Great Dates Orlando

Date Night for a Cause: Dining in the Dark, May 8

There's nothing wrong with having a fabulous date night and giving back to the community at the same time.

On Thursday, May 8, Lighthouse Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank will present DINING IN THE DARK, a sensory-driven dining event where guests are immersed in total blindness and must rely on their sense of taste and smell to navigate the night’s fare.

Hosted at Second Harvest Food Bank (411 Mercy Drive, Orlando), the event features a gourmet, multi-course dinner served completely in the dark by members of Orlando Police Department’s SWAT team, who donate their time for the evening.

Tickets, which are $125 per person including cocktails, dinner and drinks, support both Lighthouse Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank. Click here to purchase.

Dining in the Dark
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Second Harvest Food Bank
Cocktail Hour 6-7pm
Dinner 7-9pm
Dress: Business Casual

Scott Joseph’s Pop Up Dinner and Supper Club

Two upcoming foodie events, both organized by local restaurant critic Scott Joseph, are worthy of your consideration. Here are the details…

Sous Chefs, Road Food & Rioja!
This Pop-Up event will put the spotlight on up-and-coming sous chefs from some of Orlando’s best restaurants. Held inside the showroom of the Orlando Harley-Davidson dealership off of I-4, this culinary affair not only gives guests access to loads of tasty food but also the chance to experience the thrill of riding a Harley.

Chefs include Jason Campbell (Cask & Larder), Andrew Claytor (Txokos Basque Kitchen) and Tom Hill (Victoria & Albert's). There are nine sous chefs cooking in total. This is a walkabout event and the chefs will be cooking and serving from stations throughout the showroom.

Wednesday, May 21 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $85 plus tax and proceeds will benefit the scholarship fund of the American Federation of Chefs and Give Kids the World. Click here for more info. 

Supper Club at Siro: Urban Italian Kitchen  
Beginning with a cocktail reception, this epicurean adventure features a kitchen tour followed by a multi-course, wine-paired dinner.

Orlando World Center Marriott is offering a special room rate of $99 for attendees who would like to just take the elevator home after dinner. The rate does not include tax or resort fee but does include self-parking.

Saturday, May 17, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $80 plus tax and proceeds go to the Children's Miracle Network. Click here for more info. 

 

Top 10 Date Night Picks for This Weekend in Orlando

Nautique Wake Games
April 24 - 27
Orlando Watersports Complex
$7 online in advance
 
100 for $100
April 25-27 
Gallery on First, Sanford 
Free

Hairspray the Musical
April 25- May 25 
Garden Theatre, Winter Garden
$12-$29

Great American Pie Festival
April 26-27
Lakeside Park, Celebration  
$10 for Never Ending Pie Buffet tickets

53rd Annual Apopka Art and Foliage Festival 
April 26-27
Kit Land Nelson Park 
$5 parking

FEEDback Fair 
Saturday, April 26, noon-3 p.m.
East End Market 
Free

Movie in the Park: Much Ado About Nothing 
Saturday, April 26, 8 p.m. 
Loch Haven Park 
Free

Lake Mary Pour 
Saturday, April 26, 4-7 p.m. 
Colonial Town Park 
$30

Night Hike and Moth Prowl 
Saturday, April 26, 7 p.m. 
Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge   
Free, call 321-861-5601 to make reservations.

Concert Under the Stars 
Saturday, April 26, 7-10 p.m. 
Bok Tower Gardens 
$20 advance, $25 at the gate

Also...

MOVIEOLA at Lake Eola Park (Friday, April 25)

Winestock (Friday, April 25)

Winestock is this Friday, April 25

Winestock returns this Friday, April 25th to Uptown Altamonte when attendees will sip and munch their way through over 60 wine, craft beers, and fabulous food tastings, plus enjoy the night's entertainment held on two stages inside Cranes Roost Park.

Tickets can be purchased for $30 in advance or $75 for Hard Rock Cafe VIP tickets, which include full pours and food.

For more tickets and more information, visit www.winestockuncorked.com.

