October 30, 2014 - On the Go in MCO

Thanks so much to the awesome Amanda Higgs for attending the Fifth Annual Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic for us! Amanda is passionate about having fun and making magic. You’ll often find her in the local theme parks or searching for the next big adventure to go on. Make sure to give her a follow on Twitter, and join her adventures at the Food and Wine Classic this weekend!

I had the opportunity to attend the preview for the Fifth Annual Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic which is being held this weekend on October 31 and November 1. This annual event showcases the food offerings at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin and offers a distinctive dining experience for those who attend.

The food offerings at the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic are going to be unique each night, and we were able to sample a few of the dishes and all of them were delicious.

Housemade Bacon with Corn Bread Puree, Charred Corn and Smoked Tomato Bacon Ragout-which will be featured on Friday night- was a stand out from the samples offered.

Chef Robert Ciborowski, who has been with the Swan and Dolphin since 2007, was on hand to answer a few questions about his passion for smoking meats and how he’s sampled and tested different kinds of Bar-B-Que around the world. He boasts that his is some of the best anyone will find and I have to say that I absolutely agree.

On Saturday, Todd English’s bluezoo will be featuring a Shrimp Cocktail Steamroller, which deconstructs the shrimp cocktail foodies know and love and turns it into a beautiful and simple sampler. The steamroller is a glass tube that is open-ended. Diners will have to place their hand on one end to cause suction and literally suck the cocktail out the other to enjoy the food. This will be a highlight at the event for anyone who tries this interesting dish.

Dessert offerings were beautiful and unique as well. I enjoyed the Banana Foster Panini which features homemade caramelized banana puree and vanilla ice cream in a brioche bun. It’s cooked for twenty five seconds to warm the bread but keeps the center cool for a delicious twist on a classic dessert.

Also new to the event this year is the festival Beer Garden. This area will be featuring local craft beers and the roll out of the Swan and Dolphin’s own seasonal brew. Branded Fin and Feathers they will be featuring “Sweet and Mellow” which is a sweet potato and marshmallow flavored beer, which is sure to be a hit at the Classic this year. It also boasts the best pub snacks around like kimchi chips and other yummy treats.

Finally, there will be seminars taught during the event. From Modern Mixology, Wine Blending, and TQU: Tequila University to The Fine Art of Sake and Sushi and Pasta Making with Chef Cib the team who put together this event will share what they’re passionate about and give guests the opportunity to learn something interesting while enjoying a night out.

For ticket pricing and more information on the event go to www.swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com. It promises to be an event to remember whether it’s a date night or a way to experience a different and exciting way to see food in Orlando, I recommend this event to anyone looking for something to do over the weekend!

Luke Bryan | That’s My Kind of Night Tour

Amway Center | Orlando

February 21, 2015

Luke Bryan is extending his highly successful That’s My Kind of Night Tour with a winter leg in early 2015. The 2014 tour produced sell outs in each market it’s played including four sold-out stadium shows with crowds of 225,000 fans, two sold-out concerts in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, a string of double-play dates that broke venue attendance records and he became the debut country act to play Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Randy Houser and Dustin Lynch will open the 2015 winter leg of this tour. Bryan performs at the Amway Center in Orlando on Saturday, February 21.

Bryan wrapped his sixth annual Farm Tour performing for over 110,000 fans during the eight-city run. A portion of the ticket proceeds are granted for local college scholarships (Luke Bryan Farm Tour Scholarship) to students from a farming family within the communities the tour plays. Farm Tour 2014 was sponsored by 5-hour ENERGY^®, Texaco, Cabela’s, Miller Lite and AT&T U-verse^®.

Since the debut of his first album in 2007, Bryan has sold nearly 6.4 million albums, 24.9 million digital tracks from his four studio albums and placed 11 singles at number one. Bryan’s current number one single, “Roller Coaster,” is from his “Crash My Party” album, which has sold over two million copies with 7.8 million digital downloads and was the best-selling country album in 2013. The album contains four additional number one hits including “That’s My Kind of Night,” “Crash My Party,” “Drink A Beer” and “Play It Again.” Bryan made history earlier this year by reaching the number one spot on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Play It Again” and “This Is How We Roll.” Bryan became the first artist to ever hold the two top positions since the chart began in 1990.

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Bryan will perform on the upcoming 48^th Annual Country Music Awards (CMA) on Wednesday, November 5 and is nominated for three CMA Awards – Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year for “Crash My Party.”

Randy Houser took country fans and industry insiders by storm with the 2013 release of his Stoney Creek Records album, “How Country Feels.” Scoring three consecutive number one hits with the title track, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” and “Goodnight Kiss,” Houser also earned an American Country Award for Most Played Radio Track: Male (“How Country Feels”) and his first number one as a songwriter (“Goodnight Kiss”). His new single, “Like A Cowboy,” is the fourth release from “How Country Feels” and was written by Houser and Brice Long. Previous successes include Houser’s 2009 top five hit, “Boots On” and debut power ballad, “Anything Goes.” For more information and the latest tour dates visit www.RandyHouser.com.

Broken Bow Records’ Dustin Lynch occupies a unique place in today’s country music. Thanks to his classic sensibilities, he’s been heralded as the heir to George Strait’s throne. Yet with one listen to his gold-selling, two-week number one smash, “Where It’s At,” it’s obvious the young Tennessee native knows how to combine his traditional influences with an edgy intensity that places him at the vanguard of today’s contemporary country scene. Since the release of his platinum-selling debut single, “Cowboys and Angels,” Lynch has surpassed 17.9 million views on YouTube/VEVO and earned multiple awards show nominations. Lynch’s new album, “Where It’s At,” debuted as the number one-selling digital country album in the U.S. and earned over 500,000 Spotify streams in its first week alone. Rolling Stone Country named Lynch one of “The Best Things We Saw at CMA Music Fest 2014,” while he was heralded as one of country music’s ‘Sexiest Men of 2014’ in People Country, Us Weekly and Closer Weekly. For more information visit http://www.dustinlynchmusic.com.

The Farm Tour was sponsored by 5-Hour Energy^®, Texaco, Cabela’s, Miller Lite, and AT&T.

TICKETS: $37.75 & $67.75. Buy tickets at amwaycenter.com, Chase Box Office at Amway Center, Ticketmaster retail locations, charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000 or at Ticketmaster.com. All dates, act(s) and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, service, handling and facility fee charges. For Amway Center box office and ticket information, visit amwaycenter.com (phone purchases are not available through the Amway Center box office). The Amway Center is located at 400 West Church Street and the box office is located on the north side of the Amway Center, near the intersection of Church Street and Hughey Avenue.

ABOUT AMWAY CENTER
The Orlando Magic served as the developer of the Amway Center, which hosts major national events, concerts and family shows. Opened in the fall of 2010, the facility is owned and operated by the City of Orlando on behalf of the Central Florida community. The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando. The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one facade. A 180-foot tall tower serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline. The 875,000 square foot, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified building features a sustainable, environmentally-friendly design and unmatched technology, including 1,100 digital monitors, the tallest high-definition video board in an NBA venue and multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building. Amway Center was recently honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal’s 2012 Sports Facility of the Year. For more information about the Amway Center, visit www.amwaycenter.com.