Try Indian dishes with a modern twist at JALA, like these Pani Puri Shots. | Photo via @jalawinterpark
Orlando’s food scene has been buzzing lately. Check out some of the most recent restaurant openings — then bookmark our full guide to stay updated. Shaka Donuts, 2641 Curry Ford Rd. | Donuts
Shaka Donuts is back and better than ever at its new Hourglass District location.
Beignets & Brew, 885 N. Orange Ave. | Coffee + French donuts
The regional chain opened its second Orlando location in the old Downtown Credo space with specialty coffee drinks and breakfast items.
Nomi Sushi Hibachi & Sake Bar, 12189 E. Colonial Dr., Ste. 110 | Japanese
Grab classic sushi rolls, sashimi, nigiri, and creative specialty rolls + sake at this new spot.
JALA, 155 E. Morse Blvd., Winter Park | Indian
Dine on JALA’s modern Indian cuisine — we’re dying to try the inventive Pani Puri Shots.
Harmony Tea Shoppe, 12301 Lake Underhill Rd. | Boba tea
The boba spot’s second Orlando location is now open at the Waterford Park mixed-use development.
June, 700 E. Washington Ave. | Mexican
A “wood-fired contemporary Mexican” spot, June is a Team Market Group concept currently accepting reservations in its soft opening period.
Aloha Rising Concert | 7-9 p.m. | Harriet’s Orlando Ballet Centre | $20 | Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Faith Rivera will perform at this live concert.
Thursday, July 10
Thursday Night Hang with Cortez and Friends | 8-10 p.m. | Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, Winter Park | Free | After the band’s set, you can join them on stage for a jazz jam session and show off your musical chops.
Friday, July 11
Chris Redd | Friday, July 11-Saturday, July 12 | Times vary | Funny Bone Comedy Club | $30+ | The Chicago native and SNL alum is making his way down to The City Beautiful for four stand-up sets.
Saturday, July 12
Jessie Reyez: “Paid In Memories Tour” | 8 p.m. | Hard Rock Cafe | $50+ | Prepare for the smooth beats of R&B and soul as the Canadian singer and songwriter performs live.
Orlando City SC vs. CF Montreal | 7:30 p.m. | Inter&Co Stadium | $12+ | Cheer on the home team as they look to send Montreal back north with a loss.
Sunday, July 13
Peruvian Fest Orlando | 12-7 p.m. | Lake Eola Park Ampitheater | Free+ | Celebrate the culture, music, and flavors of Peru during this family-friendly event in the heart of Orlando.
Have you seen the new renderings for the proposed Camping World Stadium upgrades? Check out what the stadium could look like — including a new upper bowl on the northern side, improved suites, and other upgrades — pending outcomes from the Municipal Planning Board’s meeting on August 19. (WFTV)
Civic
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer will host his 2025 State of the City Address on Tuesday, Aug. 19. During the Address, Mayor Dyer will commemorate Orlando’s 150th anniversary, reflect on the city’s changes, and renew our commitment to being a vibrant and thriving city for all.
Coming Soon
Orange County chain Johnny’s Diner is headed to the Curry Ford West district. The restaurant is set to replace Daybreak Diner in the Dover Shores Shopping Center, but no opening date has been announced. (Orlando Business Journal)
Sports
Starting this week, Orlando Pride will host “Summer Break,” a series of community-wide events during the NWSL’s midseason pause. The first event, “Pints With the Pride,” will take place this Thursday, July 10 at Hideaway Bar from 6 to 8 p.m.
Try This
Summer Fridays aren’t just for leaving work early — it’s also The Plaza Live’s new event series. The free 21+ music nights with drinks, food trucks, shopping, and dancing will start on August 1 and take place on select Fridays in August. Get tickets.
Plan Ahead
SeaWorld revealed two of the five haunted houses slated for this year’s Howl-O-Scream event — one of which is brand new. Farm 51 will return this year, and The Collector’s Curse will debut as an estate with rare relics, ancient artifacts, and “a twisted underworld of cursed creations and monstrous mutations.” (Orlando Sentinel)
Plan Ahead
Plan Ahead
Send this to your gaming community to meet them IRL. | Photo provided by Gaming Community Expo
The Fourth may be over, but the fun’s just begun.
Whether you hope to spend July attending exciting concerts, heading to a festival, or relaxing, there’s an event in our Plan Ahead for you.
Festivals
International Vegan Food Festival | Saturday, July 26 | 2-8 p.m. | Wall Street Plaza | Free+ | Sample mouth-watering plant-based cuisine from around the world.
Concerts
The Fray | Tuesday, July 29 | 6 p.m. | House of Blues | $175+ | We may not know “How to Save a Life,” but we do know you’ll be singing along at this concert.
Get social
GCX | Friday, July 25-Saturday, July 26 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Universal Orlando Resort | $100+ | Meet gamers IRL + enjoy exclusive panels, live demos, tournaments, cosplay competitions, and more during this annual event.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
30% | I like some park news, but there’s some that I skip. 30% | I love knowing what’s going on at all of our local parks. 20% | I’m indifferent. 20% | Orlando has so much more to offer than our theme parks.
Snaqs and daqs, anyone? Newly opened coffee and cocktail spot Luminescent is offering up $3 “snaqs” and $7 daiquiris every Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. Sounds like the perfect low-cost date night to me.
