🍽 Dig into this new supper club from The Heavy and The Foreigner Experience

Plus, where to celebrate Dry January and how to find these gooey-ooey cookies.

By Katie Johnston

Happy hump day. 

On Wednesdays, we wear bibs. 👈 This is a quasi-reference to the early 2000s movie Mean Girls, and it’s applicable today because, on Wednesdays, we talk mainly about food (and drink) news. And we still will, but first, we’ve got some non-F&B news to cover.

Like the fact that temps could drop into the 40s this weekend (it’s true — we could see a low of 45 on Saturday! ❄️) or how the parent company of Orlando Weekly (Euclid Media) just sold their office space in the historic Tinker Building in Downtown Orlando to local lobbyists The Southern Group (⬅️ a big win for their team!). Or that Orange County has provided financial assistance to more than 600 families who were six months behind on rent since the pandemic started and how Florida lawmakers are once again considering enacting additional abortion restrictions. Proposals resembling controversial laws in Mississippi and Texas were filed in the state house and senate yesterday on the first day of the 2022 legislative session and would restrict abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. 

And these are just a few of the headlines that stuck out to me while scouring the internet for local interest stories. We’ll likely touch on most of them in the days to come, but for now, let’s shift gears and get back to the real reason we’re all here on a Wednesday — to dish about Orlando’s culinary and cocktail scene, starting with this new cookie shop in SoDo. 

Chew on this, Orlando 

🚫 Many Orlando restaurants are having to cut hours or close up shop for a few days because of sick staff. This is your friendly weekly reminder to be extra patient with the hospitality and service industry these days. With the highly transmissible omicron variant currently surging in Florida and around the country, employers are having to make tough decisions starting with some of our nearest and dearest right here at home. (Orlando Sentinel) 

🍝 The Heavy and The Foreigner Experience are having a baby and they’ve named it The Supper Club, and it launches next Thursday, Jan. 20. The five-course beer dinner will feature drinks from The Ravenous Pig Brewing Co., Redlight Redlight, Sideward Brewing, and Gatlin Hall Brewing, and Chef Bruno Fonseca from The Foreigner and Chef Bruno Zacchini of Pizza Bruno fame will prepare the meal. Trust me — you’re gonna want to snag one of these hot tickets now. (The Heavy on Instagram)

🍸 In the middle of Dry January? Or maybe you’re just looking to cut back on your alcohol intake and are flirting with a sober lifestyle for any number of reasons? No matter the motivation, we wanted to share this list of Orlando date night ideas that don’t include alcohol to have a good time. (Orlando Date Night Guide) 

😎 Top Chef winner Hung Huynh won't be in the kitchen when Ava MediterrAegean opens in Winter Park next month, according to Orlando Weekly’s food reporter Faiyaz Kara. So far, no statement has been released about why, but the long-awaited, upscale Mediterranean eatery is still on track to open Feb. 4. (Orlando Weekly) 

📣 Speaking of Faiyaz Kara, the foodie writer just recently rounded up the 13 hottest restaurants in Orlando right now for Eater Miami and the compilation is hot. Sushi, ramen, "soupasake", more omakase, food halls, and spicy hot chicken all top the list. See for yourself at the link. 👉 (Eater Miami)

🌮 South Eola and the Thornton Park Main Street District have a new restaurant. F&D Cantina officially opened in the former Jax (really former CityFish) spot on Central Boulevard and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone more excited than this girl. That’s because I’ve visited the Lake Mary location before and am a big fan of its margaritas and tacos, and now my fiancé and I have one less reason to argue over what’s for dinner. 🙄 (Bungalower) 

🍕 Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria has closed its Chickasaw Trail location. The local small chain cited skyrocketing rent (up 50% according to the owner) and increased costs of labor and products due to supply chain issues for the closure. You can still visit any of its other four family-owned locations in Lake Nona, Lake Mary, Oviedo, and Lake Hart. (Fox 35)

🎯 Wanna play a game?