A Wonderful Culinary Weekend At Grande Lakes Orlando
At the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, Florida, at the headwaters of the Everglades, sit two amazing properties that offer a plethora of dining options for an epicurean adventure: the Ritz-Carlton Orlando and JW Marriott Orlando. In sunny Florida, you'll find 12 different and delightful dining possibilities — as well as lots of unique resort happenings — for a fun weekend getaway.
Do
Of course, you can venture out and visit nearby Walt Disney World Resort, Busch Entertainment Parks, and Universal Orlando — all are an easy shuttle ride away from the resort — but you could also find much to do on property at Grande Lakes Orlando.
Visit the Greg Norman-designed 18-hole championship golf course to get the lay of the land. Guests of the resort can also enjoy playing a round of tennis, pop balls over the volleyball net, rent a family Surrey bicycle, or hop on a mountain bike and take over the brand-new trail system.
For a really unique-to-Florida experience, check out the Eco-Tour on Shingle Creek, led by an expert naturalist. You'll kayak or canoe down the waterway and spot resident alligators, see and hear all sorts of bird life, and enjoy the peacefulness of the Spanish moss — also known as "grandpa's beard" — swaying from the southern live oak and bald cypress trees.
Early risers will geek out on the Sunrise Safari, a guided golf-cart trip that takes you around the 500-acre property in search of whitetail deer, bobcats, alligators, and more birds than you can count. The Audubon-certified golf course, bordered by Shingle Creek, provides excellent nature-viewing opportunities.
Sigh
Of course, who wouldn't want to relax the day away at the 40,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Spa? Get a bespoke scrub treatment at the Scrub Bar with the resort's spa mixologist — the herbs are handpicked from the resort's rooftop eco-garden and mixed with essential oils. Enjoy acupressure with a Thai massage, a zero-gravity "Grande Hammock Experience," or an antioxidant "Grande Citrus Escape" treatment.
After your spa service, spend some time at the spa pool, relaxing in a cabana or full-shaded pod. Several little joys — complimentary sunscreen and iced water, delivered cocktails and noshes — will keep you happy and satiated.
Eat
Nothing beats sitting outside, under a large oak tree, while food and handcrafted cocktails are delivered, picnic-style. Whisper Creek Farm, a 7,000-square-foot fruit, vegetable and herb garden full of lettuces, squash, plantains, tomatoes, pumpkins, sage, thyme, and mint and lined with tangerine, lime, kumquat, and pineapple trees, is at the forefront of sustainability and conservation in the resort setting. You can hear chickens clucking in their coop and see the buzzing apiary for honey harvesting. Not only can you enjoy a picnic that features items from the garden, but also you can taste these farm-fresh ingredients in restaurant dishes and feel them in spa treatments at the resort. A visit at Whisper Creek Farm is not to be missed.
A weekend in Orlando wouldn't be complete without a meal at Primo. Chef Melissa Kelly, inspired by the flavors of Italy, France, and Spain, pulls ingredients straight out of the resort's organic garden for her enthusiastic dishes available at the JW Marriott property.
"Melissa is a winner of James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: Northeast," says Jim Burns, vice president and managing director for Grande Lakes Orlando. "She was the first to earn the same award two times."
Favorites at Primo include: Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Salad; Linguini Carbonara with Cured Egg Yolk Zest; Fire-Roasted Local Swordfish; and, of course, Italian cannoli.
Another great option, located at the Ritz-Carlton property, is the Southern-inspired Highball & Harvest restaurant.
"The name derived from a train conductor's departing full-speed signal," says Burns. "It's a nod to Central Florida's field-to-table agriculture."
Highball & Harvest, with its swanky and well-lit setting, provides the perfect venue for relaxing and warm conversation among guests. Winning dishes here include the kale salad with shaved pear, the "Bad Hunter" cauliflower steak, Florida grouper with Tokyo turnips and, a fan-favorite, chicken and waffles. Also, don't forget dessert: the baby doughnuts with cappuccino ice cream and the "Chocolate S'mores Pot Pie" are noteworthy.
Drink
Grande Lakes is the first Marriott property to launch a nano-brewery. Cicerone-certified brewmaster Aaron Libera has led the charge, which produces 28 gallons of beer every week, including the famed Special Brew made from fresh on-sight farm ingredients. The flagship beer, Surplus, is a honey citrus ale that goes well with many dishes, and the ingredients are naturally sourced from the resort's beehive. How's that for innovation?
Before you know it, the weekend will be over and you'll have to return to real life, with new memories, a relaxed and nourished body, and Instagram-worthy photos. Who knew Orlando could be so much fun — and so tasty?