Better of ORL 2023: Meals & Drink

WINNER: BEST WINTER GARDEN RESTAURANT

Photograph by Roberto Gonzalez

Again in 2008, when Kevin and Laurie Tarter opened Chef’s Desk, downtown Winter Backyard was a meals desert. {Couples} searching for a spot to have fun an important day needed to drive out to Sand Lake’s Restaurant Row. The Tarters wished to alter that. So, they leased house within the historic Edgewater Lodge, arrange 9 candlelit, white-clothed tables and pieced collectively a three-course tasting menu. 

Kevin, who educated in New Orleans earlier than cooking at Disney’s Victoria & Albert’s, manned the kitchen. Laurie, a veteran server from Disney’s California Grill, was the one-woman waitstaff. 

Thanks, partially, to a glowing overview from Scott Joseph, the idea took off. Not solely did Chef’s Desk develop into the go-to date night time spot for locals, however individuals began touring to Winter Backyard for the only objective of attempting the Tarter’s menu. 

This was earlier than Uber. {Couples} would present up in a taxi. Then, on the finish of their meal, they’d be unable to discover a cab driver prepared to come back to Winter Backyard to select them up. So, Laurie and Kevin grew to become de facto chauffeurs, driving fortunately sated diners again to their houses. 

Right this moment, Chef’s Desk has 18 tables. The Tarters serve small plates within the resort bar they usually have seating within the atrium. Oh, they usually personal The Attic Door, a wine bistro throughout the road.

Kevin not spends his time behind a reducing board; as a substitute he turned his knives over to Government Chef Chandler Cook dinner and his group. 

“We wish them to specific themselves and showcase their abilities,” stated Laurie.  

Though there could be new faces within the kitchen, Chef’s Desk retains its Previous-World attraction. Moving into the softly lit bar – with its wood ceiling beams, uncovered copper ductwork and classic vinyl tablecloths – is like strolling right into a Parisian Bistro within the Twenties. 

The idea is similar because it was on the day they opened; for a set value, diners get a three-course meal, together with appetizer, entrée and dessert. Cook dinner’s well-balanced flavors are Southern impressed and classically executed. Though he continues so as to add new dishes to the menu, he has not deserted the mainstays, like duck fats fries. 

The potatoes are hand lower every day, blanched then dunked within the deep fryer until golden. From there, they’re sprinkled with truffle oil and duck fats and served with smoked mayo. Lastly, they’re topped with shaved parmesan. The salty, candy cheese cuts by way of all that fatty smoky deliciousness, making for an addictive snack. 

One other standout is Cook dinner’s pork ribeye. The meat is brined within the restaurant’s secret home spice mix. The ribeye has a chew to it, but is tender sufficient to soften in your mouth. It’s accompanied by candy creamed corn and cider vinegar collard greens cooked with 10-day smoked pork. The ribeye is topped with a thick slab of chard pork stomach and fried leek straws, including each taste and texture. This dish will tickle all of your style buds.

BROWSE WINNERS BY CATEGORIES

Winter Backyard Restaurant
Brewery
Caterer
Chocolate Store
Neighborhood Espresso Store
Lodge Lounge
Frozen Deal with
One thing Candy
Specialty Meals Retailer
Tacos
Wine Retailer
School Park Restaurant
Downtown Restaurant
I-4 Restaurant
Osceola County Restaurant
Restaurant Row
Seminole County Restaurant
Winter Park Restaurant

Winter Backyard Restaurant

1 Chef’s Desk on the Edgewater
Winter Backyard
chefstableattheedgewater.com

2 Bella Italia
Orlando & Winter Backyard
mybellapizza.com

3 The Hangry Bison
Winter Backyard & Winter Park
thehangrybison.com

Brewery

1 Crooked Can Brewery
Winter Backyard
crookedcan.com

2 Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co.
Orlando (Ivanhoe District)
Ivanhoeparkbrewing.com

3 Hourglass Brewing
Orlando & Longwood
hourglassbrewing.com

Caterer

1 Arthur’s Artistic Occasions & Catering
Altamonte Springs
arthurscatering.com

2John Michael Catering And Weddings
Winter Park
johnmichaelevents.com

3Puff ‘n Stuff
Orlando
puffnstuff.com

Chocolate Store

1 Peterbrooke Chocolatier
A number of Places
peterbrooke.com

2Laderach
Mall at Millenia & Florida Mall
laderach.com

3Kilwin’s
Winter Park
kilwins.com

Neighborhood Espresso Spot

1Axum Espresso
Winter Backyard
axumcoffee.com

2The Robinson
Downtown Orlando
robinsonroomcoffee.com

3Cup of Love Café
Oviedo
instagram.com/cupoflovecafe.inc

Lodge Lounge

1 Arduous Rock Lodge at Common Orlando
Orlando
hardrockhotels.com

2The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
Orlando
ritzcarlton.com

3Hyatt Regency Orlando
Orlando
hyatt.com

Frozen Deal with

1Twistee Deal with
A number of Places
twisteetreat.com

2The Pop Parlour
Orlando
thepopparlour.com

3Jeremiah’s Italian Ice
A number of Places
jeremiahsice.com

One thing Candy

1Jeremiah’s Italian Ice
A number of Places
jeremiahsice.com

2The Glass Knife
Winter Park
theglassknife.com

3Kilwin’s
Winter Park
kilwins.com

Specialty Meals Retailer

1 Dealer Joe’s
Winter Park & Orlando
traderjoes.com

2 Dong A Grocery store
 Orlando

3 Petty’s Meat Market
 Longwood
 pettysmeats.com

Tacos

1 El Zocalo
Sanford
elzocalosanford.com

2Gringos Locos
A number of Places
gringoslocos.com

3TaKo Cheena
Orlando (Mills50)
takocheena.web

Wine Retailer

1 Tim’s Wine Market
A number of Places
timswine.com

2Total Wine & Extra
A number of Places
totalwine.com

3Regency Wine & Liquor
Winter Backyard
regencyliquor.com

The Faucet Room at Dubsdread

School Park Restaurant

1 The Faucet Room at Dubsdread
School Park
taproomatdubsdread.com

2 Armando’s
School Park
armandosorlando.com

3 Shaker’s American Café
School Park
shakerscafe.com

Maxine’s on Shine

Downtown Restaurant

1 Maxine’s on Shine
Orlando (Mills50)
maxinesonshine.com

2 Latin Sq.
Downtown Orlando
latinsquarecuisine.com

3 Kres Chophouse
Downtown Orlando
kresrestaurant.com

I-Drive Restaurant

1 Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
Orlando
delfriscos.com

2 Café TuTu Tango
 Orlando
 cafetututango.com

3 Twenty Pho Hour
 Orlando
 twenty-pho-hour.com

Osceola County Restaurant

1 Crabby Invoice’s
St. Cloud
crabbybillsstcloud.com

2 Columbia Restaurant
Celebration
columbiarestaurant.com

3 4 Rivers Smokehouse
Kissimmee
4rsmokehouse.com

Restaurant Row

1 Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
Orlando
eddiev.com

2Seasons 52
Altamonte Springs & Orlando
seasons52.com

3Fleming’s
A number of Places
flemingssteakhouse.com

Seminole County Restaurant

1 Jimotti’s Restaurant
Sanford
jimotti.com

2 Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café
Sanford
hollerbachs.com

3 Enzo’s on the Lake
Longwood
enzos.com

Winter Park Restaurant

1 Boca Winter Park
Winter Park
bocawp.com

2 Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen
Winter Park
reelfishcoastal.com

3 Cocina 214
Winter Park
cocina214.com

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