Orlando Home & Leisure magazine December 2011

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December 2011

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42 FEATURES: DECEMBER 2011

42 GRACIOUS DONORS, WORTHY CAUSES

Four Central Florida philanthropists have made life better for our children, our health-care resources, our cultural landscape and the world at large. by Michael McLeod • photographs by Rafael Tongol

52 RUNNING for

the Distance

Downtown Orlando’s oldest and longest road race has seen many changes over the decades, and three runners have been there since Day 1. by Harry Wessel • photographs by Greg Johnston and Allan Saltman

ON THE COVER: Nicole Amidon, with Prodigy Models, on location at a penthouse suite in The Vue. The suite underwent a makeover for a designer showcase benefiting the Hope & Help Center. photograph by Rafael Tongol 2

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Photos: (left, top right, center right) rafael tongol; (CENTER left) greg johnston; (bottom) allan jay images

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DEPARTMENTS 8

JAY BOYAR’S AGENDA The art of Cuban painter Juan Carlos Munoz brings images of hope and childhood fantasies to a Melbourne gallery; South Pacific, and some enchanted evenings, are slated for the Bob Carr; the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s hyped-up Christmas carols arrive at the Amway Center; a suite of Nutcrackers has reservations in Orlando; and Winter Park lives up to its name with seasonal festivities. by Jay Boyar and staff

25 PAGES: POLITICS AIN’T BEANBAG

Orange County’s own Mel Martinez and Florida’s notorious 1950 Pepper-vs.-Smathers U.S. Senate race are the subjects of two lively new books. by Randy Noles

28 Design STYLE: HIGH FASHION

A designer showcase in a penthouse at The Vue provides the perfect setting for high-fashion holiday looks. by Marianne Ilunga • photographs by Rafael Tongol.

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36 5 MINUTES WITH: MARGOT KNIGHT

Knight, the outgoing United Arts of Central Florida CEO, is off to Northern California, but not before taking a few artistic liberties. by Michael McLeod • photograph by Greg Johnston

58 SCOTT JOSEPH’S FLAVOR Reviews of Emeril’s and Los Autenticos Cuban Café, a roundup of terrific steakhouses and Scott’s monthly listings of popular restaurants.

72 RESTLESS NATIVE Older dads won’t have as many years with their children and grandchildren, so they’ve got to make the time matter. by Mike Thomas

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Holiday gift guide 18

Our special section offers unique ideas for the holidays, from delectable chocolates to beautiful jewelry.

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FIRST

Gifts for All of Us

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Local philanthropists follow their passions, and Central Florida is better off as a result.

joke. I suppose every classical musician in the world has heard it, but I hadn’t. A tour guide takes a group of people to visit Beethoven’s grave. As they gather around for a moment of reverence, they hear an odd assortment of notes rising up from the earth: Daaah, da da da! Daaah, da da da! When they ask the tour guide what the noise is, he says: “Oh, that’s just Beethoven, decomposing.” C’mon. That’s a good one. I was interviewing Goldman as one of four high-end philanthropists who are profiled in this issue of OH&L. It’s an annual tradition for us: paying tribute to the spirit of the season by acknowledging people of means who observe it all year ‘round. So I have been walking around for the past month saying: “I see rich people!” Goldman, as you might have guessed, makes a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of classical music in Orlando. Each of the three other philanthropists in our story also has a signature focus – on theater, health care and science, respectively. But they all had one motive in common: Somewhere along the line, as I interviewed them, they all made a reference to leaving the world better than they found it. Me too, right? Anybody who’s paying attention winds up mouthing that lofty sentiment now and then, particularly at this time of year. But it’s a whole other experience to be around people who have the resources and resolve to walk the walk. It’s like the difference between watching a movie in black and white or in high-def 3D. It’s like watching the joy of giving morph from a fleeting hope and a greeting card phrase to a way of life. That’s how I felt when another philanthropist talked about his generosity as though it were present in the room with us, so real that both of us could have reached out and patted it on the head: “It’s more satisfying,” said Dr. Nelson 4

Take Note

TEVE GOLDMAN TELLS THIS GREAT

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What’s ONLINE Check out our new videos of galas and other events, and send your own photos and videos to press@ohlmag.com for us to post on our website and Facebook page. Follow us on Twitter at orlandohlmag.

Ying. “It turns me on. It’s a permanent thing. I could have a pair of Gucci shoes and a Rolex watch, but that doesn’t last. That goes away.” You might think that, in hard times, the spirit of generosity tends to disappear, particularly among those who are not as fortunate as our four well-heeled philanthropists. Not true, at least according to Robert Brown, president and CEO of Heart of Florida United Way. “We do workplace-giving campaigns. That’s where most of the [fundraising] money comes from. The attitude so far is significantly better than the past two years,” he says. “I think the biggest reason is that all of us have seen friends, family and former co-workers who have really been impacted by this, and it’s, ‘Thank God it’s not me; I need to help them.’ We’re getting larger contributions from about the same number of people. “It’s encouraging. Volunteerism is up. More people are raising their hands.”

Michael McLeod Editor in Chief mmcleod@ohlmag.com

What you CAN DO Ring in the New Year at the Church Street “Orange Drop,” Orlando’s equivalent to the iconic Times Square countdown. What’s ON DECK In January, we’ll profile Hollis Wilder, the local entrepreneur and who is bent on turning her cupcake enterprise into The Next Big Thing. What’s ON FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE LIKE us on Facebook and check out our YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/ orlandohomeleisure. Correction Masterpiece Design Group was a runner-up for the 2011 Home of the Year award. The runners-up list in the October 2011 issue misidentified the Winter Park company. DECEMBER 2011

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MICHAEL MCLEOD Editor in Chief HARRY WESSEL Managing Editor SCOTT JOSEPH Editor at Large LAURA BLUHM Art & Production Director NATALIE COSTA, BAILEIGH JOHNSON, JENNIFER PRITCHARD, DARCIE VANCE Editorial Interns JAY BOYAR, MARIANNE ILUNGA, RANDY NOLES, MIKE THOMAS Contributors GREG JOHNSTON, ALLAN SALTMAN, RAFAEL TONGOL Contributing Photographers

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Copyright 2011 by Florida Home Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written permission of the copyright holder. ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE (USPS 000-140) (Vol. 12/Issue No. 12) is published monthly by Florida Home Media LLC, 2301 Lucien Way, Ste 190, Maitland, FL 32751. Periodicals Postage Paid at Maitland FL and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine, PO Box 5586, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310-5586

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AGENDA • Cuban Artist Finds Wings of Hope in the Fantasies of His Grandchildren FOR SOME PEOPLE, ART AND SCIENCE

are separate realms. Not for Juan Carlos Muñoz. He says science, and in particular physics, influences his art because it “gives you tools for your thinking and problem solving, and develops imagination.” Muñoz should know. A physics teacher for many years, he’s now a painter whose solo show, Wings of Hope (Alas de Esperanza), opens this month at Cuba! Gallery of Fine Art in Melbourne. Physics, however, is far from his only source of inspiration. Grandfatherhood ranks right up there, too. Since becoming an abuelo seven years ago, Munoz has focused increasingly on paintings of children – including the approximately two dozen oil and acrylic works in the Wings of Hope show. “When you begin to have gray hair, it is Cita con Angeles (Appointment with Angels)

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Sleigh

Dec. 1-18 Orlando Shakespeare Theater An original comedy by Orlando’s PB&J Theatre Factory about the trials and triumphs of a young couple’s first Christmas together. orlandoshakes.org

Student Dance Works: Joyful & Triumphant

Dec. 11 The Center for Contemporary Dance This student production, directed by Moore Dance Project’s Jeré James, is an annual winter event featuring dancers of all ages. thecenterfordance.org

Gloria!

Dec. 12 Lowndes Shakespeare Center The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and the UCF Chamber Singers combine for a Christmas program featuring seasonal selections from Bach and Vivaldi. orlandophil.org

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PHOTO: COURTESY BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA

BY JAY BOYAR

reflected in your work,” explains Muñoz, 53, through a translator. Becoming a grandfather, he adds, “has come to reaffirm my preference for working with children. They are extraordinary!” Among the children depicted in Muñoz’s paintings are his own two grandchildren and a few of their playmates. “He likes to draw from life, and when he finds a sweet face in the neighborhood, he’ll want to use it,” says Marjorie Pravden, who owns and manages the Cuba! gallery, which she says is one of just a handful of venues in the United States that are bringing the work of Cuban artists to audiences in this country. Pravden discovered the work of Muñoz – who lives in a small rural community within the province of Havana – about a decade ago on a trip to Cuba. After purchasing one of his smaller paintings in a government gallery, she soon came to know the artist and much of his oeuvre. The paintings in the new show are basically realistic, but their subject is fantasy – specifically, the fantasy lives of kids. The children in these works are often shown wearing makeshift wings of cardboard and surrounded by their own simple, fanciful drawings. Viewing Muñoz’s art, you feel yourself being drawn inside the hearts and minds, the dreams and aspirations of his young subjects, which may explain why his work so often manages to be simultaneously whimsical and poignant. Cuba itself is another influence on Muñoz’s art. Not only do the artist’s subjects and settings belong to that country, but Pravden sees something of the island nation’s spirit in those cardboard wings that the children wear. “They signify hope,” she muses, “and Cuba is just one of those countries that has hope in spite of everything.” Wings of Hope will run from Dec. 5 through 30. Muñoz and his wife will be present at a reception on Dec. 2. Visit cubagalleryflorida.com for more information.

Hunt Slonem

Dec. 17-March 24 Polk Museum of Art The artist combines abstract expressionism with more realistic elements in his vivid portraits of the tropical birds he keeps in a personal aviary. polkmuseumofart.org

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Christmas Day Carillon Concert Dec. 25 Bok Tower Gardens Christmas carols from around the world will echo from the iconic Singing Tower carillon. The Christmas at Pinewood holiday home tour will also be open to the public. boktowergardens.org

Marcelo Guzzo is Emile and Katie Reid is Nellie in the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic.

South Pacific Still Enchants SOUTH PACIFIC IS HARDLY A NEW SHOW, YET ITS

themes and characters are eternally young. Take Ensign Nellie Forbush, the original “cockeyed optimist” of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 1949 musical. A winsome navy nurse from Little Rock, Ark., she finds herself stationed on a tropical island as World War II erupts all around her. In spite of that daunting situation, she remains resolute, cheerful and independent. “We can still relate to being young women in the world and trying to find our own way,” says Katie Reid, the 24-year-old Colorado actress who’ll tackle the iconic role in the Broadway Across America production of the vintage musical at Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, Dec. 6-11. Reid will be stepping into the dancing shoes of Mary Martin (the original Pulitzer- and Tony-winning Broadway production), Mitzi Gaynor (the 1958 film adaptation), Glenn Close (the 2001 television special) and Reba McEntire (the 2006 concert version). As Nellie, Reid plays a gal who, after falling for a French expatriate with a mysterious past and two mixed-race children, eventually grows beyond her narrow, provincial attitudes. The classic songs she delivers in the part include the everhopeful “A Cockeyed Optimist,” the perky and empowering “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” and, her favorite, “(I’m in Love with) A Wonderful Guy.” “It’s such a beautiful and simple song that means so much,” she says wistfully. “It really embodies that optimism and pure love for another person – and for life.” In addition to Reid’s numbers, South Pacific also features such standards as “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Bali Ha’i,” “Happy Talk,” “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” and the immortal “Some Enchanted Evening.” With songs like these, it certainly should be just that. Visit orlando.broadway.com for more information.

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AGENDA

For the Holidays, Go Siberian

For more information, visit amwaycenter.com. – Baileigh Johnson

PHOTO: COURTESY THE ABBEY

with a round of eggnog and a snooze by the fire. That’s not the Trans-Siberian Orchestra way. TSO brings its over-the-top holiday rock spectacle to the Amway Center for two shows on Dec. 11. But don’t expect to hear “Silent Night” or “Jingle Bells.” Instead, the group will perform its flashy rock opera, Christmas Eve and Other Stories, in its entirety, complete with oversized video screens, pyrotechnics and synchronized effects. Two stages will be assembled for the performance, as well as dozens of laser lights that will be placed on stage and in the crowd. TSO creator/writer/producer Paul O’Neill once said his goal was to make people leave their shows “speechless, still not believing what they have seen.” His success is confirmed by the fact that, since hitting the road in 1999, TSO has been one of the top-grossing acts in the world. In addition to presenting a spectacular show, TSO gives back to every community in which it performs. A buck for every ticket sold – and TSO sells a lot of tickets – is donated to local charities.

PHOTO: BOB CAREY

SOME PEOPLE CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS QUIETLY,

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M AKE A WORLD OF MEMORIES THROUGHOUT THE YE AR !

It’s great to be a Florida Resident these days. You can share unforgettable moments in all four Disney Theme Parks all year long with Walt Disney World® Annual Passes, and stretch the cost out over a year using our easy Monthly Payment Program. For example, a Walt Disney World® Seasonal Pass costs as little as $17 a month*, plus down payment.

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Visit disneyworld.com/WDWannual to learn more. And get ready to play in the Disney magic to your heart’s content.

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AGENDA

Numerous Nutcrackers Offer Variations on a Theme IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE A TIME WHEN THE

Nutcracker ballet, written in 1891, wasn’t a yuletide fixture. But its first U.S. performance wasn’t until 1944, and it was another 10 years before George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet production made it iconic. Now, the story of snowflake fairies and toys that come to life is part of nearly every ballet company’s annual repertoire. There are four decidedly different local productions from which to choose. THE CHOCOLATE NUTCRACKER, Lavern Reed’s community-based, multicultural extravaganza, features a national touring cast supplemented by 300 local student performers. It will be presented at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre Dec. 2 and 3. In this version of the tale, which involves a nutcracker made of Belgian chocolate, a little girl from Harlem lives out the fantasy. The music is from Duke Elling-

ton’s Nutcracker Suite; the dancing is a blend of jazz, tap and hip-hop, with African and Afro-Cuban influences. Visit chocolatenutcrackerorlando.org for more information. For ballet history buffs, Orlando’s RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF BALLET will stage a Nutcracker faithful to the original, featuring choreography by Vadim Fedotov. The production will be presented at several locations between Dec. 4-17: the Plaza Live Theatre, Timber Creek High School and the Downtown Orlando Disney Amphitheatre at Lake Eola. Visit russianballetoforlando.org for more information. CENTRAL FLORIDA BALLET will stage a flashy, “pyrotechnic” Nutcracker, complete with fiber-optic lights and aerial acrobatics, at the Linda Chapin Theatre Dec. 10-11. Visit centralfloridaballet.com for more information. Finally, ORLANDO BALLET will stage its annual Nutcracker at the Bob Carr. Featuring original choreography by the ballet’s director, Robert Hill, the production runs Dec. 15-18, with performances on Dec. 17 and Dec. 18 shortened into familyfriendly versions. Visit orlandoballet.org for more information. – Jennifer Pritchard

The 2012 betw &W fund coun Year

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DECEMBER 2011

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Northern & Central Florida’s 2012 Man & Woman of the Year Campaign Benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Who will be the next Man & Woman of the Year?

?

?

