Opa!

Just in case you read that last line as “opa”, let me write it again …

Opa!!!

Tucked away in a corner on the second level of Pointe Orlando, Taverna Opa nearly disappears between the bright lights of Hooters and B.B. King’s Blues Club. The unassuming exterior of the restaurant could put a person to sleep. But just as good things come in small packages, the dining experience at Taverna Opa is anything but relaxing.

The exuberant atmosphere can be felt the moment you walk through the door. With music filling the air and a belly dancer entertaining the entire room, Taverna Opa is a destination restaurant where friends and family come to have a fun time over a great meal. In fact, parties of 20 or more are not uncommon on any given night.

The menu includes a combination of traditional Greek cuisine and semi-Americanized fare. From what I tasted and saw around me, I can confidently say that the food doesn’t disappoint. I definitely recommend looking through the traditional Greek items first, but regardless of your food choice you’ll be in for a enjoyable evening.

From comments on another Taverna Opa post, I wasn’t too sure what to expect on my first visit. I’m happy to say that the festive - often spontaneous - atmosphere of the restaurant made for a wonderful celebration.

Note: The preceding post took me nearly three days to complete and has reminded me that I am neither a writer, nor a restaurant reviewer. I’ve also misplaced my digital camera’s USB cable so I can’t even post my own pictures from Taverna Opa. I (We) had a great time at the restaurant, though, so I had to post something.

Photo is property of Taverna Opa

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Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty, along with Central Florida community and business leaders, will unveil the recently completed design of the new Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center this Friday (August 22). The event, which will be hosted at 455 S. Orange Avenue (the round building across from Orlando City Hall), will begin with a commemoration ceremony at 10 a.m. and will remain open for public viewing until 1 p.m.

The Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center plans to develop a mixed-use urban arts center with three main halls, educational facilities, a public theater plaza, and retail and commercial expansion. It will be Central Florida’s destination of choice for arts, cultural and entertainment programming and will serve our diverse community by educating and nurturing artists, arts organizations, audiences and students throughout the region and the state of Florida.

I’m really excited about the new performing arts center. Having attended a few shows at the Bob Carr and a couple at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center over the past two years, I can confidently say that Orlando’s current venue needs to be repurposed. I’m hoping that the designs of this new location will add to my excitement. The recently groundbroken events center didn’t disappoint.

If all goes as planned, I’ll update this post early next week with pictures from the event and possibly a few design images. If you have the chance, however, stop by the event and see them in person. For more information, call (407) 839-0119, or visit www.orlandopac.org.

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Damu Cherry, an Ocoee resident, will compete in the Women’s 100-meter hurdles final on Tuesday evening (Tuesday morning in Orlando) after qualifying through two preliminary rounds. This is Cherry’s first Olympics and she is expected to contend for a medal.

To read her athlete profile, visit the NBC Olympics website.

Good luck, Damu!

UPDATE: In one of the closest finishes of the Olympics, Damu Cherry finished just out of the medals in fourth place of the Women’s 100-meter hurdles. Dawn Harper of the USA won the gold medal, with two other runners finishing in a dead heat for the silver. The photo-finish left Cherry only 1/100th of a second behind those two second-place finishers. In fact, five of the eight competitors finished within 2/100ths of a second.

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On a recent visit to the Orlando Museum of Art, my wife picked up a brochure with the headline, “Real Orlando. Real Entertainment.” After looking at the cover, I wasn’t expecting much. Maybe a few coupons to local dinner shows or a map of the best outlet malls in the area. Nothing special, for sure.

But then she said, “Hey look at this. It’s a list of all the shows in Orlando for the 2008-2009 season.”

“Cool”, I said, still thinking it was just a brochure with only minor value as a reference for what was upcoming over the next few months.

“For ninety-nine dollars,” she continued, “we can get a ticket to the Orlando Opera, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Festival of Orchestras, Orlando Museum of Art, the Broadway Across America Tour, Orlando Philharmonic and the Orlando Ballet.”

“What,” I gasped. “That doesn’t make any sense. Tickets to only three or four of those places is more than a hundred bucks. No way you get all of them for 99 dollars.”

After reading through the brochure, however, I saw that she was correct. Seven tickets for only $99 with over 35 shows to choose from. With most of these shows still yet to come in the 2008-2009 season, there was little question that we’d be taking advantage of the deal.

Sponsored by the Orlando Opera Company, the “Real Orlando. Real Entertainment” offer is in its third year of existence and may just be the best deal of any kind in Orlando. There are only a few minor restrictions, which can be read about on realorlando.org. As far as I can tell, there is no cutoff date for this offer, but you’ll want to act soon as many of the 2008-2009 seasons start soon.

