Kona Poké set to open In Lake Mary

242 Wheelhouse Lane

Unit 1230
Lake Mary, FL 32746
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Seminole County’s newest welcomed resident opens its doors officially to the public with a special ribbon cutting and All-Day Discount On Friday, January 25th.

Lake Mary is about to get a whole lot fresher with the highly-anticipated grand opening of Kona Poké on Friday, January 25th. Kona Poké is a healthy, fast-casual food concept that serves fresh and delicious Hawaiian-style poké bowls with fresh sushi-grade fish, house-sauces, vegan, gluten-free and cooked options available.

Guests of the 1,300 square foot restaurant will choose from a variety of Signature Poké Bowls, Build Your Own Bowls, Soup, Salads and Mochi Ice Cream, which they’ll savor inside Kona’s contemporary, inviting restaurant vibe with subtle elements of poké’s Hawaiian heritage.

To commemorate the Grand Opening, Kona Poké will hold a special ribbon cutting at 11am on Friday, January 25th. Plus, from open to close, guests can choose from any poke bowl and a fountain drink for $9.99. Kona will also feature Kona Beer all day for $2.

Kona owners Matthew Ting and Ernie Falco III come with decades combined of restaurant ownership, management and marketing experience. Ting co-owns and operates multiple successful Tijuana Flats locations companywide, and Falco founded and sold several highly successful internet based brands, including JetCharters.com.

“We are elated to finally open our doors and provide the freshest vibe and food around,” says Ting. “It is healthy, yet so extremely satisfying, it’s addictive. With our high-quality raw ingredients, Hawaiian poké techniques and distinctive interior design, we are bringing features from the realm of formal dining to the world of a fast-casual restaurant. The response we’ve received already has been incredible, and we cannot wait to welcome the masses and make Kona everyone’s favorite place to dine and relax.”

Kona plans to open 20+ locations throughout the Southeast over the next several years.

Enjoy Kona Poké starting Friday, January 25 located at 242 Wheelhouse Lane, Unit 1230, Lake Mary, FL 32746. Hours of operation are Monday thru Saturday 11am-9pm, Sunday 11am-8pm. For more information, call 407-500-KONA or visit www.konapokébowls.com.

Fun Fact: What is poké? Pronounced POH-keh, poké is cubed raw fish eaten either on its own or over a bowl of sushi rice. While it may seem like a new trend, the Hawaiian dish has been around for centuries.

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Lion's Pride Soccer Pub and Grill

123 W Church St.

Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 203-4099
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The Lion’s Pride Soccer Pub and Grill opened in May 2017. Owner Gustavo Fonseca created a partnership with Orlando City Soccer Club and Orlando Pride to become the official restaurant for the organization.

Lion’s Pride is more than just a pub, it’s a beautiful sports bar offering a variety of food from Blue Cheese Angus Filet to favorites like chicken wings and burgers. Inside, they have a 200” big screen TV, as well as an Entertainment Wall with eight 60” LED televisions to enjoy any sporting event. Of course soccer is the big thing here, but they cater to more than just soccer as they aim to be a true sports bar to watch all your favorite sports or host special events and parties for friends and family.

The diverse menu was crafted by Executive Chef Scott Phillips and features traditional sports bar favorites elevated to a new level, including appetizers like wings, sliders, tacos and flatbreads, plus a wide selection of sandwiches, entrees and tasty Lion’s Pride signature dishes.

Visitors of Lion’s Pride will feel like they’ve walked into the Orlando City Stadium and a soccer-centric paradise, which houses a replica of the stadium scoreboard and a World Cup soccer balls collection signed by players of the World Cup who’ve dined at Lion’s Pride, such as Ronaldo “Phenomenon”, Rivaldo, Kaka, Alexi Lalas, Julio Baptista, Elano, Doni and Robinho.

 

Lion’s Pride also has an exclusive second level, featuring stadium seating, chairs, couches and private suites, perfect to host corporate or special events of all sizes.

