Orlando Culinary Academy's Machon Restaurant...

[Tonyy13]

Hey guys,

I wanted to drop a line and let you all know that I am headed back instructing in the restaurant Machon at the Orlando Culinary Academy, and would love to see any EGers who are local, or are in Orlando on vacation, come in and experience what we are doing with the kids. I am pretty excited, we should behaving lots of fun with the food that we are going to be doing. Here is the menu...

Appetizers

Pacific and Atlantic Oyster Selection

Three Oysters, Roasted Lemon Granite, and Maldon Sea Salt

Mushroom Tasting

Warm Mushroom Consommé, Black Truffle Breadstick, Sautéed Forest Mushroom Salad, Duxelle Crostini with Crème Fraiche and Chive

Perfect Heirloom Tomato Salad

Pecorino, Haricot Vert, Fava Beans, and Cucumber in a Spiced Tomato Water

Warmed PEI Mussels

Featuring Vietnamese Pho Broth, Cilantro, Scallion, Bean Sprouts, Thai Basil

Entrees

Poached Grouper Cheeks

Beluga Lentils, Slab Bacon Lardons, Balsamic, White Wine Nage

Grilled Brined Turkey Tenderloin

With Crispy Parmigiano Risotto Cake, Braised Parmigiano, and Pea Tendril Salad

Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (Vegetarian)

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Fava Beans, Fennel, Ricotta Salata

Add Seared Scallops if Desired

Grilled Skirt Steak

Chive Potato Gnocchi, Hand Picked Chanterelle Mushrooms, Roasted Baby Beets,

Chive, Crispy Celery Leaf

Desserts

Frozen Chocolate and Hazelnut Mousse Nutella, Praline Noisette, and Shaved Hazelnuts

Roasted Peach Tart with Frangipane and Milk Sorbet

Vanilla Pot de Crème with Passion Fruit, and Whipped Cream

Cheese

Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese, Roasted Green and Red Grapes,

Fennel Crisp, 25 Year Balsamico

If you come in, make sure that you mention that you saw us on Egullet, I would love to know when I have a gourmande in the house!!!!!

[Bill_H]

Tony, it looks great again! We keep meaning to get in there but your dinner hours are challenging for us working professionals. You need a late seating! Remind me again, do you take/need reservations?

[Tonyy13]

Bill,

I hear ya about our hours man, I agree, they are a little bit challenging. We seat from 6:30 - 7:30, so if you can get in at that point, we would love to have you. We are exploring opening up about a half an hour earlier, but it seems that we stop seating a little bit too early for your tastes, rather than not being open early enough. We do recommend reservations, it helps me give more info to my students, and the more info they have, the better off they are. You can call the school at (407)313-8792, and ask to speak with Carolyn, Brian, or Tyler, they are the FOH instructors, and they will get you all squared away.

Hope to see you in Bill, as well as other from EG...

[Jesse_March]

Say Tony,

Like the menu sounds like a hit. Wouldn't mind trying that heirloom salad, looks like some empirial tomato water. Good luck with the kids. Hopefully that whole thing about 10 percent of your food goes out the way you want it ain't completely true. Maybe someday I'll be able to try something you make. I think your a gr8chef who lovs2cook. Keep on cookin good lookin.

[Tonyy13]

For all who care to know, Jesse is a former roomate of mine, and he is bustin my chops. It's an inside joke.

[BrentKulman]

We ate at Machon last night and had an absolutely superb meal. Some of the menu items have changed from Tony's original posting, bu many were familiar.

Among the highlights:

The mushroom sampler was a huge hit, particularly the duxelles crostini - the rich buttery flavor of the creme fraiche that was spread on top of the bread proved took the flavors of the mushrooms to new heights

The oysters were as delicately flavored as any I have ever eaten. I must admit that I usually clobber my oysters with horseradish and hot cocktail sauce. Since there were three, I tried one with the cocktail sauce and one with the lemon granite (which was like a lemon scented broth). For the decisive oyster my fork headed straight to the granite, to my surprise.

A new dish, that was not on Tony's posting, was the lamb shank on top of a bed of orzo in a rich creamy sauce that reminded me of grits. And I'm not talking about the Quaker instant grits but old fashioned stone milled grits that have been cooked for an hour with cream that is refreshed each time the liquid cooks off. What a satisfying cooler weather dish. The lamb shank was so enormous I thought of Fred Flintstone eating those dinosaur shanks.

We were absulutely full but bravely headed into the desert course where the lemon tart with the homemade marshmallows was the highlight. A spritely combination of sweet and tart flavors that always does the trick for me.

Thanks, Tony, for posting here as we would never have known about your restaurant otherwise. Anybody who is seriously interested in food should make Machon a priority when visiting the theme parks at Disney. To miss it would be a real shame.