Hotels court locals with craft sips, creative plates | Review
There’s something going on in the glass-enclosed area inside Haven Kitchen.
It’s kind of early, a little before 8 p.m. on a Saturday evening, and the dining room and main bar are buzzing with activity as guests and locals sip and sup. More, perhaps, than usual, as we’re still amid Magical Dining, but in this central area, a fishbowl amid the fashionable and lush confines of this lesser-known restaurant inside the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, something is clearly cooking.
This, says James Tattersall, is the Haven Lounge, which I’ve come to learn is quite the hotspot on weekends. An elegant extension of Haven, its location feels a tad clandestine, affording the space a sexy, if-you-know-you-know vibe.
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They open at 7 p.m. — which is about when I noticed staffers gearing up and a few guests drifting in, but by 9, it’s turning high-octane. Beats. Dancing. And with Haven’s chic, Med-influenced sensibility and pool view in places, it’s a tiny slice of Vegas in Lake Nona.
“It’s a lot of locals and a lot of overnighters who live in Orlando,” says Tattersall, the area director of sales and marketing for Lake Nona Hotels. “They’ll come for the weekend so they can experience Haven, Bacán and Haven Lounge all in one weekend and have a little foodie staycation.
Had I known about the lounge, perhaps my date and I might have opted in for something similar, but as such, we were here sampling the fare for Magical Dining. That deal has since passed, but the offerings we enjoyed are still available. And I’d been keen on checking the place out since I snooped around and found it on a visit to dine at Bacán.
The property’s flagship venue, Bacán has since landed amid Orlando’s Michelin Guide selection, but its Med-forward sister upstairs doesn’t have an inferiority complex. It needs no fancy foie gras burger. In fact, it’s own eponymous offering ($26), a prime beef smash burger with smoked gouda, avocado and bacon and a rash of crisp cold goodies, has an appeal all its own.
“It’s tough to choose which is better,” says Tattersall, noting it’s about an even split if you poll staffers. This one, despite the accouterments, still rings lighter when compared with the foie-slabbed version downstairs. It’s also undeniably enjoyable, one that burger aficionados should certainly sample.
For those less than burger-enthused, the quinoa and walnut salad ($18) is a treasure trough for veg-heads, a massive serving (think Cheesecake Factory) featuring kale, shaved apple, pickled onion and marinated feta in a preserved lemon vinaigrette. One of the best salads I’ve had in recent memory, the ruffly roughage is beautifully complemented by all the textures — creamy, crunchy, crisp. Ricotta beignets on the dessert menu ($12) were also a standout, though they didn’t benefit a bit from the accompanying hazelnut spread, which we felt covered up their best airy, creamy traits.
Dinner, craft cocktails and the appeal of the lounge notwithstanding, Haven’s breakfast and brunch does swift biz with not only Lake Nona locals but those far-flung, as well. Tattersall attributes it to what he calls “the Instagram factor.”
“It brings people from all over town, people who will drive from Winter Park or Winter Garden and come and have breakfast with a friend at Haven on a weekend or as part of a business meeting on a weekday. We’re right off the 417. We’re close to MCO. And I think it’s a convenient place to meet that is stylish and not your typical run-of-the-mill breakfast restaurant.”
Best Burger: 2023 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards
In an informal poll on the Sentinel’s Let’s Eat Orlando Facebook group, loads of members shouted out their favorite hotel restaurants, places they frequent regularly. These included a bunch of the Rosen Hotels properties, Primo at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes and Ilume at the JW Marriott Bonnet Creek, Knife & Spoon at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, venues at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin.
“If we lived closer…” one member wrote. “Tough to make a regular drive from Seminole County.”
Good news for those folks: Aurora at the Celeste on the UCF campus has a new executive chef. Ibis Lopez joined the team back in May and, in the time since, has inundated the menu with new favorites, many of which come courtesy of his Puerto Rican heritage.
“We’re in Florida, so I wanted to bring more seafood to the menu, naturally, as well as more local, seasonal things,” Lopez says. “I don’t like to put a label on what I do, but I am from the Caribbean, and I enjoy using those familiar flavors and fusing them with Florida produce and culture.”
In his 17 years on the mainland, he’s been building relationships with local producers, but moving to the east Orlando area saw him partnering with a slew of new vendors who have helped shape dishes like several we enjoyed on our Magical Dining visit, all of which are still on the menu. The standout of many was the half-roasted chicken I probably wouldn’t have ordered if the server hadn’t been so enthusiastic.
She had good reason.
Best Hotel Restaurant: 2023 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards
A three-hour sous vide, followed by an oven visit that turns the skin into a crackly, savory candy laden with the emerald pop of a chimichurri puree, creates something that’s as sensational on the palate as it is on the plate. And when you see this $32 dish (gluten-free, by the way), you’ll know why. Jewel-toned carrot puree redolent of cumin sets the stage for this mojo-infused bird, which nests upon tri-color roasted carrots and grilled collards. Hot honey gives the root veggies a nice warmth against their concentrated sweetness.
My friend, whose diver scallops ($37) were nothing short of dynamite, finished off my plate once the last of hers had been mopped. And the parsnip puree was indeed mop-worthy.
The cocktails here are fun, as well. If you’re looking for a happy hour treat or something of a test round before taking the full dinner plunge, come in and find one that suits you and grab up Lopez’s coconut ceviche as a snack. The $17 dish is colorful, redolent of Florida citrus and festive with its plumes of crispy, cracker-like plantain chips.
Folks who live in the area have been finding them, says Lopez, who, on the days we popped in, was out greeting every table, ours included, taking time to greet them, introduce himself and ask for feedback. They’re getting repeat guests, he says, but it’s still challenging for hotels to court locals.
“You have to connect with your guests. They have to know us. They have to feel comfortable. They have to trust us. To identify with and enjoy the menu. It’s why I go out there every day to talk with them. And I feel very good about where we are and where we’re going.”
Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com, For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
If you go
Aurora at the Celeste: Located at the Celeste Hotel on the UCF Campus, 4015 N. Alafaya Trail in Orlando, 407-207-4700; thecelestehotel.com/restaurant
Haven Kitchen: Located at the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, 6100 Wave Hotel Drive in Orlando, 407-675-2000; havenlakenona.com
