Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
The theme for this past weekend was, stuff that face. We hit the town for Orlando Signal Jr’s birthday and ate at some delectable spots. First stop was a surprise dinner at Reyes Mezcaleria. A+++. The highlight was this flaming dessert. Then I took him to brunch at Domu on Sunday. I maintain the food scene in Orlando is under-rated! If you’ve never been to either place, treat yourself!
In today’s issue: 👇
- Lee's Lakeside
- Fresh Lease on Life
- The Moderne
- ….and much more
Did someone forward this email to you? Join over 20K insatiably curious Orlandoans, right here, or click forward to share with friends!
Let’s dive in!
- Philip
P.S. Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
(GREATER) ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
Flaming Desserts, a Patient Governor, and the Rise of Lee's Lakeside
Somewhere in this town there's a shoebox with a photo of two teenagers in rented formalwear, Lake Eola sparkling behind them.
That's Lee's Lakeside for you. For twenty years it owned the best corner of downtown, turning a fading restaurant in the building that once housed the Cherry Plaza Hotel into the room where Orlando got engaged, closed deals, and watched desserts get set on fire table-side.
Lee Rose ran the show her way. Even Governor Lawton Chiles waited his turn for a table, and liver and onions stayed on the menu because regulars revolted every time she considered cutting it.
Rose kept expanding, too, adding a lobster buffet in 2001 that pulled in diners from outside Florida. When the city closed East Washington Street in 1993, the restaurant became part of the park itself.
Rose died in 2003, the restaurant didn't last long without her, and by 2005 the doors closed for good. A relaunch attempt and a seafood spot called Pesca each took a swing at the space and missed. World of Beer Downtown has it now, same view and all. What it doesn't have is Lee.
🍽️ What was Lee Rose up to before she became a downtown legend? Quietly building a mini empire in Mount Dora and the mountains of North Carolina. Find out how it all led back to one lake view. Follow the trail, right here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Got Surplus? Florida's Turning Extra Farm Food Into Full Plates
Florida has committed $76 million over two years to Farmers Feeding Florida, a program that scoops up surplus produce, dairy, and proteins from state farms and gets them to people who actually need them.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, already fueling over 300,000 meals a day across seven counties, says the funding helps close a gap that keeps growing as food, housing, and insurance costs climb. The food bank's leadership puts it plainly: America doesn't have a food shortage, it has a delivery problem.
State legislators see the proof in the process as surplus food gets loaded onto trucks and heads straight out into the community.
⁉️ Ever hear of Farmers Feeding Florida? Quench your thirst for knowledge, right there.
(Dive deeper into Florida's farm-to-food-bank pipeline with Marian Summerall, right here)
Metcalf Building’s Fresh Lease on Life
Downtown Orlando's 10-story Metcalf Building (← maybe we need a Rewind piece on this) has been standing at the corner of Orange Avenue and Pine Street since 1923, and First Capital Property Group just made sure it stays relevant for years to come.
The company recently scooped up the century-old landmark, with plans to turn it into private office suites where small and mid-sized businesses can claim an entire floor all to themselves.
The building's resume is impressive: Walt Disney himself used its offices in the 1960s while quietly piecing together the land for Walt Disney World. Most recently, it said goodbye to Tanqueray, a beloved bar that called the Metcalf home for 37 years before closing last December.
For First Capital, the purchase is a bet on downtown Orlando's comeback, and a sign, they say, that the city is open for business.
(Dive deeper into the Metcalf Building's next chapter with Amy Russo, right here)
Eleven Years of Helping Others Tell Their Story
Every year at the Victory Cup Storytelling Breakfast, something remarkable happens. Six hundred community leaders pack a room, and then a nonprofit leader takes the stage and makes 600 people feel everything. Gasps. Laughter. Tears. The works.
No pie chart has ever done that.
For 11 years, Victory Cup Initiative has trained 102 nonprofits, handed out more than $5 million to local causes, and given passionate organizations something you simply can't put a price on: a main-stage, a mic, and the skills to make a room feel something.
Out of hundreds of applicants, 10 nonprofits are selected to receive unrestricted funding, professional storytelling training, technical support, and access to the VCI Alumni Network, capped off by 2.5 minutes in front of 600 of Central Florida's most influential leaders.
If you run a nonprofit, or know someone who does, this one's for you.
Applications open TODAY, August 24th for nonprofits in Orange, Osceola, Brevard, and Seminole counties.
🔥 Nonprofit leaders ready to share their story, can apply here.
