Riverside Mill -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Port Orleans Riverside

*This dining experience took place in September 2014.Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, at least that's what this brunch junkie thinks! I am always looking to try new breakfast options at the Disney parks & resorts restaurants, and recently I got a chance to visit Riverside Mill not once but twice for breakfast. Work conferences sure have their advantages some time!On my first visit, I met Chef Ron. He asked me what I was interested in for the day, and I decided to go with a modified version of the adult Bounty Platter which normally comes with scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, bacon, sausage and a biscuit. I switched out the sausage for more bacon and added in Udi's Gluten Free toast with Smart Balance vegan margarine. The bounty platter is more or less the same at most quick service locations with slight variations of the breakfast potatoes. I enjoyed the spicy (but not too spicy) breakfast potatoes at Riverside Mill. Overall, a very solid meal. For breakfast number 2, I went a little more sweet with allergy Mickey waffles. Culinary intern, Chef Emma, greeted me. I know her well from my copious amounts of gluten free, allergy friendly beignet orders and it was great to catch up with her. I ordered the allergy Mickey waffles (made here with Namaste pancake and waffle mix) and a side of scrambled eggs. I have to say, these were the crispiest Namaste waffles I've ever had on Disney property. I usually find these are less crispy than Bob's Red Mill allergy Mickey waffles, but these were outstanding on crispiness. I still prefer Bob's Red Mill pancake mix (personal opinion, not based on the quality of the product) but these were very well done. The side of strawberries was another sweet treat and ordering a side of scrambled eggs really balanced out the sweetness nicely.Overall, I found Riverside Mill to have excellent special diets breakfast options. Everything was well cooked and seasoned and easily modified. If you ever get a chance to visit Port Orleans Riverside Mill for lunch or dinner, I highly recommend it. I've had lunch here several times, and they have both been terrific and unique dishes. Have you been to Riverside Mill for breakfast, lunch or dinner? What are your favorite dishes here?

Flying Fish Cafe -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

 *This dining experience took place in September 2014. If you can believe it, there are actually some restaurants on Disney World property that I have never dined. Flying Fish Cafe, located at Disney's Boardwalk Resort, is one of them. I've always been interested in the seafood-filled menu, but always skipped it for more affordable locations or for Kouzzina, my favorite Boardwalk restaurant. As a signature dining location, Flying Fish Cafe has a reputation for excellent seafood options. Admittedly, it's not a restaurant that I often hear much about, other than it has expensive but delicious seafood. Recently, I attended the Florida Bloggers Conference and had a post-meal dinner with Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and her family. We were both curious about the new gluten free menu available at Flying Fish Cafe for dinner and wanted to check it out. Perfect excuse to finally visit this restaurant! Upon arrival, the restaurant confirmed that we would both need gluten free menus and said that as a dairy free person I could also talk to the chef. It would have been awesome if they also had a dairy free menu, and I hope they will consider adding those in the future. As far as the gluten free menu itself. Wow! It was huge! There were tons of choices both for appetizers and for entrees (even sides). There were no desserts listed, but the chef did go over dessert options with us in person. I was also impressed with the amount of gluten free fried items available. You simply must check out Gluten Free in Orlando's review of the Old Bay Scented Crispy Calamari and Rock Shrimp. This looked to die for! Chef Tim went over options with me, and I decided to forgo the appetizer and go with dessert base on his suggestion that he would whip up something different for me. I will say that in the future I'd probably go for the appetizer, as the ones on Flying Fish Cafe's menu looked really good. While waiting for appetizers, bread and drinks, I got a chance to look around the restaurant which is quite beautiful. I love the mobiles and art-work. It really feels refined, yet whimsical at the same time. I also got a chance to meet blog reader Bonnie who was there with her husband for dinner and stopped by to say "hi." I love it when readers catch up with me! It's always so nice to meet everyone in person. After dinner, I checked in with them, and they enjoyed the meal as much as our group did! Fair to say, Flying Fish Cafe was quite good.The rolls brought out to our table were Ener-G. It's been a while since I've seen those on property. While I can't say these are my favorite rolls, they were well heated and tasted fine with the accompanying olive oil (which was very good).For my entree, I ordered the Oak-grilled Organic Scottish Salmon served with Spanish chorizo, marble potato, carrot, tomato, and Sweety Drop Pepper “hash,” Serrano ham crisp, Catalan-style lemon and garlic aioli and an aromatic saffron-heirloom tomato caldo. The aioli was removed from my dish (darn!) but otherwise, the dish required very little modification which was great.The picture really doesn't do this dish any justice, but suffice it to say, it was really very good. There were a lot of flavors going on - though I wouldn't say any were really that overpowering in considering how many bold flavors were present. The salmon was delicious though a bit overcooked. The vegetables were fantastic. Very well cooked and seasoned. And the broth was just delicious!For my dessert, Chef Tim brought out a variety of fruits with Tofutti vanilla ice cream and orange blossom honey. He must have read my mind, as the fruits were all my favorites - peaches, apricots, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. It was fantastic to top the fruit with the honey and ice cream. And it was huge! I shared some with the table because there was so much left. Very delicious and a nice variation on fresh fruit that I'm often given.Overall, I really enjoyed my first dining experience at Flying Fish Cafe. The menu is what you would expect from a signature location, and the prices do indeed reflect that. It's not a restaurant I would go to all the time, but on occasion, definitely. I'm glad I finally added this to my Disney dining restaurant list!Have you been to Flying Fish Cafe? What do you think of the new gluten free menu?  

