Restaurant – WDWNT Archive

REVIEW: “The Polite Pig” Preview Event Offers First Tastes and Sips of Disney Springs’ Newest Eatery

WDWNT on April 19, 2017

On Thursday, we were lucky enough to attend a “friends and family preview” event for The Polite Pig, the newest eatery at Disney Springs which is scheduled to officially open on April 10th. If you would like to read more about this location, please refer to our last story about the opening of the restaurant.

The Polite Pig is located in The Town Center section of Disney Springs, right next to the fountain that greets guests at the pedestrian entrance to the Lime Parking Garage.

Once through the doors, you are greeted by a prep station behind glass. The kitchen is also visible through windows in the main dining room.

Behind the bank of registers is a wall of taps. If you are not comfortable with establishments that serve alcohol, you may want to stop reading this review now…

The interior is themed as most Disney Springs eateries are: it was once something else (in story) and was converted into a restaurant. The Polite Pig apparently used to be a Farmer’s Market.

The interior is nice, but many of these places at Disney Springs are starting to blend together. The Polite Pig almost feels like a combination of design elements from D-Luxe Burger, the Welcome Center and the restrooms around the area. The look is good enough, but is more of the same.

Upon ordering and paying, guests are given a pager and then can pick a table to dine at.

If you dine outside, you will have to put the device on one of these readers.

There is an indoor/outdoor bar area as well where guests will find the full alcohol menu available. The restaurant is a unique hybrid in that once you are seated, a server will come by to assist with anything you might need, including adding additional food or drink to your order. I don’t know of another counter service establishment at Disney World where you can do this. Of course, you could also sit at the bar or just get food and drink to go from here.

The Polite Pig Menu

The menu is fairly focused on barbecue as it offers sandwiches and assorted smoked entrees, but there are also interesting snacks, salads, and sides.

Seven (yeah, seven) sauces are available at the condiment bar, as well as spiced vinegar. Of course, there is also the highly touted bourbon menu featuring over 50 selections.

All of the four pictured here were good, but my favorite was the Signature Black Pepper (as I like a little spice). I look forward to trying the Fresno Hot Sauce and Hot Honey on my next visit.

If you purchase a fountain drink, a number of the usual offerings are available, but The Polite Pig also has its own Sweet and Unsweet Tea. The Blue Sky Root Beer is also available at Blaze Pizza, where it is often a guest favorite.

The Southern Pig ($12)

Pulled Pork, Apple Slaw, Mustard Sauce, and Dukeâs Mayo

The Southern Pig is not your average pulled pork sandwich. The pork is actually “less pulled” than you might expect, left in large chucks heavily coated in the mustard sauce. The flavor is not what I was expecting, but was delicious nonetheless. The pork is tender and the bun is nice and crispy, working well with everything in-between.

Half Chicken ($15)

Half Chicken with a citrus rub served with Slaw, Texas Toast, and Choice of 1 Market Side.

This is a massive portion of chicken with a smokey flavoring that was as unique as it was delectable. Sure, you will have to put a little work in to get the meat off the bones, but it will be worth your time once you get the chicken into one of the fantastic sauces offered. The Texas Toast is pretty standard, but that isn’t a bad thing. It reminded me a lot of the toast offered at Sonny’s BBQ, a restaurant chain present here in Central Florida.

For $15, this giant chicken, a piece of Texas Toast, and a side are an insane value, at least for Walt Disney World… and I probably don’t have to tell you that it’s better than Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe or the ABC Commissary.

The absolute best thing we had at the restaurant was the BBQ Cauliflower with Paprika Sour Cream. The vegetable was cooked perfectly, mixed with surprisingly well paired granola clusters, and accented nicely with the sour cream. I can’t recommend this enough, and I am not a person who generally enjoys cauliflower.

Orange Blossom Honey Cake ($7, Yeah, $7)

The Honey Cake was a little off putting in the first taste, but once I was better prepared for it, I found myself really enjoying it. The thick frosting had a nice flavor which counteracted the strong citrus overload nicely. Well worth a try at $7 and big enough for at least two to share after entrees.

Cask & Larder Red Drum Amber Ale ($9)

A good 20 ounce beer for $9, I really enjoyed this Red Drum Amber Ale, exclusive to restaurants in this family chain. It’s a nice, light, refreshing beer in a hefty potion. I almost couldn’t finish it just because we ate so much, but it pairs nicely with the barbecue dishes.

Old Fashioned ($10)

The Old Fashioned tasted a bit watered down, but was enjoyable. I am curious to see what the quality is like once they start serving these in pitchers on Monday.

OVERALL

In review, I was thoroughly impressed with the food and drink quality at The Polite Pig, as well as the attempt to offer a more service-intensive experience at a counter service establishment. We’ll see how it works when Monday rolls around, but until then, I am impressed with what I have had already and am anticipating my next visit. The barbecue was on the same level as (if not better than) Homecomin’ Florida Kitchen, and comes at a much better price (especially on alcohol). In the fantastic run of counter service additions to Disney Springs, this is another viable dining option to throw into the mix next time you are debating what to eat at the former Downtown Disney.

We will offer another review once the restaurant officially opens.

REVIEW: Paddlefish Opens at Disney Springs; Trying Over 30 Different Food & Drink Options

WDWNT on February 6, 2017

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.

Paddlefish Lunch, Dinner, and Brunch Menu

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.

Complimentary Bread

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.

