Eating in Orlando Vol. 1
Kung Fu Tea
You can never have too many Boba options, and Orlando just got another. Kung Fu Tea is now open near UCF off of University near Alafaya Trail.
The options are quite staggering and this goes beyond flavor. Mung bean or herbal jelly, slush or milk, and you get to chose your sweetness level which is my favorite part since far too often my matcha is overloaded with sugar.
If it's busy be prepared to take your Boba to go since right now there is limited seating.
Herman's Loan Office
If you like sophisticated cocktails with ingredients you may need to google, but you don't like dealing with passwords and the whole speakeasy vibe, you will probably be a fan of Herman's Loan Office. It's the sister bar of Hanson's Shoe Repair, and has all the ambiance and hand crafted goodness you can find there, but with ample seating and a larger drink menu.
It includes bespoke cocktails in which you choose from 3 out of 6 options (i.e. comforting or adventurous) from the menu and your cocktail is created from those three descriptions. If you have a group of friends they have shareable offerings like a delicious sounding punch served in a beautiful vintage punch bowl with matching cups. The price tag is $80 so the more friends the merrier your wallet will feel.
If you have friends that aren't so much into cocktails they have a selection of whiskey, bourbons, and beer.
Adhere to the bar rules, and keep things distinguished and refined.
If you have a hard time finding it, walk through the parking lot next to the Orlando Weekly building and you will see a marquee where the Sound Bar use to be and that sign is still up. There sits Herman's at 22 Pine Street.
Monday - Saturday: 8pm - 2am Sunday: Closed
Valhalla Bakery
It seems everyone has been feasting on their donuts as of late, but I dug into a new treat this week brought to us by Celine's genius at Market on South. She calls this Happy Unicorn Tears as only she could describe the marrying of vanilla cake filled with Bavarian cream and topped with fresh berries and toasted almonds.
It's not clear if this will be a recurring menu item, but if you see her post it on Instagram this is a safe sweet tooth replacement if you aren't in the mood for donuts....like that would happen.
Lineage Coffee Roasting
Who doesn't know about Lineage Coffee at this point? Pictured below is a Mocha I enjoyed in the courtyard while chatting with a local business owner this week. Always good, always pretty.