PHOTOS: Paddlefish Restaurant Opens at Disney Springs
Officially opening today, the Paddlefish restaurant replaces what was Fulton’s in Disney Springs. The new elegant seafood establishment invited us to take a look inside last night during a special VIP event, so here’s a quick look at what guests will see when they enter the reimagined eatery:
The check-in area.
The dining room on the bottom floor near the paddlewheel.
The dining and bar area at the front of the ship’s 1st floor.
What I thought was most stunning was this area on the 1st floor, opened up with some fantastic large windows that offer unrivaled views.
The second floor isn’t bad either though…
Yes, we had to look in the bathroom (before anyone arrived, mind you). There are little tile paddlewheels on the ground!
Second floor dining at the front of the ship.
At sunset, the views were even better.
Up to the third floor, which has a rather large lounge area in the front and back.
Last night on WDW News Tonight… Due to some technical issues, the entire show is not on YouTube this week, but a vast majority of it is. The below video has most of the show, and the second video has the complete game of Jeopardy. If you would like to hear the show in its entirety, it is available for download or to listen to at the audio links below. Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, WDW News Tonight is a live, weekly, audio and video program presented on 105.5 FM, 660 AM, and AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando, Florida, as well as online at WDWNewsTonight.com every Wednesday from 9-11pm EST. The show covers the Walt Disney World Resort and other Disney news. The show combines the latest headlines, comedy, trending vacation topics, call in games, and in-depth discussions to bring Disney fans a one-of-a-kind 2-hour program covering the Disney Parks. While the show is being live-streamed in both audio and video, listeners and viewers also interact via a live chat online. The show is also available on demand as an audio download, online audio stream and can be watched live or recorded on YouTube. I have reviewed the opening of a lot of restaurants in my almost ten years here at WDWNT.com, but I’ve never had quite the mix of thoughts and emotions that I felt last night at the opening of Planet Hollywood Observatory at Disney Springs. First off, the opening of this restaurant has been delayed a lot. It was first scheduled for Fall 2016, then late-2016, then last week, and then it was pushed to last night, which almost didn’t happen. Upon booking the reservation for last night, I was told that the restaurant may not open. When I called the night before to check, they said they honestly had no idea and it depended on a inspection of the restaurant in the morning. Luckily, Planet Hollywood Observatory did open for dinner service last night and we got to go (if you couldn’t tell by the existence of this review). Upon showing up, we walked through the lobby and started to go up the stairs, but were then told we had to check in first. I asked the man where we were supposed to check-in, and he looked around for 10-15 seconds before the woman with the iPad was found to check us in. This woman then informed us that she had checked us in and we just had to go up the stairs to the right. We went up the stairs to the right and were stopped by another iPad-wielding woman who said she couldn’t find us in her system. Another hostess then informed her that we had a yellow ticket and we could just be sent straight to the hostess stand. We then went to the hostess stand where the ticket was scanned and we were then taken to our table after a few minutes of mass confusion. Ummmm, its not finished… but it’s not good either. There are a few themes seemingly fighting each other in this restaurant. Is it an observatory? Is it modern? Is it steampunk? Is it a movie theater? It can’t really seem to figure that out. That being said, many movie props are not installed yet, the third floor isn’t even open yet, and the ceiling projection which should envelope the entire roof is not functioning yet. This restaurant closed in April and set a Fall 2016 opening date. What have they been doing? I don’t see what in here has taken so long to complete. It’s not the ugliest theme park restaurant, but it’s not the most pleasant either. I don’t know what else there is to say about the exterior that hasn’t been said already. It’s really ugly. The ventilation units sticking out of the big silver pool cover are awful, the nighttime lighting in some places looks horrendous, and it turned out very different from the concept art, (which is being sold on merchandise here, by the way). Planet Hollywood Observatory (and the Stargazers Bar) have