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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.

Fresh Bread and Butter
Fresh Bread and Butter

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.

Shrimp and Crab Cakes Appetizer
Shrimp and Crab Cakes Appetizer

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
More White Wines and Reds
More White Wines and Reds

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

Mer de Soleil Chardonnay
Mer de Soleil Chardonnay

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.

Narcoossee's Menu
Narcoossee’s Menu

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.)

Warm Water Lobster Entree
Warm Water Lobster Entree

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.

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Disney seafood, fine dining seafood, Grand Floridian restaurants, happily ever after fireworks, magic kingdom fireworks, Narcoossee's, seafood, Seven Seas Lagoon, surf and turf, warm water lobster, waterfront dining

Review of Costa di Mare – Wynn, Las Vegas

June 24, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

Welcome to Costa di Mare
Welcome to Costa di Mare

Costa di Mare – a gorgeous, elegant, but also friendly and vibrant Italian restaurant in the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel. Our experience from start to finish tops the list of our dining adventures in my books. From the coastal Mediterranean cuisine, to the stylish decor, and to the excellent – even exuberant – service, our evening at Costa di Mare was one to remember. First of all – what an entrance!

Bar and Lounge at Costa di Mare
Bar and Lounge at Costa di Mare

Curving lines, domed ceiling, and a circular balcony overlooking the main dining area give the restaurant an open feel and make it particularly inviting. The wall of windows overlooking the lagoon adds to the restaurant’s sense of glamour and beauty.

Vodka Martini
Vodka Martini

Starting with a terrific vodka martini, it was time to peruse the menu. At first glance, it was somewhat overwhelming: the sheer number of dishes to choose from,  the parade of dishes offered even in the curated tasting menus….I was hoping for expert guidance, and everyone delivered.  All or our servers were attentive and extremely knowledgeable, demystifying the process but more than that, setting the tone that made us feel like welcomed guests for a refined family feast. This is exactly how I would characterize our dinner – elegant enough for a couples evening, but with the warmth of being taken care of like family members.

Costa di Mare Tasting Menus
Costa di Mare Tasting Menus

In the end, we went for it all – the Gran Menu di Mare tasting menu. An example  of the sort of guidance we received from our wonderful servers: we had a discussion right at the outset about what sort of wine could (possibly) pair with the variety of foods we were about to sample. The sommelier was immediately dispatched to our table, selecting gorgeous Italian wines – white and red – that we are likely never to find again, but that we enjoyed immensely. To ensure seamless blending of food and wine, the sommelier arranged to have certain dishes from the tasting menu modified or altered once we’d made our selections to keep things on point. This attention to detail was characteristic of everything that happened during our meal.

Fresh from the seaFresh from the sea

Everything on the tasting menu is served family style and it all sounded – and was – delectable. Seafood was at the heart of nearly every dish, and yet the preparation in the fine Italian coastal style was not something we’ve experienced often. Not only was there fish flown in fresh from the Mediterranean that we had never tasted before, the combination with San Marzano tomatoes, olives, and pasta made for bright and surprising combinations.

Ricciola cruda con limone
Ricciola cruda con limone (raw amberjack with lemon)

The ricciola cruda con limone was a simple dish, but utterly delicate and sumptuous. We were off to a marvelous start.



Saute di vongole, Cappesante dorate con mostarda di rabarbaro e gremolata di noci, Polipo Ligure alla grigilia
Saute di vongole, Cappesante dorate con mostarda di rabarbaro e gremolata di noci, Polipo Ligure alla grigilia

The festival of food continued with a trio of dishes: clams with tomato sauce, seared sea-scallops with a fennel and endive salad (refreshing!), and a heartier dish of grilled octopus with olives, potatoes and pepper sauce.

Exquisite ingredients expertly prepared
Exquisite ingredients expertly prepared

 

Delectable grilled octopus
Delectable grilled octopus

We added the grigliata, grabbing the chance to enjoy the fresh shrimp, spiny lobster, and langoustine. The preparation was simple so that the beautiful flavor of the grilled seafood took centre stage.

