During my most recent trip to the Orlando area, I stayed in the Universal Orlando area with a larger group of people for most of the time. Most of this group do not frequent the Walt Disney World property as often as I. For their arrival night, we dined at Raglan Road at their request.  Our trip involved staying in a suite on Universal Orlando property that sleeps nine.  After several nights of Halloween Horror Nights, they asked about visiting Disney Springs again. Since I have developed a reputation for being able to get advance dining reservations at both major Orlando area theme parks, I worked on it.  Of course, with the incredible assistance of MouseDining. I eventually booked a lunch reservation at The Boathouse.

Promotional Photo from the Boathouse

Until this day, I had never visited The Boathouse at lunchtime. I had been here numerous times before but not at lunch. The menu varies a bit at lunch time though. Still, the solid seafood and steak options you would expect here reside on the lunch menu. My dining companions ordered oysters, steak, and lobster. Though those are great at The Boathouse, I wanted something less extravagant for lunch since I had several other food reviews to do later that day. I settled on the Grilled Fresh Mahi Sandwich.

Mahi functions as a common element at The Boathouse. For example, guests may also purchase mahi tacos which they did call to me, but I have enjoyed those before. The main reason I selected the sandwich involved testing out the value of it since tacos do not come a true side dish. Whereas the sandwich comes with fries. I pondered upgrading making them truffle fries but opted for a more economical lunch item. The Grilled Fresh Mahi Sandwich costs $24.50. The various components of this sandwich sound basic with one exception, the tartar sauce.  Your sandwich comes with lettuce, tomato, chipotle tartar sauce served with fresh cut fries.

Even as a food blogger, I cannot determine where to start with this sandwich. The short review would be that this is arguably the best fish sandwich I have ever had. In fairness, I usually opt for fish tacos over fish sandwiches. In fact, I ordered fish tacos at our local Mexican place last night. Still, I ordered a fish sandwich at a table service place at Universal Orlando the next evening. Though the one at Universal Orlando cost far less, the quality fell to less than half of The Boathouse version. Maybe I am not the world’s foremost expert in terms of fish sandwiches. However, even a a week or so later, I would rank this one as the best I have consumed. If you know of a better one on Walt Disney World property, feel free to leave a comment or comment to me on twitter @pastorjonself.

For this sandwich, even the bun came well prepared. In fairness, the fish might have been a bit undercooked, but it still tasted great. The fish was soft and incredibly tender. The chipotle tartar sauce only adds to the overall experience. Personally, I prefer a little more kick with my chipotle. Yet, this spice level should enhance most people’s selection of this sandwich. Every bite of this sandwich features a solid flavor. If you enjoy lightly fried high-quality fish, this sandwich deserves a shot in your Walt Disney World dining rotation. Also, the fries portion size surpasses standard table service size as usual at The Boathouse.

On the less positive side with this entrée, there existed a few concerns when I ordered this. One, the price point feels a bit high despite the high quality. Two, some guests will dislike the tartar sauce due to the messiness factor. Three, the fries on this day feel below normal standard here. Remember, I said best fish sandwich, not best fries.

Overall, this sandwich makes an outstanding lighter style lunch. This entrée did not preclude me from reviewing two other table service places in the Orlando area that same day. The Boathouse continues to offer some of the most consistently good food at Walt Disney World. No wonder, it ranks as one of the top searched for advance dining reservation via MouseDining. As always, eat like you mean it!

Near the Disney Springs area, several resort style hotels reside on Hotel Plaza Boulevard. A few of these offer quality table service level dining. The one I have visited the most is the American Kitchen Bar & Grill at the B Resort in that area. This open concept restaurant focuses on responsibly sourced food. The core menu builds upon quality appetizers even up to “Certified Angus Beef Brand Steaks.” As I usually tell people, if looking for a good table service option near Walt Disney World, this location offers quality food at a lower price point than on-site at Walt Disney World for equivalent food quality.