Image is property of realorlando.org

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Free.

It’s a word that consumers and search engines seek out regularly. In Orlando, free can be hard to find. After all, the tourists are bringing their hard-earned money with every intention to spend. But that doesn’t mean free can’t be found. In fact, there’s an abundance of free things to do in the Orlando area.

Luckily for me (and you), the folks at National Geographic Traveler have put together a list of over 40 ways for you to get something for nothing in Orlando. Separated into seven categories - art, attractions, culture, families, food/drink, outdoor, and theater/music - you’ll be hard pressed not to find something to enjoy. What follows are my favorites among their list (read the full article to find yours).

Art
The downtown CityArts Factory houses five separate and diverse art galleries. Visit Keila Glassworks Gallery in the historic Dr. Phillips building for handblown glass by Charles Keila; the Pound Gallery for music and art fusion by Jim Faherty and Gene Zimmerman; and the Zulu Exclusive Gallery for 100 years of African sculpture.

Attractions
Stroll along Disney’s Boardwalk, a re-creation of a 1930s-style Atlantic coastal village. The 45-acre (18-hectare) waterfront district is known for its nightclubs and entertainment hot spots, but all visitors can enjoy the many street musicians, magicians, and performers for free. If you are on the Boardwalk in the evening, find a good spot to look out over the lake towards Epcot for an up-close view of the park’s fireworks show, Illuminations. You’ll miss out on some of the music, but that’s no big deal.

Culture (Beer as culture, I love it!)
Next to the Amtrak station is the Orlando Brewing Company, Florida’s only certified organic brewery. Indulge in their Monk In the Trunk Amber Ale or Young’s Double Chocolate Stout as you take advantage of their free wifi. The brewery also offers free tours daily at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., and hosts free live entertainment on weekends.

Families
On the third Monday of every month, the Harry P. Leu Gardens has free storytelling for young children. Bring children under 18 months at 10 a.m., toddlers at 10:20 a.m., and 3-4 year olds at 10:40 a.m. for storytelling in the park. Admission to the 50-acre (20-hectare) park is free from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays, so take your child for a stroll along any of the park’s three miles (five kilometers) of paved scenic walkways after story time. Attractions include a butterfly garden, a two-acre (one-hectare) tropical stream garden, bamboo and palm gardens, and a house museum dating to the 1880s.

Food/Drink
Contrary to an earlier post on the subject, the Orlando area has many local farmer’s markets to enjoy on the weekends. Find one and you’ll have the opportunity to peruse the freshest produce and specialty products around. You may even find a few free samples to enjoy.

Outdoor
If you have a dog, you’ve probably worn out your neighborhood with morning and afternoon walks. On the weekends, try taking your pooch to a local dog park to play off-leash with a few furry friends. To find the nearest dog park near you, head over to orlandodogparks.com.

Theater/Music
Visit Winter Park on the second Thursday of each month for a free movie. Popcorn Flicks showcases classic films in Winter Park’s Central Park. Get there early for a good spot, and be sure to bring your own blankets, lawn chairs, and movie munchies.

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A couple of weekends ago, my wife and I (along with our dog) made the “short” drive over to Lakeland for an evening at the Silver Moon Drive-In theater. Being the closest drive-in to Orlando (at 52.6 miles), the Silver Moon plays double-features on both of their screens seven days a week. They even do a triple-feature on Friday and Saturday nights, although the third movie is simply a replay of the night’s opening film.

Like most drive-ins these days, the Silver Moon broadcasts the film’s audio over an FM station so you can tune in from your vehicle. They also have the old-school speakers set up in the last few rows for those who want to sit outside and enjoy the evening air. I reccommend using your car’s audio, though, since the quality is significantly better (a small stereo/walkman with good speakers/headphones is another good option).

If you get hungry during the movie, the snack bar is just a few steps away. The options are limited to hot dogs, pizza, popcorn, nachos, candy and soda, so you might want to sneak some of your own treats in if you’re looking for something healthy. The next time we go, I’ll plan a quick dinner in Lakeland followed by drinks and popcorn at the theater.

To get to the Silver Moon Drive In from Orlando, follow these directions. US 92 in Lakeland is the most confusing stretch of road in the world, so print out a map and keep your eyes on the road. A good landmark to look for is the giant Publix birthday cake that stands tall over the grocery store’s headquarters.

For complete information, including the movies currently being shown, check out the Silver Moon Drive In website.

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