Elite Event @ Hot Krust Panini Kitchen

I love these events where we have the chance to check out several different businesses at once. And in this case the people from Hot Krust Panini Kitchen were the perfect hosts. My goodness did they show off their food — all of it quite tasty. Soup, cactus chili, burgers, wings, chicken, steak, turkey, veggie, shrimp, white roll, multi grain, regular waffle fries, sweet potato waffle fries, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, caramel nut cookies … Geez I’m feeling stuffed all over again just from writing this.
We topped off the great food with wine samplings from the Save me San Francisco Wine company created by the band Train. Sampled a range of locally produced hot sauces from Fat Cat Foods. Became card carrying members of the sandwich lovers club courtesy of Deli Fresh Threads T-​shirt company and raised some money for Give Kids the World.
This was a great time out with my Unilocal family.

Another great event! I don’t even know where to begin… Panini’s after Panini’s were being served by some of the friendliest staff around. No one went hungry at this event! Beer and wine were just as plentiful. :-)
I tried the cactus chili — excellent! I do not eat ground beef but made the exception when the owner told me he has his beef ground fresh because he’s seen the utube videos. lol… I didn’t try the hamburger Panini though, just couldn’t do it.
Steak and cheese Panini by far was my favorite. Sweet potato waffle fries also delish!
Although this place is a little bit of a drive, it would be worth it to go back.

Admittedly I have no experience with another Unilocal CM to compare Colleen to, I do not care, she’s the best one out there. She nails it every time just when you think she can’t outdo herself. This was no different, another great outing that brought together many local business owners which culminated in a delicious party in my mouth.
Hot Krust — There is nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said about the food and how great it was but IMO what makes this place special is Evan, the owner. His passion for his restaurant radiates and is infectious. From the way he talks and carries himself, the demeanor of all his employees (mostly family I think), down to the food… you can’t help but want to eat there. It is clear that he has a goal in mind (to give his kids something), is working hard (and smart) towards it, and will no doubt accomplish it sooner rather than later. My friend and +1 for the event said to me as we were walking out «If I was a venture capitalist and that guy came to me with an idea, I would invest in a heartbeat»
Fat Cat Foods — I actually almost left without trying their sauces (so glad I didn’t), I ended up buying one. The owner, Eyal, was extremely knowledgeable and it was a pleasure to speak with him 1-​on-​1 about his company and products. I tried most of his 6 sauces and ended up buying a bottle of the Purry-​Purry sauce which I can’t wait to douse some chicken breast with.
Deli Fresh Threads — One of the most unique business ideas I have seen lately. Anthony aka Biggie, the creator of the brand, is full of energy and exudes positiveness. They sell sandwiched themed t-​shirts and even have «sandwich eaters club» cards.
All of this while supporting a fantastic charity (Give Kids The World)…count me in anytime, everytime

I think it is safe to say that at our recent Elite excursion to Hot Krust Panini Kitchen, a good time was had by all. Props to Colleen and Hot Krust for hosting such an enjoyable night.
There were three businesses (Hot Krust, Deli Fresh Threads and Fat Cat Hot Sauce) and one charity (Give Kids the World) in attendance and all gave good showings.
Starting with our hosts, as a vegetarian, I enjoyed the vegetarian sandwich that was served and it was excellent. On the whole, readers will find my full review under the regular Hot Krust page on Unilocal,but I will emphasize that I doubt any sandwich shop — anywhere — uses fresher ingredients than Hot Krust. Having visited now about half a dozen times, I have never been disappointed in quality or freshness. Tomato bisque soup is flavorful and a nice accompaniment to any sandwich. As Steve A. and others have noted, baked fries are not fried fries — still tasty but no crunch!
Deli Fresh Threads intrigued me. I am still not sure that I believe that there is a market for sandwich-​inspired clothing, but Anthony (the owner) has such enthusiasm, I am fairly sure that he can inspire a market if one does not yet exist. He has put a lot of time in this and has vision.
Fat Cat is an old favorite. I am thrilled to see that they are offering Fat Cat sauces through new distribution channels, including Hot Krust. Their new ghost pepper sauce — Cat in Heat — is a winner. I brought home a bottle!
If you live in Central Florida, you should already know that Give Kids the World is a worthy charity. If you have not already donated, you should. If you do not volunteer, you can.
As always, Colleen was the belle of the ball. Looking forward to our next Unilocal Elite event!

I was very impressed by the friendliness of the owner, and the degree to which the entire staff was into it.
The HK burger was the best combination of ingredients. I also really liked the tomato soup, which had a great velvety texture and home made freshness.
The sweet potato «fries» had a nice flavor, but baking means they don’t have the crispness of a great french fry.
I’d like to try some of the salads when I go back, as those had some interesting ingredients.
This was the first time I’ve been in town for an Elite event that interested me, and it was fun to meet Coleen and the other local Unilocalers.

