karin, Author at Small Barrels Magazine

Victoria and Albert – Five Diamond Disney Dining

March 23, 2020 By karin Leave a Comment

There is a hidden dining gem at Walt Disney World just for adults. Five star dining in a refined, romantic setting. Exquisite tasting menu with ten courses and divine enhancements. Wine pairings. Your own dedicated team of servers with impeccable attention to your needs.

Tucked away in the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Walt Disney World’s flagship hotel, is the exclusive Victoria and Albert’s Restaurant. Of course, you didn’t come to Disney to escape the family fun. But that doesn’t mean you can’t dress up and step away for just a while…

The first thing you need to know is that reservations are essential. Make them as early as possible. Bookings can be made through Disney’s online reservation system. The restaurant will also call you about a week in advance to double check on dietary restrictions, exact spelling of guest names (they personalize a keepsake menu), special occasions. (This would be an incredible venue to celebrate an engagement, honeymoon, anniversary, or romantic birthday.) And unlike most other dining bookies, 72 hours advance notice must be given for cancellations; there is a $75/person no-show fee.

Prices are high at $235 per guest, fitting the five diamond quality of the experience. Optional wine pairings are another $150 each, and enhancements such as the Caviar Tasting and Miyazaki beef are extra.

As you might imagine, there is also a more elevated dress code than most Disney restaurants: jacket required, tie optional for men; cocktail dresses/dresses, elegant pantsuits for ladies (you won’t be seeing Mouse ears here.) The dining room itself is intimate, softly lit, and while we were there also featured a live harpist. Just beautiful.

We enjoyed every moment of this very special experience. With two wonderful servers dedicated to our table, we felt like honoured guests in the best of hands.

I have a number of very serious allergies to contend with which I had informed the restaurant of in advance. All I can say is that the utmost attention was given to every aspect of my meal. Not only were scrumptious modifications and substitutions made, my personalized keepsake menu which all guests received reflected these changes.

Glacier 51 Tooth Fish and Alaskan King Crab

The menu changes daily to take advantage of the freshest and finest ingredients available. There are also a number of optional add ons and enhancements to extend the 10-course tasting experience even further. For instance, we added the International Caviar Tasting ($295) with traditional garnish (pictured above) which was phenomenal.

Honey Lacquered Rohan Duck with Sweet Potatoes

As you can see by scrolling through these pics, in addition to being delicious, each course was a work of art. Really almost too pretty to eat. Attempting to describe the tastes of each course couldn’t possibly do them justice. Instead, I’ve done my best to post the pics in the order in which the dishes were served, hopefully giving you a lovely sweep over what a meal at Victoria and Albert’s looks and feels like. I can say with conviction that for each course, the ingredients were premium, textures just perfect, and the accompaniments, sauces and garnishes always brought out the very best in each dish.

Lamb Loin with Dates, Garbanzo Bean Croquette

Highlights of our particular meal were numerous, but I will not forget the Glacier 51 Tooth Fish and Alaskan King Crab. If you don’t know about this fish, you need to read its story – or rather its lore. Caught in icy waters over 4,000 km away from mainland Australia, this incredible white fish is a rarity, to say the least, offered at the world’s finest restaurants (when possible!). It was delicious, so tender – and somehow rich and clean at the same time. I can’t promise that you’ll be offered Glacier 51 tooth fish on your visit, but I’m confident there will be something rare and special for you on this ever-changing menu.

Another highlight – an add on – was the Miyazaki Japanese wagyu beef. The presentation was amazing, and the melt-in-your-mouth flavours out of this world.

I was quite taken with the cheese course – it wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was excellent: mimolette cheese with a lovely nutty taste served with red apple compote (and just so pretty!).

Mimolette (Cheese Course) — Mimolette – A Surprising Cheese Course

Below is a deceptively simple looking dessert – a Grand Marnier soufflé – but its rich flavours, just the right sweetness and velvety eggy texture blew me away – so good!

