Orlando, Florida, once known as the chain restaurant mecca, has evolved into a destination that’s full of flavour, with a vibrant dining scene and award-winning restaurants appealing to all tastes and cultures. At the hub of Orlando’s growth as a culinary destination is Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, which has set the Orlando dining scene on fire since its opening in August 2014. The Resort has achieved national acclaim namely with its signature rooftop Spanish-influenced steakhouse, Capa.
Capa was named as one of Wine Enthusiast magazine’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants in the US, to be featured in the August 2016 print issue, alongside the likes of such renowned restaurants as The French Laundry in Yountville, California and Gramercy Tavern in New York City. Capa is the only Orlando restaurant to be named to the elite list.
“I’m excited about what the Food and Beverage team have accomplished and how they continue to innovate. They are not only raising awareness of our Resort’s incredible dining options, but are truly helping to put Orlando on the map as a destination for gourmands,” says Thomas Steinhauer, Regional Vice President and General Manager ofFour Seasons Resort Orlando.
The Passionate “Foodie”
The secret to the Resort’s culinary success – in addition to the food of course – is definitely the people. As the largestFour Seasons property in North America, the Resort offers six dynamic restaurants – Capa, Ravello, PB&G, Plancha, The Lobby Bar and Lickety Split. These big restaurant concepts require a big personality and an abundance of energy to run them, and that’s accomplished by Director of Food and Beverage Stephen Wancha. The amicable, always-on-the-go Wancha is as captivating as he is knowledgeable, and when it comes to food and beverage, Wancha is undoubtedly an expert and a self-proclaimed foodie. Travelling whenever he gets the chance, always experiencing the destination’s top restaurants, Wancha returns inspired. He has big ideas and sets them into motion. He’s responsible for sourcing the best team in the business, establishing unique collaborations, bringing acclaimed culinarians to serve as guest chefs at special dinner events, and continuously motivates the staff to elevate their creativity and deliver cuisine that Orlando has been, quite simply, waiting for.
How it Begins – Cultivating and Energising Top Talent
Wancha strives to have only the most dedicated, passionate people on his team. For years, he has served on the recruitment committee for the Culinary Institute of America, regularly travelling cross country to interview and recruit top talent. He cultivates a unique camaraderie within his team, and simple efforts such as a monthly “family meal” served for the entire team in each of Resort’s restaurants, with a rotating theme, energise the staff, keeping the excitement high and instilling a sense of passion and commitment to Four Seasons product and service. Team members regularly travel across the globe for educational purposes to ensure they are delivering the most authentic product possible, resulting in some of the most flavourful fare in all of Florida.
Executive Chef
If one can picture a chef who walks around seemingly happy everywhere he goes, with a giant smile on his face, who radiates charm and has a thick Italian accent – that is Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi. Born near Torino, Italy and raised above his grandparents’ bakery, Schenardi literally grew up in a kitchen. His passion for his Italian cuisine is evident in his cooking, as Ravello has raised the bar for Italian in the Orlando area. Schenardi and team make all of the pasta, pizza dough, and breads fresh in house. Many of the recipes Schenardi uses are passed down from his grandmother; some updated with a “Fabrizio twist” to give them a modern edge. Schenardi is known for making his own limoncello and often bringing some for guests to sample. He also makes a majority of the Resort’s charcuterie in house. In 2015, Schenardi was honoured in Italy with a prestigious award called the Paolo Bertani Award for his achievements in the industry. While Ravello is Schenardi’s “baby,” and where he naturally feels right at home, Schenardi oversees the entire culinary team, and menu creation at all of the Resort’s restaurants.