Riverside Mill -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Port Orleans Riverside

*This dining experience took place in September 2014.Riverside Mill, located in Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort, offers up quick service with a Southern and Cajun twist. Set to resemble a working cotton press, I really enjoy the atmosphere of this location - in addition to the great food offerings available. On a previous occasion, I stopped by here for lunch and had the mahi sandwich, which was great. On this visit, I was stopping by for another lunch while on break from a work conference. Never one to order the same thing twice in two visits (unless it's crawfish bites, then I'm always ordering them!), I wanted to try something different from Riverside Mill for lunch. While browsing the menu, the Carved Cajun Turkey Sandwich caught my eye. I was greeted by Chef Paul, whom you'll recall from my other visits to Boatwright's and Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory for beignets. Chef Paul always does a great job (as do all of the chefs at Port Orleans), so I knew I would have a great meal. We went over options, and when I mentioned the Carved Cajun Turkey Club Sandwich I learned that it had a Cajun mayo and was made with house-roasted turkey breast, not deli style turkey. Well, that sold me quickly! I also ordered it with a side of coleslaw.Well, I gotta say, this was one of my favorite quick service sandwiches. The house-roasted turkey breast was killer. It was nicely seasoned and not dry. Everything is better with bacon, and this sandwich was no exception. What made it complete for me was the Cajun mayo. Yes, you know I love a good condiment and this was another winner for me. Next time, I'm getting fries with this as a dipping sauce (I think I say that every time I'm at Port Orleans and I try one of their sauces). I was so glad to see that the coleslaw was not a mayonnaise-based slaw. Those can be overpowering, bland, and heavy. This was a light, vinegar-based slaw that was just a little sweet. It was the perfect accompaniment to the turkey sandwich with it's robust Cajun mayo. Overall, I was thrilled to find this sandwich on the menu. I am always impressed when a restaurant takes the time to roast their own meats, as opposed to using deli meats. Chef Paul said they also cook their roast beef for the roast beef sandwiches in-house too. This team really knows what they are doing here. Port Orleans Riverside Mill and Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory are two fantastic quick service locations and some of the best on property. They really take the time to make quality meals that go above and beyond the burgers and fries realm (which, of course, you can always still order there and are also delicious). I'm looking forward to getting this sandwich again. It just might have to be a repeat on my next visit!Have you been to Riverside Mill? What special diets offerings did you order there?   

Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

*This dining experience took place in September 2014. Note: Kouzzina is closing September 30, 2014 permanently and will become Trattoria al Forno. I can't believe that this is my final review of Kouzzina. This Greek/Mediterranean inspired recipe has been of the Disney restaurant community for the last 5 years. When Disney announced that the restaurant was closing (and being changed) in March 2014, you can imagine how devastated I was! They have some of the best allergy Mickey waffles and breakfast offerings on property, and I was definitely bummed at the thought of losing these options.On the plus side, we have learned that much of the breakfast menu will be tweaked and will offer similar options (things like the turkey sweet potato hash will be gone though). In fact, if you head to Flying Fish Cafe beginning October 1, 2014, you'll be able to sample the new breakfast menu that will eventually be served at Trattoria al Forno. I'll be going during Tower of Terror 10 Miler race weekend, and I'm looking forward to checking it out.I'm also very glad to know that the culinary team there will be there after the transition which is a great thing.As my last visit, I knew I had to get two things: turkey sweet potato hash and allergy Mickey waffles. Chef Brad greeted us and took my meal order. As a fairly steady Kouzzina regular, he's a chef I see pretty often, so it was great to catch up with him!As always, this dish did not disappoint. With poached eggs, sweet potatoes and turkey breast and an arugula salad, it's just the perfect breakfast dish. Normally, I get it with gluten free & dairy free toast (usually Udi's Gluten Free) but this time, I had to have my allergy Mickey waffles.As always, Kouzzina's allergy Mickey waffles were amazing. Crispy and cooked perfectly and topped with real maple syrup. These are so delicious, and I have a feeling that they'll continue to be delicious at Trattoria al Forno.Chef Brad also popped by the table and sent along a sweet treat for the road - Enjoy Life rice crisp candy bars. These are perfect to take in the parks, and I enjoyed one when I recently went to the Florida Bloggers Conference and needed an afternoon pick-me-up!Overall, I'm going to miss Kouzzina for breakfast so much. It was a great restaurant with terrific special diets offerings. I know that so many of you will miss it to.What was your favorite breakfast meal at Kouzzina? Are you looking forward to the opening of Trattoria al Forno?

Mara -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House

*This dining experience took place in September 2014.The Mara, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, is one of my favorite resort quick service restaurants. I frequently stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, as a DVC member, and it's my go-to spot for a quick bite that's a little out of the ordinary (and beyond allergy chicken tenders -- though they do serve them there!). With African inspired flavors, you're sure to have a variety of options that will delight your taste buds.On this particular occasion, I stopped by for lunch before we headed to the pool for an afternoon swim and then later to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. On a previous visit, I enjoyed the African Stew, a dish that I had to check out after reading my friend Alexis over at Gluten Free in Orlando's review! This time, I knew I wanted something else, and I saw a dish that caught my eye on the daily menu specials -- the Barbecue Bacon Burger. Once I got up to the ordering station, I notified the cast member that I had special diets and he called over Chef Chris. Chef Chris also works at Boma, and I've seen him many times at breakfast, so I knew I'd be taken care of. I asked Chef Chris if they could make the burger gluten free and dairy free, and I was excited when he said yes. Woohoo! I love a good sauce, and I was hoping that the sauce was house-made. (it was). While I waited, I was given a pager and made myself cozy in the Mara dining area. The Mara has such amazing murals and decor. It's a great place to just sit and rest, especially in the afternoon when it's slow.Once my pager went off, I met Chef Chris near the ordering area. I was ready for my burger and fries. Chef Chris told me that the bun was Local Oven and that the bacon was a nice thick cut bacon, not that stringy stuff they normally serve. Gotta love that chefs aren't fans of the stringy bacon either!It might not be much to look at this, but this burger was really quite good. The bacon was excellent and the burger was well cooked (you could add cheese to this, if you wanted to). But the house-made barbecue sauce really made it. It was a little sweet and super flavorful. It had some type of spices in it but I couldn't identify them. It was the perfect sauce though, and if it's featured the next time I'm there, I'm asking for extra sauce on the side...for dipping in fries, of course!I wasn't planning on getting dessert but Chef Chris surprised me with some OMG It's Gluten Free & Dairy Free chocolate chip cookies for the road. What a nice extra touch!I also could have purchased a 4 pack of the mini brownie cupcakes from Babycakes NYC. The Mara is one of the locations that always has them on hand.Overall, the Mara continues to be one of my favorite resort quick service spots. It's quality and the chefs there are always terrific. I'll be heading back there soon, and I can't wait to try other offerings available!I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10.Have you been to the Mara? What are your favorite items to order here? 

