Top chefs: 16 Orlando foodies that need to be on your radar

Photo by Rob Bartlett

Norman Van Aken, 1921
We should count our lucky stars that culinary legend Norman Van Aken runs not one, but two restaurants right in our backyard. His latest, 1921 by Norman Van Aken, is an absolute stunner and, along with chef de cuisine (and legend in the making) Camilo Velasco, Van Aken says he's on a mission to "give voice, flavor and setting" to cooking in modern-day Florida. "I was in the middle of writing My Florida Kitchen, and I'd done a lot of research, travel and cooking to determine what that was to me," Van Aken recalls. "Then we opened 1921 and, in large part, the new book became the template for our menus." If you've had the pleasure of dining at 1921, you'll know those menus are deeply rooted in the history of Florida and explore the rich diversity of the Sunshine State. Van Aken came up with the term "fusion" a long time ago to give himself clarity on how he wanted to approach cooking. In the 1921 kitchen, Van Aken and Velasco – the "Killer V's" – marry what they describe as "astonishing" hyperlocal ingredients, then stamp their fingerprints of fusion on such remarkable dishes as Titusville spiny lobster and rock shrimp dumplings with country ham dashi; dazzling whole Cape Canaveral white shrimp with Anson Mills grits dashed with spiced 'nduja vinaigrette and ramp butter; or pan-roasted duck breast with duck confit, mole poblano and trumpet mushrooms. Van Aken declares, "We wouldn't be the restaurant we are without the partnership we've forged with many farmers, fishermen and artisanal suppliers." No doubt Florida's bounty of flora and fauna reigns at 1921, and it's easy to see why Van Aken feels ever so grateful for that largesse as well as the procurers who help bring it to the restaurant's splendid tables. —FK

Photo by Rob Bartlett
1921
142 E. Fourth Ave., Mount Dora | 352-385-1921 |1921nva.com

Photo by Rob Bartlett

John Collazo, Bad As's Sandwhiches
Orlando's thriving food truck scene is a sure sign of its gastronomic health, and when food truck proprietors like John Collazo get into the brick-and-mortar game, all the more so. At Bad As's Sandwich, Collazo's Milk District eatery, the fruits of his labor come in the form of monstrous, sometimes decadent, always inventive sammies. "We're located in an area where everyone is so creative that we have to continue to match that enthusiasm," says Collazo. "I love Orlando's growing diversity, and like to visit new restaurants and local favorites for inspiration." And Bad As's sandwiches are unquestionably inspired. Case in point: the El Anormal #3, packed with adobo-roasted pork and peppery cantimpalo sausage, garnished with chipotle jack cheese, crispy onions, saffron aioli and a guava glaze. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more original sandwich in the city. For Collazo, diversity was one of the primary reasons he made the move from Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Orlando 10 years ago. In his estimation, multiplicity in food perspectives doesn't just unite and make this city better, it makes his restaurant better. "We're surrounded by so many great restaurants that we want to diversify our flavors to make our sandwiches a bit different," he says. And clearly Collazo's supportive customer base appreciates it. "Just knowing they've enjoyed what I created makes it all worth it," he says, "because when they love you, they really show it." —FK

Photo by Rob Bartlett
Bad As's Sandwiches
207 N. Primrose Drive | 407-757-7191 |badasssandwiches.com

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Brandon McGlamery, Luke's Kitchen & Bar
Brandon McGlamery, the James Beard-nominated wiz behind Luma on Park and Prato, welcomed a new addition to his restaurant family this year – Luke's Kitchen & Bar. Not surprisingly, the restaurant's "classic American cuisine" checks the "seasonal" and "responsibly sourced" boxes, and serves as an anchor for Maitland's burgeoning restaurant scene. After all, McGlamery's name resonates with Orlando's food community and he's often mentioned in the same breath as other stalwarts like Kevin Fonzo, James and Julie Petrakis, Scott Hunnel and others who helped establish Orlando's culinary reputation. But there was a time when McGlamery viewed the city as a stepping-stone to greater things. "I came to Orlando to help open Luma and, to be honest, I wasn't planning to stay for the long run, but that clearly changed," McGlamery says. "I didn't want to like Winter Park and Orlando as much as I did, but when I got out onto the lakes, and got to know our clients – many I now call friends – and saw an opportunity to raise a family here, well, it really changed my perspective." Lucky for us it did. McGlamery, like so many others, now feels invigorated by the city's restaurant makeup and buoyed by how culinary talents are staying put to make their mark right here instead of heading off to larger markets. It makes McGlamery want to be a better chef and a better restaurateur. "We strive all the time to make our food better, to make our servers better and to be active participants in our community. It's a fun city for those who really like to eat and, I can tell you, it's good to call Orlando home." —FK

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Lukes's Kitchen & Bar
640 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland | 407-674-2400 | eatatlukes.com