a pretty stellar specialty drink menu, so we attacked that pretty hard. Many of the drinks include a souvenir glass, but then offer cheaper refills. The $12.00 signature drinks do not and will be smaller in size compared to the others. The Comet Glass category are all $16.00 and include the glass, and the Planet-Bowl class includes a 45oz souvenir glass (that’s the one looming in the background over all of the other glasses). SKYY Infusions blood orange vodka, SKYY Infusions pineapple vodka, orange and pineapple juices, Sprite and grenadine. Includes your own take-home 21 oz. souvenir glass. I enjoyed this, even if I did only order it because everyone else had claimed every other drink that included a souvenir glass. It was a little heavy on the sprite and light on the alcohol, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Malibu coconut rum, Jim Bean Kentucky Fire and coconut purée. Includes your own take-home 21 oz. souvenir glass This was my favorite of all of the drinks we had, but I am a bit of a Pina Colada fanatic. The Jim Beam Kentucky Fire have it a nice unique flavor from almost all of the colada style drinks at Walt Disney World. I’ll be back for this one for sure. Stoli Vodka, Limoncino Bottega, Monin Peach Tea and Candoni Prosecco Named after the restaurant, The Observatory is a sweet and peachy drink that I’m sure will please many a guest. While it didn’t come across as exciting as many of the other drinks we ordered, it was still tasty, albeit much smaller than all of the others. Cruzan coconut rum, banana liqueur, coconut purée and chocolate milk. Includes your own take-home 21 oz. souvenir glass I was most excited for this one, but it turned out to be a bit of a letdown. It was almost flavorless. I’d love to write more here, but there simply wasn’t enough taste to even make much of a thought about it. New Amsterdam vodka, Cruzan aged light rum, Beefeater gin, DeKuyper triple sec, Kahlúa, and fresh lemon and lime juices splashed with cranberry juice and topped with Bud Light. Includes your own take-home 21 oz. souvenir glass This was a favorite among our table. I enjoy just about everything with Kahlua in it, but everyone doesn’t always share my enthusiasm for such beverages. If you are not a colada person, this would be my drink recommendation for Planet Hollywood Observatory. Bacardi Superior rum, fresh lemon, lime juices, and ginger ale with fresh blueberries and mint Pretty much a mojito with blueberries. I don’t know what else to say. The presentation was pretty adorable though. Cruzan aged light rum, SKYY vodka, Beefeater gin, Jose Cuervo Especial Gold tequila, DeKuper blue curacao, fresh lemon, lime juice, and Sprite. Includes your own take-home 45 oz. souvenir glass This was exactly what you think it might be, fairly standard. Nothing unique about it, if you’ve had one drink this shade of blue, then you’ve probably had them all. It was mostly Sprite and not very heavy on the alcohol. Not a bad value with the large bowl though, and it makes for a great souvenir. Next up are the appetizers… Nine dishes and two large samplers make up the appetizer menu. We ordered three separate appetizers and the larger sampler to best cover most of what is offered. Build-your-own potato wedges with our special four cheese sauce, crispy bacon bits, buttermilk ranch dressing, pico de gallo, and sour cream Seven (yeah, seven) potato wedges and some toppings for $11.99… At least they weren’t bad I guess. It’s just potato wedges and cheese, bacon, tomato, and such. Why not just make potato skins? At least then I wouldn’t have to do the work. Corn tortilla chips piled high with chipotle chicken, blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, black bean sauce, cruda salsa verde pico de gallo, queso fresco, and sour cream Yikes… this nacho dish was one of the more flavorless that I have ever encountered, and that includes those I have ordered from Taco Bell. I also had a hard time finding all of the supposed ingredients. Soft, steamed buns filled with Chinese BBQ pork, slaw, and sriracha mayonnaise These were horrifyingly bad. The buns were solid and crunchy, like tacos, which is not what these are supposed to be. The flavor inside wasn’t awful, but the buns alone ruined them. They should probably just leave this to Morimoto Asia. Our famous Chicken Crunch, Texas Tostados, Buffalo Wings, Five Cheese Dip, and Peri-Peri Shrimp The high roller sampler comes with 5 different appetizers from the menu, so we decided that would be a good route to go to cover most of the appetizer menu. Also, it comes on a ferris wheel, so I had to have it. Sadly, the ferris wheel doesn’t move, but it’s still a pretty neat idea. Crispy gyoza skins topped with BBQ chicken, sautéed