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Going on tonight and ending the 25th, the Orlando Fringe Festival is back again! In their words “100% unscensored. 100% accessible. 100% non-juried.” If you have a problem with that, don’t go…but you should anyway, it’s a fun time.
Beautiful, Wild, and Fun – the Orlando Fringe Festival is for everyone. There are plays for children and a variety of shows for adults… from risqué to conservative, there are a lot of choices. You start out by purchasing your Fringe Button for $8 and then you wonder around at your leisure checking out the tents, having a glass of wine,trying a bite to eat, and shopping around. I went with friends years ago for the first time to Orlando Fringe Festival and we continue to come back every year.
Orlando Buzz Tips:
Wear your Fringe Button Around Town! After visiting the Fringe, wear your button to Dandelion Cafe and get a free beer from Orlando Brewing Company by June 1st! Check out Funky Monkey Wine Company (an Orlando Buzz fave) and get a free glass of house wine with your Fringe button while the festival is going on. Seven Sisters Coffee, Tastings, Eden Bar, and Hard Rock Cafe are also having specials on their menu if you wear your Fringe Button so check it out!
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It does not matter if you are vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, or if you are a meat lover - Ethos Vegan Kitchen is absolutely delicious. The dining set up is simple, you go to the counter to order your food, and if you are eating in, they will bring it to your table. Easy, quick, and delicious.
As a meat lover, vegan restaurants make me nervous. I originally tried Ethos Vegan Kitchen because a friend of mine’s artwork were being displayed (that is another thing if you are an artist, you can arrange to have your art displayed) and I wanted to support her. I am so thankful I did. The ingredients tasted fresh and the food was delicious. I was pleasantly surprised. They even serve vegan beer, wine, and baked goods!
To make things more exciting, Ethos Vegan Kitchen has special events happening on certain days that are announced through their News section. One example is Beer and Pizza night with $3 drafts (vegan of course) which is actually happening tonight. Another example is Sunday Brunch with acoustic/Jazz music on the patio. Fun!
I think if I ate at Ethos Vegan Kitchen for every meal I could be vegan – check it out!
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Downtown Orlando, parking is across the street, indoor and outdoor seating, extensive wine and food list…excellent combination. Welcome to Tastings of Orlando.
If you want to try new wines, Tastings is a wonderful choice. Not only do they have an extensive wine list of over 100 bottles (and they like to include that each bottle is sold at retail price.) They will even cork it for you if you want to enjoy it in rather than take it home. I recently enjoyed happy hour and enjoyed the last few hours of sun with a couple of close friends. We had a blast.
From the fun and engaging waiters to the delicious choices of house wines and beers to the large proportions of size and quality appetizers. Happy Hour at Tastings is a fun experience for those who love wine bars and love them more when they are cheaper.
Outside of the Happy Hour Menu, Tastings has flights of wine – basically they bring out three 2 oz portions of wine so that you can try each one. I liked how they even had the wine flights for sparkling wine. I have not seen that before.
Tastings is all about tasting – and they make that clear in their name and their menu. The menu has all types of delights. They have these samplers (perfect for wine tasting) of 2 to 8 cheeses and meats from 22 choices including Brie, Jarsberg, Port Salut, Prosciutto, Chorizo, and other yummy options. If you want just a salad, sandwich, or entree, Tastings also has a unique menu for you to try. I usually like to nibble on appetizers and small plates when I go to Wine Bars, so I find things like the samplers and platters more appealing.
I loved the wine, beer, and food that I had at Tastings. I also loved the ambience of sitting on the covered patio enjoying the spring breeze as the sun set. I think what was one of the most appealing parts of this bar was the parking lot across the street. It can be such a pain to park downtown, and Tastings makes it easy with their own parking lot. Love it.
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If you like to dance to music by Franz Ferdinand, The White Stripes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and you got your own style out on the floor (even if you don’t) then IBar is the place for you. They play classic favorites like the Beatles but most of the time you will hear the latest indie favorites.
Depending on what night you go, the dance floor is normally pretty full, but you still have some room to bust a move…and ladies, (this can apply to men too) you don’t have to worry about sketchy men sneaking in to dirty dance with you…perfect place to go out and have a dance party with your friends.
What else is great about IBar? The style. You have every extreme of fashion out there and it is amazing for people watching…or to get some pointers…depending on your style.
