The Flap Over Fast Food on Park Ave.

Have you heard the flap over the type of restaurants that are making their way to Park Avenue in Winter Park? BurgerFi opened at the end of Park Ave. near Rollins College last year and has been hopping ever since. Now, Firehouse Subs is planning to open an eatery there later this year. To get around Winter Park regulations on only having "fine dining" restaurants on Park Ave., the sandwich shop will have wait staff and menus on its tables. "They're going to be the only Firehouse Subs in America that provides waiter/ waitress table service," said Jeff Briggs, Winter Park's development director, in the Orlando Sentinel.

However, to keep up Park Ave.'s atmosphere of upscale, independently-owned restaurants, city officials are trying to tighten regulations to keep out fast food-style restaurants in the future. If the regulations don't change, we could see Burger King or McDonald's making their way to Park Ave. for the first time, according to Briggs. Technically, you can't disallow chain restaurants. For example, Starbucks is a prominent fixture on Park Ave., even though it competes with the smaller, independent Barnie's Coffee Kitchen.

Do you agree with keeping fast food and chain restaurants off of Park Ave.? Why or why not? Sound off in the comments section below.

Chocolate, Fudge, & Gelato, Oh My!

Designer Chocolate Shoes

When I stopped by Peterbrooke Chocolatier in Winter Park, Fla., to collect my prize the other day (a bag of Milk Chocolate-covered Popcorn), I was anxious to try everything new the sweet shop has to offer. First off, Peterbrooke's chocolate-covered popcorn is delicious, and why wouldn't it be? Anything covered in the rich, velvety chocolate made in-house has to be good! 

Yes, I said anything. Chocolate-covered bacon is one of the shop's best sellers, so I had to try that. I have never tried such a thing, so why not? The dark chocolate version is pretty good: I like the combination of salty and sweet. The bacon leaves a weird after-taste, though. Even though I am a bacon lover, I was not as into it, as I thought I would be. You definitely have to try it, though. Plus, Peterbrooke covers lots of other yummy things in chocolate, including strawberries, potato chips, and pretzels, and you can request other chocolate-covered stuff for them to make especially for you.

Co-owner Kevin Wray
scooping gelato

Even though Peterbrooke specializes in chocolates and delicious fudge (you must try the Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge!), gelato is a big hit with its customers. Peterbrooke carries 16 to 20 different flavors on a daily basis, and I had to try all the new fall flavors. My favorite is Pumpkin Cheesecake, but you should definitely try Spiced Caramel Apple, Autumn Crunch, and Bourbon Caramel Gingersnap. The flavors are all so good and authentic, and I doubt you will find these unique flavors anywhere else.

Peterbrooke has such a wide selection of chocolates - including turtles, bark, and 72% dark chocolate bars - that is it really hard to choose which ones to buy. I would recommend the popcorn, first and foremost, but also the chocolate-covered oreos and all the sugar-free chocolate items. The sugar-free lines taste exactly like the regular ones!

I am also excited about the custom chocolates that Peterbrooke can make for Halloween, birthdays, weddings, and other special events. They even have shoes made out of chocolate. What is your favorite thing to eat at Peterbrooke? 

Where: 300 S. Park Ave., Winter Park. Fla.