shortly but here’s the first one to get the ball rolling…

Muriel’s Kitchen was the chosen retreat from the elements on this week’s rainy Tuesday afternoon in Richmond. As soon as we stepped in the door to avoid the British version of Storm Jonas, the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting with a homely feel and great lighting. The rustic tiled floor complemented the wooden tables and the quirky cooking implements that acted as wall decorations. The vibe was almost that of walking into the kitchen of classy country cottage. So far, so good.

Upon being seated at a quaint table with a tiny potted plant, we opted for a skinny cappuccino and a hazelnut latte. Both arrived promptly and were of a great quality – I’m a big fan of foam so that was a win. When they arrived, despite having said we were just here for drinks (life on an unemployed budget), we ordered a red velvet cupcake and a dulce de leche brownie.

It turns out these were excellent choices. The red velvet cupcake was beautifully presented, albeit slightly challenging to consume owing to its towering nature. The history behind red velvet cake is intriguing. Beetroot colouring has been used since wartime to add colour to bland ingredients, however the original red velvet recipe originated in New York in the 1960s in the famed Waldorf Astoria New York. After the secret recipe was leaked, it became a fashionable choice of New York’s affluent population for their classy gatherings.

Given its history, popularity and current fashionable nature, the red velvet cupcake is a highly scrutinised cake. Luckily, Muriel’s Kitchen’s take on the classic did not disappoint. The cream cheese icing was perfection – tart enough to enjoy in more-than-moderation without being sickly – and the cupcake itself was moist (I bemoan the use of this word but am awaiting the world’s discovery of a better word to describe good cake).

Our other choice, the dulce de leche brownie, was a dark, gooey piece of chocolaty goodness marbled with soft caramel that oozed from the centre. The only downside to this brownie was having to precisely and delicately divide it to ensure we both got an equal amount of caramel. As the younger sibling, I object to being short-changed in this manner. The exceptional thing about the desserts we sampled was that, although they were visually striking, they exuded the Grandma’s cooking vibe that was described in the menu. Another success for the chefs of Muriel’s Kitchen.

An all round solid culinary experience was only added to by the excellent soundtrack in the restaurant, from jazzy swing music that transported us to the Bayou to contemporary Florence and the Machine and Jessie Ware to old school Fleetwood Mac and The Pretenders. I was digging it. Despite only going for coffee and cake (which maybe turned into a bottle of wine as well…), the menu was appealing and extensive and reasonably priced for such an enjoyable experience. Muriel’s Kitchen most definitely lived up to its ‘Home Sweet Home’ slogan and we will surely be returning to enjoy it once more.

http://www.murielskitchen.co.uk

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