As far as we known, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining is still on. Its 15th year addition is scheduled to run from Aug. 28 through Oct. 4. Curiously, no restaurants are yet listed on the VOMaGDi website. I know of at least one restaurant that will be participating this year. In fact, Big Fin Seafood Kitchen is offering its Magical Dining $35 three-course menu beginning (checks calendar) now. You can take a look at BF’s Magical menu here. (The shrimp & scallops Orleans, which I had on a takeout visit, above, is on the menu, so get that.)
Mia’s Italian Restaurant, which I reviewed shortly before all restaurants were ordered closed, reopens Monday, Aug. 10, for takeout and delivery only.
Linda’s La Cantina, which closed its doors after its chef and butcher, Steve Hart, tested positive for Covid-19, has reopened. Hart has fully recovered and, according to Linda’s Facebook page, no one else got sick in the meantime.
Kudos to chef and professor Jennifer M. Denlinger, pictured above. She has been named the national 2020 Chef Educator of the Year by the American Culinary Federation. Denlinger is department chair of the Culinary Management Program at Valencia College.
Maki Hibachi, a sushi and grill restaurant in Lake Nona, is planning to open a second location in the recently-constructed self-storage building at the corner of Colonial Drive and Magnolia Avenue. No, they won’t be operating out of one of the storage spaces – they’re taking over a ground floor space meant for a restaurant.
The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a small franchise operation that originated in Nevada, is planning to open a restaurant in the Skyhouse apartment building in downtown Orlando. The Daily City reports that the company plans to fire up the gyro roaster in the second quarter of 2021, so the timing sounds about right. There is currently a Great Greek in Winter Garden. I haven’t been, so I can’t attest to its greatness.
The Hungry Pants boys have launched a line of bottled dressings. Pants. Dressing. Get it?
