Winning numerous foodie awards is nothing unusual for James and Julie Petrakis, owners of The Ravenous Pig as well as husband and wife. In fact, these two have been racking up the accolades since opening their doors in Orlando in 2007. Most recently, James landed on the 2011 list of James Beard Foundation awards as a semifinalist for Best Chef in the South, and the restaurant was given top honors as the 2011 Annual Foodie Award Winner of the Critics Choice award. Not to mention, James and Julie both attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. Pretty impressive, indeed.
With all of that said, it's not surprising the Petrakis duo has established a loyal customer base over the past few years by providing delicious unique fare in an ultra-ritzy section of town, the downtown district of Winter Park. The menu, which changes often, is created through a wide range of advanced culinary techniques and includes some pretty creative dishes like charred octopus, snails and bone marrow, smoked duck breast, and the southern frito misto (involves chicken livers and okra.) Other delicacies include grilled New Smyrna Beach pompano with roasted salsify and potato hash or Wagyu ribeye with waterkist farms heirloom tomato salad. Last but not least: dessert! Try the pig tails, warm cinnamon-sugar tossed fritters drizzled with chocolate espresso sauce. Yum!