Orlando’s Best Plant Based Restaurants: Winter Park Biscuit Company

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Since I have started a plant-based diet, I decided to do a series of sketches of Orlando’s Best Plant Based Restaurants. Winter Park Biscuit Company (3201 Corrine Dr. Orlando, FL) is conveniently located in the East End Market. When you enter the front door, they are the first vendor on the left. It is arranged as a counter with an order window to the kitchen. Most people who ordered took the meal to go. Only one other person sat at the counter with me.

You must order online or by using a digital display. I got stuck in a loop trying to order my meal, as did the couple ordering after me. The server behind the counter had to point out the mysterious button that needed to be found to complete the order to both of us. I decided to order a WPBC Burger which was an Impossible paddy with American cheese, lettuce tomatoes, onion, pickles and WPBC sauce on a toasted Brioche bun. The meatless burger was amazing. A friend of mine used to order Impossible Burgers from McDonalds and this WPBC burger was 10 times better. The meat alternative is made from Soy protein.

The “American Cheese” was a mystery to me. The whole point of a plant-based diet is to avoid dairy. I am not sure how this faux cheese was created. The cheese sauce is sold bottled, and I might buy some next time I am there. That is something I could use all the time in recipes I am making at home. The next step is to figure out what makes the WPBC burgers taste so good. The special sauce might be the secret. That sauce is also bottled. Once I figure out how to create my own impossible burger, I will be a happy plant-based camper.

To drink I had a Tractor Hibiscus Lemonade which was delicious and refreshing. Since I was sketching and thus lingering the server was very generous with the lemonade refills. There were sodas on the menu but I am not putting that battery acid in my body any more.

There was a TV above the counter showing what life was like right after Earth experienced an apocalyptic meteor event. The first life to return was fungai which slowly covered every surface. Life slowly evolved until giant lizards once again roamed the surface of the earth. Rather than killing each other they ate plants and thrived.

While politicians help to bring about the next extinction event, I am learning to eat the plant-based food that should be plentiful even after the grid shuts down.

I give Winter Park Biscuit Company, 9 out of 10 Impossible Burgers. I only took off one burger for the impossible digital ordering kiosk since I’m such an Analog Artist who would like some form of human interaction when I go out to eat. I refuse to offer a tip to a digital kiosk.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for March 7 and 8, 2020

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Saturday March 7, 2020

8am to 1pm Free. Parramore Farmers Market. John H Jackson Community Center, 3107, 1002 W Carter St, Orlando, FL 32805. Purchase
quality, fresh and healthy food grown in your own neighborhood by local
farmers, including Fleet Farming, Growing Orlando, and other community
growers.

10am to 1pm Free. Mayor’s Jazz in the Park. 

Cypress Grove Park


290 Holden Ave., Orlando FL.

Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings invites you, your family and friends to attend a free evening of jazz. 

6pm to 8pm Free. Yoga Glow Festival. 

Novel Lucerne


733 Main Lane, Orlando FL. A high energy YogaFlow for all ages and levels. Glow paint and glow sticks provided.

Sunday March 8, 2020

9am to Noon Free. Fleet Farming Swarm Ride. 

East End Market


3201 Corrine Drive, Orlando FL. Visit farmlettes and learn about urban agriculture on a 1 to 2-mile farming bike ride.

2pm to 3:30pm Free. Florida’s Female Pioneers with Peggy MacDonald. 

Orange County Regional History Center


65 E. Central Blvd., Orlando FL. Historian Peggy Macdonald examines some of the notable women who have
shaped the Sunshine State, from Dr. Esther Hill Hawks, a female
physician who ran the first racially integrated free school in Florida,
to Betty Mae Tiger Jumper, the first female tribal chair of any American
Indian tribe in the nation.

 

1pm to 5pm Free. Love Fest. 

Quantum Leap Winery


1312 Wilfred Drive, Orlando FL. Block party with artists, vendors, food and more.

The Neighborhood Meet-up in Audubon Park

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Domu presented The Neighborhood Meet-up at East End Market (3201 Corrine Dr, Orlando, Florida 32803). Love wine? Love bottomless wine? Love bottomless wine, sangria, and draft beer? Well…
look no further! You are invited hang out in the Audubon
Park hood each and every Wednesday… because the Audubon Park
neighborhood is awesome and you deserve it mid-week.

Weekly feature (from 5:30PM-9:00PM):

– Bottomless wine (reds, whites, and sparkling)

– Bottomless sangria

– Bottomless select draft beer

– Complimentary finger foods (based upon availability)

– Live entertainment

– Large outdoor patio + garden

– The awesome people of Orlando!

$15 per person before 6:30PM • $20 after.

Check-in table will be at the entrance of East End Market by the outdoor garden!

I sketched the third installment of this neighborhood event. These early meet-ups were a clear success but I have not been able to find proof that they continue to this day. I decided to host a 10 X 10 Urban Sketching Workshop from this location. It is a great spot to overlook people relaxing as they sip their drinks, work  and chat.

Bikes Beans and Bordeaux Central Florida Song Circle

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On March 29th, I wandered into Bikes Beans and Bordeaux (3022 Corrine Drive Orlando, FL 32803) for a sandwich after sketching at an East End Market wine mixer. Unknown to me there was a monthly song circle going on. Most musicians had guitars and they went round robin performing original songs. One musician performed on percussion, and there was a harmonica, but mostly several guitarists would join in as the performer sang. I had met one guitarist at a monthly guitar song circle that is held at the Winter Park Public Library. He remembered me and introduced himself.

The Central Florida Song Circle is Central Florida’s oldest continuous song circle where musicians get
together with guitars, violins, bass, fiddles and so on, playing and
singing everything from homemade music to OPMs (other people’s music). Besides that, the food was good and there was art on the walls form a local artist who creates personalized bike gear, covering helmets and shoes with bold line work. Drawings done on location were of Paris, France. I was pleased to discover another artist who draws on location.

The Mennello Museum Indie-Folkfest.

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The final assignment for the Valentines Day Sketch Tour was for all the artists to explore and sketch the very crowded Mennello Museum Indie-Folk Festival. This was a chance for me to finally get out my own sketchbook. I immediately sat in front of the outdoor stage l sketch The Brown Bag Brass Band. I had just danced the night away several nights before, listening this band at a Mardi Gras celebration at Dexter’s in Winter Park with a friend. We danced to the point of exhilarated exhaustion. That same energy was very much alive at this outdoor performance. Dancing however seemed reserved for the kids.

Indie-Folkfest puts a twist on the Mennello Museum’s traditional Orlando Folk Festival turning it into a Valentine’s Day-themed family folk picnic that features local music, art and food. The museum partnered with East End Market for food, Joseph Martens for the music lineup, as well as local bars to throw a fun-filled picnic in the beautiful Sculpture Garden of The Mennello Museum of American Art. Approximately 3,000 guests, including plenty of dogs and kids, spread out picnic blankets, made Valentine cards and enjoyed a daylong lineup of music against the backdrop of Lake Formosa in the winter sunshine.It was the second annual day dedicated to Music + Art + Picnic + Love.

All the artists gathered back at our lakeside classroom to share our sketches and experiences. Sketching on location always opens the possibilities of meeting someone new or learning something new. It is a way exciting to go out in to the world and do what you love and share it with others. This is the message I keep trying to convey to a new generation of artists. We all posed for a group photo before class was adjourned.

Local author Stacy Barton reads from her new novella.

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On July 2nd, I went to Writer’s Block Bookstore, 124 Welbuorne Avenue Winter Park FL, to go to a book signing and reading by local author Stacy Barton of her new novella Lilly Harp. The bookstore owner, Lauren Zimmerman had been at the opening of my exhibit in the Winter Park Chambers and she had asked me to bring a framed print to her store to hang in the hallway. Lauren wasn’t at the book signing but I left the print tucked safely away in a back reading room. The bookstore feels much like an intimate home with multiple book lined bedrooms where you can stop linger and read in comfy chairs.

Stacy’s book Lilly Harp is set on a small Florida island only accessible by boat. Her protagonist is a young female art student returning to the island. Rich enveloping deep rooted mangroves welcome the artist who has found out she is pregnant. I first heard Stacy read from a draft of the book several years ago at Infusion tea. This story has gestated for quite some time. Stacy explained that she had shopped it around to many of the large publishers but they don’t get the notion of a novella. She ultimately went with Word Farm Press the publisher of her book of short stories, Surviving Nashville.

At the book signing, I got to meet Stacy’s daughter Meredith Lynelle Barton who is a dancer and a visual artist from Miami. That is a rare combination of talents. She asked about my art supplies, so perhaps she will branch out and start sketching her own life events. I can vouch for the fact that sketching dance rehearsals offers limitless subject matter. 

It turned out that I sketched multiple generations of Stacy’s family at the reading including Gail, Stacy’s daughter in law, just by chance. In my sketch, not everyone is facing Stacy, but that is just because I
sketched them in the moments before and after the reading. Trust me, you
could hear a pin drop while Stacy was reading. The only person I didn’t sketch was Stacy’s husband Todd, who was deep in conversation right beside me most of the time. He had read aloud to Stacy the first seven chapters of her book while they relaxed at home. I can’t think of a more romantic sign of love and support than that. Lilly Harp is available locally at Writer’s Block Bookstore and Bookmark It, in East End Market 3201 Corrine Drive, Suite 109 Orlando, FL. This is clearly a book with heart felt character development and a lush Florida setting. I highly suggest you pick up a copy for yourself.

Beer tasting at East End Market.

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I went to East End Market, 3201 Corrine Drive Orlando, FL, where I have some cards on consignment displayed at Local Roots Farm Store which brings the freshness and quality of the farm
directly to the city, including local produce, artisan foods and craft
beer. I was advised to get a rotating card stand to display the cards but it had slots which were too large for the 5 by 7 inch cards I had created. Because the slats are so large, cards kept falling on the floor and I was asked to remove the display. I’m thinking that I could hand make foam core boxes that could keep the cards from falling but that is a complex task that is on the back burner for now. For now, my cards are on display in a small wicker basket on a shelf.

The bar is made of a huge single slab of wood that curves elegantly.  Taylor and Megan were trying a beer sampler which had six shot sized glasses of beer for their tasting pleasure. I like this sampler idea. I just started a monthly artist group called “Drink and Draw” and the idea is to sample beers at a different bar each month with a group of artists. I am hoping to refine my tastes while also sketching.

Mark your Calendar. The first Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) event will be at Taverna Opa, 9101 International Drive, #2240, Orlando, FL from 5:30pm to 8:30pm on July 6th. Taverna Opa has an assortment of unique Mediterranean dishes. But you might not be too focused on the food as restaurant goers participate in the traditional Zorba line dance and throw plates and napkins on the floor. I’m having to re-think my retail display since cards keep falling on the floor, but it has to be fun sketching a restaurant and bar with plates and napkins getting thrown on the floor.

Orlando Soup helps fund creative ideas in Orlando.

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Orlando SOUP was modeled after the successful Detroit
SOUP, a micro-granting dinner celebrating and supporting creative
projects in Orlando. For a donation of $10, attendees receive soup (made
by Edible Orlando using fresh, local ingredients), salad and bread.
Before dinner is served, attendees will listen to four short community
project proposals covering a range of topics such as art, urban
agriculture, social justice, social entrepreneurship, education,
technology, and more. During dinner, attendees cast a vote for their
favorite project and, at the end of the night, the project that receives
the most votes is funded by $7 from each attendees’ donation. Winners
appear at future SOUP dinners to report their project’s progress.

I went to the Soup crowd funding event on August 13th 2014at East End Market. (3201 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL). The walls were still covered with my framed sketches. It was great to see so many people in the community room sharing creative ideas. The room buzzed with excitement. I had been asked to work on a mural to cover the front facade of the Fringe offices in the Ivanhoe Village district. Scottie Campbell set up an online crowd source page to try and raise the money to pay me for the project. About $2000 had been raised for the proposed project, but that was less than half of what was needed. Scottie decided to pitch the idea at the Orlando Soup event to make more people aware of the project and raise more funds. His pitch was eloquent and exciting and it helped that my work was visible on every wall. Oddly, though I was in the room sketching, I was never called up to the mic since Scottie covered every base.

Another presentation this evening was by Cole Nesmith who was raising money for The Creative City Project which featured live performances throughout downtown Orlando by local and international arts groups. Cole wants to pay the artists involved but raising the funds needed is a full time job. I wanted to do life sized interactive portraits on the street as my contribution. Unfortunately I was in Australia when the Creative City Project became a reality, so I didn’t get a chance to experience or sketch any aspect of it.  For this Orlando Soup presentation, Cole made a tactical error when he gave everyone in the room a tiny battery and light. The audience became so involved in trying to get the light to work, that they must have missed Cole’s underlying message that it takes everyone’s involvement to light up Orlando with creativity.

Pat Greene gave a presentation about his Transit Interpretation Project (TrIP) and exhibition. He had photographers ride the new Sun Rail trains to take photos of fellow commuters. He needed funds to help hang the exhibit which was at the Gallery at Avalon Island  (39 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando, FL). This show happened while I was away as well. Patrick got the most votes to help fund the TrIP Project show.

Mark your calendar. The next Orlando Soup is January 20, 2015 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at East End Market. (3201 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL). The community room is upstairs. It is a great way to see what creative projects are brewing in Orlando.

The Audubon Market has produce and a sense of community.

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Mondays in Orlando offer few event options. If I’m unable to find a sketchable event, I always go to the Audubon Garden District Community Market at Stardust Video and Coffee (1842 Winter Park Rd, Orlando, FL). Tents start to go up in the Stardust parking lot as the sun sets. I like to order a drink at Stardust and sit back to watch all the activity.

On this Monday, I sketched the Stardust patrons who were soaking in the atmosphere. The market always has a live performer which also makes it the perfect spot to sketch. Produce and products are locally grown and crafted which make the market a healthy shopping option. When I order something to eat, I know that at least I ate one healthy meal for the week. With East End Market just a few blocks away there is no reason not to eat a healthy balanced diet all week, but as an artist on the run, I tend to only eat processed fast food before doing most sketches. Maybe a better diet could result in better sketches.

I’ve sketched a number of vegetarian and Vegan themed events and have seen and heard the merits of not eating meat, yet I haven’t yet followed up with a commitment to change my eating habits. It is hard to teach this old dog how to improve his diet. Eating is a quick necessity that I don’t think much about. I function primarily on caffeine and sugar. Perhaps that is why my sketches pen Iines are so shaky and nervous. Healthy living courses seem like such a luxury, yet im probably not functioning at 100%. Aching bones tend to be a distraction when getting lost in the creative process. Perhaps someday I’ll change.

East End Market Offers All Things Local

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My exhibition of several dozen original Orlando Urban Sketches has been hanging at East End Market (3201 Corrine Dr.
Orlando, FL) for the past several months. The show is slated to come down sometime in the beginning of September. Emily Rankin of Local Roots Distribution Company asked me to keep some cards in her farm store in the front of the market. I left her with a dozen or so cards that were left over from the Emotions Dance performance, Art Evolution. I did a sketch based on each choreographed performance and worked the dancers into iconic works of art. Over time I will be adding cards that have urban sketches of venues around Orlando.

After setting up the exhibit in the community room on the second floor of East End, I decided to stay and sketch the market, which is always bustling with activity. People stay at the juice bar for hours working on their computers making them perfect models. The thin pink haired girl was the reason for starting this sketch. When she wasn’t on  her computer, she was talking to the staff behind the bar. Mason jars are used as light bulbs above the bar. Behind me, the custom coffee bar was always serving up orders.

I’m so happy my work has been exhibited at East End. People keep approaching me to let me know that they liked getting a chance to see my sketches up close and in person. I always say that my sketches are about documenting people and places that make Orlando a stronger community. East End Market is a new venue where those people come together to share similar ideals. It has been the perfect place to share what I do with people that make a difference in this town.