Two food favorites moving to I-Drive
If you’ve driven past the South Eola location of the Prickly Pear or Nick’s Italian Kitchen, you may have noticed that both restaurants are now closed.
But we have good news: both will relocate to I-Drive. Owners Eddie Nickell and Nicholas Olivieri created the FMI Restaurant Group and the popular Banana’s Modern American Diner on Mills Ave. The exact location of the new restaurants hasn’t been announced, but FMI already operates the successful Funky Monkey Wine Company @ The Pointe. As far as the old locations are concerned, the Orlando Sentinel speculated that new eateries will soon fill the vacant spaces on the first floor of The Sanctuary.
Rethinking Urban Rethink
Urban Rethink has undergone some changes this summer, thanks to new ops manager Shaina Anderson and programming coordinator Brendan O’Connor. The creative and collaborative hub in Thornton Park is known for unexpected events. Now Anderson and O’Connor, the openly gay artist responsible for chairs chained to bus stops, are tearing up the schedule. New offerings include a superhero bike ride, rooftop drive-in movies, and a total makeover of the co-working/event space by the end of the year. But first up is a “Central Florida Office Hour Day,” which will coax executives and professionals to host young entrepreneurs for an hour on Friday, June 28.
Bodega buzz
There have been some unexpected delays in the opening of Santiago’s Bodega on Virginia Drive, but the wait may well be worth it. The eatery provided some paella during Virginia Drive Live on June 14, and the dish was a huge hit. The street party was abuzz with the news of the bodega’s food, as well as with the talents of DJ Cub, who kept the Beer Garden hopping with tunes throughout the event. News on a firm opening date for Santiago’s is expected by the end of this month.
This idea is awesome!
A brand new chapter of “The Awesome Foundation” has been formed right here in Orlando. The foundation has an inspiring name, but the mission is simple: to create a network of people devoted to promoting awesomeness in the universe. Chapters nationwide pool money from the coffers of 10 or more self-organizing people, called “Micro-trustees. Monthly grants are then awarded to worthy projects in their local communities. The Orlando chapter was started by well-known arts entrepreneur Terry Olson. Those interested in wowing The Awesome Foundation should submit their ideas online at AwesomeFoundation.org. The next thing you know, a check may arrive in the mail. It’s that simple, that awesome.
