In the Media

Take a teeny, tiny space with a banana yellow exterior and not much of a parking lot and make it into one of Orlando's best wining and dining spots. Then take over a vacated wine shop in the heart of visitor-ville and turn it into a jazzy supper club with a vine vibe. For the founders of the Funky Monkey Wine Company, there's just one question - what are you going to do next?

The original Funky Monkey on Mills Avenue Just north of downtown is an amethyst jewel set among some rough-cut stones. But get into the gem for some out-of-this-world sushi, superb wines, signature sake martinis and neighborhood bistro atmosphere where everyone really does seem to have fun.

Owners Eddie Nickell and Nicholas Olivieri have strong backgrounds in food, service and most importantly, wine. They are two of the three local directors for the Tasters Guild International, one of the world's largest food and wine appreciation and education organizations.

Once they created the Funky Monkey concept a couple of years ago they immediately began promoting their sushi at key community events - United Way's Chef's Gala and the Food & Wine Festival at Baldwin Park among them - and winning awards. The crowds loved the taste and presentation. And Nickell's infectiously gracious personality didn't hurt.

A highlight of the Mills Avenue restaurant is Sushi Monday with a half-off menu of some of the favorites such as the Funky Monkey (spicy Ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, sesame seeds and wasabi), Sea Monkey (bakes crab tuna roll, cream cheese, cucumber and sweet sauce) and Fire Monkey (Ahi tuna roll, cucumber, jalapeno, and habanera masago). Each week the featured specials change. (If you want to keep up with all the events and wine dinners, Nickell regularly posts updates on Facebook at Funky Monkey Wine Company.)

It's not all about sushi and wine though as the full dinner menu includes delicacies - bison burger, butternut squash ravioli and duck breast - and a host of seafood specialties - yellow tail snapper, shrimp polenta and yellow fin tuna. The starters and salads could serve as entrees and they are just as extensive.

The big news for the Monkey in 2009 was the opening of a second location in Pointe Orlando. Over the past few years this entertainment center has raised its profile with locals my attracting some top-tier restaurants (Capital Grille, Oceanaire Seafood Room, Maggiano's and Cuba Libre among them). The site of a former wine shop, The Grape, was just about perfect decor-wise. And there was a lot more space.

The new Funky Monkey Wine Company is open for lunch and dinner with the same Asian-American fusion cuisine and an extensive menu of wines - more than 100 wines by the bottle, 40 wines by the glass. Classic American favorites like the Reuben, grilled cheese (with three cheeses) and tomato soup, and B.L.T. are joined by flat-breads, pastas and salads on the lunch menu.

But at night this Monkey really lights up with the weekly Danielle Hunter Dinner Theatre every Friday night with two shows, monthly dinner shows featuring Las Vegas-style show girls and dancers, wine dinners, acoustic entertainers and dance music. The New Year's Eve bash was reportedly through the roof.

Cheers to 2010 - Monkey business has never been so appealing!

Funky Monkey meets I-Drive

By Heather McPherson, Sentinel Food Editor

November 1, 2009

Eddie Nickell already had a great thing going. The Funky Monkey Wine Company on Mills Avenue near Marks Street is an established local favorite. The restaurant's eclectic fusion menu mixes sushi with bison burgers and juicy ribeye steaks. From the street, the block is an assortment of closed and struggling businesses. But inside, the cozy dining area is nicely appointed and the reservation list is frequently filled. The eatery has a hip, neighborhood vibe and expansive wine list that fits the menu nicely.

So why expand to International Drive? After all, it is the ultimate avenue of predictable chains with few local thumbprints. Enter the year of the Monkey.

After The Grape wine bar moved out, the Funky Monkey moved in. The contrast with the location in the downtown Asian district is extreme. Large windows stream in light. A courtyard offers inviting al fresco dining. With sleek lines, and a roomy dining room, the interior is less Bohemian than its sister operation on Mills Avenue.

The menus appear identical. One exception of note: The half-price sushi Monday special remains a downtown Monkey perk.

We started with the stuffed avocado ($13), a spicy chopped ahi tuna salad that gets a sturdy kick from sriracha-infused mayo. The cool avocado and buttery ahi blossomed when intertwined with the hot sauce. The fried goat cheese ($13) was coated in panko breadcrumbs and crushed almonds before its rumba in the fryer. A great starter for sharing, the dish is completed with a sun-dried tomato jam and warm olive bread. The crisp truffle salted fries ($8) were light on fungi essence but the blue cheese crumbles melded nicely into the slender potato strips. The creamy aioli alongside had a nice garlic bite as well.

The flatbreads ($12) change nightly. On one visit it was chicken pesto and it did not disappoint. The crisp bread was generously studded with chunks of white meat and was easily sharable for four guests.

The yellowtail snapper ($24), a favorite from the downtown Monkey, was coated in seasoned panko. The coating had great crunch and the sweet, juicy fish went well with the melange of tomatoes and mushrooms cooked with ginger and garlic.

The shrimp polenta ($21) featured skewered grilled shellfish on blue cheese laced cooked cornmeal. The polenta was decadent, but the shrimp were extremely small for a dish that puts "shrimp" upfront.

The butternut squash ravioli ($20) tied for star status. Dollops of the sweet fall squash were tucked into strips of fresh pasta and tossed with toasted pine nuts and microgreens. A judicous balsamic drizzle tamed the sweetness of the veggie puree. It shared top honors with the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin ($21). The richness of the succulent pork-on-pork evened out with a subtle soy-ginger glaze.

With The Monkey in the tourist corridor, visitors can whet appetites with the fab local cuisine that awaits them nearby.

Heather McPherson can be reached at 407-420-5498 or hmcpherson@orlandosentinel.com

Funky Monkey Wine Company Where: 9101 International Drive (at Pointe Orlando), Orlando; valet parking. When: lunch 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, dinner 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 5 p.m. –midnight Friday and Saturday. Wheelchair access: Easy all around. Extras: Reservations accepted, outdoor seating, late-night dining, take-out and catering. Entree range: $15-$31; 20 percent gratuity added to parties of five or more. Beverages: Wine and beer. Noise level: Comfortable buzz with live entertainment. Call: 407-418-9463. Credit: All major. Web: funkymonkeywine.com Dinner for less than $50: Check out the nightly multi-course specials that include wine pairings. Dinner for less than $25: Order the warm monkey salad ($11) and flatbread ($12)