Every night they have something different going on (and seasonally these change) but right now on Thursdays they have 5 Year Flashback College Indie Rock, Free PBR until the Keg is out. Plus lots of other drink specials like $2 delicious Firefly Sweet Tea. (If you like sweet tea and you like vodka, you will LOVE Firefly Sweet Tea… be careful, its hard to taste the alchohol…)
Other nights of the week they have 80’s by request Sundays, Grits & Gravy Old Soul Rock & Roll Tuesdays, Necropolis Wednesday, College Indie Rock Fridays, and New Wave 80’s Saturday. Depending on what you are in the mood to dance to, they have it at IBar.
If you are looking in downtown Orlando for a fun place to bust a move and have a couple of drinks, check out IBar.
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Sheriff David Mizell went to arrest Moses Barber after he did not pay a bill for cattle. The Sheriff brought his sons Billy and Morgan along with him to make the arrest. On their way, the three Mizells stopped to give their horses some water, and then there was gunfire. Sheriff David Mizell was shot down dead, presumably by the Barbers.
A month later, Moss Barber Jr. was caught and brought out to Lake Conway. He was tied up and put in a sack with weights. Moss Barber Jr. was then thrown in the lake. However, somehow he surfaced and started swimming to shore. The new Sheriff shot down Moss Barber, and he died in the lake.
For a while after, there were stories that Lake Conway was haunted by the ghost of Moss Barber Jr. That was not the end of the revenge, however.
Isaac Barber was captured and tied to a tree. Twenty gun shots later, Isaac Barber was dead and so ends the Barber-Mizell feud.
I found a couple of different versions of this story, but it is interesting to see what happened in Orlando before Disney. It is all part of Orlando’s Culture. My version came from A guide to Historic Orlando
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I have never been to Thailand, but I love Thai food…at least what I’ve had at the local Orlando Thai Restaurants, and there are a LOT of great ones. But I tend to go to Sea Thai more than the others.
Sea Thai Restaurant is located across from the Fashion Square Mall on Colonial Avenue, and from the outside it does not look like much…It is always easy to park, but when you walk inside you are greeted and welcomed like you are part of the family.
It is a tiny restaurant with delicate decor and tropical flowers that normally sit in the center of the table. The high ceilings prevent too much background noise making it easy for you to enjoy your company.
I love to start out with Vegetable Spring Rolls which are lightly fried and served hot and delicious. It is a small serving that you could share with one other, but if you have more than two I would recommend more than one order.
Depending on the kind of mood you’re in their hot tea is delish but their Thai Iced Tea is fabulous for anyone who has a sweet tooth. They serve a couple different types of beer and wine as well.
I have never tried a dish of theirs without loving it. All of the sides are even good! The vegetables are fresh, the Jasmine Rice is excellent – you can’t go wrong. Pretty much all of their dishes come with the option of spicing them up…and they are not kidding. I can handle most spicy things… but I never venture past medium at Sea Thai. I love it though. No matter if I get the Phad Thai, Praram Dish, or any of the Curry Dishes – I love spicing it up a bit to get that extra kick. (If you are not a spicy fan, the dishes are also delicious and flavorful on their own.)
Orlando Buzz Tip:
Try a spicy dish with a Thai Iced Tea…Excellent Combination. Want dessert? I highly recommend the Thai Donuts and Ice Cream (I’m trying the Tempura Cheesecake next time and I’ll let you know if it is not tasty… but I doubt it.)
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I live in Orlando, but I like to go on adventures to nearby cities -aka mini vacations. Especially when I want to go to the beach. In Cocoa Beach lies one of my favorite seafood restaurants. It is not the nicest restaurant, I actually have never sat inside…The view though. It will take your breath away.
I first stumbled upon Sunset Waterfront Cafe & Bar when I went to the beach with my college roommates to celebrate one of their birthdays. We were looking for a local waterfront seafood place and we found what we were looking for on the West Cocoa Beach Causeway – it was not beachfront, but it was bayfront. When we sat down it was light out and we were given a seat outside with a beautiful view of the water. Music was playing and everyone was enjoying the fried shrimp and crab legs. The sun began to set and we had a perfect view of the beautiful colors spreading out in the sky over the calm water. Wow. We took photos, others left their seats to check it out and take photos, couples came out to enjoy the romantic moment. This was a sight you don’t see everyday, and it was easy to see where the name of the restaurant came from.
