Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
The people have spoken! Ya’ll absolutely crushed last Thursday's poll when I asked about adding curated job listings and a job board to the newsletter. The verdict? A resounding "HECK YEAH!"
Even our good-looking retired crew chimed in saying they'd either share opportunities or simply vibe-scroll past them. Either way, I love the energy.
This topic fires me up, and I'm already deep in the weeds putting together something cool with an announcement coming soon.
Quick programming note: since the next newsletter drops on Turkey Day, I'm going to condense it with just the best post-Thanksgiving weekend stuff (no news) so I can take a short breather heading into the holiday.
In today’s issue: 👇
- A Street Named Gertrude
- Three Ghosts, One Miser
- Mazal Latin Fusion
- ….and much more
Did someone forward this email to you? If so, subscribe here.
Let’s dive in!
- Philip
P.S. 🍲 Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
⚡ IT’S BAAAACK: Orlando Signal Dinner Club
Doom-scrolling social media ≠ a social life.
Let's get you out there.
Our inaugural Dinner Club in the Milk District last month was such a hit, we're doing it again in a different district!
Join Wednesday, December 10th at 6:30pm in Ivanhoe Village. Just click here to grab your seat.
Not sure what I’m talking about? Here's what you need to know: Take a quick quiz. We'll match you with five other OS readers based on your interests, food preferences, budget, and whether you want to meet people just like you, or completely different.
😎 Here's the fun part: You’ll meet at a mystery Ivanhoe Village restaurant (we reveal the location that morning + adds to the fun).
After dinner, all tables can optionally regroup nearby for drinks, games, or conversation. We’ll text you that location during dinner.
❓Want to bring someone? Invite them after your quiz, they've got 12 hours to book so you're seated together.
Final deets: Just 16 bucks books your seat (supports OS). You pay for what you order directly at the restaurant. We handle matching, reservations, reminders, and every detail. You just show up!
👇 Get more info and start the quiz
🫵 Take the Quiz & Grab Your Seat →
ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
A Street Named Gertrude: How Orlando's Grandest Avenue Became a Trail
In downtown Orlando, bronze plaques line a three-block pathway hugging old railroad tracks. Meet Gertrude's Walk, named for the woman the Orlando Sentinel crowned "the most beautiful in Orange County."
Back in the 1880s, Mayor Charles Dennison Sweet built Orlando's widest street, a whopping 100 feet across, and named it after his sister Gertrude. Born in New Orleans in 1862, she followed her brother to frontier Orlando, married musician Harry Newell in 1883, and tickled the ivories in "The Orlando Band."
But here's the twist: the grand avenue didn't last. When Henry B. Plant's railroad rolled into town in the late 1880s, it gobbled up the land, shrinking Gertrude's Avenue to a skinny strip beside the tracks.
Fast-forward a century. The city gave the pathway new life with bronze plaques in 1980, major renovations in 2010, and a slick pedestrian bridge over Colonial Drive in 2019.
Gertrude Sweet died in 1946 at 83. Her pathway? Still going strong. A frontier-era tribute now serving modern commuters and cyclists.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Three Ghosts, One Miser: A Christmas Classic Returns
Everyone's favorite grumpy miser returns to Orlando Shakes starting this Wednesday the 26th for A Christmas Carol 2025!
Watch Ebenezer Scrooge's "bah humbug" attitude get thoroughly haunted when three ghosts crash his Christmas Eve with some serious life lessons. This musical take on Charles Dickens' beloved tale delivers seasonal magic for the whole family through December 24th.
Or kick off the festivities at the Massey Services Opening Night Party on Friday, November 28th. Show up at 6pm for dinner options, drinks, and live entertainment, plus a behind-the-scenes chat with the creative team at 6:30pm.
🎤 Check out all the show dates, right here.
Corralling the Celebrities as the Lake Eola's Swan Round-Up Returns
Last Saturday, Lake Eola Park hosted its quirkiest annual event: the Swan Round-Up.
District 4 City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, veterinarians, volunteers, and kayakers teamed up to wrangle the park's feathered celebrities for their yearly checkups.
Volunteers corralled the elegant swans toward a pop-up clinic at the west end, where each bird got weighed, vaccinated, and thoroughly examined. It's organized chaos at its finest.
The lake's flock of more than 50 swans includes five breeds: Trumpeter, Black Neck, Whooper, Royal Mute, and Australian Black swans.
Keeping them healthy takes community support, which is where Commissioner Sheehan's Swan-A-Thon comes in.
🦢 Interested in helping a birdie out? The Orlando Community Youth Trust manages donations, right here.
Skipping the Kitchen Chaos and Finding Thanksgiving Dinner in Orlando
The holiday rush is here, and if wrestling a 20-pound turkey into your oven sounds exhausting, Orlando's restaurant scene has your back.
Just to call out a few spots:
- Flemings Prime Steakhouse offers prix fixe feasts from $59 for a stress-free sit-down experience.
- The Ravenous Pig in Winter Park has your back with perfectly brined turkeys and sides that just need reheating.
- Delaney's Tavern is serving all-you-can-eat brunch for $69 if you prefer someone else does the dishes.
- 4 Rivers Smokehouse is smoking up turkeys, ham, and brisket across multiple locations for pick-up.
This year, let someone else handle the gravy disasters and oven timing calculations, Orlando's restaurants have it handled.
🍽️ Orlando Weekly’s compiled a huge list of dining options across Greater Orlando, right here.
Fewer Crashes, Safer Streets with Orlando's Winning Formula
Orlando has some good news: deadly and serious-injury crashes have dropped nearly 40% since 2019. Not too shabby for a city wrestling with traffic safety.
