3 Minutes with Chef Andrew Voss

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Where's the mountain in Mt. Dora, Florida?

About 45 minutes north of Orlando is the quaint lakeside community of Mt. Dora. Lake County, Florida is made up of 1,400 lakes including Lake Dora, named after Dora Ann Drawdy. She and her husband were the first settlers in the area in 1846. Don't look for any mountains to climb because there isn't a pinnacle higher than the three-story Renaissance building downtown. Mt. Dora is technically a "mount" in Florida because it is 184 feet over sea level. There's central Florida logic for you.

We visited Mt. Dora over the holidays and found this town of shops, pubs and lakefront housing quite charming. While many shops abound the roughly four block downtown area, most of the goods are geared for the many retirees in this part of Florida. No Armani stores or funky boutiques for women. There's the Chef's Table which I liked and a couple of watering holes worthy of a pint or so. Mt. Dora is for rustic antique shopping and knick-knack souvenirs. I did find an Eames lounge chair proudly displayed in one antique store's windows. It was in such poor condition that for a spit second, I considered looking at it in the event that it may be for sale in my price range. I passed.

But we didn't visit Mt. Dora for the shopping, but for the appreciation of sleepy little American towns that dot this beautiful country of ours. The lake was scenic and the city's holiday lights were very impressive. Mt. Dora is definitely worth the day trip. Enjoy a pint of beer and people watch until the sun sets behind the "mountain" top.

The Glitter Ball at the JW Welcomes the New Year

It was another fabulous New Year's Eve in Grand Rapids as thousands of people converged downtown to help ring in the year in style. About 25,000 revelers braved the brisk weather to view the dropping of the GR Ball to the sounds of Uncle Kracker manning the Rosa Parks stage. All the downtown hotels were sold out with the JW Marriott and Amway Grand Plaza leading the way in top entertainment venues. Cygnus 27 and it's global theme night and the Ambassador Ballroom with it's Top 40 party brought the buzz inside the Amway Grand Plaza hotel. The Glitter Ball and the Totally 80's parties inside the JW Marriott rocked downtown once again to a jam packed crowds. The Glitter Ball hosted by Jimmy Le and Todd Ernst topped the coolness factor with a venue fitting a South Beach dance club.

Glitter Ball 2009! The only place where the ball is never dropped!

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B.L.E.N.D. at Mixology

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B.L.E.N.D. which stands for Business Leaders Linked to Encourage New Directions hosted its holiday reception at Mixology at the JW to a resounding success with about 150 guests in attendance.

"It was spectacular to see such a diverse group of young professionals in downtown Grand Rapids," says Darin Jemison, Director of F&B at the JW. "It shows that Grand Rapids is progressing in the right direction."

Holiday Greetings from the JW

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I wanted to post this video on Christmas Day, unfortunately, I had no access to wifi at the place we were staying at in Florida. My best wishes to all and a fruitful 2010. 

The JW Men's Collection - A Must Have For All Men

If you're still stuck looking for a stocking stuffer gift for your husband or male friend, here's the perfect present that men could use all year round! The JW Men's Collection greeting card designed by Tanya Vanden Bosch of Madison Avenue Design is available at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids' JW Marketplace for $15.00. There are several collection sets still available. I know of one pro golfer who could certainly use a new set.