food IS a theme park
The long, unofficial first weekend of summer is upon us, and STK Orlando in Disney Springs wants to help you celebrate!
STK Memorial Day Specials
The steakhouse is offering $2-$8 Bites and HALF OFF specialty cocktails — from OPEN to CLOSE on Monday only! [Read more…]
The new year has begun, and what better way to start the year than with lunch at one of our favorite Walt Disney World table service restaurants: Liberty Tree Tavern! You know this colonial-esque spot as the premier place to get a turkey dinner in Magic Kingdom, but the lunch menu also offers a la carte options, so I got into that for ya, too!
Liberty Tree Tavern
Liberty Tree Tavern takes its colonial roots seriously, and diners can see that in the decor. Each room is packed to the gills with details from the time period, and if you look closely, you’ll see that rooms are themed to colonial figures. George Washington gets a place of prominence over the mantle in his room.
in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs is an Indiana Jones-inspired bar where creatively-applied movie references are part of everything they do. From our first visit, we loved the cool space and the funky menu.
Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar
And Jock’s not just in it for the clever names. Come the holiday season, they’re also in it for the seasonal drinks! During Halloween we loved the spooky drinks and the Poison Apple Glow Cubes that came with them. And for the Christmas season, Jock Lindsey’s offering two holiday libations.
is a table service option in Epcot’s Future World at Walt Disney World.
As you might imagine, Coral Reef is located in the Seas Pavilion, home of The Seas with Nemo and Friends. It’s one of only two table service restaurants in Future World — the other being Garden Grill in the neighboring Land Pavilion. The biggest draw to Coral Reef is the centerpiece of the restaurant: the six-million-gallon aquarium where fish, sea turtles, and (sometimes) divers swim by throughout the meal.
But even with that draw — making Coral Reef a truly unique Disney World experience! — Coral Reef often sinks to the bottom of DFB’s rankings of table service restaurants. Sadly the food just hasn’t been that great over the years. Lunch in 2014 was decent at best, with the Seared Mahi Mahi being the only I’d-get-that-again dish (alas, the Sriracha Shrimp we enjoyed on that visit are no longer on the menu…).
But you know we like to re-review restaurants on the regular, since chefs, menus, and servers change up regularly. My most recent visit was the best I’ve had in terms of food, and while it won’t move Coral Reef up to the top of the list at Epcot — admittedly a difficult park because there are so many awesome choices — it gives me hope that maybe the restaurant is providing a better experience for guests.
Coral Reef
The atmosphere of Coral Reef is the star of this restaurant, and for those who love sea life or aquariums, this really is a must-try. Nothing quite compares to the beauty of dining with only eight inches of glass between the diner and the sealife.
One of our favorite places to relax and enjoy a few quiet and cool moments is Nomad Lounge in Animal Kingdom. We recently stopped there and enjoyed the apps and drinks. This week we noticed the menu has seen some updates yet again.
Nomad Lounge Seating Area
We love Nomad Lounge’s “riverfront” location (it is Tiffins‘ neighbor) and their ever-changing small plates menu. [Read more…]
When we were in Hollywood Studios last week we told you about a recent newcomer to the ABC Commissary menu, the Southwestern Steak Fries. Well, we went home and couldn’t stop thinking about those fries, so we were back at the ABC Commissary this week to give these a try!
ABC Commissary
Why couldn’t we stop thinking of these? They are fries are tossed in chipotle lime seasoning and topped with chili lime mayo and queso fresco — sounds amazing! [Read more…]
Recently, we let you know that Cove Bar’s beloved Mickey’s Fun Wheel cocktail is now available at Alfresco Tasting Terrace (FYI — Neverland Tea and Black Pearl are available now, too!) — and now we’re helping ourselves to some tasty little appetizers at this relaxing and beautiful lounge in Disney California Adventure Park.
Lovely Signage at Alfresco Tasting Terrace
What’s a Disney foodie to do when the parks close, but she’s still raring to go? Hit the BoardWalk, baby!
And while you can pretty much always count on seeing me sitting in the back of Jellyrolls Dueling Piano Bar editing photos til 2AM, there’s another bar on the BoardWalk that is so fun and unusual that you’ve got to check it out at least once!
Abracadabar opened just over a year ago, and it’s been enticing guests ever since. The backstory is that this was the gathering place for BoardWalk magicians and entertainers decades ago — and that the magic is still in the air. (I mean, you’re at Disney World so Disney magic is everywhere already! But this is magic magic!)
You can experience the Abracadabar magic nightly (the bar opens at 4PM), and it’s accessible via the BoardWalk and via hallways to both Flying Fish and Trattoria al Forno, so you can start or finish your meal here easily!
The exterior of Abracadabar fits with the BoardWalk theming while also giving a hint to the vintage magic you’ll find inside.
AbracadaBar
We got an unexpected look at the construction of BaseLine Tap House in Disney’s Hollywood Studios today. The construction walls, which normally hide this very un-magical work from guest view, were down, presumably due to the approaching hurricane.
BaseLine Tap House — which will serve beer, wine, and appetizers — will reside on Grand Avenue, a new-ish area that’s designed to capture “the spirit of Downtown Los Angeles.” We say new-ish because it’ll mostly be located in the remnants of Streets of America.
BaseLine Tap House Logo and Signage
Let’s take a look! So far there’s lots of stylized fencing and lamp posts.
Wrought iron fencing and light post work
Welcome to Wine Country!
Alfresco Tasting Terrace Menu
Nestled above Wine Country Trattoria is the Alfresco Tasting Terrace in Disney California Adventure. This little haven for wine lovers and Disney fans alike is #OnTheList this week! [Read more…]
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