Timeless Brilliance

Norman Van Aken’s 1921 restaurant combines superb cuisine and artistry in the heart of Mount Dora.

- Joseph Hayes

NNORMAN VAN AKEN is already well known to Central Florida. Credited by Smithsonian Magazine as having revolutionized the American restaurant scene, Van Aken has won and been nominated for multiple James Beard awards, written several cookbooks and an autobiography, and is in Orlando magazine’s Dining Hall of Fame.

So when this high-powered chef announced he was opening a new restaurant in Mount Dora, a town known for antiques but not necessarily high-end cuisine, you could practically hear eyebrows being raised.

The 14-year-old Norman’s restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, is a culinary landmark, and Van Aken’s recent opening of a cooking school and restaurant in the Wynwood section of Miami is already changing that area. While he has looked at restaurant locations as far afield as Los Angeles, he says, “Our happiness is in Florida.” A casual visit to Mount Dora led to discussions, and Van Aken saw the potential in this very residential town.

But there was more to this venture than an opportunity to open a celebrity chef showcase. Food and the arts are powerful influences that can change and revitalize neighborhoods. With 1921’s association with Mount Dora’s Modernism Museum—which has lent artwork and furniture to the restaurant—Van Aken has a chance to leave a lasting mark on this community. How many times does someone get the chance to transform a town?