Tutto Italia -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Epcot -- World Showcase
*This dining review took place in October 2013. It includes a gluten free & dairy free review, as well as a gluten free & yellow food coloring review.
Tutto Italia is a quintessential authentic Italian restaurant. From the tiled floors, to the gorgeous chandeliers, and dapper dressed servers, you will be transported to a fancy restaurant in Rome immediately. Having not dined at this location in many years (and prior to a special diet), I had no idea what to expect from this location. I learned not that long ago that Italy is one particular country that is very adept at handling Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance, and I was pleased to see that this location took extra steps to ensure that as well.
 |
| Gorgeous tile work! |
One of the things that surprised me when we arrived is that the restaurant actually has a gluten free menu. I can't say that I've really seen many non-Disney owned locations carry such a menu, so this was nice. What's different about this location versus Disney owned ones is that the chefs do not come out to talk to you. In fact, we were assisted by the manager of the restaurant. He immediately came to our table and discussed some of the options with us. My friends (one of whom is GF) had dined here before, but it sounded like the GF menu was fairly new as they hadn't seen it before.
 |
| You can see a textual version of this menu HERE |
There were a few dishes that were immediately out for me as a dairy free diner--Definitely no mozzarella or panna cotta. They said they could do the pasta dish without cheese (always good). I ended up going for the salmon because I thought it sounded good & was also very easily made GF/DF (safe choices are always my best bet). My friend ordered the insalata mista, which is also dairy free. And he shared with the table. It was really fresh and light. I would definitely consider ordering this (though it was a little pricey!).
 |
| Gluten free & dairy free bread in the background with EVOO & insalata mista |
Now the manager also said they had bread on hand for gluten free diners. I asked specifically if it was also dairy free because I've encountered some imported bread that was not safe. He swore up and down that it was, but I still sort of questioned it (and we couldn't flag him down later). Though, after my friend & I both tasted it, we both thought it tasted like Schar. I didn't feel sick or get any scratchy throat, so I'm thinking it was OK.
 |
| Gluten Free (and likely dairy free) bread |
The table also had extra virgin olive oil (very high quality) and green pitted olives. They were very good because they weren't briney at all and were very mild.
Our entrees came surprisingly quickly, and mine looked gorgeous! The colors were very vibrant and the fish looked beautiful. My initial reaction was though that mine wasn't safe because of the sauce on the top of the fish. It looked creamy (turns out it was just a really good emulsion), so I made sure to ask the servers to see if they could find out what was in it before I ate it. No taking chances on the entree. According to them it was parsley, orange citrus, and some type of vinaigrette. It definitely had a nice citrus punch to it and really complimented the meal nicely.
 |
| Check out that sauce! this was sooo good. |
Taste-wise, I was really glad I got this dish. I personally find pasta almost too filling (I rarely eat) so this was perfect for me. The potatoes, artichokes, and olives were also really well balanced for the whole dish. This to me would be the dish I'd order again. Definitely a hands down winner.
 |
| Classic GF pasta dish! |
My friend really enjoyed his pasta dish. In fact, he said it's the only pasta he's had properly al dente. That's really hard to do with GF pasta because it often becomes quite mushy. This seemed really hearty in terms of texture, so I'm not sure how they make it (other than it's rice pasta), but it seems like the Italian exported pasta is really substantial. Now my friend easily reacts to gluten and often feels sick by the end of a meal if he's been hit. This happened to him at Via Napoli but not at Tutto Italia. One of the warnings for Via Napoli was the flour in the air from the pizza. I would say that probably a safer bet would be to dine at Tutto Italia like we did for safer GF offerings.
 |
| Trio of breads |
Interestingly enough, we asked for gluten free bread after the 3 pieces we were given were done, and they brought out a trio of breads the second time around. Now, this made me wonder if the 1st round was the GF/DF bread and these two contained dairy. I admit, I was nervous about that. We asked several times, but the servers could only tell us that it was the allergy bread. Um, not helpful guys! I tried a small corner of each and wasn't overly impressed, so I just abstained from the bread consumption. The middle one was like Cinnamon Raisin and the far right one was sort of sweet (but mildly sweet). Not really a challah but sort of that similar eggy bread/with a hint of sweetness.
 |
| Panna Cotta with cherries |
My friends ordered dessert & split it. The panna cotta they got looked pretty good (no sure worth $12 but good!). The syrup and cherries on top also looked quite nice, and they said they were almost candied. It would be nice if they had a few more dessert options and maybe something GF/DF!
 |
| Dining room |
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Tutto Italia. I was nervous to eat here but overall, they had some nice offerings. If you're just GF, I think you will have a better time here, as there weren't a ton of GF/DF choices but still at least there was something. I wouldn't consider this a vegan friendly place. But the fact that I navigated an Italian restaurant safely makes me happy. I can't step foot into most outside of the 'world.' I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for this experience with safe offerings and some tasty food. Boun Appetito!
Cosmic Rays -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Magic Kingdom
*This dining experience took place in October 2013.
 |
| Ordering area of Cosmic Rays |
Cosmic Rays is an out-of-this-world futuristic inspired quick service location in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. It offers standard quick service fare from burgers, fries, and sandwiches, to soups and salads. It also offers a few other heartier meal options such as rotisserie chicken. The location offers several "Bays" from which to choose these options and there are many choices for gluten free & dairy free diners.On this particular visit, I checked in with a manager who seemed much more attentive than the previous time I visited. On the last visit, I actually chose not to eat at the restaurant because the manager refused to let me look at the ingredient binder!! I was really nervous about this visit given the previous manager's lack of knowledge or accommodation (which is actually rare for Cosmic Rays). I was greeted by the manager who seemed to somewhat knowledgeable. He went over the ingredients binder with me and also said that the French fries were safe (they used to not be, so maybe I missed this? I don't dine at Cosmic Rays often). I ordered a chicken sandwich (grilled) with an Udi's bun. I also asked if I could get condiments made for me, and he suggested the fixins' bar, and I told him that this is a very high risk for cross contamination. I asked for lettuce and grilled onions.
 |
| Bay 3, where I ordered my chicken sandwich |
It did take a fair amount of time for the food to show up, which was OK but still I wish they had pagers up there. It's really tight in the aisles waiting for food here, and we got in a lot of people's way. In any event, we finally got our food and grabbed a seat. This place ALWAYS seems busy!!
 |
| Grilled chicken sandwich with fries and fixins' |
One of the things that I always think after I eat at Cosmic Rays is that I'm underwhelmed. It just seems "blah." We had initially planned on going to Be Our Guest, but the line to get in was huge, so we skipped it. We should have gone back to Pecos Bills or Columbia Harbour House in my opinion. The sandwich itself was plain and mediocre. I'm always glad to have a bun, so that's at least nice. The onions were sort of half crunchy and half sauteed, so the texture wasn't great. And the fries were just OK. Later I had a stomach ache, so I'm wondering if the fries were truly safe or if I just ate something that irritated my stomach (this was one of those hard to tell situations).
 |
| Chicken sandwich |
Overall, I would say that this is an OK choice mostly because they have a lot of options but taste-wise it's not my personal favorite. I will say that it's so-so and that I think there are some better choices in the Magic Kingdom. I also have had a few weird manager interactions lately, so I'm not sure what's going on there.I'd give this a 6 out of 10--for mediocre food & service.
