Let's Eat! Adds To Its Plate

Let’s Eat! Winter Park, known for its convenient and delectable take-home dinners, introduces its newest addition: the Morse Market & Cafe, located inside Let’s Eat! at 155 E. Morse Blvd. The market and café will offer a menu featuring gourmet sandwiches, salads and soups to enjoy there or pack for a picnic. Winter Park residents and Rollins alumni Paige and Mike Cooper opened Let’s Eat! about two years ago. Paige Cooper said, “We discovered that our customers enjoyed having the prepared meals from Lets Eat! but also were craving a new lunch spot with a neighborhood market feel.” The market will offer a selection of gourmet retail items, specialty wines, craft beers, side dishes, desserts and ready-to-cook meals from Let’s Eat. Plans also include a tasting bar where customers can sample wines, beer and a variety of gourmet foods. The market and café will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

New Home for Be on Park, The Villa

Park Avenue amblers with a good memory will see some familiar faces at a familiar location as the owners of Be On Park (152 S. Park Ave.),  Janice and David Blumberg and Matina Saltzman, have moved their jewelry store from inside Park Plaza Hotel to the recently closed Park Promenade Jewellers location. Park Promenade had been the first incarnation of a jewelry store for the Blumbergs and Saltzman, but they sold their interest about 10 years ago. Not only will the owners be at a familiar location, but longtime Park Promenade employees Kitty Handelsman and Page Ritter-Soule will stay on. The store’s interior has a more current look, and the jewelry selection will suit customers who wish to dress up or dress down.  Asked why the move from a 150-square-foot location to the 1,600-square-foot space, Saltzman explained, “The timing was right and the opportunity opened up.” Be on Park will not be alone at its new location – The Villa will set up shop along with it.
A five-year veteran of Park Avenue retail, The Villa will be moving to the gift pavilion that was once located within Park Promenade Jewellers. The Villa, billed as the “most beautiful shop on Park Avenue,” will continue to carry fine art and fine European brands and also will add baby items, sterling pieces and frames. “There are a lot of beautiful items out there, and we cannot wait to find the next one,” said owner Lael DeWahl. She also mentioned how excited she is to be partnering with the Blumbergs and Saltzman. “They are so supportive – it is refreshing,” she said.

Bistro on Park Avenue offers a taste of the Big Easy

Tucked-away eatery The Bistro on Park Avenue (348 N. Park Ave.) has introduced a new menu that embodies its new tag line “A taste of New Orleans on Park Avenue.” Some customer favorites will remain, but patrons will find a New Orleans section that includes Big Easy favorites such as shrimp and crawfish etouffee, po’ boy sandwiches and the Creole staple red beans and rice with andouille sausage.  The chef and owner’s son-in-law, Tifford Cole, a longtime fan of famed New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme, designed the new menu.  Owner Randy Parsons said, “The resurgence of business on North Park Avenue has allowed us to expand our business; it is so nice to have traffic again.” In 2006 The Bistro occupied the space where Orchid Thai restaurant is currently located. But in December 2008 The Bistro moved to the Hidden Gardens.  The new spot allowed them to expand their dining room and include outside garden dining.

MuniString takes a bow

For those who enjoy stringed instruments, the opening of MuniString (433 W. New England Ave.) will be music to your ears. There you will find violins, violas, cellos and bows for sale, being serviced, restored and appraised.  Owners of the musical shop are husband and wife team Daniel Muni and Allison Black-Muni. Both are University of Florida graduates. Daniel had worked for Gainesville Music Works for 12 years before this new venture. Both he and Allison have known for some time that they wanted to open a place in Winter Park. “Winter Park is surrounded by the arts. It was the perfect location,” said Daniel.

Short takes

• Massey Communications has added two new team members: associate Lindsey Wilding and account executive Tara Crary for business development.
• In case you haven’t noticed, 310 Park South (above) has expanded. This means plenty of room for events such as business lunches, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, showers and birthdays.  Restaurant owner Joanne McMahon says she owes the expansion to “our loyal customers’ continued support over the years.” The restaurant has been on Park Avenue for 11 years.
• Spice and Tea Exchange (309 N. Park Ave.) owners Bryan Behling and Jeffrey Schrader are celebrating their first year on the Avenue this month.
• Linda Rolf, president of Quest Mobility Solutions and Quest Technology Group, has been named to the advisory board for the Advanced Entrepreneurship Program at Rollins College.
• Tugboat & The Bird, an upscale child clothier and gift shop, has relocated from Hannibal Square to 318 N. Park Ave. “We are very excited. The timing was right, the space really suits us, and we have always longed to be on Park Avenue,” said manager Missy Riegel.
• If you are searching for a healthy alternative to breakfast, lunch and dessert, look no further than recently opened Wrap Planet (127 W. Fairbanks Ave.). Owner Volha Dzmitryieva, from the Republic of Belarus, even bakes the homemade corn chips.

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Willow Shambeck lives and works in Winter Park, is active in the community and is a former Park Avenue business owner. She can be found dining on Park Avenue and in Hannibal Square, walking her pups around town and raising money for charities such as Easter Seals of Central Florida and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.