The Northern & Central Florida Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®(LLS) is preparing for it’s 2012 Man & Woman of the Year Campaign. Man & Woman of the Year is a unique fundraising competition between business and community leaders who, over a ten week period, vie for the honor of being named the Man & Woman of the Year by raising funds for blood cancer research. Candidates competing for these titles raise funds in honor of two local children who are blood cancer survivors, the Boy & Girl of the Year. Every dollar counts as one vote. The top male and female candidates with the most votes are named Man & Woman of the Year. 2012 Man & Woman of the Year Kick-off February 21, 2012 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Winter Park

2011 Man & Woman of the Year

2012 Man & Woman of the Year Grand Finale April 28, 2012 6:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. Ritz Carlton, Orlando

Help LLS in the fight against blood cancers! For more information about the Man & Woman of the Year Campaign and how to get involved, please contact Ryan Bumgardner at: 407-898-0733/ryan.bumgardner@lls.org or www.mwoy.org/ncfl

2011 Man of the Year, Peter Williams of Peter M. Williams and Company (left), 2011 Girl of the Year, Emma Randall, 2011 Boy of the Year, Max Booth (center) and 2011 Woman of the Year, June Flowers of Flowers Chemical Laboratories, Inc. (right)

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AGENDA

Celebrating the Holidays in Wonderful Winter Park 259-062 PM - OrlHome&LeisureJune.pdf

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feel obligated to put on a good show come the holidays. That seems to be the case with Winter Park, anyway. From mid-November through Jan. 8, there’s ice skating in Central Park’s West Meadow at the city’s tented, refrigerated skating rink, with skaters occasionally serenaded by Christmas carolers. The cost, including skate rental, is $10 a day. The rink opens to the public at 3 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. on Saturdays and noon on Sundays. You can also rent the rink for parties. Traditionally, Christmas kicks off in Winter Park on the first Thursday of December – which this year is Dec. 1 – with performances in Central Park of seasonal music by the Bach Festival Choir, the Youth Choir and the Brass Ensemble. The Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, home to the world’s finest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany stainedglass windows, brings several of them to the park as part of that celebration, which starts at 6:15 p.m. That same evening, Casa Feliz hosts Christmas at the Casa from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The historic home is decorated for

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PHOTO: COURTESY WINTER PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

ANY COMMUNITY WITH “WINTER” IN ITS NAME HAS TO

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DECEMBER 2011

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the season, with Santa Claus serving as greeter and costumed The following three Saturdays are also action-filled. carolers singing holiday favorites. On Dec. 10, check out the annual Winter Park Boat Parade & Winter Park’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Festival of Lights, which starts at dusk. The Albin Polasek Museum Stroll, slated for Central Park at 5 p.m. on ď€? Friday, Dec. 2, fea-ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€ƒď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€‚ď€…ď€‰ď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€?ď€‡ď€‹ď€€ď€Žď€‘ď€€ď€€ď€’ď€•ď€™ď€˜ď€€ď€„ & Sculpture Gardens serves as the official judging and viewing site. ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€„ď€ ď€„ď€…ď€€ď€?ď€šď€œď€•ď€›ď€€ď€Łď€‹ď€?ď€? tures several local caroling groups and an award ceremony recOn Dec. 17, the annual Merry Tuba Christmas starts at 1 ognizing the 2011 Holiday Card Competition winners. p.m. at Central Park’s main stage, with a free concert featuring Later that evening, two Christmas movies will be shown in the assorted tubas, euphoniums and sousaphones. And on Dec. 24, park – How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and ď€? A ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€„ď€ ď€„ď€…ď€€ď€?ď€šď€œď€•ď€›ď€€ď€Łď€‹ď€?ď€? Christmas Story –ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€ƒď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€‚ď€…ď€‰ď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€?ď€‡ď€‹ď€€ď€Žď€‘ď€€ď€€ď€’ď€•ď€™ď€˜ď€€ď€„ the Morse Museum opens its doors for a free Christmas Eve ď€? ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€„ď€ ď€„ď€…ď€€ď€?ď€šď€œď€•ď€›ď€€ď€Łď€‹ď€?ď€? ď€&#x;ď€—ď€€ď€„ď€ƒď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€‚ď€…ď€‰ď€‚ď€„ď€„ď€€ď€€ď€‹ď€?ď€‡ď€‹ď€€ď€Žď€‘ď€€ď€€ď€’ď€•ď€™ď€˜ď€€ď€„ both courtesy of the City of Winter Park and Enzian Theater. Open House from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city’s 59th Annual Winter Park “Ye Olde Hometownâ€? On Sunday, Dec. 25, Chabad of Greater Orlando will presChristmas Parade will march down Park Avenue and other ent Hanukkah on the Park at 5 p.m. in Central Park, with live Winter Park thoroughfares beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, music, dancers, face painting, jugglers and food. Dec. 3. It features marching bands, dance troupes, floats, and, Wrapping up the year with blowout pageantry, the Champs of course, Santa himself. Sports Bowl Parade of Bands marches through downtown WinBefore and after the parade, the scent of sweet batter and ter Park on Thursday, Dec. 29. The parade starts at 11 a.m. * ' +, + / 2 33 -' +3 ' '. 3 sizzling sausage will infuse Central Park for the annual Pancake and finishes with the bands performing a “Bandastic Game Day 4'3 5' ''3 % & " ' ( * ' +, + / 2 33 -' +3 ' '. 3 Breakfast. Proceeds from the breakfast will help supply local Previewâ€? in Central Park. , 6 - * 37 % " ' ) " *

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12OHL_Dec11_Gift Guide.indd

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CLOSET FACTORY G

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The perfect gift for the person who has everything is an organized closet, home office, pantry or garage. For more than 28 years, Closet Factory has provided custom design solutions for the home and office. The company’s design professionals first gain a thorough understanding of what your needs are and then use that knowledge to create a custom organizational solution that’s perfect for you. This is how Closet Factory tailors its functional and attractive designs to your individual needs, desires and tastes. All installations are built at the company’s Orlando factory. At Closet Factory, you’ll get a design that is “built around you,” from the “Custom Storage Solutions Authority.” Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/cforlandojax or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/closetfactoryorlando. Showroom: 670 N. Orlando

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Ave., Maitland FL 32751, 407.767.7111 www.closetfactory. com/orlando

THE ORLANDO BALLET

FLORIDA LIVING QUARTERS

visit orlandoballet.org or call 407.426.1739.

122 N. 4th St., Ste 1006 , Lake Mary, FL 32746, (877) 357.0008, floridalivingquarters.com

The Orlando Ballet presents visions of Sugarplum fairies, the Cavelier, Snow King and much more as the company rings in the holiday season with its annual presentation of The Nutcracker, slated Dec. 15-18. Presented at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, The Nutcracker is a favorite among ballet patrons and newcomers alike. The performance is kept true by combining classical elements and Artistic Director Robert Hill’s original choreography. For tickets,

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Florida Living Quarters, a Floridalicensed interior design firm, offers a variety of interior design services that can be customized to fit your project and budget. The company’s designers will combine style and functionality into a space that you’ll enjoy for years to come. FLQ’s location features a retail space that offers unique accessories and candles as well as a design studio showcasing high-end furniture lines and thousands of fabrics from which to choose. Contact a design representative at FLQ to get started on your next project.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

DECEMBER 2011

11/18/11

11:46:45 AM Reynolds

Since 1974

2 3 2 N o r t h P a r k A v e n u e s W i n t e r P a r k s 4 0 7 . 6 4 5 . 2 2 s

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11/16/11 11/17/11

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COCOA LATTE

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Cocoa Latte’s goal is to be the most unique chocolate shop and coffee bar in Orlando. There you’ll find 24 varieties of handdipped and molded chocolates in addition to LaVazza, “Italy’s favorite coffee.” There are also wedding cakes, birthday cakes, special-occasion cakes, cupcakes, biscotti, chocolate-covered strawberries and much more. The shop hosts the “sweetest” birthday parties in town and demonstrations are offered related to various chocolate-related subjects. It’s an ideal source for personal and corporate gifts and custom cakes for any occasion. 2154

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Central Florida Parkway, Ste. B-8, Orlando, FL 32837, 407.816.7400, pastrychefconsultants.com

CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDENS

This holiday season, enjoy breakfast or brunch with Santa at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Share your holiday wishes with Santa and enjoy up-close animal encounters. After breakfast, create a special animal treat and then watch as zookeepers give the animals these special holiday gifts. Breakfast – or brunch – with Santa is set for Saturday, Dec. 10. Breakfast is at 9 a.m. and brunch is at 11 a.m. For prices and registration call 407.323.4450, ext. 123 or email education@centralfloridazoo.org. You can also register online at centralfloridazoo. org. 3755 N.W. U.S. Hwy. 17-92,

Sanford, FL 32771, 407.323.4450, centralfloridazoo.org

WINTER PARK CHIROPRACTIC AND WYMORE LASER AND ANTI-AGING MEDICINE

“The W” is a full-service anti-aging, pain management and weight loss center. Professionals at The W pride themselves on excellent customer service, and strive to reach the center of your needs and heal you from the inside out. Experience chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, hormone replacement therapy, anti-aging medicine, fractional skin resurfacing, chemical peels, Velashape cellulite reduction treatments, far infrared light therapy, thermage non-surgical facelifts and medical weight loss programs. 606 N. Wymore Rd., Winter Park , FL 32789, 407.622.2251,

wymorelasercenter.com

Unique gift ideas for the person who has everything Mention this ad and

SAVE 10% STOREWIDE Off Our Sale Price Not applicable to MRP items.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

DECEMBER 2011 11/17/11

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MUSEUM STORE The Perfect Place to Find the Perfect Gift! Enjoy a boutique shopping experience and discover unique gifts created by local artists.

Rob Reedy

Cindy Anderson

Arline Stern

Nichole Aguero

Robin Maria Pedrero

Cherrah Johnson Muscato

231 W. Packwood Ave. s Maitland, FL s 407.539.2181 www.artandhistory.org

ORGANIZE YOUR WHOLE HOUSE WITH

ONE CALL 407-767-7111 | 904-645-9700

$

400 OFF

plus

FREE INSTALLATION

Some restrictions apply. Call for details.

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Gift Certificates Available

WWW.OHLMAG.COM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

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SLONE BROTHERS FURNITURE

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Slone Brothers Furniture has been decorating beautiful rooms for more than 30 years. Founded on the premise that its customers are like family, the company strives to offer quality products at affordable prices. Combine that philosophy with first-rate customer service, a low-price guarantee and you’ve got the ingredients that set Slone Brothers apart from the competition. Check out its vast selection of unique pieces, which can turn your dreams into reality. And remember, Slone Brothers is the exclusive dealer for Stickley Fine Furniture. 730 N. Hwy. 17-92, Longwood FL 32750

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407.331.0001, slonebrothers.com

REYNOLDS AND COMPANY JEWELERS

For 38 years, Reynolds and Company Jewelers has provided a wide selection of watches, gems and custom and estate jewelry. You’ll be dazzled by the company’s collection of gems, from which you can design your own custom-made piece. Or, you may choose from a wide selection of one-of-akind jewelry creations. The large watch selection at Reynolds and Company includes Tag Heuer, Tissot, Concord, Omega, Maurice Lacroix, Swiss Army, pre-owned Rolex and Zenith and more quality brands. There’s an expert watchmaker on the premises and watch repairs are performed on site. 232 Park

Ave. North, Winter Park FL 32789, 407.645.2278, reynoldsjeweler.com

ART & HISTORY MUSEUMS - MAITLAND

Looking for the perfect gift? Visit the Museum Store at the Art & History Museums - Maitland. The store celebrates the work of local artists and craftspeople by providing guests with a boutique shopping experience where they can find unique artwork and art inspired retail items. The Art & History Museums - Maitland’s two campuses include the Maitland Art Center, Waterhouse Residence Museum, Carpentry Shop Museum, Telephone Museum and Maitland Historical Museum. Programming includes art classes and workshops, hands-on history programs,interactive exhibits and special events. There truly is something for everyone, and each experience is well worth the trip. 231 W. Packwood Ave., Maitland, FL 32751 407.539.2181, artandhistory.org.

W

e serve a variety of over 24 chocolates, chocolate truffle lollipops, cookies and Lavazza Coffee. Specializing in custom gifts, from gift baskets, personalized edible artwork, to creative corporate gifts using chocolate to emulate your business cards or company logo and much more! Sweeten someone’s Holiday by contacting Cocoa Latte for all your gift giving needs!

Sweeten Someone’s Holiday 2154 Central Florida Parkway, Suite B-8 Orlando, FL 32837

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PA G E S

F

Florida’s Loopy Politics, From Pepper to Martinez

lorida’s reputation

Bush insiders as a far-right ideologue who accused his senatorial for electoral eccentricity Two new primary opponent, conservative is well earned. For proof, look no further than a books provide former U.S. Rep. Bill McColtales of lost lum, of being “the new darling pair of fascinating new of the radical homosexual lobbooks from University Press of idealism and Florida, both of which recount bare-knuckle by” because he had supported hate-crime legislation. Even tales of brutal campaigns and brawling. many Republicans cried foul. flawed candidates. One is a Sent to Washington after a present-day cautionary tale of cliffhanger of an election in 2004, Martinez ambition and naiveté; the other is a look back soon embarrassed himself and his party by at a legendary 1950 race that may have been the circulating on the Senate floor a confidential loopiest of all. document suggesting ways in which Republicans could use the emotionally wrenching case of Terri Schiavo – the woman whose husband Immigrant Prince: Mel Martinez and the sought to have her feeding tubes removed after American Dream, by Rollins College Professor she had been in a permanent vegetative state for of Politics Richard E. Foglesong, is a sympa14 years – as a wedge issue against Democrats. thetic biography of Orlando’s Mel Martinez, Martinez blamed his staff, and Foglesong a Cuban immigrant who rose to the region’s appears to give him the benefit of the doubt. highest elective office, Orange County ChairStill, despite his political blunders, Martinez man, before becoming Secretary of Housing was asked by Bush in 2006 to chair the RNC. and Urban Development under his mentor, The rookie senator demurred, but, according President George W. Bush, and later a U.S. to Foglesong, the president insisted. “You don’t senator and general chairman of the Republineed to be an attack dog,” Bush said. “Besides, can National Committee. you don’t need to do it for long. Just show the A feel-good story? Early on, yes. But Marright face for the party and raise some money.” tinez, driven by a genuine desire to serve but Ironically, Martinez was truly brought low flattered by sharp operators who saw in him an when he courageously tackled one of the few entrée to a lucrative voting bloc, allowed his issues about which he was honestly passionate: compelling personal story to be co-opted in an immigration reform. And his downfall was haseffort to lure Hispanics into a Republican “big tened not by his opponents but by his erstwhile tent” that existed only in strategy memos. allies – the conservatives who had previously In the end, a man Central Floridians had jockeyed to pose for pictures with their new come to know as an amiable but effective pragHispanic friend. matist was refashioned by Karl Rove and other Martinez jumped into the fray when a bill

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co-authored by Sens. John McCain and Edward Kennedy, which would have provided legal status and a path to citizenship for the approximately 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants, failed. The immigrant senator, whose moral authority on the issue was unassailable, worked to craft a bipartisan compromise. Right-wingers pounced, with Sen. Jim DeMint, the South Carolina firebrand, declaring that anyone backing the efforts of Martinez and others had “declared war on the American people.” The statement infuriated Martinez, who had lived the American Dream and whose patriotism was intense and sincere. “I will never forgive him for those remarks,” Martinez told Foglesong. But it was DeMint, not Martinez, who spoke for the rank-and-file. A bill Martinez co-authored with Sen. John Kyl of Arizona, a fellow Republican, went nowhere. Martinez left his RNC post in 2007 and announced the following year that he would not stand for re-election in 2010. Ultimately, he resigned his senate seat a year early. If Foglesong’s admiration for his subject is sometimes reflected in his prose, it’s understandable given the back story. Martinez came to the United States at age 15 under the auspices of Operation Peter Pan, a resettlement program run by the Catholic Church. Speaking virtually no English, he was placed with Anglo foster families in Orlando and attended Bishop Moore High School. Martinez earned an AA degree from Orlando Junior College before attending Florida State University, where he majored in International Affairs and attended law school. He married his high-school sweetheart, Kitty, and made his mark as a successful trial lawyer and an effective civic leader. As Orange County’s highestranking elected official, he was tapped to co-chair Bush’s Florida campaign in the 2000 election. Immigrant Prince tells an intriguing, 26

only-in-America tale in a breezy, readable way. Locals will enjoy the cameos made by familiar movers and shakers as Martinez navigates his way through Orlando’s somewhat diffused power structure and finds his place within it. But it’s difficult to read Immigrant Prince without thinking of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the Frank Capra film in which Jefferson Smith, a squeaky-clean small-towner played by Jimmy Stewart, is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate, thanks to a corrupt political machine for which he is expected to toe the line. Smith, however, surprises his cynical patrons by refusing to be manipulated. Knowing in advance how Mr. Martinez’s Washington excursion turns out, it’s a bit unsettling, early in Immigrant Prince, to read about the initial meeting between Martinez and Bush. “Stick with me,” the president tells Martinez, “and you’ll go places.”

& Red Pepper and Gorgeous George: Claude Pepper’s Epic Defeat in the 1950 Democratic Primary, by UCF history instructor and magazine editor James C. Clark, is a lively examination of one of the most notorious U.S. Senate contests in modern politics. The book was originally Clark’s doctoral thesis, but with a journalist’s flare – he spent more than 25 years at the Orlando Sentinel before editing Orlando Magazine and Winter Park Magazine – the author captures the divergent personalities of Pepper, the feisty but erratic New Deal liberal, and George Smathers, the rabid anti-communist crusader who took him down. This epic clash has assumed mythic proportions, at least among political junkies. However, even if you’re not particularly interested in politics, you may have heard of the campaign in which one candidate railed to rural audiences that his opponent was “a shameless extrovert” whose sister was “a known thespian” and “performed the act in front of paying customers.”

The accuser is said to have been Smathers, who allegedly sought to win votes from the intellectually challenged by portraying Pepper, a three-term senator, as some sort of degenerate. Such a comical accusation was never made, but the vitriolic, red-baiting tactics used by Smathers were adopted by Richard Nixon, then a California congressman, in his U.S. Senate race against Helen Gahagan Douglas, whom he accused of communist sympathies by describing her as being “pink, right down to her underwear.” The 1950 campaign also presaged a shift in Southern politics away from liberal populists like Pepper and toward conservative ideologues like Smathers. (Both Smathers and Pepper were Democrats, but in the early 1950s there were few Republicans in Florida, and the winner of a Democratic primary was the de facto winner of a statewide election.) Clark begins by telling the story of Pepper, born to a poverty-stricken family on a small farm near Dudleyville, Ala. He later attended the University of Alabama and Harvard Law School. He moved to Florida in 1925, opening a law practice in Perry, and by 1928 had been elected to the Florida House of Representatives. He won, Clark says, by pointing out that the incumbent had failed to vote on a bill requiring farmers to dip their cattle to remove ticks. On his second try in 1936, Pepper won a special election to the U.S. Senate, where he allied himself with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, and advocated a foreign policy based on friendship with Russia. Stalin, he believed, was “a man Americans could trust.” That view would come back to haunt him, as would his reluctance to support Harry Truman in the 1948 presidential election. In fact, Pepper had briefly tried to challenge Truman for the Democratic nomination, an act that enraged Truman and made Pepper something of a laughingstock. Still, Pepper had no reason to think his U.S. Senate seat was endangered in 1950.