I have gone back to that restaurant more than any other seafood place. The food is tasty, the prices are decent, the service is so-so (of course when you go to a restaurant to enjoy the gorgeous view, you probably are not in a rush), and the view over the water is gorgeous. Go enjoy a full dinner after a day at the beach (bathing suits and cover ups are normal here along with dresses and slacks) or enjoy a delicious cocktail while listening to your favorite beachy tunes.
Orlando Buzz Tip:
You may have to wait for a seat outside, so call ahead or make sure you arrive with plenty of sunlight left. This is an oceanfront seafood dive you won’t forget.
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A warm breeze blows by as you are sitting outside enjoying a hookah and then a Belly Dancer performs by your table. Your waiter brings out some Hummus with Meat (my fave) and Fatayer (spinach pie) and you are in a little piece of Mediterranean paradise.
Cedars is known for their Lebanese cuisine. Everything is good….of course if you normally don’t like pork and you order pork then you probably still won’t like it…
I went and sat outside with a group of friends for hours one evening enjoying the Lebanese food, relaxing atmosphere and the beautiful weather. The waiters come to chat with you and they are always relaxed. They never try to rush you out.
The prices are not cheap but the tasty dishes come in large quantities to share and the quality is high.
If you want to get away from the rush of life and enjoy delicious food in a relaxing atmosphere – Cedars is the place for you.
Orlando Buzz Tips:
On a budget but want to try Cedars? Come with friends and skip entrees. Just order an appetizer for each person and share! The appetizers are priced between $5 to $9 which is more affordable and they are delicious.
Want to have some fun afterwards? On Friday nights the close by Samba Room has Salsa dance lessons starting at 9:30pm.
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The closest thing to a real Irish Pub in Central Florida on St. Patrick’s day is Fiddler’s Green in Winter Park. It has the atmosphere, the authentic live music, and even the beer. If you don’t like Irish beer, they have a large variety of other Brews, Cocktails, and Wine you can enjoy.They even have all kinds of tasty authentic Irish foods including the classic St. Paddy’s Day favorite Corned Beef and cabbage and the less well known Irish dish, Bangers and Mash. (Free to get in.)
Now if you want something a little more wild, downtown Wall Street Station has a double celebration of St. Patrick’s day with live dueling pianos and drink specials on Saturday, March 14th and on Tuesday, March 17th. The music will play from 8 to 11pm, but the party starts at 4 on Saturday and 5 on Tuesday. ($10 to get in, $6 after 9pm)
In the theme park area? Citywalk has a St. Patrick’s day party going on at Pat O’briens. They will have a live rock band and dueling pianos plus beads and leprechauns out and about. Maybe you will find the end of the rainbow? $12 to get in on the party (Get there before 7 and it’s free) or $20 for VIP. (Access to the balcony, front of the line, and lots of beads)
Don’t get pinched, wear green!
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If you’re adventurous or a timid sushi lover, you will find what you desire at Ichiban Sushi. Especially from the Ichiban Sushi Happy Hour daily from 5 to 7pm. The Happy Hour Menu has a variety of Sushi pieces, rolls, Tempura, and drink specials.
For those who fear the raw fish, there is Tempura chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. The Happy Hour menu also has a variety of sushi rolls that do not have raw fish including the vegetarian options (cucumber and avocado rolls) along with the Downtown Roll, KFC Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, and the California roll. I love the KFC roll for only $5. It has Fried chicken, cucumber, and spicy mayo. Sounds weird especially for sushi, but it is GOOD.
For the more adventurous sushi eaters, the Happy Hour Menu has Nigiri (One Piece) and Sashimi (Two Pieces) sushi ranging from $2 to $3. There is also a huge variety or rolls ranging from $3, for the more simple options like the salmon roll, to $5, for the more complex and tasty Dynamite Roll.
There are even Sake specials. I’m still a little Sake shy (although it is growing on me) so I went for the Saketini for only $3. That night the featured flavor was Mango and WOW! It is a delish combo of Sake, fruit juice, and vodka. More of a fan of the brew? Kirin Ichiban is also only $3 and is a nice lighter beer imported from Japan. And of course if you are a Sake fan, the Ichiban Happy Hour serves Sake from $3 to $5.
Not a bad night when you can have two sushi rolls/pieces and two drinks for under $20 including gratuity and taxes. Check out Ichiban Sushi in downtown Orlando between 5 and 7pm daily for their special Happy Hour menu. You won’t be disappointed.
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