In addition, this place offers a excellent bar. I have even enjoyed some beverages here. If you know me, you will understand how significant that statement might be. The staff here has always done a great job in terms of service when I visit (whether they knew I was coming or not) here. Also, this restaurant features a unique truck within the restaurant. This truck is used for special events and buffets. In terms of unique items within a restaurant, this one qualifies. In fact, I have even sat in the bed of this truck before. Yes, restaurants love to entertain food bloggers. The current operating hours here look like this: Breakfast 7:00am – 11:00am, Lunch 12:00pm – 4:00pm, Dinner 5:00pm – 10:00pm, and Bar open until 11:00pm

For the month of October, this restaurant will be offering several specials. These specials for the month of October can be seen below:

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Throughout the month of October, guests can enjoy two specialty drinks in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. American Kitchen encourages guests to think pink when ordering the:

Dragon Fruit Agua Fresca Mocktail ($10)

B “Pink” Margarita ($10)

National Champagne Day: October 28th

Say “cheers” this National Champagne Day with the perfect pairing – two-for-one drink specials and charcuterie. Foodies can indulge in:

Two-for-one Prosecco, Sparkling Rose and Champagne

Charcuterie ($16): Crafted using a selection of both imported and domestic meats with cheeses, garnished with dried fruits and nuts

Halloween: October 31st

On a night full of frights and delights, guests can dawn their best All Hallow’ Eve attire and enjoy some spook-tacular drinks at American Kitchen. Adult trick-or-treaters can sip on:

Spooky Sour Melon ($14)

Smokey Choco Cherry Dipped Old Fashioned ($14)

If you find yourself in the Walt Disney World area, you might want to consider a stop at this restaurant for a relaxing meal. Especially if staying in Disney Springs area, this restaurant would be an easy walk. I have always enjoyed meals here whether the appetizers, entrées, or desserts. As always, eat like you mean it!

During my most recent trip to Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, I ordered something besides chicken for my meal. Yes, I know that sounds like an odd decision based on the signature chicken that made Chef Art Smith famous. However, many other menu items here deserve consideration besides the incredible chicken. On this occasion, I opted for Chopped Pork Barbeque Plate.

Now just in case you are unfamiliar with the popularity of this table service restaurant, this place fills up quickly in terms of reservations. In fact, this continues to be the most searched for advance dining reservation at Disney Springs via MouseDining. I feel that highly desired status to be well deserved.

Since I ordered the Chopped Pork Barbecue Plate, my meal came with a side of the Homecomin mac and cheese. Neither of my dining companions ordered anything that included this mac and cheese, so I felt obligated to order some. For the record, I think I got one or two bites of this since they found it to be very tasty. In this case, that worked fine since I have rated this mac and cheese the best at Walt Disney World based on previous experiences. I have a friend that argues for other mac and cheese as better, but not many stay with that position after eating this. If you enjoy mac and cheese, you should give this a try when visiting Homecomin’.

Promotional Photo from Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’

The Chopped Barbecue Pork entrée costs $27. The menu description sounds very ordinary for such a flavorful entrée. The description tells us that chopped pork is dressed with the special HFK barbecue sauce. The menu makes sure we know this barbecue sauce will be sweet and spicy. In fairness, that statement reflects the truth. In addition to Momma’s mac and cheese, this comes with southern style slaw and a cheddar drop biscuit. On a personal note, I always wonder why this slaw needs pickles. However, that might expose my personal bias.

As with most Homecomin’ items, the portion size counts as above average to large. In addition, if the amount of sauce drizzled on the pork does not satisfy you, another container of sauce comes with this entrée. The sauce does go well with the mac and cheese also if you “accidently” spill some on the mac and cheese.

The pork by itself displays excellent preparation. The high quality of pork used shines through with this meal. With the addition of the HFK sauce, the flavor adventure deserves respect. The pork tastes so tender. Yes, this sweet style barbecue earns the spot on the menu. When combined with the biscuit plus mac and cheese, this entrée qualifies as excellent.

On the negative side, the slaw tastes just okay. It feels like an obligatory portion of this meal since slaw and BBQ often go together. Also, service will be incredibly polite and attentive, but your food may come from the kitchen slower than you would expect.

Overall, if my only real criticisms are the slaw and slow Southern hospitality, then this barbecue plate earns high marks. As mentioned before, this place presents a challenge to get a reservation, especially at nights and weekends for their brunch. As I have written before, I have used MouseDining alerts service on numerous occasions to change reservations at this place numerous times. After having this barbecue plate, I have one more reason to visit Homecomin. As always, eat like you mean it!