You’ll see the lovely wine pairings (optional – though not optional for us!) listed on the menu above with the dish each glass accompanies. It looks like a lot – it is a lot – but we found the pours to be fairly small. It allows you to taste and enjoy everything, and of course there is no rushing at all through this experience anyway. The highlight wine for me was the Jayson Pahlmeyer Bordeaux Blend (Napa 2016). Deep red and super silky, I was ready for it after a few tastes of white – and of course it matched beautiful with the Wagyu beef. And of course, a glass of Sauternes with dessert was magic – in this case, La Fleur D’Or Sauternes.

Last but not least, after several leisurely hours of amazing food and service, ladies are presented with a red rose to take ‘home’…

…makes it hard to believe one was on a rollercoaster a few hours before…

To make reservations or for more information about Walt Disney World’s Victoria and Albet’s Restaurant, go to Disney’s online reservations or call (407) WDW-DVNA (939-3862).

Waterfront Dining at Narcoossees – Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

January 2, 2020 By karin Leave a Comment

Slow Poached and Chilled Shrimp Appetizer

Narcoosee’s is a lovely seafood restaurant located at the edge of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, right on the Seven Seas Lagoon with great views of Cinderella’s castle at Magic Kingdom. Booking a later dinner time may provide you with a window seat to take in the theme park’s fireworks display across the water. You might also catch a glimpse of the Electrical Water Pageant floating right by the restaurant’s verandah on the lagoon.

On this past visit, we dined very early (around 5:30) – too early to see the lights shows from the restaurant. But that’s because we actually had plans to be at Magic Kingdom for the fireworks show. Nonetheless, it was still a very pretty scene looking out at the water and the castle beyond as daylight poured in through the large windows. Inside, the restaurant decor is inviting, tasteful, and fresh and with a crisp New England feel. It’s the perfect backdrop for the mostly seafood-inspired menu.

After some scrumptious fresh bread and butter, we shared a pair of appetizers. The slow-poached and chilled shrimp – very meaty and sweet – served with frisee salad and pickled shallots is pictured at the very top of the article. Above, you’ll find the shrimp and crab cake appetizer with a citrus remoulade and red cabbage slaw. Both appetizers were generous and priced like all Narcoossees’s starters and salads around the $15-20 mark. As is often the case, the appetizers may have even outshone the entrees.

Narcoossee's Appetizer Menu — Narcoossee’s Appetizer Menu

The restaurant has a nice wine selection – take a look!

White Wines at Narcoossee's — White Wines at Narcoossee’s

We went with a few glasses of Mer de Soleil Chardonnay that paired beautifully with both our appetizers and entrees.

Narcoosee’s entrees are quite special and I would expect pleasing to most seafood-loving palettes. Priced in the $40-70 (for the lobster options), we found both of our meals beautifully prepared and generous. Family-style enhancements (vegetables, potatoes, sauces) can be added, although most if not all entrees seem to be complete meals.

I enjoyed the Butter-poached Twin Warm Water Lobster tails. I’m not sure if the photo captures how large the tails were, but it made for a hearty meal. I’m accustomed to Maine and Canadian maritime lobster and this was much different. The meat was softer, lacking the crisp bite of the cold water variety. Very interesting, and quite lovely with all that butter (but what isn’t.)

For him – yet another lobster tail appeared, along with a filet mignon, vegetables and potatoes. (The filet was a $19 upgrade to the entree, which otherwise came with a sirloin steak.) It was nicely prepared, perhaps not the best steak at Disney (see my review of Shula’s), but a treat of a meal nonetheless.

Narcoossee's Surf and Turf — Narcoossee’s Surf and Turf

Below is the two page wine list, nicely curated for the mostly seafood experience at Narcoossee’s.

As I noted above, the Mer de Soleil Chardonnay was perfect for the appetizers and my lobster tails. For him – we added a glass of Chappellet Mountain Cuvee 2016, a Cabernet Sauvignon blend to pair with the ‘turf’ side of his plate.

No dessert for us as we had plans for sweet treats later in the evening. So, after this early dinner at Narcoosee’s, we hopped the monorail departing from the Grand Floridian Resot and headed to Magic Kingdom to watch the spectacular new Happily Ever After Show. (We did in fact purchase tickets booking space for a special viewing area and dessert party – I’ll be reviewing this shortly! – but we had more than enough time to stake out a spot for the 9pm show without these arrangements.)