The Peppered Tuna with avocado relish and cilantro lime slaw paired was paired with Blue Moon draught , and was incredibly delicious. This certainly not something seen at a traditional Sports Bar. 

We could have eaten at least 10 of these Petite Brisket Tacos with lettuce, tomato, queso blanco, and chipotle aioli that was paired with Sam Adams Winter Lager. These were amazing.

A very fine Caprese Salad with red and yellow vine ripened tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil oil and balsamic glaze was paired with an equally fine 2015 Terra d' Oro blended Chenin Blanc Wine.

Passion Fruit Pureed Champagne is on the left, and Lions Pride Whiskey based Sangria on the right. Both were really good, especially the Sangria.

The Shrimp and Lobster Risotto with Creamy Parmesan was topped with Rock Shrimp and was full of nice size pieces of lobster. The risotto by itself was heavenly, but all together, everyone really enjoyed this dish.

A Blue Cheese topped Filet with garlic boursin mashed potatoes, and a red wine demi glaze was paired with a 2015 Emmolo Napa Valley Merlot. The steak was cooked perfectly medium, and I really enjoyed the demi glaze it sat in.

Dessert was served with a Chocolate Mousse and a Romeo and Juliet Pastry, which is a Brazilian style cheese and guava filled pastry that owner Gustavo Fonseca has fond memories of from his time growing up in Brazil.

This is the Downstairs bar at Lion’s Pride. They have an equally nice one upstairs too, but that is reserved for private events, or for all Orlando City Soccer Club Home Games, where three hours before the match starts, $30 gets you an All-You-Can-Eat-And-Drink Tailgate Party with unlimited draft beers, Sangria and finger foods in the plush upstairs lounge.

Inside is very spacious and open with plenty of seats at the bar and the main area. We really love the design and layout of Lion’s Pride and it’s easy to envision some great sports watching parties here.

This is the perfect spot for Big screen soccer action for every game and great food at every seat. This elite soccer fan-den showcases past and present game memorabilia, club level seating, semi-private suites, and a private dining space. Lion’s Pride is a great spot for lunch, dinner, drinks and any occasion.

In addition to the Pre-Game Tailgate package, they also offer specials like Buy a Heineken draft during the first half and receive a complimentary draft at halftime for Orlando City Soccer Club Away Games.

You can also play the World Cup Free Beer Challenge and make your bracket picks. Participants who get all the teams correct thru the final match win two free draft beers daily until World Cup 2022.

From Monday to Friday, 11 am to 2 pm, you can buy 5 Lunch Specials and get 1 Free. Happy Hour is from 5 pm to 8 pm with $5 Red/White Sangria, $3 Select Beers and $4 Wells.

Central Florida’s best World Cup 2018 Watch Party will be at Lion’s Pride starting Thursday, June 14 through Sunday, July 15.

Lion’s Pride serves lunch and dinner daily. Hours of operation are Sunday to Thursday from 11:30 am-10:30 pm, Friday and Saturday from 11:30 am until 11:30 pm.

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Grills Lakeside Orlando

4315 N Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 291-8881
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We have always been fans of Grills. The Original Location in Port Canaveral is pretty hard to beat, with great seafood, and a view that’s even better. 

The Melbourne location is pretty good also, as it sits right on the river, so we were very excited to hear about a Grills Lakeside in Orlando.

With fifteen years in the charter and commercial fishing business, one of the most commonly asked questions has been: “Where is a good seafood restaurant?” Responding to the question was always difficult and often resulted in “showing off” some backyard grilled fish. The response from even those who said they “don’t like fish” was phenomenal, and the idea for Grills was born.

The finest quality local fish prepared using the healthiest and most delicious process available, marinating and grilling. After years of consideration and experimentation, Grills was built on the water’s edge of Sunrise Marina and opened in 1997.

