Christmas dinner is an annual tradition enjoyed by families, but sometimes you don’t feel like cooking or you’re on vacation in Orlando and want to enjoy your Christmas dinner out at a restaurant.
There are a lot of places to enjoy a holiday meal in the Orlando area, but here are some of our picks for restaurants serving up feasts on Christmas Day 2018:
Healthy eating on the east side of Orlando just got easier as Fresh Kitchen opens in Waterford Lakes Town Center this weekend.
Fresh Kitchen offers a streamlined menu of gluten-free items offered in a customizable bowl format. Dairy-free and even vegan combinations are possible.
Diners choose from Six bowl (two bases, two proteins, and two vegetables along with a sauce for $9.99); Four bowl (two bases with one protein, vegetable and sauce for $8.29); and a Kids bowl (one base, protein, vegetable and sauce for $6.99).
Looking for a tasty and healthy place to grab a meal on the southwest side of town? Then you’ll want to check out Axum Market Cafe inside the newly renovated Dr. Phillips YMCA.
I was recently invited to visit the cafe, which does not require a YMCA membership to visit. There is indoor seating, as well as a newly opened patio area, which this time of year is nice.
In this week’s Orlando dining news round-up: new menu items, and new openings. Are you hungry? Let’s dive in…
Up until now, the only vegetarian options at 4 Rivers Smokehouse locations were the delicious sides like collard greens and baked cheese grits. Now the brand has added five new options for those who don’t want meat.
In this week’s Orlando dining news round-up: chef’s dinners, new openings, and more. Are you hungry? Let’s dive in…
Don’t forget Orlando Main Street Restaurant Week is still in effect until August 13. Participating restaurants are offering a select prix fixe menu with price points of $5 to $30. Read our post from last week for more information.
Seasons 52 menus change with the seasons, to better reflect foods that are in season. On a recent afternoon, Carol, our family writer, and I tried out their spring lunch menu at the Dr. Phillips location.
We arrived shortly after they opened at 11:30am, so we were immediately seated for our reservation. After perusing the menu, we decided to order a few items and share. While we waited for our food, we took in the decor. Dark wood and plenty of skylights gave the room a upscale feel that wasn’t stuffy. The living trees and plants gave the main room an outdoorsy feel, as well. Classy but understated.
If you are a vegetarian/vegan or are curious about becoming one, then you’ll want to check out the 8th annual Central Florida Veg Fest at Orlando Festival Park on October 26.
This free event is a full day of educational exhibits and activities, as well as a wide variety of presentations and food preparation demos.
There will also be a veggie kids zone, a humane education center, an animal haven, an artist corner, music on an acoustic stage, and many veg-friendly vendors.
The CFL Veg Fest runs from 10am to 6pm, and is family-friendly, dog-friendly, and smoke-free. Orlando Festival Park is located at 2911 E. Robinson St, by the Orlando Excutive Airport.
For more information on the event, visit cfvegfest.org.
Two quick dining notes of area restaurants on the move:
Anthony’s Pizzeria, formerly located at the corner of Mills & Colonial, has moved to a new location at 1206 E. Colonial. The new place has a larger dining room for patrons. Call 407-898-7797 for more info.
Ethos Vegan Kitchen is pulling up stakes from their Ivanhoe location to new digs at the corner of Fairbanks and New York in Winter Park (one block west of Park Ave). Reps say the new location will have improved parking, expanded hours and a new menu as they migrate from a counter service format to a table service one. They expect the move to be completed by the end of July 2012. Until then, they will still be located at 1235 N Orange Ave.
If you are a vegetarian, vegan or have an interest in the dietary lifestyle of either, you’ll definitely want to check out Central Florida Veg Fest, which takes place October 22, 2011.
Veg Fest will feature healthy living and eco-friendly exhibitors, speakers, and presentations, all promoting the vegetarian options available in Central Florida.
Speakers include Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (The Compassionate Cook), Matthew Rice (Mercy for Animals), Lynette Pate (Organic Infusion), and Ellen Jaffe Jones (Eat Vegan on $4.00 a Day).
There will be live cooking demonstrations all day, as well as food booths to purchase vegetarian and vegan dishes. Over 250 vendors will be on hand, promoting the lifestyle, including many non-profits.
The event will also have a vegan food drive, so please bring non-perishable items to donate.
Entertainment comes via two stages of live music and there will be fun and games for the kids They even welcome dogs, so bring the fur kids, too.
Veg Fest takes place in Loch Haven Park (900 E. Princeton St) from 10am to 6pm. It is free for all to attend.
When is a TweetUp not just a TweetUp? When it includes baked goods.
Thus is the idea behind next Sunday’s SweetUp Orlando.
The event is just an informal gathering to get out, meet each other and enjoy some delicious vegan treats.
I’ve raved about Babycakes before, and if the word “vegan” makes you nervous, it shouldn’t. Everything I’ve tasted so far gets a thumbs up from the taste buds.
SweetUp Orlando takes place February 20 from 1pm to 3pm at Babycakes, which is located inside the Fresh-A-Peel building (next to T-Rex in the Downtown Disney Marketplace).
For more information, follow @SweetUpOrlando on Twitter or visit the Facebook page.