University of Central STARS

Rosen Library Exhibits Rosen Library

2006

Orlando's Historic Restaurants, Exhibit Brochure

Tanya Jo Ormseth

Gina Rippens

Part of the Food and Beverage Management Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/lib-rosen-exhibits University of Libraries http://library.ucf.edu

This Orlando's Historic Restaurants is brought to you for free and open access by the Rosen Library at STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rosen Library Exhibits by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Recommended Citation Ormseth, Tanya Jo and Rippens, Gina, "Orlando's Historic Restaurants, Exhibit Brochure" (2006). Rosen Library Exhibits. 23. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/lib-rosen-exhibits/23 Today’s Specials Include: About the Library

The Universal Orlando • Hotel Fort Gatlin’s “Golden Brown Foundation Library at You Are Cordially Invited to Fried Chicken” UCF’s Rosen College Dine With Us of Hospitality Man- At • Latchstring Tearoom’s “Figs with agement is devoted to

Cream Cheese and Tea” the study of the hospi- tality and tourism industries. The Library is

located at 9907 Universal Blvd., near Interna- • Gary’s Duck Inn “Jumbo Shrimp” tional Drive and the heart of central Florida’s tourism area. For more information, visit the • Ronnie’s Restaurant “Hot Pastrami Universal Orlando Foundation Library’s Orlando’s Sandwiches” homepage at http://library.ucf.edu/rosen or call 407-903-8100.

• Lee’s Lakeside Signature Historic “Pina Colada Muffins” About the History Center The Orange County Regional History Center, Restaurants which loaned some of the artifacts on display, is For More Information (and recipes): located at 65 E. Central Blvd., in downtown Or-

O’Brien, Dawn and Matkov, Becky. Florida’s His- lando. For more information, visit the History toric Restaurants and Their Recipes. Winston- Center online at www.thehistorycenter.org or call Salem: Blair, 1994. Rosen General Collection 407-836-8500. TX715 O2827 1994. On Display Central Florida Memory. Accessed 5/1/2006. Curators: May—August 2006 http://www.cfmemory.org. T.J. Ormseth, LTA Supervisor

“Gary’s Duck Inn Grew With Orlando, Closes Sud- Gina Rippens, Sr. LTA at the denly.” Orlando Sentinel, 10/11/2006, http:// www.infoweb.newsbank.com. Artifacts on loan from: Universal Orlando Orange County Regional History Center “Orlando: A Visual History.” Central Florida Foundation Library Heritage Foundation. Accessed 5/1/2006, http://www.cfhf.net/orlando/1926.htm. Universal Orlando Foundation Library Rosen College of Rippel, Amy C. “Larry Leckart Dies–Created Lost Hospitality Management Rosen College of Landmark.” Orlando Sentinel 12/1/2004, University of Central Florida http://www.infoweb.newsbank.com. 9907 Universal Boulevard Hospitality Management Orlando, FL 32819-8701 “Tropical Explorer’s Riches of Green Left Mark on 407-903-8100 Florida’s Landscape.” Orlando Sentinel, 4/2/2006, [email protected] http://www.infoweb.newsbank.com. http://library.ucf.edu/rosen Hotel Fort Gatlin (ca. 1926-1965) In the mid-1920s, Orlando’s building boom gave rise to the Hotel Fort Gatlin on Orange Avenue where guests could relax and enjoy a “Full Course Golden Fried Chicken Dinner.” The din- ing room served fresh Florida fruits and vege- tables and meats of the highest quality, pre- pared by well-trained chefs. The building was bought and subsequently demolished in 1965 Lee’s Lakeside (ca. 1980-2005) by the Orlando Sentinel newspaper which Once one of the top choices for locals to cele- chose to expand its operations on the site. brate a special occasion, Lee’s Lakeside stood as a centerpiece of for 20 A postcard depicting Gary’s Duck Inn. years. Its owner, Lee Rose, purchased the Gary’s Duck Inn (1945-1994) building formerly known as the Cherry Plaza Opening its doors in 1945 on South Orange Hotel in the 1980s and renovated the property Blossom Trail, Gary’s catered to Orlando’s to take full advantage of the panoramic view of growing population and tourists with no-frills Lake Eola and the Orlando skyline. Lee’s seafood that featured quality, service, and af- Lakeside became a favorite dining destination fordable prices. The restaurant’s popularity for Central Floridians and visiting dignitaries, drew celebrities like Dolly Parton and Bob including Governor Lawton Chiles. Linda Cha- Hope to dine on their Jumbo Shrimp. It is esti- pin, former Orange County chairman, com- mated that Gary’s served about 25,000 pounds mented that “[Miss Lee] made it fashionable to A postcard depicting the Hotel Fort Gatlin. circa 1930. of shrimp annually during the 1970s and 1980s, come downtown for a meal” offering signature its heyday. The success of Gary’s interested items such as Pina Colada Muffins, Red Snap- Latchstring Tearoom (ca. 1930s-1950s) Bill Darden of Darden Restaurants, Inc. to be- per Amandine, and Tournedos Lakeside. Between the 1930s and 1950s, the corner of come a co-owner of the local landmark in 1963 Sadly, Lee’s Lakeside closed in 2005 following Magnolia Ave. and Colonial Dr. was home to and became the inspiration for a chain of sea- 3 tough years after the death of Lee Rose. Re- artist and horticulturist Mulford Foster. Here food restaurants, known today as Red Lobster. cently, Robin Stotter, a former apprentice of he opened the Tropical Arts Nursery and the Although Gary’s closed in 1994, its legacy con- famed chef Wolfgang Puck, purchased the for- Latchstring Tearoom. One could enjoy sipping tinues to grow in the U.S. and abroad. mer Lee’s Lakeside and plans to rejuvenate the a cup of tea while looking out at some of the location with his own “imaginative cuisine.” 200 species of plants, including bromeliads, Ronnie’s Restaurant (1956-1995) discovered by Foster on his travels around the For 39 years, Ronnie’s Restaurant, located at world. In fact, colonies of Foster’s bromeliads Bumby and East Colonial, served good food can still be found in the historic neighborhoods with abrupt service to a wide mix of people, around Orlando. A 7-Eleven has replaced the from locals to campaigning politicians like Bob lush environment Dole. Owner Larry Leckart used his keen busi- that once dominated ness sense and sharp wit to become a local ce- this corner near lebrity. Despite strict enforcement of rules Lake Eola Heights, such as no food sharing, rationed butter, and but memories of the no dividing checks, “customers would line up nursery and tea- for hours” to enjoy pastrami sandwiches, room live on in the blintzes, and fresh bagels. Ronnie’s closed its minds of longtime doors in 1995, but will continue to be remem- The panoramic view of Lake Eola and Orlando city skyline Orlando residents. bered as an Orlando landmark. from the dining room at Lee’s Lakeside.