Taste Cook Sip (2026)

Taste because I develop recipes, analyze wine flavors, and reverse engineer a lot of what I sample when dining out. Cook because like most of us, I need to whip up meals in my home kitchen. Some meals are fancy, some easy assembly-style…but all are tasty and take advantage of provisions found shopping in and around Central Florida. Sip as a nod to my love of wine education and because I’m regularly commenting to my enthusiastic hubby to sip instead of gulp. Follow the blog on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest Tumblr at http://tastecooksip.tumblr.com/

Questions, suggestions, and comments can be emailed to [email protected].

31/10/2025

Don’t sleep on the spooky sips being shaken up during Nightmare on Orange at The Courtesy in Winter Park! The haunted vibes run through November 2nd. 👻🍸

From eerie elegance to full-on fright, every cocktail we ordered was wickedly well-crafted with bold flavors, clever presentation, and just enough boozy bite to be both a trick and a treat. 🦇

Here’s what we tried, which one would you choose from this chilling cocktail lineup?

💀 Camazots Boogie: mezcal, rum, campari, sorrel, coconut, lime & apple blossom. Nicely balanced with a kiss of smoke!

👹 Bite of The Shinigami: rum, falernum, apple cider, gardenia, orange & cinnamon, topped with a mini doughnut.

😱 Phoenician Scream: rum, anise, pumpkin, ginger, cardamom & lemon.

🍹Lacrime Dei Morti: sherry, blanche armagnac, macadamia, almond, cinnamon, lime, black walnut, vango, & allspice, topped with a mini box of raisins. (One sip and we swapped childhood stories of receiving the dreaded trick-or-treat raisins! 😂)

🧉 El Cucuy: ghee-washed rye, sherry, horchata & mole. Garnished with a smoked cinnamon stick.

🍸 Aranea: Applejack, blackberry, amaro, vanilla, apple blossom & cardamom.

🥃 La Ofrenda: Mexican corn whisky, mezcal, fernet, Mexican aperitif sherry & chipotle cacao.

🥨 Pimento & Pretzels: warm, soft pretzel bites, house pimento cheese, parmesan, honey mustard. bar bites are the perfect match to these fabulous cocktails!

Reservations are required & available online.

🎄Make plans to visit their Christmas-themed cocktail pop up, Miracle on Orange, which returns to on November 11th!

📍The Courtesy Bar, 1288 N Orange Ave, Winter Park, FL

Halloween Cocktails
Nightmare on Orange
Halloween in Orlando
Courtesy Bar
Craft Cocktails
Orlando FL

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12/09/2023

Have you visited VINIA Wine & Kitchen in Winter Park? Book your reservation now for locally owned & operated VINIA Wine & Kitchen in Hannibal Square to take advantage of their incredible $40 Magical Dining Menu.

Our faves? Pão de Queijo com Creme de Vinho Branco, Brazilian Cheese Bread, a secret family recipe of owner, Paula. Vegan "Escargot" A La Bourguignonne was an unexpected and flavorful surprise, in part to the roasted vegetables bathed in a rich, vegan compound butter flavored with fresh herbs and shallots. ⁣⁣⁣
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The 24-hour braised oxtail is a must for the hubby, upgrade to housemade gnocchi for only $5. I tried the new Cocotte De Crevettes Et Riz Au Safran- a rich, mini casserole of shrimp & yuca cream. Delicious! End your meal with any of the individual desserts or upgrade to a Dessert Duo, the Pot du Creme au Chocolate, is spectacular and a lovely accompaniment to a nice glass of red wine or the featured tawny port pairing.