Although they do serve coconut shrimp that is fried, you will be hard pressed to find anything else on the menu here that is fried. Grills is all about the Blackened or Grilled style of cooking for all of their seafood offerings. Grills serves up wings, steaks, pastas and chicken and steak kabobs as well, for all of you landlubbers out there.

We were very impressed overall with Grills Lakeside Orlando, as they have a great design and setup at this new location, it’s so good, that for a moment we almost thought we were in Port Canaveral. Inside is very spacious and they have a cool bar with an actual airboat hanging from the ceiling.

The outside deck area is also very spacious, with lots of seating and an additional outside bar. I wouldn't be surprised if this location of Grills becomes a hot spot during the spring and summer months with such a great outside setup overlooking Lake Fairview.

A few slices of Garlic and Parmesan Cheese Bread to get our evening started with a side of marinara sauce.

A pair of Grand Hurricanes with Bacardi Rum, Grand Marnier, pineapple juice, orange juice and Grenadine topped off with dark rum. You can get these in regular glasses, or these take home plastic cups like we did.

We really enjoyed the Tsunami Shrimp. These are large crispy fried shrimp drenched in a spicy Asian sauce with wasabi and ginger. Really great flavors, and just as good as the original location.

The grilled fish of the day special was fresh caught Tile fish, which is a very mild fish that is flaky and full of flavor. We opted to have it blackened and served with Tahiti Taters and steamed Island Veggies...all of it was really good.

We were craving some crab legs, so we got a half pound order of Snow Crab Clusters as a side option with the tile fish.

The Coconut Shrimp Dinner with Coconut Sticky Rice and steamed Island Veggies is always a go to dish...so good and tasty.

A newer item on the menu is the Tahitian Tuna Poke with seared tuna served on a bed of coconut sticky rice and topped with a blend of Asian sauces served with a side of seaweed salad.

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Well, the fried cheesecake looked and sounded good, but it was kind of bland and nothing to write home about. I think Grills gets all the dessert stuff pre-made, but I don't ever really go to Grills for desserts.

The size of Grills Seafood Deck Orlando is pretty impressive with high ceilings, plenty of room inside and even more space outside on the Swamp Deck. They have an additional bar out here as well with views of the lake, and plenty more seating that is not covered.

Grills is open from Sunday to Thursday from 11 am to 10 pm and Friday & Saturday 11 am to 11 pm. They plan on having Lakeside Breakfast in the near future.

We really enjoyed the new edition of Grills, and the food here is just as good as it is in Port Canaveral or Melbourne(I’ve been to both multiple times). They have live music on various nights, and as I said earlier, I predict this place becoming a new hot-spot especially during the spring and summer months.

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Burger 21

4192 Conroy Rd #109

Orlando, FL 32839
(407) 203-2848
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In November 2009, the owners of The Melting Pot Restaurants had a vision to create a modern fast casual burger restaurant that offered a unique variety of high-quality food in a hip environment with lasting appetite appeal to people of all ages. 

After researching and taste testing hundreds of burgers, the team founded Burger 21 and went to work creating the restaurant’s menu, decor and culture.The first Burger 21 location opened in the Westchase area of Tampa, Fla., in November 2010 bringing people of all ages together to enjoy innovative and delicious recipes for gourmet burgers, fries, salads, shakes and more in a modern and fun environment.

From the start, it was typical to see tables filled with families of three generations engaged in conversation over Burger 21’s unique burger creations such as The Ahi Tuna, Tex-Mex Haystack and The Skinny turkey burger and signature shakes like Bananas Foster and Key Lime Pie.

Now in 2017, Burger 21 wants to know “What’s Your Number”?

When was the last time someone asked for your number? Whether it was today, yesterday or yester-year, Burger 21, the award winning fast casual franchise with one of the most diverse menus in the country, wants your number each time you visit.

Don’t worry, this isn’t a typical pick up line for your phone number, but guest’s burger numbers.

