Here are some quick tips for food and fun in Orlando, including St. Patrick’s Day, Pints and Paws, Wine Wars and more.
Have you heard of Florida strawberry onions? They don’t taste like strawberries, although they are a sweet variety like Vidalia or Walla Walla. They’re called “strawberry onions” because farmers plant them around the edges of strawberry fields to keep away critters that will eat all the sweet fruit. That means they also get harvested around the same time as strawberries, so if you see a roadside stand with onions and strawberries, now you know why!
Edible Orlando writer John Graham is back with the best bets in food fun over the next couple weeks. You’ve got St. Patrick’s Day in there, but also celebrity chefs, wine wars, and drinking with your dog. Check it out!
Saturday, March 16
The goats are returning to Lobos Coffee Roasters, noon – 3 p.m. Alaska Farms goats are often doing yoga around town, but today, they’re wearing green and hanging out for pics and quality time in the backyard patio while you sip your latte (or beer or wine). Tickets for this “Baahs and Brews” are $15 in advance or $20 on the day and you get one drink included.
Sunday, March 17
St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year – a “school night,” so to speak. Here’s a few of the food-forward and music-forward celebrations out there. There’s a lot of Irish pubs around town, and even more that are Irish for the weekend, so if you don’t see your favorite, give them a call.
Claddagh Cottage in the Hourglass District will have corned beef and cabbage, cottage pie, potato leek soup, and sausage rolls starting at noon. Live bands will play outside starting around 12:45, starting with Americana, moving into classic rock with some pub songs around 5 p.m., and then traditional Irish music at 8 p.m.
Crooked Can Brewing’s Celtic Fest actually starts on Friday and runs through Sunday. In addition to award-winning beers and food specials from Plant Street Market vendors, there will be local Irish dancers, Rosie O’Grady’s pipe and drum corps, and live music through the day. No cover.
Harp & Celt in Downtown Orlando will have corned beef and cabbage all weekend with Irish breakfast starting Sunday at 9 a.m. and live music through the day.
The Castle in College Park opens at 9 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day with menu specials as well as live music and Irish dancers.
The Sullivan Public House in Sanford is also cooking up Irish breakfast on Sunday only and opening at 8 a.m. Live music starts at 9 a.m.
Fiddler’s Green in Winter Park opens at 9 a.m. with live music and step dancers through the day and night.
Tuesday, March 19 
Celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan (Chopped, The Next Iron Chef) is holding a series of meet-and-greet dinners at her new Disney Springs restaurant, eet. Starting at 5 p.m., Maneet will be preparing a family-style, five-course meal featuring her globally inspired Indian food. You’ll also get demonstrations, autographed merchandise, a champagne welcome, and two cocktails/mocktails. Tickets are $207.68 (after tax). If you can’t make it tonight, she’ll do it again on April 15, May 13, June 17, and July 22.
Thursday, March 21
The Edison, Enzo’s Hideaway, and Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante at Disney Springs are teaming up for a night to “Sip, Savor, and Stroll.” For $94.88 a person (after taxes and fees), you start at The Edison for sourdough grilled cheese and a lemon-basil tomato soup shooter paired with a cocktail featuring St. Augustine cane vodka and an infuser filled with Florida fruit, Then it’s off to Enzo’s Hideaway for saffron arancini and an Enzoni (Ford’s gin, muddled grapes, Campari, lemon juice, simple syrup). The night wraps up at Maria & Enzo’s for cannoli and a Blood Orange Mule (Skyy blood orange vodka, Solerno blood orange liqueur, Fever-Tree blood orange ginger beer and lime juice). Ages 21 and older only.
Saturday, March 23
Wine Wars has expanded and moved to Lake Eola Park this year, 5 – 9 p.m. The competitive wine festival works like this. Teams of 1-3 people register and pick a favorite wine. (This year, it’s cabernets.) Then, at the event, teams taste wines while enjoying food tastings and live music. The grand prize team wins 150 bottles of wine. One big change from years past. Teams don’t bring the wine to the event. They order from Total Wine & More, Winter Park Wine, or Tim’s Wine Market. (There does also seem to be some option to drop off other wines in advance.) Admission starts at $53.11 per team member and teams get a 20% discount on their competition wines at the three shops. The night’s charity is Key Haven Foster Homes.
Taste of Oviedo is celebrating its 30th anniversary and is back at Oviedo Mall, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. More than 20 restaurants and food trucks will be out, as well as beer, wine, and specialty drinks. This year’s theme is “Citrus and Celery” with food vendors asked to offer a specialty dish that fits the theme. There will also be 150 vendors along with kid activities and crafts, bounce houses, and bungee jumps. Admission is free, although, of course, you pay for what you eat and drink.
Orlando Burger Battle 2024 lands in Nona Adventure Park, 4 – 8 p.m. with scheduled competitors including Canvas, Highball & Harvest (Ritz-Carlton), The Burger Jawn, Papi Smash’d Burgers, and more. Admission with unlimited burger tasting starts at $35 per person with early-bird and VIP options. Both People’s Choice and Judges Choice awards will be given.
Pints n’ Paws Craft Beer Festival, 2 – 6 p.m., is an annual dog-friendly (of course) fundraising event with 100+ breweries, food trucks, vendors, and live entertainment at West End Trading Co. in downtown Sanford. Admission is free, but you need to buy a $50 beer pass to sample. Last year’s event raised $115,000 in one day for local pet rescues.
Monday, March 25 
Chef Brandon Basista from Melbourne is “The Bearded Chef” and recently appeared on Very Local’s “Blind Kitchen Orlando.” Tonight, he’ll be in the kitchen at the Edible Education Experience, where “Blind Kitchen” was produced, for a four-course dinner, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Basista’s specialty is mixing favors of the southern U.S. with Southeast Asia, so we’ll see what he comes up with for dinner. Tickets are $100 per person, and you must be at least 21 to attend.
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