Gaylord Palm Resort opened the doors to their newest restaurant MOOR last month. Drawing inspiration from the slow food, and farm-to-table movements, MOOR offers guests a unique opportunity to enjoy freshly-caught seafood and locally-grown ingredients in new and unexpected ways.
The resort’s Executive Sous Chef Paul Player has deep personal ties in the local farming and fishing community through his volunteer work with organizations like Slow Food Orlando, Osceola County Grown and Eat Fresh Florida. Through these relationships, the idea for a locally-sourced restaurant began. “Serving fresh, local and seasonal ingredients isn’t a fad. It’s simply the way we cook,” says Chef Player. “We want to share the bounty of our regional fare with the world.”
Some of the restaurant’s ingredients will even be farmed by Gaylord Palm Resort, as the chefs at MOOR are currently working with local farmers to create a garden in the hotel’s atrium. They currently have over half a million plants which include herbs, fruit trees and a number of vegetables. By the time they finish, they hope to have a fully-stocked culinary garden and outdoor kitchen.
Designed by Specialty Chef Phillip Fisher, the menu will include favorites like seasonal risotto and rock shrimp cocktail with tomato chow chow. And just for fun, diners can choose to enjoy this local fare like a farmer or fisherman—on the restaurant’s outdoor terrace overlooking the Coquina Lawn, or the 60-foot floating sailboat with private dining areas and interactive chef’s table.
The restaurant is open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. The bar is open 11:00 a.m. to midnight.