onions, blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, pico de gallo and drizzled with sour cream and BBQ Sauce I enjoyed these a lot, but I could make these at home, and I can barely cook french toast (I’m starting to downplay my french toast cooking abilities as someone keeps pestering me to make it for them). All-natural chicken tenders hand-breaded with a crunchy sweet coating, served with our signature Creole mustard sauce A carry-over from the old menu, these chicken tenders still deliver. Brilliant in their simplicity, this might still be the main reason to visit (provided you really like chicken tenders). A flavorful, gooey dip made of Swiss, mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, and Asiago cheeses with spinach, artichoke hearts and roasted tomato, served with corn tortilla chips and toasted herb flatbread The five cheese dip is pretty solid, nothing crazy, but enjoyable. That seems to be the case with a lot of their appetizers as they remind me of T.G.I Friday’s, which is where I would go if I want a decent meal at a chain restaurant. Why you would want such things on vacation in a place with fabulous restaurants at similar pricing, I have no idea. This portion comes with the chips and flatbread pictured below. Six large shrimp fried and tossed in a spicy sauce of chilies, garlic, herbs, and spices served on cabbage slaw The Peri-Peri Shrimp is my favorite of the appetizers, packing a really spicy punch and good flavor. I would come back and order these alone as an appetizer, but I enjoy a good spicy dish, as you all know. Chicken wings baked and then fried to perfection and tossed in buffalo sauce, served with celery, carrots, and blue cheese dressing These are your average, run of the mill chicken wings. There is absolutely nothing special or unique about them. Just normal chicken wings in barbecue sauce. The sizable entree menu can be a bit much, but luckily, it is broken down into sections. Crispy rojo onion ring, Guy’s signature bourbon-brown sugar BBQ sauce, SMC, cheddar, LTOP, and donkey sauce on a garlic-buttered brioche bun While the burger itself was fine, there was way too much lettuce and the onion ring had no crunch to it. The triple fries are nice, but the regular cut fries were not my favorite. I would ask if I could just get waffle fries next time. Fresh pasta tubes filled with ricotta and Bolognese meat sauce fried to golden brown, served with roasted garlic cream and tomato basil sauces I expected this to be terrible, but it was actually not too bad. I would probably just go to Portobello if I wanted (American) Italian food at Disney Springs, but this isn’t a bad option if you end up here. Guy’s award-winning burger – Winner of NYC Wine and Food Festival Burger Bash! Applewood-smoked bacon, six cheese mac-n-cheese cheddar, LTOP, crispy onion straws and donkey sauce on a garlic-buttered brioche bun This was a huge disappointment. I have had a lot of mac and cheese hamburgers i my time, and this was the most bland. The macaroni and cheese was practically flavorless, the bun and the burger were solid though. Again, just way too much lettuce here and it is overpowering. Grilled pastrami, Swiss, caraway slaw, pickles, Dijon mustard and donkey sauce on a garlic-buttered pretzel bun This was the real winner, for as much of a joke as the name has been throughout the internet since it was announced. Everything in here blended perfectly together and the pastrami was surprisingly good. I actually could see myself dropping in here for one of these, a Cosmic Colada, and maybe some chicken tenders or shrimp as an appetizer. You can piece together a good meal here, it just isn’t very easy… Crisped pulled pork with bourbon-brown sugar BBQ sauce, garlic-buttered brioche bun The pulled pork was very good as well, I just feel like ti was ruined by the slaw and the over-cooking of the bun. If this pulled pork was presented in any other form, I would probably come back time and time again to get it, but the bun just didn’t taste as good here as it did on the burger above and the slaw was way too much. 6 oz. USDA choice filet mignon topped with classic herb butter, served with hand-cut steak fries and green bean blend On a dare (kind of), Josh ordered the Filet Mignon. Surprisingly, it was good. It was cooked perfectly, the sides were fine, and it was far from the worst steak any of us had ever had in their lives. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but a steak at Planet Hollywood isn’t a bad option. You can certainly have a shake at any time, but we decided to save them for dessert. There is also a selection of single serving desserts, From the Disney Parks Blog: Our multi-year transformation of Disney Springs is continuing, and as you know, we’re bringing new experiences to the West Side Neighborhood, including The NBA Experience at Walt Disney World Resort. Today, we wanted to share an update that to make way for this basketball-themed experience, the West Side area will be undergoing changes – beginning with the closure of DisneyQuest on July 3, 2017. Until July 3, DisneyQuest will continue to offer a great interactive experience for all guests. Disney fans of classic arcade game favorites and virtual worlds featured at the indoor theme park are invited to come out and enjoy the experiences. As we’ve previously shared, The NBA Experience at Walt Disney World Resort will be a one-of-a-kind basketball-themed experience featuring hands-on activities that put guests of all ages right in the middle of NBA game action. There will be immersive NBA video productions and numerous interactive experiences, as well as a restaurant and a retail store. I don’t often come back to a restaurant for a second review, but I have been told that perhaps I missed something at Homecoming Florida Kitchen at Disney Springs. My first review was positive, but seemingly not as positive as what many others have had to say (and I’m not talking about the people who “like” everything they have ever had). Before we dive in, you should probably check out the original review of the restaurant from July 2016. In that review, we cover a majority of the appetizers and desserts, as well as 3 of the entrees and some of the alcoholic beverages. This review will cover a few new offerings, as well as two items that were ordered again (not my decision, but the guest I was with decided they really needed to try them). Here’s the current menu: The Country Club sandwich is new to the menu. The thigh high chicken biscuits are new on the starters menu. They also now have a moonshine flight, so let’s start there… The moonshine menu itself was not in stock when we visited, but the Moonshine Flight was new and listed, so I wanted to try it. Seeing as though I had no idea what I was getting into, I asked our server (who thankfully was also the bartender) to pick three of varying flavor palettes for me to try. She did not fail to provide three quality shines, and two chasers (the hot/buffalo sauce and the pecans). I didn’t even know that I liked Moonshine until trying this. If you think this is something you might find enjoyable, I would say to go for it. Hopefully they actually have them on the menu when you visit… New to the menu, the thigh high chicken biscuits are a good option. The chicken tasted great (crispy and flavorful), and the hot honey topping was nice. The biscuits were still a little dry, but otherwise this is an enjoyable appetizer. Here’s what I had to say about this last time… This was my favorite dish of our entire experience. The barbecue sauce had a nice spice to it with a good kick, which is pretty much all I ever want out of barbecue sauce. The macaroni and cheese was crunchy and well seasoned on the top, yet creamy and soft underneath, making for a really pleasant flavor combination. The inclusion of a biscuit was nice bonus as well. Overall, a lot of food for your money and my #1 choice at Homecoming. I still feel the same about this dish, but I still have issue with the biscuits being so dry and flavorless. I’ve had enough country style biscuits in the 4 years I have lived in the south to know that these aren’t that good. Otherwise, I still put this dish at the top of the list when visiting Homecoming. I was really worried about the jelly topping (not usually my thing), but this was rather enjoyable. The bun was nice and soft, the chicken was cooked well, and the pecan-smoked bacon accented everything nicely. This is a solid option if you are looking for a sandwich (one of the cheaper sit-down options in all of Disney Springs). We had the Hummingbird cake again, and my thoughts haven’t changed on it… This thing is ginormous and as good as it is massive. It has a taste akin to like a really good banana bread, but the pineapple mixture gives it an interesting flavor. The lump of ice cream is unnecessary given the size of this, but it’s nice to have. At least 3 people can split this. I changed my mind on the ice cream as it was a nice break from the dryness of the cake from time to time, and they blended together perfectly. Here’s what I thought back in July… All in all, Homecoming Florida Kitchen is good, but I just don’t know if it is good enough to hang in there with the best of Disney Springs. The Boathouse, Morimoto Asia, and Frontera Cocina are all phenomenal, and honestly, I’d rather have a select few counter service meals at Springs over some entrees here. Homecoming is a good addition for the added