Here are some quick tips for fun food events in Orlando this week including fall farm fun, progressive dinners, and a gumbo war.
The Fall Issue of Edible Orlando is live, and we’ve got a recipe that’s as cool as a cucumber. Primrose Lanes, the new restaurant and bar in the Milk District has eight lanes of bowling and a menu that goes way beyond alley eats of yore. Sous Chef Dan “Dano” Ortiz shares a recipe for the popular Pickle Dip – filled with garlic dills and feta and cream cheese. At Primrose Lanes, the dip is served with housemade potato chips.
As the weather cools off here in Florida – at least a little bit – the events and activities start firing up for fall. Edible Orlando writer John Graham keeps track of all the best bests for food events in Orlando and pulls together a list of the good stuff.
Ongoing
Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 11, Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria Orlando are hosting the Epicurious Progressive Dinner Tour. Seven stops over four hours, each resort restaurant will treat you to chef-curated menus and food and beverage pairings. That’s everything from mushroom and black truffle risotto to pulled pork and brisket to hand-crafted chocolate treats from the Waldorf Astoria’s pastry team. Tickets are $250 plus tax and tip.
courtesy of Grande Lakes Orlando
Every Saturday and Sunday in October, Grande Lakes Orlando is hosting Fall on the Farm, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s a family-friendly autumn celebration at Whisper Creek Farm, 18,000 square feet right on Grande Lakes property. You’ve got hayrides, a pumpkin patch and carving/painting, animal encounters, live music, family games, falconry, and more. The farmers’ market includes local jam and honey and Surplus, a citrus ale made with honey from Whisper Creek Farm bees. Locally sourced dining options from local purveyors and the resort’s culinary team will also be for sale. Admission is $49 plus tax for adults, $30 for kids 3-12, and free for kids two and under. Both JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton at Grande Lakes Orlando are offering discount family packages for overnight stays.
Saturday, Oct. 7
The German American Society of Central Florida hosts its annual authentic Oktoberfest, noon to 10 p.m. for a day of German food, beer on tap, live music, and traditional dancing. Admission is $5 in advance or at the door with free entry for kids 11 or under as well as active-duty military, veterans, first responders and law enforcement with valid ID. If you can’t make it Oct. 7, they’ll do it again on Oct. 28.
The Gumbo Wars charity cookoff is back, this year as a ticketed private event, noon to 4 p.m. For $45, you get into the cookoff at Fish on Fire, all the gumbo tastes you want from 20+ teams, Tito’s vodka cocktails, SweetWater Brewing beer, live entertainment, a Gumbo Wars t-shirt, and both a voting ticket and raffle ticket. Gumbo Wars is a fundraiser for Junior Anglers Education in Central Florida Benefiting Youth Anglers organizations. You can by advance tickets online or at Fish on Fire.
Sunday, Oct. 8 
Check out the paella, empanadas, café con leche and more at the Kissimmee Ford Taste of Latino Festival, noon to 5 p.m., at the Osceola County YMCA in Kissimmee. General admission tickets are free, but do not include parking, food samples, or seating for live music and dance performances. VIP tickets with food and drink samples, refreshments, seating, and private restroom are $55 plus taxes and fees for adults and $25 plus taxes and fees for children.
Thursday, Oct. 12
Taste of College Park is back, 6 – 9pm, at the Historic Dubsdread Ballroom and Courtyard. A $75 ticket includes food from more than a dozen local restaurants, craft beers from Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company, and wines by Digress Wine. Hosted by The Rotary Club of College Park, Taste of College Park benefits charities including the local Ronald McDonald Houses, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the Christian Service Center, The Rotary Foundation, and local scholarships.
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