The VINIA Magical Dining Menu ($40) includes a choice of:

APPETIZERS
Brazilian Cheese Bread
Burrata Al Pesto Viola E Verde
Vegan "Escargot" A La Bourguignonne
Empanada De Carne Con Queso

MAIN COURSE
24-hour Braised Oxtail
Cocotte De Crevettes Et Riz Au Safran
Escondido De Vegetais Com Farofa
Sformato Di Carciofi Alla Calabrese

DESSERT
Affogato
Pot du Creme au Chocolate
Bavarois Aux Franboise Et Rhubarbe

UPGRADES & ENHANCEMENTS
-Charcuteries & Fromages
-Fromage
-Artisanal Vegan Cheese Board
-3-Course Wine Pairings

Visit Orlando's Magical Dining three-course, prix-fixe dinner menu is available through Oct. 1, 2023. $1 from every $40 meal and $2 from every $60 meal benefits the non profit , raises awareness on the issue of human trafficking and empowers the lives of survivors with short and long-term aftercare, residential programs, education & more. ⁣⁣⁣

VINIA husband and wife owners, Paula & Fabio, will soon celebrate 5 years of delicious dining, live music & great wines! Follow on social at to celebrate and stay updated on seasonal menus and features. (Hosted)

10/09/2023

There's a new biscuit in town, and it's tender & delish! Welcome Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken to Winter Park, with additional Orlando area locations planned. We stopped by & did a follow up order, which traveled well. We'll have Rise Biscuits on speed dial anytime we have a biscuit craving.

Find the new Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken in Winter Park’s Lakeside Plaza, near Bulla Gastrobar. Limited uncovered parking in the plaza lot PLUS covered parking in the garage by Chuy's. Ordering ahead? Try to grab that designated 10 min Rise Biscuits parking spot.

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken is a quick service takeout spot with no indoor seating. There are two cafe tables outside with umbrellas, or enjoy at one of the many parks around the corner. JK, we know you'll be eating it in the car. We saw plenty of happy dinRise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken to order.

The Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken menu has plenty of meaty and Vegetarian options. I ordered:

Veggi "Chicken", with modifications ADD lettuce, tomato, pickles, pickled jalapenos. The soy "chicken" coating was crispy & delish, sauce was tasty & zippy but not spicy so your taste buds are shot for the day. Biscuit was very tender.

Avocado Toast, ordered per menu: Closed faced with guacamole, tomato, fried egg & boom boom sauce. Egg yolk was cooked through & I wasn't mad about it. Avocado spread had nice flavor, you can modify egg to scrambled or "runny", I'll be trying runny egg next time I order.

Fried Green Tomato, ordered per menu: Crispy fried green tomato with house-made Southern pimento cheese. You won't regret this sandwich, ever.

Plant-based & Vegan:
*Biscuits are made with butter.
*Reddit Vegan chicken hack for an established location: specify no Buttermilk dip on Veggi "Chicken". I've inquired further on this hack & on bread options & additional menu items.

Meaty: Hubby got the Egg, Bacon & Cheese & thoroughly enjoyed. Runny egg was a great option. Bacon was cooked through & tasty.

Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken is open daily 7AM - 2PM. Join Rise Rewards for a free biscuit on your next visit & follow on social for updates.

12/12/2022

Cheers to the return of Oh What Fun! Holiday Festival in Lake Nona! The free event continues daily through Christmas Eve, December 24th, with a rotating selection of attractions and live entertainment.

We attended this year's inaugural tree lighting and you can experience the 24 foot Christmas Tree lighting at 6pm every single day in Lake Nona Town Center, PLUS:

🎄 Live entertainment
🌨️ Nightly snowfalls 😉
🎁 Holiday marketplace
🍪 Food and drink pop ups
🎅 Santa & Mrs. Claus experience (ticketed)
🕎 First night of Hanukkah celebration

And of course, lots of holiday ambiance for festive photo ops! For a fun night with friends or a date:

🍹Walk through the Peppermint Forest of decorated Christmas trees to enjoy the Fa-la-la-la Bar in the Lake Nona Wave Hotel sculpture garden. We loved the Merry & Bright Grey Goose cocktail made by Jackson.💡

🎄Visit Thursday - Sunday & the event expands to include festivities at Boxi Park. We love hitting Claw & Order for a lobster roll.

Visit OhWhatFunLakeNona.com for a full schedule and calendar of events to plan your visit. Follow & Lake Nona Wave Hotel on social to keep up with the latest and catch the holiday spirit!

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