food IS a theme park
Was your mouth totally watering a while back when we gave you a first look at the Baked Mac and Cheese creations at Eight Spoon Cafe in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Mine totally was. And today, we’re back to share more — in our latest DFB Video all about this special little corner of the ‘World.
I seriously lie awake at night, planning the very next time I get to take in one of these Baked Mac and Cheese treats. Can’t you practically smell that melty cheese and tangy barbecue? Sigh.
UPDATE: The Polite Pig takes one quick service credit on the Disney Dining Plan. (So glad this was changed!)
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We’re at The Polite Pig, where “Please and Thank You are still magic words!”
The newest fast-casual spot in Disney Springs is now open in the Town Center! The Polite Pig is the latest restaurant venture by James and Julie Petrakis in partnership with James’ brother, Brian. James and Julie Petrakis are the James Beard-nominated owners of The Ravenous Pig and Cask & Larder, both based in Winter Park, Florida (and Brian owns and operates Greens & Grille in Orlando).
Like its big sister, The Ravenous Pig, The Polite Pig focuses on local flavors and ingredients, and the emphasis here is on wood-fired, smoked “Modern Barbecue” with all drinks in the establishment on tap.
So let’s brush up on our manners and mind our p’s and q’s with our very first visit to The Polite Pig!
The Polite Pig
Coming from the World of Disney Store in the Marketplace, head towards Amorette’s Patisserie in the Town Center. You’ll find The Polite Pig just a few more steps from there. Another landmark for you: it’s directly to the right of the stairs coming down from the Lime Parking Garage. [Read more…]
Greetings from sunny California! We’re coming to you from Disneyland where the 2017 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival is in full swing!
The 2017 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival Has Begun!
And the Festival is running EVERYDAY this year. So that means you’ve got from now through April 16th to try your top picks at this year’s FOURTEEN Festival Marketplace Booths.
To help you make your list, I’ve tackled each and every food item at ALL of them. Well, with the help of our Dining in Disneyland columnist and best west coast dine-around pal, Heather Sievers, of course!
Overall, we found the food to be fantastic. It was much better than last year, and much MUCH better than Festival of Holidays. They’re thinking outside of the box and experimenting a little with flavors, and I commend that. [Read more…]
OK, so Columbia Harbour House doesn’t really have a “Shrimp Fest.” I just sort of created one on my recent visit by ordering ALL. THE. SHRIMPS!!!! ;-D Coming right up? Shrimp and Chicken, Fried Shrimp, and Shrimp Mac & Cheese! (Yes, I forgive you if you scroll ahead to see that last one.)
Tucked into a perfectly themed corner of Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, Columbia Harbour House has a strong and devoted following.
With its menu of consistently popular choices — lots of healthier, lighter, vegetarian choices along with some hearty fish and chips — and its impeccable theming, Columbia Harbour House is a great place to cool down and fuel up when you’re touring the Magic Kingdom.
And its location is ideal. It’s a short walk from Frontierland, a stone’s throw from the Haunted Mansion, and holds court in Liberty Square (just before it morphs into Fantasyland around the corner).
Columbia Harbour House
This place is Americana architecture at its finest.
We’d like to welcome guest author Sarah Gurung today!! She’s sharing her dining experiences at World Premiere Food Court during a Walt Disney World family vacation. Savories and sweets, read on!
Hello, Disney food lovers! My family of three (with one on the way) returned from a magical trip to the World, and it is my pleasure to bring you a review of All-Star Movies’ food court, thematically called the World Premiere Food Court.
Our party of three included my husband (decidedly not picky), my five-year-old (decidedly five-years-old), and myself (decidedly hungry all the time); and we managed to eat at the resort more times than I anticipated. Typically, we ate dinner here after a long day at the parks, famished and exhausted.
World Premiere Food Court
We were on a modified quick service dining plan, which allotted us one meal per person per night. Being moderately frugal, we decided to stretch this plan as far as we could by sharing meals. We often substituted a drink and/or a dessert in order to supplement with additional sides, and this was never a problem for the cast members at check-out. They all seemed well-versed in the Plan and good-naturedly accommodated these substitutions.
We’re back at The BOATHOUSE for dinner today on DFB!
(And you’re gonna have to pardon me. Because I know it’s called The BOATHOUSE — but all those caps get a little tiresome, IMO. So I hope it’s ok with you if I write it all normally and stuff from here on out.)
