In the amount of time I’ve lived in Central Florida believe it or not it was only just recently that I finally made it to KRES Chophouse on Church Street in downtown Orlando. I’ve been aware of the establishment for years, obviously, and have walked by the restaurant many, many times. Right around the New Year I went for dinner with a couple of friends, and overall it was a really nice experience.

I wasn’t terribly hungry at the time so for my meal I opted for a bowl of French Onion soup and a wedge salad (I have a slight addiction), and honestly both were quite delicious. The soup had a wonderful flavor and was full of tasty bread.

French Onion Soup

Wedge Salad

The one thing that wasn’t the greatest part of the experience was the service. I think our server might’ve been sick at the time, and he wasn’t very attentive or really even that friendly. I definitely expected more out of that aspect given the upscale dining and atmosphere.

Thinking about heading to KRES sometime soon for a nice meal? Take a peek at KRES’s menu before you go. I warn you, though, it will make you hungry!

Location deets:

17 West Church Street
Orlando, FL 32801
407.447.7950
kreschophouse.com

Have you ever dined at KRES Chophouse? We’d love to hear about your experience.

Got a couple of good ones yesterday. Enjoy!

(Left one: South Orlando near John Young Parkway and Oak Ridge Road. Right one: I-4 in the downtown Orlando area.)

It’s about that time for another Community Manager Yelp Orlando Tweetup. This one’s taking place next Thursday evening (1/26) from 6-8pm at The Falcon in downtown Orlando’s Thornton Park neighborhood.

Here’s your chance to kick off the New Year by meeting other folks in Central Florida who love the interwebs like you! And here’s my favorite part: “Fish Out of Water Sushi Truck will be on site for yum yums and Happy Hour is from 6-8pm and it’s $1 off all beer, wine, cider, & saki!” How can you pass that up as an early start to your weekend?

Here are the location deets:

The Falcon
819 E Washington St
Orlando, FL 32801
407.423.2788

More information and to RSVP for the Tweetup can be found here. See you there?

Isn’t it strange you can live in a certain part of town, and never have visited a business that is literally right down the street from you? ‘Tis the case for me and Aroma Italian Café & Wine Bar. Located in Thornton Park, Aroma is a quaint little restaurant/cafe/coffee bar/wine house nestled right next to Wildside BBQ. I met a friend there over the holidays (as you can tell from the photos), and while neither of us ate any food the offerings on the menu looked delicious (get a peek at their menu). I know the wine I drank was!

Charming and “homey”, the interior is very intimate and comfortable. There’s also a patio out front to enjoy when the weather is nice.

Bar Area

Dining Area

And you want to know one of my favorite things about Aroma? Their motto:

It’s all about Family, Friends, Food, Fun & Music!”

Now that’s what everyone’s motto should be, right?!

Here are the location deets:

712 E Washington St
Orlando, FL 32801
Neighborhood: Thornton Park
(407) 426-8989
AromaItalianCafe.com

Ever been to Aroma? If so, did you eat? Would love to hear your thoughts, and remember you can always leave a review over on Yelp!

I picture in my head an overwhelming amount of women dressed-up in silk & lace bridal gowns, pulling one another’s hair to get in to their ideal wedding venue. Somehow I don’t think that’s really the way this event goes down. Sigh….

The point of this event is to provide brides-to-be a look at some of the venues that are opportune places to have a wedding. One of the things I really appreciate about something like this is the potential to feed the local economy. This year’s “I Do Downtown Bridal Crawl” is this Sunday, January 8th, from 11am-4pm. Advanced registration and tickets are $10. But if you wanna buddy-up with a pal you can register $15 for two!

Here’s a list of venues participating in this event:

• Orange County Regional History Center
• Ballroom at Church Street
• Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant
• Citrus Club
• Embassy Suites Hotel
• Grand Bohemian Hotel
• University Club
• 310 Lakeside

For more information and to register, visit the History Center’s website.

Are you a married woman who’s taken part of this event? We’d love to hear about your experience!

Visitor alert! Visitor alert!



(Location: Downtown Orlando.)

Updated 12/30: Please note that it does not cost $23 to attend this event. The $23 is for reserved seating in bleachers. It is free to watch the parade from anywhere else along the parade route. Thanks to one of our readers for pointing this out.

Everybody loves a parade, right?!

If you’ve resided in Central Florida for any decent amount of time you’re likely familiar with the annual parade that takes place in downtown Orlando. Ringing in each new year, the Fresh From Florida Parade is a huge draw for residents, visitors, and even celebrities.

This year’s parade will start at 11am this coming Saturday, December 31st. If you’re interested in attending, tickets are $23. Tickets can be purchased here, and you can also find information on the parade route and lineup.

Here’s a little bit of what you can expect from the parade:



Have you even been downtown to watch this parade?

The downtown Orlando location of Eola Wine Company recently moved and has a brand new location: across the street from the old location! That’s right, this longtime staple of the downtown scene just moved into a larger space, directly across the street from Post Parkside Apartments management office. I haven’t been yet–except just a drive/walk by–but I’m eager to get over and see what all the changes are about.

Here’s a look:

New Location (Occupying Both Spaces on Bottom)

Old Location

Have you been to the new location of Eola Wine Company? What are the differences you’ve noticed?

Last night I took a little jog around Lake Eola in downtown Orlando, and had to snap a few photos of the beautiful decorations in the area. Check ‘em out:

Have you been out to see these decorations? Or are there some really fantastic decorations in your part of town?

Buddy Dyer Lights Up Orlando

As long as I’ve lived in Central Florida, I’ve actually never attended this event. Have you? I suppose particularly on the years when the weather’s not even cool this time of year, it’s hard to think about or celebrate the holidays.

Apparently here’s what we can expect this from Holiday Lights Orlando this year:

• Lighting of the City of Orlando’s Christmas Tree
• Choir music
• Christmas play
• Music production
• Outdoor viewing of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (starring Jim Carrey)

Event Deets:

When: Friday, December 2nd
Where: Lake Eola Park Amphitheater
What time: 4:00pm

As with any event in downtown Orlando, keep in mind parking.

Will you be joining Mayor Buddy Dyer for this annual event? Here’s more info for you.