A few months back, I had the pleasure of checking out Seven Sisters Coffeehouse on Mills Ave. It was a great experience, Alisha was so kind and the coffee was delish. I’m bummed to hear the news that Seven Sisters is closing.
Apparently they will continue to sell their coffee in a “soon-to-be-announced business.”
Thanks to The Daily City for the heads up.
Last week I was afforded the opportunity to see a play at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Loch Haven Park. Did you even know this complex was there? In the 11 years I’ve lived in Central Florida, this was my first visit.
Thanks to the generosity of my friend, several of us met-up at the theatre to see “All’s Well That Ends Well.” Let me just say this play was a hoot, and I enjoyed it much more than my previous theatrical outing. Now, being completely unfamiliar with the material of this play (yes, I’ve heard of it but never read it) I had very little expectation. So I was very pleased to find it quite humorous, particularly the more adult-oriented jabs…and there are many.
Overall, the cast was quite good and entertaining – in particular the female lead (Marni Penning). I wasn’t very fond of the male lead (Stafford Clark-Price). Although he was good there was something about his facial expressions that didn’t connect with me, a bit like he didn’t ever know what was going on.
As with most live performances photography was not permitted; however, I snapped a few photos of the set before the play began:
If you have an opportunity you should definitely get out to the Shakespeare Theater to see “All’s Well….” If you can’t make this particular show, which runs through March 24th, I would highly recommend seeing something – the Theatre truly is a gem right here in our backyard!
Location:
812 Rollins Street
Orlando, FL 32803
407.648.0077
OrlandoShakes.org
To keep up-to-date on all the goings-on at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater become a Fan on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter.
Come out to the Enzian Theater next Wednesday night as the Young Professionals of the Hope and Help Center of Central Florida host a kick-off event for the New Year.
Not familiar with the Young Professionals or the Hope and Help Center? They’re an awesome local organization whose mission is to save lives by eliminating the spread of HIV/AIDS, and to provide support, education and care for individuals living with the disease in the Central Florida community.
The event is FREE, but donations are welcome.
What: Young Professionals New Year Kick-off Event
Where: Enzian Theater
When: February 24, 7 to 9 p.m.
For more info: Become a Fan of Hope and Help Center on Facebook.
If you’re constantly on the lookout for a great neighborhood hangout, some place you can grab a great drink (or four), catch some local art and hear some good music, you must check-out The Peacock Room.
The Peacock Room has been a favorite dive of mine for about 10 years now. You can always count on them to host a comfortable, familiar environment. Nestled in a strip on Mills Avenue (near the corner of Mills & Virginia), The Peacock Room is easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there.
The venue is tiny & intimate, but has grown over the past few years. The space next to the original bar became vacant, so they expanded and the “new” space is where you can listen to local bands or DJs.
One of the best things The Peacock Room offers is interesting art. I believe the art changes monthly, which gives good reason to keep coming back. You also never know what sort of crowd you’ll find at Peacock – on any given night it could be extremely diverse.
FUN FACT: The Peacock Room menus offer “conversation starter” suggestions, so you won’t find yourself talking about work!
Location:
1321 North Mills Avenue
Orlando, FL 32803
407.228-0048
ThePeacockRoom.com
You might recall my post about a year-and-a-half ago, announcing that one of my favorite artists coming to perform in Orlando. I’m referring to BT, and he’s coming back!
BT recently released what I think is one of the best dance recordings ever, “These Hopeful Machines“, and he’s apparently on tour to support it. Last time BT was in Orlando I was a bit disappointed because he was only DJing – this time I’m hoping he’s performing his new material. I’m very eager to hear the music played very loudly.
Tickets are available for purchase at the Firestone Live Box Office, Ticketmaster.com, and Park Avenue CDs. More info on BT’s appearance can be found here.
Here’s a cut from the new record (not the official video), and what you could expect hearing live at Firestone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVQPIS0DLsM
If you want to learn more about BT you can visit his website or his blog. He’s also very active on Twitter, and regularly engages with his Followers.
We received an e-mail a couple of days ago, sharing with us about a program the Eco Rollins group at Rollins College is running/encouraging for this upcoming Valentine’s Day…and I love it!
We’re happy to promote it.
Here’s the jist:
Students at Rollins University are putting a “green” spin on a traditionally “red” holiday. Members of the Eco Rollins organization are encouraging students to purchase small garden plants and herbs, rather than a traditional cut flower bouquet. This way, the gift can be planted and continue to grow, as opposed to traditional flowers that are only good for a limited amount of time.”
I think we should take the program outside of Rollins, and make an effort to show our planet how much we love it! “Happy Valentine’s Day, Planet Earth!” Are you in?
(If you want to learn more about Eco Rollins and click here.)