The progress comes from Vision Zero, a 2017 initiative aiming for zero traffic deaths by 2040.
🔥 Mayor Buddy Dyer says safer street design, smart enforcement tech, and community teamwork show these tragedies don't have to happen.
The city has knocked out 100 safety projects locally. Think pop-up bike paths on Corrine Drive and curb extensions on Rosalind Avenue to name a few. Red light cameras and school zone speed monitors are helping too.
Now Orlando wants to hear from residents to shape what's next and keep the momentum going.
🔖 Check out the full 2025 Vision Zero progress report, right here.
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Art Deco and ocean breeze edition
While the rest of America shivers, January brings Miami to life in the best possible way. Picture 75-degree days on South Beach, café cubanos in Little Havana, and that perfect golden hour light hitting the pastel Art Deco buildings. It's when locals and savvy travelers claim the city before spring break chaos, and every day feels like you're getting away with something.
Orlando (MCO) → Miami (Fort Lauderdale-FLL) for 68 bucks*, round-trip Friday through Monday in mid-January. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
TASTY NEWS 🧑🍳
Orlando Area Eateries Coming & Going
1️⃣ OPENING SOON: Pups Pub - Where Dogs Break the Ice
Cold drinks, dogs racing across open grass, and easy conversation, that's Pups Pub (Insta). This off-leash bar is transforming an old Clermont automotive shop into a 2,500-square-foot space with 1/3 acre of play area. Beer and wine, with food from local restaurants via kiosk. It will be a spot where wagging tails spark genuine human connection.
2️⃣ OPENING EARLY JAN: Archie’s Cafe & Play Center - Where Kids Play, Parents Relax
Archie's Cafe and Play Center (Insta), where parents can actually finish their Hao Bao Bao Coffee while kids dive into STEM exhibits and soft-play zones. The 5,000-square-foot space serves everything from salads to soft-serve, plus a party room for celebrations. Because family outings shouldn't require choosing between sanity and fun.
3️⃣ OPENING EARLY DEC: ANF Gyros & Grill - Another Spot for Gyros & More
North OBT is about to get tastier. ANF Gyros & Grill (Insta) has landed with its full lineup: juicy gyros, crispy wings, stacked Philly steaks, seafood, and burgers galore. The menu and prices match other ANF locations around Orlando, so you know exactly what you're getting: solid eats without the guesswork.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Gertrude’s Walk Plaque mentioned in the Orlando Rewind section
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Downtown
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Mazal Latin Fusion
📍4434 Hoffner Ave a1, Orlando, FL 32812. Map to this location.
Mazal means luck, destiny, fortune, and this restaurant embodies all three.
At Mazal (Insta), the menu bridges continents with dishes like Grilled Octopus with garlic confit, Lamb Chops with chimichurri, and Mediterranean Salmon with passionfruit mustard sauce. Start with Patatas Bravas, crispy potatoes with longaniza and chipotle aioli, or Ceviche.
Diners rave about the skirt steak and lobster mac. Here, food and music create connection.
As they say: "Mazal" isn't just a word, it's a whole vibe.
👉 Check out the menu right here 👈
Source: Mazal Latin Fusion - Chicken & Waffles!
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🎄 Music Department Holiday Show
📅 Monday, November 24th | 7:30pm
📍 Valencia College Performing Arts Center - East Campus
Annual celebration featuring choral and instrumental ensembles performing holiday favorites and winter classics.
👉 Holiday Joy
🎵 UCF Choirs: Seasons of Joy
📅 Monday, November 24th | 7pm
📍 Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Festive evening with UCF Choirs and Orchestra featuring contemporary holiday favorites, spirituals, and traditional tunes.
👉 Choral Celebration
🎨 3rd Annual "itty bitty art" Expo
📅 Monday, October 6th - Friday, November 28th
📍 Historic Sanford Welcome Center, 230 E. First Street, Sanford
Exhibition of 100+ mini paintings available for purchase with People's Choice voting and free drawing to win artwork; Artist Reception October 23rd, 6-8 p.m.
👉 Tiny Treasures
🎮 Game & Hobby Night at The Burrow
📅 Tuesdays | 5-8pm
📍 The Burrow Cafe & Play, Mills area
Weekly gathering for games, crafts, reading, and relaxation with drink specials available.
👉 Play Together
🍔 Tasty Takeover in The Milk District
📅 Tuesdays | 6:30-10pm
📍 The Milk District – 2424 E Robinson St
Orlando's premier weekly food truck block party featuring diverse culinary offerings behind the shops and bars.
👉 Dine Alfresco
🎤 Open Mic Night at the Copper Rocket
📅 Tuesday, November 25th | 7-10pm
📍 Copper Rocket Pub, 106 Lake Ave, Maitland
OrlandoBands.com hosts open mic with amazing sound system, drinks, and live music; instruments and reasonable amplification required.
👉 Take the Stage
🎨 TIMELESS MOSAICS
📅 Tuesday, November 25th | 10am-4pm
📍 Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
Exhibition featuring 35-50 mosaic artists from Society of American Mosaic Artists exploring 5,000 years of mosaic history.
👉 Ancient Art Form
🎨 Echoes of Expression
📅 Wednesday, November 26th | 10am-4pm
📍 Winter Park History Museum
Exhibition celebrating Winter Park's history as the "City of Arts and Culture" from early Art Colony to present.
👉 Cultural Legacy
🎨 OCLS Watercolor Cards for Thanksgiving
📅 Wednesday, November 26th | 11am
📍 Orange County Library System, South Trail Branch
Learn watercolor painting basics while creating festive holiday cards.
👉 Creative Cards
🎭 Want to share an event? Use this link.
THANKS!
✅ 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
