Special Menu at Emeril's Orlando for Valentine's Day

Want to make Valentine's Day special this year? A restaurant where I experienced one of the most fabulous meals of my life is offering some affordable specials on February 14. 

At Emeril's Universal Citywalk, Chef de cuisine Bernard Carmouche created a special four-course tasting menu and a selection of special appetizers, entrees and desserts in addition to the restaurant’s regular menu.

The Chef's Tasting Menu, at $60 per guest, features an Amuse Bouche, Salmon Carpaccio, Butternut Squash Tortellini, Beef Wellington, and Limoncello Mousse. Also on special are: Grilled Bone-in Strip Steak, Grilled Lobster, and Black & Blue salmon.

I love the ambiance and high quality of food at Emeril's Universal Citywalk. Even if you don't get there for Valentine's Day, make a reservation soon for dinner. While you're there, you must try Emeril's New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo.

For Valentine's Day menu and reservations, visit: http://www.emerilsrestaurants.com/article/valentines-day-emerils-orlando. 

Unique Lunch Fare Awaits at Dexter's

Why I sometimes forget about Dexter's for lunch is beyond me. But I am so glad I was reminded of the extensive lunch menu and value for the money that Dexter's restaurants in Lake Mary, Winter Park and Thorton Park offer customers.

Dining recently at the Lake Mary location with a friend, I was a little worried about the kind of experience I would have. That was because I had previously visited Dexter's Lake Mary for brunch on a busy Sunday. It was difficult to get good, friendly service and there were not as many brunch options as I had hoped.

Setting that experience aside, I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the lunch menu to see a full page of lunch menu specials for the day. Everything from sandwiches to salads to seafood meals. Plus, we had the option of ordering off Dexter's regular menu. There, you can order their amazing sweet potato fries, one of their many delicious burgers, pastas, and comfort food such as Eggplant Napoleon and Chicken Tortilla Pie.

My friend ordered the Corsican Salad, which features baby greens, marinated artichokes, greek olives, feta cheese and Mesquite Grilled Chicken. The full salad for $9.95 is a great value, with a humongous chicken breast on top and enough for leftovers. Plus, the salad was very flavorful and unique. I ordered the mahi lunch special with grilled mahi, rice pilaf and asparagus. The mahi was cooked right, and it was huge portion for under $13.

We will definitely be back for lunch again soon. What is your favorite meal or drink at Dexter's? Let me know in the comments section below.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Try Hemingway's For a Great Value in Dec.!

Hemingway's Crab Cakes

I have heard great things about Hemingway's, the beautiful fine dining restaurant at the Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla., from friends and family for years. I finally had an opportunity to dine there recently with my husband, to try the special "Taste of Hemingway's" menu the eatery is offering through the end of December.

This restaurant a must-do for couples and families for the holiday season! Before dinner, you can get your photo taken by the gorgeous Christmas tree in the resort's lobby. After dinner, you can walk off the meal with a stroll around the grounds, which features beautiful plants, streams, and Buddhist statues. 

Back to the Taste of Hemingway's: this is a fabulous, 3-course menu with choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert for the great value of $39. It is an amazing value because the food, service, and presentation is at such a high level, and is worth so much more.

For apps, you can choose from the Florida Rock Shrimp Chowder, the Key Wester Salad, and the Key Lime Caesar. We had the chowder, which was very delicious (but too much corn for me). If you decide to order off the regular menu, I would suggest the scallops appetizer, which features three perfectly cooked scallops with a wonderful bacon and chimichurri accompaniment. However, I would suggest ordering the barbecue sauce on the side.

Key Lime Tart

Personally, I would rather taste the the high quality scallops themselves, than have their flavor drowned out in a sauce.

Our favorite entree off the Taste of Hemingway's menu was the Hemingway's "Cayo Hueso" Crab Cakes", which contain the most delicious crab of any crab cake I have eaten. They are served with local sweet corn coconut grits and corn salsa. Amazing! The other entrees - Duvall Street Shrimp Scampi, Cuban Criollo Chicken, and Mahi-Mahi - also looked delicious. We ordered the fresh fish, Florida grouper, off the regular menu, which was accompanied by Cape Canaveral shrimp. Both the shrimp and the fish were absolutely cooked to perfection. I loved the crispy sear on the grouper, and the fennel accent paired very well with the flavor of the fish.

For dessert, you can choose from the Key Lime Tart or the Chocolate Banana Fallen Tower. Both are to die for. I loved the Key Lime Tart, because it is difficult to get that tart Key Lime flavor at many restaurants. The house-made graham cracker crust was also delicious, and the baked meringue on top was an interesting twist.

