Great Dates Orlando

This Weekend: Nude Nite and Love Your Shorts Film Fest

There are two very cool events happening in the Orlando area this weekend that you just might want to plug into your calendar. 

First off, do not miss… I repeat… do not miss Nude Nite. Held at Church St. Exchange (101 S. Garland Avenue) from Thursday, February 9 – Saturday, February 11, this event presents more than 200 nude works at what’s become the largest professionally juried nude art show in the country. 

"It's an evening filled with romance and surprise," says Kelly Stevens, the show's director. Attendees can view live artistry, interactive installations, burlesque performances, as well as listen to live music and sip good wine. It’s tasteful, intriguing and… let’s be honest… kind of a turn-on.

Tickets are $20 on Thursday night, $25 on Friday and Saturday. Visit www.nudenite.com for more info. 

The Love Your Shorts Film Festival kicks off Friday, February 10 and runs until Sunday, February 12. Held at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center (WDPAC) in Historical Downtown Sanford, the three-day festival will showcase more than 65 films (all under 30 minutes each) during several scheduled screenings culminating in the “Best of Fest” event on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Tickets are super reasonable—just $8 per session or $58.00 for a weekend pass. 

Visit www.LoveYourShorts.com for more info. 

History Center Presents “Aphrodisiacs: Myth or Reality?”

Ever wonder if aphrodisiacs really work? Noted food historian and cookbook author Francine Segan did. She’ll share her findings at the Orange County Regional History Center on Saturday, February 4 during a fun and intriguing presentation titled “Aphrodisiacs: Myth or Reality?”.

Segan, who has penned five cookbooks including “Shakespeare’s Kitchen” and “Opera Lover’s Cookbook,” plans to shed some light on the truth and fiction behind the world’s most infamous libido inducers from frog saliva to rhinoceros horns, caviar to truffles… just the sort of inside info couples want to glean on date night. 

The program will begin at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a book signing.

TICKET PRICE UPDATE: Members: $10 for individuals, $15 for two. Non-members: $15 for individuals, $20 for two. 

Space is limited. Call (407) 836-7010 for reservations.

 

ArtsFest = 302 Free Dates Nights in February

From February 1 – 29, the United Arts of Central Florida presents ArtsFest, a free smorgasbord of the area’s cultural offerings at 87 venues across 4 counties.

This annual affair, designed to get locals to sample the arts, brings together an enormous number of events from the ballet to the symphony, from creative writing workshops to improvisational shows. 

All 302 events have been outlined in this digital brochure, but here are a few of my favorites: 

Bach Festival Concert
Outdoor Big-Band concert
Central Park, Winter Park
Feb 18 from 1pm – 2:30pm

The BLU-TET
Live musical group
Enzian’s Eden Bar
Feb 22 and Feb 29 from 6pm – 8pm

Uptown Art Expo
125 art and craft vendors
Crane’s Roost, Altamonte Springs
Feb 18 and 19 from 11am – 6pm

DRIP
Indescribable performance dance experience
8747 International Drive, Orlando
All weekends in February

To learn more, visit www.artsfestfl.com.

 

If you like wine dinners…

… you’ll be psyched to hear about these upcoming foodie events:

Silver Oak/Twomey Wine Dinner
The Oceanaire Seafood Room 
Friday January 20 at 7:00 p.m. 
$100 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
For more information, call 407-363-4801.

Perfect Pairing Winemaker Dinner
Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord Palms
Tuesday, January 24 at 7:00 pm
$90 per person, plus tax and service charge. Complimentary valet parking included.
Doors will open early at 6:30 pm for a welcome reception
.
Join Don Hartford, owner of Hartford Family Winery in Sonoma, as he teams with Old Hickory Steakhouse Executive Chef Paul Player to present a three-course menu perfectly paired with wine from the Hartford Family Winery. 
Reservations are limited, so reserve your space early by calling 407-586-0701.

Rosen Centre Vine & Dine Presents "An Evening in Oregon"
Everglades Restaurant at Rosen Centre
Friday January 27 at 7:00 p.m.
$65.00 plus tax and gratuity.
Enjoy an "Evening in Oregon" with Jesse Lange, general manager/winemaker of the award-winning Lange Estates Winery in Willamette Valley, Oregon. Lovers of food and wine can enjoy a five-course feast with each course paired to perfection. 
Call (407) 996-9840 to register.

So... how many date nights do you go on every month and what are your favorite places for QT in Orlando? Leave a comment on my Facebook page. I'd love to hear from you. 

Winter Park Sip & Stroll... this Thursday

When Marc (a.k.a. hubby) and I recently attended Jingle Eve at Ivanhoe Village, I officially fell in love with wine strolls. Maybe it's because I'm an overactive person, but I sometimes find sitting and drinking sort of boring.

Wine strolls invite drinkers... err, strollers… to slowly sip their vino whilst they wander from store to store. Or you can slam it back and race off to the next wine stop. Your choice. 

