Foodie February

It appears February is the month for foodies in Orlando. 2 great events coming up this month that I will DEFINITELY be going to:

Chili Cookoff & Downtown Food & Wine Festival

Picture Source: orlandochilicookoff.com

The Orlando Chili Cookoff will take place this Saturday (Feb. 9th) at Festival Park in Downtown Orlando. I don’t know if it’s the cold weather that we’ve been having lately but almost every night I have a craving for Chili! I’m going with my notepad to jot down my faves and cast my vote. The winner of the People’s Choice Award will receive $1500 cash prize. Ticket will be $12 at the gate for adults and $3 for kids 12 years and under.

Picture Source: http://downtownfoodandwinefest.cbslocal.com

Then there’s the Downtown Food & Wine Festival on Saturday Feb. 23 & Sunday Feb. 24th at the Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando. I am SUPER excited about this event! Not because there will be food and wine but because there will also be amazing entertainment (All American Rejects & Andy Grammer will be performing) and the entry cost is MINIMAL! Typically Wine & Food Festivals run for $50+ and most times that is just the entry fee and you have to buy samples from there. The Downtown Wine & Food Fest is only $15 for tickets purchased at the gate – more than likely samples will be on sale, but at least I can determine how much I want to spend and not be worried if I “got my money’s worth”. They do give you the option of purchasing VIP tickets for $95 that have several different items included.. For more info on ticket costs, click here.

Will you be attending any of these events? Are there any other events coming up in February or the rest of the year that I should check out?

Urban Flats – My absolute favorite restaurant

I kinda feel like a nerd writing about my favorite restaurant but this past week I introduced 2 of my co-workers to Urban Flats, they LOVED it and were surprised that they never ate there before, so I decided I would share my little hidden gem of awesome with everyone 🙂

Urban Flats is a chic, up-scale, casual dining restaurant and wine bar, that specializes in gourmet flatbreads, wraps, “flatwiches” and small plates. It’s located in Downtown Orlando on Church St. with a few other locations in Florida.

I think my favorite things about Urban Flats is that their portions are PERFECT and their prices are very affordable (items ranging from $5-$12). They have a full bar and a variety of wines to compliment each dish.

During the week they have “Wine Down Wednesdays”, for $20 you can sample a variety of wines and appetizer/flatbread pairings. On Thursdays, they have specials for Ladies Night: $5 flatbreads, $4 cocktails and free dessert.

Here are the flatbreads we tried:

OVEN ROASTED VEGETABLE FLAT : sun-dried tomato pesto topped with roasted vegetables and parmesan cheese

MIDWESTERN FLAT : tender sliced steak and roasted potatoes with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, red onion, bacon bits, scallions and a sour cream drizzle

For our free dessert we each got a mini ice cream sandwich: 2 warm tollhouse chocolate chip cookies with ice cream in the middle… As soon as they came out we downed them, totally forgot to take a pic.

Take a look at their menu!

What’s your favorite restaurant? Have you ever eaten at Urban Flats? Which flatbread/dish have you tried?

#NewJob #NewCity #NewLife

Ok! I’ve been slacking terribly on my blog posts… I went from posting twice a week, to once a week, to once a month.. Sorry to the few of you who actually look out for my posts [much love, *peace sign*]. I have  a few good explanations though:

1. I was job hunting – basically I channeled all my energy into finding a new job, which meant, instead of writing posts, I was writing resumes and cover letters – BORING! But yea, everyone knows how tough the job market is so I’m sure you can understand.

2. I went to Jamaica on vacation for a week to visit family and friends. Yup, be jealous… I hadn’t been home for almost 2 years and I figured since I was in between jobs it was the best time to go down. A week was definitely too short, but better than no visit at all. I did gather great info for some awesome posts to come!

3. I moved to Orlando. I was offered a job in Orlando so I had to pack up all my crap, pack it into my car and make multiple trips (200 miles each way) up to Orlando – No UHaul, just me and my Altima. It’s been a week and a half and I still haven’t unpacked properly, but since I don’t have a deadline to unpack, I’m gonna take my own sweet time and procrastinate – what I do best.

4. I started the new job. I am now a travel agent *happy dance*. Work started last week Monday. I LOVE IT (so far)!! I’m in training for 6 weeks so the ‘real’ work doesn’t start until mid-September. We’ll see how I feel about the job when training is over. I really like the people on my team, the office and the job itself 🙂

Now that I have all those things behind me, I WILL be posting more frequently. I have some exciting ideas and new posts to add, so please check back often or you could just sign up for email notifications *wink wink* *nudge nudge* *hint hint* 😉

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned 🙂

LOLing at the Orlando Improv

Over Memorial weekend, my boyfriend, 2 friends and I went on a double date to the Orlando Improv. We got complimentary tickets to see John Heffron perform.

