The decadent private event menu features selections such as Emeril’s barbecue shrimp; roasted Texas redfish encrusted with homemade andouille sausage; piquant grilled filet mignon au poivre; and velvety banana cream pie.
Three- and four-course menus range in price from $55-$75 per person, and a degustation menu of food and wine pairings can be customized for your group. The Julia-Tchoupitoulas Room will accommodate up to 60 guests for lunch or dinner and 75 for cocktails, with a pleasant adjoining outdoor terrace providing additional space. Two wine rooms seat up to 24 and 50 guests and feature a 10,000-bottle wine gallery. Complimentary custom-printed menus are offered, and rates for audio-visuals, flowers and additional printing are available on request.
Looking for the big ta-dah? Coordinate a private arrival by water taxi at Universal’s CityWalk.
Emeril’s Orlando, 6000 Universal Blvd., group reservations via Cathy Jacobson at cathyjacobson@emerillagasse.com or 407-473-2647, emerils.com.
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
At The Oceanaire Seafood Room, guests will feel like they have stepped into a 1930’s sleek ocean liner, magnificently landlocked on International Drive at Pointe Orlando. It’s a prime destination for seafood lovers with more than 20 worldwide varieties flown in daily.
Executive Chef Garey Hiles conveys Oceanaire’s ethic of flavorful simplicity in the straightforward preparation of ultra-fresh, ultra-delicious fish and shellfish. Host an amazing holiday group gathering with an impressive edible table centerpiece: the grand shellfish starter platter with fresh shrimp, mussels, oysters, crab and lobster from the raw bar.
Other sample selections from the group menu include Chesapeake Bay-style jumbo lump crab cakes; live Maine lobster; simply seared or broiled fresh seafood selections; grilled 10-oz filet mignon; and sides such as Oceanaire creamed corn, rustic mashed potatoes and fried green tomatoes with spicy red chili aioli. Melt-in-your mouth Key Lime pie is a popular dessert.
The private Ray Room is aptly named for the sea creature that inspires its décor, and it seats up to 40 guests for dinner, adjacent to a 400-bottle Wine Wall.
Complimentary custom menus are printed. A superb Oceanaire finale: signature baked Alaska, flambéed tableside.
The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Dr., Suite 1002, group reservations via Ron Studdard at orlandoevents@theoceanaire.com or 407-363-4801, theoceanaire.com.
Vines Grille & Wine Bar
Vines Grille & Wine Bar is a premier group-dining destination located on Sand Lake’s Restaurant Row and specializes in dry-aged prime beef, wild-caught fresh fish and seafood, natural poultry, pork and lamb dishes – all prepared with gourmand-worthy flourish.
Executive Chef Matt Case’s group dining menu features popular selections, such as the stunning seafood harvest platter of fresh lobster tail, shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, seared scallops and fried calamari; heirloom tomato and fresh mozzarella salad; pan-seared Chilean sea bass; and double-cut grilled Australian lamb chops.
Four-course menus range in price from $55-$90 per person, five-course menus at $110-$135. Private dining space includes the Cypress Room, accommodating up to 50 guests, and the intimate Wine Room, where up to 20 guests dine amidst custom wine displays. The outdoor Veranda offers lounge space that can be converted to group dining for up to 60.
Open with an array of indulgent hors d’oeuvres, such as luxuriant foie gras au torchon prepared in Moscato d
Asti wine with brown butter brioche and Osetra caviar on champagne toast.
Vines Grille & Wine Bar, 7533 W. Sand Lake Rd., group reservations via Kimberly Parent at kimberly@vinesgrille.com or 407-351-1227, vinesgrille.com.
Citrus Restaurant
Citrus Restaurant is located in Orlando’s Uptown District and cooks up flavorful Florida-heritage and Latin-inspired “New American” cuisine. Chef Isaac Arozqueta’s menu features flat-iron Florida pompano; grilled 8-oz filet mignon with Maytag bleu cheese and citrus butter; pomegranate-glazed grilled Atlantic salmon, and grilled marinated skirt steak.
Semi-private dining is available in the Rosalind Room for up to 10 guests. Additional private space is available in The Florida Room, with a seated dinner accommodating up to 70 guests and up to 80 for a cocktail reception. Multi-course menu options are available for lunch at $25-$45 per person and dinner at $45-$85 per person. Wow your guests with Citrus’ grand finale dessert: signature two-layer Orange Avenue cake, prepared with silky cream cheese icing and house-made Grand Marnier whipped cream.
Citrus Restaurant, 821 North Orange Ave., group reservations via Theresa Grant at theresa@citrusorlando.com or 407-373-0622, citrusorlando.com.
Kres Chophouse
Kres Chophouse is the downtown go-to for sophisticated, yet casual fine dining – with a Mediterranean spin on the big-city chophouse concept. Chef Ralph Oliver’s menu is highlighted by noteworthy dishes, such as Snake River Wagyu beef carpaccio; blackened sea scallops; filet Wellington with wild mushroom duxelle in puff pastry; grilled Costa Rican yellowfin tuna; Kres-mixed grill with garlic shrimp, filet mignon and double lamb chops; and succulent Opal Valley rack of lamb.
Group dining is offered in the Church Street dining room for up to 40 for dinner, and 60 guests for cocktails. Lunch menus range in price from $19-$35 per person, and dinner options range from $48-$100 per person.
Need a razzle-dazzle menu suggestion? Order Kres’ chateaubriand, cooked-to-order and carved theatrically at tableside. Finish this rich dining experience with its popular white chocolate bread pudding.
Kres Chophouse, 17 West Church, group reservations via Billy Ray Deans at billyray@kresrestaurant.com or 407-447-7950, kresrestsuarant.com.
Norman’s Orlando
Norman’s Orlando, located at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, is the inspiration of James Beard board member and celebrity chef-proprietor Norman Van Aken. His enlightened Zagat, AAA and Mobil Award-winning “New World” culinary stylings provide for a first-rate, fine dining experience for your private event.
Chef de Cuisine Joseph Cournoyer-Burnett offers a group-dining menu, noteworthy in the use of the freshest ingredients and local Florida products. Flavorful selections distinguish the menu, such as yucca-stuffed crispy shrimp with citrus mojo, habanero tartar sauce and Nicaraguan slaw; flaky pan-cooked filet of Key West yellowtail snapper on a “belly” of garlicky mashed potatoes; grilled pork Havana with smoky plantain crema and 21st-century mole; Mongolian-marinated and barbecued veal chop with Chinese eggplant and Thai fried rice; and tres leches cake with vanilla-scented pineapple and toasted meringue.
A three-course signature group dining menu is offered at $95 per person. Customized three-course menus range from $108-$118 per person, and four-course menus range from $120-130 per person. Wines are expertly selected by Sommelier Yusuf Yildiz from Norman’s 800-bottle wine cellar. The handsome private dining room is quietly located near the kitchen and seats up to 36 guests.
The perfect start or finish to your evening? Reserve The Terrace at Norman’s, overlooking the 18th hole of The Ritz-Carlton’s Golf Club – a bedazzling torch-lit, outdoor space suitable for cocktails or post-dinner coffees and cordials.
Chef Norman raves about Norman’s event planning team: “There’s almost nothing we can’t do,” he says. “The sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity in menu design and guest services.”
Norman’s Orlando, 4012 Central Florida Pkwy., group reservations via Debbie Franklin at debbie@normans.com or 407-393-4343, normans.com.
