Ace Cafe Orlando wants you!

Ace Cafe, the iconic London-based motor-diner, is coming to Orlando with the Ace Cafe Orlando slated to open this spring. 

Plus, the eatery is hiring for 175 positions at a job fair a job fair held January 27-30, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Courtyard Orlando Downtown, 730 N. Magnolia Ave., Orlando. "Talented bartenders, baristas, servers, retail sales associates and other foodservice industry professionals with outgoing and creative personalities are invited to apply in person or send an email to jobs@acecafeusa.com," the restaurant said in a statement.

A beacon to English motorcyclists for decades, the Ace Cafe has become a global cultural phenomenon, and is about to bring that same love of speed and adrenaline to downtown Orlando. The restaurant is under construction inside three historic buildings on a three-acre parcel located at the corner of West Livingston Street and Garland Avenue.

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Orlando's Downtown Food and Wine Fest

The 8th Annual Downtown Food and Wine Fest returns to Orlando on February 27 and 28, and I am not going to miss it. Why? Here are the top 5 reasons you want to attend the Downtown Food and Wine Fest:

1. Michael Franti. Sorry that I put him ahead of the excellent food and wine, but I have been a fan of his music for years and am thrilled to watch him perform in person!

2. The food. Where else can you taste scrumptious food from 30 leading Orlando restaurants, including Primo Restaurant, Siro Urban Italian Kitchen, Hawkers, Hard Rock Cafe and TR Fire Grill?

3. The wine. I relish the chance to taste several different wines from Little Black Dress Wine, Jackson Family Wines, Cupcake and many more.

4. Excellent entertainment. In addition to Franti, American Authors, Mud Flappers, Firefall and several other groups are performing. American Authors have several hits and we love the Mud Flappers after seeing them perform live.

5. Lake Eola. The entertainment, along with food and wine tasting, is all taking place at the picturesque Lake Eola. It will be great to spend a day outside in this beautiful setting.

To purchase tickets, visit this link.

Win Brunch for Two at Two Chefs Seafood

I am very excited to hear that Two Chefs Seafood & Oyster Bar in downtown Orlando is now serving brunch every Sunday from 11:30-3:00, starting July 12. I have had excellent food on two previous visits there for dinner, where I got to sample high-quality seafood dishes and the chefs' modern take on Southern cuisine (see review below). And Two Chefs is giving away Brunch for Two to two lucky Flavorful Excursions readers! Simply tag whom you would like to bring to brunch on our Facebook page or on Instagram at Flavorful Excursions, and we will randomly select one lucky winner on Friday, July 10, at 3:00 p.m. One entry per person, must live in Central Florida.

Of course, I would also highly recommend visiting the restaurant any day for lunch or dinner. Here is my recent review after my first visit to Two Chefs:

I had the best meal I have had in a long time at the new Two Chefs Seafood & Oyster Bar. I am usually very nervous when trying a brand new restaurant. It typically takes a while for management and staff to work out the kinks, and you really don't know if the food will be good. 

In this case, I had no worries at all. I had already heard that the two chef-owners are Bernard Carmouche, former culinary director for Emeril Lagasse's Florida restaurants and Larry Sinibaldi, former chef of The Palm restaurant at Hard Rock Hotel. Also, my friend Amy Gilbert, pastry chef at Emeril's Tchoup Chop, is a chef and pastry chef at this great restaurant.

Near the 7-Eleven on Colonial Drive, you almost miss Two Chefs, which is a small eatery in a renovated house. There is some parking in the back and on the side streets. The atmosphere is very inviting - not stuffy - with white butcher paper on the tables instead of white linen tablecloths. The atmosphere almost fools you into thinking that you will be getting casual,

everyday food. 

That is certainly not the case here. While there are familiar Southern items on the menu like baked oysters, Shrimp Po'Boy and macaroni and cheese, the chefs have taken a very unique and fresh approach to each app, side and entree. We started with the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, which was full-flavored. I love the smokiness from the sausage and appreciate the huge chunks of tender chicken in the gumbo. After eating gumbo in New Orleans, it has been so hard to find one I like in Orlando and now I have! Instead of Oysters Rockefeller, the chefs offered a delicious Baked Oysters app, which my husband was a little leery of because it includes Brie cheese fondue, bacon and toasted Panko bread crumbs. He was pleasantly surprised when he realized that the oyster flavor pairs perfectly with both the brie cheese and bacon.

Of course we had to try the Shrimp Po Boy. This is one of our favorite things to get when we go home to South Mississippi. The chefs fly in bread from New Orleans for the Po Boys, so we knew it was going to be great. The plentiful, lightly-breaded shrimp paired perfectly with the mayo, lettuce and lightly toasted bread. We will definitely be back for that sandwich! We also had the Fish Sandwich of the Day, which was red drum. Chefs in New Orleans and Mississippi know how delicious this fish is, but I never see it featured in Orlando restaurants. I was so happy to have it, and it was cooked nearly perfectly. The sandwich was great, but the housemade remoulade sauce was even better. 

