Go Epicurista

09/24/2026

Here’s what Plot To Plate: Book Club & Cooking Class looked like at The Kitchen House last night! 📕🍽️

If you love to read, and you love cooking, and you’re looking for a fun experience in Orlando, this is a must do!

💕 It’s perfect for a girls night out or come solo and make new friends!

📕 Book: Each month’s event features a new book. Last night’s was Heartburn by Nora Ephron. A fun read! (Even better audiobook by Meryl Streep!)

🧑‍🍳 Cooking: Chef Megan Amnott and Program Director Juliana Calloway select recipes inspired by or featured in the book for the group to prepare. Everyone goes into small groups to prepare 1-2 recipes.

🍽️ At the end, everyone gets to sit around the table and enjoy all the food prepared and have a lively discussion about the book. Everything is better with food!

Pro-tip: 🍷You can bring your own bottle of w**e to enjoy at no charge!

♥️ I love to volunteer at The Kitchen House because I get to meet awesome people who love food, as Julia Child says “People who love food are the nicest people.” I get the opportunity to help make their night cooking at The Kitchen House a fun experience. Plus, as a bonus, we get to also enjoy the delicious food at the end!

Last night’s table was a great, very 1980’s inspired spread! If you’ve read the book, you’ll recognize these dishes:

🥚 4 Minute Egg with Farro & Yogurt Salad
🥗 Rachel’s Salad
🍐 Pear & Lima Bean Salad
🍝 Linguine à la Cecca
🥔 Crispy Smashed Potatoes with herbed sour cream
🍞 Too Much Vanilla Bread Pudding
🥧 Key Lime Pie

The Kitchen House is a 501c3 non-profit with the goal to connect people to the joy of food, gardening and lifelong learning through garden-to-table programs designed to encourage adults and children to put more plants on their plates.

Follow The Kitchen House and check out the calendar of events for adults and kids programs.

Follow for more fun things to do in Orlando, Oregon, and beyond.

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09/22/2026

WHAT MAKING SOMEDAY HAPPEN LOOKS LIKE. 🥂

+ A Cocoa Beach Girls Weekend Guide to save!

The best thing we did? Almost nothing. Except make memories. 30+ years later.

No packed itinerary. No big plans. No waiting until everyone could go.

Just 4 college friends, a beach, a nice dinner, lots of snacks and Oregon bubbles! 😉

For 3 years, our Phi Sig cruise tradition happened every September. This year, life got in the way.

Instead, we got together anyway.

🚢🥂 We watched the cruise ships sail from Port Canaveral and toasted our friendships.

🚗 Cocoa Beach is an easy Orlando getaway, about an hour away. Brightline worked for our South Florida crew.

Here’s the weekend:

🏄‍♀️ Cocoa Beach Pier selfies
🛍️ Ron Jon Surf Shop + a secret Florida resident discount 👀 (you gotta ask!)
🐺 I’m now tracking a wolf with a Fahlo bracelet!
🍽️ Florida’s Fresh Grill: filet, corvina, grouper & tripletail Oscar style. Denise “with a D” was awesome! Reserve a table.
🛒 Publix run for girl dinner
🍾 Argyle Brut Rosé
☕️ Iced coffee & espresso martinis, why not?
👣 Sunrise walks & catching up
🌧️ Stormy weather didn’t stop us. Crazy hair, who cares?
🍦 Junior’s cheesecake + Häagen-Dazs Dulce de Leche 😍
🍰 Carrot cake to go!

Calories don’t count on girls’ trips. That’s a rule. Don’t skip dessert. 😂

We’re 50+ and in our menopause era, so yes, we talk getting enough protein, sleep, steps & self-care tips. 😂

But we’re still having fun.

Life gets busy. The perfect time may never come.

Don’t wait.
Make it a weekend.
Make it a beach day.
Just make it happen.

There’s something special about time with women who’ve known us for decades, make us laugh and remind us who we are.

This is making someday happen, one bite, sip and trip at a time. 🥂

📲 Text your girls. 🗓️ Put it on the calendar. 🍿 Bring snacks. 🥂 Open bubbles. ➡️ Go!

Follow Christina Thomas-Foodie Travel for inspiration to + fun things to do in Orlando, Oregon & beyond.

09/16/2026

Let's Fiesta! 🎉 🇲🇽 It's Mexican Independence Day! That calls for tequila, tacos & fun!

