With the opening of Sushi Saint earlier this year on busy Fairbanks Avenue, Chef Michael Collantes has created an epicurean trifecta—his own “culinary row” near Downtown Winter Park. Sushi Saint, Soseki and Perla’s Pizza Vinyl Record & Cocktail Bar now offer an adjacent trio of completely different approaches to dining.
Michelin-starred Soseki is an intimate 10-seat multicourse dining experience—a modern take on omakase that includes a global sake and wine program. Next door, the more casual Sushi Saint focuses on serving the freshest fish, but with “fun and energy,” says Collantes.
And cozy Perla’s Pizza offers pies with playful personalities (one with bananas, another with pineapple jam), as well as pastas, cocktails, desserts and, to make the ambiance all the more unique, even a curated selection of vintage vinyl records spun by a high-energy DJ.
Collantes grew up in Winter Park (Glenridge Middle School, Winter Park High, the Valencia College School of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts) and says he’s ready to focus on these three core eateries. Colin Burke, his general manager, previously honed his skills with respected chefs including Thomas Keller and at Knife & Spoon at Orlando Grande Lakes.
Fans may remember Bar Kada, Collantes’s 30-seat sake lounge with Japanese-inspired small plates, when it was in the space now occupied by Sushi Saint. But the newer concept, which has two other locations (Long Island, New York, and Downtown Orlando) proved so popular that he decided to shutter Bar Kada and open a third Sushi Saint.
“Some of the Bar Kada favorites remain on the menu, like the caviar donut and miso soup,” says Collantes. But Sushi Saint’s crisp handrolls are the stars—and, being right next door to Soseki, you can bet on enjoying the finest fish from around the globe.
Collantes, who describes his eclectic trio of restaurants as “culinary excellence on one block,” says he imagines guests having a cocktail at Sushi Saint before heading to Soseki for sublime dining, then to Perla’s for post-prandial fun. Perla’s keeps records spinning until 1 a.m. on Saturdays, midnight on Fridays and 11 p.m. from Sunday to Tuesday.
Sushi Saint is located at 957 West Fairbanks Avenue, 407-451-9009, sushisaint.com; Soseki is located at 955 West Fairbanks Avenue, 407-619-3952, sosekifl.com; and Perla’s Pizza is located at 959 West Fairbanks Avenue, 689-444-7143, perlaspizzafl.com. All are in Winter Park.
COLOMBIAN COMFORT
When The Coop left the corner at Morse Boulevard and New England Avenue, we missed the energy (and the aroma of John Rivers’s crispy fried chicken). Soon, however, the scent of roasting coffee beans and fresh Colombian sweets will fill the air as Mecatos Bakery & Café brings life back to the quiet corner a few blocks west of Park Avenue.
The Winter Park Mecatos is No.10 for the family-owned company—nine are in Central Florida and one is in Tampa—but will be the first to roast coffee beans in the restaurant and the first to feature a full liquor bar with a focus on such coffee cocktails as a signature espresso martini along with local beers, wine and sangria.
“Colombian food is diverse, and it’s hearty,” says Ana Rosabal, who will open the newest Mecatos. With pillowy arepas, warm pan de bono, crisp empanadas and flaky quesitos, the restaurant will offer a sweet and savory dive into a culture and cuisine that also encompasses influences from Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
In Colombian Spanish, “mecato” is a word used to describe a variety of finger foods and snacks. And Mecatos is known for Colombian comfort foods—which are warm, filling and often fried. Colombian coffee is, of course, the restaurant’s specialty; the country encompasses more than half a million coffee farms and is the world’s second biggest producer or Arabica coffee.
The Mecatos concept, however, is homegrown. Colombia native and CEO Edwin Lurduy has lived in Central Florida since 2001. He graduated from the University of Central Florida and opened his first Mecatos in 2010. (Some other locations are owned by franchisees.)
“Mecatos is a place where we share authentic Colombian flavors in an environment that’s comfortable and with something for everyone,” says Lurduy. “Coffee is a big thing in Colombia and we want our guests to enjoy the best cup.” Plus, he adds, the restaurant uses Italian-made Nuova Simonelli espresso machines and grinders—which are regarded as some of the world’s finest.
