Amy Drew Thompson

Downtown’s Leiah is both laid-back and luxe | Review Chef Omar Torres’ lengthy resume includes kitchens at top-tier hotels you’ve heard of and stayed with — or longed to. But Leiah, where luxe but laid-back lunches and tempting multicours…

Downtown's Leiah is both laid-back and luxe | Review www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/20/r...

Hopelessly devoted to cookies? Try this spiced take on classic oatmeal These amazing, rustic cookies aren’t just easy to make, they’re filled with warm fall-holiday flavors, they’re highly customizable. And yes, they’re delicious.

Hopelessly devOATed to cookies? Try this spiced take on classic oatmeal www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/19/o...

Like pizza? The Neighbors’ version is just that: ‘like’ pizza. And it’s perfect. | Review Holiday shopping is easier when you’ve got eats and drinks on hand for fortification. Few places in town fit the bill for all counts like East End Market.

Like pizza? The Neighbors' version is just that: 'like' pizza. And it's perfect. | Review www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/13/n...

Orlando’s seasonal sandos offer pre-Thanksgiving satisfaction Some new (or new to us) Orlando-area Thanksgiving sandwiches that give the holiday feels — plus a list of others we’ve featured over the last few years that are still available.

Orlando's seasonal sandos offer pre-Thanksgiving satisfaction www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/12/o...

WWE star eats ‘Everything on the Menu’ in new show’s Orlando episode Braun Strowman is known as the “monster among men,” and as a big guy, he’s got quite the appetite. It’s a perfect setup for his new USA Network show, “Everything on th…

WWE star eats 'Everything on the Menu' in new show's Orlando episode www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/07/w...

Taqueria Estrella’s Mexican fare is hearty, and from the heart | Review Tacos, gorditas, sopes, tamales, fresh aguas frescas and homemade desserts are the lures at Taqueria Estrella in Orlando, where Chiapas native Luz Estrella Velasco’s American dream of raising…

Taqueria Estrella food truck's Mexican fare is hearty, and from the heart | Review www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/06/t...

From viral cheese pulls to tip-top topokki, here are some food court finds at Florida’s first H Mart When Orlando’s long-awaited H Mart finally opened about a month ago, the lines to check out the nation’s largest Asian supermarket (especially its food court) were massive. A month-plus…

From viral cheese pulls to tip-top topokki, here are some food court finds at Florida's first H Mart www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/05/h...

Life is sweet for mother-son cast members at Disney Springs’ Candy Cauldron For years, Disney cast member Joanne Torres and her son have been crafting the Halloween treats that make for sweet family memories at Disney Springs’ Candy Cauldron.

Life is sweet for mother-son cast members at Disney Springs' Candy Cauldron #disney #waltdisneyworld www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/31/m...

Witch you had Halloween plans? Consider these Orlando haunts It’s been quite some time since Halloween fell on a Friday, so if you’re looking to let the trick-or-treaters DIY it, or for a place to head after they’re tucked in for the night,…

Witch you had Halloween plans? Consider these Orlando haunts www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/30/h...

Scare-cuterie offers amputated appetizers and more for ghoulish grazing Need a hand planning your Halloween party menu? Halloween-handy Instagrammer Ghoul at Heart’s new “Scare-cuterie” cookbook has just that, along with dozens of other ideas, from sw…

Scare-cuterie offers amputated appetizers and more for ghoulish grazing www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/29/h...

Wonderful Hand-Pulled Noodle is swinging for the fences | Review In what’s becoming an international “restaurant row” in Orlando’s Dr. Phillips neighborhood, Ken Chen’s Wonderful Hand-Pulled Noodle cashes the check its name writes w…

Wonderful Hand-Pulled Noodle is swinging for the fences | Review www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/23/w...

Monster Truffles: A real ‘looker’ for your Halloween dessert table Looking for Halloween dessert table fun? Or a no-bake recipe to try with the wee ones? Look no further than these adorable monster truffles from Delish!

Monster Truffles: A real 'looker' for your Halloween dessert table www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/22/m...

East End Market original La Femme du Fromage closing up shop After 12 years at East End Market, La Femme du Fromage is ready for some new adventures. While Tonda Corrente’s upstairs event space will remain open, and will feature some of the shop’…

East End Market original La Femme du Fromage closing up shop www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/21/l...

Central Florida chefs unite for food education at The Kitchen House Central Florida chefs invite guests to The Kitchen House for A Fall Fête, an intimate dinner that communicates its mission, and help fund it.

Central Florida chefs unite for food education at The Kitchen House www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/20/f...

Barks, Bites ‘N’ Brews craft beer fest hits City Food Hall Saturday Love beer? Love dogs? Bring your pup for a sip ‘n’ savor in one of Orlando’s dog-friendliest neighborhoods as the first-ever Barks, Bites ‘n’ Brews craft beer festival…

Barks, Bites 'N' Brews craft beer fest hits City Food Hall Saturday www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/16/b...