Griiled shellfish - grigliata mista di gamberi, scampi, aragosta
Griiled shellfish – grigliata mista di gamberi,
scampi, aragosta

Primi - including: Calamarata pasta rings, scopion fish, and risotto with seafood
Primi – including: Calamarata pasta rings, scopion fish, and risotto with seafood

The main course consisted of a number of seafood dishes – a beautiful, velvety risotto with scallops, cuttlefish, lobster, and more (above right). The center dish in the photo above was a rich seafood, pasta and tomato sauce concoction,  a substitution to pair with the red wine we were enjoying at this stage of the meal. On the left was a flavor party: calamarata pasta rings, scorpion fish, eggplant and San Marzano tomato sauce – of all the dishes we enjoyed that night, this is the one that stands out in my memory, summing up the spirit and style of this exciting cuisine.

Closer look at the velvety seafood risotto
Closer look at the velvety seafood risotto
Tagliatelle di seppia with cuttlefish and shellfish
Tagliatelle di seppia with cuttlefish and shellfish

Shown above was the fourth dish in this course – an incredibly tasty combination of cuttlefish ink ribbon pasta, shrimp, and lobster.

Seafood feast assembled on the plate - lobster with pasta and San Marzano sauce
Seafood feast assembled on the plate – lobster with pasta and San Marzano sauce

 

Calamarata con scorfano, melanzane e pomodoro
Calamarata con scorfano, melanzane e pomodoro

 

Seafood feast assembled on the plate
Seafood feast assembled on the plate

Unfortunately, we neglected to snap a photo of the impressive next course, pescato d’amo al forno – a whole-roasted Mediterranean fish. It was brought out to the table gleaming and whole, then expertly filleted and presented on our plates. The fish was paired with tomato and olive sauce absolutely bursting with flavor – another dish that stands out in my memory as emblematic of our Costa di Mare experience.

Whole roasted fish - Pescato d'amo al forno
Whole roasted fish – Pescato d’amo al forno

 

Sauce rich with tomatoes and olives
Sauce rich with tomatoes and olives

Here is where things began to drift into the unbelievable. We had already enjoyed copious flavors and textures. But dessert was still to come. And not just a small slice of tiramisu as you will see below.

The aptly named Symphony of Desserts
The aptly named Symphony of Desserts

The course is called sinfonia di dolci – symphony of desserts – and it was most certainly that. Sugared ‘fritters’ on apples and caramel with gelato, tiramisu, and a flight of half a dozen sorbets, all looking too pretty to eat. It was all incredible even though at this point we were reduced to a bite of this and a bite of that.

Heavenly 'fritters' and rich gelato
Heavenly ‘fritters’ and rich gelato

 

Cappuccino
Cappuccino

 

Perfect Tiramisu
Perfect Tiramisu

 

Flight of sorbets
Flight of sorbets

 

More sorbets...
More sorbets…

 

Sinfonia di dolci
Sinfonia di dolci

One final but important note – as someone who suffers from severe food allergies (tree nuts/peanuts) it can be a challenge (to say the least) to dine outside the home; for a dinner where there is this much food, with so many ingredients, and where a foreign language (to me) is used to describe the dishes, the challenge becomes even greater. But every single one of the many servers who attended to our table knew my concerns, and intimately knew every ingredient in each dish. Modifications were made for me as necessary. I felt perfectly comfortable, once again like an honored guest in someone’s home who had bothered to prepare the finest dishes with me in mind.

This was a delicious meal in beautiful surroundings with genuinely friendly and attentive service. I recommend it to you and am counting the days until my next visit.

For more information on Costa di Mare or to make reservations, visit www.wynnlasvegas.com/dining

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Costa di Mare, fine dining Las Vegas, fine dining seafood, fine dining Wynn, Italian restaurants, Italian seafood, Italian tasting menu, restaurants at Wynn, seafood, seafood tasting menu

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