We also wanted to try the unique sides. We had the Crispy Pancetta and Jalapeno Mac n Cheese with toasted Panko bread crumbs. We liked the kick from the jalapenos, and the flavor and texture of the pancetta. I think a different cheese would elevate this dish further; the cheese reminded me of macaroni and cheese you make at home, which is likely what the chefs were going for. Our favorite side was the Charred Okra with oven-dried tomatoes, lemon and basil. And this is from someone who doesn't like okra outside of gumbo and the fried okra. I couldn't get enough of this dish! The beautiful, light tomato broth paired perfectly with the firm - not mushy - okra.

Of course, we had to try dessert. It was so hard to choose from Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Cake, Creme Brulee and others, but we settled on the Banana Bread Pudding. We are so glad we did! Each bite was a mouthful of bliss. The pudding doesn't look as moist as it actually is. Once you bite into it, you realize that it is soaked in a delicious whisky anglaise. We loved this decadent, but light dessert!

Where: 743 N. Magnolia Ave., Orlando, Fla.

Delicious Food & Drinks, Upscale Ambiance Await at The Fifth

Southern Fried Chicken n Waffles
Photo by Shad Bookout

The moment you walk into The Fifth Restaurant & Lounge in downtown Orlando, you know you are not in the typical Orlando bar. The onyx-covered bar and lights on the ceiling and in beautiful columns in the middle of the room remind me of an upscale Manhattan-style club. The 80s remix music, friendly bartenders and wait staff, and the throng of regulars, also gives this place a fun, neighborhood atmosphere.

While you can stand at the bar or at tables, we chose to sit at the alligator-skin booth and order dinner and drinks. After reading several positive reviews about The Fifth, I knew that its food would be just as good as its beverages. Still, we had to try a few of The Fifth's signature drinks, which are different than those I have seen on the menus at any other Orlando bar or restaurant.

First, The Greenhouse, made with cucumber vodka and triple sec: I didn't have high hopes for this one, but it truly is light and flavorful and was probably our favorite drink. We also tried the CoCo Palm, made with coconut vodka, melon, and pineapple juice. This blue drink tastes like a pina colada without the heavy cream. I love it. I also recommend the yummy Pear Martini. The Ice Ice Baby - with Moet champagne, elderberry flower, and peach - is good, but just tastes like champagne to me.

The V Steak Burger
Photo by Shad Bookout

Now on to the food. There are so many appetizers, burgers, comfort foods, and desserts to choose from. We started with The Spicy European Flatbread, which has pepperoni, arugula, goat cheese and fig balsamic glaze. It is very, very good and I like the kick to it. The only minor point: the balsamic glaze is slightly too much; I want to taste all the flavors and not as much balsamic. The house-made V Potato Chips with Sea Salt are to die for; everyone at the table loved them. The grilled Haas avocado was okay. The avocado is served with Black Bean Pico de Gallo and spicy tomato sauce. Those flavors help spice up the avocado, but something is still missing. I like that this app is unique to The Fifth, though.

I would say the entrees were the best part of The Fifth experience, and it is surprising to find such good food in a lounge atmosphere. My new favorite entree is Southern Fried Chicken n Waffles: house made Belgian waffles with candied bacon, maple syrup, and creme anglaise. The breading on the chicken was light and crispy, as were the waffles. If you have a sweet tooth like me, you will love this dish. The V Steak Burger, which is served with caramelized onions, arugula and ale-oli sauce, was very flavorful and cooked perfectly. The delicious flavor comes from The Fifth's use of high quality ground brisket and short ribs.  

Fried Oreos       Photo by Shad Bookout

The V Salsa Meatloaf is also perfect comfort food - and surprisingly light - and we really liked the accompanying buttery mashed potatoes. The Country Style Chicken Grilled Cheese was not our favorite. Even though it had yummy grilled chicken, bacon, and guacamole, it lacked the melty cheese you would think of. Perhaps it should not be called a grilled cheese sandwich.

You definitely must save room for dessert, especially the Fried Oreos. The warm oreos inside a light breading kind of melt in your mouth. The accompanying chocolate sauce is delicious as well. We also had the Cream Puff, which is served with a chocolate sauce, and the Hazelnut Torte. We really enjoyed the Cream Puff, but the Hazelnut Torte is good, but was not our favorite.

While the atmosphere is upscale and attracts people in their 30s and 40s, The Fifth doesn't break the bank. Entrees are reasonably priced around $12. However, you could rack up a bill with the delicious signature drinks at $12 a pop. The service was my other favorite part of The Fifth experience. The manager, Matt, is so welcoming and helpful, and our server, Gaby, was very knowledgeable and friendly. You definitely need to check this place our - for lunch, dinner, nighttime, or Sunday brunch!

Where: 112 South Orange Ave., Orlando