Flying Fish Cafe Gluten Free Dinner Menu

Flying Fish Cafe at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort (as of 9/2014) – This is strictly a gluten free menu. Check with the restaurant for additional offerings. Note: This is also a trial menu being introduced to select Disney restaurants. Appetizers:Our Signature Flying Fish Café Appetizer Duo: Crispy Corn-crusted Savory Crab Cake and Our Very Own Caesar Salad -- $17.00Chardonnay-steamed PEI Canadian Mussels – fennel, chiles, pesto crema, and grilled tapioca crostini -- $19.00Vegetarian Sushi Roll – silken tofu, avocado, heirloom radish and young carrot roll, cucumber-vegetable salad with Tamari and piquant Asian-spiced mango ketchup -- $12.00Crispy Corn-crusted Savory Crab Cake – savory vegetable slaw, roasted red pepper coulis, and ancho chili remoulade -- $17.00Old Bay-scented Crispy Calamari and Florida Rock Shrimp – savory vegetable slaw and classic cocktail sauce -- $16.00Our Chef’s Degustation of Worldly Artisanal Cheeses – fig and almond torta, raisins on the vine, honeycomb and a balsamico and spice-scented red Vidalia onion, fresh and kiln-dried bing cherry compote agrodolce -- $19.00Artisanal Salads:Our Chef’s Thunder Appetizer: Roasted Heirloom Beets and Fresh Vermont Goat Cheese – young greens, spiced pecans, citrus supremes, and a pecan-truffle-blood orange vinaigrette -- $14.00Epcot Land Pavilion Sweet Bibb and Local Mesclun Salad – Epcot cucumbers, tiny tomatoes, radishes, pickled red onions, lemon-Dijon vinaigrette, elephant garlic, and artichoke chips with fennel, Midnight Moon chevre, sweet onion, olive, local basil and sun-dried tomato fritters -- $11.00Mozzarella di Bufala alla Caprese – Florida yellow beefsteak, UgliRipe, and tiny tomatoes, aged balsamico, exotic peppercorns, petite basil, and Sicilian olio verde -- $15.00Our Very Own Caesar Salad – Hearts of romaine leaves, roasted garlic dressing, parmiagiana-montegrappa frico, and pesto-tapioca bread croutons -- $11.00Entrees:Our Signature Flying Fish Café Entrée Duo: Oak-grilled Angus New York Strip Steak and Potato-wrapped Red Snapper -- $49.00Pan-roasted Citrus and Exotic Pepper-crusted Yellowfin Tuna – opal basil, fennel, caper, olive, golden raisin, and pine nut-laced Epcot Land Pavilion eggplant caponata Sicilliana with a Lake Meadow Naturals poached egg -- $40.00Our Chef’s Eco-Friendly/Sustainable Fish Selection: Oak-grilled Organic Scottish Salmon – Spanish chorizo, marble potato, carrot, tomato, and sweety drop pepper “hash,” Serrano ham crisp, Catalan-style lemon and garlic aioli and an aromatic saffron-heirloom tomato caldo -- $38.00Flying Fish Café’s Idaho Potato-wrapped Red Snapper over a rich leek fondue with a Veal Glace de Viande and red wine-cassis butter reduction -- $39.00Key West Pink Shrimp and Calico Bay Scallop Brown Rice Gluten-free Spaghetti Pasta – fricassee of young squash, summer onions, tiny tomatoes, and a local basil with a fennel pollen-scented chardonnay crema -- $32.00Oak-grilled Maine Sea Scallops – confit artichoke bottoms and crispy young artichokes, local tomatoes and basil, pecorino romano and marscapone-laced risotto di carnaroli -- $40.00Oak-grilled Ashley Farms Organic Free-Range Ancho-Chicken – roasted bliss potatoes, pole beans and young carrots with tomatillo ketchup, jicama-pepper slaw, Epcot greens, and apple-chicken jus -- $32.00Oak-grilled Angus New York Strip Steak – thyme-roasted garlic vinaigrette-laced salad of local greens, tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers and pole beans with a classic sauce Foyot -- $47.00Seasonal Sides:Grilled California Asparagus with sauce Foyot -- $17.00Wilted Garlic and Lemon-scented Curly Spinach -- $7.00Creamy Risotto di Carnaroli – local tomatoes and basil, pecorino romano, and mascarpone -- $8.00Aged Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano Potato Gratin -- $8.00Fines Herb-roasted Wild and Cultivated Mushrooms -- $9.00 

As always, make sure to contact a Disney Cast Member when ordering so that they can ensure the best standards for dealing with cross contamination, etc.

If you have a new quick service special dietary needs sheet and want to share it with readers, you can send it to me via email at gfdf.wdw@gmail.com

Kona Cafe Gluten Free Breakfast Menu

Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Resort (as of 12/2014) – This is strictly a gluten free menu. Check with the restaurant for additional offerings. Note: This is also a trial menu being introduced to select Disney restaurants. For photos of the children's gluten free menu, head to Gluten Free in Orlando.Entrees:Steak and Eggs - char-grilled New York strip served with 2 eggs and home-fried potatoes - $14.49Ham and cheese omelet with home-fried potatoes -- $11.49Egg white omelet with roasted peppers and goat cheese -- $10.99Fruit plate - fresh fruit served in a half pineapple -- $8.99Two eggs, any style, with home-fried potatoes and your choice of sausage, bacon, or ham -- $10.99Pancake with your choice of ham, bacon, or sausage -- $9.49Mickey Shaped Waffles  - waffles shaped like our good friend Mickey with choice of ham, sausage, or bacon -- $9.49The Samoan - two poached eggs atop smoked pulled pork hash, finished with hollandaise sauce --$9.99Sides:Bacon -- $3.99Ham -- $3.99Sausage -- $3.99Oatmeal -- $5.49Fresh fruit cup -- $4.99

Kids’ Meals (for guests ages 9 and under)

Mickey Check Meals (served with a choice of small lowfat milk or small Dasani water) – $6.49

Scrambled eggs with broccoli, tomatoes, and breakfast potatoes, served with fruit salad and yogurt

Oatmeal and dried cranberries served with turkey bacon and fruit salad

*Meets Disney nutritional guidelines for complete meals without substitution.

OrAll entrees below served with choice of small lowfat milk, small Dasani water or small Minute Maid apple juice.

Choice of one (1) entree -- $6.49 (all meals include choice of one (1) side item: bacon, sausage, or fruit cup)

Scrambled eggs with broccoli, tomatoes, and breakfast potatoes, served with fruit salad and yogurt

Donald's Choice - one egg, quacked and scrambled, with cinnamon toast

 

As always, make sure to contact a Disney Cast Member when ordering so that they can ensure the best standards for dealing with cross contamination, etc.

