Orlando for Grownups
by Gremotraveler
(Part 1 of a 2 part series...)

Peabody Hotel Duck Master, David Robinson with charges.

Orlando. The central Florida city home of sprawling parking lots, attractions, hotels, suburban homes, and fast-food outlets. Not the kind of place most epicureans would consider to be an ideal holiday destination. Sure, we all went there as kids or with our own kids as adults. However, few people have ever added it to their list of global food hot spots. Well, think again. Orlando is home to a wide range of food adventures – both inside and outside the tourist filled International Drive area.

If you are planning a visit, my recommended hotel for foodies would be The Peabody Orlando, an offshoot of the famous, vintage 1925 Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, where the legend of The Peabody Ducks began. Back in the 1930's Frank Shutt, general manager of The Peabody Memphis, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had a little too much Tennessee sipping whiskey, and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal then for hunters to use live decoys) in the beautiful Peabody fountain. This event started a long-standing tradition at all three of The Peabody Hotels in Memphis, Little Rock, and Orlando. Each morning, promptly at 11 a.m., the hotel's atrium lobby is the scene of a remarkable ritual. In a special elevator, the five North American mallard ducks, four hens and one drake, comprising The Peabody Ducks, descend from their $100,000 penthouse Royal Duck Palace. When the elevator doors open, The Peabody Ducks, accompanied by their crimson-and-gold-braid-jacketed Duck Master™, take up their positions on a plush red carpet and begin The March of The Peabody Orlando Ducks to the strident tones of John Philip Souza's King Cotton March. At 5 p.m., the procession is reversed, The Peabody Orlando Ducks marching back to their special elevator, then to their Royal Duck Palace for dinner and a quiet evening together.

The hotel traditions are not limited to the marching of the ducks. The first Friday of every month, the hotel’s Capriccio Grill offers a Wine pairing dinner for a set price of $75. Last December, they hosted a champagne pairing for $95/person. These events are a prime example of how great food and wine can connect people from varying backgrounds and locales. Every month, regular patrons from as far away as Tampa (1 ½ hours by car) and Jacksonville (2 hours by car) come to Orlando to enjoy great food and wine. Many of the regulars have met new friends from across Florida and share stories and updates on their life with each other exclusively at the monthly event.

The December 2007 champagne pairing started with a casual reception serving Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. When the doors open to the private dining hall, the guests are escorted to the long rows of tables. These tables, consisting of roughly 10-15 seats, allow guests to meet new people and strike up phenomenal group conversations. Floridians are incredibly hospitable and love to discuss a wide range of topics from local culture, food haunts, and politics. The majority of the conversation however surrounds the food prepared by the Chef de Cuisine for Capriccio, Jared Gross. In 1997, Jared Gross left the cold, snowy winters of York, Pennsylvania, and traveled to Orlando. He had an externship lined up with The Peabody Orlando, under the expert tutelage of Karl Edlbauer, corporate executive chef, Peabody Hotel Group. Working as a sous chef at the then Capriccio Italian restaurant, Jared made a big impression on Chef Karl.

For the December tasting, Jared’s ability to impress was certainly demonstrated with excellence. The first course consisted of Kobe beef carpaccio, poached quail eggs, and salsified fennel-celery root slaw with Yuzu Oil. This was paired with Chandon Blanc de Noirs. The second course paired Veuve Cliqouot Ponsardin with a beautiful pan-seared wild caught Atlantic Cod with arugula shaved red onion salad topped off with an aged sherry and cranberry vinaigrette. Just as the guests were starting to become overwhelmed from the bubbly, the third course arrived, a pairing with Moët & Chandon White Star. This was a perfect compliment to the grilled bob veal chop stuffed with chestnuts, pancetta and fontina, pickled mushrooms in a basket of fried Korean sweet potatoes and beets, drizzled with a apple brandy coulis. The grande finale was a lovely paired desert of fresh strawberry macaroon tart, lemon crème, and a lemon-thyme champagne sorbet. The pairing for this course was truly divine, Moët & Chandon Nectar Imperial.

If you are not a party-animal, and prefer to have a quiet and relaxing evening in the warm Orlando weather, then sipping a fine wine from Dux while lounging by the pool is a must. The Peabody’s magnificent exhibition Wine Cellar, with its see-through double-glazed doors and walls, brass trim and state-of-the-art temperature and humidity controls, straddles both Dux and Capriccio. They have an amazing selection of vintages and if you must only choose one, the Mettler Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvingon, California 2002 is truly a great find. Simply uncork the bottle, grab a glass, lounge back in your private poolside cabana lounger, and gaze at the stars while soaking in a warm Florida evening.

One of the truly unique things about Orlando is the relationship the hotels play on the dining scene. Due to the global attraction of the city as a tourist and convention hub, 5 of the Top 10 restaurants in the city are located within hotels or resorts. In most cities, the locals would never dine at a hotel restaurant. In Orlando, it is where everyone wants to be seen. The chefs from the various hotels often meet up at Orena Sports Bar, a smoky pool hall off International Drive where the beer is cheap and the pool tables are plenty. Here, you can see the local Chefs mingle with their colleagues trading gossip, stories, and ideas. The locale isn’t reserved exclusively for Chefs. Everyone in Orlando’s hospitality circuit will admit to having been to Orena at least once in their life.

The majority of the restaurants on International Drive are chain establishments. Like most foodies, I find the concept of a boulevard of chain restaurants pretty much Hell on Earth. However, if there is one thing Americans excel at it is the ability to take a great idea and bring it to various markets with consistency and integrity. In recent years, several major chains such as The Capital Grill and Maggiano’s have raised the bar on chain restaurants bringing higher-end quality cuisine to the masses. In a shopping mall located next to The Peabody (see www.pointeorlando.com), both of these restaurants share space with an interesting new wine-bistro chain, The Grape Wine Bar.

“The Grape” (www.yourgrape.com) presents to its patrons a non-intimidating and pleasurable atmosphere in which to enjoy great wines and food at reasonable prices. On a rotating basis, they present 120 to 150 unique wines—available by the bottle, glass and Grapes by the Bunch® tasting flight. They have developed an innovative classification guide, which classifies wine by taste. The guide offers an excellent resource for tasting various wines from different classes and discovering their favorites and understanding palates.

Once you select your flight, they print off a tasting page with information on the wines you selected and space to make notes on the experience. This list comes in handy when you reach the retail area of the bistro. After all, if you like one of the choices you can always walk away with a bottle from the shop. Try the Berelli Creek Cabernet, Louis Martini Napa Cabernet, and Bridlewood Central Coast Syrah. It is a great combination but be fore-warned, it will be a hard choice to pick just one for the trip home.

NEXT WEEK: Winter Park, The "Other Orlando"
The Gremotraveller is a Toronto-based businessman who frequently flies and has lots of time in between meetings.