Top 10 Date Night Picks for This Weekend in Orlando

Jersey Boys
April 17 - 27
Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
From $50

2014 Spring Swap and Shop
Friday, April 18, 6 p.m.
Rollins College
$5 for students, $10 everyone else 

The Lunchbox
Enzian Theater
Through April 24
Tickets from $7.50

Joe Rogan (Comedy) 
Friday, April 18, 8 p.m.
Hard Rock Live, Universal CityWalk
$37.50-$45.50 

Friday Night Pour
Friday, April 18, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Whole Foods Market, Winter Park
Free

Central Florida Earth Day 2014 
Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Lake Eola Park
Free

Wild Goose Chase Orlando (urban scavenger hunt)
Saturday, April 19, 2-5pm
Frank & Steins, 150 South Magnolia Avenue 
$50

Classic Albums Live: Nirvana's "Nevermind"  
Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m.
Hard Rock Live, CityWalk
$25-$30

The Pig and Pint: A Hoedown and Pig Roast with the SBK Show
Saturday, April 19, 4-8 p.m.
Wall Street Plaza
$10

Easter Bunch
Sunday, April 20
Various locations across Orlando
View Orlando Sentinel's full listing

NEXT WEEK...

Whole Deal Cooking Class
Wednesday, April 23, 6:30-7:30pm
Whole Foods, Sand Lake
Come join Chef Lenning as he shows you how easy it is to take those sale items and turn them into a delicious quick and simple meal that the family will think you spent hours on.
Free

Taste of Winter Park... this Wednesday, April 16

The ultimate foodie festival is back again with more than 40 of Central Florida's top chefs, bakers, caterers and confectioners. Held at the Winter Park Farmers' Market, the 29th Annual Taste of Winter Park features an all-inclusive ticket, which means attendees can enjoy unlimited samples of signature dishes, beverages and decadent desserts all night long.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014
5 - 8:00 p.m.
Winter Park Farmers' Market
200 W. New England Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789

Here's who'll be there serving up the night's bounty:

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits
Bailey's Coffee Service, Inc.
Barefoot Wines
Barnie's CoffeeKitchen 
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine 
Bungalow 23 
Carmel Café and Wine Bar 
Cocina 214
Costco Wholesale
Crispers
Fiddler's Green Irish Pub
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Florida Distributing Company
Hamilton's Kitchen
Italio 
Javatino
Jeremiah's Italian Ice 
John and Shirley's Catering 
Kilwins Chocolates and Ice Cream
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts 
Marlow's Tavern
Mellow Mushroom 
Miller's Ale House - Orlando
Mitchell's Fish Market Winter Park
Orchid Thai Cuisine
P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Park Plaza Gardens
Peterbrooke Chocolatier
Shula's Steak House
Smart Coffee HD
Sonny's BBQ 
Sprinkles Custom Cakes 
Sweet by Holly 
The Bistro on Park Avenue
The Coop
The Meat House
The Wine Barn 
Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen
Tijuana Flats Burrito Co.
Tolla's
Wayne Densch
Whole Foods Market
Winter Park Chocolate

Tickets

$40 - Winter Park Chamber of Commerce members (in advance)
$45 - Non-members
$45 - Everyone at the door
$350 - Ten tickets

Tickets can be ordered via PayPal by clicking here. 

Tickets ordered in advance will be available at Will Call beginning at 5 p.m. on April 16.

For additional information on this event, visit http://winterpark.org/content/taste-winter-park.

Top 10 Date Night Picks for This Weekend in Orlando

"Wine Down" Friday 
Every 2nd Friday, 7pm - 10pm 
Quantum Leap Winery 
Wine tastings, a selection of house wines for sale, live music and food trucks.

