Bernard Carmouche, who has been a high-profile chef with Emeri Lagasse’s restaurants, especially here and the Southeast, has left that organization and will partner with Larry Sinabaldi, chef from Palm restaurant at Hard Rock Hotel, to open Two Chefs Seafood Bar. The restaurant will be located in the former Uptown Ground space at 743 N. Magnolia Ave. north of downtown Orlando. Carmouche tells me they are looking to open in October.
“We’re going to have some Gulf oysters and some local seafood from the Cape,” says Carmouche, “some fried chicken, steak, gumbo and clam chowder.” He describes the menu as “Southern comfort food.”
The restaurant, which will seat 50 in a downstairs cafe and have another 30 to 40 seats in a private dining area upstairs with a bar, will be open for lunch and dinner.
Carmouche says that it was past time for him to leave Emeril’s and strike out on his own. “I passed up some good opportunities” over the years. “I’m trying to spread my wings a little.”
Whenever I visited Emeril’s Orlando, I knew that it was going to be a great experience when I saw that Carmouche was in the kitchen. This is very good news for the Central Florida dining scene.