If you're looking for a fun spot with great Tex-Mex food, cocktails, and ambiance near the Convention Center, check out local, family-owned Kavas Tacos + Tequila at Pointe Orlando

Here's what we ordered on my last visit and would order again:

🍟 Loaded Birria Fries
🧀 Antojitos Platter w/ Chicken Flautas, Black Bean Empanadas & Queso
🍤🥩 Fajitas Combo w/ Skirt Steak & Shrimp
🌮 Baja Fish Tacos
🍩 Churro Donut Sammies
🍹 Dragonfruit Margarita (can't recall the name) They have a great selection of premium tequilas, cocktails & mocktails

🎉 Celebrate National Guacamole Day and Mexican Independence Day on 9/16 with
Free guacamole with entree purchase during lunch (11:30am-3pm), Party Llamas from 6:30PM-8:30PM, Live Mariachi 7:00-9:00PM, Live DJ 7-9pm, and Corralejo Tequila specials

I have been a fan of Kavas Tacos + Tequila since they opened in 2023 and have loved their sister restaurant Taverna Opa for over 20 years! Part of this meal was hosted for promotional purposes; however, all opinions are my own, and I only share with you places and experiences I love to inspire you to one delicious bite, sip, and trip at a time!

Make reservations and go Make Someday Happen!

Follow for more fun things to do in Orlando this Fall!

05/10/2026

Best Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day in http://wp.me/p4fu8P-eY

https://goepicurista.com/celebrate-mothers-day-orlando/

Celebrate Mother's Day in Orlando with these fun events. From brunch and spa outings to fun runs and outdoor entertainment.

03/25/2026

Discover the best cocktail classes in Orlando at top local bars and restaurants and unleash your inner mixologist.

Shake, stir & sip your way through the season as part of our series of 50 Things You Must Do in Orlando This Spring.

Follow GoEpicurista for more and get inspired to Make Someday Happen!

Discover the best cocktail classes in Orlando you must try at top local bars and restaurants. Book your spot today!

02/13/2026

DINNER + SHOW + TREAT = THE PERFECT NIGHT AT DISNEY SPRINGS 💕

Have you heard of “Animated Evenings”?

🍽️ DINNER: Enjoy a special prix-fixe 3-course menu for only $45 at select Disney Springs restaurants - available only with purchase of show tickets

We dined at .orlando & I was reminded how underrated this restaurant is! It’s so much more than a “bowling alley” - everything made from scratch, & buffalo chicken egg rolls, sushi, and Ghirardelli brownie sundae were on point!

🍸🍓 The Sweetheart Martini - a vanilla vodka, strawberry & chocolate concoction made our girly evening!

🎭 SHOW: .drawntolife is a one-of-a-kind experience combining the magic of Disney animation with Cirque du Soleil’s jaw-dropping acrobatics and performers. MUST DO!

👀 Purchase tickets by Sunday, 2/15 for any show through 5/31 and get 25% off!

🍩 ADD A TREAT: donuts are fab, made fresh on-site. ❤️ The Sweetheart Donut was the perfect sweet ending to our evening! Available all weekend, 2/13 - 2/15

📲 Once you book show tickets, call Disney Dining and ask for “Animated Evening” reservation at (407) 587-5981 at least 24 hours in advance.

The following select restaurants are available for the Animated Evenings add-on:orlando













Thank you, Splitsville, Cirque Du Soleil and Brooke for hosting us! Meeting the cast was such a fun surprise!

Follow for more bucket list experiences and inspiration to go one delicious bite, sip and trip at a time!

02/10/2026

This is your sign to put yourself first. 🖤Between travel and endless to dos, it’s easy to forget you need a reset.

This week of love begins with Self-Love! Take a break. Reset. Recharge. 🤍

How are you taking care of yourself?

I said YES to myself and checked out to experience their signature Master Tox full body contouring treatment and walked out feeling lighter, refreshed, and ready to conquer anything. 🙌🏼

🎶 This isn’t your typical spa. We’re talking VIP club vibes; your background soundtrack might be Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Rihanna.

💆🏻‍♀️ As a first timer, I was instantly put at ease by my aesthetician. She was so knowledgeable and explained the process and offered great tips.

🫖 The detox tea in the coolest cup was the perfect ending. We all need a little reminder that we are all “so f* beautiful!”

Choose a 60 or 90-minute session. You can also choose the Sculpting Facial or both for the full Tox experience. And you can buy a variety of products and cute merch to extend your self care at home.

If you’ve been traveling a lot like me, or on non-stop go, go, go, this was a great way to reset, reduce puffiness and water retention.

Go on a solo date or plan some girl time with your besties. It’s the perfect Galentine’s treat! 💕

Go

Thank you for hosting me. As always, all opinions are my own. I only share experiences I genuinely love to inspire you to celebrate life and Make Someday Happen one delicious bite, sip, and trip at a time!

Follow for more Things To Do in Orlando and beyond.

02/10/2026

Looking for great pizza in Orlando? Here are 4 spots locals love that you must try!