Florida Film Festival 
Through April 13
Enzian Theater & Regal Cinemas Winter Park Village
From $11 per film 

Friday Night with The Lauren Lester Trio
Fridays, 10:30pm
The Smiling Bison
Free admission

Culture Pop: Photo Slam Competition 
Friday, April 11, 7-11pm
Art & History Museums – Maitland 
$5 includes one drink

The Orlando Comedy Show 
Friday, April 11, 9pm
The Mezz 
$15

Jazz 'n Blues Stroll 
Saturday, April 12, 7-10pm 
Harry P. Leu Gardens
$17 per person

Maitland Chamber of Commerce Spring Festival of Arts 
April 12 and 13 April 13th 
Lake Lily Park 
Free

Mike Epps (Stand-up comedian)   
Saturday, April 12, 7 p.m. 
Hard Rock Live
$49.75-$55.75

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 
Thru April 20, , 7:30 p.m.
Mad Cow Theatre 
$22

Sanford Sofas and Suds 
Sunday, April 13, 2-6 p.m. 
The West End Trading Company 
$5

Date Night for a Cause: Reading Between the Wines, April 16

The wine will be flowing and the aromas from fabulous food will be wafting through this year’s Reading Between the Wines, Wednesday, April 16 from 6-9:30pm. Held at the Orlando Science Center, this annual fundraiser for the Adult Literacy League gives food and fiction lovers the chance to eat and drink while listening to this year’s guest of honor, Stuart Woods, thirty-nine-time New York Times bestseller.

Woods is the author of more than fifty novels, including Orchid Beach, Severe Clear, and Chiefs. His appearance will be accompanied by a book signing of his latest novel, Doing Hard Time, the writer’s 53rd novel and the latest in his popular series featuring Stone Barrington.

Tickets, which include all-night wine-tastings and food samplings, are $85 for general admission and $100 for reserved seats. 

100% of proceeds from Reading Between the Wines will benefit the students and families served by the Adult Literacy League, a major provider of adult literacy services in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. The organization provides adult basic education and English language literacy through one-to-one tutoring and classes. The League currently serves 1,000-plus adult learners on a weekly basis.  In addition, the organization serves the early literacy needs of more than 600 low-income, pre-school children through its Family Literacy Program called, Read to Me!

For tickets and more information, visit www.adultliteracyleague.org/rbtw.

 

Top 10 Date Night Picks for This Weekend in Orlando

Florida Film Festival 
April 4-13 
Enzian Theater & Regal Cinemas Winter Park Village
From $11 per film 

Baldwin Park First Friday Festival & Art Stroll 
Every 1st Friday of the month : 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. 
Baldwin Park New Broad Street
Free

Central Florida Home and Garden Show 
April 4-6 
Orange County Convention Center 
$10 (for a 50% off PROMO CODE, click here)

Brews Around the Zoo
Saturday, April 5, 6-10 p.m. 
Central Florida Zoo   
$40 in advance

DeLandapalooza 
Saturday, April 5, 1 p.m. - 1 a.m. 
Downtown DeLand 
$10 advance, $15 at the gate

Cirque Italia
Thru April 6,
Kissimmee Christmas Tree Lot 
$10-$50

Jesse Cook Live
Saturday, April 5, 7 p.m.
The Plaza Live  
$25-$100

Wine and Craft Brew Festival 
April 5, 3-7 p.m. 
Regency Liquor, Winter Garden
$25, $50 for VIP

Spring Fiesta in the Park 
April 5 & 6
Lake Eola Park
Free

Hoops and Heels 
Saturday, April 5, 5 p.m. 
Amway Center 
$45

UCF Book Festival
Saturday, April 5, 9am - 3:30pm
CFE Arena
Free

 

New Tuesday Night Trivia Spot

Earth Trivia just announced it’s added Cafe Red on Church Street as yet another great venue for playing live trivia in the Orlando area. The location, which is a new concept by the Graffiti Junktion folks, features a full menu of American cafe fare and craft cocktails. Curtis Earth will host trivia there every Tuesday starting at 7pm. 

Battle of the Brains, Thursday April 3

Harry Buffalo (129 W Church Street) will host the annual Battle of the Brains event this Thursday when teams of up to 6 individuals will participate in 3 rounds of trivia about sports, pop culture, etc.

Prizes will be awarded to the best and the worst teams and the event will raise funds for Ronald McDonald House. 

Event schedule
5:00pm - Registration opens
6:00pm - Trivia starts
8:00pm - Winning team is announced  

Registration fee: $25/person with a maximum of 6 players per team and includes 3 rounds of trivia, complimentary beverages, one complimentary appetizer and a chance to win great prizes too!