capacity it brings, the unique menu it offers compared to everything around it, and for the truly wonderful appetizers, drinks, and desserts featured. That being said, I’m not sure I would rather have the Shine Cake than the Pecan Pie from Frontera Cocina, I wouldn’t take any of our entrees from Homecoming over anything I’ve tried at the Boathouse, and I don’t feel the value on most entrees is near many other at Disney Springs. Homecoming is good, it’s just really hard to be excited about what is offered here after a year of trying some really phenomenal new additions to Disney Springs. There are reasons to go here, there are just more reasons for me to return to many of the other options at Disney Springs before that. I was definitely a little harsh on them in my first review, and after a few visits in the last 6 months, I am feeling a little better about Homecoming. Honesty, I think the drink menu is worth a visit alone. I didn’t know hoe much I enjoyed Moonshine until I had this flight and I will likely return to try all of the different shines offered at some point in the near future. My strategy here would be to do some appetizers, a sandwich, and save room for some dessert if you can. If you are looking for something a little cheaper than some of the other table service restaurants at the Springs, the sandwiches here fit the bill and won’t break the bank. The Boathouse and Frontera Cocina are hard to beat, but if you are looking to eat cheaper and do not want Mexican cuisine, this would probably be the best option for you. As far as drink menus are concerned, I give a slight edge to Homecoming, but Boathouse and Frontera aren’t slouches in this department either (nor is Planet Hollywood, believe it or not). Paddlefish at Disney Springs opened to guests over the weekend (in case you missed our barrage of tweets from the VIP event or our photo tour of the restaurant that we posted over the weekend). The restaurant replaces Fulton’s Crab House inside what was the Empress Lilly, an icon of the early Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. While I was not excited about the exterior concept art, the boat looks fantastic in person. This might be the only case ever where I thought that the finished product eclipsed the vision presented in the early artwork. If you would like a video tour of the exterior and interior, we have one for you below: The three floors each have a bar, and there is dining space on each floor. If you want to sit higher up on the “vessel”, you will have to come later in the day as they begin seating at the bottom level when they open. Hours for the three bars are not set in stone yet, but the first floor bar opens with the restaurant and all 3 are generally open by 6:30PM (including the beautiful patio on the top floor). There is outdoor seating on the first level at the front of the boat if you wish to dine outside and not at a bar. Before we go on, I do want to mention that both annual passholder and Tables in Wonderland discounts are available, both offering 20% off, however, only Tables in Wonderland also provides the discount on alcoholic beverages in addition to other items. We visited on Sunday afternoon specifically because I “needed” to try to the brunch menu. None of the items from this menu were sampled at the media shindig, so I needed to find out more about them with a regular visit to the restaurant. Above is the normal lunch menu, below the dinner version. Above the drink menu. No allergy friendly menus were available as of yet, but the chef was more than accommodating of the needs of the guest we were with who had allergies. I included the kids menu as I am often asked about them. Sadly, not having children, I don’t often get to try any of these. Don’t get me wrong, I am not sad that I do not have children, just that I can’t have kids menu items without looking like a psychopath. There are also Late Night and Seafood Boil menus, but we will be back for those. We did get to try a sample of the boil on Friday, but it was a bit of a letdown. We will be making a trip just for the boil at some point in the near future and will update you on how that experience goes. At first, they did not bring us the bread, but we asked for it after seeing another table get it. In fairness, offering bread at 11AM (when we sat down) and when we saw people starting getting bread around 2PM is a pretty big difference. I can understand maybe not offering it with brunch, but we were happy to get some to try after our meal. So, how was it? Really fantastic. It has a crunchy exterior and a soft inside with a slight sourdough flavor. Butter is also provided. Garlic mojo, hazelnut romesco, pickled onions Moving on to the appetizers, the beef skewers were quite good. They were cooked perfectly and were really tender, with the accompanying sauce offering a nice flavor. 