Here are some quick tips for fun food events this week, including St. Patrick’s Day in Orlando, whiskey dinner, macarons, and more.
Have you turned on the oven and realized that now, you have to crank up the air conditioning too? Instead, how about a cocktail and dinner outside in this wonderful Florida weather that is still, technically, winter? Check out the Resort Report in the current issue of Edible Orlando for a few local hotels with new open-air dining spaces to try.
You can tell from those Guinness pints at the top of the page that it’s almost time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Orlando. That said, there’s a lot more food fun going on this week around Central Florida. Edible Orlando writer John Graham had sorted through it all for the five top picks, Saturday to Friday.
Making Macarons, Pizza Class, Whiskey Dinner
The week closes out Irish, so let’s switch it up and start with something French. On Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., The Confectionery Academy at D&G Occasions will teach you to make macarons. From meringue to filling to baking to packaging, you’ll learn tips and tricks to make the airy little French cookies from Chef Donald Joiner. The cost for the full-day class is $159.75 and, of course, you get to take macarons home. You must be at least 16.
A lot of Central Florida school kids are on spring break this week and parents are looking for ways to keep them busy. Terralina Crafted Italian at Disney Springs can at least fill up their Saturday morning with a pizza-making class from 11 a.m. – noon. For $33.83, kids 5-12 can learn to make pizza with Executive Chef Justin Plank including apron, chef hat, pizza, drink and a sundae. An adult must accompany each child, but then you can put your kid to work later in the week making lunch. If you miss the class, Terralina will do it again on April 15.
The Whiskey on Sand Lake Rd. is getting a head start on St. Pat’s with a Redbreast Irish Whiskey pairing 
dinner on Monday, 6 – 8 p.m. The four-course meal (with amuse-bouche) includes an Irish flag salad, corned beef shepherd’s pie, lamb lollipops, and Irish apple cake. Your $109.93 ticket also gets you four Redbreast whiskey selections as well as a Redbreast hat and Glencairn glass. Redbreast Collection bottles will be available to buy as well as pours and tasters of Redbreast 27 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey.
We typically drink tea to get revved up for the day, but it turns out the right tea is also handy for calming down and getting centered. Tuesday, 6 – 7 p.m., Winter Park’s Center for Health & Wellbeing hosts a tea meditation class led by American Council on Exercise-certified health coach Julie Ward. For just $5, you’ll sample three herbal teas and be guided to notice where you feel energy in your body. Julie says if you’ve taken the class before, she has new teas to test out.
Friday kicks off the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. We’ll never get to every green beer or corned beef special – neither of which is really Irish, BTW – but here’s a few highlights around Orlando. Check your local pub if you don’t see them here. There’s still plenty of good craic to be had.
Grande Lakes Orlando is staging an on-property St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl with the option of staying right there at the Ritz-Carlton or JW Marriott at the end of the night. Friday night crawlers will hit Ritz-Carlton’s Fairways Pub, Highball & Harvest, Bleu Bar & Food, Vitale Spa Cafe, and Lobby Lounge for a $100 four-hour night of food and beverages. Check the Grande Lakes website for room specials.
Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant at Disney Springs celebrates the Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival, starting Thursday and running through to Sunday. On top of the authentic Irish food such as shepherd’s pie or fish and chips served every day, Raglan Road brings in extra Irish bands for the party. Crowd-pleasing U2 tribute band Elevation is back to celebrate its 20th anniversary as well as fiddlers, balladeers, and other traditional acts. Reservations are a good idea for Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. On St Patrick’s Day Friday, there are no reservations. Raglan Road opens at 11 a.m. with a $20 cover charge for guests 18 and older. Children under 18 pay no cover that day.
Also at Disney Springs, STK Steakhouse is cooking up $6 corned beef sliders with tater tots and $9 Leprechaun Stilettos (Grey Goose lemon vodka and St-Germain elderflower liqueur with muddled cucumber and mint) during happy hour (3 – 6:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday.
The Sullivan Public House in downtown Sanford is opening at 8 a.m. (!!) on St. Patrick’s Day and expanding — just for that evening — into The Imperial at Washburn Imports next door.
Crooked Can Brewing Company kicks off its 8th annual Celtic Festival, Friday through Sunday, with live music and Irish dancers in the beer garden and outdoor patio. Rosie O’Grady’s Highlanders Pipe and Drums will play all three days with different Central Florida Irish dance schools performing each day. Expect limited-run returns of seasonal beers and Irish-themed menu specials from Plant. St. Market food stalls.
Hard Rock Café at Universal CityWalk is cooking up an Irish-themed burger topped with whiskey bacon jam and Guinness cheese sauce, March 11-20 only. The kitchen will also put that Guinness cheese sauce on fries.
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