Beyond a cup of fresh brew, Mecatos has nearly 20 different hot and iced coffee drinks, from a latte to a cappuccino to a cortadito. Then there’s hot chocolate, smoothies and about a dozen pastries such as quesitos, elephant ears, guava turnovers and alfajores. To maintain quality and consistency, food is prepped in a central kitchen. But bread and sweet and savory pastries are baked in each restaurant, and food selections are cooked to order.
For a bigger breakfast, the menu includes a croissant with bacon or ham, egg and cheese; an arepa with bacon or ham, egg and cheese; and avocado toast and any way you like them.
For lunch and dinner, the selections expand with a Colombian burger (that features an addictive garlic pink sauce and pineapple sauce); arepas stuffed with chicken, sausage, beef or cheese; empanadas (beef, chicken, cheese or Hawaiian); and a Colombian hot dog loaded with cheese, pineapple sauce, garlic sauce, mayo, onions and crushed potato chips.
For happy hour, there’s tequeños (fried dough with cheese filling), empanadas and other savory bites. And you can grab an empanada—the perfect food on the run—or a quick cortado at the takeout window.
At press time, renovation work was just beginning on the 4,900-square-foot building. Rosabal says that the exterior will get a minor facelift and paint—a mix of white and gray with Mecatos’s familiar reddish-orange accents. Watch for an early summer opening.
AN AMERICAN BRASSERIE
“Reverie means a daydream,” says Chef Brandon McGlamery. “And for all of us involved, coming to this moment in our careers is more than a daydream, it’s a dream come true.”
For McGlamery and partner Brandon Manly, a Maitland resident and CEO of the Foundry Group—which is based in South Carolina—Reverie perfectly describes a time for two accomplished friends, a pair of Brandons who’ve already done it all, to embark on a startup in Hannibal Square.
In music, reverie suggests a “dreamy or musing state,” but the true origin of the word, the French “rever,” means “wildness or delirious.” McGlamery is the first to admit that there’s a bit of happy madness in his new project: “Reverie is a culmination of every experience I’ve had being brought forward to this moment.”
McGlamery is a culinary legend in Winter Park. First, there was Luma on Park in 2006, then on to Prato in 2011 and Luke’s Kitchen + Bar in 2017. Along the way, he earned two James Beard Foundation Award nominations for “Best Chef South.”
No wonder. McGlamery’s cooking finesse has been honed over 30 years in more than 20 kitchens, from apprenticeships with Gordon Ramsay and Guy Savoy to stints at the illustrious French Laundry in Napa Valley, Chez Panisse in Berkeley, The Ritz-Carlton in Naples (Florida) and Bacchanalia in Atlanta.
Manly, too, is a veteran of the hospitality business, with more than 20 years developing and operating restaurant concepts, most notably Sonny’s BBQ. He and McGlamery met a decade ago at a rib barbecue competition and became fast friends. “We’ve both been in a lot of restaurants,” says Manly, who also described Reverie as “the culmination” of a storied career.
With a highly anticipated fall opening, work is underway on the former Chez Vincent, where Vincent Gagliano operated a popular French restaurant for 28 years. The remodeled space, which will feature subtle nods to that local favorite, is being reimagined by Orlando-based Michael Wenrich Architects and Charleston-based designer David Thompson, who’s known for his intimate, timeless restaurant interiors.
“We’re bringing the previous restaurant’s two rooms together,” says McGlamery. “The building will keep the cozy charm of an old neighborhood bistro, but we’re accenting the existing windows and doors to add natural light. We want a beautiful, soft space where our guests feel immersed in ‘reverie.’”
He adds: “Hannibal Square is a neighborhood, and we’re building the restaurant around the energy of the neighborhood. That’s where the idea for an American brasserie came from—it will be a local gathering place.” (Brasserie, a term usually applied to French restaurants, means comparable to a bistro but larger, livelier and with a more expansive menu.)
Speaking of the menu, it’s still in development at Reverie. You won’t find pasta dishes or pizza, but you can bet there’ll be riffs on the classics to keep things interesting. “What you will find is a great burger or an amazing piece of fish,” says McGlamery, an angler who’ll likely lean into seafood from Florida. But not just from Florida.
