Bites & Bubbles in Downtown Orlando

By Kara Mae Adamo.

I spent my twenties in Orlando.

When I say that here in DC, the responses tend to vary. There is, of course, the standard “Florida Man” sneer–aptly applied and generally welcomed since I emancipated myself from Florida with 29 years of experience dealing with said Florida Men on a daily basis.

From there, the conversation moves to the basic Orlando visuals: theme parks, fanny pack-clad tourists meandering through long lines wearing visors and crocks, possibly alligators, and strip malls.

Generally, Disney is where it starts and ends and, given how little time most people spend outside of the tourist jurisdictions, that does make quite a bit of sense.

Any person who has lived there, however, can tell you that Orlando is full of a vibrant, creative culture that slips under the radar because of a number of convenient factors.

For one, most people believe that Disney is in Orlando. It’s not. It’s actually in Kissimmee, which is an entirely different town with–and I have to be clear about this–really nothing else going on. Universal Studios is in Orlando, but even then, it skirts the border to the west.

To the East of all of that, however, the city changes.

Orlando is more like LA in that it’s a sprawling metropolis held together by winding freeways, consistent construction over those freeways, and more suburbs than you could imagine.

I could go on for years about why Orlando is my favorite place in Florida. For one thing, the city is ridiculously eclectic and deliciously diverse. In the Orlando area, you have a collection of colleges that range in specialties and focuses. UCF began as an engineering school, and its proximity to Siemans, two Lockheed Martin locations (aeronatical work to the East; nautical submarine work to the West), NASA, Spacex, and Disney’s Imagineer programs make it a hotspot for Engineers. Then, you have the parks themselves which I could personally take or leave…but think of who works there.

Those parks employ acrobats, dancers, actors, costume designers, makeup and special effects artists, pyrotechnical engineers, circus performers, Marine biologists…a cluster of color and talent that creates a crossing with the aforementioned engineers.

The result is spectacular: nerds of many spectrums that work together to geek out and keep a youthful zest for things like cosplay and theater and comics and…well…fun.

Orlando is also home to the number one hospitality school in the United States: my little sister’s Alma Mater, UCF’s Rosen College. As far as the hospitality industry is concerned, Disney sets a bar and everyone else either meets it or seeks to leap over it.

About 30 minutes–or, lately, given the current state of I-4, 3 hours–outside of the touristy theme park areas, you’ll come onto a more traditional city-scape with a lovely downtown area that encircles Lake Eola, and that is where I began to really call Orlando home. There, privately owned restaurants proudly dot the city and the sheer quality of your experiences can be impressive.

I haven’t lived in Orlando for a while now. I moved to DC in 2016, and every time I return I find a new gem that wasn’t there before.

My sister and her fiance recently took me to a lovely spot near Mills Avenue and it immediately stole my loyalty for any return visit I’ll be making for a while.

Inspired by the delicate, alluring flavors of authentic French cuisine and the posh, refined vibes of New York City, Bites & Bubbles is the delightful creation of Eddie Nickell and Nicholas Olivieri. The menu is a stunning melding of French and Italian dishes and it caters to both the traditional coursed style of service with a constantly evolving pre-fixe menue, as well as the more modern “tapas” approach, with shareable small plates that offer the table a variety of flavors at each meal.

The wine menu is appropriately priced, boasting a number of affordable but well-crafted bottles. We chose the 2017 Annabella Red Blend because it is a classic bordeaux recipe made with American grapes–a reflection, in many ways, of the restaurant itself. Jammy and acidic, the red berries that come off of the nose are balanced with chocolate, structured oak,

and just a hint of coffee and mocha. It’s an easy-drinking blend that pairs well enough with food but can also be enjoyed on its own.

True to our Millenial forms, we feasted tapas-style. From Deviled Eggs topped with cherry peppers to fresh shrimp cocktail, tuna poke, an exceptional cheeseboard, beet salad, and lobster cakes, we nearly had to be rolled out of the place.

While absolutely everything on the menu was perfectly cooked, the escargot was the dish that truly blew me away. Savory and buttery, each piece just melts in your mouth and the broth it’s served in has touches of saffron, offering an elegance my sister says rivals the escargot she enjoyed in Paris earlier this fall.

Served and cooked by the owners themselves, the food at Bites & Bubbles was matched by the warm, intimate atmosphere. Simultaneously cozy and elegant, Bites & Bubbles will, as I said, remain a favorite of mine for a very, very long time.

Until next time,

Cheers.

Kara Adamo is a bartender, booze nerd, and booze writer. She is the author of Fancy Grape Juice: De-Snootifying the World’s Snootiest Beverage; Artimals: Coloring the Whimsical Wild; and Brews & Hues: A Coloring Book About Beer. Adamo currently lives in Washington DC.