130989 Fri Oct 10 01:32:18 -0700 2003 7 10 Florida 0 707852 One of a number of dinners that I'll have during a convention in October this is the most hyped restaurant in Orlando. I've been to his Coral Gables restaurant and also wonder how this compares. Fri Oct 10 01:32:18 -0700 2003 0 Joe H. 1 707861 Why do you say this is the most hyped restaurant in Orlando? Not being confrontationa, but there is little on the net regarding Normans so far other than the Norman's website and a note from the Sentinel critic that he will be reviewing it soon. I inquired here at the Chowhound about 3 weeks ago about both Norman's and Primo as I will be spending Thanksgiving at the Ritz and have reservations at both restaurants. Only Bob Mervine responded and he had not yet been to Normans. I believe that there will be huge pressure on Van Aken by the Ritz Carlton management for his restaurant to shine as this is their opening foray into the celebrity chef restaurant wars and they want it to go well. The Disney hotels try to have their best restaurants at their resorts (think California Grill, Jiko, Flying Fish, Artist Point, Citricos, etc.) and the other local hotels have followed suit. This move by Ritz Carlton is a "top-this" salvo to the rest of the market. You'll be dining there before me so I look forward to your reviews. LilMsFoodie Sat Oct 11 07:02:20 -0700 2003 707852 0 LilMsFoodie 2 707862 Norman's (and Primo, for that matter) are Marriott's experiment to bring in "branded" fine dining experiences and make them a profit center instead of having them operate as a loss leader as most signature restaaurants do generally in hotels. Of Course, Ritz has developed their fine dining brand "the Grille Room" in many locations, but the reality is Marriott corporate would love to get out of that end of the business, cut costs, share the risk with the entrepreneurs like Van Aken and focus on their core business, putting butts in beds. Bob Sat Oct 11 09:48:37 -0700 2003 707861 0 Bob Mervine 3 707938 Check out Primo -- have been to the original in Maine 6 or 7 times and it gets better every time. I had the opportunity to eat at Primo Orlando about a month ago. It will not disappoint. Try the pizzas -- theyre not on the regular menu, but they will serve them if you ask! Wed Oct 15 16:10:08 -0700 2003 707862 0 TK 2 707866 I should have said anticipated rather than hyped and my dinners are in November during a trade show. A number of Ritz Carltons around the country have celebrity chefs who have opened restaurants, usually the chef is there full time since it is his primary restaurant. There was a great deal of buildup for Emeril's yet this wasn't even as good as his second restaurant in Vegas. A second visit there last year was a real overpriced disappointment. While I haven't been to Tchoup Chop I've heard that it's not even as good as Emeril's. Having said all this I like Maison et Jardin quite a bit, all the more so since it's home grown. I also think that Del Frisco's which is NOT part of the Lone Star group is not only the best steak house in Orlando but on par with Sparks in New York. Sat Oct 11 11:00:24 -0700 2003 707861 0 Joe H. 3 708034 The last time I was Del Friscos for my son's birthday, they brought my wife a filet instead of the strip steak she ordered and replaced it 20 minutes later with a piece of meat that was cold to the touch just beneath the surface as their version of "medium." Birthday dinner ruined. No comparison to Bern's in Tampa. Fri Oct 24 09:55:23 -0700 2003 707866 0 Bill Grenberg 4 708047 I guarantee you that if you contact the restaurant and ask for the manager, Jim Flanagan, and explain the situation to him -- they will make it up to you. If not, or if you have more problems, contact me offline and I will hook you up. Posted below is a piece I did about a staff shake up there, just scroll down to "No Change at Del's". Seems like your ruined evening may have been a casualty of that time and I believe they will make it right. Bob Link: http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2003/08/25/tidbits1.html?t=printable Sat Oct 25 19:36:04 -0700 2003 708034 0 Bob Mervine 2 708145 Van Aken -- rhymes with sophistication By Scott Joseph Sentinel Staff Writer October 26, 2003 When the Ritz-Carlton approached Norman Van Aken to operate a restaurant in one of its hotels, it represented the first time the luxury hotelier had contracted with an independent chef. They made a good choice with Van Aken, especially for their newest property in south Orlando. Norman's brings the sophistication one expects in a fine hotel restaurant, and the Ritz-Carlton's choice brings one of Florida's most celebrated chefs to Central Florida. To be correct, Ritz first talked to celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck to headline its hotel, which is part of the Grande Lakes Resort that includes the J.W. Marriott. However, a non-compete clause that Puck signed with Walt Disney Co. when he opened Wolfgang Puck Cafe at Downtown Disney prevented him from accepting the invitation. Puck may disagree, but everything turned out for the best. Van Aken is credited with coining the term "fusion cooking" and was the father of New World Cuisine, or, as it is alternately called, Floribbean cuisine. While working in Key West in the '80s, Van Aken seized upon the idea of taking familiar dishes from Cuba and the Caribbean islands and melding them with local produce and finer quality ingredients, thus elevating simple foods to a higher level. Haute cuisine from humble roots. He practiced his creative new cuisine at several restaurants, eventually opening Norman's in Coral Gables. The Orlando Norman's is not a replica of its South Florida predecessor in decor or menu. The menu has some of the items that Van Aken considers signature dishes, and those were the ones that were most enjoyable. Norman's offers only two dining options: a three-course prix fixe menu for $55 and a seasonal, five-course tasting menu for $85 (paired with wine selections for an additional $55). October's menu was inspired by the writings of Jack Kerouac. I stayed with the prix fixe menu. That's where I found the yuca-stuffed crispy shrimp, a dish that demonstrates Van Aken's culinary concept. It featured large, plump shrimp butterflied and filled with a yuca mash, battered and fried and served with a sour orange mojo sauce with salad greens and habanero tartar salsa. Van Aken is a genius with hot peppers, exacting more flavor than heat. My companion chose the foie gras, served on a stylized slab of french toast with passion fruit and candied lime zest. It was a beautifully succulent lobe and richly flavored, hardly needing any sweetening from the fruit. Pork belly is a dish with lowly origins that chefs of haute cuisine seem to love to put on their menus. Van Aken crisps his and serves it with a pineapple confit and a spicy tomato marmalade frisse with ginger vinaigrette. The fatty nature of the pork belly is a good source of flavor, but the treatment adds new and wonderful dimensions to it. A paired appetizer of soft spring rolls and tuna tataki was less than thrilling. The Vietnamese style rolls filled with noodles and served with ponzu and peanut dipping sauces were fairly bland. And the tuna, which was of unquestionably high grade, seemed to be added only because the rolls weren't adequate to star on the plate on their own. Among the main plates, I enjoyed the steak and eggs Salvadoran-style, a rib-eye steak, charred and juicy, topped with a fried egg. The richness of the yolk took the flavor of the beef to new levels. I also enjoyed the presentation of duck, which included tender slices of breast meat topped with a green chili studded pancake filled with shredded mango barbecued duck meat. A cumin-scallion sour cream added just the right grace note. Roasted pork Havana with Van Aken's mole was equally enjoyable. But Lapsang Souchong Tea and shallot stuffed grilled salmon spiral just didn't excite. I found the flavors too stark and the textures unappealing. Between entree and dessert guests are offered a cheese course ($12) and have the chance to choose from among a tantalizing array of artisanal cheeses. The dessert menu itself has a couple of fine choices. "New World" banana split was a favorite. It featured rum-flamed bananas and a scoop of ice cream with chunks of macadamia nut brittle. Mama's melado chocolate cake was rich and sweet. This one is a creation of Van Aken's son, Justin, who is trying his hand at the family business. Norman's is a beautiful room, an octagonal space with a soaring ceiling and marble floors and walls. The center of the room holds a semi-private dining space flanked tall wine cabinets. Tables are covered with fine white linens and sport simple glass oil lamps. They are set with fine Guy Degrenne flatware. There is also a terrace for outdoor dining. Service was superb. The wine list has numerous appropriate selections with several available by the glass. The Ritz name has become synonymous with style and elegance. Central Floridians who desire to put on the ritz for special occasions now have another fine choice in Norman's. Scott Joseph can be reached at sjoseph@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5514. Read his past reviews at calendar.orlandosentinel.com. Copyright © 2003, Orlando Sentinel Link: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/dining/orl-livdining26102603oct26,0,5145438,print.story?coll=orl-caldiningtop Sun Nov 02 07:28:49 -0800 2003 707861 0 Bob Mervine