Food for thought
When COVID-19 first hit, restaurants scrambled to figure out how to stay open when most businesses closed, how to stay safe when everyone was told to stay home and how to hold on when help was a long way off.
The pandemic completely turned the restaurant industry and specifically dine-in seating on its a-double-s.
Many restaurants folded while the lucky ones survived by pivoting from their original concepts and bearing down on creative to-go options. Some even managed to open during the uncertainty that has been the last 14 months. (Kudos to those folks!)
Restaurants that used to bank on dine-in customers, now have robust takeout and delivery programs and for 4Rivers, it's bringing in 40% of their profits. Anyway, I say all this to point you in the direction of my new favorite weekly read, The Counter — an independent, nonpartisan newsroom focused on what America eats — and also to this piece from Orlando Sentinel about local restaurants’ takes on the future of takeout.
As the Sentinel reported, John Rivers said the 4Rivers team is leaning into this new change in customer behavior. “We’re now serving two different sectors of customer base,” Rivers said. “You can sit back and complain about it or you can figure out a way to lean into it. That’s what we’ve chosen to do.”
And Johnny Tung, who started Bento Asian Kitchen & Sushi and 22 other restaurants under its umbrella with his brother, said they’ll continue focusing on takeout, installing to-go windows and changing up the dining room. “Takeout and delivery will be more than what it was pre-pandemic, even after everyone gets vaccinated,” he said.
In more food news…
🌮 Orlando Taco Week kicked off on Tuesday. It’s an annual event put on by the folks at Orlando Weekly and for a whole two weeks (yes, two, you read that right), participating eateries will offer $5 tacos. You’ll find taco spots like Tako Cheena, Tin & Taco, and MX Taco in the mix and also places like The Pass Progressive Cuisine, 534 Scratch Kitchen, and Orlando Meats. (Orlando Taco Week)
🥞 One thing Orlando does really well is brunch. Amirite or amirite? That’s why it’s not surprising that both Tasty Chomps and Orlando Date Night Guide released guides to the hottest brunches a day apart. As a LEHer (Lake Eola Heights), it’s hard to beat the pork belly biscuits at Soco and the mimosas at Maxine’s, but from the looks of it, The Hampton Social can have my money too.
🇬🇷 It’s official. There’s a new Mediterranean restaurant going in the old Luma space on Park Ave. It’s called Ava MediterrAegean and it’s a sister restaurant to Mila, a rooftop spot in Miami Beach. The high-end eatery is predicted to open in the fall and will serve “flavors and colors of the Silk Road.” (Orlando Weekly)
🐟 It’s been rumored that Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips concept was coming to ICON Park for a while now, but the rumor has finally been confirmed. The fast-casual eatery plans to open in August. (Orlando Sentinel)
🍎 If you miss traveling and places like the Big Apple, you should check out The Bridge restaurant in Winter Park. It opened last month in the former Proper & Wild spot off Park Ave and according to this review, pleases both the stomach and the eye. (The32789)
- Related: Since we’re on the topic of food reviews, I’m going to agree with Amy Drew Thompson here that Deli Desires leaves nothing to be desired. The spot opened up next to the former Sanctum spot in Colonialtown a few months back and I’m putting all my money on its bialys. Also, I don’t know what they put in their black and white cookies, but wow. Just wow. (Orlando Sentinel)