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 I did not like the Crab Fries at the media event, but they were much improved in their own plate in an appetizer serving. This plate is a nice size, the fries are good, and the crab is fresh and tastes great with the Louie sauce on it. These are still not a must for me, but they are pretty decent. Blood orange, lime, chili, jicama, aji panca I loved the crudo, but it was also really spicy (thus why I enjoyed it). I highly recommend this if you like such things at other seafood eateries. This is something we tried at the event on Friday and not at brunch. But, we do have photos of it being made for some guests on Sunday during our brunch: 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) 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). Champagne-cucumber mignonette, cocktail sauce I like oysters, which most people think is gross, but these were of quality. The real portion will come with 6 instead of 4. Maque choux, fried green tomato, remoulade 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. With sweet chili aioli I saved the best for last… I don’t know how many of these come in a regular order, but whatever amount it is, order them. It is exactly what it sounds like, lobster covered in corn batter with a delicious sauce on it. It. Is. Perfection. Alright, now we are going to start on the drink menu, which is a big one. In full disclosure, the event on Friday had a “pretty wicked” open bar where you could get just about any of these, so we decided to knock off a bit of the drink menu then. Someday, I hope to become a real journalist… which I think requires me to remain quiet that I didn’t pay for most of these… oh well. Nue ra Soledad Mezcal, El De ilador Blanco, jalapeño, Creme de Mure, house sour I have had jalepeno margaritas in at least 3 locations at Walt Disney World over the last year, and this blows every one of them away. It was very spicy, yet super flavorful. 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. Kinahan’s Irish Whiskey, Fever Tree Ginger Beer, fresh lime 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… 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. Boyd & Blair vodka, Nue ra Soledad mezcal, Ab cot du Roussillon, pineapple This is probably the best of the Late Night menu drink items, in our opinion at least. In fairness, we often like vodka drinks, and if you do, I don’t think you will be unhappy with this cocktail blend. 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. 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… A perfectly balanced blend of Smith &Cross Jamaican rum and Kirk and Sweeney Dominican rum. With all the care and work that goes into every other cocktails on this list, this one is fairly standard and likely the weakest of the bunch. Light on alcohol and flavor, I couldn’t possibly name one thing that we enjoyed about this drink. 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. 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 Another dish sampled at Friday’s event, the scallop was one of the best I have ever tasted. Cooked to perfection and went well with the cauliflower puree. I typically hate Brussels sprouts, but these were prepared masterfully and made me a fan for once in my life. I can’t imagine that a full serving of these would leave anyone dissatisfied. 1 1/4 pound Maine lobster, butter, split top bun The Lobster Roll is exclusive to the lunch menu and is quite good. The bread is nicely toasted and the lobster fresh as can be. I would have enjoyed a little less lettuce in in, but otherwise very enjoyable. We did see the full size version of this and it is quite large. 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 This isn’t what you might recall from New Orleans Square at Disneyland, but it is well priced and a massive portion. Each of these is piled high with ham and topped with plenty of egg, bacon, and cheese. This is a brunch only option and probably the one that comes closest to being a breakfast dish. 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. 