Following a recent announcement of the brand’s refreshed menu with new burger and shake options, Burger 21 is inviting guests to come explore their new menu, encouraging them to find their number.

While the menu doesn’t follow numerical order, Burger 21 is taking a nontraditional approach with each of the brand’s 21 unique burger options having been designated a specific number that reflects the flavor, tradition or fun of that menu item. Notice, number five is the “Cinco Burger.”

There is a method to the menu numbers. Guests who are a 1-10 most enjoy one of the brand’s Certified Angus Beef burgers while guests who are a 11-20 opt for a non-beef burger as their favorite. Those who identify as a 21 enjoy the chef inspired flavors of the ever changing current featured flavor of Burger 21. You can see the numerical 21 lineup here: https://www.burger21.com/menu/. 

“Half & Half Fries feature Sweet Potato Fries and traditional French Fries and go great with the Sauce Bar that has 10 flavors to choose from. Five sauces at the sauce bar are made in house. The flavors range from regular ketchup & mustard to spicy Ragin' Cajun to sweet Toasted Marshmallow...which is awesome with sweet potato fries.

The Patty Melt is signified as a #3 on the menu, and is made with Angus beef and grilled onions, Swiss cheese and a sweet & tangy remoulade sauce between Texas toast.

#18 on the menu is a Monterey Chicken Burger with grilled chicken topped with salsa, avocado, bacon, jalapenos, sun-dried tomato aioli, Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce, & tomato on a brioche bun. 

#12 is The Ahi Tuna Burger made with sushi grade ahi tuna that is panko crusted, then lightly fried and topped with Sriracha aioli, caramel soy, avocado, pickled cucumbers, lettuce & tomato and is served on a brioche bun. 

#7 is the tasty Tex-Mex Haystack Burger. This is an Angus beef burger topped with bacon, Gouda cheese, guacamole, onion strings, chipotle-jalapeno, lettuce & tomato on a brioche bun.

Cafe Bustelo is one of my favorite coffee brands for the flavor and price point, and it’s like the official coffee of Miami, my second home, so you better believe the Espresso Signature Shake made with Cafe Bustelo at Burger 21 is a home run in my book.

For something sweet and salty the Salted Caramel Pretzel Signature Shake is the perfect ending to your adventure through all of the great burgers and sandwiches at Burger 21.

Burger 21 at the Mall at Millenia is open Monday to Thursday from 11:00am until 9:30pm and Friday and Saturday from 11:00am to 10:00pm with Sunday hours starting at 11am and closing at 9pm. Stop by sometime soon and find out what your Number is!

For the latest special offers and promotions, download Burger 21’s “B Loyal” app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, upon download guests will become eligible to receive a free Cheesy Burger. For more information on Burger 21, please visit burger21.com and follow Burger 21 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

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Earl's Kitchen + Bar

4200 Conroy Rd 

Orlando, FL 32839
(407) 345-8260

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Some 30 years ago in Edmonton, a city in Alberta, Canada, Leroy Earl Fuller and his son Stanley Earl Fuller had a simple idea: a laid back burger & beer joint. When the restaurant started, there was no question about what the name would be. It had to be called Earls.

The tradition of Earls is centered on dishes that make people want to come back for more: house made sauces, locally sourced ingredients, and now, innovative chef led experiments that are getting the industry's attention through the Earls Chef Collective.

Earls is one of North America’s most successful, family owned, independent restaurant groups, currently operating 67 restaurants across North America. From humble beginnings as a laid back beer and burger joint, Earls grew into a beloved brand with multiple locations across North America that now offer upscale casual dining and drinking environments. Earls Orlando is the 68th restaurant with an opening in Boston also scheduled for summer 2017.

Art is an important design element in Earls’ beautiful modern spaces. The design team always identifies local artists to create work that complements the restaurant, in this case iconic Florida photographs from Brian Soderlind and a huge mural from Andrew Spear that pays homage to Orlando’s orange groves and parrots with an abstract landscape entitled “Juice Birds.”