Lovely weather for a half inside/​half outside event in March. It was gorgeous outside and I spent most of the night on the little patio out front of Hot Krust. They have quite a few tables out there.
The guys at Hot Krust kept bringing out the food. Seriously they didn’t stop! I couldn’t try everything but I liked what I had. My favorite was the HK burger panini. So tasty. Everything there is fresh so it tastes just a bit better than you’d expect. The chocolate cookies were warm, gooey and delicious.
We also sampled wines from the band Train. There were two reds and a white. I didn’t try the white but the reds were good. I loved the «drops of Jupiter» one. I would suggest that others try it first.
Gives Kids the World is a great organization and I’m glad we got to help them out. I didn’t hear the full total yet, but she did mention she thought we raised over $ 200. Go us!
I meet two new elites. This was there first event and I think they had a great time. They picked a good one to come out to for their first go around.

I love me some Hot Krust Panini’s! This was a great event from start to finish. There was so much food, and it just kept coming. I am not ashamed to say that I did try one of everything, OK, maybe two of some things. I tried not to deprive the vegetarians of the veggie paninis, but they were so good. Maybe I’ll go veg,…ok, maybe not. My favorite panini was the chicken Florentine, although the burger is a close second.
The owner Evan, was so friendly and passionate about his business. I did not realize that everything was fresh made until he told everyone at the end. Pretty convenient that they are next door to Whole Foods, as I will be back for more! It was also cool meeting Deli Fresh Threads. This is a very cool concept and shirts! Yes I did win a shirt with he help of Brandi B. She is a rock star! I thought Provolone should go on a Philly… oh well.
It was also nice seeing some old Unilocal friends and making new ones (looking forward to Elizabeth N’s home brew!). As always, we had a great time and got to experience something new. I heart Colleen!

What a great event! This was my first Unilocal Elite event, and I am very glad that I went. Shortly after walking into the restaurant and getting some drinks, the food began to come out of the kitchen. The selection for sampling was soup, different kind of fries, paninis, chicken wings, and cookies at the end of the night.
The first thing I tasted were the sweet potato fries. You will notice that they are missing the normal crunch of a fry, but I really did appreciate that they were baked instead of deep fried. After the soup and fries they began to bring out platters of sandwiches. I am a vegetarian, so I relied on some other friendly Unilocalers and my husband to give me feedback. My husband liked everything, but he did mention that the HK Burger was his favorite.
The owner was super friendly and passionate about his business. While passing me he noticed I wasn’t snacking on anything. He stopped me and asked me why I wasn’t trying anything? I explained to him that I don’t eat meat. He told me no problem I will bring something up right away for you to try. After that I got to try two vegetarian choices. My favorite was the Alibaba Veggie was fresh hummus. YUM!
When I find myself in the Dr. Phillips neighborhood I will stop by again to try more items off their amazing menu.

This was my first Elite event, and boy I was excited for it! I love discovering new places and I hadn’t been to Hot Krust before. Everything was set up well. The staff was awesome. Evan, the owner of Hot Krust Panini Kitchen was very friendly and I have nothing but great things to say about this event.
I enjoyed the ‘Drops of Jupiter’ wine (California Red Wine) but I didn’t enjoy the California 37 (Cabernet Sauvignon) as much.
Fat Cat Gourmet Foods was present and I tried all 6 sauces there. The purry-​purry sauce was my favorite. The others were still pretty good though. Saw some awesome snazzy Deli Fresh Threads shirts and the website is just as snazzy.
As far as the food items, there was quite a few I got to try, which of course I loved. The HK Burger was delicious! Quite succulent and the sauce was tasty. Let’s not forget to mention the bread here… that’s some good stuff. I liked the fact they had multi-​grain here. Everything was fresh and tasty, can’t beat that! I knew going to the event that Hot Krust focused on «fresh» food but they really do mean it here.
Overall, I had a great time and enjoyed the fantastic company!

OMgee, sososoooo much food, and it was really good, too.
Fat Cat Foods was there to prove me wrong. =) Their Surprisingly Mild Guajillo Ghost was, umm, surprisingly mild, and fruity-​loved it.
Frank L. kindly offered me shared custody of the sweet t-​shirt he won (because I corrected his wrong answer in the game we all played to win said shirt), but that just wouldn’t be fair to the shirt, you know?
Cactus chili, Alibaba, Philly Steak, and Hula Hoop Panini’s knocked my socks off and I loooved the HK Burgers.
Oooh and the sweet potato waffle fries…
and the buffalo wings…
and the fantastic group of Unilocalers!
And Colleen for being just awesome as all get out!
Thanks, Hot Krust Panini Kitchen, for the fantastic time. =)

