Forbes Travel Guide, the only global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas, and ocean cruises, has announced its 2025 Star Awards, and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, earned a four-star rating from the guide – the first JW Marriott hotel to receive the award in North America and the second to receive it globally.
Taste! Central Florida is returning to Central Florida on August 18, 2024, and if you love food, you’ll want to grab a ticket to attend this year’s event, especially since there is a $50 discount off tickets through the end of July.
This weekend the annual Taste! Central Florida took place, and it was an evening of great food and drink which raised funds for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and the Coalition for the Homeless.
The numbers have yet to come in, but it’s safe to say the event raised a lot of money that will stay in Central Florida to help those in need.
Since I can’t report on the numbers, I’m going to list my choices for favorites at the event. Keep in mind I have food allergies so I couldn’t try everything. But of the dishes I tried, here’s my most memorable:
On May 6, the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards were announced and two of the winners have restaurants in the Orlando area.
Melissa Kelly won Best Chef: Northeast for her PRIMO restaurant in Rockland, Maine. She also owns PRIMO at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes.
Emeril Lagasse received the Humanitarian of the Year award for his work with the New Orleans-based Emeril Lagasse Foundation. He owns both Emeril’s Orlando at Universal Orlando CityWalk, and Emeril’s Tchoup Chop at Universal’s Loews Royal Pacific Resort.
The James Beard Awards are like the Grammys of the restaurant industry, so this is a big honor for those who received the awards.