You might’ve caught my post a few days ago about the Food & Wine Fest in downtown Orlando at Lake Eola. I had the opportunity to go the event with some friends this past Saturday, and had a blast! Here are some photos I snapped to share: Now, while I did enjoy the festival and think it’s a great concept, my one big beef were the prices. Fortunately I pre-purchased my entry ticket so I paid $10 versus the $15 at-the-door; the individual vendor pricing was a bit absurd. On average, most of the booths charged $4-$6 for a tiny glass of wine or food sample. Now, I’m not cheap by any means, but I could’ve gone to one of the nearby restaurants and had a complete meal for cheaper.

Additionally, the majority of the vendors exhibiting were actually restaurants I already frequent. What would’ve been nice is if the vendors were local unknowns. Perhaps this will improve as the festival continues to grow over the next few years. Overall a fun time, and I think I’ll probably make it back when the festival returns in 2010. Did you attend the Food & Wine Fest in downtown Orlando? We’d love to get your thoughts, and hear about your experience.

Last night I caught the George Thorogood/Steve Miller Band show at the UCF Arena. It was a night of firsts for me. First time seeing either band in concert and my first time at the (new-ish) UCF Arena.

While I thought both the opening act (Thorogood) and Steve Miller Band put on good (read: pretty much what I expected) shows, I left thinking more about the lackluster venue. From the moment we walked in, to the moment we found our seats, everything about the Arena seemed generic, at best. Having seen a ton of shows in my lifetime, many of them across the country in venues big and small, this one left me with no desire to return.

So, Central Floridians, have you seen a show at the UCF Arena? What did you think? Are my expectations too high for a University venue? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I was driving down Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando earlier this afternoon, and snapped this [poor quality] photo of holiday decorations going up. How can it already be mid-November, with the holidays just around the corner?

(Location: SoDo.)

I just bought a new pair of shoes and I love them so much I wanna make-out with them!”

(Location: Orlando Food & Wine Fest.)

Can anybody translate this?

Now this is one sermon I don’t wanna miss:

(Location: Orlando’s Downtown Baptist Church.)

You may not be familiar with Ceviche Orlando, given the fact it’s sorta tucked-away in rarely visited downtown Orlando’s Church Street. I actually went there with a group of friends for the first time a couple of weeks ago. “Interesting experience” is sorta my take on the place.

Good:

The atmosphere is really great. Large, open dining room, bar that overlooks the main room. Very cool, and different from other venues located in the downtown Orlando area. There’s a great community feel, and I really like that. This was certainly one of the most positive aspects of the experience.

Not-so-good:

The service was incredibly slow. Granted, our party was fairly large but in my opinion the service shouldn’t suffer for that. We only had one waiter dedicated to our party; a second server would’ve certainly helped out.

Coupled with the rather slow service, the waiter had a not-so-pleasant attitude. He actually dropped the “f bomb” to one of my friends, which I thought was inappropriate.

My last beef with Ceviche in downtown Orlando is the menu. While there’s some really great dishes available, there is a lot of seafood…and I’m not a huge seafood fan. I ended-up having some amazing meatballs, but items of that nature were few-and-far-between.

All-in-all I’d have to say I feel so/so about Ceviche. As with any restaurant I’m definitely willing to give it another shot, but there have to be some major improvements before I give-up some glowing reviews. Ceviche: wanna have me come back and have another meal?

Details:

125 West Church Street
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 321.281.8140

Hours of Operation

Dining Room:
5 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Mon)
5 p.m. – Midnight (Tues-Thur)
5 p.m. – 1 a.m. (Fri-Sat)

Flamenco Room:
5 p.m. – 2 a.m. (Thur-Sat)

Closed Sunday

So, have you been to Ceviche? If so, what are your thoughts. Do you agree? Or did you have an awesome experience?

Person #1: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!”
Person #2: “Not always! Sometimes nine months later….”

Central Florida residents, listen up! While the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is definitely a must-see, the upcoming Orlando Food & Wine Fest at Lake Eola is a more affordable venture. And you can bet I’ll be there….sampling a taste of Orlando’s area restaurants.

Here are a few details about the event:

When: Saturday, November 14 : 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 : 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Price:* $15 at the gate (one-day ticket), free ages 12 and younger; Advance tickets $15 weekend pass, $10 Sat., $10 Sun.
Website: OrlandoFoodandWinefest.com
Phone Number: 407.647.5557

* Please note the fee for food and wine samples is separate from admission price.

Let us hear about your experience if you decide to attend the Orlando Food & Wine Fest. We’ll be sure to post pictures after the event for those who don’t make it.