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After all, no sitting Florida senator had ever been voted out of office. He hadn’t counted on New Jersey-born George Smathers, a child of privilege who was a sports star and student-body president at the University of Florida, where he earned a law degree and helped run Pepper’s 1936 campus campaign. In his subsequent job as assistant U.S. Attorney for Florida’s Southern District, Smathers prosecuted a number of highprofile cases, often involving “sex, greed and attractive women,� notes Clark. As handsome as Pepper was homely, Smathers – a Marine Corps captain during World War II – returned from overseas and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1947 as a moderate and an anti-communist. He ran against Pepper in 1950 at the behest of a vengeful Truman. When the campaign begins, Clark’s book picks up considerable speed. “For Untitled-1 1 every one of you who wants to preserve our great American heritage, the time has come to take off your coat and join our holy crusade to preserve America for honest-to-God Americans,� Smathers told audiences, sounding not unlike many national political candidates of today. Clark devotes the better part of a chapter tracking down the origin of “the speech� in which Smathers is said to have made allegations of thespianism and extroversion, and concludes that the whole thing was probably a joke started by a Pepper aide or a pair of out-of-town reporters. Pepper, of course, lost the race. But he was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Miami area and beAll in for One elder .33.indd 14 came a respected advocate issues. AllinOneDecorating_May11.indd When he died, his body lay in state for two days under the rotunda of the U. S. Capitol, the 26th American so honored. Red Pepper and Gorgeous George is meticulously researched, as an academic work should be, but also genuinely entertaining and a must-read for anyone who thinks Florida politics only became weird recently. l WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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s &ULL 3ERVICE )NTERIOR $ECORATION s #OLOR 3ELECTION s &URNITURE &LOOR 0LANNING s 2EDECORATING s 7INDOW 4REATMENTS For a Consultation Call Today 407-492-7895 www.allin1decorating &RANCIA &USIK # ) $ “All in One Decorating is recognized for unique, exclusive #ERTIlED )NTERIOR $ECORATOR and distinctive designs that stand the test of time.�

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DESIGN STYLE

Room With a Vue

A downtown penthouse setting gives high fashion a new meaning.

by Marianne Ilunga hair and makeup by Elsie Knab photographs by Rafael Tongol

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the top floor of The Vue got the royal treatment in more ways than one last month. First, a team of five local designers invaded the stylish downtown high-rise and revamped the 36th-floor unit for a designer showcase benefiting the Hope & Help Center. A few days later, Orlando Home & Leisure took over the spectacular space to stage a showcase of holiday looks combining high-fashion fabrics, furs and statement jewelry. The model: Nicole Amidon, Prodigy Models. The designers: Julie Koran; Jose Cabrera; Michael Duval; Ted Maines, SteTed Interiors; and Hattie Wolfe and Abigail Rizor, Wolfe-Rizor Interiors. For more information about the designers and additional photos of their respective rooms, visit ohlmag.com.

REFLECTIONS

Nicole strikes a reflective pose in a David Meister gold beaded dress, $1,155; a Trilogy fur shawl, $1,170; Alexis Bittar black drop fringe earrings, $390; and an Elie Tahari olive gold clutch, $248. All are from Neiman Marcus at The The Mall at Millenia.

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CREDITS: SHARON GONZALEZ, STYLIST ASSISTANT; BAILIEGH JOHNSON, EDITORIAL INTERN

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Checkmate? Nicole makes a move in a Calvin Klein metallic button-up shirt, $79; a Calvin Klein black sequin maxi skirt, $195; a Michael Kors gray fur jacket, $175; and Dolce Vita glitteraccent black suede pumps, $99. All are from Bloomingdale’s at The Mall at Millenia. She’s also wearing an Alexis Bittar crystal-encrusted cocktail ring, $255; an Alexis Bittar chainlink necklace, $350; a Fragments gunmetal pavé silver cuff, $175; and a Fragments gunmetal and crystal pavé chain-link bracelet, $250. All jewelry is from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia.

A BEDROOM RETREAT

The bedroom of the condo, designed by Hattie Wolfe and Abigail Rizor, is contemporary but cozy. “The gray flannel bed [opposite page] comes off as nice and sexy,” says Rizor. “And we combined elements that were antique with elements that were contemporary when we approached the room.” The framed artwork in the background (left) is a series of sketches of antique horse bridles.

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DESIGN STYLE

STEELY MAGNOLIA

Nicole captivates with metallic mystique in an ABS silver-gray, one-shoulder tiered gown, $460; and Alexis Bittar crystal-teardrop statement earrings, $275. Both are from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia.

A FEAST FOR THE EYES

The dining room, designed by Michael Duval, is a visual feast. “A lot of interesting things happen in dining rooms,” says Duval. “But visually, there’s usually just a table and chairs. Visually, dining rooms are boring.” Duval ensured that this one wouldn’t be by imagining the space as a “sculpture garden,” complete with vividly colored wall sculptures that resemble giant sea urchins. The table he selected was crafted from the wood of a submerged magnolia tree trunk, which was dredged up and reclaimed from a Central Florida pond.

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LEATHER LUX

Striking in leather and tweed, Nicole models a Michael Kors gold tweed jacket, $175; and a Michael Kors black studded blouse, $99. Both are from Bloomingdale’s at The Mall at Millenia. She’s also wearing Alice + Olivia black leather pants, $698; Miu Miu sparkle pumps with gold toe, $690; a Fragments multicrystal jeweled necklace, $350; and a Fragments multicrystal bracelet, $275. All are from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia. The Kenneth Jay Lane gold clip-on earrings, $40, are from Saks Fifth Avenue at Florida Mall.

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VIVA LA VELVET

Nicole gets back to basics with a Rachel Zoe strapless velvet-trim dress, $325; Stuart Weitzman velvet pumps, $365; and Oscar de la Renta matching earrings, $250; bracelet, $440; and ring, $195. All are from Neiman Marcus at The Mall at Millenia. The aqua fur short-sleeve jacket, $98, from Bloomingdale’s at The Mall at Millenia.

A PERSONAL SPACE

Like the other designers who worked on the condo makeover, Ted Maines, who redesigned the home office/ library, tried to imagine the kind of person who would be living in the space. “What would this person’s politics and personality be like?” Well, the hypothetical resident would have a sense of humor. “We had some whimsical touches in that room,” says Maines. “A photo of a poolside gossip session in Palm Springs. A picture of dinosaurs going to the World’s Fair on a barge.” He or she would also have a social consciousness. A lamp base made from an automatic assault weapon is meant to make a statement about domestic violence. “The platinum finish represents the glorification of the weapon,” Maines adds. “If you look closely at the inside of the lampshade, there are small crosses representing the victims of domestic violence.”

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

For the holidays, red never fails. Nicole proves it in a Laundry red one-shoulder gown, $275; a Kenneth Jay Lane ruby jewel necklace, $295; a Kenneth Jay Lane bracelet, $215; and Kenneth Jay Lane earrings, $40. All are from Saks Fifth Avenue at Florida Mall.

A GRAND SALON

The living room, or grand salon, designed by Jose Cabrera, has an organic feel. “The Joshua tree is a perfect image for that,” says Cabrera. “We had it blown up on canvas. Then the colorized Plexiglas panels were added to make it more sculptural.” Cabrera combined sharply angled metallic chairs, pops of bright color and natural elements, such as an end table fashioned from the roots of a tree, throughout the room.

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5 MINUTES WITH

Good Knight, Margot, Good Night

T

From one coast to another, her life takes another turn. alk about going through changes. Over

a period of a few weeks, Margot Knight switched jobs, got married and moved from one side of the country to the other. The marriage was to her longtime boyfriend, web designer Nick Walsh. The job switch was from president of United Arts of Central Florida to executive director of the Djerassi Resident Artist Program. And the move last month, after 10 years in Orlando, was to Woodside, Calif., in San Mateo County, on the San Francisco Peninsula. Her task at United Arts was, in large part, managing how that umbrella organization raised and disbursed funds to the region’s arts groups. Her new job will be on a smaller scale, tending to individual artists who come to Djerassi to refresh their respective muses. Anyone who knows Knight well will tell you that the new job is a better fit. She admits as much herself. Her philosophy all along was that the way to improve the stature of the arts in Orlando was to focus on the artists themselves, by improving arts education for young people, and by recognizing and nurturing often-unheralded talents. However well the new glove fits, it’s all a lot of change to handle, even for someone who was raised in the gypsy lifestyle that comes with being an Army brat. Knight estimates that she has moved from one city to another 23 times over the course of her life. To a wandering soul such as that, 10 years is quite the layover, and Knight sounded a bit verklempt on her way out the

door, in no small part because of the soulful thank-you notes and tearful goodbyes at the going-away gatherings, large and small, that accompanied her exit from Orlando. “I had a few Sally Fields moments,” she concedes. Q: Is this an escape? Were you sick of Orlando, or your job, or both? A: Not at all. I was very happy here. But when I ran across this job, pretty much by accident, I just thought, ‘Wow, how cool is this? I can do this job. I would like this job.’ I slaved over the cover letter. I said, ‘Don’t let my corporate and government resumé fool you.’ Q: In this new position you’ll be managing a retreat for artists, which, I would guess, suits your personality. In the time you were here, weren’t you something of an artist yourself? Knight, whose management style with United Arts of Central Florida was to identify as closely as possible with Central Florida’s musicians, writers and performers, took a turn as guest conductor of the Maitland Symphony Orchestra during a performance at the Maitland Rotary Art Festival. She won the opportunity by bidding at a silent auction on behalf of her employer, whose course she directed for a decade before leaving for California last month.

by Michael McLeod • photograph by Greg Johnston

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5 MINUTES WITH

How to Keep the Arts Vital I’VE LEARNED 10 LESSONS IN 10 YEARS. HERE THEY ARE.

1

The arts matter to every aspiration every Floridian has for a better Florida. Education, community engagement, economic development – you name it. All those who care about the culture need to redouble their efforts to integrate an artistic sensibility to every aspect of community life.

2

Fragmentation is our enemy and plagues progress. The key to good communication is knowing when it has occurred. We would benefit by a stronger “all information is good” approach to community policy and project discussions. Opinions based on inaccurate data and rumor are still inaccurate no matter how loudly you shout. Agreement requires a degree of agreeability.

3

The quality, depth and breadth of the offerings of our locally owned cultural organizations and museums rival regions many times our size. The key to their continued vitality is community participation, pride and investment. Great cities are built on the backbone of artists and the organizations that employ and showcase them. Don’t believe me? Check out redchairproject.com. We are giants, belying our Lilliputian budgets.

4

For non-profits, collaboration matters even more in what looks to be a recession with a long tail. Duplication and unhealthy competition may have short-term payoffs, but longterm consequences. Forces will seek to divide us – don’t let them.

5

Good governance is not an accident. Like a good marriage, it takes work. The most effective cultural boards enjoy passionate, selfless individuals with a working knowledge of programs, finances and operations. They’re sensitive to conflicts of interest and the value of transparency. Board members who don’t take their roles very seriously are not just weak; they are, by being passive, actively sowing destructive seeds whether they know it or not.

6 7

We have some of the finest arts administrators in the country. They have heart. They’re smart and creative – and are good businesspeople to boot.

We have some of the most out-of-the-box, talented artists you’ll find anywhere. And we don’t appreciate or compensate them proportionate to their talent. Artists illuminate the human condition. We don’t always like what they show us. But they take more risks in a week than most of us take in our lifetime. They deserve our respect. They deserve to be paid.

8

Turnover among corporate leaders and elected officials requires constant – and I mean constant – education and vigilance about the legitimate claim the arts have on private and public funds to support quality cultural education and experiences. If you think arts education matters, speak up. And if you think it doesn’t, look around you. Who designed your car, your fork, your carpet? Listen to music? Thank an arts educator somewhere.

9

UCF’s involvement in any community project makes it better, stronger and more sustainable. The university lives and breathes its partnership mission, thanks to the principled leadership at every level of the university. Go Knights.

10

Our government partners in the arts “get” us. To have gone through the last few years with only proportional budget cuts is a victory. Orange County Public Schools’ partnership has never been in serious jeopardy. What a testament to the power of art and its advocates. And the fact that Orange County uses the full allocation possible of its touristdevelopment funds for culture is good for the whole region. – Margot Knight

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A: Even before I got this job, my mentors, people in this field, always told me the best administrators had a creative side. We ask artists to do something very difficult, to dig deep, to sometimes tell us things we don’t want to hear. A good artist takes more risks in a week than most people do in a year. If, as an administrator, you stay in touch with that artistic impulse, you’ll be better at your job. So I offered to be on the documentary screening committee for the Florida Film Festival, and I took an unpaid, two-week leave to write all day and have my work critiqued at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. I did a duet with Alan Bruun at Mad Cow Theater. And I wrote a musical in 24 hours. It was a spoof about Obama health care. We had a song, to the tune of ‘White Rabbit’ by Jefferson Airplane. I remember there was something about ‘Insurance pays for one pill,’ something like that. Q: What was the worst part about your job? A: When you have an organization as diversified as United Arts, covering four counties, eight governmental bodies, 140 corporations and 50 arts organizations, you can never satisfy everyone. And the arts are in the same boat as other enterprises in a tight economy: Jobs were lost. I felt the weight of that, the pain of that. Q: Give me a positive and a negative about the Orlando cultural scene. A: That’s easy: The sheer amount of talent in this town. We are No. 1 in the nation in the ratio of performers to the general populace. That’s all because of the theme parks. And a lot of those performers find artistic outlets for themselves. What I like about this town is its welcoming spirit. It’s unique. It doesn’t feel like the South here. It feels like the West, and I like that, and I will miss it. As for the negative: The problem DECEMBER 2011

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3:53:16 PM

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in Orlando is the lack of Fortune 500 companies to solicit for donations for the arts. We have Tupperware, Darden and Disney. Q: I understand you had a unique way of celebrating your marriage. A: It goes back to the Valentine’s Day when Nick forgot to make reservations, and we couldn’t get in anywhere for dinner. So we went to Subway. No lines. No waiting. Twelve bucks. He wound up proposing to me at a Subway. And when we had a party for all our friends to celebrate the marriage, it was, ‘Bring your own sub.’ We had Subway shirts, Subway napkins, a Subway banner. It was pretty classy. Q: What would your advice be to your successor? A: Do what I did. Dig into the history of the community. Find out who the players are, corporate and otherwise. 9:41:49 AM Read every file, every lawsuit. You can’t function in a town at this level without knowing where all the bodies are buried. Q: Talk about your early years as the child of a father in the military, and how it influenced you. A: When my father was serving in Korea, we lived on my grandmother’s farm. Then we moved to Fort Benning, Georgia, after he came back. My dad then had to go to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to serve as an artillery advisor. We went along. That was an education. You would find yourself eating warm, raw meat from a cow that had just been slaughtered. You have to eat it, because otherwise you would insult your host. I met a Romanian princess once. She had this trick for whenever she was feeling down. She would get out her royal stamp and the documents about her genealogy and look over it just to remind herself of her own identity. It gave me a great idea: I started keeping my own ‘princess file,’ filled with any nice thing, DECEMBER 2011

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letters, certificates, that I ever got. So the good news [about being raised in a military family] is, experiences like that teach you how to feel at home in any situation, how to get along with anyone, no matter how different. Q: I’m having a hard time, though, seeing a military lifestyle as a lifestyle that inspired your love of the arts. A: I was indeed a military brat. But not too military. My father was kind of a Hermann Hesse figure. He played 15 musical instruments. He could sing, play banjo, guitar, you name it. I grew up on bluegrass. I can remember hearing him singing: ‘In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines ...’ Q: I know you have a colorful past beyond that. Something about be-

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ing a go-go dancer in Alaska, for example. A: Yes, much later in life I saw an ad in the Village Voice about hiring go-go dancers along the Alaska pipeline. I wound up in Fairbanks in November of 1976. I made $250 a week, plus tips. I learned a lot. I was there with a bunch of hard-core women. I was there voluntarily. They didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter. It was a good day if you didn’t get beat up by your boyfriend and you didn’t turn up drunk for work. They helped me buy the costume, get the heels, work the crowd. Yep, I learned a lot from them. But this was all 30 pounds and 30 years ago. Q: You have also been very honest in sharing, publicly, something

else about your life: You tried to commit suicide as a high-school student when your family was living near Washington, D.C. Why were you so open about that? A: I did have some troubled years as a teen. I felt this pressure to be perfect. I tried three times. I took pills once. I cut my wrists twice. I talked about it because I thought if talking about it means helping someone else, then that’s what I should do. I think we do ourselves a great disservice if we aren’t honest about our own humanity. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we didn’t go around posturing all the time, pretending that we’re not all insecure at some level? l

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Why I Give Philanthropist Steve Goldman’s home, decorated with Chihuly glass sculptures, serves as headquarters for his campaign to expand and enhance Central Florida’s cultural offerings. The Young Composer’s Challenge is one of Goldman’s initiatives. 42

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Four local philanthropists talk about the causes closest to their hearts. by Michael McLeod photographs by Rafael Tongol

Renaissance Man

Steve Goldman is a right-brain, left-brain soul, a gifted individual who clearly has it going on in both hemispheres. While his left brain was earning a degree in physics, developing the world’s first intelligent computer disc controller and serving as interim CEO for the Orlando Science Center, his right brain was composing orchestral music, amassing a collection of art-glass sculptures, developing an interest in haute cuisine, and becoming a board member and key supporter of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Somewhere along the way, Goldman, 60, firmly established himself as the Renaissance man of Central Florida philanthropists. It’s a course he set out on 11 years ago, when he sold off his multimillion dollar, Maitland-based computer business, Distributed Processing Technology, and began devoting himself full time to the task of reinvigorating Central Florida’s cultural landscape. “When I owned my company, we had trouble recruiting computer techs to move here because there was so little to do, culturally, in this town,” Goldman says. “We used to call Orlando ‘the Silicone Swamp.’ I wanted to do something to change that.” First, he needed a suitable headquarters. The same year he retired, workers put the final touches on a sleek, 10,000square-foot, modern minimalist home of Goldman’s own design. It’s an imposing glass palace, surrounded by cedar trees in an exclusive Winter Park neighborhood WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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The Heart of Florida United Way’s Chef’s Gala.