Guests enter into the lounge, central to which is a large, circular walnut clad bar with black granite tops surrounded by deep berry clubby leather chairs. From there, it’s up a slight level into the vibrant dining room; with every seat offering a view of the action in the open kitchen. 

Diners will enjoy an expansive menu that encourages convivial shared dining. In keeping with the menu’s global focus, appetizer highlights include Tuna Poke, Sicilian Calamari and classics like crisp Caesar Salads and Cajun Chicken.

Made to order entrees are paired with dressings and sauces made in house daily, among them are Earl's’ signature Jeera Chicken Curry and BBQ Ribs, fresh Atlantic Salmon, Creekstone Farms Black Angus steaks and burgers, and a variety of main plate salads, sandwiches and irresistible sides perfect for lunch.

Cocktails, non alcoholic beverages, wine and beer are an important part of the Earls Kitchen + Bar experience. With a commitment to using only 100% fresh squeezed in house juices, Earls’ craft cocktails are infused with seasonal ingredients. Local beers on tap are complemented by a curated list of national and international quaffs and a comprehensive list of wines on tap by the glass, as well as bottles.

Beverage Director Cameron Bogue, who prior to joining Earls developed cocktails for Daniel Boulud’s restaurant group, has designed an innovative menu of updated classic cocktails and house specialties with intriguing options including the frozen Harvey Wallbanger, Old Fashioned and the Earl's Signature Caesar, the Canadian take on the classic Bloody Mary.

The Grapefruit Negroni is a mixture of bombay dry gin, campari, aperol, carpano antica, fernet branca and grapefruit.

One of the better Moscow Mule’s I’ve had in Orlando, Earl’s version is pretty simple with smirnoff vodka, ginger and fresh lime.

There are a few sushi rolls available on the starters menu, like this Dynamite Roll with shrimp, mango and avocado sushi, sriracha mayonnaise, black sesame and unagi maple. This was a pretty decent roll.

The Korean Hot Wings are a must try item. These are wings in a spicy red pepper glaze with fried onions and sesame seeds. They are addictive and delicious. 

Sicilian Calamari is topped with oven dried tomatoes, cucumber, olives, herb salad, greek citrus and yogurt. This is battered in a gluten aware flour.

Tuna Poke features albacore tuna, mango, avocado, spicy lime dressing, macadamia nuts and is served with warm house made tortillas.

Steak and Sushi is a great dinner combo at Earl’s. It's made with marinated steak, ponzu sauce and sesame seeds. When you order this you choose either a dynamite roll or California roll to accompany it.

The Jeera Curry was excellent. This is a cumin spiced potato curry with garam masala, turmeric, paprika and red chilies finished with a touch of cream served with rice with baked naan.

Hunan Kung Pao is an Asian dish made with ginger soy sauce, wok fried vegetables noodles, and roasted peanuts. For the brave lovers of heat, you can customize this dish by adding 1 to 6 hunan peppers.

Atlantic Salmon with feta, caper and dill aioli, jasmine rice and seasonal vegetables is a lighter option at Earl’s and was quite good.

The Sticky Toffee Chocolate Pudding is my favorite dessert on the menu. They have a nice selection of desserts, but this thing is heavenly. Made with a warm pudding cake, chocolate and toffee sauces, with vanilla bean ice cream and a candy snap, you won't have any of this left over and will be tempted to lick the plate clean.

Happy Hour takes it up a notch at Earls with twice daily sessions Monday through Friday from 3pm to 6pm and again from 9pm to midnight offering specials on wine, beer, cocktails and appetizers. 

Eearl’s also offers a selection called “Weekly Rituals” with tempting promotions running Monday through Thursday with nightly specials on kitchen offerings, different craft cocktails, craft beers and even “That’s How We Roll Tuesdays” featuring $3 sushi rolls and half priced bottles of wine.

