If you’ve been to Jack’s Place, the steakhouse near Pointe Orlando, you’ve seen the celebrity caricatures that fill the walls. Those drawings were done by a man named Jack Rosen when he worked at the Waldorf Astoria in New York many years ago. Rosen was a safety engineer for the fabled Manhattan hotel. He drew the pictures in his spare time whenever a well-known person visited the Waldorf, and many times he managed to get the celebrity to autograph the work. Jack’s Place claims to have the world
’s largest collection of signed caricatures in the world, even more than the famed Sardi’s.

 

Jack’s son, Harris, also went into the hotel business, and he seems to have done pretty well for himself, seeing as how Jack’s Place is located inside the Rosen Plaza hotel, which is near the Rosen Centre, and not far from Rosen Shingle Creek, just a few of Harris Rosen’s pantheon of properties. Recently, Rosen was named Central Floridian of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel’s editorial board in recognition of his community leadership and philanthropy.

 

Jack’s Place, of course, is an homage by Harris Rosen to his father. Recently, the restaurant’s menu was revamped by chef Michael McMullen, who is a seriously good chef. Not long ago, I reviewed many of the new dishes here and I think you’d enjoy what McMullen and his crew are doing. On Thursday, March 8, we’ll convene a meeting of Scott Joseph’s Supper Club at Jack’s Place, and I’m pleased to announce that Harris Rosen will attend the dinner to talk about his father, relate some stories about the caricatures, and tell us about his journey to become one of the area’s leading businessmen. It’s a fascinating story. And I have to tell you, Mr. Rosen rarely makes appearances like these, so I’m especially honored that he has agreed to join us for the dinner. We will have all of Jack’s Place to ourselves, so it’s going to be an extraordinary evening.

 

Tickets for the event may be purchased here. Cost is $75 per person and includes tax and gratuity. We’ll begin with a sparkling wine reception at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. Rosen Plaza is at 9700 International Drive, Orlando. Self-parking will be complimentary for Supper Club guests.

 

Here’s the menu and list of the wines for the dinner.

 

1st course
Spicy Shrimp and Grits
sauteed shrimp, corn grits and gorgonzola
splashed with a mildly bold cayenne pepper sauce

Chateau St. Jean Riesling or Gewurztraminer

2nd course
Cucumber Enrobed Greens
locally grown lettuces with a tasting of Florida artisanal cheeses
honey-truffle vinaigrette, parmesan grissini

Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc

Dual Entree
Maple Horseradish Mustard crusted Baby Rack of Lamb
paired with
Cedar Plank Roasted Sea Bass
citrus thyme gastrique
accompanied by
local farmer’s market vegetables
toasted pearl couscous risotto

Chateau St. Jean Sonoma Chardonnay or Tierra Secreta Malbec

4th course
Chocolate Cabernet “Pate”

cherry preserves
homemade butterscotch

Penfolds Club Tawny

 

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