Go to www.disneyworld.disney.go.com to view the Narcoosee’s menu, explore a photo gallery, and make reservations.

A Taste of Italy at Disney’s EPCOT Theme Park

December 30, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

Disney’s EPCOT theme park does a great job making you feel as though you’ve traveled the world in a mere morning or afternoon. With stunning recreations of landmark architecture and artistic wonders from around the globe, you’ll stroll from China to Canada, and from Italy and Japan with ease. And of course, it’s not just the awesome buildings, cultural music and performances that greet you country to country – there’s also the food!

Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria is a table service restaurant located in EPCOT’s Italy Pavillion — and it’s an example of a theme restaurant that really gets it right. As fun as it is to be swooped into a Disney-esque vision of Italy, it’s not just about appearances – the food is truly delicious.

The menu offers a range of tasty Southern Italian appetizers, like Calamari Fritti and Prosciutto e Melone. There are plenty of tempting salads and several mouth-watering pasta dishes and entrees to satisfy the pickiest eaters. (Meals are in the $15-35 per person range)

But the heart of the menu and of the boisterous dining room has got to be the wood-fired pizzas. With a wall lined with three enormous, gape-mouthed wood-fired ovens named for active Italian volcanoes (Vesuvius, Etna and Stromboli) how can you not want a slice?

Whimsical wood-fired ovens named for volcanoes

We went simple to the extreme and ordered a large pepperoni pizza to share. (I’m not sure there was much left over although there was just two of us).

The simple but exquisite ingredients are fresh and imported from Italy — all of them! San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, Caputo flour…apparently even the water used to form the dough is Italian. Whatever they’re putting in it, it’s fantastic and makes for a special taste experience. It will surely please everyone in your group.

The gorgeous salad we started with – Insalata Primavera served family-style – is also worthy of note. Once again the epitome of simplicity but bursting with fresh, bright flavours and colours.

In the picture above, notice the gigantic pitcher of red wine Sangria, also delish and refreshing.

In the past, we’ve dined at Via Napoli for lunch (with kids in tow who adored it). On our most recent visit, we made dinner reservations for two at 7:30. Don’t do this expecting a quiet, intimate dinner. We’ve always found the restaurant remarkably noisy, busy and full of large groups, and dinnertime was no exception.

However, having dinner here at the end of April gave us a huge advantage for viewing EPCOT’s epic fireworks extravaganaza IllumiNations (which actually had it’s final show this past fall after a twenty-year run). We were able to literally walk out just before 9pm and find a great place to stand and comfortably view the show. The perfect end to a great meal and experience.

For a fun, enjoyable time and a very satisfying meal made with simple, pleasing, high quality ingredients we urge you to include Via Napoli in your Disney World plans. (Whether lunch or dinner, we highly recommend making reservations well in advance of your vacation to avoid disappointment.)

Shula’s Steak House – Walt Disney World

December 13, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

Shula's 22 oz. "Cowboy" Ribeye — Shula’s 22 oz. “Cowboy” Ribeye

Looking for an upscale steak house experience at Walt Disney World? Just like those ’72 Dolphins, we think that Shula’s at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort can’t be beat. Founded by legendary Miami Dolphins football coach Don Shula (with fantastic black and white photos of his team’s unparalleled 1972 season gracing the walls), this steak house offers excellent cuts of meat, great service, an awesome wine list, and an overall enjoyable experience. Like most Disney property restaurants, it’s family friendly, but also great for couples (we recommend booking a later dinner to enjoy a more laid back, romantic dinner).

Shula's Steak House - Still Celebrating the Perfect Season — Shula’s Steak House – Still Celebrating the Perfect Season

We began our meal with cocktails; a spot-on perfect martini with blue-cheese stuffed olives for him, and a spicy Bloody Mary for me (it wasn’t brunch, but I was in that kind of a mood!)

Cocktails at Shula's — Cocktails at Shula’s

We went with some classics, but Shula’s offers a nice selection of cocktails with their own signature twist (see above).