Jiko -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge
 |
| Jiko Interior |
*This dining experience took place in October 2013. It includes my gluten free & dairy free review as well as reviews from blog readers Linda & Brandon T. with a gluten and soy free review and gluten free review. Thanks again to Linda & Brandon and their friend Andrea for joining me for dinner!
 |
| Picture of open kitchen at Jiko |
Jiko: the Cooking Place is located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House and offers African inspired cuisine at a signature dining location. The interior is set to mimic the African sunset and the lighting aptly changes throughout your dining experience. This location offers terrific gluten free & dairy free offerings and even has special menus for specific dietary needs, making it much easier to order items off the menu. On this particular occasion I visited with several blog readers who also have special dietary needs and really enjoyed the experience with them.My previous experience at Jiko had been several years ago, and it was bad. And I mean BAD. The worst dining experience I've ever had at Disney. Which is unfortunate for a variety of reasons. You can read that review HERE. So needless to say, I was a bit nervous about dining here. It's been about 3 years, and I figured at this point, hopefully things had improved. Our server discussed drink options with us and then brought over the chef. The chef was very nice & really knowledgeable. He also brought us out special dietary menus, which was very helpful in making decisions about what we might want. It helps not making decisions on the fly when there are so many choices! We were actually able to keep our menus, and I have scanned versions of the gluten free menu HERE and the dairy free menu HERE. I also enjoy being able to match things up & cross reference the sheets quickly. Very handy.First up, our table split the Taste of Africa sampler. Essentially this is a variety of dips & lentil pappadums. We also received extra pappadums for the table, so we had a lot! I will say that the dip sampler seems a lot stingier than it used to be. It seemed fairly small for the price, and between 3 of us splitting it, we did OK mostly because our entrees came quickly. We did not get a really good description of the dips, but there was a Kalamata olive hummus and several other spicier dips (I think they still have the chermoula and some others). In my opinion, the dip sampler at Sanaa is vastly superior both in taste and in quantity. For $10 you get all the dips at Sanaa which is a lot!
 |
| Lentil Pappadums |
 |
| Taste of Africa sampler |
For our entrees, both Linda and I ordered the Maize crusted monkfish. Linda is gluten & soy free, so she was able to get the tomato butter sauce that this dish normally comes with, while mine was prepared dairy free and had a rich tomato sauce. All other components to our dishes were the same.
 |
| Gluten free & Dairy free version of maize crusted monkfish |
For my part, I will say that I like this dish very much. It was on the menu at my last visit (and what I ended up ordering) and I found it to be quite good. The vegetables were perfectly sauteed and very flavorful. The tomato sauce was nice and light. And the fish was perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. I like the maize crusted coating on it. This is one of those entrees that I would definitely order again.
 |
| Gluten free & soy free version of maize crusted monkfish |
I know that Linda loved her fish dish and said she really enjoyed it a lot. I was glad that she enjoyed her version as much as I did!
 |
| Wonderful dinner with terrific company! |
Brandon and Andrea both ordered the Filet Mignon on the menu, which has been known to be very good. Andrea doesn't have a special diet, but she seemed to really enjoy her entree. Brandon didn't love his filet, but it just goes to show you that everyone has different tastes and food reviews are certainly relative!
 |
| Gluten free beef filet mignon |
Brandon also ordered the tomato soup, which he said had a very smoky almost BBQ sauce flavor to it. My guess is that they roast the tomatoes in the wood fired oven.
 |
| Tomato soup |
For our desserts, I chose the coconut milk panna cotta which was made with soy milk & coconut milk. Linda ordered the flourless chocolate cake. Her dessert looked incredibly rich and delicious!
 |
| Flourless chocolate cake |
 |
| Coconut milk panna cotta |
I will say that I wasn't wowed by my dessert. I found the taste to be a little strange, and I think they could have made a nice tropical mix of fruit with the mango coulis which would have played better with the panna cotta. The plain fresh berries didn't seem to mix well, in my opinion. I also had a slight stomach ache after dinner, and I wondered if the soy milk might have been Kikkoman (which I heard later that it used to be) and is not gluten free. In general, I wouldn't order that particular dessert again.Overall, I did enjoy the meal. I really loved my entree, and I know Linda did too! The appetizer sampler was good, but I think I have been spoiled by Sanaa way too much and have high expectations of a dip sampler. The only thing I really didn't love was the dessert.In general, I would definitely visit Jiko again, but my personal preference both for type of food, price, and atmosphere would be Sanaa hands down. This is a great special occasion place to visit, and I very much thank Linda, Brandon, and Andrea for joining me the night before my first 5k (review HERE). It really made the meal special!
Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Port Orleans French Quarter
*This dining experience took place in October 2013.
 |
| View of lobby in Port Orleans French Quarter |
This is a brief review of POFQ's quick service location Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory for breakfast. As I've mentioned in my recent reviews, this is the place to be for New Orleans inspired cuisine on property. From the Mardis Gras vibe to the amazing beignets, there's just a terrific vibe in this resort & restaurant.On this particular visit, I stopped by with my friend Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando (http://glutenfreeinorlandoflorida.blogspot.com/). We caught up right before my very first runDisney race (Happy Haunted 5K), and it was great to indulge in some beignets before I got myself prepared for the big race day. We both knew we were going to get the now famous GF/DF beignets that Chef Tony & the rest of the POFQ team serves up. I may have a slight beignet addiction right now!We were lucky because Chef Tony was also at the restaurant that morning, and we were able to say "hi" and chat briefly. He's been a very busy guy with Food & Wine Festival season doing culinary demos, Party for the Senses, and even being in the cranberry bog! So, it was a nice treat to be able to say hello!Another Disney CM took our beignet order, and I also ordered some scrambled eggs & bacon as well. As much as I love the sweets I knew I needed some pre-race day protein, particularly as I was heading to the expo center to pick up my bib and then meet up with some friends which meant food might be elusive for a while!And, of course, I was not disappointed. These beignets were amazing as always. I will say that right now I think the recipe is just right! I love the puffiness of them and how light they are. The chewiness that I mentioned the 1st time I had them has definitely gone away. These are just terrific! I have to say anything deep fried and smothered in powdered sugar is just A-OK to me!
 |
| Beignet deliciousness! |
 |
| Scrambled eggs & bacon |
As far as my eggs & bacon, I'm going to give some big credit to the CM who made these. I believe her name was Molly. These were really good! I'm going to say probably the best cooked QS scrambled eggs that I've ever had. I'm not kidding! They were delicious. Not overcooked and flavorful! I was very pleased with these. It's rare that a QS doesn't completely overcook my scrambled eggs (and I can't fault them, they are handling large quantities), so this was pretty awesome! The bacon was the typical bacon you get in the QS locations. Nothing special, but hey, bacon is bacon right?!Overall, I found this to be a really nice morning breakfast. I have to say the beignets just knock it out of the park as a breakfast choice! It certainly gave me a nice sugar boost to get through the rest of the day, which was very busy!I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10 as far as QS go, this is one of my favorites! The fact that I can get beignets morning, noon, and night makes me swoon!Have you tried the fabulous allergy friendly beignets yet?
The Wave -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Contemporary Resort
*This dining experience took place in September 2013.
 |
| Entrance to the Wave |
The Wave is located in Disney's Contemporary Resort and it's culinary viewpoint is sustainable and seasonal items. This is one of the locations that I often visit for breakfast when I'm staying at Bay Lake Tower, my home DVC resort. Their breakfast offerings include a variety of gluten free & dairy free products from companies like Udi's and Kinnikinnick.On this particular occasion, we stopped by for breakfast after attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party the evening before. We were all tired and looking forward to a relaxing breakfast close to our hotel room. I've been to the Wave several times previously, and I've usually been moderately satisfied with my choices and service. Unfortunately, this particular experience wasn't as magical as it could have been.One thing to note is that this location serves both a buffet option & an a la carte menu. We chose to go for the menu option rather than the buffet. To me, it hasn't been one of the best breakfast buffets, so I'd rather go for the menu. After our server greeted us, she seemed mildly disappointed we weren't ordering buffet. The chef came in the meantime and also seemed pretty put out that he had to come over. In fact, he barely spoke to me. I'm sure that it's very busy in the kitchen and that it can be stressful. Maybe he was having a bad day. Regardless, he was very curt with me and didn't seem willing to offer much. He really wanted me to get Mickey waffles and I didn't want them because I have had really good pancakes here before. I asked if he could make the banana walnut pancakes I got before and he said he could. I also asked if there was ANY chance he could do the sweet potato pancakes. His response was, "Well if we have sweet potato that hasn't been mixed yet..." and then proceeded to walk away. I got banana walnut pancakes so I assume that meant they didn't have any available or he just didn't want to make them. Yikes!
 |
| As you can see it was REALLY busy in here... |
Our server was also basically non-existent for our meal. And this rarely happens unless a restaurant is slammed. Now this restaurant is never slammed and quite frankly most of the people were getting the buffet, so I'm not sure what the issue was.
 |
| Banana walnut pancakes and bacon |
After getting my breakfast, I investigated the pancakes. They were basically Bob's Red Mill pancakes with sliced bananas and walnuts. I liked the version I got the time before because the chef had basically pureed the banana into the batter, so it was like banana bread flavor all throughout the pancake. This was banana flavor here and there. But overall, they were good. The bacon, on the other hand, was another story. I have no clue what they did to this bacon but it was terrible! Even the worst quick service bacon was better than this. It was very stringy, greasy, and just had a weird flavor, like it was slightly off. Honestly, for a place that touts local, sustainable and seasonal, they can't have good bacon!?My family also didn't really love their meal. They thought it was adequate but not really worth the price or effort. We all agreed that we would rather take the monorail next time to another resort to get breakfast. I'd happily head over to Kona for breakfast over this any day! It's just a bummer because honestly, I see a lot of potential in this restaurant, but it's just not at the level it should be. Really disappointing.Overall, I'd give this a 5 out of 10. This experience just wasn't good from start to finish. While the pancakes weren't terrible, just about everything else wasn't very good. I wish I could say better things about the Wave, but it's definitely off my skip list for now.Have you been to the Wave? What was your experience there?
