The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando combined food and fashion at its Roast and Runway event—part of the chamber’s inaugural Latin Food and Wine Festival—for more than 300 guests on Friday at the Red Coconut Club in Universal’s CityWalk. The chamber created the three-day festival, which took place October 1 through 3, to showcase the local Latin community’s culinary culture.
“This event offers the opportunity for many [Orlando residents] to understand the true taste of the community,” said chamber director of events and operations Edward DeAguiler, who organized the festival. “It also gives people an understanding of how Latin cuisine is now a main staple in the U.S. culinary world and helps many businesses in our community reach new potential customers and economically develop their businesses.”
Throughout the evening, waitstaff served hors d’oeuvres like vegetable tarts, peanut chicken satay with Latin spices, and vegetable empanadas. Various food stations set up around the club’s first floor offered dishes like arroz con pollo (yellow rice with chicken and vegetables), pork loin, fruit, and Latin cheeses. Additionally, each of the venue’s three bars served a variety of Puerto Rican rum cocktails.
Just after 8 p.m., attention turned to the spotlit 20-foot elevated runway in the center of the club for the night’s fashion show. The chamber partnered with Orlando Fashion Week to secure Puerto Rican designer Carlos Alberto—the official designer for the Miss Universe 2009 pageant—to showcase his latest collection of gowns. “He has achieved a great amount of success in Puerto Rico, and this was a way for us to showcase Hispanic culture at large with an international perspective,” said DeAguilera.
The event wrapped up around 11 p.m., an hour later than scheduled, when the club finally had to open to the public.