Brunch is served on weekends and offers items like a spicy Mushroom and Chorizo Hash, or a fruit and berry laden Sourdough French Toast.

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Mingos

100 S Eola Dr #105

Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 781-2539

View Website Here

If you are not  familiar with the location at 100 S. Eola drive in Thornton Park, let me give you a refresher course. Over the years it has seen a few different restaurants come its way...and sadly none have had long term success.

Some of the restaurants you may be familiar with are...Graze, Prickly Pear, and Lotus. I did a review of Lotus last year, and I liked the interior design and the location. The food was pretty good, but aside from the terrible service, I thought the place was very unfocused and could not decide whether it was a night club, bar, or a restaurant. Next door to Lotus, the same owners were going to open an aphrodisiac bar called Honey...but that has been scrapped also. 

Mingos is the newest concept from the same ownership group that owned Lotus. They have retained Chef Luis J. Negron of Lotus and have brought in a new management team as well as getting rid of the ditsy servers. Mingos is short for Flamingos, as the restaurant is really going for an upscale but casual  Florida and Caribbean theme to the menu with a strong emphasis on fresh seafood. 

This time around, Mingos just might be the restaurant to have long term success at what some think is a doomed location. The servers are top notch and very knowledgeable about all the menu items. All of the food we sampled was very good, and the sea bass was among the best I have ever had.

Chef Negron is a talented chef, but he really excels at selecting fresh seafood and carving it up. The biggest difference from Lotus to Mingos is FOCUS...they have a solid idea of what they are going for and so far they are executing it quite nicely.

The Inside is not much different than Lotus, but it has a solid continuous theme. Its a very relaxed atmosphere with smooth jazz playing in the background.

You will feel welcomed dressed up in  a suit and tie...or just a polo shirt and jeans

Although the plans for Honey, the aphrodisiac bar, have been scrapped, that space is in the process of becoming an extension of Mingos. It will have a private dining area that can host large parties and private functions.


We started our evening off with Tuna Poke, which is a raw salad served as an appetizer. 

The Tuna Poke at Mingos is served atop sliced cucumbers and is topped with scallions, lime and a Tamari sauce with a fried wonton. 

The tuna was very fresh and the Tamari sauce, which is a thicker and richer type of soy sauce, made for an excellent flavor profile.


The Marlin Taco's are a house specialty and I would recommend them.

Marlin is like a fish steak and as such has to be prepared right or it can be too rubbery and thick. 

The house made naan bread, garlic crema, and the crunchy slaw went well with this appetizer and it was a treat to have marlin.


To go in a more savory direction, our next dish was the Pork Wings. 

These are individual pork shanks that are seared on the outside and finished in the oven and served with a smoked plum sauce.

The meat on these shanks literally fell right of the bone and were absolutely delicious. 


One of the two entrees we sampled was the Sea Bass.

As I said earlier, this is by far one of the better Sea Bass entrees I have had. The fish was delicate and buttery with flavor in every bite.

The accompanying smoked bacon ratatouille and chardonnay sauce went well with the sea bass, as well as a glass of fine chardonnay.

The second entree we had was the Angus Filet paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon

The steak was cooked nicely and served atop a  mix of vegetables with a shallot demi glaze, truffle oil, and was topped off with a piece grilled foie gras.

For desert we had Fireball Apples with Bavarian Creme with a candied almond bar.

A very nice ending that was smooth and creamy and perfectly sweet to end our evening.


We really liked everything about Mingos...from the food to the service to the atmosphere...it all works well together. I think they may have what it takes to ensure long term success at 100 S. Eola Drive. The restaurant is dedicated to quality and has things on the right track. If you are in the area, stop on by and see for yourself. 

Mingos is open Monday through Saturday from 4:00 pm until 10:00 pm. They also have a Sunday brunch buffet with all you can drink Mimosas from 11:00 to 4:00 that is generating quite a buzz. Perhaps Tastes Of Orlando will return soon to check that out as well.

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