Tom Callahan
Tom Callahan covers local food and hospitality for CityDesk. He's interested in the business behind the meal — who's cooking, who's serving, and what makes a neighborhood spot work — without the clichés of sycophantic reviews or breathless trend-chasing. Critical when warranted, generous about context.
CityDesk reporting is produced with AI assistance and reviewed by our editors.
Latest stories — page 3
How to Get an Orlando Brunch Table Without a Reservation
A neighborhood-by-neighborhood, timing-by-timing guide to Orlando's genuinely walk-in-friendly brunch spots — and the ones that will waste two hours of your weekend.
Best Summer Cocktails in Orlando 2026
From Mills 50 mezcal riffs built around Florida mango to zero-proof programs that actually hold up, this is where the city's bartenders are spending their creative energy right now.
Best Places to Eat in Orlando During Summer Heat
A neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown rated by AC quality, patio storm-proofing, and the timing windows locals actually use.
How to Become an Orange County Convention Center Vendor in Orlando
If you've decided to pursue vendor work at the Orange County Convention Center, understand this first: the process is more layered than most outside businesses expect. The most expensive mistake yo…
Disney Springs Restaurants for Locals Worth the Trip
Before you decide whether it's worth the trip, here's what the price tags, parking clock, and wait times actually look like against what's in your own backyard.
Where to Find Tasting Menus Under $100 in Orlando
Kadence, Soseki, and a handful of serious neighborhood kitchens offer chef-driven, multi-course experiences for a fraction of what the resort dining rooms charge. Here's what to book, what it actua…
Orlando Chef Profiles 2026 Building Real Careers Beyond Resorts
Four profiles from Mills 50 to Winter Park show what the city's dining scene looks like when you ignore the resort corridor entirely.
How to Get a Food Truck Permit in Orlando
The multi-agency maze is real. Here's the sequence, the actual costs, and what trips first-timers up.
Where to Find Authentic Vietnamese Food in Orlando
The families who turned a stretch of road nobody wanted into Orlando's most authentic Vietnamese dining district — and what to order when you get there.
Which Orlando Food Halls Are Thriving in 2026
Two years after the post-pandemic food hall surge, CityDesk Orlando walked the floors, pulled the records, and asked the vendors what their lease actually costs them.
Why Orlando Restaurants Struggle to Find Cooks in 2025
Epic Universe opened, the $15 minimum wage arrives in September, and tourist volume is running hot. Orlando's hospitality labor market is being pulled apart.
Where to Eat in Mills 50 Orlando's Most Underrated Restaurant Corridor
Vietnamese breakfast pho on E. Colonial, bars pushing north toward Virginia Drive — what to eat, where to park, and how to build a Friday night.