GALAS, BEHIND THE SCENES

A SUCCESSFUL EVENT TAKES MONTHS OF PLANNING AND SOME GOOD LUCK. Good food. Good entertainment. Good location. But most of all: a good cause. Such are the ingredients of galas: the formal, or at least semi-formal affairs that offer a critical lifeline for the organizations they benefit – particularly during hard times. Dozens of annual galas are held by worthy Central Florida nonprofits, in venues ranging from hotel ballrooms and elegant restaurants to fancy tents and even a shopping mall concourse. Some of her peers wrestle with the wisdom of holding high-toned events in a down economy, acknowledges Cheryl Collins, vice president of the Orlando Health Foundation. She oversees the annual One Night gala to benefit Orlando Regional Medical Center’s Level One Trauma Center. “When times are tough, charities are needed more than ever,” Collins says. “Stop your event and people won’t know you’re there. Your best way to stay alive and relevant is through an event. I always caution people: ‘You may need to scale back, but don’t disappear.’” Many organizers have taken that advice. While elaborate by definition, galas these days usually cost less in proportion to the funds they raise. Before the downturn in 2008, the generally accepted fundraising standard for galas was no more than 40 cents spent for every dollar raised. Now, Collins says, the per-dollar standard is closer to 25 cents. To put that in real-world terms, galas that raise $100,000 should cost no more than $25,000. Some galas cost a lot less than that. This year’s Chef’s Gala, which cost Heart of Florida United Way about $6,000, raised more than $180,000, reports Robert H. Brown, the organization’s president and chief executive officer. In other words, each dollar raised cost less than 4 cents – a practically unheard-of ratio. “All the gods have to smile upon you,” says Brown. “In our case it’s Disney. They give away the store.” The store, in this case, refers to the food, the wine, the venue and virtually everything else. “We even get our printing donated,” Brown says. Chef’s Gala has more going for it than a generous benefactor. The 2012 edition will be its 20th, and history counts for a lot. “You have to build an event over several years,” says Brown. “In most cases it takes more work, and nets less, the first time out.” But even the 20th time out, throwing a gala isn’t easy. Planning began in September for next May’s Chef’s Gala, says Michele Plant, Heart of Florida United Way’s marketing director, whose five-page checklist already includes nearly 200 to-do line items. Still, Plant admits, not even seasoned planning pros can anticipate everything. Last year, a burst water pipe flooded the venue at Epcot’s World Showcase the night before the big event. “There was water everywhere,” recalls Plant. “You could row a boat.” There were still puddles on the floor the next morning. But with the help of powerful fans, the place was dry 44

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on the far shore of Lake Maitland, dominated in front by a castle-like, two-story milk-glass facade. The heart of the home, which Goldman shares with his wife, Melanie, is a circular, open-air office. Unless it’s being visited by the family cat – a plump Maine coon named Bunky who carries himself with an aura of privilege and luxury – the office has a lean, sparsely furnished, understated feel. There’s just a chair, a computer terminal and a desk made of glass. But the view is spectacular. From his desk, Goldman looks out past a free-standing, winding staircase to a luminous semicircle of two-story, floorto-ceiling glass walls. Straight ahead and to the left is a spectacular, treehouse view of the surrounding cedars. A suspended array of shimmering Chihuly “Persians” decorates the left wall, which is the inside of the translucent, milk-glass tower. The organic, petal-like glass sculptures give the appearance of floating along the wall like a vertical array of multicolored lily pads. It took Goldman’s right brain a year of discussions with representatives of the decorative sculpted-glass firm to come up with the hypnotic design. Credit his left brain for devising the system of moveable armatures that made it possible. Goldman considers the house a work of art, a suitable site for his daily meetings with a core of cultural crusaders: educators, artists, fundraisers and fellow philanthropists. His reach into the community is as expansive as his view. In addition to his work with the orchestra and science center, he has served as a trustee of United Arts and is on a key advisory council for the University of Central Florida’s College of Arts and Sciences. But Goldman devotes most of his time to a classical music initiative called the Young Composer’s Challenge and an animated, humorous, science-oriented series of educational videos he’s developing in conjunction with UCF educators. DECEMBER 2011

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Or, as he wryly puts it: “I spend 60 percent of my time on one, and the other 60 percent of my time on the other. I keep trying to expand my own bandwidth.” The inspiration for the Young Composer’s Challenge goes back to Goldman’s teenage years, when he was a student at Winter Park High School and played clarinet in the marching band. “One of my hobbies was composing music for a full orchestra,” he says. “I was pretty much of a lone ranger. I’d spend a long time writing it. Then I’d take it to rehearsal and the band would play it. When it was over, I’d always think: ‘Six months work, and that’s it?’” Eventually, as a student at the University of Florida, Goldman became involved in a considerably more sociable musical environment: He joined a rock band. They called themselves Live Oak. On occasion they shared the stage with another Gainesville band, Mudcrutch, whose frontman, Tom Petty, would soon go on, like Goldman, to bigger things. Goldman never forgot either the pleasure or the loneliness of composing for orchestras. So he devised a nationwide competition for young, would-be composers, who are invited to create a fiveminute piece for either a standard orchestra or an ensemble. Competitors submit computer-generated recordings of their compositions. A panel of judges – Goldman is one of them – selects six winners, three in each category. Winners receive cash prizes and are brought to Orlando to hear their compositions played for an audience by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. The event, dubbed a “Composium” by its creator, is held every November at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre and is free to the public. There’s no other event like it in the world. It’s hard to image anyone with even a fleeting interest in classical music who wouldn’t find it fascinating. Here’s how it works. Members of the WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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by the time guests made their red-carpet entrances that evening. Organizers all have stories of such near-disasters. Nicole Stewart, vice chair for this year’s Florida Hospital Golden Gala and chair for next year’s version, recalls an event from a few years back in which organizers were told just four hours beforehand that floral centerpieces for 250 tables wouldn’t be delivered. Although voices were raised, nobody panicked. Phone calls were made, strings were pulled, and four hours later the 250 tables each were graced with simple rose arrangements. Gala planning “is like wedding planning,” Stewart says. “You know something is going to happen – it’s Murphy’s Law.” Murphy paid a visit to last year’s One Night gala, held at The Mall at Millenia. The Moroccan-themed event called for hundreds of decorative palm fronds, to be delivered a few hours beforehand. The fronds turned out taller than expected – tall enough to be blown over by the mall’s air-conditioning vents. “We had to trim their heights, add weight to their bases, reposition the tables – at the last moment with the mall open,” Collins says. All was well by the time guests arrived, but it was months of planning, not last-minute scrambling, that made the evening a success. Rather than traditional entertainment, One Night always offers a single compelling story of someone who benefited from ORMC’s Level One Trauma Center. “The story is the program,” says Collins, and it’s told during a half-hour presentation combining on-stage speeches and video segments. The segments require at least nine months of production and post-production work. Entertainment is more traditional at Florida Hospital’s Golden Gala, which features celebrity performers. This year’s headliner, Bill Cosby, was signed in 2010. “You start on the next gala while you’re planning the current one,” says Stewart. Chef’s Gala eschews both stories and performers – “It’s about great food, real good wine and fun people,” Brown says. But with nearly two-dozen participating restaurants, it still requires at least eight months of planning. Despite their diverse formats, Chef’s Gala, Golden Gala and One Night do share one element that’s common to many if not most galas: a silent auction. Live auctions may be livelier, but “you need big-ticket items to generate the energy needed for people to bid,” says Brooke Zapata, Florida Hospital Foundation’s staff leader for the Golden Gala. Silent auctions may include some big-ticket items, but they also offer more modest donated products and services. It’s simple but effective: You put out attractive baskets of desirable items, each with a sign-up sheet requiring new signers to outbid previous ones. “We’ve never had an empty sheet,” Zapata notes. But while raising funds is critical to any gala, it’s more than a fundraiser, says Brown. “It’s also a friend-raising event. People are invited that we otherwise don’t have contact with. They’re exposed to the organization in a variety of ways that evening, and we develop friendships and donors from that.” –Harry Wessel

Orlando Health Foundation’s One Night. ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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GALAS GALORE

A month-by-month sampling of Central Florida’s top galas, and the causes they benefit. Dates below are for 2012 events.

MARCH

HEART BALL March 10 American Heart Association AN EVENING AT THE PALACE March 10 United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida BLACK TIE & TENNIES GALA March 24 Orlando Magic Youth Foundation

APRIL

BOY SCOUT GOLDEN EAGLE DINNER April 12 Central Florida Council-Boy Scouts of America CATTLE BARONS’ BALL April 12 American Cancer Society DINNER OF TRIBUTE April 25 Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida

orchestra arrive at the venue without having heard any of the compositions. They’re given sheet music for a piece and play it once as a rehearsal. The young composer sits on stage, watches his or her brainchild come to life, then has the opportunity, in a conversation with the conductor, Christopher Wilkens, to critique the orchestra’s rehearsal before it’s played again as a performance. During one particularly meticulous critique, a droll Wilkens turned to the audience and said: “This is the problem working with composers who are still alive.” The man behind this, for all his inventiveness and high-level cultural hobnobbing, is an easygoing, low-key individual who projects the air of a somewhat rumpled free spirit: On first impression, you’d likely guess geek squad/rocker before ever imagining entrepreneur/philanthropist. But cultural insiders in Orlando know better. Many of them might not have survived the past few lean years without him.

With an absolutely straight face, David Shillhammer, executive director of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, says: “Sometimes I think we’ve all been put here on this earth to serve Steve Goldman.’’ Apparently, Steve Goldman sees it the other way around.

THE MYSTERIOUS DR. NELSON YING

There’s a certain air of mystery around Nelson Ying. He likes it that way. “If I tell you too much about my personal life, I might have trouble,” he says. “I don’t want pretty girls trying to kiss me at the airport.” Ying knows full well that there’s not much chance he’ll ever be mobbed by pretty girls – at least, not unless they’re both pretty and extremely intelligent. Take Morgan Cable, who has studied the possibility of extraterrestrial life at

One of the more colorful galas of the year is the Neanderthal Ball at the Orlando Science Center, which features elegant hors d’oeuvres and a caveman couture dress code. The annual event, presented by the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, hauled in

DIAMOND GALA April 28 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Northern & Central Florida

about $100,000 and is the center’s biggest fundraiser.

FIELD OF DREAMS GALA April 28 Kids House of Seminole

MAY

CELEBRATE THE CHILDREN May 4 Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida WISHMAKER’S BALL May 5 Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & Northern Florida

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PHOTOS: (bottom) Sharon Gonzalez; (top) courtesy DR. Nelson Ying

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and earned a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Caltech. Though it’s unlikely she’ll be stalking him at airports, she’ll always have a soft spot in her heart for Ying. Cable, a Titusville native, was one of the first winners of the Dr. Nelson Ying Science Competition, an event held in conjunction with the Orlando Science Center during which high-school students present ideas for By rewarding today’s bright young minds for inventive science projects, Dr. science projects whose re- Nelson Ying says that he’s trying, in his own small way, to “prevent or delay sults might benefit human- the onset of the next Dark Ages.” ity. The winner is awarded a cash prize of $5,000. His or of a stir when he announced that he had discovered a method her science teacher and school principal each receive $1,000. for cold fusion. Cable’s winning entry was about the possibility of life on Mars. Other scientists were leery of the statement. (Cold fusion is “That project got me hooked on space science, and I haven’t the holy grail of cheap-energy panaceas, but claims of breaklooked back,” she says. “I still have the award from Dr. Ying. His throughs rank in credibility alongside Sasquatch sightings to generosity and enthusiasm really stuck with me.” most observers in the scientific community). Ying eventually Ying, an entrepreneur with a degree in nuclear physics from Adelphi University, is chairman of the China Group, abandoned the project. He says he came up with the idea for the science competition which owns the Chinese Pavilion at Epcot. That mysterious “because there are too many competing role models for young air about him goes way back: In 1992, he created something

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The timeline charting development of the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center doesn’t mention the summer-stock productions that charmed Rita Lowndes as a child. Perhaps it should.

people in this country. They want to be rock stars, movie stars, investment bankers. Any student who is interested in science is called a nerd. We want to create a competing role model to change that.” Ying has a more long-reaching, philosophical motivation as well. “In my small way, I am trying to prevent or delay the onset of the next Dark Ages,” he says. “Science and ethics are the foundation of humanity.” So when the Orange County Public School system dropped its science fair in 2003, Ying came to the rescue, donating the money 48

to keep the competition going. Today, the science fair is called the Nelson Ying Orange County Science Exposition. He has done the same for other school systems with shrinking budgets. “I sponsor science fairs in the northernmost counties of New York and the southernmost counties of Florida,” he says. Then he adds, slyly: “Of course, I don’t tell people I don’t do any of the counties in between.”

The First Lady of Theater

First came the ferryboat ride across the Straits of Mackinac. Then came long, lazy mornings picking blueberries, raspberries and wild thimbleberries in her grandparents’ garden and the woods beyond, and sunny afternoons spent scrambling along the rocky shores of Lake Superior. Rita Lowndes has wonderful memories of summer vacation

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ONE NIGHT May 6 Orlando Regional Medical Center’s Level 1 Trauma Center FURBALL May 12 SPCA of Central Florida

days spent as a child in the tiny town of Laurium, on Michigan’s scenic Upper Peninsula. She’s grateful for all of them. It’s the memories she has of evenings, watching shows presented by the town’s summer-stock theater, that the rest of us should be grateful for. Those nights marked the beginning of a lifelong intoxication with the stage, one that would help to inspire her, years later, to become one of Orlando’s most important champions of the dramatic arts. Lowndes is one of Orlando’s classiest and most enthusiastic advocates for numerous worthy causes: Planned Parenthood, United Arts, the Center for WomWWW.OHLMAG.COM

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en’s Philanthropy, the Coalition for the Homeless, Trinity Preparatory School, the University of Central Florida and the Winter Park Library. “Rita is the person no one can say ‘no’ to,” says the city’s undisputed philanthropical matriarch, Harriett Lake. “She is the most dynamic person I know. She could be running a Fortune 500 company.” Instead, Lowndes has her causes. The best known among them came her way in the late ’80s, when her husband, prominent Orlando attorney John Lowndes, arrived home from his law office one day and handed her a bundle of papers. “It was a folder full of information about something called the Orlando Shakespeare Festival,” she remembers. “He was wondering if we should get involved.” They did. At least, Rita did. For the next two decades she became a key volunteer for the festival, whose main goal was to bring professional productions of Shakespeare’s plays and other classics to local audiences. Most of those plays were staged in the outdoor amphitheater at Lake Eola, where performances could be enchanting, but only if the weather was right, the pigeons behaved themselves and the noise of downtown traffic allowed. The festival needed a proper theater. It got one in the fall of 2000, after John and Rita donated $750,000 as seed money toward a $3.5 million effort to turn the old Orlando Science Center into a permanent home for the festival. Two like-minded couples, Ken and Trisha Margeson and Sig and Marilyn Goldman, added $500,000 and $300,000, respectively. (The Goldmans are Steve Goldman’s parents.) Today, the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center’s four-theater complex in what is now Loch Haven Cultural Park brings nine fully staged productions, two workshops, 13 readings and a total of 326 performances per season to Orlando. John and Rita are a constant presence

CHEF’S GALA May 19 Heart of Florida United Way

JUNE

BLACK & WHITE GALA June 2 Give Kids the World

SEPTEMBER

PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ (TBA) Lighthouse Central Florida

