In this episode of On the House, Samantha Deacy, bartender at the Sear + Sea lobby bar at JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek, demonstrates her newest creation, The Elite.

Usually, we would also share the recipe for the cocktail, but Deacy uses Buffalo Trace bourbon that she infuses roasted apple and cinnamon stick and then washed with foie gras. Probably not something you’re going to try at home.

So instead, take a look at the video and then head to the JW and ask Deacy to make you one. (Of course, you could always try it with straight, unadulterated bourbon, but you really should get the full effect.) Click below to see the video.

The Aardvark — a restaurant, bar, and bottle shop in Orlando’s SoDo District — is an example of a successful reinvention.

Originally known as Aardvark Beverages, it was primarily a package beverage store and a go-to source for beer kegs for partiers of all ages. Well, over 21. The name almost certainly was chosen to come up first in the Yellow Pages listings. (If you’re under 40, ask your grandparents what the Yellow Pages were.)

Today, The Aardvark is a comfortable little neighborhood boîte serving American and bistro fare, such as this sandwich shared by owner Emmie Olivecrona. It’s called the Spicy Guy and features boneless, skinless chicken thighs, either with a hot-sauce coating or just plain.

This recipe is for one sandwich, but you can scale it up for as many people as you’d like. And if it’s for a big party, you may want to know that The Aardvark still sells kegs.

See the recipe at The Community Paper.

In this edition of Local Flavor, Huong Nguyen, the chef and co-owner of Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Z Asian, shares her recipe for crab Rangoon. The recipe is especially geared for those who own an air fryer, but Nguyen also includes instructions for good old fat frying.

According to Lordfer Lalicon, the chef and co-owner of Kaya, “One of the most iconic dishes in the Philippines is adobo, a traditional dish that utilizes garlic, suka (cane vinegar), black pepper and bay leafs as the main components.” But instead of the typical chicken or pork, Kaya uses lion’s mane mushrooms in its adobong kabute and finishes it off with some coconut milk, “to give the dish some fattiness.”Filipino adobo shouldn’t be confused with the Mexican sauce; it’s thinner and slightly sweeter.

Local Flavor is a collaboration between Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide and The Community Paper featuring recipes from area chefs and restaurants.

Francesco Aiello, chef and owner of Francesco’s Ristorante & Pizzeria in Maitland, recently celebrated the popular restaurant’s 10th anniversary. Aiello, a native of Palermo, Sicily, attended the cooking school Istituto Alberghiero there, focusing on Italian preparation of seafood and risotto.

When I recently reviewed Turci Pasta, the College Park Italian restaurant, I noted that one of my favorite things wasn’t the freshly made pastas it’s known for — though they were exceptional — but rather an appetizer: bruschetta with prosciutto and burrata. The owners, Vinicius Turci and his wife, Nathalia Kalil, graciously shared the recipe with me.

Burrata is essentially a ball of mozzarella with curds and cream in the center. It’s the creaminess that really stands out with this dish.

You may use a toaster, toaster oven or conventional oven, but be sure to get the bread nice and crisp.

See the full recipe at YourCommunityPaper.

In this episode of Compliments of the Chef, Peter Cox, chef at Sear + Sea at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek, shares his recipe for a favorite side dish he serves at the steak and seafood restaurant: Tallow Cabbage. Cox believes in making good use of all the ingredients in his kitchen and keeping waste low, especially because the JW uses high quality ingredients – make use of it all. 

You probably don’t have the fancy grill contraption that Cox has at Sear + Sea, but he says you’ll do just fine with any type of grill you have.

Watch the video then give the recipe a try. Better yet, head down to Sea + Sea and try it from the pro.

Four Flamingos: A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen, the Michelin Recommended restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, has a new mixologist heading up its beverage program. Kat Gallardo has gotten right down to the business of creating new, innovative and refreshing cocktails to pair with the restaurant’s  inventive cuisine.

In this episode of On the House, Gallardo shares her recipe and technique for the Flamingo Barraquito, a delicious dessert drink that includes the Spanish liqueur Licor 43. This is a layered cocktail and Gallardo says the secret is using the back of a spoon when pouring the liquids into the glass. Four Flamingos makes its own coconut vanilla cream foam and smoked sea salt to top it off, but Gallardo says you may use canned whipped cream and any kind of sea salt.

Watch the video then give it a try. If you want to know how it’s really supposed to taste, visit Gallardo and the staff at Four Flamingos.

Local Flavor is a collaboration between Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide and The Community Paper.

Bites & Bubbles, the contemporary American restaurant at Mills Park in the Mills 50 District, is known for its extensive assortment of tapas and charcuterie boards as well as full entrees. And craft cocktails if you’re not in the mood for bubbles.

With summer upon us, chef and co-owner Eddie Nickell is sharing his recipe for Summer Watermelon Salad, which is a perfectly cool option for a hot day. B&B tosses the salad dressing with mixed greens, blueberries and cherry tomatoes, although you could substitute your favorite salad fixings. But do toss in some cubes of juicy watermelon.

The recipe for the dressing makes one quart, but Nickell says you can easily halve it. See the full recipe at yourcommunitypaper.com.

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Photo: Tap Room Dubsdread

In this month’s issue of The Community Paper, my Local Flavor column features the recipe for Hot Crab Dip from the Tap Room at Dubsdread.

Here in Florida, there really isn’t a crab season — we can pretty much get fresh crab all year. However, right now is when the freshest catches occur, so you’re likely to find some good product at your favorite fishmonger. Or crabmonger, if you will.

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