Starters

Beef Skewers ($13)

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.

Conch Chowder (cup $6, bowl $9)

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.

Crab Fries ($13)

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.

Hamachi Crudo ($16)

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.

Tableside Lobster Guacamole ($28) Serves 4

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)

Ahi Poke ($16)

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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)

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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.

Crab Cake ($16)

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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.

Lobster Corn Dogs ($15)

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With sweet chili aioli

I saved the best for last…

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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.

Libations + Rocks, Late Night Alcoholic Drinks

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.

Not Everyone’s Margarita ($15)

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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.

Southern Sangria ($15)

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)

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.

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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.

Prohibition Mai Tai ($17)

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.

Mad About Saffron Martini ($15)

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

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.

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.

Scallops ($34)

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.

Lobster Roll ($31)

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.

Faroe Island Salmon ($34)

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.

Fried Clam Roll ($16)

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.

Monte Cristo ($16)

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.

Fish and Chips ($33)

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.

Petitie Filet Mignon ($39)

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.

There is also an assortment of after dinner drinks…

Captain’s Grille at Disney’s Yacht Club to Close for Major Overhaul in 2017

WDWNT on September 17, 2016

With the ongoing expansion of the Yacht and Beach Club Resort Convention Center at Walt Disney World, it only makes sense that other enhancements around the hotels would also be taking place to coincide with this ongoing work. The first of those major enhancements will be a remodeling of the Captain’s Grille restaurant at the Yacht Club Resort beginning in early 2017.

Captain’s Grille at Disney’s Yacht Club

While no dates have been provided as of yet, the refurbishment will likely last for around 6-8 months and include a major remodeling of the restaurant’s interior and a pretty significant overhaul of the existing menu. It is unknown what the menu changes might be exactly, but one would assume that the popular (yet mostly unknown to the average guest) breakfast buffet will return.

Captain’s Grille at Disney’s Yacht Club

Servers at the restaurant have been made aware of the closure over the last few weeks, but that information has not been deciminated to guests through any official avenues by Disney as of yet.

Captain’s Grille at Disney’s Yacht Club

While Captain’s Grille continues to be a hidden gem of Walt Disney World dining, the interior of the restaurant is undoubtedly aging, a product of early-1990’s design. The restaurant has never undergone a significant remodeling in that time and has, for the most part, looked the same for over 25 years now.

The restaurant will likely see a surge in customers as the nearby convention center is expanded over the coming years. Guests at the facility will be in need of dining options, and Yacht and Beach are fairly short on dining capacity and counter service options. Captain’s Grille typically does not require an advance dining reservation (as it is rarely busy), but it does get a fair amount of foot traffic from the current convention center already.

Stay tuned for more information on this story as it becomes available.

Disney Releases Backstory for Trattoria Al Forno, Opening December 18th

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

The newest Disney dining experience, Trattoria al Forno, as with anything at Walt Disney World, will have a back-story crafted by Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Parks Food & Beverage Concept Development. Such story elements as authentic food and ingredients, a wine list featuring 100% Italian wines, and décor have been brought together to create an exciting new dining experience for Walt Disney World Resort guests.

“The Trattoria al Forno story was inspired by the Italian menu and the rich storytelling of the turn-of-the-century boardwalk setting,” says Missy Renard, Walt Disney Imagineering resorts art director. “Working closely with the Food & Beverage Concept Development team throughout the project was critical to the seamless merging of the story, menu and design – it was a shared vision.”

The story begins with an Italian family that ran a modest tavern and boarding house on the boardwalk, which expanded over the years into a popular restaurant. The menu’s mix of authentic and innovative dishes supports the story of the restaurant being handed down, with each generation adding their own touches to the meals and the restaurant’s design. The fresh ingredients used to make the flavorful dishes inspired the color palette throughout the restaurant.

Arranged as a series of separate rooms, starting with the original Entrata, or entrance, is where the restaurant’s immersive story begins. An arched brick wall with an aged keystone medallion anchors the room and introduces the traditional building materials used throughout the restaurant. Along the back wall, a custom wine cabinet displays authentic regional wines offered on the menu. Vintage family photos line the walls and introduce the generational story.

“As the restaurant was growing, boardinghouse rooms were converted into additional dining spaces,” explains Renard. “There are four distinct dining rooms, with furnishings, finishes and lighting relating to the character of each original boarding house room.”

The first room, the Cucina, is designed as the eat-in kitchen for the boarding house guests. The forno, or oven, with its rustic wood mantle and copper hood, is the centerpiece. Next, the Sala da Pranzo, or formal dining room, showcases the family’s fine silver, glassware and eclectic china in a grand hutch, with two crystal chandeliers above in the vaulted ceiling.

“The finishes are more opulent – carpet, draperies, settee-style seating and a communal table in front of the show kitchen,” says Renard.

The Sala da Pranzo leads into the Salotto, or living room, of the old boarding house, now a dining area with tufted circular booths and upholstered chairs, and photos of vintage Italian market scenes decorating the walls.

Finally, the Taverna is a secluded dining area located in the structure’s original tavern, where the mirrored back bar still hangs in front of exposed brick walls.

“The three main dining rooms are open to the show kitchen and to each other, but the styling differences in each create individual dining experiences,” says Renard. “The result is combination of intimate and lively dining spaces with a tailored progression of storytelling.”

Trattoria al Forno opens at Disney’s Boardwalk on December 18, 2014.