There will be more than 20 wine stops along Park Avenue during the Winter Park Sip & Stroll planned for this Thursday, January 12 from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. With your commemorative wine glass in hand, plan to check in at each location for a wine and appetizer sampling and maybe do a little shopping while you’re there. At least, that’s what the event planners, the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and Park Avenue Area Association, hope you’ll do. Why not indulge them?

Tickets are $30 and advance registration is a must because only 300 tickets are available and this event will sell out. Once you’re registered, you can take your email confirmation to the check-in at the corner of Morse Blvd. & Park Avenue before 7:00 p.m. 

For more information and to get tickets, visit www.winterpark.org/content/winter-park-sip. 

JW Marriott Launches New Cooking School Series

I’m so over cooking. Thanks to years of monotonous meal making, I have about as much enthusiasm for food prep as I do for a trip to the dentist (no offence Dr. Montijo).

Sadly, my dinner duties aren’t going anywhere any time soon, so this year I’ve added “get excited about cooking again” to my list of new year’s resolutions. And I’m going to drag my hubby along for the ride and make revamping our cuisine part of our weekly date night adventures.

My very first foodie facelift will take place at the JW Marriott, which just launched a new cooking school series. Perfect timing!

During the first six monthly classes of 2012, budding gourmands can dive into pasta making lessons, experience romantic Valentine’s feasts, dig their hands into the hotel’s onsite vegetable garden, and learn how to brew their own beer.

Classes take place in either PRIMO or Citron, both at the JW Marriott, and range from $45 to $70 per person.

Here is what’s on deck for the coming months:

Saturday, January 14 - Pasta Making
Saturday, February 11 –Valentine’s Day Night
Saturday, March 17- Charcuterie
Saturday, April 7 – PRIMO Garden Ventures
Saturday, May 12- Whole Hog Cookery “Pigg’n Out”
Saturday, June 9 – Beer Making

For more information and to register, call 407-393-4683 or visit www.grandelakes.com/JW-Griffin-Cooking-School-170.html

New Year's Eve Ideas... Part Two

Church Street will be blocked off for the 11th Annual New Year’s Eve Street Party. The party will include admission to the Church Street bars as well as the outdoor street party, a huge video wall, confetti cannons, fireworks and the traditional Orange Drop high above Church Street. The festivities start at 8 pm. Admission ranges from $39-$99 with different all-you-can-drink packages. 

The Improv Orlando will present a dinner show (6 p.m.) followed by a late show (10:15 p.m.) featuring Alonzo Bodden from Last Comic Standing. 

Baby Grands Dueling Piano Bar is hosting a rockin’ New Year’s Eve party with private VIP tables, reserved seating and general admission pricing. Seating reservations include party favors, a gourmet buffet and champagne toast. Doors open at 7 p.m. 

Enzian presents its New Year’s Eve celebration, “Licensed to Thrill: A James Bond New Year’s Party,” at 8 p.m. Themed to the James Bond film series, the celebration features Bond-themed drink specials, a live DJ and an outdoor screening of the movie, “Dr. No.” General admission tickets are $25 ($20 in advance) and V.I.P. tables are $200 per couple.  

Howl at the Moon Dueling Piano Bar will host a New Year’s Eve party starting at 7 p.m. Several packages are offered starting with the “Just Dance” package for $75 per person, which includes admission at 9 p.m. and champagne toast at midnight. 

Head to Wall Street Plaza in downtown Orlando from 8 p.m. – 3 a.m. for access to nine nightclubs and outdoor bars, DJs spinning and drink specials. Tickets are $25 general admission and $100 for VIP tickets.

BB King’s Blues Club at Pointe Orlando will present a New Year’s Eve Show with dinner and entertainment starting at 5 p.m. The three-course dinner (served until 10pm) will be enjoyed along with live music, champagne and party favors at midnight. Dinner is $75 in advance and $100 the day of the event. General admission to the bar and dance floor is $40 in advance and $60 the day of. 

Medieval Times will host its New Year’s Eve Extravaganza featuring New Year’s Eve Fireworks starting at 9:30 p.m. The event includes pre-show hors d’oeuvres, admission to the Museum of Torture, two-hour live entertainment, four-course feast, party favors, DJ and dancing, champagne and non-alcoholic toast and midnight countdown with balloon drop. The price is $69.95 for adults and $35.95 for children ages 12 and younger. 

New Year’s Eve at SeaWorld Orlando will feature shows, food, ice sculptors and dancing stations with live DJs. At the stroke of midnight, a spectacular fireworks show will light up the night. Admission to these festivities is included in regular park admission.

Universal CityWalk hosts a New Year’s Eve celebration from 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. featuring a performance by Smashmouth and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. The event also includes a gourmet buffet, a champagne toast at midnight and live entertainment at seven of CityWalk’s nightclubs. Tickets are $139.99.

House of Blues will host WJRR's Big Friggin' Eve featuring the bands Sevendust, Trivium, Black Tide and LoveJuice. Tickets are $48.50 and the night kicks off at 8 p.m.

The party starts at 5 p.m. inside the Hard Rock Hotel offering a variety of party packages including a dinner event at The Kitchen as well as festivities in The Lobby and Velvet Bar. 