Good's Foods to Go -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Old Key West
*This dining experience took place in September 2013.
 |
| View from Good's Foods to Go of Old Key West |
This is just a brief review of the quick service location at Old Key West. I recently went there (see older review HERE) and got the same thing, so this is a fairly brief and similar report. On this particular visit, I knew that I wanted to get the allergy friendly chicken tenders & French fries. The menu here is rather limited so this is always my go-to choice. There was a fairly long line and once I got to the front I let them know that I had a special diet and that I wanted the chicken tenders. They still needed to page the chef, so that they could make all of this happen. Chef Julie from Olivia's came by to greet me and took my order. I would also see her the next day at Olivia's for breakfast (see review HERE). She said it would be a few minutes and then went to make the tenders. While I waited, I noticed that this location also has the new Rapid Fill soda machines installed.
I will say that it took a pretty long time for the tenders. I kind of almost wonder if they didn't have a dedicate fryer heated up because it took longer than normal. But once I got them, I was very excited. They were piping hot (I mean HOT, we had to let them cool down a lot). They were delicious as always and well cooked. The fries were also very hot and fresh.
 |
| Love those allergy chicken tenders & fries! |
Overall, I like this location for the quick service that it is. It's a limited menu, so I would say you will have minimal options, but the nice thing is you get to talk to a chef from Olivia's which I love. The other conisderation is that this is an outdoor seating only area and the kiosk itself is usually very full. It tends to take longer than normal to order food here, so don't expect to be in a hurry here. I'd give this a 6 out of 9, primarily for limited menu and overall wait times of the kiosk (regardless of special diet) and no indoor seating.
Sanaa -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge -- Kidani Village
*This dining experience took place in September 2013.
 |
| Ceiling in Sanaa |
Sanaa, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village, continues to remain one of my favorite restaurants on property. With African & India inspired food, it offers the best of both cuisines. The restaurant is dramatically themed like a forest and is set upon the African savannah with a view of many of the animals that call the Savannah home (think giraffes and zebra). One of the best parts about this restaurant is that it easily accommodates gluten & dairy free diners, as well as vegetarian and vegan diners.On this particular occasion, I stopped by for lunch eager to try something different. Normally I tend to get the dishes themed as "Slow Cooked in Gravy, Simple and Well Seasoned" which are traditionally a lot of curry type dishes. My favorites include the Durban chicken & shrimp and the now gone green curry shrimp. I also adore the bread service with it's lentil pappadums & dipping sauces. Anything that involves red pepper hummus & chutneys is OK by me!
 |
| Bar area in the restaurant |
Today, however, I wanted to get some type of nice lunch sandwich. I wasn't looking for a big meal and was hoping that I could get a reasonable option. On this visit, I was greeted by Chef David who went over the menu with me. Luckily, upon arrival I was given both the gluten & dairy free menus for the restaurant. This is one thing that I love about Sanaa--actually custom menus that I can cross-reference and consult before the chef comes to the table! You can actually see the gluten free menu HERE and the dairy free menu HERE.Of course, the menu item that I was interested in trying was not listed on either of the menus. It was the Turkey Club Sandwich - served on multigrain bread with turkey, avocado, bacon, pickled onions, and lemon mayonnaise plus choice of chickpea salad or fresh fruit. I asked Chef David about this and he told me that everything was actually safe, except the bread, but that they carried the Udi's sandwich bread on hand and I could have it if I wanted. Yes!! I love it when things work out like that. And it's a lesson that it doesn't hurt to ask, even if you don't see it listed on the menu. He told me that they roast the turkey in-house and make the lemon mayo in house as well. It sounded delicious. I also opted for the chickpea salad instead of fruit, mostly because the fruit was a lot of melon and I'm not a melon fan.
 |
| Two small sandwiches turned out to be one huge meal! |
 |
| Close-up of the sandwich inside |
First things first, I wish Disney got the commercial Udi's sandwich bread at all of their locations. Some (like Kouzzina) have it but most have the wimpy small sandwich bread. I mean, I guess it works out because I end up getting a lot of food, but still! I'd like a regular sized sandwich sometimes!First up, this sandwich was excellent. The roast turkey was all turkey breast meat, very moist and nicely seasoned. The bacon was of good quality. The avocado was perfect on this. And the two best parts: the pickled onions (which they also make in house) and lemon mayonnaise. Both divine! Everything really complimented the sandwich. I also adored the chickpea salad. It had cucumbers and tomato in it and was a really fresh, light side.Overall, I really enjoyed this lunch. It was really affordable (somewhere around the $15 mark with tip!) and delicious. This to me was a hands down winner, and a much better option since I was over at the Animal Kingdom Park and don't always love the QS offerings there. I'd definitely get this for lunch again.I'd give this a solid 9 out of 10 as usual for amazing food, service, and customization. This continues to be an outstanding restaurant!
Sci-Fi Dine In -- Table Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Hollywood Studios
*This dining experience took place in September 2013.
Sci-Fi Dine In at Disney's Hollywood Studios offers guests a chance to go back in time to 1950's drive-in theatres. Complete with tables that look like cars and screenings of old B film movies, you will definitely feel transported. The entire menu also fits the drive-in vibe and includes milkshakes, burgers, fries and all those things you'd expect from a typical drive-in. The great thing is that as a gluten free & dairy free diner, I have quite a few choices, including non-dairy milkshakes!On this particular visit, I went with my family before the DHS Villians Bash (which was crazy busy). Dining at Sci-Fi was a welcome retreat before the crowds. Before we waited to be seated, we took the time to look around that the interior design. I love the theming of this restaurant.
 |
| Need to make a phone call?! |
Finally, our table was ready, and we headed in to the main dining area. I will say, be warned this place is dark. It is exactly like dining out at a drive-in. Of course, it's all in good fun and lends to the great atmosphere. And you'll be busy watching those classic films like "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" and "The Cat Woman from Mars" (yes, these are actual film titles!). There's lots to look around at and see. You'll be greeted by a car-hop who will take your order!Once we met with our car-hop, he went to get the chef who came out and went over a few options. I will say, every time I go here the chefs always seem a little ambivalent about assisting me. It's not that they are bad, but I always feel like I need to know pretty much what I want to order. One of the things that I wanted was a non-dairy milkshake. I had a chocolate one the last time and it was good. I will say that I've been told that they don't use dedicated equipment, so they will clean everything well, but there is always the chance for potential cross contamination. I've been lucky that I personally haven't been sick, but I go in knowing that is a potential risk.
