Erika Spence: Business in the Park

I’m here for the food

There really isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be than sitting on Park Avenue with a cup of coffee, great plate of food and some wonderful conversation. That is, unless I’m on a date night at the Winter Park Village for dinner and a movie. Or, better yet, at 4 Rivers with a cold Cheerwine, a tasty sandwich and my family. Let’s face it: I like to eat.

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce recently hosted the 30th annual Taste of Winter Park presented by CenturyLink — the organization’s annual foodie festival. And despite some liquid sunshine, over 1,300 locals came out to taste some of the area’s finest fare. I love this event because it brings so many members of the Chamber together for an evening of community, built around our common love of food and supporting our local businesses.

This year we hosted more than 40 restaurants, caterers, bakers and beverage purveyors. Nine of those were either new to Winter Park or the event in general, including: Another Broken Egg Café, Canopy Café, Gators Dockside in Baldwin Park, Kona Ice of Winter Park, Pi Hole Pizza, Rogue Pub, Shake Shack, TR Fire Grill and Umi.

A select panel of judges, including the Winter Park Maitland Observer’s own Josh Garrick, helped determine our prizes. Join us in a round of applause for Hamilton’s Kitchen at The Alfond Inn, whose roast pig dish won Best Main Course. Best Appetizer/Side Dish was presented to Lombardi’s Seafood for its lobster bisque. Peterbrooke Chocolatier of Winter Park earned the Best Dessert award for its handmade chocolate chip cookie shot glasses – I can personally attest to how delicious these are. The Best Booth Display went to 4 Rivers Smokehouse. The Best Healthy Dish was presented to Orchid Thai for its mieng kum. Mi Tomatina’s chilled octopus salad with zinfandel vinaigrette was named the Best Fresh Florida Dish. Finally, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits took home the award for best beverage with its cherry vodka limeade (see recipe on Facebook).

I promise it wasn’t all about the food. Johnny Mag Sax performed, one of our members won the drawing for a cruise courtesy of Go Travel and Viking River Cruises – congrats, Paul! – and several others won silent auction prizes to “taste” some of the areas sports, arts and entertainment. We hope you’ll join us in 2016. Until then, keep up with Taste of Winter Park on social media @WinterParkTaste.

Smoke-free dining comes to town

The Taste of Winter Park was also officially smoke-free as part of a new effort called Breathe Free Winter Park. Led by Health Central Florida, this community-based initiative encourages restaurants to become completely smoke free inside and out. Some early adopters of this movement include Chamber of Commerce members such as Antonio’s, Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine, Canopy Café, Cocina 214, The Coop, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, Mellow Mushroom, Nelore Brazilian Steakhouse, Panera Bread (Park Avenue and Aloma) and Whole Foods Market Winter Park, among others. At these establishments you’ll find a pleasant smoke-free patio. Look for Breathe Free Winter Park materials on table tops and in restaurant windows.

Learn more about the movement and how you can politely speak up about the importance of smoke-free dining at healthycentralflorida.org.

Erika Spence is the senior director of marketing and communications at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce.