Our ever-growing town never stops expanding with new places to eat and food-focused happenings to check out. Here are a few new and notable tidbits to place on your radar:

New Openings
The Mills Brewpub has opened where Bananas Modern American Diner once was. This Mills 50 District restaurant and pub features over 70 beers by the bottle and six beers on tap to pair with their pub grub fare, including fish-n-chips and Shepherds Pie. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and Bar just opened in that district as well. Here's a recent blog about the sneak peek last week.

Krazy Greek Kitchen is now open on a cute little corner near Lake Mary City Hall. The menu is classic Greek and the prices are awesome, with huge entrees and combo platters priced around $14-15 each. Happy hour is once a week on Wednesdays from 4pm to 6pm when $4 house wines and a variety of half price appetizers are offered.

According to Orlando Sentinel’s Tod Caviness, the Orlando area is about see three new breweries open in the next few months: Persimmon Hollow, Ten 10 Brewing and Wop's Hops. This is great news for beer lovers on date night because all three breweries will have a bar/taproom (Ten 10 Brewing Co. has plans for an outdoor beer garden) where you can chill out and taste a freshly tapped brew.

Changes to Note
The Eola Wine Company’s Park Avenue location has transferred ownership recently, so expect the name to change to The Parkview within the next few weeks. Changes to the menu are expected as well. I hope they keep the Sunday mimosa flights.

In June, Blackfin took over the space where SoNapa lived in Maitland. The change translates into much more than a new sign. In fact, owner Eric Kovar completely revamped the space at 640 S. Orlando Avenue (right down the street from Enzian) where a seafood-centric menu is presented six days a week for lunch and dinner. Brunch is offered every Sunday from 10:30am to 4pm. The “Sunday FinDay” Brunch features acoustic vocalist from from 11am-1pm.

Blackfin will host a Wine Glass Painting Party on Friday, August 22 from 6pm – 8pm when guests will get the chance to create their own custom wine glass for $30. Fee includes all supplies and a free glass of wine. More info here.

New Sunday Brunches
The Imperial recently launched a Sunday “don’t rush to’ Brunch event weekly from 4pm to 8pm. There are around ten items on the menu, usually whimsical chef creations such as “Eggs in Purgatory” and “Imperial Poutine,” but offerings change frequently so you really never know what you’ll get. Besides the usual wine and craft beer menu, a series of mixed drinks, including Bloody Marys, will also be available. Brunch is only offered at the Orlando location at this time.

The Smiling Bison also launched a Sunday Brunch, which goes from 11am to 3pm. As you’d expect from these creative cooks, the menu has lots of interesting nosh (like bread pudding French toast and brunch poutine) as well as brunch cocktails priced at $5 or $6. Sweet!

As we reported a few weeks ago, the Alfond Inn’s Hamilton’s Kitchen has a new Sunday brunch where you’ll find lots of gourmet a la carte options as well as a custom Bloody Mary bar.
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