I liked my milkshake as I did the first time. It wasn't quite as soupy as the first one I had but not quite as solid as a regular milkshake is. Still to get a non-dairy milkshake out is a rarity, so I really enjoyed it.
 |
| Car hop attendant area in the back of the theatre/dining room |
 |
| Totally cool atmosphere! |
Up next came my entree. This was a new one for me. I ordered the Salmon BLT which came on Udi's pizza crust which had been turned into a wrap type sandwich. First up, it is hard to see in this restaurant, so I literally had to take a photo of my food to see what it looked like!
 |
| Salmon BLT with Fries |
Overall, it was a good sandwich, except I would have removed one thing from it--the sweet chili sauce on it. It was a little too spicy for me. It was basically a spicy mayo but I didn't think the sandwich needed it. Actually, I would have preferred regular mayo on it. The Udi's pizza crust/flatbread was not bad. It needed to be grilled a little more or something similar in nature (it was a little tough). The salmon was cooked beautifully and was very flavorful as were the other accompaniments. The fries were nice thick cut fries which I like (and are different than the regular wimpy Disney fries). The sandwich itself was a bit messy to eat, especially in the dark!My family seemed to like their meals. The reuben, onion rings, and the burger with a hot dog & sauerkraut on it were all choices they ordered. The shakes were a bit hit!We all liked this location a lot. I think it gets a bad rap in terms of the food, but overall I found it to be much improved and a step up from a fast food burgers & fries joint. I wouldn't say it's gourmet by any means, but it's not terrible either. As a gluten free/dairy free diner, I have a fair amount of choices, which is nice. I will note that this has not been a very soy free friendly place, as you can read in a previous review with my friend who's gluten, dairy and soy free (review is HERE). Overall, I give this a 7 out of 10 for this visit. Next time I might modify my sandwich to remove the sauce or try something else. But, I really enjoy this restaurant for its atmosphere and those non-dairy milk shakes! Totally out of this world!
Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk
*This dining review took place in September 2013.
Kouzzina is as always one of my most favorite breakfast spots on property. I just adore the food, the atmosphere, and did I mention the food? It's a hands down winner. And whenever I have friends & family in from out of town, this is where I take them. I've not heard a bad review from anyone yet :) This review is mostly just an update, as it's the same Turkey Sweet Potato Hash that I got the last time. And to give a shout-out to the Kouzzina staff, including Chef Brad who was on hand to assist me.On this particular visit, I went with my friend Krista from Disneyways. She had never been, so this was great to share Kouzzina with her. When we arrived, we were greeted by Chef Brad, who has helped me numerous times before. I don't usually see him though because I'm typically there on the weekends and on this trip, I was there during the week for the Give Kids the World Blogger Bowl. I didn't have him go over any options, mostly because I know the breakfast menu by heart and also because I knew I wanted the amazing Turkey Sweet Potato Hash. I will probably surprise some of you in that I did not order allergy Mickey waffles (I know, a rarity!!) I did get some Udi's toast & Earth Balance Vegan Margarine for the meal.
 |
| My breakfast in all its glory! |
I will say that I just adore this breakfast entree. I love the eggs (nice and poached with ooey gooey yolks, perfect for dipping in toast), the delicious arugula with olive oil, and of course the turkey sweet potato hash. The turkey is all white meat diced and the sweet potatoes are nicely tossed in along with onions and sweet peppers. It's just a really good combination!
 |
| Before digging in... |
 |
| And mid-way through so you could see what the hash looked like |
Many people asked what the hash itself looked like, so I decided to take a pic part way through eating (sorry it's a little messy, but I was hungry!!).Overall, I can't say enough good things, as always about Kouzzina. It's a hands down favorite place to dine for breakfast. A solid 9 out of 10!Have you been to Kouzzina? What do you order for breakfast?
Splitsville -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- Downtown Disney
*This dining experience took place in September 2013 and includes a gluten free & dairy free review and a vegan dining review.
Splitsville in Downtown Disney is a retro themed bowling alley which offers not only bowling, pool, and other recreational activities but also a variety of food options as well. Since it has opened, Splitsville has been extremely popular and often hard to get into. On this particular occasion, I was able to visit as a part of the Attractions Blogger Bowl for Give Kids the World Village (stay tuned for an upcoming post about this amazing event!). I was able to contact GKTWV ahead of time and they contacted Splitsville to arrange for food for both myself and my friend Tony Caselnova from Disney by the Numbers who was on my bowling team. I was glad that they had several gluten free options and a few dairy free options as well.
When we arrived, the first thing I will say is that this place is really neat. If you've ever been to Lucky String or King Pin bowling, you'll have an idea of what this kind of a bowling alley is like. I will say, that this place is sort of oddly set-up. It's very tiny compared to many other big retro bowling alleys. There are two levels and the blogger bowl took place on the 2nd floor. While we waited I got to look around and check out the sushi bar.
 |
| Lots of great folks here including Steve Barrett the Hidden Mickey Guy, Allison from Destinations in Florida, Tony Caselnova from Disney by the Numbers, Krista Joy from Disneyways.com, yours truly & Ramon Rodriguez from Theme Park Concierge! |
Once we checked in at our lane, I asked a Splitsville representative about special dietary arrangements. Now, when I had arranged food with GKTWV, they asked me to give them several options from the menu that I might be interested in. Thankfully, I had some idea of what might be safe gluten free wise thanks to my friend Alexis over at Gluten Free in Orlando! She has a terrific review with a photo of the menu HERE. I had requested, based on her experience, three options: the mahi mahi with voodoo shrimp, the grilled salmon with brocolli, and the Tijuana chicken sandwich all of which were on the Splitsville GF list (one of them isn't anymore but more on that later). I also requested that they make a vegan dish for Tony.Now, the Splitsville representative who helped us (I will assume a manager) told me that my sandwich needed to be re-made because they didn't know it needed to be dairy free too and had been prepared with cheese on it. They asked Tony if he was OK with a stir-fry, which he was. When the items came out, I saw that my sandwich was on a bun that looked very similar to Udi's. I asked what kind of bun it was, if it had dairy, etc. The manager radioed the kitchen and they said it was just "tapioca and water." Now if you look at this picture, this is definitely more than just tapioca and water. I make Chebe buns all the time and they are totally different. *I later learned that I consumed a regular bun that was not gluten free. Well, that does explain why I got sick.
 |
| Spicy Veggie Bowl |
Tony got the spicy veggie bowl, and I have to say it looked good. He seemed to like it, and it looked fairly substantial of a meal overall. Honestly, I could have gone for something similar but with chicken or shrimp. The fresh avocado looked delicious! Later I discovered they can do GF rice bowls, which would have been good to know!
 |
| Tijuana Chicken sandwich on an "unnamed bun" |
To me, this sandwich was OK. The chicken was nothing special and the salsa on it was just OK. The broccoli was just plain steamed broccoli. I'm not sure I'd order it again based on taste. But, I definitely won't be ordering it again based on my stomach afterwards. I definitely got glutened. I had massive stomach pains about 30 min - 1 hour after eating. Not good!!I also discovered after looking at a newly released menu from Splitsville indicating GF options today that the Tijuana Chicken is not listed as Gluten Free. That is not comforting considering that I was sick. Now, it may be that they can easily modify it GF but it's certainly not listed on their standard menu as GF. *I later learned that the rest of the sandwich minus the gluten filled bun can be made GF just with a lettuce wrap.You can see the Splitsville menu HEREOverall, I liked the atmosphere of the restaurant and bowling alley, but I found the food to be pretty mediocre and the GF offerings sparse. Adding in a second dietary need seemed to really put a wrench in the wheel too. They also didn't seem to have much in terms of vegan options either. Overall, I'd give this a 3 out of 10, considering that I got sick. I think it will be a while before I eat at Splitsville, though I would happily go bowl there again especially if it were for a great cause like the blogger bowl! Great for entertainment, just maybe not the best food option for a special diet given this experience.
Olivia's -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Old Key West
*This dining experience took place in September 2013.
I always eat breakfast at Olivia's Cafe when I stay at Old Key West Resort. There's just something about it's relaxing vibe & charming atmosphere. I always feel like I am at Key West, just relaxing and listening to Jimmy Buffet. One of the great parts about Old Key West is that everything is tailor made for Key West living and Olivia's is no exception. I always enjoy grabbing breakfast here.On this particular occasion, we stopped by for a late breakfast. One thing I will say is that I never feel like this place is busy. Is it just that people don't know about it? I don't know, but it always seems rather low-key. I like this but I also don't want it to ever close, so I hope that maybe they're busier at different times of the day. I've had lunch here and I remember it being much busier then. The other thing I always notice is there are either big groups or just groups of 2 scattered through the restaurant. Kind of funny how it's not much in between.
