Have you ever worried that you would get tired of eating the same thing, day after day, if you were to commit to a meal plan? That isn’t a problem here at the University of Central Florida, thanks to the Local Restaurant Row located in the Student Union. Each week, a local Orlando business will set up shop either in Knight Stop from 11 AM-2 PM or the John T. Washington Center Breezeway and offer some menu highlights to the UCF community.
1. The Meatball Shoppe
Have you ever heard of Guy Fieri from Food Network? The reason I ask is because he hosts this show called Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and he actually featured this Orlando restaurant on season 26, episode 10 titled, “Wonder Woman.” Chef Isabella has been making meatball masterpieces for Orlando since her family moved to the area in 1970. The Meatball Shoppe will feature traditional Italian meatballs from Chef Isabella when they roll through UCF’s Local Restaurant Row.
2. Churros and Cream
Roaming the central Florida area, Churros and Cream is a food truck serving up these Latin desserts. Their menu allows you to pick a classic churro topping and pair it with a filling, also known as the cream part. If you’re really feeling indulgent, they also offer the option of a scoop of ice cream. Churros and Cream has catered some really cool events like Rockville Music Festival and Melbourne Wing Festival.
3. The Salty
This sweet shop has actually expanded to Orlando from the minds of a Miami couple that dreamed of a community surrounding donuts, coffee, and good vibes. Every donut was designed with a story in mind, and these donuts have been featured in People Magazine, Fobes, thrillist, and many more. If you see them on campus, run, don’t walk over to The Salty if you don’t want to miss out on their inspired flavors, including Toasted Coquito, Butterbeer, and Ube Pina Colada.
4. Omusubee
Started by two parents that were just trying to feed the swim team that their children swam on, Omusubee offers a grab-and-go soul food of Japan known as musubi, or rice balls. You’ll find the classic flavors of Japan as well as flavors inspired by the Orlando community. Nutritious and easy to carry, an onigiri might be the perfect snack to grab on your way to a study date.
5. Amish Pretzel Shop
If there are two things that the Amish do right, it is the furniture and food that they produce. The pretzels from Amish Pretzel Shop follow that rule with their authentic pretzels. Made from a family recipe, the owner grew up in an Amish community in Pennsylvania before leaving home to join the mission field. She grew up on Amish pretzels, and now she is sharing them with the Orlando community through her food truck.
6. Hot Asian Buns
Another way to refer to Hot Asian Buns would be to say that they serve steaming hot handcrafted bao buns. While serving a different type of cuisine, Hot Asian Buns has something in common with The Meatball Shoppe: both have had the opportunity to be featured on a Guy Fieri Food Network Show. It aired in January of this year that Chau Vo and Jimmy Nguyen, the owners of Hot Asian Buns, got to compete on Guy’s Grocery Games. They’ve also recently announced opening an eatery in Sanford, but first they will be honing their serving skills here at UCF’s Local Restaurant Row.
7. The Knot
Also known as Rollin’ in Dough Mobile Kitchen, The Knot is a mobile wood-fired specializing in personal pizzas, small bites, and salads. They’re bringing different types of sliders to UCF, so be sure to check them out for the perfect wood-fired bite. This month, The Knot will be at UCF’s Local Restaurant Row from October 23-27 from 11 AM-2 PM.
There is plenty of variety being offered up here on campus at UCF. These are just a few of the restaurants that have been through our Local Restaurant Row, but there are plenty of businesses in town. Be sure to keep an eye out for them as you charge on toward the Union to take advantage of these unique weekly offerings.