OCTOBER

HEADDRESS BALL Oct. 6 Hope & Help Center of Central Florida EVENING OF VALOR Oct. 21 Jewish Family Services LIVE LAUGH LOVE (TBA) Hospice of the Comforter

NOVEMBER

NEANDERTHAL BALL Nov. 3 Orlando Science Center GOLDEN GALA Nov. 18 Florida Hospital STARLIGHT BALL (TBA) Catholic Charities of Central Florida

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at the center, attending shows, hosting receptions for visiting artists and sitting in on planning sessions for new productions – including a recent meeting with technicians who proudly displayed a pneumatic device they invented so that an actress in a recent production of the dark comedy, God of Carnage, could appear to throw up. Ah, the theater. It may sound more gross than amusing, but somehow, in the context of the play, it came off as the latter – though Rita remarked, after seeing the show a few days later: “We might need a splash guard for the people in the front row.” She relishes the broad range of productions at the center, from the classics to the works of local playwrights such as The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge. “I think one of the things I like most is watching children when the schools bring them in for a show,” says Rita. “Just seeing hundreds of kids delighted by a show, watching them line up and jostle each other to get autographs from the actors.” The Lowndeses are avid travelers, and recently made a successful bid during a silent auction at the Shakespeare Center’s annual gala for a nine-day trip to three of Vietnam’s lush tourist destinations: Con Dao, Nha Trang and Ninh Van Bay. It’s doubtful the trip will rival the world tour they took to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. That junket jetted them to Lima and Machu Picchu, Peru; Easter Island; Samoa; the Great Barrier Reef; Papua, New Guinea; Angkor Wat, Cambodia; Agra, India; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; the Serengeti Plain, Tanzania; Marrakech, Morocco and London, England. They took a more sober journey to scatter Rita’s parents’ ashes after they died within three months of each other. Her mother had specified several locations throughout the Upper Peninsula, home to so many important memories for them. Not to mention the rest of us. 50

GLOBAL HEALING

It would be easy to mistake Tony Nicholson for just another big-money sports fan. After all, he is friends with Orlando Magic owner Rich DeVos. His name was even briefly shopped around as a potential buyer when DeVos was looking to sell the team. He recently helped to orchestrate an Orlando reunion and exhibition game consisting of former Magic players, and not too long ago he could be spotted squiring Dwight Howard around at a University of Central Florida football game. But the truth is that Nicholson, a semiretired Orlando entrepreneur, developer and real-estate financier, is less interested in superstar athletes than he is in worldclass surgeons. What engages him most of all is the lofty possibility that he can help these gifted healers bring peace to a troubled world. And to think it all started with a fish tank. In the mid-’90s, Nicholson agreed when fundraisers from Florida Hospital asked him to pay for installation of a tank, which was meant to soothe the nerves of patients and visitors in a waiting area. The satisfaction he derived from giving the gift piqued his interest. So did his discussions with his longtime friend, 97-year-old retired cardiologist Norman Wall, one of the more philosophical members of the local health-care community. When University of Central Florida President John Hitt began campaigning for a medical school at UCF, Nicholson did some reading about the possibilities of Internet training for doctors, and proposed that such a center be established at UCF. Hitt didn’t like the idea. Florida Hospital officials did. Five years ago, Nicholson and his wife, Sonja, pledged $5 million toward the expansion of the Surgical Learning Institute, an advanced training center

for surgeons at Florida Hospital’s Celebration Health campus. Now named the Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement, the center recently opened a $35 million education facility. Its resources include an array of robotic-assisted surgery suites. Operations that take place there can be broadcast to fledgling surgeons all over the world. Doctors also can be trained through state-of-the-art simulators at the center, learning surgical techniques much as commercial airline pilots learn to fly. More than 20,000 medical professionals a year, from all over the globe, are expected

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to study at the facility, either by traveling to Orlando or participating remotely. Nicholson’s interest in robotic-assisted surgery has made him something of a globe-trotter himself. He traveled to Moscow, where he watched his friend, Dr. Vipul Patel of Florida Hospital’s Global Robotics Institute, perform Russia’s first robotically assisted prostatectomy. The procedure was broadcast live to 80 million viewers. But it was his trip to Israel with a delegation of Orlando civic leaders and doctors that most inspired him. The group visited that country’s largest hospital, the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv. The hospital offers medical care where needed, regardless of a patient’s faith. While there, he heard the story of a Palestinian woman who had just delivered a baby. When asked what she wanted her child to grow up to be, she replied: “A martyr.” WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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Tony Nicholson’s $5 million pledge was critical to the development of the high-tech robotic surgery operating suites at Florida Hospital’s Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement.

Nicholson was horrified. The impact of that story, and what he saw of the Israeli hospital and learned from its doctors, strengthened his resolve: Now that Orlando has its robotic surgery center, he wants to work toward establishing a similar, satellite facility at Chaim Sheba. “The success of what we have in Orlando, and what might be possible elsewhere, is important to my world,” Nicholson says. “If we can bring peace through medicine, if we can have Arab doctors and Israeli doctors training at the same facility, maybe then people will see the light.” l ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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STILL RUNNING

AGAINST THE WIND

Over five decades, three stalwarts have seen changes in downtown Orlando’s longest road race, and in its participants. by Harry Wessel 52

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Ready for No. 35 are (left to right): Gary Kane, Alan Musante and Harry Wessel. The three are the only runners to have finished every OUC Half Marathon since 1977.

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PHOTO: GREG JOHNSTON; LOCATION: COURTESY TRACSHACK

T

HERE ARE THREE OF US LEFT.

Of the 667 runners who completed the inaugural Tangerine Bowl Road Race in December 1977, only Alan Musante and Gary Kane, both of Winter Park, and yours truly, of Orlando, have made it an annual rite of passage ever since. This month – barring crippling injury or life-threatening illness – we’ll each finish the annual downtown Orlando half marathon for the 35th consecutive time. We’ve seen many changes as the race – now called the OUC Half Marathon – has grown in popularity and prestige. The clothes, shoes, timing systems, even the liquids we ingest to survive 13.1 miles, have become increasingly hightech. But the most notable changes have been demographic, with exponential increases in older runners and, even more dramatically, female runners. The three of us have changed too, of course. Gary, a certified public accountant who owns a Winter Park accounting firm, was married without children in 1977. By 1980 he was a father of two; by 1996 he was divorced and remarried. Alan, who didn’t marry until his early 40s, was a law student in 1977. He switched careers a few years later to become a history teacher at Oviedo High School. He’s still there, 26 years later. I was a fledgling Orlando Sentinel Star staffer in 1977 and wrote a firstperson account of the inaugural T-Bowl race. I married a few months later, had a couple of kids and now, retired from the Sentinel, work as a magazine editor. What hasn’t changed for me is a twoword creed I’ve followed since early childhood: Keep Moving. I’m reliably told I was a hyperactive toddler, and as a kid I harnessed the excess energy with whichever playground sport was in season. After high school I started running as a way to maintain fitness and stay competitive on the playground, but I had no

interest in competitive running. Catching a pass, beating out a single, scoring on a fast break: That was fun. Running wasn’t fun; it was a means to aerobic fitness, not an end in itself. That changed with adulthood, career and family. None of my athletic activities were as time-efficient as running, the only sport I could keep up on a daily basis. Besides, every run felt like an accomplishment, and every run made me feel good. I didn’t always like to run, but I always liked having run. By 1977 I was putting in enough miles to do reasonably well as an agegroup competitor in local races, but I had never run more than 10 miles at a time. The prospect of a half marathon so close to home was too much to resist. And after I made it through the first one, I figured I’d keep coming back. So did Gary and Alan, although it was many years before we became aware of each other’s existence. We didn’t meet until 2001, when we were honored for finishing the first 25 OUCs. We still barely know each other, but we have a few things in common besides our marital status: We’re all in our 60s, exercise at least six days a week and have been remarkably lucky to avoid untimely injuries and illnesses. We’ve also all run full marathons, although Alan’s last one was in 1993 and mine was in 1984. Alan now bikes more than he runs, pedaling close to 100 miles a week, while I supplement running with swimming and tennis. Gary just runs. He’s finished 27 marathons, expects to finish many more, and once went 14 years without missing a day of running. But in early 1977 he was a confirmed couch potato, carrying well over 200 pounds on a 5-foot-7 frame. After a friend predicted the extra weight eventually would kill him, he started running, at first unable to make it once around a high school track. Six months later he finished the T-Bowl race ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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A GUIDE TO CENTRAL FLORIDA’S TOP RACES There are scores of races held during Central Florida’s non-summer months, with at least one organized event virtually every weekend from October through April. Here’s a sampling of some of the best and brightest. WALT DISNEY WORLD MARATHON (January, 26.2 miles). Florida’s biggest marathon, currently ranked as the sixth-biggest marathon in the nation, draws runners from all over the world who yearn to earn a coveted Mickey Mouse finishing medal. WALT DISNEY WORLD HALF MARATHON (January, 13.1 miles). Florida’s biggest half marathon, it takes place the same weekend as the full Walt Disney Marathon. With “the Half” on Saturday and “the Full” on Sunday, hundreds of diehards take Goofy’s Raceand-a-Half Challenge and run both. DICK BATCHELOR RUN FOR THE CHILDREN 5K (January, 3.1 miles). One of the region’s oldest 5Ks, for many years it was held in downtown Orlando in late October. Now it’s a late January event, held at Universal Studios Orlando. FLORIDA HOSPITAL LADY TRACK SHACK 5K (February, 3.1 miles). This females-only event, which for a time was the largest female-only road race in the Southeast, is staged in Winter Park’s beautiful Mead Gardens, with all participants receiving a flowering plant after the race. DISNEY PRINCESS HALF MARATHON (March, 13.1 miles). Launched just two years ago, it’s already one of the nation’s biggest halfmarathons. Although technically not a women’s-only race, women make up at least 95 percent of the field. ZIMMERMAN KISER SUTCLIFFE WINTER PARK 10K (March, 6.2 miles). It’s not just Central Florida’s oldest 10K, it also offers the region’s prettiest route, winding through some of Winter

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Winter Park’s scenic streets are ideal for training runs. Preparing for the upcoming OUC Half Marathon with historic Casa Feliz in the background are (left to right): Courtney Holst, a civil engineer; Kerry Girona, coowner of Orlando Fit Body Boot Camp; and Marissa Hatcher, an accountant.

in a respectable 2 hours, 10 minutes. Alan, like me, was already a veteran runner in 1977 and was relatively well prepared for a 13.1-mile challenge. As it happens, we were both accompanied by siblings in that first race: Alan by his younger brother, Jim, and me by my sister, Ellen, who wound up second (out of 11) in her 26-30 age group. Ellen has long since given up running for yoga, but Jim is still at it. He’s completed the OUC Half 18 times, while Alan’s other brother, Carl, a competitive cyclist, has completed a dozen. Alan’s sister, Linda, a serious triathlete who lives in Tampa, has completed two. That adds up to 66 Musante OUC Half Marathon finishes since 1977, which

surely puts them first in the OUC’s Most Family Finishes division. And while Alan has the longest streak of his siblings, Jim has another running streak that may be even more impressive: He has completed 31 consecutive Boston Marathons. That it’s three guys who have run every OUC Half is a bit ironic, given that more women now run in half marathons than men. But very few of today’s middle-aged women were running road races in the late ‘70s, and those who did tended to stick to shorter distances. There also weren’t a lot of half marathons back then. Although there were a handful up north and out west, a 13.1mile race was new not just to Florida, DECEMBER 2011

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Park’s toniest neighborhoods with a downhill finish on Park Avenue. EASTER BEACH RUN (April, 4 miles). Central Florida’s oldest race – founded more than 45 years ago as a diversion for college kids on spring break – isn’t run on pavement but on the hardpacked sand of the World’s Most Famous Beach. IOA CORPORATE 5K (April, 3.1 miles). Orlando’s biggest 5K race, always held on a weekday in the late afternoon, gets support from hundreds of local companies and thousands of their employees. WATERMELON 5K RUN/WALK (July, 3.1 miles). Few runners enjoy racing in Central Florida’s summer heat and humidity, but this family-friendly Independence Day event, staged at Mead Gardens, has been going strong for two decades. Ice-cold watermelon never tasted so good.

PHOTO: ALLAN JAY IMAGES

MIRACLE MILES 15K (September, 9.3 miles). Central Florida’s racing season doesn’t really begin until the cooler days of October, particularly for races longer than 5 kilometers, but this fundraiser for Arnold Palmer Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit draws thousands.

but to the entire Southeast. Orlando organizers actually wanted to host a full marathon, but it was too expensive and logistically difficult. They settled on a half marathon, largely because downtown Orlando streets were already going to be closed for the city’s annual Christmas parade. Central Florida had a thriving running community in 1977, very much part of the nationwide running boom sparked by Frank Shorter winning the 1972 Olympic marathon. But the boom, nationally and locally, was largely a guy thing. Emulating Shorter, runners pushed for higher mileage and faster competitive times. “In the 1970s, for almost any road WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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race of any distance, if more than 10 percent were women, it was an anomaly,” says Ryan Lamppa of Running USA, a national non-profit for the distancerunning community that maintains a huge database of road-race statistics. (Orlando’s 1977 T-Bowl race was slightly anomalous, with 83 female finishers representing 12 percent of the field.) Although the Shorter-inspired running boom tailed off in the 1980s, a second, far-bigger running boom exploded in the mid-’90s – and it’s still going strong. Lamppa largely credits Oprah Winfrey, who very publicly trained for and ran a marathon in 1994. Unlike the young, whippet-thin Shorter, Oprah was a full-figured, 40-

DISNEY WINE & DINE HALF MARATHON (October, 13.1 miles). Two other half marathons held on Disney property are bigger than this one, but Wine & Dine still attracts more than 7,000 runners, and it’s a rare nighttime road race, with a 10 p.m. start and post-race parties continuing until 3 a.m. SPACE COAST MARATHON (November, 26.2 miles). Florida’s oldest marathon, it features long, scenic straightaways along the Indian River. Space-themed aid stations pay homage to nearby Kennedy Space Center. OUC HALF MARATHON (December, 13.1 miles). Downtown Orlando’s oldest race is an end-of-the-year test for many runners. It also serves as a tuneup for many who compete in the Disney Marathon in January.

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RUNNING IS A SOCIAL SPORT

Although loneliness is often associated with long-distance runners, theirs is a highly social sport. Most training runs are paced so that runners can converse, and even serious competitors enjoy sharing tips and information. If you’re looking for support, check out a local running club. ORLANDO RUNNER’S CLUB orlandorunnersclub.org ORLANDO WOMEN RUNNERS orlandowomenrunners.com ORLANDO RUNNERS meetup.com/the-orlando-running-meetupgroup DOWNTOWN ORLANDO YMCA RUNNING CLUB ymcarunner.blogspot.com WINTER PARK DAWGS wpdawgs.org LAKE MONROE ROADKILLERS (Sanford-Deltona) roadkillers.com WEST VOLUSIA RUNNERS (DeLand) meetup.com/westvolusiarunners DAYTONA BEACHCOMBERS RUNNING CLUB daytonabeachcombers.com DAYTONA TRACK CLUB daytonatrackclub.org FLORIDA STRIDERS TRACK CLUB (Orange City) floridastriders.com SPACE COAST RUNNERS (Melbourne) spacecoastrunners.org TITUSVILLE RUNNERS CLUB no website TOHOPEKALIGA RUNNING CLUB (Kissimmee) no website 56

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year-old woman. Many of her fans figured if she could run a marathon, so could they. But Oprah wasn’t the only spark for Boom No. 2. The mid-’90s also saw a huge increase in charity-inspired group training programs, which offered a structured way for out-of-shape newcomers to sensibly prepare for a marathon while supporting one another in the process. There was just one problem: Oprah and the training programs focused on the marathon, which at 26.2 miles is about 6 miles farther than the human body is designed to run. While many newbies reached their goal, many others either burned out trying or gave up afterward. “We saw a lot of ‘one and done’ marathoners. It was a killer,” says veteran race director Jon Hughes, co-owner of the Track Shack running store in Orlando. Half marathons still represented a daunting physical challenge, but compared to marathons there was less training needed beforehand and less recovery time needed afterward. Since 2000, “the number of [annual] half marathon finishers in this country has nearly tripled ... no other race distance comes close to this type of growth,” reports Running USA, which adds that of the 1.4 million half-marathon finishers in 2010, 59 percent were women. Hughes attributes the popularity of half marathons among women to their wise realization that the distance is “half the run, twice the fun.” Alan and I might quibble with the fun part. It may indeed be half the distance of a marathon, but 13.1 miles is still an awfully long way to travel on foot. Alan certainly is no fan of the distance: “I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for the streak,” he admits. I probably wouldn’t either, since my ability to run comfortably seldom lasts more than 8 miles. Only Gary seems to like the distance. Maybe it’s because he

WHERE RUNNERS GET THEIR GEAR

You can find running gear at big-box sporting-goods stores and assorted websites, often at excellent prices. But specialty running stores offer something more: knowledgeable, personalized sales help from experienced runners. Locally owned stores typically go beyond just selling stuff to serving as resource and training centers for their clientele. TRACK SHACK Orlando 407-898-1313 / trackshack.com FLEET FEET ORLANDO Altamonte Springs 407-772-2233 / fleetfeetorlando.com FRONT RUNNING SPORTS Lake Mary 407-322-1211 / frontrunningsports.com TRI & RUN OF WEST ORANGE Winter Garden 407-905-4786 / trinrun.com RUNNING ZONE Melbourne 321-751-8890 / runningzone.com ISLAND STRIDE SPORTS Indialantic 321-984-2111 / islandstridesports.com

takes regular one-minute walking breaks during his races. Walking breaks have become a popular strategy for men and women, and are another reason half marathons have become so popular. For example, the venerable OUC Half Marathon, which this year expects at least 2,600 entrants, isn’t even in the Top 100 of U.S. half marathons in terms of size. DECEMBER 2011

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PHOTO: COURTESY FLORIDA HOSPITAL

OK, so the OUC Half isn’t all that big. And though old by regional standards, it’s still a youngster compared to America’s oldest half marathon, the Fontana Days Run in California, which debuted in 1956, or for that matter the Kungsbackaloppet Half Marathon in Sweden, which debuted in 1898. But nobody has finished every Fontana Days Run or every Kungsbackaloppet Half Marathon, while the OUC Half still has three guys who’ve done them all. If there’s an older half marathon that can make this claim, it’s news to Running USA. Gary, Alan and I pledge to help the OUC Half maintain its unique status as long as we can. Nothing lasts forever, but rest assured we have our priorities straight. Gary recalls one year in which his current wife planned a weekend getaway that would have meant him missing the race. “I told her I couldn’t go, and she said, ‘You love this race more than me.’ And I said, ‘What’s your point?’” ●

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Florida Hospital executive Samantha O’Lenick (center), who formed a women’s training group two years ago, triumphantly crosses the finish line of the 2011 Disney Half Marathon with fellow team member Alison Polejes. In addition to running together on weekends, O’Lenick’s “Females in Training” raises money for Florida Hospital for Children.

