Restaurant Reviews Archives - Page 2 of 13

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

Review of Todd English’s bluezoo at Walt Disney World

August 29, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

Todd English's Bluezoo Menu — Todd English’s Bluezoo Menu

Todd English’s bluezoo, an upscale seafood restaurant, is located at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. It has a hip, sophisticated vibe from its ‘blue-lit’ decor, creative menu, and excellent service. Dare I say it even has a somewhat ‘un-Disney’ like quality to it, making for refreshing change from days spent park hopping. You’re still going to see some families and groups, but in our experience, this is one of the more ‘hip date-night’ locations to eat at when doing Disney.

Bluezoo has a really great cocktail list. I was drawn to the concoction aptly named ‘serenity’, and it was fantastic. It’s as cool and refreshing as it sounds made with cucumber vodka, elderflower liqueur, a pleasing mix of muddled strawberries, basil, rosemary, and spiked with some lime and pineapple juice. Sooooo good and tastes rather like the grown up, fruitier cocktail cousin of spa cucumber water. For him – something a little more classic, but no less tasty – a Manhattan made with specialty bourbon and garnished with brandied cherries.

Appetizers are creative, varied (though lots of seafood, of course), and generous. We shared two: the jumbo shrimp cocktail and the scrumptious teppan seared jumbo sea scallops. Unfortunately, I have only a blurry photo of the scallops, unworthy of posting, but it was pretty — to look at, and to eat with tender and tasty morsels of seafood and beef both beautifully set off by a cauliflower purée.

The jumbo shrimp cocktail was really delish, served with interesting handcrafted sauces. The ‘bloody mary’ sauce was the most traditional of the bunch, and the avocado purée was my favourite: velvety and lovely. There was also a nice garlic aioli and a honey mustard sauce, and lots of fennel salt to tie together. A nice twist on the usual!

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with a selection of creative sauces

Both of our entrées were superb. I had the Simply Fish: corvina on that particular evening served with roasted zucchini couscous, corn purée, and a caper beurre blanc sauce. The fish was out of this world, delicately crisped on the outside, and flaky and beautiful on the inside. I was more impressed than I thought I’d be with the zucchini couscous – so delicate and tender, with the zucchini adding that subtle bit of green flavor to freshen it up. Great dish!

For him – what is probably the most outstanding item on the bluezoo menu bar none: the two-pound cantonese lobster. The tender lobster meat is fried and then tossed in a sweet, sticky, earthy/spicy glaze whose flavour you won’t forget. I can literally taste it as I look at the picture below. Spectacular — I really can’t say enough about this dish, and words are not going to capture it. If you go, just get it.

Bluezoo's signature dish: Two-Pound Maine Cantonese Lobster — Bluezoo’s signature dish: Two-Pound Maine Cantonese Lobster

To accompany our fabulous entrées we selected a chardonnay from bluezoo’s lovely wine list. We greatly enjoyed our bottle of Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay (Napa Valley, 2014). It was crisp and rich at the same time, especially perfect for drinking with the robust, ‘sweet and sticky’ flavors of the cantonese lobster.

We highly recommended bluezoo. First, there’s its grown-up ambiance roviding a little date-night oasis within the family-centered context of most Disney dining experiences. But mostly it’s the wonderful service and outstanding dishes, cocktails, and wines that makes bluezoo top our list as a favorite on our Disney holiday.

For more information or to make reservations, visit https://www.swandolphinrestaurants.com/bluezoo/

Review of Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

August 21, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

Citricos at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is a fine dining/signature restaurant, and it won’t disappoint. Airy and comfortably elegant with large windows, it’s a welcoming environment whether it’s a date night or a family affair. We found the service to be exceptionally attentive and friendly, and the American/Mediterranean influenced menu with entrees in the $35-$50 USD range is definitely diverse enough to please a range of palettes.

In fact, after dining here on the first evening of our trip, we made a second reservation here to replace an evening at EPCOT a few days later we decided to skip. Not only was it a convenient choice for us as we were staying at the Grand Floridian, there were other dishes and wines that we knew we’d like to sample.

