Month: February 2017

Garlic mojo, hazelnut romesco, pickled onions

Bahamian conch, spiced tomato broth

The Conch Chowder (pictured here in a cup) was pretty tasty. I loved the spiced broth and everything in the soup tasted fresh. I’m more of a New England Clam Chowder person myself, but I would order this again.

Hand cut potatoes, lump blue crab, Louie dressing

Blood orange, lime, chili, jicama, aji panca

Maine lobster, tortilla planks, tajin

This was absolutely fantastic. The big chunks of lobster in it were very good and the guacamole itself had a good flavor. I’m looking forward to ordering this in the future (even if it is a bit pricey, but hey, it’s lobster)

Ahi Poke ($16)

Sweet black soy, yuzu, avocado, radish, Asian pickle

We got a small sample of the Ahi Poke at the media event and I loved it. It reminded me of the dish offered at the Hawaii booth at the Food and Wine Festival, which was one of my favorites. It offered a lot of spice and that’s really all I want in this dish (well, and some fresh tasting seafood is important too I guess).

Market Fresh Oysters (Half Dozen, $20)

I like oysters, which most people think is gross, but these were of quality. The real portion will come with 6 instead of 4.

Crab Cake ($16)

I don’t know how big the actual crab cake it, but this was phenomenal. One of the best crab cakes I have ever had in my entire life.

Lobster Corn Dogs ($15)

With sweet chili aioli

I saved the best for last…

Medley Bros. Bourbon, peach liqueur, Tempranillo, seasonal fruit

This was solid, but not what you would expect out of sangria. I prefer the soaked-in fruit taste in most sangria, but this just tasted too peachy for me.

Gold Rush ($20)

The Gold Rush is expensive, but it is made at your table and it is pretty spectacular.

The server will fix the drink for you at the table, but that then also leaves most of a bottle of the fantastic ginger beer.

The drink itself is a refreshing mix of ginger, lime, and whiskey flavors that I would order again. Yes, even if it is $20…

Captain Handsome ($16)

Boyd & Blair vodka, fresh raspberries, framboise, thyme

I like my drinks fruity and this was everything I wanted it to be (and it was strong, too). Probably my second favorite of the night, the raspberry and vodka mix was perfect.

It is worth noting that a lot of work goes into each of these drinks, so while you do pay a premium, you are getting a premium cocktail. I’m not defending Disney World prices, but at least you are getting something special.

Little Bird ($17)

Boyd & Blair vodka, Nue ra Soledad mezcal, Ab cot du Roussillon, pineapple

Scarlet Ibis, orgeat, banana liqueur, fresh lime, Scrappy Orleans, amarena cherry

This was my favorite drink at Paddlefish, and many people agreed with me. The banana liquor wasn’t overpowering (just the right amount, in fact) and was mixed well with everything else in the drink.

Swords & Sandals ($16)

Bib & Tucker bourbon, fresh orange juice, Mau n Quina, Dolin Rouge vermouth

Honestly, this one kind of gets lost in the shuffle. It doesn’t stick out enough for me to remember what it tasted like, so it couldn’t have been that good.

Boyd & Blair vodka, Bertina Elder ower liqueur, house sour, saffron

Possibly my second to least favorite drink of the night, this is indeed a saffron martini. I guess I don’t like saffron… or I’m not mad about it you could say. Moving on…

Admiral’s Punch ($48) – Serves 4

The Bloody Mary ($20)

King crab, jumbo shrimp, candied Neuske bacon

I’m not a Bloody Mary fan, and that didn’t change with this, but all of the seafood in the drink was really good. The shrimp and crab leg were of a good quality which makes me anxious to try them in various dishes on the menu. Yes, it is $20, but there is a full crab leg and 1 shrimp in it.

Main Courses, “From the Port” and “From The Land” Entrees

Well, now we move on to the entrees. We’ll start with some dishes we got to taste at the preview, and then move on to the dishes we ordered on our regular visit to the restaurant.

Brown butter, cauliflower puree, crispy Brussels sprouts, bacon

1 1/4 pound Maine lobster, butter, split top bun

Crispy skin, heirloom beets, kohlrabi-green apple salad

The person who ordered this was the one with the intense allergies, so this was heavily modified to the best of restaurant’s ability. The lightly seasoned fish was placed over rice and asparagus in this case, all of which was solid. There was nothing special about the fish, but it was fresh and good.

Ipswich whole bellies, lemon-caper aioli, pickles, split top bun

Many of the sandwiches are adequately priced and a good serving size, including this one. Everything about it was good, the aioli blending nicely with the fresh fried clams. Maybe it could have been a little warmer, but we did take 4-5 minutes to photograph all of the food, so that may be our fault. Everyone at the table also seemed to be a big fan of the french fires, which are the same used in the Clam Fries dish.

French toast, ham, Applewood bacon, egg, Swiss cheese, fresh berry compote, maple syrup

Atlantic halibut, I-4 IPA, sweet potato fries, malt vinegar aioli

$33 is a lot for fish and chips, but halibut isn’t cheap these days and this is large and fantastic serving. I honestly don’t each a lot of fried fish, but this was perfection. The halibut was light and flaky, with a perfectly crispy fried exterior. The sweet potato fries were also enjoyable.

6 ounce, hand cut fries

In all of these experiences we had at Paddlefish over the weekend, this was the one glaring disappointment. It was a fine filet, just overly salty. There are better filets you can order at Walt Disney World and this is probably not where you will want to have one.

Dessert

We were pretty full after brunch, but then we saw that there was a milkshake. I jokingly asked the waiter if it had a brownie on top and came in a jar. He said yes.