Nothing can make you scream “Vacation!” more quickly than the prospect of a FREEEE hotel, so when my sister was tapped to present a paper at an engineering conference in Orlando, I quickly hopped on for the ride. The result was four manic days and four late nights in what bills itself as the most magical place on earth.
But for me, magic can’t be present without good food, so my sister and I made trying new (and often overpriced) restaurants a part of our Disney experience. No chicken fingers for this crew! Here are some of the results.
bluezoo:: Restauranteur Todd English of Olives fame has a trendy, largely-seafood place stationed in the Dophin Hotel, at which we were guests. The place isn’t cheap – Mandy and I dropped $75 each for two entrees, an appetizer and wine. But the place has a cool vibe and the food is prepared with care – beef tenderloin is juicy and flavorful, mahi-mahi is light and well-accented. Side dishes were unremarkable, and the whole place had a bit of a style-over-substance feel, but it was still a great meal.
Wolfgang Puck Café. Fans of the California legend have their pick of options in Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island – the cafeteria-style Express, the mid-priced café and the upscale dining room. We took two trips to the in-between option and were more than satisfied with both. Pumpkin ravioli was artfully dressed in a brown butter sauce with a balsamic glaze. Sushi was fresh; red snapper was jazzed up with a delicious pesto. My favorite was the rosemary roasted chicken, in which I practically consumed my weight. The place has jazzy drinks and killer desserts – two delicious offerings were a thick carrot cake and an unbelievable pumpkin cheesecake on a chocolate crust. Avoid the calamari – it’s nothing special and the sauce is underwhelming; plus you’ll want to save room for the rest of your courses.
Mexico: Located in Epcot World Showcase, Mexico’s a must-stop location, but it’s more for atmosphere than food. Take some time for the river ride and browse the shops, but the Mexican food isn’t going to overwhelm you (the salsa in particular is rather flavorless). I recommend big frozen margaritas and a bowl of tortilla soup for snacking and soaking up the scenery.
Kona Café: If you want the chance to ride the monorail and take a Magic Kingdom breather, it’s fun to take a short ride over to the Polynesian hotel and check out the premises. We decided to have lunch at Kona Café, but the experience was pretty mediocre. The Wasabi Bloody Mary is a better idea in theory than in practice, and the drink-in-a-pineapple, while impressive-looking, is pretty ice-heavy. The Asian Noodle Bowl is essentially bland Pho, though the teriyaki fried steak provided a tangy crunch. Serviceable, but not a stop to remember.
Kimono’s: Another hotel destination, this one in the Swan. Kimono’s is a sushi bar/karaoke place, and it’s an elegant, chill way to spend the evening (though the “chill” portion depends on who’s behind the microphone). Kobe beef and duck satee is satisfying, the sushi does its job, and their noodles put Kona’s to shame.
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I know it’s totally cheesy, but the Ohana restaurant inthe Polynesian restort has a pretty kicking dinner. They have a great salad with ginger-lime dressing and serve shu mai on their pu pu platter.