Recently I found myself dining at Disney Springs. I let me theme park friends decide where to dine that evening. As I was preparing to order an appetizer and entrée in typical food blogger fashion, I saw a notification on twitter from MouseDining. My review of “That Salad With Chicken” from Raglan Road was posted online. Ironically, I saw that post while sitting at that same Raglan Road restaurant. The group I had just picked up at the airport that afternoon planned to go to Raglan Road for at least two months in advance for this evening. Of course, I booked a reservation with the help of MouseDining back then. In typical fashion, plans changed so I think I adjusted this reservation about six times. On every occasion MouseDining helped take the stress away.

Okay, I have waxed poetic about MouseDining enough. I ordered food that night. I selected a new appetizer there, the “Beef in Bed.” As you can tell, Raglan Road likes to create unique names for their food. The “Beef in Bed” costs $18. With a price point like that for an appetizer, I expected something really good or sizeable. The menu description explains the higher price point though. This appetizer includes smoked pulled beef shortrib on buttermilk cheddar bread, roasted corn, smoked onion puree and crispy fried shallots. Raglan Road appears to be basing the price point on beef shortrib meat.

Our server took our orders this night in a timely fashion. In fact, my appetizer arrived very quickly after ordering. In fact, it arrived so soon that many in my group wondered how that could have been done. I guess after visiting Homecomin so often, I expect things to take a longer time before I get my food. So, I felt concerned that this appetizer lacked freshness. Those concerns failed to be valid with the exception of the bread being a bit tough in places. Still, that might not be a valid criticism with this type of appetizer.

However, I did think this appetizer looked small in terms of portion size for $18. This appetizer fails to be truly sharable in my opinion. On a positive note, the pulled beef meat provided a great smoky style flavor. The flavor of the beef stars in this appetizer. If you dislike smoky flavored meat, then this appetizer should be avoided by you. If you enjoy that style of flavor, this deserves consideration.

The overall concept of this dining creation makes total sense. The creativity and design of it should get high marks. The buttermilk cheddar bread brings a nice level of sweetness to balance the rest of this “Beef in Bed.” When you get a taste of the beef with some bread combined with a few of the other components, the experience for your taste buds might earn the high price point.  However, in my experience, that only happens in a few bites. I doubt this concept can be configured to avoid some inferior bites of food. All individual components of this work apart from fried shallots. They seemed to not match the rest of ingredients very well.

On the positive side, this appetizer brings good flavor. Yet, I preferred the “Chicken Donut” and appetizers like at Raglan Road over this one. People with texture issues eating food will not enjoy this one either. My biggest criticisms revolve around portion size and price point. If this distinctive appetizer costs a few dollars less, then it would be easier to encourage people to get this. However, that $18 price point sends a message of either higher quality of larger portion size.

In my opinion, this new item may not last long at Raglan Road. I doubt many people will buy it more than once. Once again, my criticism falls on price point not quality of preparation or actual flavors. If you crave smoky style meat in a unique appetizer, go order this. If not, I would suggest another appetizer at Raglan Road. As always, eat like you mean it!

Attention all pizza lovers! Now streaming on Hulu is a saucy new pizza competition show called “Best in Dough.” The series brings together pizza obsessed competitors from all walks of life to showcase their pizza slinging skills and battle it out for a cash prize. Pizza geniuses of varying occupations, from students to social media stars, will be put to the test with challenges that will have you saying, “Mamma Mia!” And if that’s not enough for you, Wells Adams (“Bachelor in Paradise”) is the host.

With so many palatable pizza places across the Disney Parks, we consulted judges Chef Millie Peartree, baker Bryan Ford, comedian and food influencer Eunji Kim, and even head judge Chef Daniele Uditi of Pizzana to help us determine the not-at-all-definitive Top 5 Pizza Places at Disney Parks.

1. Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria (EPCOT)

It comes as no surprise that the traditional Neapolitan pizza of Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria is on this list. Nestled into the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT, a trip to Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria will transport you across the boot, with Venetian architecture from the North to Sicilian artwork from the South. This pizza is crafted with San Marzano tomatoes and real Caputo flour imported straight from Southern Italy earning the stamp of approval from authentic Italians.

2. Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)

Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is dubbed “where Italy meets California in the heart of the Backlot,” and for good reason. The flavors that come out of the kitchen are as warm and inviting as the restaurant itself with its string lights and checkered curtains. The Margherita Flatbread is the perfect antipasto with its melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella, house-made marinara sauce, fresh basil, and, of course, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

3. Pizzafari (Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park)  

The freshly baked pizza at Pizzafari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park has truly stood the test of time. With different toppings to choose from and personal pies, this quick-service stop will have you roaring for more.

4. Alien Pizza Planet (Disneyland Park)

Does pineapple belong on pizza? That’s a question that goes back lightyears. All we know is that the Hawaiian-style Pizza at Alien Pizza Planet in Disneyland has us saying “Ooohh!”

5. Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta (Disney California Adventure park)

There’s nothing better than grabbing a quick slice and then getting on the next attraction. Lucky for us, Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta comes in handy when exploring all there is to do at Disney’s California Adventure park. With many slices to choose from, this quick-service location is a perfect pit stop.

So, after you’ve gotten yourself a slice or two, or five, from the best spots at Disney Parks, be sure to check out “Best in Dough” now streaming on Hulu!

During my most recent trip to the Orlando area, I flew through O’Hare airport in Chicago. From my place of residence, I have the ability to take the train into Chicago for such adventures. Based on the train schedule, I knew I would have about a 2–3-hour time window in the airport to enjoy lunch before flying down to Orlando. Based on that I planned to have lunch at the Rick Bayless Frontera quick service location within O’Hare airport. This location serves tortas. I joked this would be a pre-game meal for reviewing something at Frontera Cocina restaurant in Disney Springs. Well, in fact, it became that as I enjoyed a late lunch at Disney Springs on a weekday afternoon during that trip.

That afternoon, I ordered chips and salsa for an appetizer. If you were expecting chips and salsa to be complimentary, that fails to be true here. Just like at the quick service location in the airport, chips, and salsa cost $5 here. At Frontera Cocina in Disney Springs, you get a basket of chips with smoky chipotle salsa and herby salsa verde. This nice safe appetizer serves it purpose nicely. The chips rank as average, especially for a Rick Bayless restaurant. Still, the salsa offers incredible flavor. The salsa verde provided far more kick that I expected. Yet, I preferred the chipotle salsa with these chips.

For my entrée, I ordered the “Grilled Chicken Chipotle Tacos.” These cost $22. Yet, the Walt Disney World website lists these at $20 as of time of writing. Both major theme park resorts in the Orlando area fail to update online menus very quickly so plan for that. The menu description reads grilled chicken in tangy chipotle sauce, caramelized red onions, black bean refritos with queso fresco, guacamole, and chipotle salsa. As you might imagine at this place, these are not your normal tacos. In fact, you assemble them yourself with the ingredients. With your tacos, you get some well-prepared “street-size” tortillas. Though I would have preferred a more traditional flour tortilla flavor, these tortillas worked well.

All the components of this entrée provided solid flavor. I suspect even if you generally dislike some of the components, you will enjoy them within your tacos. I expected a bit more spice from this style of restaurant but still good flavor overall. If looking to be critical of the flavor, nothing about this entrée ranks as excellent. Still, nothing would qualify as anything lower than above average.

During my experience, I started with four small tortillas. I felt they did not arrive warm enough but that might be personal preference. During my meal, my server asked if I wanted more tortillas without being prompted. The second set of tortillas arrived warmer but still not to the level I prefer.

The portion size of chicken for this price at a table service dining options exceeds expectations. Sure, I would have liked more but realistically a solid portion within an excellent preparation. The chicken offers all expected flavors and is well prepared. With two set of tortillas, I made eight street style size tacos. Yes, those function as small tacos but I easily make eight using all components of this entrée. If during your visit, you get eight tortillas, this dish could be shared between two people easily especially if you got chips and salsa also. In addition, the chips tasted better with the chicken and beans than the tortillas did in my opinion.