🍕 - Puerto Rican chef Andres Maldonado and his wife Andrea run this fab pizza spot at in . Try their most popular! The Feisty Margherita topped with lots of pepperoni, Pecorino-Romano, Mozzarella, Parmegiano-Regiano & Burrata! Or customize your own (Say hi to at their sister food truck located steps away, )

🍕 - Detroit-born Rob Bair serves up one of Orlando’s favorite Detroit-style pizzas! Try the “Detroit Rob City” topped with Brick Cheese Blend, Whipped Ricotta, Pinched Sausage, Ezzo Cup Pepperoni, & Hot Honey. Locations in S**o, Winter Park & St. Pete

🍕 - Venezuelan chef Mabel Munoz & partner Alvaro Ramirez bring their Italian roots to this family eatery where pasta and pizza are a must! Traditional thin-crust and Detroit-style pizza options include The Genovesa, with pesto and fire-roasted tomato. Fantastic!

🍕 - Chef Traviss Santos Neo-Napolitan pizzas never disappoint at the walk-up window at in and pop-ups around town. You’ll find lots of creative topping combinations, but this classic with cherry tomatoes hit the spot!

Go support local on and every day!

Follow for more bucket list restaurants, experiences, and destinations and go one delicious bite, sip and trip at a time!

Things To Do In Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Pizza in Orlando

02/09/2026

“People who love to eat are always the best people” - Julia Child

Joseph Hayes was indeed one of the best people. Sharing a meal with him was a treat. We were often seated at media events at beautiful restaurants, dazzled by award-winning chefs, his company always made the experience that much better. His warmth, charm, and stories about new restaurants or his next play, always fascinating!

Searching my camera roll for a post about Orlando’s “gone but not forgotten” restaurants, I found this photo from Soco Thornton Park’s 5th Anniversary dinner, November 2019. We cheered with bourbon cocktails and raved about hickory-smoked scallops, tender venison loin, and plates that were works of art. What a night!

I sadly missed this weekend’s memorial, and I’m haunted by this: I never told him how profoundly he shaped my second career as a food writer.

We met in 2010. I was AGM/Director F&B at Rosen Centre. He was Orlando Magazine’s dining critic. I was nervous. One bad review can make or break you.

I was immediately won over by how genuinely interested he was, not just in the food, but in our team.

“Food critic” usually conjures someone wielding their pen like a weapon. Joseph used his as a spotlight.

He was discerning and encouraging. Rather than tell you where NOT to go, he inspired where to go. If he didn’t like a place, he didn’t write about it.

He thoughtfully elevated our culinary scene. Everyone he wrote about became a friend. What a legacy!

I followed his example when I launched GoEpicurista.com

I was humbled when he recommended me to a magazine editor seeking a food columnist. I’d never written for a magazine. Impostor syndrome kicked in, but I did it! And he cheered me on.

The universe has a sense of poetry: that first article featured of Soco on the cover—the same restaurant where we’d share our last meal.

RIP, Joseph Hayes. I will cherish all I learned from you.

The lessons: Use your voice for good. Tell people you admire them. Go for that crazy gig. Keep creating. Share the table. Cherish every moment.

My love to his beloved partner, Jennifer Greenhill-Taylor, and all who knew him.

Go

02/06/2026

STOP SAYING “SOON” AND START MAKING PLANS 📆

Two years. That’s how long it had been since Jules and I saw each other. TWO years of “we should grab lunch soon!” texts that went nowhere. Sound familiar?

☑️ Here’s what worked: I asked her “what restaurant is on your list you’ve been dying to try?” Boom. Lunch plans made. No more “someday.”

We met at on I-Drive, a spot we’d both been watching since it opened last month after reading Orlando Sentinel piece. It’s the sister restaurant of Michelin-recognized and .bbq Kai Asian founders Jerry and Jackie Lau are consulting and trainign their team! That’s solid backing!

🌹 Walking in, we immediately noticed this isn’t your typical Chinese takeout spot. The interior is gorgeous, elegant and thoughtful, perfect for lunch with a friend, romantic date night or business meeting

🥟 We shared Crispy Pork Fried Rice (and the crispy pork bites were perfect!), Chili Wontons, Pork Dumplings and Chocolate Mousse Cake. We had leftovers and yes, they were even better the next day!

📲 Here’s my challenge to you: text ONE friend right now. Ask them what restaurant they’ve been wanting to try. Pick a date. Put it on the calendar.

Because “soon” turns into a year real fast.

📍 Moon Wok Kitchen - 11701 International Drive, Suite 300, Orlando

What restaurant have YOU been putting off? Drop it below 👇 and don’t forget to support local!

Follow for bucket list restaurants, experiences and destinations that inspire you to one delicious bite at a time!


Things To Do in Orlando