Pulse of Central Florida

A couple weeks ago, while having a drink at 310 Park South in Winter Park, I was lucky enough to catch Matt Shenk perform. I know what you’re thinking … typical bar performance with sub-par vocals and 3-chord guitar strumming. Nope. Not even close.

I’m a sucker for the male singer-songwriter (think John Mayer, DMB, Ray LaMontagne, Jason Mraz, etc.) so when Matt’s version of Dave Matthews Band’s “Typical Situation” was almost better than the original, I sat up and paid attention.

Do yourself a favor, head over to Matt’s website and catch his cover of “Mercy Mercy Me,” I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.  And, if you’re in Winter Park tomorrow night, you can catch him performing at 310.

You might recall my post last year covering The Crystal Method at House of Blues. Well, if you’re a fan your cartwheels can commence: The Crystal Method is returning to the Central Florida area, by way of a show at Firestone next month. August 12th, to be exact. You can be assured I’ll be there, dancing my you-know-what off!

For more information on the show or to purchase tickets you can visit Firestone’s event page. Dance on, friends!

Like wine & cheese? Of course you do, that’s a silly question.

Chances are if you’ve driven through the downtown Orlando/Thornton Park neighborhood, or down Park Avenue in Winter Park, you’ve caught a glance of Eola Wine Company.

Eola Wine Company in either location is a fantastic place to unwind after a busy week, take out-of-towners to a fun local neighborhood spot, or simply to enjoy a wonderful glass of wine or beer.

The downtown Orlando location is a bit tiny, but there is outdoor seating that’s perfect when it’s not quite so hot outside…or raining!

In addition to wine and beer, Eola Wine Company also has a limited food selection, including an awesome cheese & fruit tray. You might wanna consider one of these items if you plan on drinking lots!

Oh, one important thing to note: The wine is all available to purchase! So if you pick out something you really like and want to take it home to enjoy…it’s all yours!

Location deets:

Downtown Orlando:
500 East Central Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32801
407.481.9100

Winter Park/Park Avenue:
136 South Park Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789
407.647.9103

Ember in downtown Orlando is a great place to grab lunch (if you work or are near the downtown area), perfect for a happy hour “decompress place” on any night of the week, or for a decent dinner on the weekend. No matter what you’re sure to find something at Ember that suits your needs!

Ember is located on Central Blvd. right next to the new Fire Station. If you can brave the heat (they do have fans) the outdoor patio area is a fantastic place to hangout and catch-up with friends…and people watch!

If you’re going for a meal there’s a decent selection of food to choose from. I have a couple of things to recommend, too. For starters, while it’s in no way taking the healthy route these loaded baked potato croquettas are amazing! Seriously…my mouth is watering right now.



On one of my visits for lunch I ordered the Asian Steak Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing and it was very good, too. A light lunch with a bit of substance….



One of the things I really like about Ember, in addition to their regular menu, are the daily specials they offer. I appreciate restaurants & eateries that try to keep things fresh and interesting for their customers. If you wanna check-out the Ember menu or print a copy for yourself you can click here.

Location deets:

42 West Central Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32801
407.849.5200
http://www.emberorlando.com/

Have you been to Ember? What’s your opinion?

For those of you who’ve been around the Central Florida area for quite some time, you might recall dueling pianos hotspot Howl at the Moon on Church Street (it’s now located on I-Drive). We’re talkin’ way back in the day. The venue was demolished when the new downtown renovations started several years ago.

Well, looks like dueling pianos are making their way back to downtown Orlando, in the form of Baby Grands. We noticed this signage while walking down Church Street recently:
No opening date has been provided at this point. But would you go?

(Additional information provided by Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide.)

There isn’t too much information available about this new restaurant/nightclub called Heat. We don’t know exactly what it is, or when it’s opening.

What we do know is:

• There will be food
• There will be dancing
• It’ll be located on the ground floor of 55 West

If anyone knows anything about this new place please share! (On a side note, I’m really diggin’ their Marketing.)

Everyone looks for a way to wind down after a stressful week of work. Many people look to downtown Orlando, where there are many options of places with great happy hour deals. One of my favorite places to hang out and avoid the “typical Wall Street crowd” is Monkey Bar.

Located at the end of Wall Street Plaza, just above Waitiki, the Monkey Bar does have some really good happy hour deals on both drinks & food: half-priced martinis from 5pm-7pm Tuesday through Friday; $2.50 Red Stripes; $3.00 House Wines; and 1/2 Appetizers. The atmosphere is also very eclectic, with monkey murals and original artwork throughout (some of which I attempted to capture with a new photo App – thanks for bearing with me).

Location info:

26 Wall Street
Orlando, FL 32801
407.481.1030

For additional information like hours of operation, menus, and other venue questions visit Monkey Bar’s website. Have fun monkeying around!

Had the opportunity to check out The Milk Bar Friday night, a bar that I doubt I would know existed if not for Kelly Fitzpatrick’s review of it in the Sentinel.

Located just a few doors down from Sportstown, The Milk Bar is a tiny, unassuming place, but it manages to welcome you like you’ve just walked into your best friend’s living room.

We settled into a few of the Bar’s comfy leather chairs and perused the vast beer menu, which conveniently lists the beer and its alcohol content (for beer drinkers on a mission?).

The Milk Bar Orlando (Photo Courtesy of www.TheMilkBarOrlando.com)

The prices were super reasonable … we managed to fit in three rounds for just at $30 … something I think that would be tough to accomplish at many a downtown bar.

What: The Milk Bar
Where: 2424 East Robinson Street, Orlando
Why: To get your ‘beer’ on

With so many downtown options, it’s no wonder The Harp and Celt has been called the “best-kept secret in Downtown Orlando.” A ‘Public House’ that’s half restaurant (Harp) and half bar (Celt) is tucked away on Magnolia near Pine Street.

Serving a wide variety of draft beer (including one of my favorites, Sea Dog Wild B’Berry) and traditional Irish fare such as Scotch Eggs and Cottage Pie, the authenticity is rampant here.

The Celt also caters to the “Footies” broadcasting Rugby and Soccer games, but don’t worry, they also air Orlando Magic games on a projection screen so large you’ll think you’re at Amway.

For the latest events or specials, check out the Celt’s Twitter stream.

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