Food and spirit
Like so many businesses, a favorite of downtown Orlando LGBTs is hanging on by a thread. The Dandelion Communitea Café, a charming eatery just south of Colonial Drive near Mills Ave, is asking customers to make $11.11 donations to help raise the estimated $12,000 needed to keep the restaurant open through the slow summer months. Adorable owner Julie Norris, 30, said rising costs and dipping sales are the culprits. She estimates that sales of moderately priced salads, wraps, vegetarian and organic foods have dropped more than 20% from last year. For many, Dandelion is more than a convenient place to grab a healthy and inexpensive lunch. It hosts meetings, educational seminars, potluck dinners and the occasional farmer’s market. It is this contribution to ‘communitea’ that Norris believes warrants contributions. And the odd amount requested? Ever-the-optimist, Norris says it is a spiritual marker that one is traveling along the right path.
Set and spike
For LGBT sports enthusiasts, it’s not only about softball and bowling anymore. The City Beautiful Volleyball League (CVBL) just completed its first summer season with an all-day ‘King of the Court’ tournament at Gaston Foster Rec Center on July 26. The ‘1-A-Bees’ were crowned champions, narrowly defeating the creatively named ‘Team 3’. Third place went to ‘The Pounders’—a reference to hard-core set-and-spike volleyball and nothing else. After the exhausting elimination tournament CBVL held an awards banquet at Paraadise, the popular LGBT bar on Mills Ave. Eight teams and more than 80 athletes competed in CVBL’s inaugural season. There will be several open volleyball clinics leading up to the fall league beginning in September. Visit cbvbl.com for more info.
Tidbits
Genial waiter Anthony “Rocky” Mazza was a featured attraction at Harvey’s Bistro before it closed last year. According to the Orlando Sentinel’s Commander Coconut, he’s now appearing (‘working’ just doesn’t feel right) at K, one of College Park’s trendiest restaurants. • Metro 24/7 Fitness owner Marciano Weber is a finalist on Florida Star, an Idol-type singing competition airing in August and September. Visit FLStar.com for viewing information.