CHECK OUT THESE ONLINE RESOURCES In addition to informative websites maintained by running stores and clubs, here is a sampling of other sources of online information for Central Florida runners. GARYCOHENRUNNING.COM. Apopka’s Gary Cohen, a top local competitor for decades, has run more than 100,000 training miles with no major injuries. On his website, Cohen offers training advice, thoughtful essays and in-depth interviews with legendary runners such as Harrison Dillard, Gayle Barron and Jeff Galloway. FLRUNNING.COM. Race calendars and results for road races and triathlons in the state and region, from the official publication of U.S.A. Track & Field / Florida. RUNFLORIDA.COM. Calendars and results for road races in the state and region, largely centered on Florida’s west coast. FLEASTCOASTRUNNERS.COM. Calendars and results for road races in the state and region, largely centered on Florida’s east coast. TRIFLORIDA.COM. Clermont’s Sommer Sports has been organizing triathlons in Central Florida since 1984. Its website includes calendars and results for many local road races.

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FLAVOR •

Emeril’s expertly executed paneed pork medallions are lightly breaded, pan fried and served with wilted spinach. The tangy Worcestershire sauce is made in house. 58

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BY SCOTT JOSEPH

Emeril’s a Sure Thing If it’s Chef’s Night In

I

PHOTOS: (LEFT) RAFAEL TONGOL; (RIGHT) COURTESY DEL FRISCO’S PRIME STEAK & LOBSTER

’VE FOUND OVER THE YEARS THAT EMERIL’S ORLANDO,

the CityWalk restaurant from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, can offer a wide range of experiences. I’ve left some dinners thinking: “That’s what a fine dining experience is all about.” I’ve left others thinking: “Meh.” Now I’ve learned how to make certain the experience will be more like the former than the latter. I simply ask: “Is Chef Bernard in the house?” That’s Bernard Carmouche, who at one time was the chef de cuisine for Emeril’s Orlando, and has worked with Lagasse for years. First it was at New Orleans’ Commander’s Palace as a dishwasher. He later became a cook and today is culinary director for the company’s Florida restaurants. Until a couple of months ago, those restaurants numbered three and included Emeril’s Miami Beach. When that location closed recently, Carmouche found himself spending more time in Orlando overseeing Emeril’s Orlando and Tchoup Chop. His duties will expand again when a planned Charlotte, N.C., outpost opens next year. But in the meantime, we get more of his attention. And if he’s helping out in the kitchen, as he was during my recent visit, you’ll likely have a memorable dining experience. I started with the fried green BLT, which featured firm green tomatoes with a lightly fried jacket topped with pancetta and organic watercress and finished with a spicy remoulade – a wonderful rendition of a southern treat. My dinner guest had the seafood and andouille gumbo, which boasted a dark and rich roux base with bits of sausage and seafood. For my entrée, I had the paneed pork medallions, as expertly executed as the finest Wiener schnitzel. The tender pork rounds were lightly breaded and pan fried, served with wilted spinach and graced with a Worcestershire sauce made in house. My friend had a flatbread topped with applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions and arugula and dotted with a boursin cream cheese. I thought the crust could have been better crisped, especially given the hot brick oven in the part of the kitchen visible from the dining room. But that’s just a quibble.

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Steak or lobster? At Del Frisco’s, you might as well have both.

Steaking Out the Territory: Not as Simple as You Think A STEAK IS A STEAK IS A STEAK, RIGHT? NOT REALLY.

It’s a lot more complicated than you might think. Most steakhouses can be placed in one of two categories: family-style or high-end. Family-style includes your Outbacks, Longhorns, Lone Stars and other chains. High-end includes your Ruth’s Chrises, Morton’s, Shula’s and Capital Grille’s, which, just to be clear, are also chains, though at those prices I prefer to call them premium brands. But there’s much more to consider than upscale versus casual when choosing a steakhouse. There’s the question of quality, as in the grade assigned by USDA inspectors to the meat on the menu. In terms of grade, we’re usually talking about the top two: prime and choice. There are six grades below choice, though only one, select, is usually found at the retail level. I know of no restaurants that serve select steaks. You’d be mistaken to assume that prime steaks go to highend steakhouses and choice steaks go to family-style eateries. Many, if not all, of the most expensive steakhouses offer at least some choice steaks as well. By the way, prime rib refers to the cut, not the grade; most prime rib served in restaurants is actually graded choice. We won’t get into the subject of grain- versus grass-fed beef. For now: Which cut do you like? Do you prefer the relative leanness of a New York strip or the tenderness of a fattier ribeye? How about tenderloin or a T-bone? Or is that a porterhouse? Then you have to decide the cooking method you prefer. There’s open flame, gas, the super-hot broiler and wood of all types. Once you’ve got that all figured out, how would you like your steak prepared? Well-done, medium, mediumrare or rare? ORLANDO HOME & LEISURE

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F L AV O R

So you see, there’s plenty to consider when you’re talking about steaks. Keep that in mind the next time someone says he doesn’t go for complicated cuisine and tells you, “I’m just a meatand-potatoes kind of guy.” In the meantime, here are some of the steakhouses I recommend: DEL FRISCO’S PRIME STEAK & LOBSTER, 729 Lee Road, Orlando.

JACK’S PLACE, ROSEN PLAZA HOTEL, 9700 International Drive, Or-

lando. The place has a bit of a Sardi’s feel, thanks to dozens of celebrity caricatures that cover the walls, all of which were drawn by hotelier Harris Rosen’s father. Probably no need to mention his father’s name was Jack. A LAN D R E M E M B E R E D , Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando. The oddly named restaurant (it’s from the title of a book about Florida by Patrick D. Smith) is a destination for meat-seeking locals, as well as visitors.

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The restaurant’s signature gumbo boasts plenty of seafood and sausage in a dark, rich roux base.

The pain perdu bread pudding, perfectly custardized and served with cinnamon ice cream, was the only dessert I considered having, and it was the right choice. Service was, as it always has been, firstrate. The bustling dining room, which at times can be downright boisterous, is still under the watchful eye of manager Gabriel Orozco. I did find one curious thing about the service, however. When replacing flatware, the server or assistant always placed the knife with the blade facing out. Tradition, passed down from the days when daggers were used as utensils, calls for the blade to face in, as a sign that you mean your dining companion no harm. When the blade faces out, one could pick it up and slice an offending throat in one maneuver. Although that hardly ever happens anymore, the tradition remains. I’ll have to ask sometime why the Emeril’s crew goes against historical convention.

For the record, Justin Sells is the current chef de cuisine. He has taken over the kitchen since I had a ho-hum dining experience last year. So, although I credited Carmouche’s presence for the wonderful food I had on my last visit, it could well be that Sells was responsible for every bite of it. I hope so. If Sells can perform this well whether his boss is in the kitchen or not, then a visit to Emeril’s Orlando will become the sure thing that it ought to be.

EMERIL’S ORLANDO WHERE: Universal CityWalk International Drive, Orlando WHEN: Lunch and dinner daily HOW MUCH: $$$ WHERE TO CALL: 407-2242424

PHOTOS: (LEFT) RAFAEL TONGOL; (RIGHT) SHARON GONZALEZ

Technically part of what is now the Del Frisco’s chain of restaurants, this steakery has maintained some independence. The steaks are prime and so are the prices, but this is a quintessential steakhouse and a good allaround restaurant, to boot. SHULA’S STEAK HOUSE, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Lake Buena Vista. Once you get past the kitschiness of the menu, which is written on an official NFL football, this is a fine upscale restaurant with consistently good-quality steaks. THE CAPITAL GRILLE, Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Drive. Part of the Darden Restaurants stable of brands, CG serves a high quality of choice steaks, so good you might believe they’re prime. There’s an excellent wine list, too.

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The delicious chicken noodle soup (left) at Los Autenticos is made from “grandma’s recipe,” while the pulled pork (above) is exceedingly moist and tasty with house-made hot sauce.

Los Autenticos: Easy to Overlook, But Hard to Forget ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE MOST ABOUT MY JOB IS in a nondescript strip center fronting the busy thoroughfare. finding great new places to eat and being the first to tell you But it’s bright and cheery, spotlessly clean and visitors are about them. So I was really excited when I happened upon greeted warmly. Los Autenticos Sandwich Cuban Cafe, a small but delightful I took a seat at one of the booths and looked over the eatery on East Colonial Drive. Imagine my surprise when I menu. Breakfast is available all day, but I was attracted by the discovered the restaurant has been around for 10 years, four “oven-roasted in the house” pulled pork lunch special, which under its current owner. included rice and black beans and a But no matter. I’ll just assume choice of a side dish. I selected the there are others who love good CuLOS AUTENTICOS ham croquettes as my side. I was also ban food and who haven’t heard of CUBAN CAFE drawn to a “side bowl” portion of the the place either. WHERE: 7339 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando chicken soup, which the menu says Los Autenticos is, in fact, easy WHEN: Breakfast and lunch daily is made from grandma’s recipe. How to overlook. There are only a few HOW MUCH: $ could you go wrong with grandma? booths packed into a corner space WHERE TO CALL: 407-282-2322 But alas: I was told the kitchen was

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F L AV O R L I S T I N G S COMPILED BY SCOTT JOSEPH FEATURED LISTING

SHINE NEIGHBORHOOD KITCHEN

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AFRICAN

Jiko The Cooking Place $$$ Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Orlando, 407-939-3463 Jiko is the Swahili word for cooking place. Therefore, the full name of the restaurant translates to The Cooking Place The Cooking Place. Whatever. Jiko’s food may not be entirely authentic African cuisine, but it’s good. Be sure to try the ostrich schnitzel and the lamb shank, which, on my visit, was rubbed with a sauce spiced with berbere, a mixture of spices used in Ethiopian cooking. Service was about as good as I’ve seen at Disney restaurants. Menu knowledge was first-rate, and all the servers were attentive and prompt. Even more impressive was the servers’ grasp of the wine list, which boasts the largest collection of South African wines in North America. Nile Ethiopian Cuisine $$ 7040 International Drive, Orlando, 407-354-0026 Wash your hands — you’ll be eating with them — and order an array of wat to sample. What? No, wat. It’s a sort of stew. Wats are the most common dishes in an Ethiopian restaurant. These might include variations of beef or chicken but pork is never served. Ethiopian restaurants are wonderful places for vegetarians to dine, as meatless meals are a big part of the country’s cultural heritage. If you feel lost, ask one of your gracious hosts to guide you. Sanaa $$$ Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Lake Buena Vista, 407-939-3463 The menu is African with Indian influences, but not to the point of excluding beef or pork. Look for those touches in the spicing. The food may be a bit more exotic than most people are willing to try, but it’s al-

most all done expertly. And you can’t beat the atmosphere, with a ground-level view of the grazing area where you’re likely to see giraffes galloping by.

AMERICAN

The Boheme $$$ Grand Bohemian, 325 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-581-4700 The Boheme has grown into a more consistent finedining experience but now is trying to position itself as more accessible. Try the Kessler calamari, a silly name for a delicious appetizer, and follow with the lamb duet or the Chilean sea bass. The kitchen also has a way with scallops. Chatham’s Place $$$$ 7575 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando, 407-345-2992 Chatham’s Place has gone through some changes but retains a continuity, even though there are no longer members of the Chatham family involved. Many of the dishes that became signatures back in Louis Chatham’s days remain on the menu, including the Florida black grouper, which has been one of my favorite Central Florida entrées for many years. It features a fresh fillet, thick and white, lightly sautéed and topped with pecan butter and scallions dusted with just a soupcon of cayenne

EDITOR-AT-LARGE SCOTT JOSEPH HAS been reviewing Central Florida restaurants for more than 20 years. He is a past Association of Food Journalists award-winner and also presides over a dining-oriented website, scottjosephorlando.com.

PHOTO: ALLAN JAY IMAGES

out of the soup. So I stuck with the main order, which turned out to be delightful. The pork was particularly moist (don’t call it greasy, though; it’s the pork “juices” that give it that moisture), with grilled onions and just the right amount of garlic mixed in. What made the pork even better was the house-made hot sauce, served in a plastic squeeze bottle adorned with a piece of tape on which the word “hot” was written. True that. It was, I later learned, made with 13 types of chilies. How they settled on just that number I don’t know, but I won’t question perfection. It was green and pulpy and not just hot but flavorful – it didn’t sear the taste buds, but excited them. The beans were good; so, too, the croquettes. And while I was enjoying them, the man who had taken my order (I learned later that he’s the owner) brought over a just-off-the-stove serving of the chicken soup I had requested earlier. How thoughtful. And how tasty, too. It was a rich broth with tiny bubbles of love on top. It contained hearty chunks of chicken, carrots and celery and plenty of thin noodles. I can’t wait to catch a cold just so I can soothe myself with more of this soup. It was when I was paying my bill that I found out that the man who had served me, Robert Cruz, bought the restaurant four years ago. He comes from a restaurant family – his parents, he said, had owned some restaurants on Semoran Boulevard – several of which I had actually reviewed over the years, such as Cuchifritos. They taught him well. He’s running a terrific little spot – one I wish I’d found years ago.

WHAT: A neighborhood kitchen, on Shine Avenue WHERE: You’re not paying attention! 337 Shine Ave., Orlando WHEN: Lunch and dinner, Tuesday - Friday; dinner Saturday; brunch Sunday WHY: Still relatively new, SNK has recently undergone a change in ownership. But little is expected to change in the menu. One addition: a Sunday brunch menu is now offered. CONTACT: 407-674-6841

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g

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pepper. The pecan butter places the dish firmly in the south, and the pepper points it towards New Orleans. But with the use of Florida black grouper, I think we can just claim this one as one of our native dishes, don’t you? Circa $$$ 358 Park Ave. N., Winter Park, 321-972-3926 Chef Anukul Hampton calls on his Thai heritage to influence what is largely a menu of American fare. His tuna tower appetizer and tamarind braised beef short ribs are two of his signature dishes.

Citrus $$$ 821 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-373-0622 The kitchen has improved greatly since the restaurant first opened and is now turning out some pretty tasty dishes. There’s a very popular citrus salad named for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. Skirt-steak flatbread and the bacon cheddar burger are other favorites. CRAVE $$$ 4158 Conroy Road, Orlando 407-345-8788 This is the fourth location for a Minneapolis-area chain whose slogan is “Fresh, Vibrant, American,” which doesn’t explain the sushi bar. But the sushi is good, as are most of the other items. There’s a little something for everyone – pizzas, pastas, steaks, seafood. The decor is upscale, but this can be a very loud place to dine.