I was greeted by Chef Julie, who I'd seen the day before at Good's Foods to Go (I needed to grab some allergy chicken tenders, of course). Chef Julie used to be at the Polynesian and has a real reputation for being very accommodating for special diets, so I'm always glad to see her. She, of course, recognized me from the day before. The last time I'd visited I'd had the breakfast Cuban, which I liked (see review HERE), but this time I decided to go for the modified version of the Pancakes & Eggs entree. I asked for the allergy Mickey waffles (Bob's Red Mill version, thank goodness), scrambled eggs, and ham.
 |
| Look at all those Mickey waffles! |
This was by far the best breakfast that I've had at Olivia's. Not only were the eggs really cooked well, but the ham was nice and tender and the allergy Mickey waffles were the best I've had there as well. Really crispy. The way Mickey waffles should be! I also got REAL maple syrup, not that terrible corn syrup maple syrup they had at Contempo Cafe recently. I will say, it was a lot of food, though apparently I was very hungry, as I quickly devoured it all (minus 1/2 a Mickey waffle that I gave to my mom, who really loves them).While I wouldn't say that the food at Olivia's is spectacular, I will say that it's good solid, tasty food. I always feel satisfied after my meal and will continue to keep this as an Old Key West tradition. Overall, I give this visit a 7 out of 10. A definite OKW tradition!
Beignets -- Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory -- Port Orleans French Quarter -- Quick Service
*This dining experience took place in September 2013.
There's nothing quite like a beignet. Deep fried and smothered in powdered sugar, they are truly a decadent treat for breakfast and a great dessert in the evening. For many guests with a special diet, these treats have been a no-go but at WDW and specifically at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory at Port Orleans French Quarter this has become a reality! They have become one of my most favorite sweet treats on property!You may recall that a reader tipped me off to these delicious beignets a while back, and I was finally able to check them out (you can read the first review HERE). When I went, I had to contact the WDW Special Diets Department well in advance to make sure they had these on hand. As it turns out, they've become so popular that now you don't need to call in advance--just head on over to Port Orleans French Quarter, grab yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy these treats! Chef Tony and the rest of the culinary team at POFQ have now made these an everyday occurrence, so you are sure to be able to enjoy no matter when you go! This just makes me so excited because now make an impromptu visit whenever I'm craving beignets.On this particular occasion, I stopped by before making the trek back home to get some beignets for the road (well, more before the road...they didn't make it out of the restaurant). My family hadn't tried them either, so it was a great time to see what they thought. The ordering couldn't have been simpler. I just walked up to the counter that makes beignets and asked for them specifically. The cast member went back and got the chef. Chef Paul came out to assist me, and Chef Tony also popped out to chat quickly. He mentioned that they have tweaked recipe for the beignets just slightly (replacing some of the water with club soda, etc.). I really love that they are striving to make things better for those of us with special diets. It's just another example of the magical Disney touch! We also talked about how much of the menu can be easily made GF, so that's excellent news! I totally want to stop by and grab lunch or dinner here soon!Once we got our beignets (which really didn't take long at all--maybe 5-10 minutes), we headed over to dig in! I will say, I could tell immediately that they had modified the recipe some because they were much puffier than the last ones I had.
.JPG) |
| I never saw a GF/DF beignet I did not love! |
.JPG) |
| Anything smothered in powdered sugar makes me happy! |
And let me tell you, I didn't think they could make these beignets any better, but they did! I will say that they chewiness that the previous version had is literally gone. These are much lighter and fluffier and well...just delicious! The texture has definitely hit the beignet texture that I remember from the glutenous ones. And my family really enjoyed these! Let's put it this way, I think they finished theirs before I did!Overall, I can't say enough good things about Chef Tony & the rest of the culinary team at Port Orleans French Quarter. The time, dedication and care they have put into these beignets are so evident. And the fact that you can now get them anytime, just like you can allergy Mickey waffles, is just amazing to me! I'm thinking of hosting a breakfast meetup in the next few months here! It will be a beignet bonanza!To me, the beignets on this trip were 9 out of 10--my only complaint? I should have ordered more!! Thanks again to Chef Tony and all at Port Orleans French Quarter for making these delicious treats available to those of us who normally can't have things like this!Have you tried the special diets beignets at POFQ? Do you love them as much as I do?
Contempo Cafe -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Contemporary
*This dining experience took place in September 2013.
The Contemporary to me is classic Disney. It's really an iconic resort and truly gives you a feel of nostalgia. With the monorail whizzing through the resort, it's hard not to love everything about the Contemporary. Their quick service location, Contempo Cafe is right in the center of it all. It's located near the monorail station and directly next to Chef Mickey's. In general, it's a great quick service spot to grab a quick bite for special diets.
On this particular visit, my family and I grabbed breakfast here before heading to the Magic Kingdom. Now you know I'm a big fan of table service breakfast, but I will say that quick service can be really quick and efficient. I adore the Mara for example (see review HERE); it's probably my hands down favorite quick service breakfast spot. Contempo Cafe offers a hearty breakfast, though perhaps not quite as good as others. It's not bad if you're at the Contemporary though.When you order with a special diet here at the Contempo Cafe, you head to the pick-up station, which is rather small. Check with a cast member and explain that you have a dietary need. For me, I usually have a good idea what I want here, but it's always good to check with the cast members. The manager met me and she was fairly new (she just moved from Michigan, my home-state, less than 2 months ago), so she wasn't completely sure of everything and had to check. I told her I wanted the bounty platter because I could get allergy Mickey waffles (my weakness!). The eggs she said are usually dairy free (scrambled eggs that is) and that the potatoes and other items except the biscuit would be OK as well. So I waited and checked out the restaurant. It was quite busy!
 |
| Dining area--I love the view of the artwork |
I also noticed while waiting that Rapid Fill (the new refillable mug program) was installed and available for purchase, though it didn't look like the machines were actually working like they were supposed to yet (i.e. they were installed and you could use them but they weren't fully functioning). I also noticed that Rapid Fill is only on the soda machines, not coffee and tea.
Finally my food was ready, and I went to pick it up. I noticed right away that there was a nice "hidden" Mickey on my lid. Can you spot it?
 |
| No so hidden Mickey! |
Most of my breakfast was just fine. I liked the eggs, but they were nothing to write home about. The bacon was also good. The turkey sausage...not my cup of tea. I found it too spicy and really thin and weird tasting. I think I recall not liking this before, but it had been so long I thought maybe they had changed it. The potatoes are the exact same ones next door at Chef Mickey's--a little spicy though! Now the Mickey waffles...uggg...this was a fail. 1) They used straight Namaste which to me doesn't taste as good and 2) they didn't cook them all the way through. They were a gummy, nasty mess. Also, the only syrup they had was the corn syrup based kind and not the real maple syrup. Yuck!! I can handle that if the Mickey waffles are at least good to begin with. But both? No thank you.
 |
| Next time I will head to the Mara! |
Overall, I feel sort of so-so about this breakfast. Some things were good and others, just mediocre at best. Those Mickey waffles were cold and gummy. Not the way I envision my beloved allergy Mickey waffles! Right now, I think I'd skip this for breakfast unless I was staying at the Contemporary (and even then I might think of other options). I'm giving this a 6 out of 10. Just so-so.
Roaring Forks -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Wilderness Lodge
*This dining experience took place in September 2013.
 |
| Wilderness Lodge Lobby--One of my favorite resorts! |
Anytime you visit the Wilderness Lodge, you're bound to experience the joys of this resort and really feel like you're transported to a turn-of-the-century national park lodge at the Grand Canyon. Every dining experience gives you that feeling from Whispering Canyon Cafe with its family style meals to the grandeur of Artist Point and its Arts & Crafts movement inspiration. Roaring Forks is the quick service location at the resort, and you will feel like you're saddling up for a day of exploring after you fuel here for a meal. Each time I've been I've been pleasantly surprised by the special diets offerings.On this particular occasion, we stopped by to grab a late lunch/early dinner. It was actually quite bustling in the restaurant which was surprising at 2:30 p.m. We'd spent the day in the Magic Kingdom, so it was a nice place to take a break and rest from it the busy day. I love that going to the lodge makes you feel completely removed from the theme parks. In fact, I spent my 30th birthday week here and it's one of my favorite places to relax!
 |
| Self portrait while relaxing in the big chairs in the lobby |
Roaring Forks is located near the pool area of the resort (if you see Artist Point keep going down the long corridor and turn left). It's a bit of a tiny quick service location with a small ordering and dining area. It gets really busy in the mornings!
