About Bites & Bubbles
Bites & Bubbles in the heart of the Mills 50 District at Mills Park near Downtown Orlando, Florida is a Contemporary American Restaurant with a European flair! You will find many European influences on the menu, but with a Bites & Bubbles twist. Bites equals Food & Bubbles equals Drink. The concept and the menu are the brainchild of Eddie Nickell and Nicholas Olivieri.
With a stylish yet relaxed atmosphere, Bites & Bubbles main dining room is designed to make you feel like you are in a quaint spot in New York City or Paris with only seven tables and an expansive bar. Our covered patio and lanai seating provide al fresco dining, and our rooftop dining has a feel of South Beach without leaving Orlando! All dining areas offer our full dinner menu, extensive wine list and amazing craft cocktails.
Bites & Bubbles is a throwback to dining in America… in 1960 most Americans would tell you they only eat “American” food. For all intents and purposes, the only places you seemed to find European style restaurants was New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. European restaurants were expensive and very "fancy" with white tablecloths and waiters in tuxedos. The rest of America had "American" restaurants which seemed to have European chefs or chefs that were "classically" trained, so the food was influenced with the style and ingredients of Europe.
In 1962 Julia Child got a show on Public Broadcasting in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Americans started to take notice... by 1965 Julia Child was broadcasting in 96-cities throughout America. By the late 60's Americans realized that they did, in fact, like food influenced by French and other European countries, and wanted more of it. In the 70's many of the "American" restaurants with classically trained chefs transitioned to European restaurants and in short order they too went the way of the white tablecloth with waiters in tuxedos! Bites & Bubbles pays homage to 1960 dining where there are European influences on the food without being a stuffy and pretentious!
Our menu changes often, depending on what Chef Eddie can get in fresh for the day rather than buying for the week. Bites & Bubbles has influences of French, traditional American, and even some Italian favorites with an extensive wine list and full bar. Bites & Bubbles menu has a broad international cheese selection, large "bites" selection (perfect for sharing) as well as larger entrée bites.
Bites & Bubbles is a Family Business where you will find Eddie in the kitchen cooking and Nicholas in the dining room hosting you while you dine with us. We look forward to serving you at Bites & Bubbles and thank you for supporting local, independently owned, and operated businesses like Bites & Bubbles.
About us:
Eddie started in the hospitality industry when he was 14 years old at a Howard Johnson’s Restaurant in Ohio. After school Eddie joined the Marriott International team in Dayton, Ohio where he worked until he was offered a position with a prestigious French Restaurant. Much of his adult career was in French, fine dining restaurants including L’Auberge (4-Star, 4-Diamond) in Dayton, Ohio, The Down Under (4-Star, 5-Diamond) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and La Ville Maison (5-Star, 5-Diamond) in Boca Raton, Florida. In 2007 Eddie ventured out to open his own restaurant and bought a building on Mills Avenue as “home base” for his creations. Since 2007 Eddie has created some amazing concepts that he has developed and sold from Asian-Fusion to American Diner Cuisine, but always wanting to get back to his roots of the French cuisine! Welcome to Bites & Bubbles, an American Restaurant with a “French Kiss” where Eddie’s passion for food is translated to an eclectic menu that changes often, sometimes daily. Eddie looks forward to preparing a meal for you at Bites & Bubbles.
Nicholas started in the hospitality industry almost 30-years ago at the direction of his partner Eddie Nickell. Nicholas ran restaurants from Dayton, Ohio to Fort Lauderdale, Florida before going into the hotel industry joining the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Nicholas and Eddie returned to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when Nicholas joined the Marriott International team at Marriott’s Harbor Beach Resort & Spa. Working in the hotel industry in many positions from restaurant manager to director of sales before retiring from Marriott International and The Ritz-Carlton in 2010 to join forces with Eddie in their own restaurants. Nicholas can be found most nights in the dining room at Bites & Bubbles on Mills Avenue at Mills Park.
We look forward to serving you at Bites & Bubbles!
Bon appetite,
Cheers!
Eddie “Bites” & Nick “Bubbles”