FOOD&DRINK REVIEW
The upscale casual restaurant has quickly become a mainstay for locals. BY BROOKE FEHR
RUSSELL’S ON LAKE IVANHOE 1414 N. Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32804 407-601-3508 Entrees: $18-$47
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WHILE TAKING IN the view from Russell’s, it’s easy to see how
Orlando came to be nicknamed The City Beautiful. The restaurant sits near the banks of Lake Ivanhoe. The compact building’s western-facing picture windows offer stellar views of the lake, which is bordered on its other side by bustling I-4. It’s a curious juxtaposition, with tranquil lake views in the foreground and busy motorists whizzing to and fro in the distance. To the south, there’s a lovely playground situated in a neighboring park, where it isn’t uncommon to watch families with young children play, or to see patrons taking a post-meal stroll. This is bustling Ivanhoe Village, the city’s art district, where antique stores and locally-owned shops thrive. And in short order, Russell’s has become part of the landscape. But to say that the road to success has been smooth is to glance over the events of the past year. The future seemed bright when Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe—so named for George Russell, who built a pineapple plantation and an amusement park in the area at the turn of the twentieth century— opened January 2020 in the space previously occupied by Mesa 21. Owner Philippe Villain envisioned a restaurant that served elevated cuisine in a comfortable setting. “It’s about high-quality, value for the customer, and it’s about treating people properly—both our staff internally but also the consumer,” he shares. Villain set to work creating such a place, and he knew just the chef for the job—Emmanuel Clement. The two had worked together in New York City in the 1990s and had kept in touch, intersecting at various points throughout their careers, working for
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the same companies more than once. “We know each other, we trust each other like brothers,” explains Villain. When he reached out to Clement, it was perfect timing; the chef had just sold his restaurants in Mallorca. Villain asked Clement to come to Florida and take a look. “So I came over and spent a week here with Philippe. And I said ‘Alright, I’m in.’” Three months later, Clement moved to Florida and he and Villain went to work crafting the vision for Russell’s. The French influences are unmistakable. To begin, both Villain and Clement believe that dishes should be made from scratch. Villain points out that Chef Clement makes all of the charcuterie, stocks and sauces inhouse. “Stocks are your base. You can do whatever you want; if the stock is good, your sauce is going to be good,” Clement explains.
ROBERTO GONZALEZ
Neighborhood Dining: Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe
