Food + Drink • Things to Do • Orlando

Orlando Flavor A Taste of Italy in the Sunshine State

Orlando is renowned for its world-famous theme parks, but its emerging food and culinary scene is giving locals and visitors alike even more reasons to savor their time in the City Beautiful. With the launch of Flavor by Loews Hotels, our hyper-local food and beverage program, you can experience some of Florida’s unique flavors while enjoying our Italian seaside village at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, a South Seas paradise at Loews Royal Pacific Resort or a Caribbean island escape at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.

We’ll share more about all our vendors here in the future, but first up, we’re headed to Italy! Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is a re-creation of the charming Italian village of Portofino, Italy, but you’ll find locally sourced ingredients in dishes served throughout the resort. From freshly baked bread and gourmet gelato to our exclusive lemon basil cider, our local partners infuse authentic tastes of Italy into the menus in our restaurants, in-room dining and special events. That means whether you visit Loews Portofino Bay for business or pleasure, you’ll experience the uniquely local flavors that bring our version of Italy to life.

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Olde Hearth Bread Company

Culinary artisans Shannon and Janice Talty opened Olde Hearth Bread Company in 1998 with a vision to offer high-quality artisan breads and pastries to Central Florida. Based in Casselberry, Florida, Olde Hearth is committed to baking with only the finest preservative-free ingredients and using old-world techniques with minimal automation to ensure their breads are pure and flavorful.

You can try Olde Hearth’s breads at Sal’s Market Deli, which serves mouthwatering sandwiches on their focaccia and ciabatta as well as multigrain, brioche and potato rolls. They also pair quite well with a side of Sal’s famous homemade potato chips!

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Duomo Gelato

Roberto Mori, the owner of Tampa-based Duomo Gelato, hails from Italy and he’s passionate about making gelato the right way, like they’ve done in Italy for centuries. Duomo Gelato combines fresh, premium ingredients using a secret Italian recipe to create rich, artisan gelatos in more than 100 flavors that transport your taste buds to Italy with every bite.

At Loews Portofino Bay, you can take a leisurely stroll down to the Harbor Piazza to visit Gelateria for a cup or cone of creamy gelato — think of it as your reward for all the exercise you’ll get walking around the theme parks! Gelateria offers a selection of more than 50 delectable flavors like Nutella Cheesecake, Tiramisu, Peanut Butter Brownie and Dulce de Leche. You can also indulge in gelato at Mama Della’s, Trattoria del Porto or from the comfort of your room with in-room dining.

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Accomplice Brewery & Ciderworks

Matt Stetson and Felonice Merriman are co-owners of Accomplice Brewery & Ciderworks, which serves up handcrafted fruit-infused hard ciders at their West Palm Beach taproom. As a sixth-generation cidermaker, Matt started experimenting with gluten-free recipes after he and Felonice started dating and he learned she had celiac disease. This passion turned into a business and today their ciders can be found on tap at bars and restaurants throughout South Florida.

Known for their unique and innovative recipes, Matt and Felonice created a lemon basil cider exclusive to Loews Portofino Bay Hotel with a nod to notable flavors from Italian cuisine. Take a seat at our harborside bar, Thirsty Fish, and unwind from the day with a glass of this flavorful cider. You’ll also have a great view to enjoy the nightly performance from Musica Della Notte’s opera singers. The cider is also served at Bar American, Splendido’s, Mama Della’s and Trattoria del Porto.

As you can see (and hopefully as you will soon taste!), our local partners like Olde Hearth Bread Company, Duomo Gelato and Accomplice Brewery & Ciderworks help us bring all the delicious flavors of Italy to Loews Portofino Bay, located in the middle of all the action at Universal Orlando Resort. For more information on Flavor by Loews Hotels, visit www.loewshotels.com/flavor.