I started looking for a reservation here about two weeks in advance. I failed to get one. Yet, honestly, I did not put much effort into the process for this restaurant. I focused on Homecomin and Raglan Road over this location. However, I walked in during a weekday afternoon to a close to empty restaurant easily getting a table. I selected to eat at the bar, but tables were available. I did check back that evening. The place was filled during evening mealtime that night. Thus, if you want a table here in the evening, you might want to set an alert of MouseDining.com

In conclusion, this place offers solid experience. If looking for a more upscale Mexican style meal, this place will not disappoint. The traditional criticism of this place revolves around high price points. At least for this meal, I found value in my selection. My tacos provided enough kick that you knew you were at a Rick Bayless restaurant. Yet, the spice factor would not overwhelm most people with the exception of salsa verde. All in all, this place makes a decent option for dining at Disney Springs. As always, eat like you mean it!

Since opening in 2016 in Disney Springs, Chef art Smith’s Homecomin’ draws large interest from diners. This restaurant currently ranks as the most searched for restaurant at Disney Springs via MouseDining. With over 20 table service dining options, that ranking says something about people’s desire to eat here. The delectable comfort food here provides a great experience. The service at Homecomin’, though often slow, brings excellent “Southern” hospitality.

For example, during a recent trip to Homecomin’, our server Anthony treated everyone wonderfully. The dining experience took well over an hour though. In fairness, we did order lots of food and beverages. My dining companions ordered a shine flight this afternoon which added to the fun and length of our dining experience. For the record, they enjoyed their flight of beverages. This afternoon, I stuck with my refillable sipper cup to support by diet soda addiction.

One of my primary intentions for this trip revolved around ordering an appetizer that I had not eaten at Homecomin’ previously. I went to order it and noticed it was no longer on the menu. I asked our server Anthony about it. He quickly told me that they still had it. He said it was now on the “secret menu.” Apparently, this secret menu item hides better than the secret menu item at “Skipper’s Canteen” at Magic Kingdom.

These are Gator Bites

The secret code name for this appetizer currently is “Gator Sticks.” Now, those should not be confused with the “Gator Bites” served here. These “Gator Sticks” do not taste like gator. They are “Okra Fries.” Okra Fries used to be on the appetizer menu at Homecomin’. The old description of these read “hand-cut okra, lightly battered and crispy fried, and served with their delicious icebox dressing.” I did notice the price went up to $16 now.

Okra Fries fit the southern comfort food setting at Homecomin’ well. I respect that many of you cringed when I told you these were okra with a code name of “Gator Sticks.” However, I enjoy fried okra. Based on my family of origin, I have enjoyed excellent well-prepared fried okra. If you have eaten less than well-prepared okra, then you have every reason to cringe at this secret menu appetizer.

So how were these okra fries? First, the portion size even for $16 provides plenty of food for everyone. I found myself overwhelmed by the large number of okra fries given. I ate most of them but I could not even eat all of them. Second, these matched well with the icebox dressing. The icebox dressing here somehow tastes better than it should for a relatively simple dressing. Third, the okra fries presented a solid flavor and were well prepared.

On the negative side, based on preparation style, you might want to cut these okra fries into smaller bites. The texture of some of the okra fries might be challenging for some to eat. There will be no delicate dainty bites of these creations. Okra often can be chewy so some pieces might taste that way.

Overall, I found “Gator Sticks” enjoyable. Clearly, the portion size earns high marks. However, I think many people will be too overwhelmed with this style appetizer. With all the great food at Homecomin’, using valuable stomach space on this appetizer seems unwise. However, if you have a large group wanting to split a unique appetizer, this one makes a terrific choice.

Finally, if you have read some of my other dining reviews at Homecomin’, then you know this place makes a challenging advance dining reservation to get. For this most recent trip, I personally used MouseDining.com alerts to adjust this reservation at least ten times. I wish I was exaggerating. I changed days, time of day, and number of people several times. Though I got a bit concerned, every change was met by an alert from MouseDining eventually. Since Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ ranks as the most searched for advance dining reservation, I became a pleased customer.

Whether you want the Chef Art’s Burger, these “Gator Sticks”, Mama’s Mac and Cheese, the Church Lady Deviled Eggs, or just yummy chicken, Homecoming’ offers great food. As always, eat like you mean it!