So…we dove right in with a martini with blue chesse-stuffed olives to toast and kick off our Disney vacation! Then we were ready to order some appetizers…

Lots of intriguing, tasty options to start a meal. At our first meal, we began by sharing two appetizers: Florida Shrimp with pasta and a bright and briny puttanesca sauce, and a delectable Tuna Tartare. Both were very tasty and generous enough to share – two appetizers between us proved to be quite filling.

Florida Shrimp with Pasta and Puttanesca Sauce Appetizer

Tuna Tartare and Shrimp with Pasta and Puttanesca (Appetizers)

(Allergy sufferers – take note of the little wooden ‘flags’ in the dishes marking an allergy-awareness request in the prep; an elegant way to indicate that the kitchen prepared an item with a stated allergy in mind, in this case tree nuts and peanuts. We noticed this particular protocol at most of our table service meals at Disney.)

We went in another direction with appetizers on our second visit: for him – a rich, smokey arancini dish with smoked tomatoes, mozzarella and an herb aioli. I chose a simple Salade Verte; it was generous and very fresh, a lovely salad.

As mentioned, there’s a nice variety of dishes on the Citricos menu, so hard to go wrong no matter your mood or desired wine pairing. If you’re like us, quite often the wine you’re craving dictates your choice of meal. On our first visit, we were in the mood for a Chardonnay, and the Chateau Montelena 2015 caught our eye.

Citricos' Wine List — Citricos’ Wine List

To pair with our fantastic wine: for him – the Oak-grilled tuna with a cannellini bean ragout, ham hock and vegetable pistou. I had the ‘Chicken Mediterranean’ served with yummy, creamy polenta, and bright, flavorful tomato fondue. The chicken itself was very tender – an excellent dish. And of the two, I’d say the chicken was the winner – we would have preferred the tuna to be paired with simpler ingredients to let it’s own fresh taste shine through (we found that the beans and ham hock overwhelmed it just a tad.)

On our second evening, once again wine choice preceded choice of entrees. This time, we went bold and red, delighted to find the hard to get and very well-reviewed Justin Isosceles Reserve (2014).

The huge wine lived up to the big expectations, with a deep, rich color, dark/black fruit flavors, with some warm spicy notes. Really enjoyed this bottle!

We needed some bold food flavours to go with such a powerhouse of a wine. For him – the oak-grilled beef filet with a rich potato purée, bordelaise sauce and asparagus.

I chose the beef short ribs with Pappardelle. The meat absolutely fell off the bone. I don’t believe I used a knife at all – great dish!

To this already very complete and hearty meal we added a treat to share: Truffle Fries with shaved black truffle and parmesan. You could smell that earthy, buttery warm truffle scent from yards away as our server carried it toward us. Under his breath he announced: “Your plate of awesomeness” which it really was. It didn’t matter how much else we had consumed – this plate was going to be conquered! 🙂

Truffle fries - spectacular! — Truffle fries – spectacular!

Citricos does a fine job of beginnings, main courses and sides – and also has some very pleasing dessert options.

On our first visit, we finished the evening with a cheese course. A lovely cheese menu was brought out describing the evening’s selection: a blue cheese, a soft-ripened cheese, and a goat’s cheese with a memorable lavendar/fennel flavour.

Having been seated near the open kitchen, on our first visit we spotted waiter after waiter delivering a chocolate concoction that we knew we’d have to try if we returned (the exquisitely handcrafted chocolate tiara sells it, whether you’re a princess or not!). We were back a few days later and eagerly ordered the Warm Chocolate-Banana Torte to share. Yes, it’s as good and chocolatey as it looks.!

Warm chocolate banana torte - a Citricos signature dessert! — Warm chocolate banana torte – a Citricos signature dessert

Gorgeous dessert with handcrafted Belgian chocolate crown

A final surprise capped the evening – a window view right from our table of Magic Kingdom’s stunning Happily Ever After fireworks show. This photo gives you a mere hint — believe me when I say it really looked terrific in person. An unexpected perk of being at Citricos at the right time (fireworks began at 9pm) and in the right ‘wing’ of the restaurant – near the back by the large windows facing in the direction of Lake Buena Vista.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks from Windows at Citricos

To view the Citricos menu, check availability and make reservations visit www.disneyworld.disney.go.com