Hall’s on 5th, like its namesake, is feeding Apopka well | Review The historic home of Hall’s Feed has morphed its demographic, much to the delight of city gourmands

Hall's on 5th, like its namesake, is feeding Apopka well | Review www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/16/h...

As downtown’s Art² park opens, À La Cart City provides the food and beverage The city’s long-planned urban “pocket park” is about to debut on the corner of Robinson and Orange, and its food and beverage component will be À La Cart City, a new name from the…

As downtown's Art² park opens, À La Cart City provides the food and beverage www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/09/a...

Long live Linda’s La Cantina, Orlando queen of the no-frills steakhouse | Review Dining at Linda’s, which has been serving Orlando since 1947, feels like home. Here, I can enjoy each chapter of my meal: the drink, the apps, the main.

Long live Linda's La Cantina, Orlando queen of the no-frills steakhouse | Review www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/09/l...

Hunger Street Tacos’ Masamor, a wholesale tortilleria and masa production facility, to open by year’s end After quietly crafting masa out of its Winter Park taqueria for five years, the team behind Hunger Street Tacos is branching out with wholesale tortilleria and masa production facility.

Hunger Street Tacos' Masamor, a wholesale tortilleria and masa production facility, to open by year's end www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/10/08/h...

Michelin Guide finds culinary talent, public money aplenty in Orlando Visit Orlando has paid the restaurant rater $800,000 since 2021 to focus on Central Florida.

Michelin Guide finds culinary talent, public money aplenty in Orlando |
www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/05/12/m...

Indian Pavilion brings the “wow” to Winter Garden | Review A new take from executive chef Kartik Palapandi (Mynt, Madras Cafe, Saffron and others) Winter Garden’s Indian Pavilion merges lunch buffet value and date night chic with dishes from all over the c…

Indian Pavilion brings the "wow" to Winter Garden | Review www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/05/08/i...

Haupia is a sweet aloha for Asian-American, Pacific Islander Heritage Month Cool, creamy, coconutty haupia has indigenous origins in Hawaii, but over time has evolved to take many forms. Here’s where you’ll find it in Orlando.

Haupia is a sweet aloha for Asian-American, Pacific Islander Heritage Month www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/05/07/h...

Through nonprofit, local chefs teach Central Florida families to feed themselves on a budget Now in its second year, the “Get Cooking” program, created by Stacie Archer and brought to Orlando with the help of Chef Norman Van Aken, has lots of regular participants and an all-new roster of c…

Through nonprofit, local chefs teach Central Florida families to feed themselves on a budget www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/05/02/g...

Through nonprofit, local chefs teach Central Florida families to feed themselves on a budget Now in its second year, the “Get Cooking” program, created by Stacie Archer and brought to Orlando with the help of Chef Norman Van Aken, has lots of regular participants and an all-new roster of c…

Through nonprofit, local chefs teach Central Florida families to feed themselves on a budget www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/05/02/g...

Cherish the special women in your life this Mother’s Day: feed ’em! Celebrating Mother’s Day with a special meal on May 11? Consider these Orlando options to make the women in your life feel seen (and fed).

Cherish the special women in your life this Mother's Day: feed 'em! www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/05/01/o...

Philly tradition: You can smell it at LaSpada’s Are you longing for a taste of travel? Few of us are doing much of that these days, either due to restrictions, health and safety concerns or both. Fortunately, there are ways to flavor our lives w…

www.orlandosentinel.com/2020/12/27/p...

J’adore the French Bakery crafts laminated love in Altamonte Springs | Review From their Maison Dumoulin bakery in the thousand-year-old village of Saint-Geniès-des-Mourgues to Altamonte Springs, this French couple gifts the city with tasty delights from buttery croissants t…

J'adore the French Bakery crafts laminated love in Altamonte Springs | Review www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/05/01/j...

Dare to be (at least a little) different at Lim Ros | Review A wave of elevated Thai offerings has been building in Orlando for some time. Lim Ros in Maitland, with its authentic-meets-contemporary menu and approachable vibe, sits right in the middle of the …

Dare to be (at least a little) different at Lim Ros | Review www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/24/r...

REMINDER: MOMS RULE!
So please, Hospitality Peeps, email your Mother's Day specials to amthompson@orlandosentinel.com by EOD tomorrow (Friday, April 25). Photos would be marsupially magnificent. Thank you! <3

Oviedo baker wins big at National Pie Championships It was a whisper of Maldon sea salt that set Jamila Muhammad apart from competitors in Karo Syrup’s new “Rebel” pie category at the National Pie Championships. The Oviedo baker brought home the blu…

Oviedo baker wins big at National Pie Championships www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/22/o...