New Year's Eve Ideas Part One

Happy New Year date nighters. Cheers to a 2012 packed with fun and romantic nights with the one you love. I’ll drink to that. So, why not kick off a date-night-filled year with a New Year’s eve out on the town? Here are a few ideas to motivate of you off the couch this weekend…

Get one of the best views of the city at One80 Grey Goose Lounge, which will host the Rise Above NYE 2012 party. $70 = cover, self-parking, hor d’oeuvres and midnight fireworks. $120 = open bar until midnight. 

Sak Comedy Lab presents two Yule of Fools shows, one at 7:30 p.m. and one at 9:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Tickets are $15 ($12 for FL residents). 

Share a posh dinner at one of several restaurants at JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes and then stick around for the onsite midnight fireworks. Better yet, make it an overnight and hit the spa on New Year’s day. 

Slightly Stoopid & The Expendables will perform at Hard Rock beginning at 8:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. $65 (advance) $70 (at the door) includes party favors, champagne toast and SKULL DROP at midnight! 

Head to the Portofino Hotel for a Party on the Piazza much like the hotel’s Harbor Nights events. The New Year’s Eve celebration features all-you-can-eat gourmet food samples from four onsite eateries plus a selection of more than a dozen wines and sparkling wines served throughout the open-air venue. For entertainment there will be live jazz music by Johnny Cool and the Mobster Swing Band as well as live opera by Portofino’s opera singers. Tickets are $125/per person. 

Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s BoardWalk invites revelers to dance into the new year from 8 p.m.until 2 a.m. $35 for access to the main floor of the Dance Hall, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight.

Bistro de Paris, at France in World Showcase, will offer a multi-course meal at two seating times: 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Cost is $150 per person, with an optional wine pairing for an additional $75 per person. To book, guests should call 407-939-3463. Epcot admission is required.

Icebar Orlando presents the New Year’s 2012 ICE BALL with an all-inclusive package option including food, drinks and entertainment for $60 per person ($100 for VIP). 

Route 46 Entertainment District Rockin' New Year's Eve Party starts at 8:30 p.m. and features live entertainment on two stages. 

Ember in downtown Orlando is hosting a POP 2012 New Year’s Eve party with two DJs spinning music in separate areas. Cover is only $10.

Love Struck Robot will be taking the stage at Blue Martini where $50 ($60 at the door) gets you drinks and nibbles from 8 – 10 p.m. 

Mills Avenue will host a NYE Block Party featuring live music by Andy Matchett & The Minks, Thee Wilt Chamberlain, Alias Punch and a number of other bands and DJs. There will be a champagne toast at midnight. Will's Pub and Peacock Room are host locations.

Cin cin! Salute!

Kick off the Holidays at Ivanhoe Village’s Jingle Eve

Normally I steer clear of the holiday hoopla until after Thanksgiving, but this year I’ll be making an exception and heading to Jingle Eve Holiday Open House at Ivanhoe Village (a.k.a. the Antique District) on Friday, November 18 from 6pm- 10pm. This festive affair will give attendees the chance to kick off their holiday shopping at the district’s eclectic boutiques (like Washburn Imports and Déjà Vu) while drinking up some holiday spirit, literally, during the area’s 10-stop wine stroll ($15).

Participating stores and eateries along North Orange Ave south of Princeton to Alden and up Virginia Drive will be welcoming us early holiday revelers with shopping sales, food specials and live entertainment.

And… the FOOD TRUCKS will be there! They’ll be lined up along Virginia Drive, creating the perfect pit stop on your way to the mini concert stage (and beer garden!) across from The Hideaway. Planners will have a “food truck café” with tables set up so partakers of nosh from truck favorites like The Flattery and Travelling Gourmet will have somewhere to sit.

Supporting local businesses while enjoying a fun night out in this snazzy little corner of Orlando sounds like a stellar plan to me. Hope to see you there!

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Anyone Up For a Gorilla Challenge?

Toss your typical date night plans aside in favor of this weekend’s Gorilla Challenge, an Amazing Race-style contest headed to downtown Orlando. 
Saturday’s fun run begins at 11 a.m. outside Urban Flats (183 South Orange Avenue) and will span a 3 to 5 mile radius around the city where 10 clues have been hidden. Along the way, racing teams will need to solve the clues, take photos and complete activities, all the while competing against other teams trying to finish the race first. Sure, the $300 cash prize for first place is no gold medal, but the real rewards are spending the day getting to know our fair city a little better, delighting in this spectacular fall weather and enjoying some quality time doing something out of the ordinary. Oh, and you’ll be supporting Second Harvest Food Bank too. Gorilla Challenge will be collecting non-perishable food items and giving a cash prize to the team that donates the most nosh. Registration is $60 per person but rumor has it if you send an email to hookmeup@gorillachallenge.com, a discount might be in store.

 

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Pssst.... we're tweeting an additional 30+ Orlando date night ideas each week on Twitter. Make sure you're following @Gr8DatesOrlando

Follow @Gr8DatesOrlando