We weren’t allowed to take pics during the show so, this is the best I could do. [The Flyer]

The Orlando Improv Comedy Club is located on International Drive in the Pointe Orlando  plaza.

I had never been to a comedy show so I was anxious to see if it would be like the standups I often watch on Comedy Central. I had never heard of John Heffron either so I really hoped that I’d enjoy his performance – I don’t like corny, predictable humor.

We arrived at about 10:15, picked up our tickets and joined the line to be seated.

The theater room was smaller than I expected it to be, but they manage to fit A LOT of people. Square tables for four are set up in rows in the semi-circular room. The room has elevated platforms, so even if you were seated in the last row, you still had a decent view. We were seated on the 2nd platform, about the 3rd row from the back.

Before we could take a close look at the menu, the lights dimmed and the host for the evening was on the stage. I had to depend on the backlight from my cellphone to read the menu. The menu is a bit limited so it didn’t take me too long to choose what I wanted (a first!)

The host cracked a few jokes and then introduced John’s opening act. This guy was funny, but we got the feeling he was high. And then onto the main act: John Heffron.

The moment he got on the stage, he went right into cracking the audience up. He was hilarious, original and natural. His jokes all flowed. When he veered off on several tangents, he’d always pull himself back to his original story. I nearly choked on my food several times because I was laughing so hard. Even days after the performance I was still laughing at jokes he told us.

It was a fun datenight. I’ll definitely go back to another comedy show. There are a few things I’d do differently though, like eat and drink before the show – there are several restaurants in the Pointe Orlando plaza as well as on I-Drive to dine at before the show. The menu at the comedy club is limited and over priced so I suggest looking into other dining options before getting to the show. Plus, it’s not cute when your mouth is full while you’re laughing out loud, and food gets everywhere or you choke [speaking from experience here]. Also, I’d aim to get there earlier next time, like at 9:45-10 (arrive at least 30-45 min before showtime). They seat you according to when you get there so: early = front rows, late = back rows – duh! We didn’t get bad seats this time around, but the front rows on the platform closest to the stage looked better laid out with more room in between the tables.

You can check out the upcoming performances at the Orlando Improv on their website. The websites for International Drive & Pointe Orlando are good to look at too.

Have you ever been to the Orlando Improv? Who did you see? Were they funny?

Big Changes coming to Universal Orlando

This past Friday, I worked as a tour guide for a group of 50 5^th graders and their chaperones on a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando. I met them at their elementary school in Fort Lauderdale at the awful hour of 5 o’clock in the morning. We rode up to Orlando in a motor coach and spent the entire day in the park (10am-6pm).

Universal Globe

I’ve been to Universal several times, with groups and on my own. I actually prefer Islands of Adventure over Universal Studios, but with the new additions to Universal, I may change my preference…

As I mentioned in a previous post, there are new and exciting attractions coming to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Last summer the Jimmy Neutron ride closed. I haven’t been to Universal since November, so it was my surprise that the infamous Despicable Me ride was taking its space.

The outside of the New Despicable Me Ride

It’s not news that Universal recycles rides and infrastructure – The Back to the Future ride was turned into the Simpson’s ride, same simulator-type machines, just repainted walls, new decor and animations. So, I guess the Despicable Me ride will be similar to the Jimmy Neutron ride, in that it’ll be 3D (what isn’t these days?) and in a simulator seating with a huge screen.

Another change: JAWS has closed. About time if you ask me. Although it was fun, it was old, run-down and the “special effects were outdated”. Its surrounding area of ‘Amity Island’ is also gone, replaced with wooden walls to block out the construction. Rumor has it that this area will be used to expand the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (in I.O.A.), but I don’t see how that’s possible. I guess the official news will break later this year.

Separate and apart from Universal Studios, City Walk has introduced a new mini golf attraction with 36 Holes called “Hollywood Drive In”.

Hollywood Drive-In Mini Golf

View of the Mini Golf course

Blue Man Group also has a new show. I’m uber excited to see their new show. If you’ve never been to a Blue Man Group show, it’s definitely not like any other show you’ve ever seen. Very entertaining and cute for a date night.

Are you sad that JAWS and the Jimmy Neutron rides are gone?