So, here’s what happened. I had some time to kill on a recent holiday trip to Walt Disney World one evening. I found myself hungry and without an advance dining reservation when I remembered the excellent lunch that I’d had at The Boathouse.
That hadn’t been the only DFB trip to the restaurant. While we enjoyed our first visit and look around the place, we definitely walked away with a mild case of sticker shock. Our second lunch time visit, during which we checked out both the lunch and bar menu, yielded a much more enjoyable experience. We found some truly delicious fare at a far lower price point.
So — it seemed like a good time to check back in, and see if we could work the same hocus pocus on the dinner hour — a meal at The Boathouse that didn’t require a small loan to afford. Did we succeed? Let’s check it out.
You’ll find The Boathouse sort of anchoring The Landing area in Disney Springs. As you travel through the shops on your way from West Side to Marketplace along the water side, you can’t miss it.
The Boathouse
The Boathouse Entrance
The restaurant is much larger than it looks from the outside, with four separate dining rooms and three different bars. [Read more…]
We’re back at Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming Florida Kitchen for another visit today!
You might be scratching your head and wondering, “But AJ, you guys were just there a little bit ago. Why a return so soon?” Well, lots of reasons, actually. But the primary one is this: Once is never enough when it comes to reviewing Disney restaurants. Restaurants in the ‘World are notoriously inconsistent, and while Homecoming impressed us initially, I always like to duck into a new spot after it’s been open for a bit, just to see if the shine and sheen are still around. In fact, we review spots over and over, so we can always make the best recommendations for our readers.
In addition, dear friends of mine invited me to tag along for a catch up session, and Homecoming was the agreed upon choice for dinner. And like I’m gonna say no to Fried Chicken? Not likely.
Besides, there’s plenty to cover on this menu, and a follow up visit gave me a chance to show you a few new things.
Let’s check out how Homecoming is doing, a few months along in the journey.
The premise of Homecoming Florida Kitchen (HFK) is pretty cool, actually. Chef Art Smith is a native Floridian, who even spent some of the early years of his career as a Cast Member at Disney. So it’s befitting that the restaurant’s name is Homecoming, as he returns to his home state.
Sign
The restaurant is a celebration of Old-Meets-New Florida in so many ways. The architecture echoes Florida Vernacular style, with lots of windows to let the light in, and deep overhangs from the hip roof to keep the heat out. [Read more…]
In late April, it was announced that Paddlefish is coming to Disney Springs. Formerly Fulton’s Crab House, this spot will keep its focus on fresh seafood in a Signature dining venue… albeit in an updated, modernized setting.
Paddlefish construction sign
Though we have to wait until this Fall for Paddlefish to open (with a late November estimate), the culinary team is already hard at work creating dishes for the restaurant; and over the past few weeks they’ve been sharing “Sneak Peeks” via their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. [Read more…]
Last week we gave you a First Look…
… and now we’re back with our full review of STK Orlando, the newest dining venue in Disney Springs!
STK Orlando is the latest addition to the list of Signature Dining restaurants in Disney Springs, which also includes Morimoto Asia and The Boathouse (with Paddlefish and The Edison still on the way).
But STK hasn’t only joined the dining line-up in Disney World — the Orlando location also joins fellow STK restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and D.C., with more to come.
So let’s see how STK’s big city vibe fits into Disney World’s shopping, dining, and entertainment district with our first visit for dinner at STK Orlando!
If you checked out our First Look, you already know that STK Orlando is located in the The Landing of Disney Springs; however, the location is easily viewed from the area’s new Town Center. Here is the view as you approach from the Orange Parking Garage.
STK Orlando
The exterior, therefore, fits right in while retaining its own unique look, with its resemblance to a refurbished train station from the early 1900s. [Read more…]
For many of us, there’s nothing better than planning a trip to Disney. I mean, sure…attractions and cool resorts and stuff. But best of all is the FOOD!
What happens if you have a super uber picky kiddo (or other member of your party) among your ranks though? It can really rock your trip. But it doesn’t have to!
And that’s why I dedicate a lot of attention to making plans with picky eaters in the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining. This is a great time to pick up your copy of this handy guide because it’s just been completely updated for your 2019 travel plans!!
Today, I want to share some of the tips that I’ve scattered through the book on how to deal with the pickiest eaters when you’re in Disney World. Need some help with this subject? Read on! [Read more…]
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