Unique Collaborations and Worldwide Travels
The Food and Beverage team at Four Seasons Resort Orlando has strived to establish unique partnerships, from the beef served in Capa down to the coffee served in Lickety Split. This past spring, Capa served as the first opportunity for matsusaka beef from Mie Prefecture, Japan to enter the domestic US market. Executive Sous Chef Samuel Faggetti flew to Japan and spent several days visiting Mie Prefecture to learn about the handling and preparation of the prized beef. The result was an outstanding partnership featuring matsusaka beef on a special menu in February 2016, and an ongoing collaboration with the region to offer the esteemed wagyu beef. In March, Wancha visited Mie Prefecture, furthering the team’s knowledge about matsusaka beef and establishing a solid relationship with the Japanese beef industry and Mie Prefecture officials.
At PB&G, the Resort’s Southern restaurant, hand crafted cocktails are a highlight, especially with Southern spirits such as bourbon. So it made perfect sense to send the team on the Bourbon Trail to Kentucky, where a relationship was developed with legendary Four Roses bourbon and Jim Beam. Cory Saffran, Assistant Director of Food and Beverage, visited Kentucky on two separate occasions to meet with the master distillers and walk rack houses to taste and learn with the owners of these legendary American distilleries. As a result, the staff is now highly knowledgeable about the history and process of making bourbon. A custom barrel of Four Roses, exclusively blended for PB&G, is now in the restaurant, and found in such delicious cocktails like the Brown Derby and the Kentucky Mule.
Numerous other team members have travelled to expand their culinary knowledge, including Allison Burkard, Lead Barista and Manager of Lickety Split, who trained at the Seattle headquarters of Caffe Umbria coffee and has since travelled to Bogota, Columbia to assist with the café openings at the new Four Seasons Hotel Bogota. Another example is Capa restaurant General Manager Josh Aaronson, who spent two weeks in Spain prior to the restaurant’s opening, learning about the culture, food preparation and presentation, to deliver the authenticity of Spain’s Basque culture to Capa. In June 2016, Schenardi and Wancha travelled throughout Europe together, spending considerable time in Italy and experiencing Michelin-starred restaurants.
Visiting Guest Chefs
James Beard Award dinners and Orlando did not go hand-in-hand, until recently. Since opening, the Resort has welcomed myriad visiting culinarians for special guest chef dinners. The highlight was the James Beard Award Dinner, held at Capa in December 2015, featuring award-winning chefs cooking alongside the Resort’s own team for an unforgettable event, which included a donation on behalf of Four Seasons to support the James Beard Foundation. Now an annual event, the next Beard dinner at Four Seasons Resort Orlando is slated for December 10, 2016. In 2015, the Resort welcomed collaborations with Rajat Parr, winemaker/James Beard Award winner; Jonathon Sawyer, James Beard Award Winner – Best Chef, Great Lakes; Phillip Foss, a Michelin starred chef; and a wine collaboration with five Master Sommeliers.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando was recently invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York, and a November 2016 dinner is planned.
Orlando: A Dining Destination
Chefs from across the country are buzzing about Orlando, named People magazine’s “Foodiest City” in 2015, and many chefs are now lending their names to Orlando. Most recently joining Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants at Disney Springs, Morimoto Asia opened up along with the upscale steakhouse STK. This summer at Disney Springs, Rick Bayless has opened Fontera Cocina featuring gourmet Mexican cuisine and Chef Art Smith debuted Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Shine Bar, showcasing traditional Southern favourites with sophisticated, chef-inspired creations.
The diverse restaurant concepts and amazing culinary team at Four Seasons Resort Orlando have helped set the stage for gourmet dining in Central Florida. Constantly innovating and striving to offer new products, presentations and extraordinary flavours, a meal at one of the unique restaurant concepts at Four Seasons Resort Orlando s always an experience to remember.
Awards and Accolades for Capa Restaurant
- Wine Enthusiast’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants in America of 2016, August 2016 issue
- Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, August 2016
- Florida Trend Magazine’s Golden Spoon Award, Best New Restaurants in Florida, 2015
- AAA Four Diamond Award designated restaurant
- Orlando Magazine Critic’s Choice: Best Restaurant, May 2016
- Orlando Magazine Critic’s Choice: Best Steak, May 2016
- Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards: Critic’s Choice: Best Spanish Restaurant