A new group comes to the table for Magical Dining 2022

Good Salt Restaurant Group, with its robust roundup of venues, is no stranger to Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining. But, its newest outpost, The Monroe, is hitting the roster for the first time in 2022, something restaurateur Jason Chin — among our city’s most recent crop of James Beard Award semifinalists — is pretty buzzed about. But not only to showcase the wares of he and wife/partner Sue’s latest effort.

“We are equally excited to have new guests experience Creative Village as a whole,” says Chin of this emerging downtown enclave. “Everyone I’ve spoken to who hasn’t seen the Creative Village area before is shocked to see how much development is happening and how exciting the future of this new area of downtown Orlando is.”

At the outset, Chin says they participated to drive business (“September is historically one of the slowest months of the year,” he notes), they’ve come to view Magical Dining as a way to reach a broader audience.

“Every major city has something similar — a sort of ‘Restaurant Week’ — and it’s something that creates a buzz and overall excitement and focus on our restaurant community. Visit Orlando does so much to highlight what makes our city unique and exciting, and not just pertaining to theme parks, so partnering with them is always an easy decision,” Chin said. “It is also great that Magical Dining supports local charities, so there is a lot of good being done.”

In particular, on the plate. And among the dishes I can vouch for, that towering slab they call The Perfect Cheesecake, topped with Luxardo maraschino and fresh cherries and chantilly cream. (This would be a good time to remind you that The Monroe’s coffee is pretty outta sight, too.)

Meanwhile, over in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood, an old favorite for some has a brand-new name — but the food isn’t as new as you think.

Nathalia Demarchi Kalil and her husband, chef Vinícius Turci, purchased Trevi Pasta from its original owners back in 2017. After making some changes to the restaurant and the menu, they’ve updated the name to Turci Pasta and are excited to embark on the Magical Dining adventure with locals.

“We understand the importance of this annual event for the local restaurants. It’s a great way for people to find us and know our amazing menu,” says Kalil. “All the dishes will deliver an outstanding experience for our guests. The green tortelacci is exquisite, and the pear ravioli poached in wine is my personal favorite.”

Over on I-Drive, The Hampton Social‘s team, too, are proud to be in the magical mix this year.

“We are excited to welcome the community to the restaurant to indulge in our coastal cuisine for a great cause,” says general manager Jon Frost, a proponent of the venue’s “Rosé All Day” lifestyle and a menu he says caters to all guests. “Our Magical Dining menu offers a variety of favorites including the fresh tuna tartare, shrimp tacos and South Hampton pizza.”

The newcomers

The following is a list of all the newcomers to Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining this year. The 38-day program runs from Aug. 26-Oct. 2. For more information, visit magicaldining.com.

7593 Chophouse

American Social Bar & Kitchen

Boca Winter Park

BOIBRAZIL Churrascaria Steakhouse

Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine — Dr. Phillips

Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine — Lake Nona

Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine — Winter Garden

Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine — Winter Park

BoVine Steakhouse

Cedar’s Restaurant

Four Flamingos, A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen

Harry’s Poolside Bar & Grill

HAVEN

La Boucherie

Sushi Pop Oviedo

Sushi Pop Winter Park

The Hampton Social

The Monroe

The Wilson

Turci Pasta

Wa Sushi

Z Asian Vietnamese Kitchen

Want to reach out? Find me on Twitter, TikTok or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. Join the conversation at the Orlando Sentinel’s Facebook food group, Let’s Eat, Orlando.