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September 2010
By Rona Gindin
 Personal chefs cover for folks who aren’t in the mood to cook for themselves
When Lorri Levine had her fourth baby, she begged her generous mother for neither new crib nor stroller. “Spend the same money on dinners instead!” the harried 30-something pleaded. And so Grandma, who lives across the country, hired a personal chef to go to her daughter’s home and cook Levine’s family meals for 10 nights – then pack the dinners for Levine’s freezer.
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August 2010
By Rona Gindin
 Shops serving tart and healthful frozen yogurt offer a cool way to beat the heat
The next time you crave a shock of cold to recuperate from the sultry summer weather, duck into a frozen yogurt shop. You won’t have to travel far. These hip, crisp dispensaries of yet another take on soft serve are all the rage in 2010.
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July 2010
By Rona Gindin
 Mi Tomatina chef Nadia Yotti Ruiz has all the answers
This past March, Nadia Yotti Ruiz took over the kitchen of fledgling Mi Tomatina, a hip and intimate indoor-outdoor Spanish restaurant in Winter Park’s Hannibal Square.
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June 2010
By Rona Gindin
 It’s hog heaven for Luma on Park’s chefs to ‘break down’ hefty porkers and make bacon, ribs, sausages and other delicacies
The next time you’re seated in Luma on Park’s sleek dining room, undoubtedly wearing your most stylish designer duds and swirling a distinctive glass of wine, pay closer attention to that salad on your plate.
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May 2010
By Rona Gindin
 Location plays a part in a restaurant’s ability to survive, but experts say that solid business principles – not just a prime spot on Easy Street – are key to keeping Winter Park’s Dining establishments alive in good times and bad.
After more than a quarter-century of running Café de France on the southern end of Park Avenue, Dominique and German Gutierrez did something they would have pooh-poohed even a year ago: They had a neon sign installed on the door of their restaurant…
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April 2010
By Rona Gindin
 Here's the scoop on what bothers some diners about restaurants – and restaurants' pet peeves with diners
Make no mistake: I adore dining out, and I take my meals at restaurant tables more often than most people I know. That means I’ve experienced more good and bad restaurant service than the average latte-loving, flavor-focused, experiential eater.
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March2010
By Rona Gindin
 Nutritionists may question the value of a totally au naturel diet, but there’s no denying the tasteful beauty of the delicious food at Café 118°
When Joe Diaz's 8-year-old son was sick with a cold, the owner of Cafe 118° did something you might not expect from a devotee of consuming only raw foods: He heated up a bowl of chicken noodle soup for the youngster. "My son was born asthmatic, and I've been feeding him a well-balanced, nutritious diet that includes lean chicken and whole grain pastas and breads, but no sugars or junk," Diaz says. "Eating that way helped get him off a lot of medications and steroids."
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February 2010
By Rona Gindin
 Bypass The Overindulgent Wine-And-Dine:
We Offer 6 Sweet Ways To Woo (And Wow) Your Valentine
Some couples dread dining out on Valentine’s Day just as others do on New Year’s Eve: They are put off by the bustling restaurants and prix fixe menus that appeal to seemingly everyone else in the universe. High prices, long waits and huge meals get in the way for these folks, who want a special food-centered moment without the three-course obligation.
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January 2010
By Rona Gindin
 Restaurants offer special delicacies, hard-to-resist pricing and generous gifts to the community – and they spread the word via Facebook and Twitter
Let’s face it. Winter Park will never be Los Angeles when it comes to setting food trends. But there’s impressive creativity going on in our restaurant kitchens, and much of that’s right in line with culinary movements in the country’s most sophisticated urban centers.
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By Rona Gindin
December 2009
 What chefs serve for family celebrations
Most chefs and restaurateurs spend six days a week bustling around serving other people. When Christmas arrives, they close the doors to their businesses. And then what? Like many Americans, those food and beverage gurus put together holiday meals for their families that honor their heritages. The pros from five local restaurants gave us inside peeks at their personal holiday tables. The differences are intriguing.
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By Rona Gindin
October 2009
 Many of Central Florida’s most successful restaurant executives live in Winter Park. Here’s the dish.
The next time you dine in Golden Corral, say, or Macaroni Grill, look for the particular customer who’s getting the royal treatment by the staff. That middle-aged man may be not only the head of the entire restaurant chain, but also your neighbor. Winter Park has become a magnet for high-level restaurant executives, collectively calling the shots for about 2,000 eating establishments across the country.
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Dining