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. There is also an assortment of after dinner drinks… Chef Tony Mantuano, a James Beard Award winner and Top Chef Master, will be hosting a ravioli cooking class at Portobello this March. The class will cost $55/person and will be from 12:00pm-2:00pm on March 11th. Are you ready for another absurdly priced add-on? Melanie Pace, distinguished fashion advisor, on-air style expert and wardrobe stylist who has been featured in outlets including “Women’s Health,” “Shape Magazine,” and “E! News” and who has partnered with major brands like Amazon, Lilly Pulitzer and Jimmy Choo, is now accepting appointments for new clients at Disney Springs. Not sure if a Personal Shopping Session is right for you? Here’s what you’ll get: Personal Shopping Sessions are a whopping $250 per hour and small group experiences can be arranged if you’re the type who’d rather shop with friends. To book a session, visit melaniepace.com or call 321-377-1337 and ask for a “Disney Springs Style Session” – appointments are booked on a first come, first-served basis during normal Disney Springs operating hours. It has been announced that the Paddlefish restaurant at Disney Springs will officially open on February 4th, 2017. The new restaurant will feature contemporary, seafood-centric cuisine, craft cocktails and an all-new interior. Our latest photo report brings us to Disney Springs for a quick evening visit. Starbright Holidays (the drone show) was still happening while we were visiting, it has since come to an end for the season. It’s worth noting that the Characters in Flight balloon had not yet been taken down for its refurbishment where it is getting a new-look balloon. Work continues on the Planet Hollywood Observatory and Stargazers Bar (I thought it was lounge, but the sign says otherwise). Just the Hollywood sign was lighting up, no planet… See? The Stargazers Bar. Goodbye character-filled design. The new design will be devoid of any characters to better fit the theme and story of Disney Springs. Oh well. The Planet Hollywood entrance is still covered up. Columbia is selling Star Wars: Rogue One jackets… I don’t see the trooper wearing a Columbia jacket… A new store called Stance recently opened, and they sell socks. I would usually say that a store like this won’t last, but they have licensed Disney and Star Wars socks. They are a little pricey at over $15.00 a pair, but they are pretty neat. Work continues on The Polite Pig, set to open this year. These Star Wars stackable meal sets recently hit shelves. They are a little strange, but kind of cool I guess… They are $16.99 each. Over at D-Tech on Demand inside Marketplace Co-Op, a Star wars category was added to the phone case creation kiosks. Walt Disney World Marathon designs were available here. A new MARVEL comic books’ case. D23 members can pick up an exclusive phone case here as well. More of the stackable meal sets for sale inside of Once Upon a Toy. These new Mickey and Minnie model sheet art pieces were on sale at the Art of Disney, they cost $295.00 each. Work continues on The Paddlefish. The paddlewheel and smokestacks are back, which despite the new exterior, makes the boat look really fantastic.
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REVIEW: Planet Hollywood Observatory Opens at Disney Springs, I Don’t Even Know Where to Begin…
Decor
Drinks
The Moonwalk ($16.00)
Cosmic Colada ($16.00)
The Observatory ($12.00)
Space Monkey ($16.00)
Planetary Punch ($16.00)
Proxima B Mojito ($12.00)
Halley’s Comet ($27.00)
Appetizers
Potato Wedge Dippers ($11.99)
Nachos Grande ($14.99)
Chinese BBQ Pork Bao ($13.99)
High Roller Sampler ($34.99)
Entrees
The Original Ringer ($18.99)
L.A. Lasagna ($19.99)
Bacon Mac and Cheese ($18.99)
The Mayor of Flavortown ($18.99)
Championship Pulled Pork ($17.99)
Filet Mignon ($29.99)
Dessert
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Moonshine Flight ($18)
Thigh High Chicken Biscuits ($12)
Chopped Pork Barbecue Plate ($24)
The Country Club ($18)
Dessert
Hummingbird Cake ($11)
OVERALL
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Paddlefish Lunch, Dinner, and Brunch Menu
Complimentary Bread
Starters
Beef Skewers ($13)
Conch Chowder (cup $6, bowl $9)
Crab Fries ($13)
Hamachi Crudo ($16)
Tableside Lobster Guacamole ($28) Serves 4
Ahi Poke ($16)
Market Fresh Oysters (Half Dozen, $20)
Crab Cake ($16)
Lobster Corn Dogs ($15)
Libations + Rocks, Late Night Alcoholic Drinks
Not Everyone’s Margarita ($15)
Southern Sangria ($15)
Gold Rush ($20)
Captain Handsome ($16)
Little Bird ($17)
Prohibition Mai Tai ($17)
Swords & Sandals ($16)
Mad About Saffron Martini ($15)
Admiral’s Punch ($48) – Serves 4
The Bloody Mary ($20)
Main Courses, “From the Port” and “From The Land” Entrees
Scallops ($34)
Lobster Roll ($31)
Faroe Island Salmon ($34)
Fried Clam Roll ($16)
Monte Cristo ($16)
Fish and Chips ($33)
Petitie Filet Mignon ($39)
Dessert
Portobello at Disney Springs Hosting Ravioli Cooking Class
The Latest Absurd Upcharge is a Disney Springs Personal Shopper
Opening Date Announced for Paddlefish at Disney Springs
PHOTO REPORT: Disney Springs 1/12/17 (Paddlefish, Planet Hollywood, New Socks Store, Etc.)
Starbright Holidays
Planet Hollywood Observatory
This and That
Paddlefish