For reservations, visit: http://grandcypress.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining/Hemingways.html or call 407-239-3854.

Best Local Ice Cream & Sorbet: LuLu's

Now that I have discovered it, I keep going back to Lu Lu's Ice Cream Shop in Winter Park. The quality of ice cream and sorbet there, along with the variety of flavors and helpful staff, is just outstanding. 

It doesn't hurt that this walk-up ice cream stand is next to Krispy Kreme Winter Park. When the light is on, you can pair a fresh, out-of-the-oven warm doughnut with ice cream. What can be better than that? 

The other day, I tried Lu Lu's Salted Caramel Ice Cream, which had an amazing flavor. I also brought home the Strawberry Basil Sorbet and the Pineapple Sorbet. I was a little wary of the pairing of strawberry and basil, but it was truly delicious. Both flavors were present in the sorbet. The pineapple was outstanding as well. What I am most impressed by is how LuLu's quality Orlando ice cream supplier achieves such a creamy texture to its sorbets. You would swear you were eating ice cream.

Lu Lu's is also known for its delicous milkshakes and banana splits. Don't miss the shop's "Light up Lu Lu" event on November 29, which features fire spinners, Christmas lights, and Lu Lu's new winter flavors.


Where: 1111 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, Fla.

Stellar Food, Drinks & Atmosphere Await at Marlow's Winter Park

You do not expect a restaurant with "tavern" in the name - and with such reasonable prices - to have such outstanding food and professional servers. That is exactly what we experienced while dining at Marlow's Tarvern Winter Park this week.

Grapefruit Ricky

The outside and inside of the restaurant has been transformed into a cozy upscale restaurant/ bar feel; there are virtually no traces of the McDonald's that used to be in this location! We visited Marlow's Tavern to try the restaurant's new winter menu, which includes apps such as Hoisin BBQ Ribs and  Beet, Quinoa & Goat Cheese, along with entrees such as Grilled Salmon and Pomengranate Tuna Salad.

Of course, we had to try the new winter drinks as well. Fire on Ice is a must-try: it features flavors that I want in the fall and around Thanksgiving. Made with Cachacha Gold, Blood Orange Shrub and St. Elizabeth Allspice, the allspice flavor is unique and makes the drink. We also enjoyed one of the traditional drinks on the menu: the Grapefruit Ricky. It's not too sweet and is made with voda, fresh grapefruit and lime, and St. Germaine elderflower.

I was most surprised by the quality of food served at Marlow's, for the excellent prices charged. The apps are reasonably priced, burgers start at $8.50, and all entrees are under $20. The restaurant - as well as its sister restaurant at Pointe Orlando - source the highest quality meat and seafood for its meals, and most of its produce is purchased within 50 miles of the restaurant.

Lump Crab Beignets

We started with the Lump Crab Beignets, which I have to say are one of the best appetizers I have had in quite a while. Inside a crispy, fried ball, you get flavorful bites of crab, and then you dip this warm goodness in a Wasabi Honey Mustard Sauce. I will return to Marlow's just to enjoy this app along with one of the many craft beers on tap.

We tried a couple of the new winter entrees: Crispy Brick Chicken and Pan Seared Trout. The chicken was cooked perfectly and we loved the flavor of the Parmesan and Angel Hair Carbonera with bacon and carmelized onions that was served with the chicken. The trout has a lovely Asian flavor, thanks to the Quinoa Fried Rice and Soy Glaze served with it. What I was most impressed by was that my fish was cooked perfectly: tender on the inside with nice, crispy skin.

Even though we were stuffed, we made room for dessert. The new Warm Chocolate Cake is to die for. The Jack syrup and pecans served with the cake make this a perfect fall treat. The Classic Creme Brulee was also delicious.

Crispy Brick Chicken

We will definitely return to Marlow's Tavern with friends. We want to try out Happy Hour specials, from 3:00-6:00 p.m. daily, and the brunch, which is served every Saturday and Sunday. One of the most popular items for brunch is the Chicken and Waffles, and I also want to try the Crab Cakes Benedict and Marlow's "Over-stuffed" French Toast. You must also check out the full Bloody Mary bar for Sunday Funday. I have never seen so many choices for Bloody Marys!

Where: 1008 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, Fla.