Klynn and I don’t typically cover “touristy” things too often because…well, that’s not the point of our blog! But sometimes there are some touristy things right under our noses that are too good, yet we don’t even realize it.
Courtesy of Yelp! Orlando*, last night we had the opportunity to experience Cirque du Soleil’s “La Nouba” show, at Downtown Disney. We’d both seen the show before, but believe us it’s just as good the second time-a-round (and probably the third, fourth, fifth….). Seriously, if you’ve never seen “La Nouba”, or any Cirque show for that matter, you’re really missing out. Yes, tickets are a bit pricey, but during non-peak seasons they often run deals for local residents. I can assure you, though, you will appreciate spending the money.
Cirque du Soleil has its roots in Canada but has multiple shows across the US. “La Nouba” found its home in Central Florida nearly a decade ago. I first saw it about eight years ago, and was awstruck. There are a few things to keep in mind when you see “La Nouba”:
Of course, cameras/photography isn’t allowed in the Cirque venue during performances, but I did manage to catch some photos towards the end of the show:
Here’s a spoiler (don’t hit play if you don’t wanna see it):
Wanna find out more about Cirque du Soleil and/or “La Nouba”? Check out their website or Follow them on Twitter.
* We received complimentary tickets for this show. Thanks, Yelp!
This past Friday I went with a few friends to see John Mayer perform at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. I’ve seen John Mayer in concert many, many times so I’m always comparing the next show to the last one.
Show opener Michael Franti & Spearhead brought the crowd to their feet with their Reggae beats. The crowd interaction was unlike anything I’ve ever seen at a show this size (10,000+ people). Not only did Franti pull two concert-goers from the crowd on stage, but they were given guitars to jam along to the music with. If that wasn’t enough Franti appeared throughout the venue during the show, singing along with the crowd whose seats weren’t as good as ours. He even closed the show by bringing more people up on stage for a group singalong.
A few minutes later John Mayer took the stage, opening with his current single “Heartbreak Warfare.” From the start of the show through the end of the two-hour set Mayer was on. His band (made up of several new additions, including the first showing of back-up singers) was as tight as I’ve ever heard. There was a cohesion that was hard to imagine considering this was only the second show of the tour. We were fortunate to hear 8 of 11 tracks from Mayer’s current CD “Battle Studies” and the songs didn’t disappoint.
One of the greatest parts of any John Mayer show is the banter. Tampa’s show was no different. Mayer even got his hands on a sign that referenced a recent “Rolling Stone” interview he’d done … definitely funny stuff.
We followed up the Tampa show with another one in Jacksonville the next night and it was equally great, minus a lame Jacksonville, blazer-wearing crowd.
As both resident of and someone who works in downtown Orlando, I’m always happy when a new restaurant or store opens. And while I was certainly sad to see Season’s Harvest close its doors (it’s still open for catering) I was definitely excited to hear about the opening of a downtown Orlando Mexican restaurant (and something different than the so-so Pancheros and Tijuana Flats).
So, did I check-it-out? You betcha.
Now first of all, I must mention that Gringos Locos is brand new. I definitely think they have a few kinks to work out in their operations, but I’m willing to give them some time. Service was pretty slow (food is made upon order) but my dish was worth the wait. The majority of my party was happy with their meals as well.
I enjoyed the “Gringo Enchiladas” (yummy green sauce, although one of my friends didn’t like it at all) along with delicious homemade rice & beans!
The dining area needs a little “livening-up” but there is some interesting artwork–available for purchase–on display:
Overall I was pretty happy with my new experience. Pricing at Gringo’s Locos was a bit high, in my opinion. But in general good experience. Am looking forward to returning once Gringos has gotten through all of its growing pains.
Have you been yet? We’d love to know what you thought.
Ever been to Nude Nite? Wondering what it is? If you’re a fan of art, this event is a must.
A friend and I actually went to Nude Nite nearly 10 years ago, and it was definitely an interesting experience. I’m planning on revisiting it again this coming weekend.
A little about Nude Nite, according to their website:
The largest nude art show in the country, Nude Nite returns for its 12th annual Valentines show in Orlando and its 2nd year in Tampa. Nude Nite is a 3 night multi-media art event celebrating the art of the nude. Hundreds of artists show and sell their interpretations of the nude and thousands attend to see photography, fine art, sculpture, mixed media, metal, digital, installations, saucy classic burlesque, world class body painters, living paintings and a visual evening of inspiration you will not soon forget.”
Location:
Lake Ivanhoe Row/Antique District (corner of Alden and Virginia)
503 Brookhaven Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
For additional details, including hours, cost, and location, click here.
I’m hoping I’ll be able to take photos of the event to share with you all. Stay tuned….
(NOTE: This event is only suitable for adults 21-years-old and over. ID is required for entrance.)
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