I will say that the menu isn't super big for this location, so we didn't have a ton to choose from overall, but there were a few good choices. I am a big fan of the Wilderness Salad which comes with grilled chicken, walnuts (plain, not candied), diced apples, and an apple vinaigrette. It also has cheese and croutons but can be easily made GF/DF without them. So, I knew I wanted to get the salad. We also decided to try the Grilled Pacific Northwest Chicken Sandwich which sounded intriguing. It's grilled chicken, Canadian bacon, wilderness sauce (which I assumed was not safe) and cheese (omitted for me) and fries.When I got up to the ordering station, I asked for a manager who came out and spoke with me. He said both of these options would be good and the salad was very easy. He then asked what kind of bun I wanted. I was surprised and delighted to hear that they carry both Udi's AND GNI buns! See that's what I'm talking about--carry both; this is a win-win for guests and the kitchen! I prefer the Udi's since I can have egg, so I asked for an Udi's bun. It was nice to know though that they would ask my preference and carry both. Love that! The manager said he'd have to check the Wilderness Sauce ingredients. While I waited, I looked around and checked out some of the great authentic decor.
 |
| Part of the Ordering Area |
 |
| And the other part--very small! |
 |
| Who's ready to go exploring? |
I will say that this manager was very conscientious. He had the cast member assisting him make my salad in a completely separate area with clean dishes, utensils and gloves (it was open so I watched). They opened everything fresh and not at the salad station. The manager prepared my sandwich in the back as well. He came out and showed me the ingredients for the Wilderness Sauce (which is a concoction of mayo, cranberry sauce, mustard, etc.) which looked say to me based on the ingredients. It did say that it contained egg and soy.Then it was off to the dining room to dig in. The family split the meals because we'd eaten at Columbia Harbour House earlier for the allergy friendly chicken tenders! First up was the salad. This was the big hit. My mom said she loved this and would get it again. I also really enjoy this salad. It's fresh, crisp, tasty and great on a hot day. And huge! You get a ton of food.
Then it was onto the chicken sandwich. I'm gonna say this was OK but a little weird. I liked the chicken. I liked the Canadian bacon and I liked the Udi's bun. But the Wilderness Sauce?! That just seemed weird for the dish. Maybe the cheese would have given it more of a complete dish vibe. We had the sauce on the side--it was good to dip fries in! lol I'm not sure the chicken sandwich would be my top choice but it wasn't terrible either. I'd get the salad over the sandwich hands down.
 |
| Wilderness Sauce |
Overall, I'd give this location a 7 out of 10. Not quite as many options as I would like but what they did have was nice. They were also very accommodating. The manager even came out to our table in the dining room to make sure it was all OK and that I liked the food. I really appreciated that, and it's nice to see that he was so diligent and wanted to make sure I was satisfied and comfortable with the food. Definitely someplace I'd go back to, especially if I were staying at the lodge!
Restaurant Marrakesh -- Dinner -- Table Service -- World Showcase
*This dining experience took place in August 2013 and includes a gluten free & yellow food coloring review.
 |
| Inside Restaurant Marrakesh |
Dining at Restaurant Marrakesh in the World Showcase at Epcot makes you feel like you've been transported to the Middle East. From the decor to the food and even the live entertainment, it's not hard to see why. This restaurant is tucked away in the back of the Morocco Pavilion and is often one of the most overlooked restaurants in the World Showcase. You can easily get in to dine at this location, even without a reservation. On this particular visit, we found the restaurant to be very quiet (even for a Saturday evening).I had not been to Restaurant Marrakesh in several years, so I was excited to head back. Some of my friends had been several times recently (one of whom is gluten free & also allergic to yellow food coloring), and they had been really enjoying it. So, I joined them one night for dinner. One of the things that had changed from the last time that I went from this time is that the chef did not come out, but rather the server worked with you on special dietary information. While I always prefer to speak with a chef, this actually was fine because the server seemed very knowledgeable and was willing to get the chef if we needed to speak with him. I will say that the first time I went, I had some difficulties with the chef due to a language barrier and I often find this to be the case at Tangierine Cafe (you can read a recent review of the quick service location HERE). The good thing is that most Middle Eastern food options have gluten free counterparts or are naturally GF. And they don't really use dairy either.
 |
| Live entertainment at the restaurant. Traditional music & belly dancing |
Both my friend and I chose the lemon chicken (I almost got the kebobs but decided to try something different). Our table also shared the Moroccan Salad Combo For Two - which contains green pepper and tomato, marinated olives, carrots, potatoes, and cucumber salad. Of course, this was enough for the 3 of us at dinner, so it was great. Both my friend and I got the Ener-G rolls (one of the few locations on property that still carries them) with it. Overall, my favorites were the marinated olives (the same ones at Restaurant Marrakesh), the carrots--surprisingly flavorful and very tender, my body can't handle crunchy carrots in large amounts--and the potatoes. The cucumber salad was very bland. It needed salt (which my friends tried and said made all the difference). The green pepper & tomato was a bit like a tapenade but just not my favorite, really. If I were a vegan or vegetarian, this would be a terrific option as an appetizer or even an entree with some other sides!
 |
| Moroccan Salad Combo: from L to R Green Pepper & Tomatoes, Marinated Olives, Carrots, Potatoes, and Cucumber Salad with Ener-G rolls |
One of the other things I got was the mint tea. Omigoodness!! This was THE.BEST.MINT.TEA.EVER! Can you tell I really liked it? Also, the way they serve the tea is a show in and of itself. Truly. Here's a little video clip showing you what I mean (It's a wonder they don't spill the tea from that distance!)[embedplusvideo height="380" width="700" editlink="http://bit.ly/1cuScME" standard="http://www.youtube.com/v/c5FcanViq58?fs=1" vars="ytid=c5FcanViq58&width=700&height=380&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=" id="ep4121" /] And, of course, I somehow managed to not get any pics of the mint tea by itself; however, here's a great photo (thanks to my friend's layout) of the appetizer, Ener-G rolls & the tea. You can get this tea hot or cold (I asked for cold but got hot, which was fine) It uses green tea and fresh mint. So amazing. Can't get any better than that! And you get as many refills as you want--that's a win!
 |
| Perfect meal, if you ask me! I might just go and order this next time! |
Then it was onto the entree. Since both of us got lemon chicken, I'll add his thoughts in this too. First off, the presentation was lovely. It was a 1/2 of a chicken (bone in), which looks gorgeous on a plate. Personally, I am not a huge fan of bone-in chicken just because it's more difficult to cut, etc. but it does make the chicken more flavorful and tender.
 |
| Lemon Chicken - braised half chicken with garlic, green olives, and preserved lemon |
As you can see, it was a rather large portion. Yes, we were full by the end (and we got dessert!). Overall, we both liked the dish but I personally thought it needed more lemon flavor. I found the lemon flavor a bit sedate in this dish. We both agreed that the dish needed more olives (I only had 3). The potatoes were very well cooked. The white meat was a little dry, but the darker chicken meat was fall off the bone tender. The biggest win was the sauce. It was soooo delicious. We both felt the flavors needed a little oooomph but overall found the sauce delicious (just not really lemon chicken sauce). In general, we both thought this was a good dish (he's ordered it before and really loved it). Personally, I might go for the kebobs the next time. I think the kebobs, rice, and hummus are more up my alley of flavor profiles (I remember the kebobs to be very flavorful). I do think this was a good dish though and would def. order again. It just probably wouldn't me my personal first choice.Up next, was dessert. My friend keeps raving about this fruit dessert with orange blossom water, so I had to try it. The dessert is a variation of the: Marrakesh Delight - fresh fruit salad topped with mint ice cream, toasted almonds and orange blossom water. My friend can't have the mint ice cream either because it contains gluten, so we both had the fruit. Wow! This was delicious!! And huge! They were very generous with the fruit. My favorite part was the orange juice and orange blossom water combination. To die for! Here's a tip. You can re-create it at home yourself by using orange juice and orange blossom water, which you can purchase at the Morocco Pavilion! (Be warned a little bit goes a LONG way!). I believe the bottles of Orange Blossom Water are $8.99 but will last a very long time.
 |
| One of my favorite ways to have fruit now! Very unique and delicious! |
Overall, I'm giving Restaurant Marrakesh a solid 7 out of 10. I find the food to be fairly good and the GF/DF even vegetarian and vegan offerings to be decent. It has terrific atmosphere which is a huge plus for this restaurant, and I wouldn't hesitate to come back. It's a wonderful place for families, adults, kids...really anyone wanting a nice meal in the World Showcase!Have you been to Restaurant Marrakesh? What did you think?
