A long time ago, when the world was just a bit younger than it is now, there lived a pair of squirrels. Rhea, the older of the two, was a grey, fluffy, flying squirrel. Rocky, the younger, was also grey, but more in species than in color, as his fur, unlike Rhea’s, had a black streak down his back. Unlike Rhea, Rocky could not glide, let alone fly. Continue reading “A Cautionary Tale: Sometimes the Truth Hurts”
Over the last many years, I have participated in the Magical Dining experience, now an Orlando dining staple. I think when I started going it was a $30 Prix fixed menu at several locations across town. Currently, it is at $35, and the price, when it has increased was about $1 per meal. It served two purposes. First as a means to introduce people to venues in the Orlando area that they might not usually go that are on the fine dining, or at least more expensive, end of the spectrum. The second purpose is to contribute to a charity that seems to change yearly. When I started, I was not aware of the charity change. Continue reading “Magical Dining Explained”
Saturday night in Orlando, in the touristy part of town is usually an awful travel time. Other than seeing a lot of police presence on the way home, it wasn’t that bad. This Labor Day was unusually quiet on the roads for me. I got to my destination, Vines Grille and Wine Bar, with a little time to spare for my reservation. Like another venue, I was contacted earlier in the day; this time via text. I planned a night for Magical Dining with my friends, a married couple and another friend. Continue reading “Magical Dining Month, Venue Four (Vines Grille & Wine Bar)”
The evening started with me going to my friends’ house and having them drive to our Magical Dining meal for the evening. We were coming from Altamonte, and I expected it to take a very long time, being a Friday and the beginning of Labor Day weekend. Instead, it was a fast ride, and we arrived earlier than our reservation. Tucked away in the back off I-Drive, just around the corner from 528 and the Orange County Convention Center resides this quaint golf clubhouse dining room, The Grill, which is part of Marriott’s Grande Vista. One of the first thing I noted, other than the soup of the day Continue reading “Magical Dining Month, Venue Three (The Grill)”
One of my favorite places to go that has not disappointed yet is Big Fin Seafood Kitchen. They have a vast selection of fresh seafood, and although you shouldn’t get a steak at a seafood restaurant, they make perfectly seasoned and cooked meat. I would even say they have a better steak than some of the local steak restaurants. Continue reading “Magical Dining Preview Week, Venue Two (Big Fin Seafood Kitchen)”
Most Americans live for Christmas (or the December holidays); some Thanksgiving; still others Halloween. I live for Magical Dining Month. Preview week starts the week of my birthday at the end of August and then the rest of the next month, which leads into Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando and eventually Halloween. Once that first week begins, it is a non-stop rollercoaster of making plans and carrying them out. I used to try to do Food and Wine Fest at EPCOT, but that got too difficult with my allergy as well as trying to fit it in with everything else happening at the same time.
Continue reading “Magical Dining Preview Week Day 1 (Chez Vincent)”
This was a simple recipe I Phil-ed. Continue reading “Toad in the Hole Sandwich (with recipe)”
This is the last part of this story. I mean it.
The Saturday before I put Belle down, which was actually the day before I did it, I contacted my sister to let her know I was going to take Belle around town for her Last Day. She informed me her husband was coming too. I have a small car, and I have set it up for dogs to be in the back, not people, so transporting two people and a dog was not really my intent. At that point, I didn’t care anymore, and when they showed, I made arrangements to have Belle ride in front with me (something she never did), and they sat in the back. Belle’s two car pillows were stacked, so she had support for the one she sat on by having the other one prop her up. She was sitting as comfortably as she was going to be and since the day was all about her, that was all I cared about. Continue reading “Belle’s Last Day (Part III)”
I still have a ton of stories about Belle, and going through the pictures I saw yesterday, I will probably tell them. For now, I will tell the story of her last few days. Continue reading “Belle’s Last Day (Part II)”
