When the news is as grim as it has been recently, with war, inflation, a persistent pandemic that threatens another wave, and gas prices – good god, don’t forget the gas prices – we look for the glimmers that remind us we are civilized and innovative people, and we know that not only will life go on, it will be better, and the world will once again be envious of our American lifestyle.

Which is all to say that Shake Shack is opening its first Florida location with a drive-thru window. So now, instead of standing in a line of humans who all have been tricked into thinking the New York chain has magical burgers – I mean, they must be special because New Yorkers, who are born with an innate sense of what good food is, will wait in line for hours for one – Central Floridians can queue up and idle in the comfort of their automobiles. (Did I mention gas prices? I meant to mention gas prices.)

The kitchen of Victoria & Albert’s in June, 2019.

Everyone seems quite excited about the news that Victoria & Albert’s, the ultra posh high-end restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, will reopen “later this year.” There is still quite a bit of year left to still qualify as later, and Disney is offering no hints as to how much later. It’s also not saying why its top restaurant – arguably one of the finest in the country – has remained dark while so many others have reopened. And with the announcement that Michelin Guide inspectors will begin visiting area restaurants, you’d think the culineers would want it open as soon as possible since it’s almost a shoe-in for a starred rating.

The Michelin inspectors will just have to make do with Grilled Cheezus, which has opened in the Mills 50 space Bites & Bubbles left empty when it moved up the street. GC occupies the front of the store and Phat Ash Bakes, a cookie company, works out of the rear.

The Orlando Wine Festival & Auction, sponsored by the Orlando Magic and benefitting its Youth Foundation, had its second event last weekend, but it wasn’t exactly second annual.

The first OWFA was in 2019, and the second was planned for March of 2020 and was to have included Michael Symon as the headlining chef and a concert by Boyz II Men. But it was cancelled – along with many other things, including the remaining NBA season – just days before it would have happened.

As Alex Martins, chief executive officer of the Orlando Magic, says in the video below, the decision to go ahead this year was made only 45 days before the event took place at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Orlando.