Orlando Dining Round-Up November 28, 2015: Kappo, Lucky’s Market, The Ganachery, Emeril Lagasse

- Michelle Snow

In this week’s dining news round-up, Kappo Closes, Lucky’s Market and The Ganachery to open, and Emeril Lagasse gets postponed, plus much more. Ready?

Kappo at East End Market

Kappo at East End Market will close by the end of the year, according to the owners. The trio, comprised of Lordfer Lalicon, Jen Banagale and Mark Berdin, struggled earlier this year when health inspectors insisted a plastic sneeze guard had to be installed at the seven seat bar, and in a statement, they said December will be the last month of their Omakase service.

In its place will be the East End Market’s take on a konbini (a Japanese convenience store), and we’re told Lalicon, Banagale and Berdin will be involved in the new shop as the owners/operators. Kappo already had a cooler case and a few shelves stocked with ready to eat food, so this sounds like a natural switch.

No word on when the konbini will open, or even what it will be named, but we’ll let you know as soon as we get the details.

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Lucky’s Market, a grocery often referred to as the “love child of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s,” will open its first Orlando-area store at 11750 E. Colonial Drive, sometime in 2016. Looking at their current sale ad, prices are extremely reasonable, and sale ads overlap on Wednesdays for double the savings. They currently only have one Florida store, in Gainesville.

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The Ganachery at Disney Springs

The Ganachery will open at Disney Springs on December 15, featuring hand-crafted artisan chocolates. Chef Stefan Riemer has spent the last couple of years on an international quest for the world’s best chocolate for this stylish new boutique. He uses a 65% dark chocolate with a touch of vanilla for the base ganache, but will offer creations in both milk and dark chocolate for a total of 16 different ganaches made in house.

The Ganachery will be located in The Landing section of Disney Springs, near The BOATHOUSE and Jock Lindsey’s Hanger Bar.

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CJ’s Italian Kitchen has opened in Longwood’s Spring Plaza on Wekiva Springs Road. Owners Chef Carl Cherkaoui and his wife Juliana have set up a menu that features quality Tuscan cuisine handmade with only the freshest ingredients. CJ’s signature sauce is homemade, from scratch daily. Pizzas come in 12” or 18”, and start at $10.25. Subs are less than $10, and entrees run from $11.95 – $17.95.

CJ’s offers a separate children’s menu, and a special lunch menu from 11:30am to 3pm. The restaurant also features a full bar with draft beer, wine, and top shelf liquor.

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Winter Park Distilling and the Bear & Peacock Brewery will partner to open a “brewstillery” on North Orange Avenue near the Ravenous Pig sometime early next year. It will combine a craft distillery, brewery, taproom and retail showroom adjoining the production floor where visitors and patrons will be able to purchase, among other items, the Winter Park Distilling Company’s own signature spirits: Genius Vodka; Dog Island Rum; and its family of Bear Gully Classic whiskies: the Reserve and Bonfire bourbons as well as New Make white corn whiskey.

The Bear & Peacock next door will house a five-barrel craft beer production facility with an elegant tap room. The tap room will be open nightly and feature the sublime brew making skills of local artisan brewmeister, Paul Smerge.

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UCF-area pizza joint Lazy Moon Pizza will join Orlando Meats, a butcher shop, to open next spring in the former Euro Living building next to Snap Space on E. Colonial Drive in the Mills 50 district.

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Publix Chefs at Dr. Phillips Center featuring Chef Emeril Lagasse has been rescheduled from December 1, 2015 to April 21, 2016. Due to the show’s proximity to the busy holiday schedule, the Dr. Phillips Center has postponed his appearance.

Guests with tickets to the December 1 performance will be automatically transferred. Guests who are unable to attend the April 21 date or with questions may contact the Dr. Phillips Center Box Office at 844.513.2014 or by visiting the Box Office in person.

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That’s it for this week. If you have any Central Florida dining news to share, drop it in comments or send it to us via our contact form. We’ll credit you if we use it.

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