Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
So we usually go out and hit the streets on the weekend. This weekend was shingles shot day. I’m going to assume the shingles is far worse than this shot, which kicked my butt all weekend, and I still feel like CACA this morning!
In today’s issue: 👇
- Wildly Big History
- Go Eat Something Amazing
- Selva Rosa
- ….and much more
Did someone forward this email to you? Join over 20K insatiably curious Orlandoans, right here.
Let’s dive in!
- Philip
P.S. Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
Heritage Square: Small Park, Wildly Big History
Most people march across Heritage Square without a second glance, coffee in hand, already late, completely oblivious to the fact that they're standing on the most historically packed 1.1 acres in Orlando.
That leafy little park in front of the Orange County Regional History Center looks like a solid lunch spot. It's also ground zero, the exact corner where Orlando was first platted into existence in 1857, when B.F. Caldwell donated four acres for the city's first courthouse.
Over 140 years, six successive courthouses rose and fell here, including a glorified log cabin and a Gothic Revival clock tower locals nicknamed "Big Ben."
The 1927 Beaux Arts building eventually became the Orange County Regional History Center, a Smithsonian affiliate.
A later aqua-tiled annex hosted Ted Bundy's murder trial and still hides a time capsule nobody touches until 2059.
Since 2019, a marker honoring July Perry, a victim of the deadliest Election Day violence in American history, reminds visitors that Orlando's full story, proud and painful alike, shares this ground.
Next time you're downtown, slow down. This park's got receipts.
🔥 Want to dive deep into Heritage Square’s history? Check out my expanded version, right here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
History Repeats Itself (In the Best Way) for Orlando Museum
Speaking of the Orange County Regional History Center, turns out winning once wasn't enough.
The OCRHC made it two years running at the Florida Historical Society's Public History Forum in Daytona Beach on May 28th, scooping up all three of the organization's top honors.
The Brotemarkle Award went to Orlando Collected, a 150th-anniversary exhibition where community members helped curate 150 rarely seen objects, celebrating the role everyday people play in preserving their own history.
Both Golden Quills went to Reflections from Central Florida: one for Sarah M. Boye's piece rescuing a forgotten Syrian immigrant's 1914 story from obscurity, and one for the magazine's full 2025 anniversary series.
Apparently, Orlando's got a lot more stories left to tell.
Bite30 Is Back, Go Eat Something Amazing
Orlando's favorite excuse to over-order kicked off last week, and you've got until July 13th to make the most of it.
Bite 30’s roster includes more than 50 local restaurants serving up multi-course prix fixe dinners for a flat $38 per person, a steal for what lands on the table.
Returning favorites like Nauti Lobstah, Shin Jung, and Aurora are back in action, joined by newcomers like Daniel Gabor's Alpine Lodge and Nikitta.
Italian, Japanese, Brazilian, there's no wrong answer.
No coupons, no secret handshakes. Ask for the Bite30 menu at these spots and dig in. Reservations highly suggested.
🔥 Check out the FULL roster and menus offered, right here.
30,000 Backpacks, and Central Florida Volunteers Didn't Even Break a Sweat
School's barely out and Central Florida is already winning at back-to-school season.
Hundreds of volunteers stormed the Orange County Convention Center last week for the seventh annual Great Big Backpack Build, stuffing a record 30,000 backpacks with supplies for students across Orange and Osceola counties.
For families already stretched thin by rising costs, those backpacks represent one less thing to worry about before the first bell rings.
Not bad for A Gift For Teaching, an org that started with one small supply store in 1998.
Since then, founder Gary Landwirth's vision has delivered more than $187 million in school essentials, and counting.
👉 Check out A Gift For Teaching, right here.
💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
🚗 Bilingual Territory Sales Manager GEICO | Orlando (40% overnight travel)
Grow GEICO's agent network across Orlando in Spanish and English. Train agencies, close new appointments, and drive insurance sales for the most recognizable lizard in America.
💰 $91.2K-$141.4K/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🔥 Admin Specialist II or III Peoples Gas System | Orlando
Keep Florida's fastest-growing natural gas utility running smoothly behind the scene. Manage complex admin operations, support senior leadership, and grow your career in a stable industry.
💰 Competitive salary + pension + bonus | 👉 Learn More & Apply
💻 IT Support Associate II - Ops Tech Solutions Amazon | Orlando
Keep Amazon's fulfillment machine humming by troubleshooting tech across massive operations facilities. No suits required, just jeans, sneakers, and serious IT skills.