Dexter’s $$ 558 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, 407-629-1150 808 E. Washington St., Orlando, 407-648-2777 950 Market Promenade Ave., Lake Mary, 407-805-3090 There are three distinct Dexter’s, but all offer the same basic menu, which is un-ambitious but functional. Much more emphasis is placed on producing a lively atmosphere, which often includes live music. For food, the pressed duck sandwich is a classic. And the chicken tortilla pie, a tall, layered affair, is one of those things you feel guilty for liking but keep ordering each time you go. Emeril’s Orlando $$$$ Universal Orlando CityWalk, 407-224-2424 The food can be very good, but the quality can also be spotty. It’s a very noisy restaurant, too, so it’s not a good choice for a romantic meal. But if you can, choose a spot at the bar for your meal, it’s more entertaining. The menu changes frequently, but if Lagasse’s oyster stew is on the menu, order as big a bowl as you can. Emeril’s Tchoup Chop $$$ 6300 Hollywood Way, Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando, 407-503-2467 Chef Gregory Richie has turned Emeril Lagasse’s troubled restaurant around. The menu now has more focus — and the food is consistently good. Try the grilled oysters or the salmon Napoleon appetizer. The scallops entrée is good, but the shrimp risotto that comes with it is better. The grilled filet of beef is a study in tenderness. Manager and wine expert Jeff Kundinger keeps the dining room running smoothly. Funky Monkey Pointe Orlando $$ 9101 International Drive, Orlando, 407-418-9463

THE KEY

$ Cheap eats, most entrées under $10 $$ Moderate, dinner entrées $15-20 $$$ Pricey, most entrées over $30 $$$$ Many entrées over $30

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F L AV O R L I S T I N G S A second location for the popular Mills-50 original, this Monkey is less funky — at least from the outside — but still has all the good food and wine inside that has made it a local favorite. Although you wouldn’t get it from the name, sushi is a forte. But you’ll also find more substantial fare, such as bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin — ah, nothing like pork products garnished with more pork products. You may also find entertainment here with the occasional show of drag. Hemisphere $$$ Hyatt Regency, Orlando International Airport, Orlando, 407-825-1234 This steak and seafood restaurant is literally above the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest airports in the country. Its location on the 10th floor of the upscale Hyatt hotel inside the terminal provides a sweeping view of planes landing and taking off. Here’s something most people don’t know: you can drive up to the Hyatt entrance, have your car valet parked (it’s complimentary for restaurant patrons), then hop on the elevator to whisk you to the restaurant. Yes, it’s the airport. But I recommend this restaurant to locals, just the same. Houston’s $$ 215 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-740-4005 Houston’s is one of the better examples of how a chain restaurant should operate. It does what it does well, and the food is consistent. But one of the draws of this particular location is its lakefront view – every table has a perfect vantage point. One negative: the chain’s no-reservations policy – waits can be long, especially on weekends.

HUE Restaurant $$$ 629 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, 407-849-1800 A centerpiece of Orlando’s vibrant Thornton Park neighborhood, Hue has been an important part of downtown Orlando for more than seven years. Although the name is pronounced hyoo and not the Asian hway, the menu adds confusion with its Asian touches. The fried oysters served in ladle-shaped spoons are a good starter. There are more elaborate entrées, but I think the burger is one of the best in town. K Restaurant $$$ 1710 Edgewater Drive, Orlando 407-872-2332 Kevin Fonzo, who turned this College Park eatery into a nationally known destination restaurant, recently combined K and his second restaurant, Nonna Trattoria, into one. The towering presentation of three fried green tomatoes layered with crab and corn salad is wonderful. The filet mignon is still a good choice, but so many other things on the ever-changing menu are too. You can scarcely go wrong. La Coquina $$$$ Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, 1 Grand Cypress Blvd., Orlando, 407-239-1234 La Coquina has been relegated to use only during Sunday brunch. But oh what a brunch it is, with a wall

THE KEY

$ Cheap eats, most entrées under $10 $$ Moderate, dinner entrées $15-20 $$$ Pricey, most entrées over $30 $$$$ Many entrées over $30 Full review at scottjosephorlando.com

full of awards and accolades to attest to it. The various food stations are set up in the kitchen, where guests enter to load up on salads, soups, cold seafood, salumi, cheeses and such. When you’re ready for your entrée, step up to the chef’s station and place your order from among the day’s options. The chef then prepares it for you on the spot. No steam tables here. Logan’s Bistro $$-$$$ 802 Virginia Drive, Orlando, 407-898-5688 A neighborhood favorite that goes beyond corner bistro fare and presents wonderful dishes presented as stylishly as you’d find in a top-drawer restaurant. The pot roast is a favorite. LUMA on Park $$$ 290 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, 407-599-4111 Under the direction of Chef Brandon McGlamery, this stylishly chic restaurant on trendy Park Avenue has become a real jewel in Central Florida’s culinary corona. The dining room can be a bit noisy. The decor is still modish, even after four years. And the automated restrooms with their sliding glass doors and confusing washbasins still annoy me. A fun thing to do here is make a feast of small plates, but if you want to have a full entrée try the flank steak or the black grouper. Norman’s $$$$ Ritz-Carlton, 4000 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, 407-393-4333 Owner Norman Van Aken is one of the founders of Floribbean or New World Cuisine and arguably one of Florida’s most celebrated chefs. Van Aken and the Ritz-Carlton have teamed up to present the sort of fine-dining experience seldom seen in Orlando. The menu changes regularly, but if it’s your first visit,

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ask your waiter for some of Van Aken’s signature dishes. A dinner at Norman’s is pricey — it’s the Ritz for crying out loud! — but it’s worth an occasional splurge. Park Plaza Gardens $$$ 319 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, 407-645-2475 Once upon a time, Park Plaza Gardens was one of the few fine-dining places in the area. The food was superb and the setting — an indoor dining room that had an outdoor appeal — was special and elegant. Then it sort of lost its way. But now Park Plaza Gardens seems to be on a path leading back to its original splendor. The kitchen is helmed by chef John Tan, and he’s doing some wonderful things. Steak and fish are both highlights, but the crab-stuffed grouper is a stunner. The Ravenous Pig $$$ 1234 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park, 407-628-2333 The Ravenous Pig calls itself “an American gastropub,” gastropub being a British term for a pub that serves more than a basic bar menu. This wonderful restaurant goes way beyond that. Chef/owners James and Julie Petrakis met while attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and they obviously learned a lot while there. The menu changes regularly, but everything is worth trying. Have the pork belly if it’s available. Seasons 52 $$ 7700 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-354-5212 The original conceit of the restaurant was that something somewhere was coming into season every week of the year. The kitchen has gotten away from following that concept too closely but continues to offer entrées with lots of flavor and

fewer calories. You won’t notice a difference when you taste the grilled pork with polenta or the filet mignon. If you start feeling too goody-goody, go crazy and order all the mini desserts. There is a second location at 463 E. Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs (in front of Altamonte Mall), 407-767-1252. Shula’s 347 Grill $$ Westin Lake Mary, 2947 International Parkway, Lake Mary, 407-531-3567 This is a new concept from the folks at Shula’s Steak House, the high-end eatery that bears the name of the legendary Miami Dolphins coach. He’s legendary for the number of wins to which he led his team: 347. There are a few steaks on the menu, but there are other items, too, including crab cakes, seared Ahi tuna sandwiches and other fare. The atmosphere is that of an upscale sports bar with requisite televisions and casual seating arrangements. Two Blondes and a Shrimp $$ 112 E. First St., Sanford, 407-688-4745 Located in what once was the home of The Sanford Journal, that city’s first newspaper, Two Blondes specializes in local seafood. A highlight is the barbecued shrimp and grits. The menu leans a bit to the South with an occasional dip in the Caribbean. You’ll find such things as she-crab soup, Caribbean meatloaf and Cuban pulled pork. The name, by the way, refers to the two owners, both tow-headed, and one of the owners’ sons, who — presumably — is, well, diminutive. Toojay’s $-$$ Various locations, including: Colonial Market Plaza, 2400 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, 407-894-1718 Whenever I feel a cold coming on, I head right for Too-

jay’s for some chicken soup. The rich golden broth, with or without noodles, may not cure the cold, but it doesn’t hurt. Others go here for the big overstuffed sandwiches, potato pancakes and blintzes. The Tap Room at Dubsdread $$ 549 W. Par St., Orlando, 407-650-0100 Finally, a good restaurant at Dubsdread. It’s Sam Snead’s-like (the owners here were involved in developing the Sam Snead’s Tavern concept) with an emphasis on simple foods. The pot roast and filet mignon are standouts, and if you get the Buffalo shrimp ask the kitchen to make them spicy. The rustic dining room is fronted by a wraparound porch that overlooks the Dubsdread Golf Course. It’s a lovely spot to enjoy Sunday brunch, and as luck would have it, the Tap Room serves an excellent one. The Venetian Room $$$$ Caribe Royale Hotel, 8101 World Center Drive, Orlando, 407-238-8060 This fine-dining holdout is pricey, but Chef Khalid Benghallem’s French/American food is very good. I enjoyed the appetizer of foie gras, which had two seared lobes layered in an alternating stack with cakes made with smoked polenta. My favorite among the entrées was the tenderloin of beef – two thick slabs of seared meat served with marrow, barley, rhubarb, chard, fennel strudel and red-wine reduction sauce, tinged with black truffles. For dessert, share the soufflé. Victoria & Albert’s $$$$ Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, 407-939-3862 This not only is one of the best restaurants in Central Florida, it’s one of the best in the South-

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F L AV O R L I S T I N G S eastern United States and could easily hold its own with some of the top-rated restaurants in the world. The cuisine, under the direction of Chef Scott Hunnel, is creatively American with classical roots. V&A now offers two dining experiences: the main dining room, with its quiet elegance and six-course menu; or the chef’s table, with its own menu offering at least twice as many courses. The chef’s table, previously available only in the kitchen, now is offered in the newly christened Queen Victoria Room. Vineyard Grill $$$ Ritz-Carlton, 4012 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, 407-206-2400 A hidden gem among the jewels, the Vineyard Grill does a better than expected job with its American cuisine of steaks and seafoods. Its Sunday brunch is developing a loyal local following.

BARBECUE

Blackwater Bar-b-q $ 3405 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, 407-447-9511 I prefer the College Park location to the South Orlando spot, but that’s just me. Blackwater does a little bit of everything. You’ve got pulled pork. You’ve got sliced beef or sliced chicken. There are baby back ribs and St. Louis style ribs. I liked most of everything I sampled at Blackwater. The pulled pork was especially good, moist and tender with a taste of smoke that made extra sauce superfluous. And the baby back and St. Louis style ribs were pretty tasty, too. I especially liked the spiciness of the dry rub on the ribs.

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adults, $15 ages 3-9, kids under 3 free The Venetian Room New Year’s Eve Dinner $

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per adult, includes dinner and 2 glasses of house champagne or wine (does not include tax, gratuity)

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4 Rivers Smokehouse $ 2103 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 407-474-8377 Open a good barbeque joint and the world will beat a path to your door. And in the case of Four Rivers Smokehouse, they will then line up outside that door and wait more than 20 minutes to be served, with a minimum of complaining. Brisket is the specialty here, but spice rub tends to be a bit salty. The pulled pork is moist and comes in generous proportions.

BRAZILIAN

Nelore $$$ 115 Lyman Ave., Winter Park, 407-645-1112 A Brazilian churrascaria where the buffet comes to your table! Go hungry, pace yourself, just nibble until you find something you love and keep calling the gaucho (that’s what the servers are called) back until you’re full. Here’s how it works: Diners are given a little disk to put next to their plates. One side is green and the other side is red. Green go; red stop. As long as the green side is facing up the servers will offer you meats. When you’ve had enough or just need a breather turn the red side up. Don’t miss the caipirinha and mojito.

CHINESE

Eastern Pearl $$ 5749 T.G. Lee Blvd., Orlando, 407-373-6888 This is the second location for the acclaimed Altamonte Springs Chinese restaurant, winner of more than a few Foodie Awards, including several Critic’s Choice nods. The atmosphere is more stylish and the food is more creative than at many other local Chinese restaurants. The decor is pleasant and so is the staff.

Ming’s Bistro $$ 1212 Woodward St., Orlando, 407-898-9672 Ming’s Bistro not only serves good Chinese food but also does a full complement of dim sum, including traditional cart service on weekends. Be adventurous and point to something you’ve never had before. I had some very nice entrées from the main menu, none better than the ginger scallion fish fillets.

CUBAN

Padrino’s Cuban Bistro $$ 13586 S. John Young Parkway, Orlando, 407-251-5107 I’m prepared to call this the best Cuban restaurant in Central Florida. It’s really that good. A family operation out of South Florida, Padrino’s features both traditional Cuban dishes and some more stylized bistro items, and they’re served in a pleasant bright dining room. The owners are usually at the restaurant tending to the customers and making sure that everything is first-rate. And it usually is.

FRENCH

Café de France $$ 526 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, 407-647-1869 Café de France is a Park Avenue mainstay, surviving the iconic thoroughfare’s slump in the ‘90s and prospering during its recent revival as one of the area’s premier dining destinations. Locals love the quaintness of its small dining room and the charm of its hostess and owner, Dominique Gutierrez. Though not everything on the menu is strictly French, the ingredients are always fresh and specials change daily.

Countdown to a New Year’s Eve celebration at Caribe Royale. Join us for our New Year’s Eve Dinner Buffet from 6pm – 11pm while enjoying the sweet sounds of live jazz. For reservations, call 407-238-8020. Or dine in The Venetian Room from 6pm – 10pm with a special four-course dinner and house champagne or wine to toast the arrival of 2012. Seating is limited, so make your reservations today by calling 407-238-8060. Jazz duo from 6pm – 10pm. Dueling piano entertainment in the Falls Lounge, 10pm – 1am at no charge to all guests. Happy New Year! * Also, don’t miss our Christmas Day Buffet from 3pm – 9pm.

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Chez Vincent $$$ 533 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, 407-599-2929 Chez Vincent continues to serve classic French dishes in pleasant, if slightly worn, surroundings. Chef/ owner Vincent Gagliano is a master with soup, and the coquille St. Jacques is one of the better seafood entrées. Steak au poivre is a good choice for a meat dish. The waiters here allow the guests to dictate the pace of the meal. If Chez Vincent has survived over the years, it’s because there is an appreciation among Central Florida diners for a quiet place to enjoy a good classically prepared meal. Le Coq Au Vin $$ 4800 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-851-6980 New owners Sandy and Reimund Pitz are continuing to serve some of the area’s best food regardless of cuisine type. The namesake dish is one of the best, but the menu changes with the seasons. In winter the cassoulet is a treat. I really like that Coq Au Vin offers half portions of most of its entrées. It’s a smart thing both nutritionally and, in the current financial climate, economically. And the half-portions here are ample enough to satisfy. Paris-Bistro $$ 3586 Aloma Ave., Winter Park, 407-671-4424 My initial reaction when I visited the new location of Paris Bistro: Wow! The decor is the very epitome of a typical bistro in the City of Lights, right down to the red velvet banquettes and gilt-framed mirrors. My beef Burgundy was delightful, a sizable dish of bitesized meat braised in red wine. My companion chose the quiche Lorraine, a classic egg pie with bacon and Swiss cheese. It was deliciously light. Crème brulee is the dessert of choice.

GERMAN/ EASTERN EUROPEAN

to be had here. Have a schnitzel or the sausage platter, but beware: it’s a lot of food. The place is especially festive Thursdays through Sundays when there is entertainment. Oom-pah-pah!

Chef Henry’s $$ 1831 W. State Road 434, Longwood, 407-331-4836 It’s technically a reincarnation of the former Chef Henry’s Café. Henry is in the kitchen and his wife, Estera, is still making the sort of strudel you’d commit a felony to taste. But this time it’s their daughter, Simone, who is the owner. Most everything rises to the level of the strudel, so it doesn’t matter what you have as long as that’s how you finish. Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café $$ 205 E. 1st St., Sanford, 407-321-2204 Voted the second best German restaurant in the U.S. by readers of GermanDeli.com for 2009. (Bavarian Grill of Plano, Texas was number one; go figure.) I’m not in a position to say it merits the national rank, but I’m prepared to call it the best German restaurant in Central Florida. Although the surroundings leave something to be desired, there’s good German food

THE KEY

$ Cheap eats, most entrées under $10 $$ Moderate, dinner entrées $15-20 $$$ Pricey, most entrées over $30 $$$$ Many entrées over $30

Polonia $ 750 S. Highway 17-92, Longwood, 407-331-1933 You don’t have to be Polish to admire Polish food. You need only an appreciation for hearty fare whose origins come from the necessity to make do with what the earth and the seasons give you. This is farmland food, Eastern European style, where root vegetables like beets and carrots and cured meats like kielbasa are used in abundance. And simple ingredients like flour, water and potatoes can be turned into something as splendid as pierogi. This is the sort of establishment where something with a reputation as unflattering as a stuffed cabbage can be made into a delicacy that will change your mind about it forever. The small dining room is rather plain with white walls decorated with a couple of colorful Polish costumes and undistinguished paintings. No, this is not a fancy dining experience. But for those who enjoy Polish food it’s as fine as it gets. Steak & Salad $$ 1326 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, 407-898-0999 Eateries don’t get a lot more eclectic than this. As the names suggests, steaks and salads are a focus of the menu. But so is an array of authentic Turkish dishes that represent the owners’ native cuisine. And it’s those items that should get your attention when you visit.