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Bruno Zacchini, Pizza Bruno
It's hard to come across an avid eater in the city who hasn't been to Pizza Bruno, and it's even harder to find someone who has anything bad to say about their magical Neapolitan-style pies. So when the inevitable question "Where should we go for pizza?" arises and "Pizza Bruno!" is the response, it really should be no surprise. "Hopefully we're one of those Orlando places that locals can show off to out-of-towners as a true taste of our city," says chef and owner Bruno Zacchini. "My whole idea was to be able to say we have some world-class pizza being made in the Curry Ford neighborhood." That world-class pizza is a point of pride for all Orlandoans, bestowing Pizza Bruno with near-landmark status after just a year in business. And that pride ties into the strong sense of community echoed by Zacchini and many other of the city's chefs and restaurateurs: "It's apparent how excited we are about all things Orlando, from soccer to food to, yeah, even theme parks, and I just really love how much the city has changed since I moved here in 2002." Zacchini went to culinary school at Valencia before starting Big Bruno's Bites (a much-beloved food cart) and the highly respected Third Wave restaurant in New Smyrna Beach, but Orlando is where he wanted to be and it's clear that Orlando felt likewise. Says Zacchini: "I mean I own the place, and I'm proud of it, but Orlando as a whole is, like, SUPER PROUD of this place and sings its praises to anyone who'll listen." If you haven't yet sampled the pies at Pizza Bruno, you better listen up. —FK

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Pizza Bruno
3990 Curry Ford Road | Pizzabrunofl.com

Photo by Orlando Weekly

Taissa Rebroff, Buttermilk Bakery
As the saying goes, "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." For Taissa Rebroff of Winter Park's Buttermilk Bakery, the muse reveals itself every time she steps into Redlight Redlight, Lineage Coffee Roasting, or the Audubon Park Community Market. Those local successes, she says, "started small, then consciously took their time to grow all the while maintaining quality and consistency throughout." That ethos pervades the boutique boulangerie she runs with her brothers Phil and Alex and her mother Lana, and it's a quality patrons of Buttermilk Bakery take notice of. "This community of local doers does a great job of showing people that there's more out there than franchises and grocery stores," says Rebroff. "Customers seek local because the quality is obvious, and there's a real desire to support businesses for the passion they have for their craft, rather than businesses whose sole desire is to make more money." While in New York pursuing a writing career, Taissa took a job at a Brooklyn bakery and got the idea of opening a similar operation with her family, who were living in South Florida at the time. But a bakery in South Florida was never an option – "we never felt a connection to South Florida," she says. Having attended UCF, she got a sense of Orlando's receptive food community and knew a bakery would make sense here. "We love this about Orlando – everyone seems to have the same goal of supporting each other," she says, "and our goal is to produce the absolute best we can, and to share new ideas and flavors." I think Buttermilk's patronage would consider those goals accomplished. —FK

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Buttermilk Bakery
1198 Orange Ave., Winter Park |321-422-4015 | buttermilk-bakery.com

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Chelsie Savage, Sanctum Café
Chelsie Savage started a nutrition consulting business to change people's perceptions about healthy eating, but after witnessing food movements in major cities across North America, Savage felt a need to do more. "I spent a lot of time traveling – New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Austin, Vancouver, Boulder – and was super inspired by the movement around healthy food in these communities, so much so that I considered moving. But then I thought, rather than leaving and going to a city that inspired me, why not bring what inspired me to the community I love?" And so went the genesis of the Sanctum Café, hands down the finest vegan/vegetarian restaurant in the city and one that's wowed many a meat-eater. Savage senses an "awakening" among food-conscious diners who demand more from restaurants than just food that tastes good, and Sanctum meets those demands. "Our community is becoming healthier and they want to know where their food comes from, what it's made of, and its impact on their health and the environment," Savage says. "They want to feel good about the choices they're making, and that's what they get when they dine with us." It's clear Savage holds herself and her patrons to a higher standard, and their overwhelming response serves as further affirmation that she's found a need and filled it. —FK

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Sanctum Café
715 N. Ferncreek Ave. |407-757-0346

Photo by Rob Bartlett

Clay Miller, Dovecote
He's worked with some legendary names – Boulud, Keller, Cardoz, Van Aken – and was named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2010 for his stint at D.C.-area hotspot Trummer's on Main. But all that national acclaim failed to have the desired impact and, after what Miller describes as being a "small fish in a big pond," he was drawn back to Orlando for its emerging food scene, a scene he likens to Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee. "I saw how my close friends Brandon McGlamery and James Petrakis were killing it and thought Orlando was ripe for the taking," he says. So he did. At DoveCote, his nouveau downtown brasserie, the talented culinarian is making a name for himself right in the heart of the city – DoveCote was named Top Table of 2016 by Orlando Weekly – and seems impressed, even dumbfounded, by the increasing sophistication of DoveCote's clientele. "You know what I can't stock enough of?" he asks with child-like amazement. "Chicken liver pâté! It outsells our shrimp cocktail by ten to one. I mean, chicken liver pâté! It really is a testament to the food culture of Orlando and the diverse community here." It would appear Miller can look forward to being a big fish in an ever-widening pond for many years to come. —FK