“If there’s great Dover sole from the U.K., or John Dory from Nova Scotia, you may find those on the menu,” he notes. Likewise, lobster may come from the Florida Keys or Maine. So, while the menu won’t be Florida-centric, the restaurant’s culinary theme might best be described as a brasserie with influences from the American South.
A curated beverage program will feature seasonal cocktails and both Old and New World wines. And for those who miss McGlamery’s truffle popcorn from the Luma days, he’s developing another signature bite for the bar that he describes as “something equally cool.”
Servers will wear long bistro aprons and ties, adding to the classic brasserie ambiance. “We have this passion to create a restaurant that’s unique, but it really goes back to providing great service,” says Manly. “It’s the total package, from answering the phone to the greeting at the door—it’s not only great food.”
Reverie will be one of a kind, not to be duplicated, says McGlamery. “This restaurant is tied to Winter Park, and Winter Park is very special to both of us,” he says. “It’s a great collaboration of restaurateurs, chefs, architects and designers. And for me, it’s time for a new run, a fresh start.”
FUN AND UNFUSSY
Construction is moving along for another Artistry Restaurants’ eatery along Park Avenue. That’s the same Winter Park-based company that owns The Chapman, Boca and Atlantic Beer & Oyster—each of which already occupy the city’s signature street.
Oak & Stone at 310 Park Avenue will be the 11th location for the popular concept, which stretches from Central Florida to Texas (with locations in The Villages and the Florida Panhandle). Noted for its “tap wall” with 50-plus sips including local beers, cocktails (including zero- proof whiskey) and wine, guests will use a tap card for selecting beverages.
With an approachable menu, the casual eatery will be an ideal spot for an unfussy meal with friends. “Oak & Stone is a place to explore and try new things,” says spokeswoman Melissa Elders. “It’s a great way to try an IPA or a special whiskey, with pours starting at 1 ounce.”
Oak & Stone’s elevated bar food will include pizzas made with dough that has fermented for 36 hours, wings that have been brined for 18 hours and fresh bites such as an ahi tuna bowl. Adds Elders: “While beverages are a big draw, the focus for Artistry is on the scratch kitchen, and creating a space that’s sleek and modern but with comfortable touches and warm woods.”
Open for weekend brunch, lunch and dinner, Expect Oak & Stone to offer, among other delights, strawberry waffles or a biscuit with crispy chicken for brunch, as well as a dozen signature pizzas, generous salads and its best-selling appetizer: Philly cheesesteak eggrolls. (Lighten up with a Caesar or wedge.) The opening is slated for late this year or early 2027, according to Elders.
SUSTAINABLE, SCRUMPTIOUS
With James Beard-nominated restaurateur Johnny Tung and Michelin-starred Chef William Shen at the helm, you should keep an eye on Tierra (the Spanish word meaning “earth” or “soil”), which will move into the space previously occupied by Colibri, a Mexican restaurant in Baldwin Park.
Shen’s Sorekara, Orlando’s only 2-star Michelin restaurant, sits just around the corner from Tierra. It offers an elegant, refined dining experience that features 20-plus curated courses—during which guests move through several rooms—and ends with sweets served in a tabletop zen garden. There’s just one seating on a few nights each week.
Tierra, whose name reflects the owners’ commitment to sustainability, will be the polar opposite: a spacious, bustling dining room and a culinary laboratory to experiment with new dishes before they debut. With a “playful” cooking style that encompasses Spanish and Japanese influences, dishes will be a la carte and shareable, says spokeswoman Ledy Saengphaxay.
Adds Shen: “While Tierra is what I call a love letter from Tokyo to Barcelona, with dishes inspired by both cities and cuisines, I also want to challenge myself and the team to cook and operate with only sustainably sourced ingredients.”
He notes in a press release: “After the warm welcome Baldwin Park gave us with Sorekara, we felt inspired to create something more accessible. Tierra allows us to explore a different format, built around shared dishes and a livelier tempo. It’s a new chapter for us and an exciting shift in how we tell our story through food.”