We then tucked into some rich, tasty treats. Shula’s menu is wonderfully ‘traditional steak house’, with appetizers like chilled jumbo shrimp cocktail, wedge and caesar salads, sides served family style.

Shula's Appetizers and Sides — Shula’s Appetizers and Sides

And as if we needed more to fill us up, the freshest, hottest, most tempting sourdough bread was served to get things going…

Wedge Salad - steakhouse classic — Wedge Salad – steakhouse classic

Caesar Salad - another classic — Caesar Salad – another classic

The award-winning wine list offers excellent choices. We went big with the Shafer 2012 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. As soon as it was uncorked and decanted, the air was quite literally filled with a rich, heady scent of dark fruit, promising opulent flavors – and it just kept opening and opening throughout our meal. The deep, dark color looked inviting in our glasses, and it was a treat to drink with our delicious steak entrees and rich sides.

Filet Mignon at Shula's — Filet Mignon at Shula’s

Pictured just above is my 10 oz. filet mignon with bearnaise, along with asparagus and hollandaise. And you should see some lovely panko-crusted potatoes gratin – there’s a tiny scoop at the top of the plate (it was hard to restrain myself). For him – a 22oz “Cowboy” ribeye pictured at the top of the article.

Certain dessert selections had to be ordered in advance, like the scrumptious apple crisp we chose, served with Hagen Daas vanilla ice cream. A glass of Buffalo Trace bourbon sealed the evening.

Shula’s is a wonderful upscale steak house destination at Disney World. It allows you step out of the Disney flow for just a bit to enjoy a different ambience, while still having the top-notch service you expect from this magical place. We highly recommend it, and plan to be back!

For more information or to make reservations, visit www.shulassteakhouse.com

Disney World Vacation: Five Helpful Tips for Couples

October 10, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

Flowers for the Easter season — Flowers in the Grand Floridian Lobby for the Easter season

If you’re a couple and you’ve chosen Walt Disney World for your vacation destination, you’ve probably already embraced the prospect of big crowds, long lines, and a family-focused vibe. And that’s good because you won’t ever entirely avoid these things, even armed with all the best tips for jumping ride queues and finding little pockets of quiet(er) in the park.

Incidentally, this article is not about queue-jumping or scheduling your rides to beat the crowds. These resources exist and we’d encourage you to seek them out. What we’d like to instead is give you a few concrete things to do while at Disney that will help you to still feel like a couple on vacation, and not two overgrown eight-year-olds (at least, not the whole time). This is possible by making a few tweaks to your Disney day — and your Disney mindset.

Grand Floridian's elegant lobby — Grand Floridian’s elegant lobby

Tip #1: Bliss out at a deluxe Disney resort.

This is obviously not a tip for saving money, but it may help to save you some sanity. If you’re going to travel all the way to Walt Disney World and are planning to stay on the premises (highly recommended), consider booking a room at one of their several deluxe resorts. You’ll enjoy spacious and lovely grounds, decor that’s ‘still Disney’ – but more restrained than the bright, fantastical stuff at the theme parks – and a greater selection of upscale places to eat and drink when you’re not at the park. In other words, you have a place to truly escape the roller coasters, character greetings, and stroller dodging of the day (and be ready for more the next day!)

We recently stayed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. In addition to it being lovely all around, I appreciated the perk of the short stroll from my room to Senses, the resort’s on-site luxury spa at. I had one of the best massage appointments (ever), ending with a complimentary glass of wine. (Yes, there is more to Disney than Mickey and Space Mountain.)

Other deluxe resort advantages: booking a room on a concierge floor is often an option at the upscale hotels; that can mean perks like continental breakfast, hot pre-dinner appetizers, and wine/aperitifs for a night cap.

Gorgeous grounds at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Tip #2: At a theme park? Linger over lunch.

Instead of go, go, go from the moment you arrive at a theme park, plan to linger over lunch. Sure, you can wolf down your fifth hot dog of the week and press on. But there are lots of table service dining options – many even licensed – where you can enjoy being waited on and take things a little slower (ideally while sipping a restorative beverage).

