90 Reasons to Experience Orlando’s Magical Dining with @VisitOrlando

Three Courses for $33 – You heard me right – it’s that time of the year where you get to indulge your inner gourmet with an appetizer, entrée and dessert at some of the best restaurants Orlando has to offer and best of all without breaking a bank. So break out your pearls and stretchy pants friends, it’s time….time to PARTYY!!

This fall, food lovers from Aug. 29 through Oct. 2 can experience 90 of the most popular restaurants in Orlando – including 19 new program participants – during Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month, sponsored by American Express. The program, developed by Visit Orlando, Central Florida’s official tourism association, includes some of the hottest new arrivals to Orlando’s culinary scene, including chef-driven establishments in the new Disney Springs area as well as local favorites across town. One dollar from each meal will also be donated to a local charity, with last year’s program contributing more than $160,000 – the largest donation to date.

We had the delicious pleasure of experiencing not one but two of the hottest restaurants in town – Morimoto and STK. Here are some drool-worthy photos courtesy of our dear friend Orlando Fun & Food the areas first website that covers local attractions, restaurants, special events and more. Follow them on Social media @ORLFunandFood.

 

STK dazzled us with –  Appetizers: Chilled Late Summer Tomato Soup/Hearts of Romaine/Roasted Beets. Entrèes: Petite Filet Mignon/Soft Smoked Salmon/Confit of Duck Leg. Desserts: Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie/Orange Dream Cheesecake/Assorted Sorbet.

At Morimoto we noshed on Appetizers: Miso Soup and House Salad/Dim Sum (Combo/ Assortment)/Kakuni Pork Bao. Entrèes: Orange Chicken/Lo Mein (Chicken or Vegetable)/La BBQ Kalbi/Sweet and Sour Branzino Filet. Desserts: MM Soda Float/ Churro Fondue/Sesame Balls.

A full list of all participating restaurants, menus and OpenTable reservations are available at OrlandoMagicalDining.com. New restaurants to the program include:

• STK, a brand new upscale steakhouse with a high-energy atmosphere at Disney Springs.
• Morimoto Asia, by Chef Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef America fame, offering pan-Asian flavors from across the continent.
• Urbain 40, glinting with 1940’s glamor and a continental menu crafted from largely local, seasonal ingredients.
• Cask & Larder, a local favorite featuring brewed-onsite beer, home-cured meats and pickled vegetables. Cask & Larder is the second restaurant created by five-time James Beard-nominated chefs James Petrakis and Julie Petrakis.

In its 11th year, Magical Dining Month gives both locals and visitors alike a chance to experience Orlando dining at its finest all over town – from options near the theme parks to hidden gems in Orlando’s local neighborhoods. Examples include:

• Convention Area – RA Sushi*, Itta Bena*, Tapa Toro Tapas Bar & Paella Pit*, Urban Tide (Hyatt Regency Orlando), The Capital Grille, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, A Land Remembered (Rosen Shingle Creek),
• Disney/Lake Buena Vista – Black Fire Brazilian Steakhouse, deep blu seafood grille (Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort), NINE18 (The Villas at Grand Cypress), Todd English’s Bluezoo (Walt Disney World Dolphin)
• Downtown – Shari Sushi Lounge*, Artisan’s Table, The Boheme, Citrus Restaurant, KASA Restaurant & Bar, Maxine’s on Shine
•    Restaurant Row – SLATE*, Big Fin Seafood Kitchen, Christini’s Ristorante Italiano, Dragonfly Robata Grill & Sushi, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood Restaurant, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Morton’s The Steakhouse, Ocean Prime
•    Universal/CityWalk – Amatista Cookhouse* (Loews Sapphire Falls) , Emeril’s Tchoup Chop, Island’s Dining Room (Loews Royal Pacific), The Kitchen (Hard Rock Hotel), Mama Della’s Ristorante (Loews Portofino Bay)
• Winter Park – Blu on the Avenue*, The Ravenous Pig, Luma on Park, Mitchell’s Fish Market, Chez Vincent, Hamilton’s Kitchen, Ruth’s Chris Steak House
• Surrounding Areas – F&D Kitchen and Bar*, Osprey Tavern*, Kabooki Sushi*, Ruth’s Chris Steak House (Orlando and Lake Mary)

*First year in Magical Dining

Each year, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month, sponsored by American Express, benefits a local cause chosen the year prior. This year, The Russell Home for Atypical Children is the recipient, and will be given $1 from every Magical Dining meal. The Russell Home is the first non-profit institution in the country to provide a home atmosphere with a family structure for special needs children and ‘child-like’ adults. In continuous operation for over 60 years without any government support, the home also provides 24 hours of free respite care and free day care for the local families with special needs dependents.

Last year, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining raised a record $160,735 for ELEVATE Orlando. The funds raised by Magical Dining enabled ELEVATE to expand its mentorship programs into Jones High School, equipping thousands of urban youth in Central Florida to graduate with a plan for their future.

So whether you are scouting around for your next business dinner, or you have an occasion to celebrate, or simply because you are in a mood to try something new. Visit Orlando gives you an irrefutable choice of extending your gourmand wings with a Three Course Dinner for only $33. So come on people, do yourself a favor and make your Reservation!!

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