💰 $23-$37/hour + Day 1 benefits | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🍎 Special Education Paraprofessional Access Charter School | Orlando
Be the superhero sidekick that helps kids with special needs unlock their full potential. Implement IEPs, provide one-on-one support, and change lives daily with patience and heart.
💰 $17-$23/hour + full benefits | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🎨 Creative Director, Art (Remote) VirtualVocations | Remote
Lead visual storytelling for health and pharma clients at an agency where your conceptual genius and healthcare design chops build campaigns that genuinely change public health.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Over 100 added last week!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Neon lights and rooftop nights edition
Nobody told Nashville to calm down, and it shows. Mid-July brings warm nights on Broadway, rooftop bars with skyline views, and a music scene that genuinely doesn't quit. Walk half a block and you've stumbled into three different live acts without trying. The food scene's quietly become one of the best in the South. East Nashville's got that creative neighborhood energy. This city's got momentum right now, and it looks genuinely fun to be in the middle of it.
Orlando (MCO) → Nashville (BNA) for 98 bucks*, round-trip Friday through Sunday, mid-July. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
TASTY NEWS 🧑🍳
Orlando Area Eateries Coming & Going
1️⃣ NOW OPEN: Sabai Thai Street Food - Phuket Flavors, No Apologies
Sabai Thai Street Food (Insta) in SoDo district serves authentic Phuket-style cooking, unchanged and unapologetic. Head chef Viradee Pisara brought her family's generations-old recipes straight from Thailand, think Tom Yum Noodle Soup, perfectly charred Pad See Ew, and homemade Thai sausage you won't find anywhere else in the city.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Heritage Square Park gators
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍City District
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Selva Rosa Cocina & Bar
📍901 S Orlando Ave, Maitland, Florida 32751. Map to this location.
Pink neon. Living plant walls. A cocktail menu that absolutely means business. Selva Rosa Cocina & Bar (Insta) touched down in Maitland in late 2025 and immediately became the restaurant everyone in the Winter Park orbit started texting each other about, unprompted.
Mexican cuisine crashes into Japanese technique, Caribbean accents show up uninvited, and somehow the whole thing works beautifully.
The Picanha Roll, Lobster Flautas, and Matcha Mojito have already earned a permanent spot in the regular rotation. Early reviews are glowing, the vibe is electric, and the kitchen runs until midnight on Fridays.
👉 Check out the goodness right here 👈
Source: Selva Rosa Cocina & Bar
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🍷 Thornton Park District Wine and Art Walk
📅 Thursday, June 11th | 6:30-9:30pm
📍 Thornton Park District Circle, 431 E Central Blvd
Grab your wristband and stroll 20+ local businesses for tastings, art vendors, live music, DJs, and a night market lakeside. Dogs welcome!
👉 Sip & Stroll
🍱 Studio Ghibli Anime Eats & Treats Day Camp
📅 Tuesday, June 9th | 10am-2pm
📍 The Kitchen House, 26 East King Street
Kids harvest seasonal ingredients and cook Ghibli-inspired recipes in this cozy anime cooking camp led by culinary historian Sarah Bousfield, where food meets storytelling!
👉 Cook Like Totoro
🎨 Gettin' Glazed
📅 Tuesday, June 9th | 6:30-8:30pm
📍 All Fired Up, Winter Park
Paint your own ceramic piece, have it professionally fired, and soak in a therapist-led talk on staying glazed and resilient, with mocktails and good people.
👉 Get Your Glow On
🎵 Chris Keough: Love, Chris
📅 Tuesday, June 9th | 7pm & 9pm
📍 Judson's Live, Dr. Phillips Center
Orlando vocalist and arranger takes you on a curated journey through R&B, soul, gospel, and house music for one night only.
👉 Reintroduction Tour
🎺 United Groove: An Evening of Funk, Blues and Soul
📅 Thursday, June 11th | 7pm (doors 6pm)
📍 Edyth Bush Theatre, Winter Park Library
High-energy celebration of Black Music Month with United Groove's explosive mix of funk, soul, jazz, reggae, and Motown; complimentary admission, first-come seating.
👉 Feel the Groove
🕯️ Created in Community: Portraits of Pulse
📅 Thursday, June 11th - Sunday, August 23rd
📍 Terrace Gallery, Orlando City Hall
49 community-painted portraits honoring lives lost at Pulse Nightclub, created by families, friends, and 1,000+ community members transforming grief into healing.
👉 Remember Together
🎭 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
