Fun Food Events July 20-Aug 2

July is National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday of the month is National Ice Cream Day, so, for 2024, Sunday, July 21st is a double dip of ice cream celebration! We’ll get to the local Ice Cream Day deals in a few paragraphs, but first, a couple fun facts. One – chocolate ice cream was actually invented before vanilla ice cream. Two – in most years, New Zealanders eat more ice cream per capita than any other country – around 7.5 gallons per person. That’s a lot of cookies and cream!

Edible Orlando writer John Graham is always checking what’s ahead for Central Florida food lovers. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss over the next fourteen days, including those ice cream deals!

Glenn Howerton, Dennis on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” will be in town, promoting Four Walls Irish American Whiskey in a couple spots. From 1 – 2:30 p.m., he’ll be selling and signing bottles at the ABC Fine Wine & Spirits in Winter Garden. Admission is free, but you must buy a bottle to get a signature. ABC expects a crowd, so get there early and be patient. At 5 p.m., Howerton moves to the Castle Irish Pub in College Park where he’ll be behind the bar, meeting and greeting. Four Walls is a blend of Irish whiskey and American rye, founded by Howerton and “IASIF” costars Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney.

As mentioned, this is National Ice Cream Day so here come the specials. Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream has half-price ice cream from 11am-4pm. That’s cones and sundaes and such, not pints and quarts. Check the list of locations to make sure the one closest to you is celebrating. Charlie’s Bakery and Creamery on Curry Ford Rd. has $1.75 scoops ($2.25 for non-dairy) from noon to 8 p.m. The Greenery Creamery (vegan and dairy) is doing two-for-one cones from noon until 4 p.m. in both Sanford and downtown Orlando. They also have an all-day special of $16 ice cream flights with four scoops and four toppings. Sampaguita, recently featured on Netflix’s “Somebody Feed Phil” is doing two-for-one single scoops from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and two-for-one soft serve from 3 – 10 p.m. The national chain Friendly’s has 89-cent single scoops from July 17 to July 21 at both the I-Drive and Vineland Ave locations in honor of both Friendly’s 89th anniversary and National Ice Cream Day.

The latest Chef Night at Edible Education Experience is a celebration of the Mediterranean, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Chef Kevin Fonzo (K, Nonna) will focus on his Italian heritage while Chef James and Julie Petrakis (Ravenous Pig) will cover Greek cuisine. Diners get a multi-course meal with their hosts sharing the stories behind the food. Tickets are $150 and you must be 21 or over. You can bring their own wine or beer if you like.

Edible Education Experience also has events for the kids, including tonight’s Family Night – Mexican Cuisine, 6 – 8 p.m. Led by a food historian, families prepare a plant-based (dairy and gluten products allowed) meal, learning to understand and appreciate flavors passed down for generations. Dinner is $65 for adults 18+ and $55 for up to age 17. You must have one adult for every two minors. 

Tickets are going fast for a summer cookout with celebrity chef Richard Blais at his Four Flamingos restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando, 4 – 7 p.m. The pig roast and barbecue will be outside on the Hydrangea Lawn and include Puerto Rican-style lechon asado with key lime mojo, house-made sauce bar, sides (including shrimp ceviche, spiced rum maduros, and mango kimchi slaw), and a dessert bar. Tickets are $84.04 with taxes and fees or $121.35 with beer and wine.

If you laugh at the celebs trying to get down those spicy wings on “Hot Ones,” downtown Orlando’s World of Beer has a chance for you to burn your own tongue off at 6:30 p.m. Ten pre-chosen competitors will face off with wings doused in official Hot Ones sauces, sponsored by Stella Artois beer. If you’ve got what it takes, or think you do, check the links for how to join in. If you want to point and giggle, just show up.

Rum, cigars, and ice cream: that’s the combo, 7 – 9 p.m., for a tasting at the Lake Mary/Heathrow Corona Cigar shop. You get three pours of Ron Zacapa rums (XO, Zacapa 23, Negra) along with a Florida Sun Grown 20 Acre Farm cigar and fresh-made, rum-infused ice cream to take home. Tickets are limited and $75.

The Ford’s Garage locations in ChampionsGate and Hamlin are serving up a $65, five-course pairing menu tonight only. The meal includes goat cheese crostini and a smoked rosemary paloma, seared ahi tuna with a honey orange tripel beer, braised brisket sandwich with a juicy IPA, sticky ribs and shrimp with a cherry lambic ale, and upside down berry cake with a bourbon espresso martini.

Historic Dubsdread calls it Wine & Dine, the chance to eat and drink your way around the world in about three hours, 5 – 8 p.m. The international pairings menu includes America (barbecue brisket with jalapeño cheddar cornbread, Mexico (street tacos and street corn), France (coq au vin), Spain (paella), Italy (antipasto and pasta), Japan (tuna poke bowl), Ireland (bangers and mash), and Germany (pork schnitzel and spaetzle). Tickets are $81.88 after taxes and fees.