Yes, another fun filled tasty Elite Event. I was so excited to make my way to Hot Krust Panini Kitchen for this event. I had bookmarked the restaurant after seeing glowing reviews, and now I could see firsthand what the love was all about.
I can tell you there wasn’t anything I tried that I did not enjoy. These folks were beyond generous with their samples. Platter after platter came out with amazing sandwich combinations. The best part was the crusty bread! Not only were the sandwiches fab, but the chicken wings and sweet potato fries were delish! They weren’t even fried, just terrific flavors coming out from being baked. I had my share of good food and was quite full, but pass around a tray of chocolate chip cookies and I’m in.
How can the food get better? Put a story behind it. It turns out that the owner Evan wanted some good unprocessed food for his kids to eat, so there’s a lot if love behind his product. I’m lovin’ that!
It was great to hear from the amazing folks from Give Kids the World. Wonderful organization I would love to know more about; a very special place with a motto «Where happiness inspires hope». How can that not touch your heart?
I thought it was great that Hot Krust offers up some local love by sporting Fat Cat Foods gourmet condiments in their restaurant. Fat Cats have an array of flavors, so you’re bound to find a few you enjoy.
Deli Fresh Threads was sporting some tasty t’s, giving some Unilocal love with discounts on his «foodie» shirts. Nice!
Thanks again Ms. Colleen, always fun hanging with fellow Unilocalers; nice seeing friends and meet some new ones along the way. It was a great night for enjoying some local love here in Orlando.

Thanks to Ms. Colleen Burns, crowds always gather. Hot Krust was swarming with Unilocalers; it is always a treat to connect with ‘like-​minded’ bunch of food lovers. Caught up with friends and made some new ones along the way. All in all, a fun and flavorful evening.
Owner Evan Dimov proudly boasts a kitchen where all the meats are freshly roasted in house, never processed; which means no preserves, no artificial color, no additives or growth hormones. Point taken!
Amongst the few samplers I was lucky enough to grab were: Chicken Florentine, Buffalo Bill Chicken, Philly Steak, & Volcano Steak. The common denominator between all of them was the ‘freshness’, yes one bite is all it takes to recognize that indeed there is NO processed meat here. My personal favorite incontestably was the Volcano made with Freshly Roasted Steak, Swiss Cheese, Jalapeño Peppers, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Banana Peppers, and Chipotle Ranch Sauce.
My only quibble being that a ‘Panini’ should be hot with visible grill marks.
The baked (NOT fried) sweet potato fries were a refreshing welcome too. Dabble some Fat Cat Sauce of your choice, and yeah baby it is a party in your mouth. The signature Cactus Chili (I prefer to call it soup) impressed me with the balance of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.
I finally got to meet with the master mind and creator of Fat Cat Sauces — Eyal Goldshmid. Don’t let Eyal’s calm and soft-​spoken personality fool you. His sauces are vibrant and fiery. I was duly impressed with the balance of flavors that create a wide array of hot sauces. Kudos for creating the PERFECT blend of flavors. (Will talk more about it another time.)
So for the health conscious folks or simple because you savor a hearty and flavorful sandwich, stop in at Hot Krust. It might just end up becoming your local neighborhood spot to hang out. Sharing a wall with Whole Foods might put them in their shadow though they are capable of holding their own ground with products that are made with love and pride.

This was GREAT!
Thanks so much to Colleen for always setting us up with such awesome places!
I’m also very appreciative of the owner and staff at hot krust panini. When the owner got up to say a few words, I found myself nodding with what he was saying. I could hear the passion for his food through his words but even more so through the food that we were served, just bursting with amazing flavor!
The tomato bisque was absolute bliss, just creamy deliciousness with a hint of basil; perfection.
I liked all the sandwiches I tried, ALL of them. The one that sticks out in my mind the most though is the veggie panini though. The ingredients were so incredibly fresh and well seasoned that it was hard to turn down the sandwiches every time they were coming around.
To drink I had the red wine and it was incredibly delicious, just a tad dry, it worked well with what we were eating.
Thanks for yet another awesome Unilocal event!

This was a great event! I had such a nice time — meeting people, eating tasty tasty food, and enjoying the great atmosphere!
The food was so yummy. My fave? The HK Burger. OMG, I went back for more a couple of times. :P There were loads of of different sammies, wings, and fries, but the HK definitely takes the cake. The fries and wings were pretty good — apparently, everything is baked, so less guilt when eating. lol. The crunch isn’t as satisfying, but the flavor was all there. And the dark chocolate chip cookie was perfection. It was better than Subway’s. lol.
This was my first ever Elite event and I had such a great time! Everyone was friendly and the atmosphere was just great. It was little warm inside, but with a name like Hot Krust, it must be automatic. haha. I l can’t wait until the next event. :)