The Disney Springs Flavors of Florida, an annual event that I somehow hadn’t heard of before, started Saturday and runs through Aug. 13. It’s meant to promote “the tastes, techniques, ingredients and culture of the Sunshine State through deliciously curated menu items at many of the most popular restaurants at Disney Springs.”
That might mean anything from Key West Pink Shrimp Ceviche from The Polite Pig to Chicken Guy!’s Sunshine Shake made with Florida orange juice. (Actually, looking at the various menu offerings on the Disney Springs Flavors of Florida website there appears to be a preponderance of pink shrimp items. I fear Key West might be shrimped out before the middle of August.)
This year, the festival is offering a weekly culinary series featuring Disney Springs restaurateurs and chefs. Celebrity chef José Andrés, of Jaléo at the Springs, started things off on June 20 (even though the event didn’t begin until July 1). He spent about an hour riffing on a number of topics while his chefs made paella in the background. He was supposedly meant to give the recipe for the paella but told those in attendance that if he gave them the recipe they wouldn’t have any reason to come to his restaurant anymore. Most of those in attendance were invited as part of a media preview of Disney Springs Flavors of Florida.
The demonstration was scheduled to be at Waterview Park, a venue I had never heard of before, but was brought inside Jaléo because rain threatened to make the park a little too watery.
Master sommelier George Miliotes of Wine Bar George will present the next demonstration on July 7. He’ll show how to make the Dicuru Burrata that he’s featuring at Wine Bar George during the festival. (He served it at a reception for the media event attendees. It’s pretty darned tasty and I can’t imagine Miliotes will renege on offering the recipe.)
The demonstrations are free – and include a food sample – but registration is required and spaces are limited. However, as of Monday afternoon, July 3, there was no link leading to a registration form on the event’s website, so there’s that. (Update: Registration for the demonstrations will go live on the website on the Wednesday before each event.)
Others in the series include:
James Petrakis, The Polite Pig, July 14
Art Smith, Art Smith’s Homecomin’, July 21
Steve Lewis, Gideon’s Bakehouse, July 28
Disney chefs Chef Georg Paulussen, Chef Jennifer Ladisky and Chef Gary Miles, Aug. 4
