Grande Lakes Orlando is continuing its series of Curated Experiences with a special Michelin Weekend Oct. 7-9. It’s a celebration of the inaugural Florida Michelin Guide, which awarded a star to Knife & Spoon at the Ritz-Carlton and named JW Marriott’s Primo a Bib Gourmand recommended restaurant.

But the resort isn’t just tooting its own horn, it’s invited other recognized chefs to play.

The weekend will kick off with a Mingle with Michelin event Friday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. with Knife & Spoon’s new chef de cuisine, Tyler Kineman, and Primo’s new executive sous chef, Rhys Gawlak. They’ll be joined by Niven Patel, executive chef at Ghee Indian Kitchen, Miami, and Cindy Hutson, executive chef of La Tropical, Coral Gables, and others.

On Saturday, two time James Beard Award winner Melissa Kelly of Primo will host Brunch with Melissa and Friends. Those friends will include Hutson; Julie Petrakis (The Ravenous Pig); Alexia Gawlak (Swine And Sons); Joanna Kaskiw (Grande Lakes Orlando Pastry); Alexa Delgado (Grande Lakes Orlando Evrbar); and Amanda Gibbons (Primo).

The evening’s event will be Michelin Under the Stars, a gala dinner featuring Mitch Lienhard, whose Michelin-starred experiences include stints as chef de partie at Alinea in Chicago, sous chef at Grace in Chicago, executive sous chef at Saison in San Francisco, and chef de cuisine at Manresa in Los Gatos, Calif. He’ll be joined by Michael Ferraro, chef and vice president of food and beverage at Tavistock Restaurant Collection, and world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Victoria & Albert’s, the crown jewel of Walt Disney Resort restaurants, named for someone who wore the actual Crown Jewels, has finally returned to the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa after its pandemic-forced closure and a renovation that has refreshed and revitalized the 34-year-old dining room.

Other changes have occurred, too.

Now in charge of the kitchen as chef de cuisine in the role that was defined by Scott Hunnel is Matthew Sowers, who was recruited by Hunnel more than a decade ago. (Aimee Rivera was chef de cuisine when the restaurant closed in 2020; she has left the company. Hunnel was promoted to an executive chef position that oversees culinary operations at several resorts, including the Grand Floridian.) The other major personnel change is Kristine Farmer as pasty chef, replacing Erich Herbitschek, who retired.

But we have a long way to go before we talk about pastries because some things about Victoria & Albert’s remain the same, including that dinner here is an evening-long affair.