August 25, 2014 | Posted in:Dining out
Visit Orlando is rolling out 2014’s Magical Dining Month with an extra week of dining deals- starting on Monday, August 25, 2014. Orlando’s top restaurants and chefs have developed unique and creative three-course meals for area diners to enjoy, for the fixed price of $33.00 per meal, $1.00 of which is donated to The Foundation For Foster Children. In addition to a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Orlando’s finest in dining, area resorts and hotels have joined in with the Magical Nights promotion, featuring special packages to enjoy a night or two away throughout the month of September. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying many Magical Dining restaurants over the years. From local neighborhood gems to the attractions restaurants headed up by celebrity chefs. If you enjoy food, now is the time to grab your fork and dig in to all that Orlando dining has to offer.
I recently previewed the Magical Dining menu at Siro Urban Italian Kitchen located in the Orlando World Center Marriott, which is in close proximity to Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, the Orange County Convention Center and Universal Studios.
We were greeted by Restaurant Manager, Lindsey Smith and Chef de Cusine, Alexia Gawlak who explained the new direction of the Siro menu, focusing on the Italian methods of preparation which showcase the quality and freshness of local, seasonal ingredients. Tim Bradstreet, Lead Bar Operations for Siro, walked us through the optional wine, craft beer or cocktail pairing, which can be added on to any Magical Dining Meal, for just $10.00.
Diners can enjoy three (5oz) glasses of wine, three (16oz) craft beer pairings or the Bartender’s whim cocktail, a hand crafted beverage made to compliment your meal. I thoroughly enjoyed the Fig Old Fashioned, which may be one of the available beverages when you dine. I hope it is!
I enjoyed sampling the Heirloom Tomatoes with burrata & Malton sea salt. The acidity in the ripe tomatoes balanced out the rich, creaminess of the burrata cheese. A nice starter alone or to share with a friend.
I also enjoyed sampling the Fritto Misto, a mix of fresh rock shrimp, oysters, grouper and frog legs served with a lemon-caper aioli. The Rock shrimp were sweet and tender, the oysters plump, grouper pleasingly firm and flaky. The frog legs were tender and perfectly fried. The accompanying lemon caper aioli was lightly lemon with a briny tang to the finish. Rounding out the appetizers was The Grilled Quail with fennel sausage, Andrew over at Tastes of Orlando has a great picture, it was his favorite appetizer of the three.
The Magical Dining entrees include a Chicken, Seafood and Steak options. The Chicken Milanese, features locally grown My Yard Farm greens and marinated baby heirloom tomatoes on top of a breaded Chicken breast cutlet.
The Buccatini Al Frutti Di Mare is a plentiful dish of mussels, clams, shrimp and fennel sausage in a tomato saffron brodo. The broth’s flavor was very delicate and subtle, the primary flavors of the dish was the fresh seafood and zesty sausage.
The New York Strip was topped with a bone marrow gremolata butter and served with pan seared baby summer squash ragout on the side. The strip steak was cooked to ordered temperature and the flavorful dish received plenty of happy nods.
The Magical Dining dessert choices at Siro are all traditionally Italian. The Classic Tiramisu is a nice finish to the meal; the dessert wine pairing of Moscato is a pleasing contrast to the light and creamy dessert.
The Zeppole were light and almost custard-like in the center, they melted in your mouth. The fried dough is dusted in sugar and served with a bittersweet chocolate ganache sauce. The Bells Brewery Kalamazoo stout was a delicious pairing, complimenting the rich chocolate. My favorite dessert!
The Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta had the proper velvety texture, the vanilla was a nice accent to the accompanying fruit. The Moscato or Craft Cocktail was a nice pairing with this final dessert option. The service was paced beautifully, allowing enough time to savor each course without feeling rushed. I ordered the wine pairings with my dinner, a bargain for just $10.00 additional, which is the average price of just one glass of wine when dining out.
Valet parking is complimentary at Siro during Magical Dining month and Orlando World Center Marriott is participating in the Magical Deal Month in combination with Hawk’s Landing Steakhouse and Grille’s Magical Dining menu. Sounds like a lovely way to spend a weekend! Book your Magical Dining reservation by calling Siro Urban Italian Kitchen at (407) 238-8619 or book through OpenTable.com now through September 30, 2014.
Lisa Wilk
Hello, I'm Lisa Wilk! I'm a freelance food, wine and travel writer, photographer and presenter based out of Orlando, FL. While covering local restaurants and food events in the #1 tourist destination in the US, I find endless cooking inspiration when dining out. You'll often find me in the kitchen putting my own spin on those elevated chef creations to enjoy at home and when entertaining. I have a love and enthusiasm for wine, wine education and wine pairing. Find me about town teaching and demystifying wine as part of the popular @TheTastyTrio in the popular Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Perfectly Paired program series I've co-developed. Taste, Cook and Sip along with me on Twitter and Instagram at @TasteCookSip and @WineChix! Cheers!
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- Taste Cook Sip | Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month 2014, adds preview week - […] salad was vibrant and fresh with a decadent creaminess provided by the Burrata cheese. Check out my full review…
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