By Gina Horan
No Rules About Choice at Magnolia Breeze
Most restaurateurs start with a concept rooted in favorite flavors, shared memories or signature tastes when building a brand.
Iliana Pimentel and husband Francisco, owners of Magnolia Breeze in Eustis, began with a charming personality quirk.
“I’m very indecisive,” Iliana says.
Realizing that diners often get frustrated when menus don’t offer enough variety, the Eustis native decided to crank up the options to the highest level. “I wanted to give people choices, and it works. People love flights and I love coming up with the concepts.”
A flight is a curated tasting set that lets guests try multiple items in smaller portions on boards, paddles, trays or tiered stands.
Serving flights of beer, wine, whiskey, cocktails, coffee and even desserts has become a hospitality industry darling, and Iliana clearly understands flights are all about variety, presentation and discovery. From mimosa, mojito and margarita to espresso martini and coffee, each flight is crafted with care and flair. The menu changes often and reflects guests’ suggestions.
Most bartenders would be freaked out by the extra labor it takes to pull this off, but Shea’leah Addenbrooke and Chris Widmann are all in. Even though it’s more work, freshness is non-negotiable. “We don’t batch here, not even the sangria,” Shea’leah says.
Batching means combining the nonperishable parts of a drink — like spirits and bitters — ahead of time, then adding juices and syrups later for speed. Iliana believes freshness and quality matter more than shaving :30 off the pour. If things get busy, she jumps behind the bar to help.
The work begins well before the bar opens. “The prep starts early,” Shea’leah says. “We chop, slice, squeeze and portion fruits, syrups, garnishes and juices ahead of time.” For the Bloody Mary, it’s a whole other level of garnish.
I love this concept and I’m happy to admire it from the side of the bar that watches.
Photos: Nicole Hamel
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Gina moved to Central Florida in August 2021 from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a degree in linguistics and worked as a fashion editor, photo stylist lifestyle columnist and food writer for the Knight Ridder Newspaper Group. She also covered and photographed music festivals, fashion shows and sports throughout Northern California. In 2000, she joined KSAN radio as a morning show co-host and produced the news and sports content there for four years. She later covered travel, events and the restaurant scene for KRON-Bay TV. A veteran bartender, Gina has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. She has been with Akers Media since 2022 and hosts the Healthy Living Central Florida podcast. Her passions include travel, road trips, baseball, history books and podcasts, tasting menus and arriving in a new city without a map or guidebook.