Full review at scottjosephorlando.com

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GREEK

Greek Corner $$ 1600 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-228-0303 It’s Greek, and it’s on the corner; you can’t get more succinct than that. But no corners are cut on the quality. All your Greek favorites are here served in a small unassuming space. I supped on the melitzanosalata, a dip made with roasted eggplant, and followed with a bowl of tangy argolemono, the chicken soup thickened with a lemony egg sauce. For my main course I had the moussaka, a big brick of seasoned beef, eggplant and potatoes topped with a fluffy béchamel. Substantial and delicious. If it’s a warm day — it’s Florida; the odds are in your favor — sit on the patio across the street from Lake Ivanhoe. Mykonos $$ 2401 W. State Road 434, Longwood, 407-788-9095 Mykonos was part of a small Greek revival in 2000 when Central Florida, previously Greek deficient, finally started to get good Greek restaurants. Mykonos is one of the best, and was a recipient of multiple Critic’s Foodie Awards on my watch. Have the patatokeftedes or chargrilled squid appetizer, avgolemono soup and entrées of chicken Mykonos or the combination platter of moussaka, pastitsio and stuffed grape leaves. Even if you can’t pronounce it, order the galaktoboureko for dessert.

INDIAN

Memories of India $$ Bay Hill Plaza, 7625 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, 407-370-3277 Memories of India is a delightful place with wonder-

ful food served in a pleasant atmosphere. One of my favorites among the many entrées was the chicken saagwala, which featured tender chunks of chicken breast meat plus potatoes in a creamy curry made of spinach and spices. I also liked the lamb vindaloo, cubes of lamb marinated in a vinegary gravy and cooked with potatoes and pearl onions in freshly ground spices. Be careful: hot means hot. Order accordingly. And be further warned: food comes out of the kitchen at a snail’s pace. Slow means slow.

Antonio’s La Flamma $$$ 611 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland; 407-645-1035 When Greg Gentile opened this massive two-story restaurant in a renovated family steakhouse, everyone thought he was crazy and that the place would close in one year. That was about two decades ago. Why did it succeed? Simple: good food, good service and an atmosphere for everyone; fine dining upstairs and a casual deli down. The upstairs has recently been expanded to include patio dining.

ITALIAN

Antonio’s Ristorante $$$ 7559 West Sand Lake Road, Orlando; 407-3639191. Think of it as Antonio’s La Fiamma without the deli downstairs. The Restaurant Row outpost offers an elegant Italian dining option.

Adriatico $$ 2417 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, 407-428-0044 College Park and Adriatico are a perfect match. One of Orlando’s best neighborhoods now has a great neighborhood osteria. Have the scallopine alla Sienese or the pollo al limone. The scallops are a perfect appetizer. I could have made a meal of the three huge scallops sautéed with shallots and brandy in a creamy sauce, tinged with a touch of mustard and served over fresh spinach.

THE KEY

$ Cheap eats, most entrées under $10 $$ Moderate, dinner entrées $15-20 $$$ Pricey, most entrées over $30 $$$$ Many entrées over $30

BiCE $$$$ Portofino Bay, 5601 Universal Blvd., Orlando 407-503-1415 Dinner at BiCE is not an inexpensive night out. But when you consider cost vs. quality, you’ll find that BiCE is not overpriced. Just consider the restaurant’s signature dish, ravioli stuffed with beef short ribs and spinach. The pasta was delicately thin and tender, and the braised meat inside had a rich, fatty mouthfeel that blossomed with the sauce of mushrooms and Marsala wine. Absolute heaven. Desserts are worth lingering over. Café d’Antonio $$$ 691 Front St., Celebration; 407-566-2233 A smaller version of Greg Gentile’s flagship restaurant Antonio’s La Fiamma, Café d’Antonio is a consistently good choice for residents and visitors in Celebration.

Full review at scottjosephorlando.com

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Enzo’s on the Lake $$$ 1130 S. Highway 17-92, Longwood, 407-834-9872 Enzo is gone, but his restaurant continues on. Let your server put together an antipasti selection from the table in the dining room. One of my favorites was bucatini alla Enzo; costoletta di vitello was as good a veal chop as you’re likely to find anywhere in town. Go before sunset and enjoy the gardens before going inside. Primo $$$-$$$$ JW Marriott, 4040 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando 407-393-4444 A second restaurant for celebrity chef and James Beard Award winner Melissa Kelly. The food is only ostensibly Italian, with more creative touches menuwide. Kelly was one of the first to promote the use of local ingredients. Most of the herbs used in the restaurant are grown outside the kitchen door. The lamb is good, and so was the pork saltimbocca. Have the banana Napoleon for dessert. The décor is upscale, and although jackets are not requested, you wouldn’t feel out of place wearing one. Rocco’s Italian Grille $$$ 400 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-644-7770 This old space, which has held Italian restaurants for decades, has been re-imagined into a beautiful restaurant. The menu is classic, and some things are done very well. The veal Milanese was brilliant. Fritto misto alla Ligure was a terrific appetizer of lightly floured calamari and shrimp and spears of zucchini. The breading was crisp to a precision point and the sun-dried aioli — from Sardinia in the other direction from Liguria — was a nice complement.

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JAPANESE

Hanamizuki $$ 8255 International Drive, Orlando, 407-363-7200 Hanamizuki’s menu features Kyoto-style cooking, which tends to be more elegant and formal than many of the dishes served in most American Japanese restaurants. It also focuses more on fresh vegetables and seafood other than sushi, although that’s also available. Don’t be surprised to find a predominantly Japanese clientele here. No small wonder when the restaurant’s website is written in Japanese (you can opt into a translation). Wa $$$ 5911 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando 407-226-0234 Ostensibly a Japanese restaurant, Wa could pass for a French Bistro. Some of its daily specials include such things as truffle fries and bacon-stuffed quail. A very stylish space, but one that is difficult to locate.

MEXICAN

Cantina Laredo $$ 8000 Via Dellagio Way (one block west of Dr. Phillips Blvd.), Orlando, 407-345-0186 The menu isn’t exactly authentic Mexican – the nachos, fajitas and crepes wouldn’t be found on many menus south of our border, unless it was a restaurant specializing in Ameri-Mex cuisine. But the food done here is very good, especially the guacamole, prepared tableside. The chile relleno is a menu standout, but the chicken enchilada is pretty good, too.

MIDDLE EASTERN

Bosphorous $$ 108 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, 407-644-8609 Bosphorus is a delightful restaurant with stylized Turkish classics. My favorite from the list of entrées was the hunkar begendi or sultan’s delight, a classic Ottoman dish. It featured hunks of seasoned beef sautéed with onions and tomatoes in the center of the plate surrounded by a moat of creamy-textured puree of smoked eggplant. The etli guvec, a meat casserole with cubes of lamb mixed with green beans, was good, too. The desserts are worth sampling. Cedars $$ 7732 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-351-6000 Cedar’s represents itself as a fine dining restaurant, and indeed the atmosphere is a bit more upscale than you’d find in the average Middle Eastern restaurant. The cuisine is above average, too, with a menu that goes well beyond the basic hummus spreads and falafel sandwiches. You can put together a lovely meal with the mouhamara dip, a bowl of lentil soup and the fish tajine entrée. Other entrées may seem repetitive, but they are good, especially the lamb.

SEAFOOD

Cityfish $$ 617 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, 407-849-9779 The people at Urban Life Management Restaurant Group have always appeared to have a goal of bringing a bit of big city life to downtown Orlando. After all, Urban Life is part of the company’s name. They’ve hit it just right with Cityfish. Why? Instead of trying to emulate a city like New York or Miami,

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F L AV O R LISTINGS

SCOTT JOSEPH’S 2011 ORLANDO RESTAURANT GUIDE

they’ve created an urban environment for Orlando. Seems fitting, doesn’t it? Cityfish offers a variety of seafood options in a pleasant atmosphere. Try the shrimp and bacon poppers or some freshly shucked oysters to start. Fresh fish options are good, and the lobster roll is authentically prepared.

From the most trusted food critic in Central Florida.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room $$$ Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Drive, Orlando, 407-363-4801 The promise of a good seafood restaurant has sailed into Central Florida aboard The Oceanaire. The Oceanaire Seafood Room is meant to take you back in time with an interior that suggests a 1930’s ocean liner. Sample some of the fresh fish selections after you enjoy the crab cake appetizer. It’s a bit pricey, but quality is worth paying for.

Now in paperback, available at Amazon.com

scottjosephorlando scottjosephorlando.com

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• Seasonal American Cuisine

• 8 American Microbrews On Tap

Winter Park Fish Company $$ 761 Orange Ave., Winter Park, 407-622-6112 Chef George Vogelbacher has teamed up with area restaurateur Craig Tremblay for this casual, orderat-the-counter fish market that has Winter Parkers packing it in. Bouillabaisse is about the most ambitious item, but everything is undoubtedly fresh and delicious.

Bull & Bear $$$$ Waldorf Astoria, 14200 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando, 407-597-5500 The first Waldorf Astoria to be built outside of Manhattan also features a steakhouse called Bull & Bear, just like New York. Well, not exactly like New York. The decor here is less dark and clubby; it’s actually quite an attractive room with windows overlooking the resort’s pool area (and Disney fireworks in the distance). The menu features steak, of course, but also does some fine fish, including a lovely Dover 2:48:53 PMfilleted tableside. Also performed tableside is a sole traditional Caesar salad. Curiously, there is no Waldorf salad. And the veal Oscar (another invention of the New York hotel’s) is a stylized version. Capital Grille $$$$ The Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Drive, Orlando, 407-370-4392 One of Darden Restaurants’ most recent acquisitions and easily their most upscale. The steaks here are very good, and the service is attentive if not downright solicitous. I had the Delmonico that had a flavorful, well-seasoned crust and beautiful red center. Atmosphere is clubby and posh.

• Extensive Wine List and Full Bar

407-628-2333 1234 N. Orange Ave. www.theravenouspig.com

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STEAKHOUSE

Del Frisco’s Prime Steak & Lobster $$$$ 729 Lee Road, Orlando, 407-645-4443 The steaks here are always high quality. The atmosphere isn’t quite as posh as some of the other topdrawer steakhouses, but it at least rises to meet the price point, which is high. Since you’ll probably be having meat for your main entrée — and if you’re not, why are you here? — have the fried oysters for your appetizer. What, you’re worried about the cholester10:33:21 ol? AgainAMI have to ask: Why are you here?

SUSHI

Izziban $$ 1700 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-850-5088 Really good sushi, if somewhat unorthodox. For something really special, try the restaurant’s namesake Izziban roll. It has tempura shrimp and asparagus with cream cheese rolled in rice. The cream cheese alone would be enough to give sushi purists the shudders. But then the chef topped the sliced sushi coins with a sauce of sorts comprised of mayonnaise, fish eggs, crab and cheese baked so the cheese was melted and the sauce hot. Unusual and amazingly delicious. If you’re a purist, you’ll find the traditional items just as satisfying.

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Seito Sushi $$ 510 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-644-5050 4898 New Broad St., Orlando, 407-898-8801 8031 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, 407-248-8888 671 Front St., Celebration, 407-566-1889 It’s becoming its own little local chain, but it keeps its quality high, both in terms of the sushi and the elegant surroundings.

THAI

Chai Thai $ 2447 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-898-1181 This new location is in a small, nondescript strip mall across from SoDo. The inside has a fresh newness about it, from its slate-like flooring to the highly polished dark wood tabletops. There is a sincere friendliness from the staff, and the food is always top notch. Orchid Thai $$ 305 Park Ave. N., Winter Park, 407-331-1400 A splashy and elegant restaurant with a hip vibe that befits its Park Avenue milieu. Short rib massamam featured a large beef short rib braised and then sautéed with potatoes and small pieces of sweet bell peppers with a chili sauce and a bit of roasted peanuts. Part of the enjoyment of this entrée, and indeed most every dish served here, was the elegant presentation, which almost invariably included luminous purple orchid blooms as plate garnish. (Yes, orchid petals are edible, but, frankly, I enjoy looking at them much more than ingesting them.)

VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN

Studies have shown more holiday memories occur around the table than the stove. Your table or ours. S E R V I N G

B R E A K F A S T ,

L U N C H

A N D

D I N N E R

$).% ). s 4!+% /54 s #!4%2).'

Orlando Colonial Marketplaza (407) 894-1718 Southwest Orlando The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips (407) 355-0340 East Orlando Waterford Lakes Town Center (407) 249-9475 Altamonte Springs Palm Springs Shopping Center (407) 830-1770 Lake Mary Lake Mary Centre (407) 833-0848 Ocoee Shoppes of Ocoee (407) 798-2000

Café 118º $$ 153 E. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, 407-389-2233 If veganism can be defined as extreme vegetarianism, the raw food movement could be classified as extreme veganism. The 118 in the restaurant’s name refers to the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit to which some of the foods here are heated. I stew myself in temperatures higher than that in the steam room at the Y. Going above that temperature, aficionados of raw cuisine profess, saps foods of their vitamins, enzymes and minerals. Raw foods, they assert, aid in digestibility and cell reconstruction, among other things, according to information on Café 118’s menu. I can’t attest to any of that. But I can tell you that the food I had at Café 118 was all quite delicious, and presented in a stylish and even (dare I say?) gourmet fashion.

VIETNAMESE

Lac Viet Bistro $$ 2021 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, 407-228-4000 Lac Viet Bistro isn’t exactly fine dining but, relatively speaking, it’s finer than you’ll find at most other area Vietnamese restaurants. The menu features dishes from all over Vietnam, but its Northern specialties might be less familiar to even those who frequent area Vietnamese restaurants. Try one of the banh cuon or the vermicelli soups. And start with one of the crispy shrimp cakes. Pho Vinh $ 657 N. Primrose Drive, Orlando, 407-228-0043 Like most of the other Vietnamese restaurants in the area, Pho Vinh’s menu is larger than you would think it needed to be. With over 180 items, the menu is a lot to take in and, well, digest. I selected the bun mang vit, or what is more commonly referred to as ol’ number 72. It was a beef-based soup with slender rice vermicelli noodles, the meat of a duck leg (sans bones) and miniature planks of bamboo shoots. A good filling soup — especially nice on cold days. The decor is pleasant, bright and tidy. Service was friendly and welcoming. WWW.OHLMAG.COM

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R E S T L E S S N AT I V E

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For an Old Dad With Young Kids, Quality Years Count

am an old dad tryi ng to ke e p

ing of others, they’ll have to come home and clean dribble off my chin for free. up. My hip is out of cartilage. So is the They will lose their dad – and their children knee, rebuilt 30 years ago when surgeons I expect to be will be without a granddad – far too soon. used hammers and chisels. The ribs and bouncing my For all the celebration over their achieveshoulder never got over last year’s bike grandchildren on ment, for all the hope they spread among accident. artificial knees. geezers far and wide, Saul Bellow and Tony I freeze up like the Tin Man when it rains. Randall left very young children behind Sometimes I do that little “uhhh’’ grunt when they died. thing when I stand up. Was that fair to them? If this were 200,000 years ago, the predators would be gnawWould not being born at all have been fairer? ing on my bones. The other side of this debate is that I am more financially It is all part of the natural process of falling apart and dying. and emotionally mature. I’ve done my partying, done my cave And I’m good with it except for this one thing. diving, done my Appalachian Trail hiking. I don’t have time for When my friend greets his daughter, he gives her a hug and a midlife crisis. then does likewise with the son-in-law. My kids have no competition. They are not subject to any reWhen I greet my daughter, I pick her up and go, “uhhh.’’ sentment. It’s all about them. I yell at them, console them, counThat is, of course, after she squeals, “Daddy, Daddy’’ and sel them, play with them and worry incessantly about them. jumps up with her hands outstretched. I ride the Hulk three times in a row with the oldest before we I’m no Tony Randall, who took up fatherhood in his midmove on to Dragon Challenge. 70s, or Saul Bellow, who produced his fourth child at 84. I do the voices for the younger one’s stuffed animals. Much But by the time she graduates from the Winter Park IB proto her delight, they are a neurotic and argumentative bunch, gram and heads off to her rightful place in Gainesville to folparticularly the Webkinz reindeer that insists he’s a moose no low in her dad’s Gator footsteps, I’ll be living in The Villages, matter how many pictures she shows him. ranting against socialism and raiding what’s left of the Medicare This is what a 60-year-old Australian father said about his trust fund for new joints. 7-year-old son: “He has brought my life into a simple focus, and As for now, she’s in second grade. Her sister is in middle school. caring for him is my priority.’’ One listens to Lady Gaga and the other to Taylor Swift. But Older parents can’t match our younger peers in quantity of in the Subaru we all listen to Exile on Main Street. years, so we focus on quality. When they complain, I crank it up and prattle on about the Still, I often do the math in my head. sorry state of music today. If I live to be 80, they’ll be ... There are varying opinions on a 56-year-old dad who has two And then I factor in substituting canned black beans and lowchildren with a combined age of 20. sodium V-8 for hamburgers and French fries. One holds that they will resent me because I will not have the That gets me to bouncing grandkids on my artificial knees. energy or inclination to do all the things that the young dads do Throw in exercise and quitting journalism, and I’ll have them with their kids. They will be robbed of romping and roughhouslistening to the Rolling Stones. l ing and being tossed in the air. They will be embarrassed to have a dad who looks like their friends’ granddads. Native Floridian and longtime Orlando columnist Mike ThomJust when they graduate from the University of Florida law as is a freelance writer. school and are ready to cash in on the needless pain and suffer-

by Mike Thomas

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