The Glass Knife Cakes & Cafe Restaurant

by Gail CliffordSep 21, 2022Food, Food and Wine, Orlando

The Glass Knife Cakes & Cafe Restaurant

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Weekend Notes | September 21, 2022

https://www.weekendnotes.com/the-glass-knife-winter-park/

WInter Park, Florida, restaurant, Glass Knife, Bakery, Cafe, Latte, Beverage, Blown Glass, breakfast, brunch, lunch — *Blown Glass in a Variety of Colors*

Driving down the busy boulevard, past the Saturday morning Farmers’ Market, we came upon a contemporary, box-structured building with lush vegetation and a hedge that matches the clean angles of the Glass Knife‘s building.

Stroll beneath the glamour lit awning to view through the porthole into the porch seating area, covered with gently moving fans to stir a cooling breeze in the Florida heat.

They know you’re likely to have a wait, if you don’t make reservations, as they have a comfy 3-seat bench with “Come sit a spell” invitingly written across the top slat.

Enter the glass front doors, conveniently providing the names of Kristy Carlucci, Executive Chef, and Bianca Hinksman, General Manager. These ladies know how to dance the pandemic pivot offering a cash free (and smoke free) environment that will get your weekend off to a lovely start. The typical chaos somehow feels inviting at the entrance, but that’s likely due to the hostess Jasmyn who, upon learning we have a reservation, takes us to the star-studded, velvet walled booth with a reserved sign on the table.

We walk past displays of season specific items and look to the glass display cases filled with decadent croissants, pastries, and cakes. Rows of freshly made doughnuts line the walls behind the cash register beneath the menus for brunch and beverages.

While it’d be impossible to miss the long, butcher block table with the rectangular chandelier base and dropped pendant lights that line the entire 12 seat table, it’s easy to miss the glass display in the center of it. Therein lie several of the eponymous glass knife in multiple colors. I’ve blown glass and knew how difficult it is to make flatware with precision. Turns out, it’s the imperfections that make them stunning.

Art on the wall provided my first glimpse of what to order for breakfast. Most of my readers know I struggle when traveling to maintain the gluten-free diet required for celiac disease. A lovely hat of macarons on the first picture to the right led to my first question for our server, Carmae. “Do you have macarons?” “Yes, of course, multiple flavors, strawberry, lemon, passionfruit, salted caramel and (a coffee-based concoction).” Sold!