Artist's Palette -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Saratoga Springs
*This dining experience took place in August 2013.
 |
| Busy ordering area in Artist's Palette |
Nestled far in the back of Saratoga Springs lies Artist's Palette, the quick service location for this resort. Inspired by the actual Saratoga Springs, this location offers a lot of "standard" old New York State flair. You'll of course find Saratoga Chips (or just regular potato chips essentially) with all of the meals. As a quick service location, I was interested in trying many of their sandwiches which sounded both delicious and easily made GF/DF.If you have never been to this resort, Artist's Palette seems like a weird location. It's sort of in the back, as is Turf Club Bar & Grill (which I love as a GF/DF dinner option). I always feel like I'm parking out of the way and find it very hidden. If you know where the boat docks are at this location, then you are fairly familiar with the restuarant locations. The first thing you'll notice about Artist's Palette is that it's small. I mean small. Tiny compared to most other quick service locations. There is limited seating inside & some outside. There's also an alcove by Turf Club that can be used as additional seating which is where I ended up. Lovely actually but kind of out of the way (we'll get to why in a minute).
 |
| Formal, yet informal eating area |
When I got to the ordering station, I noticed there is one main line. Yikes! That means it's hard to navigate for starters and also a big difficult with a special diet. I basically waited in long line, so I could wait some more for a chef. But, that's something good to know if you are dining there. Off-hours are probably less difficult. There are a lot of different types of sandwiches here and I was sort of eyeing:Italian Hoagie - Salami, Mortadella, Ham, Provolone, Mixed Greens, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Red Onions, Pepperoncini, and Black Olives on a grilled Ciabatta Roll with House-made Chips or Vegetable SlawLobster Club Sandwich - Lobster Salad, Smoked Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Lemon Mayonnaise with House-made Chips or Vegetable SlawI figured that either one might be able to be easily modified GF/DF. I was leaning towards the Lobster Club because I'd been craving one since I went to Columbia Harbour House and they mentioned that the lobster salad there was safe (just no bun options!). When the chef came out, she seemed a bit ambivalent. She was like, "We can make you flatbreads." Really, I was not in the mood for a flatbread and let her know the sandwiches I was looking at. I told her that the lobster club sounded really good. She said they had Udi's on hand and that they could give me potato chips but not house-made ones. She really wanted to push me along, so I didn't get much out of her in terms of other options. But, I can imagine with the right kind of chef here, you could get a fair amount of interesting choices.Once I ordered, I was given a pager, which all guests are. You also get a number placard, this way servers can bring the food to you. I thought this was a very interesting route. I thought it was especially interesting because I couldn't find a seat in the main room and had to go way down the hall to Turf Club. I was like, "um how are they going to find me?" and a cast member assured me it would be fine. However, I ended up coming back up to the front because I was nervous they wouldn't find me. Thankfully, this worked out ok because the cast member brought my food out fairly quickly. I was glad to see it marked "Allergy" on the box so that cast members were aware this was a special diets meal.
Once I got settled, I opened up my box. And I was surprised to see not one but two sandwiches. That was a surprise! Holy smokes! I also have a really big bag of pre-packaged chips, as they house-made chips were not safe. This was definitely going to be a lot of food.
 |
| Not what I was expecting! |
I have to say that this sandwich...or should I say sandwiches were not was I was expecting. I expected something a little lighter and a little more lobstery (in taste not necessarily portion). What I found was that the flavor you tasted the most was Old Bay Seasoning. Don't get me wrong, I like Old Bay (and it's GF!) but it really overpowers and this was almost a little too much. I found that had they just used a little it would have gone a long way. I mean, I really couldn't taste lemon mayonnaise. Overall, though I did like it. And two sandwiches was a lot. I def. was full. The one disappointment was that they couldn't make the chips GF/DF. Or at least some fries. It may be that they can do the fries but I wasn't able to get them because of the chef interaction. Either way, the chip option was just OK.
Overall, I wasn't wowed by my lobster club sandwich, but I didn't hate it either. I think if I were to visit this location again that I would probably go during an off time. I'd give this a 6 out of 10. Lackluster food & so-so service and accommodation.
Guest Review -- A WDW Vacation Free of Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Red Food Dye, Peanuts, and Tree-Nuts
*This Guest Review comes from Julie W. and contains a comprehensive look at her family's trip to WDW from the point of view of Julie & her daughter Naomi-Ruth, who has endured food allergies and intolerances to gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, red food dye, and most recently life-threatening reactions to peanuts and tree nuts. Thank you Julie & Naomi-Ruth for this lovely review!
“Does that have Gluten in it? Or dairy, eggs…”
 |
|
I couldn't eat the grey stuff so I fed it to my Mom, she said it was delicious
|
Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk
*This dining experience took place in August 2013.
 |
| Kouzzina menus |
Kouzzina at the Boardwalk Resort remains one of my top restaurant recommendations for breakfast, regardless of whether you have a special diet or not. This restaurant, owned and operated by celebrity chef Cat Cora, offers a taste of the Mediterranean. Breakfast continues to remain a big hit with special diets diners. From allergy friendly Mickey waffles to unique Mediterranean inspired fare, it's sure to please any palate.As a GF/DF diner, I adore Kouzzina. The food quality is just a notch above many TS breakfast locations, and I love some of the unique dishes that they serve. In fact, it's my go-to place to take family & friends when they visit, and always one of my first recommendations for 1st time Disney goers. It's just that good! And can you believe I've never been to dinner here?! That's something I hope to remedy soon.But onto breakfast! I went with family that morning resolved to order something other than my usual standard which is the American entree modified to include allergy friendly Mickey waffles. My family had been raving about the breakfast skillet entree so I was contemplating that.
 |
| Quiet day! I love this dining room. So cozy. |
Now, Chef Sergio has been the morning chef for a while. You might recall him from the day I had the worst Mickey waffles ever (not his fault; I just didn't personally like the Namaste mix for those waffles). He's very nice and always very helpful. I had heard from reader Linda T. that he was moving from the weekend am shift to pm for a while. I was a bit sad to see another one of my familiar chefs move shifts! Now I just need to go to dinner :) I was greeted on the morning I went by Chef Paul who was very nice. I told him that I was contemplating both the breakfast skillet & the turkey-sweet potato hash and he said that both of these were available GF/DF. I was very excited about this. I decided to go with the turkey-sweet potato hash on a whim because 1) it sounded good and 2) if I ordered Mickey waffles with it, it would be close to the same price as the other dish. You guessed it, Mickey waffles won out. So I ordered the hash with eggs over-easy and the side of allergy Mickey waffles. I was very surprised and thrilled to see Chef Paul bring out my dish with Udi's toast as well! (hey, I love my carbs!) I hadn't asked for toast, so I was very surprised to see it come with my dish. I'm sure they serve a regular non-GF bread with the traditional version, so it was nice to have. I didn't get any Earth Balance with it, but I decided not to ask because I had so much to top the toast with in terms of what was on my plate.
 |
| Udi's Toast, Turkey-sweet potato hash topped with eggs over-easy and arugula salad. |
First off, this was just a gorgeous plate of food. The colors are all so vibrant. The first thing you get on the plate is the arugula salad. Delicious! It's tossed with very flavorful extra virgin olive oil and perfectly seasoned. The eggs are also cooked in high quality EVOO. Underneath this is a mixture of sweet potatoes, sliced/diced white turkey breast meat, onions, and some peppers. Just delicious. Everything balanced perfectly, and I found it to be one of those really hearty breakfast options. This is sooo going to be a RunDisney breakfast for me! I've had the sweet potato hash before, but I will say the turkey in this dish really made the hash. This may be one of my new favorite breakfast options! What I love is that it's tasty and different. It's not the same old same old, which is what many of us with special diets get. Hands down big winner.
 |
| Mickey waffles - YUM! |
And of course, I can't do a breakfast review here without briefly mentioning the allergy friendly Mickey waffles. I adore them. What can I say?! They are very delicious at Kouzzina and probably some of the best on property.
