For years you’ve seen me report from the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show, the massive convention for restaurants and food service professionals. I always like to walk the massive convention floor looking for trends — and sampling all of the foods that vendors are passing around.
Each year I get asked by readers how they can attend the convention. Sadly, it’s open only to members and industry professionals.
But I can get you in this year.
On Saturday, Sept. 8, I’m hosting a Sous Chef Challenge called The Next Big Thing. I’ve invited some of the talented men and women who serve as second in command in some of our top kitchens to show us what they can do. I’ve asked them to create a dish that they think will be the next big thing, a food or ingredient trend we’ll all be nuts for next year.
Tickets are just $30 but I have a very limited number available. Follow this link to the Next Big Thing page for more information and to reserve your tickets.
The event will be Sat., Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Orange Country Convention Center.
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Premier Event to Banish Childhood Hunger is Saturday
Taste! Central Florida, the annual food and beverage extravaganza dedicated to ending childhood hunger, is just about here. The event, formerly known as Taste of the Nation, is Saturday, Sept. 8, from 6:45 to 10 p.m. at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Tickets are $175 per person and can be purchased online at this link. All proceeds from ticket sales stay in the area and are used by Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.
Taste! is a massive walkabout affair that fills one of the huge ballrooms at the Marriott World Center. The highlight is the array of talented chefs from some of the area’s top restaurants offering samples of their best dishes.
Among this year’s list of participating restaurants are flog friends:
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Here are the top vote getters from the nominating stage for Best Greek Restaurant in our Foodster Awards for Independent Restaurants.
You may vote for only one restaurant, and please vote just once — this isn’t Chicago (though it has a very nice Greek Town).
After placing your vote, leave a comment below telling us why you like your selection (be sure to mention the name of the restaurant in you comment otherwise we won’t know which one you’re talking about). We may use your comments when we announce the winners.
Voting ends Sept. 19 and the winners will be announce Sept. 20.
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