The Top Food and Drinks to Try at Waldorf Astoria Orlando

We started out our unforgettable dining experience at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando in the hotel's lounge, Peacock Alley. We had to try a cocktail there like no other: The Peacock Egg. So, this delightful concoction is a basically a Gin Lavender Lemonade drink, frozen into the shape of an egg. You sip the liquid through a hole in the egg, which is lit from below. You must try this at least once! Another delicious drink in Peacock Alley was the Waldorf Special, an amazing rum and pineapple martini. Peacock Alley also has several small plates and appetizers, and is a great place to hang out with a glass of wine and enjoy the piano music.

Next, we visited Bull & Bear, the hotel's signature steakhouse. Our first apps were Steak Tartar with Ground Mustard and Tarragon and Cheese and Sausage Crackers. Not only was the presentation of these apps delightful, but so was the flavor. The

tartar was probably the best we have tried, and the cracker was so light. The Tuna "Ring Around the Rosey" is a wondrous platter of tuna prepared three different ways: Tuna Tartar, Smoked Tuna and Tuna Confit. The delicious preparations - we liked all three! - were paired with a sorbet of water from the Atlantic Ocean. The sorbet brought all the various sea flavors to life even more.

The starter you must try at Bull & Bear is the Pasta Explosion. The pasta is so light because of a unique phyllo-dough type pasta that is prepared in-house. Inside is a mousse made with the highest quality prosciutto from Spain, paired with Parmigiano Reggiano. The tiny pastas each make for a perfect bite. 

On to entrees: The New York Strip is unlike any strip steak you have seen. It is so thick, you would think it was Filet Mignon. Bull & Bear gets its steak from a butcher in the Midwest who selects only the top five percent of cows. And you can tell it is a top quality piece of meat, with its delicious flavor and simple preparation.

We also had Florida Black Grouper, which is in season. The grouper may have been the most perfectly-cooked piece of fish I have had: not overdone and crispy skin. But the flavors that are paired with the fish is what I will remember most. The light almond milk sauce (prepared dairy-free for me) and walnut oil atop the quinoa accompaniment added a different flavor profile to the fish, which I really loved.

We had to try the hand-cut French Fries, which are cut in house, fried in beef tallow, and paired

with house-made aioli and ketchup. Can I just say the accompaniments are perfect? The French Fries themselves were crispy, but too salty for my taste.

There are so many amazing desserts to choose from at Bull & Bear, including Beignets. Because we were so stuffed, we opted for something lighter: The Lemon. I'm so glad we did. You cannot really understand how unique and flavorful this dessert is until you try it for yourself. Waldorf Astoria chefs basically developed a way for guests to enjoy all parts of the lemon. The candied lemon rind is delicious, as is the lemon curd. The lemon sorbet is probably the lightest sorbet I've had.

Obviously, we were beyond pleased and impressed with this dinner. The atmosphere is incredible, as is the service. A team of servers takes care of your every need. I also appreciated how the chefs prepared special foods for my gluten-free and dairy-free needs. So many people have food allergies, and this is one restaurant that makes a variety of delectable options available for those with special diets.

Unforgettable Culinary Adventures at Waldorf and Hilton's Food & Wine Weekends

Are you looking for an unforgettable dining experience this weekend? I promise that you will find that at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek's Orlando Food & Wine Weekends, which run through November 9.

The two fabulous properties have created unique culinary events that complement the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. However, after dining at the Waldorf's Bull & Bear restaurant, I can tell you that the food that these expertly-trained chefs whip up - and the personalized treatment you receive - will be far beyond the crowded experience of the Food & Wine Festival.

Every weekend, the Waldorf and Hilton Bonnect Creek features the events below and more. Pick and choose which ones you would like to try, and then go back next weekend for something different.

Bar du Chocolat and Champagne Tasting: choose from a buffet of carefully made chocolate treats from Waldorf Astoria Orlando's world-class pastry team, using recipes from all over the world. These chocolate conocotions are paried with an extensive selection of fine champagnes. 

A Taste of Waldorf Astoria: try exclusive tasting menus and wine pairings from master chefs in the Waldorf Astoria brand. 

II Cibo Della Vita: New tasting menus and wine pariings every weekend from the kitchen of La Luce by Donna Scala at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.

Pea Ringu - The Art of Sushi Pairing: the outstanding culinary team at Zeta Bar & Sushi Lounge explore perfect pariings for its outstanding sushi dishes, includign beer, sake, and wine.

Royal Tea: Guests can savor to tea, house-made pastries, and tea sandwiches in the wonderful, fun environment that is Peacock Alley. 

For more details on these events, visit www.waldorfastoriaorlando.com/food-wine or www.hiltonbonnetcreek.com/food-wine.