Overall, I can never say enough good things about Kouzzina. It continues to stand heads and tails above the rest when it comes to delicious gluten free & dairy free breakfast options. I know that many of my friends with special diets have enjoyed meals here too. They are very accommodating. A solid 9 out of 10, as always!! Best breakfast EVER!
Pepper Market -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Coronado Springs
*This dining experience took place in August 2013.
 |
| Entrance to Pepper Market |
Coronado Springs has always been one of those resorts that I haven't spent much time in. This visit, I checked out Pepper Market which is the quick service location at this resort. This is a non-Disney owned restaurant and run by the same company that owns & operates La Cantina & La Hacienda de San Angel. While the theming proved to be quite nice in this location, the gluten free & dairy free accommodations were less than stellar. In fact, this proved to be a restaurant that I will not go back to again.When we arrived at this location, we noticed that it is set up very differently than other quick service locations (which I did know about ahead of time). You are seated by a hostess at a table where you have an actual server. You are given "menus" which give you an idea of dishes available and a ticket sheet for you to get stamped (a bit like a passport). Our server, who was the bright spot of this dismal meal, came over and cheerfully greeted us. She went over the restaurant concept, telling us that we go to the station we want. Choose the items we want. Get our passport stamped and then pay at the end like you would at a table service location (including gratuity). I told her that I had special diets and would need to speak with a chef or manager.
 |
| You take this ticket to the kiosks & get it stamped based on what you order. Um, weird. |
Once the chef came over, he talked to me briefly about the options. Basically, he told me I could have nachos with no cheese and my choice of the beef, pork or chicken. I could also have a "deconstructed" burrito with corn tortillas, the same proteins, beans, and the rice pilaf because the Spanish rice contained wheat. I could also have the carved roast of the day (which was something beef), fresh fish, or burgers with no buns. They said they had a fryer that they could use that was cross contaminated. It seemed like I had fairly limited choices. The chef also didn't seem too thrilled with helping out. In fact, he pretty much took off once we went to the stations. I told him I wanted the "deconstructed" burrito with chicken. He went and got rice and had the cast member at the station take care of the rest.
One of the things that he told me I could have was all the toppings were OK (guacamole, salsas, etc.) but as you know they are not great for cross contamination!
 |
| Cleaner than most fixins' bars but there was cheese in most of the condiments |
I really wanted guacamole, but it had cheese all in it. So, I asked for that and some salsa verde (as with cheese in it). They weren't too thrilled about getting it but they did from the back. One of the things I noticed while waiting was how "pre-packaged" everything looked.
 |
| I thought the green sauce with meat was chicken but it was pork. Also, yuck to the nacho cheese! |
Once I got my food I went back to sit down. I will say that the restaurant itself is nice and open and spacious.
Then we got to my food. Blech. This didn't look that appealing to begin with. Maybe it was just me. You be the judge.
In general, I just thought it didn't taste very good. It was 1) very bland and 2) very pre-packaged "out of the box" tasting. Even the guacamole tasted like that. The chicken was rubbery & bland. The rice was so plain. The guacamole was watery and barely seasoned. The beans were just blah. And the veggies were not fully cooked as they should be for fajitas. The corn shells were also griddled but as you can see don't really looked griddled.
 |
| Close-up of my meal |
I didn't take a pic of the salsa verde but it was horrible. I love salsa verde & I barely at any of this. It was just a bummer overall. I would have rather have eaten at Chipotle any old day over this. This was bar none the worst Mexican food I've had on property or anywhere for that matter in a long time. Just boring and unappetizing. :(I was so shocked that the company that runs La Cantina & La Hacienda would run this. I love La Hacienda (La Catina is good but I'm sad they have no safe tortilla chips anymore). Just crazy! Perhaps Maya Grill next door has better quality food but overall I found this very unappealing. I mean, honestly, I can handle less than stellar experiences if the food is decent but this was just nasty.I'm not planning on going back any day soon, and I certainly can't recommend it to anyone in good conscience. Yuck, yuck and double yuck. This may officially be my least favorite place on Disney property (that I've eaten at).Overall, I'm giving this a big fat 3 out of 10. The only reason it gets a 3 for me is because our server was so nice & they at least had a few GF options (mind you not tasty ones). Unfortunately, I was just not a fan of this place.
ABC Commissary -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Hollywood Studios
*This dining experience took place in August 2013.
 |
| You'll feel like you're on a movie lot |
If you ever wondered what it might be like to eat on a movie lot's commissary, ABC Commissary located in Disney's Hollywood Studios gives you a peek into that experience. In fact, you'd expect your favorite tv & movie stars to be seated next to you, grabbing lunch in between takes! ABC Commissary offers fairly standard quick service fare at WDW but also easily accommodates gluten free & dairy free diners.When I arrived at this location, I knew that I wanted the allergy friendly chicken tenders and French fries, having eaten them here before. I also knew that they had a dedicated fryer, so that I could have them fried, not baked (which also cuts the waiting time by half). I recalled that there were several other options as well, though they were fairly standard. I will say that the Studios were very busy that day and even though it was 2:30 p.m. It took a while in line, particularly because my line had one very annoying party that couldn't decide what they wanted to eat (side note, as a courtesy I always recommend you have a good idea of what you want to eat because it streamlines the process for everyone involved not just your family!). Though, I suppose it gave me a good opportunity to look at the decor of ABC Commissary. I will say, I do love the trees inside the restaurant. It just adds a little extra touch (I do however think they need to rethink the covers for the trees, because I tripped on a couple of them!).
 |
| You can tell everyone is hot & tired. You can catch a glimpse of those palm trees though! |
Once I met with the manager, she asked about my special dietary needs. It was really interesting because she actually asked when I said gluten & dairy, if they were allergies, Celiac disease or intolerances. On the one hand, I really loved that she asked this. I hate saying "I have allergies" when I have gluten and dairy intolerance. On the other hand, her tone indicated to me that she didn't seem to think intolerances were as valid as Celiac disease or a dairy allergy. That is frustrating to me, particularly as I react quite severely to gluten & my dairy reactions are also quite unpleasant and similar to an allergic reaction (I get scratchy throat, migraines, etc.). So, it was interesting to have this discussion with a CM. I do think it's nice to have people ask about what it is, on the other hand, I don't want that to mean that they take it less seriously, if that makes sense. But in any event, we went through the typical procedure where she wrote up the special diets on the yellow notepad that many QS diners will recognize. She also went through the binder with me. She mentioned that I could have a variation of the Chicken Blue sandwich (sort of a buffalo chicken sandwich, which had been offered to me on previous occasions) and a hamburger minus the cheese. I decline and opted for the allergy-friendly chicken tenders. She also showed me the ingredients. I didn't grab a picture but for those that recently asked, the brand is Allergy Free Foods (check out their website HERE) and the tenders were rice flour, tapioca flour based. She gave me a pager and I was off to grab a seat and wait.Once the pager went off, I ran back up to the counter and met the manager who brought out my chicken tenders. Then it was time to dig in!!
 |
| Yum! My fav! |
I will say that the chicken tenders, despite the fact that they use the same brand, are different depending on the location. I think it's how they fry them. I don't know what Columbia Harbour House does but those things are soooo addicting there. It's almost like they double-fry them or fry them for a specific time that gets them really crispy. These were good but really could have used a couple more minutes in the fryer in terms of crispiness. Still tasty, yes. Crispy...eh, not so much. The french fries were good as usual, nothing too special about regular Disney fries.I like that I have a few options here. I also love that it's air conditioned which was a huge selling point in August (my other choice was Backlot Express and it is not air conditioned). I like that I can get the allergy friendly chicken tenders here. I just wish they had a few more options. Overall, I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for this experience.