As with all Walt Disney World table-service restaurants, be sure to book well in advance (yes, even for lunch). It takes a little pre-trip planning, but your body and brain will thank you after a morning packed with rides and stimulation. Consider doing this daily as a mini ‘couples retreat’ in the middle of your day.

Disney’s EPCOT theme park has lots of interesting table service dining options. On our recent trip, we enjoyed a lovely, leisurely British pub lunch on the patio of the United Kingdom Pavillion’s Rose and Crown Dining Room. On our ‘Magic Kingdom’ day we lunched at the elegant The Plaza Restaurant, enjoying its very tasty fare. (The Plaza was exceptionally small, and even with a booking we waited a good 20 minutes – a reminder to always book ahead!!)

The art of the leisurely lunch at the Rose and Crown Dining Room

A tasty Reuben Sandwich Platter at the Plaza Restaurant

Tip #3: Call a cab or car ride service

Disney has terrific public transportation for guests staying on the premises. It’s often a great option – and sometimes your only option – for navigating the massive Disney grounds. But it is also public transportation. That means dealing with preset bus, monorail and boat schedules. It also means fighting for space during heavy crowd times like park openings and closings. That can translate to hot, humid journeys while sandwiched between strollers, tired parents and kids. Just saying.

Suppose you’re a couple staying at the Grand Floridian which is located near the Magic Kingdom. You have dinner reservations at Disney’s Dolphin Resort, which borders on EPCOT – a decent journey. Rather than getting all fancied up only to have to figure out (and fight) the public options, deal with transferring and waiting around, why not order a ride? We used LYFT on a couple of occasions and were happy to pay the reasonable fare for the quick, direct and private ride to our dinner destinations. Worth it!

Manhattan — Couples’ cocktail time at Bluezoo (Dolphin Resort)

Tip #4: Think ‘proximity’ when booking your resort.

This is a variation on Tip #1 (i.e., stay at a deluxe resort). It also has the advantage of lessening your need to exercise Tip #3 (booking cabs and rides to get around):

When choosing your deluxe resort, take into the account the park you’ll be at most often, and the location of the restaurants where you’ve made the most reservations. The resort that is closest to the most of these things is your winner. You can flip this and do it the other way — let your resort choice dictate your ‘main park’ and the bulk of your dining options. Either way, the more these things are connected, the less time you’re going to be worrying about making connections.

We chose the Grand Floridian because: a) it’s one stop away from Magic Kingdom, the park we knew we’d be visiting more than the rest, and b) we knew we wanted to dine at three Grand Floridian restaurants: Citricos, Narcoossee’s, and Victoria and Albert during our 7-night stay. All in all, it meant way less time travel fuss to and fro. We basically had to get dressed and go, and knew we’d arrive at MK or a dinner within 15 minutes.

Exclusive dining, adults only — Exclusive dining adults only) at the Grand Floridian’s Victoria and Albert

Having stayed at the Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club luxury resorts in the past, I can also highly recommend either of these resort choices. Right on the doorstep of EPCOT (just a short walk away) and a quick boat ride or walk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it makes sense to stay at Beach Club or Yacht Club if you’re keen on these parks. There’s also an impressive number of more upscale table service/finer dining options to choose from all within walking distance in the EPCOT/Disney’s Boardwalk area.

Tip #5: Embrace the fact that you won’t do it all.

This is a tip we’d offer to anyone traveling to Disney – kids in tow or otherwise. There is just too much to do, see, hear, taste and experience at Walt Disney World to do it all, or even close to it all. If you try – even if you think you can try – you will run yourself ragged by day two at the latest. So, burst that bubble right now and you will be happier for it.

Instead, spend a morning at your park of choice and ride the attractions that intrigue you most. Linger over that lunch. Maybe do one last ride or two as you make your way back to your deluxe resort for a restful afternoon, then go somewhere great for dinner (maybe cab it or use LYFT). Maybe you’re refreshed enough for fireworks or other evening show. If not, what’s the harm in seeking out your resort’s lounge and enjoying a night cap, just the two of you? A pretty good day, even if you only saw a fraction of Disney. (There’s always next time, right?)