Get our Weekly Top Picks of Things to Do Around the Orlando Area!
Sprawling across 500 acres only minutes from downtown Orlando, Grande Lakes Orlando resort is a property unlike any other in Central Florida. Home to The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes boasts more than 1,000 guest rooms and suites, a lazy-river, three outdoor heated pools, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, The Ritz-Carlton Spa (featuring 40…
By Samantha Rosenthal Orlando is known for many things when it comes to its dining and food scene, but what you may not know is that the City Beautiful is home to lots of great bakeries—especially ones specializing in making delicious cupcakes. Here are some of our favorite places to go to when we have a sweet tooth…
I’ve lost count of the number of couples I’ve met who tell me that Rocco’s Italian Grille is there go-to restaurant for anniversaries, Valentine’s Day and celebratory dinners. Maybe it’s because the made-from-scratch Italian fare served at Rocco’s is so darn good but I think it’s also because when you’re at Rocco’s… you are family….
2015 was an unbelievable year in terms of the number of really great new restaurants in Orlando. When I first moved to Orlando in 2006, Manuel’s on the 28th was the place to go. Ten years later, Manuel’s has long since closed and a slew of top-notch restaurants have taken its place. Maybe we can’t quite compare…
Local foodies crossed their fingers when Soco opened its doors just over a year ago in the former Hue space. The brain child of executive chef/partner Greg Richie (formerly of Roy’s and Emeril’s Tchoup Chop), Soco promised to bring contemporary Southern cuisine to its little corner of Thornton Park, perched on the intersection of Central Blvd and Summerlin Avenue….
On Thursday, September 10, the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and Park Avenue Merchants Association will host a fall-themed edition of the popular Winter Park Sip, Shop & Stroll event. This evening on the town features wine, hors d’oeuvres and a preview of the latest fashions, gift ideas and seasonal menu items. Guests can visit…
Part miniature golf tournament, part bar crawl, Thornton Park District’s Putt N’ Crawl will take teams to nine Thornton Park District bars and restaurants for what promises to be a crazy fun event. Beginning at 4pm on Saturday, July 18, golfers will be challenged by holes designed and built by each host location while enjoying…
Local foodie folk-heroes James and Julie Petrakis are transforming Monday into “funday” at The Ravenous Pig with a new happy hour menu full of craft beers, snacks, cocktails and wine. Previously only open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, this much-loved Winter Park restaurant now invites locavores to unwind and pig out after work Monday through Saturday for happy hour, served…
Winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival and Choreography, the musical comedy Anything Goes is sailing into Orlando for 8 performances at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday, May 26 – Sunday, May 31, 2015. Based on Roundabout Theatre Company’s production, the madcap musical follows the crew and guests…
Orlando Food Tours, winners in this year’s Orlando Date Night Awards for Best Food-Focused Activity, recently announced a new Couples Meet & Eat event to take place on Wednesday, March 18 from 6-9pm. The Park Avenue Meet & Eat for Couples will feature stops at 3 great places where you’ll enjoy food and drink. Already…
Calling all serious Oscar fans!! If you’re the type who loves to watch the Academy Awards each year but loathes the feeling of being clueless about the nominees, here’s your chance to become the savviest of silver screen aficionados. This year, AMC Theatres is presenting the Best Picture Showcase, which will feature all 8 of the…
It’s amazing how easy it is for Orlando locals to simply jump in their car, drive 20 minutes, and be checking into a fab hotel for a romantic overnight. Honestly, Orlando has got to be one of the best cities in the country for staycations. There are more than 100,000 rooms to check into inside…
WINNER: Lauren King Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Once is a new Broadway musical adapted from one of my absolute favorite movies. The story follows a Dublin street musician who is about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his love songs….
Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Once is a new Broadway musical adapted from one of my absolute favorite movies. The story follows a Dublin street musician who is about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his love songs. They begin to…
WINNERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED! See below. Announncing my BIGGEST CONTEST EVER! 5 amazing prizes! 5 lucky couples! It’s been six years since I launched Great Dates Orlando, the area’s only date night idea hub for local and visiting couples. Over the years, I’ve had a blast sharing places and activities perfect for quality couple time….
Enchanted April, the romantic comedy by Matthew Barber, is coming to Mad Cow Theatre March 22 – April 14, 2013. Enjoy this witty and engaging show VIP style with this special theatre package created exclusively for subscribers of Orlando Date Night Deals. For $60, you’ll receive an Enchanted April date night including 2 premium tickets…
Last week, I read a great story in Orlando Weekly about a group of bluegrass musicians that get together to jam every Friday night in an Ocoee parking lot near the southeast corner of Route 50 and Maguire Road. Read the full story by Ashley Belanger. With bands like Mumford & Sons bringing bluegrass into the…
This weekend’s weather forecast is a little iffy. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that it doesn’t rain. But just in case, here are some ideas to help you plan this weekend’s QT no matter which way the weather goes: RAIN 2nd Date Dinner Saturday, February 23 6:30pm – 7:30pm Whole Foods Market Winter Park Kendra…
The next time you head to Park Avenue for date night, don’t be afraid to veer from the main drag; some of the area’s best gems are slightly off the beaten path. Specifically, I’m talking about Cocina 214, the celebrated Tex Mex eatery that’s only failing is that it’s not right on Park Avenue. Let…
CONGRATULATIONS FAWN PORTER! You're the winner of the February 'Couple at Large.' In this year’s Orlando Date Night Awards, I set aside one section where participants could give feedback on how I could make Great Dates Orlando.com better. Several voters suggested that I ask couples to share their date night ideas so that I can…
This Friday, February 8th Quantum Leap Winery will host its monthly Wine Down event. From 7pm – 10pm, attendees can eat great food from the delicious gourmet flatbread food truck, The Flattery, listen to acoustical music by Kevin Hardy and, of course, sip Quantum Leap Winery’s signature wines. Located between the Ivanhoe Village and Mills…
Voting for the first annual Orlando Date Night Awards has officially closed. Tomorrow the votes will be counted and the winners of each category will be announced. BUT TODAY, I get to reveal the contents of the grand prize date night package worth over $700. One lucky voter is going to be randomly chosen by…