Top 5 ways to dine out and support Orlando

The outpouring of love and support for victims and others affected by the Orlando tragedy has been heartwarming. Let's keep the good vibes going and support these restaurants that are donating a portion of their proceeds to the OneOrlando Fund and other funds:

1. Dine Out for Orlando United. Several Florida restaurants will be donating proceeds on June 30 to the OneOrlando Fund, designed to respond to the needs of the local community, now and in the time to come. Participating restaurants in the Orlando area include: A Land Remembered at Rosen Shingle Creek, Baoery Asian Gastropub, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, Bonefish Grill, Boston Lobster Feast, Christner's Prime Steak and Lobster, Funky Monkey Bistro & Bar, Hawkers, Krispy Kreme Dougnuts, Morimoto Asia, Miller's Ale House and many more. See the full list on the web site. 

2. Benefit Barbecue for the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida on July 10. Hosted by Chef Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant Wine Bar and Jamie McFadden of Cuisiners Catered Cuisiner and Events, it will be held at East End Market from 4-8 pm.

3. 4 Rivers Smokehouse and The Coop are giving guests the option to round up their purchase or donate any dollar amount to the victims and families affected by the Orlando tragedy. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved," the restaurants said. 

4. The Sanctum Cafe: During June, the vegan eatery's Karma Bowl will be offered for $5. Any proceeds donated above that, will go directly to the GoFundMe account benefiting victims who have been affected by the tragedy. 

5. The Osprey Tavern has added the Orlando Strong cocktail to its menu, and 100% of the sales of this cocktail will be donated to Equality Florida's Pulse Victim Fund.

Support Orlando restaurants helping our city

Sanctum Cafe

I, for one, am not going to hide in my house after the crisis in Orlando. Now is the time to get out and be social with friends and family, celebrating the lives that we have. Several Orlando restaurants are donating a portion of their sales to help families of the victims. I have included a few examples below, and I hope you support these businesses:

4 Rivers Smokehouse and The Coop are giving guests the option to round up their purchase or donate any dollar amount to the victims and families affected by the Orlando tragedy. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved," the restaurants said. Plus, 4 Rivers is opening its Winter Park location on a Sunday for the first time in its history this Sunday, June 19, from 11 am to 3 pm. Proceeds from the day will go toward the One Orlando Fund to benefit victims and their families. 

The Sanctum Cafe: During June, the vegan eatery's Karma Bowl will be offered for $5. Any proceeds donated above that, will go directly to the GoFundMe account benefiting victims who have been affected by the tragedy. 

K Restaurant continues to donate a portion of its sales to benefit the family of Cory Connell, an Edgewater High graduate who was killed.

The Osprey Tavern has added the Orlando Strong cocktail to its menu, and 100% of the sales of this cocktail will be donated to Equality Florida's Pulse Victim Fund.

Sweet by Holly in Orlando and Jacksonville will donate 50% of the sales of its Orlando Pride cupcakes (available in regular and gluten-free via special order) to Equality Florida.

Also kudos to the Waterford Lakes Chik-fil-A, which stayed open on Sunday to pass out water to those donating blood. There are a number of other restaurants that donated food and water - and continue to help during the aftermath. Please let us know about other Orlando restaurant benefits and fundraisers in the comments section below!

Enjoy outstanding food & more at Beau Rivage

When visiting Biloxi, Miss., recently, I was so impressed with the hospitality, food, decor, guest rooms and casino at Beau Rivage Resort and Casino. I cannot say enough great things about this gorgeous facility.

From the moment you walk in, you realize that you have employees who really care about Beau Rivage. Thousands of fresh flowers line the walkways around the lobby and, on this visit, a bicycle of fresh flowers had been built. What a unique touch! 

I like to gamble a bit - just slots and roulette - and this casino has so much to offer. You can choose from a variety of card games, poker tables, and slot machines. But, if anyone goes here just to gamble, they are seriously missing out. First, from Orlando, you can catch an inexpensive direct flight to Biloxi via Allegiant Airlines. So, this is  fun, easy trip.

By Shad Bookout

Plus, I would stay here again, just for the food. It is seriously some of the best food I have had in a long time - and I have been lucky enough to dine at the top restaurants in New Orleans, Orlando and elsewhere. There are five outstanding restaurants on property, including an endless buffet. When we dined at the buffet, we enjoyed fresh boiled crawfish, filet mignon, snow crab legs, a huge assortment of Italian and Asian food, a number of desserts (including sugar-free options) and the list goes on and on. I was impressed how each type of food was high quality and tasted so fresh - not like typical buffet food.

We also got to try the new menu at Coast restaurant, which will be unveiled soon. The revamped menu features a lot of small plates, along with entrees, that are mostly from local food and seafood, in season. We sampled the unique and scrumptious Crawfish Deviled Eggs, as well as a whole snapper cooked on rock salt with star anise and Indian spices. The raw and stuffed oysters here are not to be missed. The restaurant buys only top-notch oysters from places like Murder Point, Alabama. Some of the stuffed oysters are topped with house-made bacon, which you will love. 

Photo by Shad Bookout

Other favorite dishes include the Fried Oyster Slider and Shrimp and Oyster Po' Boy sandwich.The gumbo at all the restaurants on property also has the perfect amount of heat and is truly delicious. 

The Beau Rivage guest rooms are also luxurious, including a huge sunken tub and a comfy bed. Of course, the views of the Gulf from your room are outstanding. I even spotted dolphins on my walk on the beach near the resort!

Don't miss pop-up Tennessee Truffle in Sanford

Only 10 minutes from my house and getting great reviews, I couldn't resist trying a pop-up restaurant in Sanford that has only been open for two weeks. While one of the owners, Nat Russell, originally said that The Tennessee Truffle would only likely be open for a month, he is hoping to extend that after a great reception from the community.

I can see why. This small restaurant in downtown Sanford has a great vibe, friendly owners and staff, and delicious Southern food. "I grew up in Memphis, and I love the grittiness, the music and the food," the chef said of his inspiration for the restaurant. Plus, he generously greeted every customer and explained their dish to them. 

A mainstay of The Tennessee Truffle's menu is the biscuits, so they have to be very good. I am happy to report that the chefs produce very delicious biscuits. They are airy and tasty, but dense enough to hold together to be used as bread for sandwiches. I ordered the Chicken Sandwich with Pickled Zucchini. I got the perfect bite: the combination of scrumptious biscuit, perfectly-cooked and flavored chicken (not fried!), along and sweet and tangy zucchini. 

The side was also tasty: Macaroni and Roasted Tomatoes. No cheese, and still very yummy. I also wanted to try the Anson Mills grits, which have received rave reviews, but was too full. I will get to taste those when I return for breakfast. 

I got to try the house-cured bacon and am a huge fan. I think the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit will be my next breakfast order! I also need to try the desserts, including homemade ice cream and Chocolate Gravy Biscuits. 

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