Being from Orlando, it’s been fun seeing the city’s food scene grow. I’m so far removed from the city I never know where to eat when I come home so I’m constantly referring to Yelp to help me figure out what I want to eat. Whenever I do find a new Orlando restaurant to try, I make it a point to save it on Yelp ASAP.

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining has been going on for a couple weeks now but for a little bit longer, Orlando residents can try out the special prix-fixe, three-course dinner menus at area restaurants. Each meal costs $37, with $1 of each meal benefitting Pathlight HOME and IDignity, helping to fight homelessness in Central Florida. The program was scheduled to end October 3 initially but it now extending the program to October 17, giving food enthusiasts like myself more time to experience some of the best in Orlando’s food scene.

“We’re thrilled to offer more time for visitors and locals to take advantage of this incredible program, which has raised over $1.8 million for local charities since 2009,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO for Visit Orlando in a press release. “The two-week extension opens the opportunity to raise even more money for this year’s charity beneficiaries while continuing to support our local restaurants.” 

Restaurant listings on Magical Dining’s website shows which places are still participating in the extended time. Visit Orlando’s Magical Nights, which gives access to exclusive hotels and resort offers to make your dinner visits better with an overnight stay, will also run until October 17.

I don’t know about you but with those extra two weeks, I’d be going to way more places and trying a slew of new dishes. It’s always fun for me to be a tourist in my own hometown sometimes and explore the food scene there. Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining program lets others get a glimpse of what’s in town for a good cause.

Photo c/o Visit Orlando/310 Lakeside restaurant