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Dovecote
390 N. Orange Ave. | 407-930-1700 | dovecoteorlando.com

Photo by Rob Bartlett

Iain Yeakle, Foxtail Coffee Co.
Some cities have a coffee culture and some don't. Iain Yeakle and Alex Tchekmeian, a couple of true coffee connoisseurs and proud Arabica snobs, are the brains behind Foxtail Coffee Co., which has quickly become ground zero for coffee-loving Starbucks-haters in the area. Pretty much every brew style – AeroPress, siphon, nitro, pour over, espresso – is offered, but even better, the on-site roasting facility allows the pair to experiment with taste profiles. Beans are ethically sourced from small producers in Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and Ethiopia – an attribute Foxtail wants to be known for. "Social and environmental impact awareness is really important to us," says Yeakle. "We absolutely love seeing the emergence of sustainability-themed local businesses in the area." But Foxtail is more than just a "bean-to-bag" operation. Both Yeakle and Tchekmeian are out to educate patrons and are perfectly happy to talk terroir, moka pots, and the benefits of porcelain to any who'll listen. "We want to help our city grow!" Yeakle says enthusiastically, and growth certainly appears to be a part of their grander plans. Foxtail will open Foxtail's Farmhouse later this summer and offer all sorts of classes to help you become a better barista. Plans also call for additional cafés to open near UCF and in the soon-to-open Hourglass Market on the corner of Bumby Avenue and Curry Ford Road. "We're grateful to everyone who's welcomed and accepted us," adds Yeakle. "With all the unique food options here, and the manner in which this city is growing, we're just happy to be involved." -FK

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Foxtail Coffee Co.
1282 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park | 407-951-7931 | foxtailcoffee.com

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Fred Thimm, Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen & Bar
You have to admire Fred Thimm. The seasoned and experienced restaurant industry veteran, whose résumé includes executive stints at Palm Restaurants and Hard Rock International, opted to leave the corporate world behind to open a seafood restaurant in a space that previously housed one of the area's most hallowed restaurants. No small task, that's for damn sure, but Thimm has both the will and the wherewithal to make Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen & Bar a success in Winter Park's competitive landscape. "We're very fortunate to occupy the former Ravenous Pig space," says Thimm, "and we're striving to complement Orlando's, and Winter Park's, status as a food city by celebrating fresh, sustainable, Florida seafood and the city's Southern culinary roots." After serving as president of Stoney River Legendary Steaks in Nashville, Tennessee, Thimm and his wife moved here in 2012 and "fell in love with Orlando" for its diversity, lakes, water culture and proximity to both coasts which, naturally, helped his cause. "Living here allows us to procure a wide variety of fresh seafood daily and introduce a diverse demographic of tourists, residents and students to traditional Southern flavors and Lowcountry offerings," Thimm explains. After encountering a few hurdles early on, Reel Fish appears to be attracting that diverse demographic yet, still, Thimm remains cautiously optimistic. "We aspire to be everyone's favorite local seafood joint," he says, then adds: "and earn our way." —FK

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Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen & Bar
1234 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park | 407-543-3474 | reelfishcoastal.com

Photo by Orlando Weekly

Harold Henderson, North Quarter Tavern
I'm not flaunting my credentials," says chef Harold Henderson of North Quarter Tavern as he rattles off a litany of top-notch kitchens in which he's worked – K Restaurant, Luma on Park, Artisan's Table, Citrus Restaurant, Crooked Spoon, Bar J Me. "My point is that I've been around Orlando's food scene for a long time and can really appreciate it." Like many of us, Henderson has witnessed the evolution and revolution of Orlando's dining scene with the rise of celebrity-chef-run Disney restaurants as well as local, community-inspired eateries and, like many of us, he's just as amazed. "I may be a bit biased, but I think Central Florida – Orlando, specifically – is the culinary hub of the most innovative and inspired food in Florida," he says. Henderson credits folks like Kevin Fonzo and Brandon McGlamery for leading the charge. As for NQT, Henderson sees it as part of the fabric of the community. "We don't hold such a grand position, but taverns have historically been center points for communities, even used as courthouses and town halls in addition to just serving beer, and what we do is support the community, be it customer or purveyor." Indeed, the North Quarter Tavern is an avid supporter of local businesses and farmers ­– which, Henderson hopes, offers patrons a sense of comfort and a sense of home. "We have a dish – 'Big Ed' – which is named for a customer and his eating capacity; it's a chef's choice of gluttony. We have fun with food, but still hold firm to the philosophy that it's a chef's responsibility to nourish, be it body or soul." —FK

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North Quarter Tavern
861 N. Orange Ave. | 407-757-0930 | northquartertavern.com