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What Are Your Favorite Food Blogs?
I love all the usual suspects too (Orangette, Wednesday Chef, Smitten Kitchen, Endless Simmer) and here's a few more: Homesick Texan, Simply Breakfast, the Kitchn, and Evil Chef Mom.
And a humble plug for my own blog, Dinner Party: http://adinnerparty.blogspot.com
Anyone watching the Batali/Paltrow show on PBS?
Totally agree with everyone here. As beautiful and well-shot as the show is, it's like watching Mario and Bittman's televised mid-life crisis. Claudia is the only enjoyable part.
I'm blogging about the show over on Delish.com: http://www.delish.com/cooking-shows/cooking-blogs/spanish-food/
Orlando in August? Are You Kidding Me?
Hi Izzy,
As a former Orlando resident (and UCF alum), here's a few tips:
Sad to say, but in my opinion, the majority of Orlando's dining options are either chain restaurants, or trendy and bad. There are some good restaurants out there if you know where to look--although I'm not sure if they're quite as upscale as you're looking for. That said, there's Dexter's (www.dexwine.com) and Hue in Thornton Park (www.huerestaurant.com). Amura is a decent spot for sushi in downtown Orlando (www.amurarestaurants.com)
I've never been there, but Norman Van Aken, a big name in the Florida fine dining world, has a restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton called Norman's (www.normans.com).
Orlando has a large Vietnamese population and there's an area on East Colonial Drive and Mills Ave (near downtown Orlando) nicknamed Little Saigon that has a lot of good Vietnamese restaurants and Asian supermarkets and stores. My favorite place to eat is Viet Garden (www.vietgardenorlando.com). Get the shrimp summer rolls!
Near Rollins College, Winter Park is a cute neighborhood with a nice main drag with lots of shops and restaurants. It's been a few years since I lived there but good, casual spots for brunch/lunch are the Briar Patch (252 N. Park Ave.) and Hot Olives (www.hotolivesrestaurant.com). Luma on Park (290 Park Ave. S.) has gotten good reviews, but I have never been there. And there's a nice farmer's market there on Saturdays.
Dining options around UCF are limited at best, if you're not into fast food or chain restaurants like Chili's or Friendly's. I'd venture away from campus to find better stuff. One big perk if they can cook in their dorms is the awesome Publix grocery store chain (everywhere in Orlando). It's "where shopping is a pleasure."
Hope this helps,
Lisa
http://adinnerparty.blogspot.com
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About Lisa23
Website: http://adinnerparty.blogspot.com
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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I just wrote a post about this very thing!
http://www.adinnerparty.net/2009/06/potluck-y.html
I throw a lot of dinner parties, and in my experience, I think potlucks should be fun, casual gatherings. Have everyone bring something home-made (or store-bought if they hate to cook), put it all out on a table, and let everyone serve themselves. I like to coordinate a menu ahead of time to avoid overlap, but other than that, I think it's best not to overthink these types of things.