👉 Partner With Orlando Signal 👈
💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
🔐 Cybersecurity Information System Security Manager Arlo Solutions | Orlando (On-site, Top Secret clearance required)
Protect Army information systems from threats and keep critical DoD programs authorized and compliant, navigating RMF lifecycles like the cyber expert you are.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🏘️ Assistant Community Manager Fairstead | Orlando
Help run an affordable housing community with heart, handling everything from lease compliance and rent collections to resident relations at a mission-driven firm that actually gives back.
💰 Competitive salary + 15 days PTO | 👉 Learn More & Apply
📋 Administrative Assistant Sedgwick | Orlando
Keep one of America's greatest workplaces running behind the scenes by managing correspondence, invoices, travel, and office operations for a team that helps people during their toughest moments.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🪵 Builder Territory Manager Shaw Industries / Berkshire Hathaway | Orlando Territory
Hit the road selling premium flooring to builders, retailers, and designers across Central Florida for a Berkshire Hathaway company that dominates the surface industry worldwide.
💰 Competitive salary + benefits | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🎮 Restaurant Operations Manager Dave and Busters | Orlando
Lead the ultimate entertainment restaurant where 100K-dollar days, free gameplay, and a seriously fun team make this the most entertaining management job in Orlando.
💰 Competitive salary + quarterly bonus + free food and gameplay | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Jobs added constantly!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Chesapeake charm and city grit edition
Most people fly over Baltimore on their way somewhere else. Big mistake. Mid-September brings perfect weather, Fort McHenry's got a weight to it that'll actually give you chills, and the American Visionary Art Museum is one of the most genuinely surprising museums you'll ever walk into. The Baltimore Museum of Art is world-class and free, the food scene in Hampden and Remington is quietly excellent, and steamed crabs are still very much in seaso. Grab a picnic table, a pile of Old Bay-dusted crabs, and just see where the day takes you. And if you're feeling ambitious, Annapolis is a gorgeous 30-minute drive away.
Orlando (MCO) → Baltimore (BWI) for 172 bucks* (non-stop!), round-trip Thursday through Sunday, early-September. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Águila Coffee, tucked in
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Ivanhoe Village
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FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
The Moderne
📍1241 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32803. Map to this location.
In Mills 50, The Moderne (Insta) is equal parts cocktail bar and cultural statement.
Draped in 1930s Art Moderne glamour: gold accents, bold geometry, flowing curves, the space feels nostalgic and alive at once.
The tapas menu reflects the neighborhood's diversity, with standouts like Korean Fried Chicken, gochujang cream Vodka Pasta, and Osaka Press Rolls pulling from Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese traditions.
Behind the bar, bartenders deconstruct classics into something altogether new, and with a monthly rotating menu, there's always a reason to come back.
👉 Check out the menu, right here 👈
Source: The Moderne
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🎭 Come From Away
📅 Wednesday, August 26th - Sunday, September 27th | 2pm & 7:30pm
📍 Margeson Theater at Orlando Shakes
Tony Award-winning true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the Newfoundland town that opened its arms. Warm, funny, and deeply uplifting.
👉 Come Together
🎺 Benny Benack III: The Magic of Manhattan
📅 Wednesday & Thursday, August 26th-27th
📍 Judson's Live, Dr. Phillips Center
Downbeat's #1 Rising Star Jazz Vocalist takes you on a musical tour from Café Carlyle to 52nd Street to the Village.
👉 New York State of Mind
🎧 Benoit's AudioFiles Listening Session
📅 Wednesday, August 26th | 7:30pm
📍 The White House, 2000 S Summerlin Ave
Settle in for superb DXD orchestral recordings through Tannoy studio monitors in the best acoustic space around. Pay-what-you-like and prepare to be transported.
👉 Pure Sound
🍹 Free Last Wednesday at A&H
📅 Wednesday, August 26th | 5:30-8pm
📍 Art & History Museums – Maitland
Free admission, cash bar, sunset views over the iconic lily pond, and great conversation in the gallery after-hours.
👉 Art After Dark
🎭 Mystery Sketch Theater
📅 Thursday, August 27th | 8-10pm
📍 The Falcon Bar & Gallery, 819 E Washington St
Draw dazzling costumed models from superheroes to drag performers in this lively figure drawing session with prizes; all levels welcome for $5.
👉 Sketch the Spectacular
🎭 Want to share an event? Use this link.
✅ Want to connect with 20K+ curious Orlandoans for your business?, start a conversation here.
🌟 Know a community superstar? Tell me about them, right here.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you again on Thursday’s weekend fun issue.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