If you have a new quick service special dietary needs sheet and want to share it with readers, you can send it to me via email at gfdf.wdw@gmail.com

Plaza Restaurant -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in September 2014.The Plaza Restaurant located on Main Street USA is a charming and quaint Victorian themed restaurant filled with nostalgia and lovely theming. As a table service location, it’s centrally located on Main Street and is very popular with guests looking to enjoy a sandwich and sundae right in the center of it all. I’ve always heard many terrific things about this restaurant and Chef Ken who works at the Plaza has a cult following as a terrific special diets chef.However, as a special diets diner, I’ve never had particularly great experiences at the Plaza. In fact, I’ve found them to be downright disappointing and even frustrating. Because of that, I haven’t made it a point to dine there frequently as I’ve found my options to be nothing particularly special or my interactions with Disney chefs there to warrant my returning on a frequent basis.But I’ve heard so many great things and been encouraged by many of you to give it another try, and so I made a reservation for my visit to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party for an early dinner. I had heard that Chef Ken did not work Sundays, so I did not anticipate he would be there (which he wasn’t) but I was really hopeful that my experience would change my mind about visiting the Plaza since it’s so popular among many special diets guests. I've also been reading the reviews from Gluten Free in Orlando lately, and Alexis has shared some fantastic meal reviews from the Plaza - so I felt like I had a good shot at getting a great meal.When we arrived, we were seated fairly quickly. The restaurant itself was moderately busy but not completely filled with guests. We were seated near the rotunda/atrium which is a really lovely portion of the restaurant. The restaurant itself is so charming, and I love looking around at the nooks and crannies and the little details (it’s so cute in the winter time with the holiday décor).Our server quickly took our drink order and let us know he would get the chef. Chef Kevin came out a few moments later and asked about my dietary needs. He said that my only option was chicken tenders. I inquired about the sandwiches and he told me that the bread options were no longer gluten free and dairy free and that they were only gluten free.I wasn’t given the allergy binder this visit, so I couldn’t go through the list of options, but I did ask him what brand they were using. I mentioned Local Oven, Udi’s (which was there last visit), GNI (also there on my last visit), and Chef Kevin told me none of these were available. When I asked again about the bread, I was told they use an “off brand for the gluten free bread” to “save money.” He also indicated that they are focusing more on gluten free offerings versus those with multiple needs.I was honestly shocked when he told me this. First off, I can’t imagine any Disney special diets offering using an “off brand” which I’m not even sure exists and second, the fact that he wouldn’t disclose the brand or ingredients was equally disconcerting. I asked if my only option was a salad or chicken tenders and his reply was simply, “yep.” He was not willing to give me a sandwich with a lettuce wrap (which could have worked with several of the sandwiches including the tuna salad), and he was not willing to flex on the offerings.I did express my concern about this, and he couldn’t seem to be bothered. He said that it’s not his decision (which I understand) and that there’s nothing he can do other than make me allergy chicken tenders (or give me a salad but he was really pushing the tenders). I asked if he had any sauces available for the chicken tenders, to which his reply was, “ketchup.” I did press him a little, and he said he’d see if the barbeque sauce or honey mustard were safe but he couldn’t promise anything.Figuring I could make allergy chicken tenders work (despite the fact that I could get them cheaper somewhere else), I assumed (falsely) that I could get a sundae to make up for the fact that there were no sandwich offerings. However, that was quickly squashed when Chef Kevin informed me that they no longer carry Mrs. Richardson’s chocolate syrup (which is gluten free and dairy free) and they only carry Nestle hot fudge which contains dairy. I was told I could have vanilla or chocolate Tofutti and that was it.It was at this point that I expressed even more serious concern to Chef Kevin about this, stating how this is very disappointing for guests. He just shrugged and did not answer me and went to prepare my food. The entire table was stunned by the lack of offerings and everyone decided to skip dessert because of the lack of options for me, which was very nice of them.Chef Kevin came out about 15 minutes later with my chicken tenders and fries along with ketchup, honey mustard, and barbeque sauce. He literally didn’t say one word to me (even when I said thank you). *Note: I realized after this post (and in talking to others who joined me for the meal, that he did comment that he included barbeque sauce & honey mustard for me) As much as I love allergy chicken tenders, it put a sour taste in my mouth even to eat here at this point.The chicken tenders themselves were cooked well (not as well as Columbia Harbour House but then I’m partial), and the steak fries were nothing to write home about. I actually am not a steak fry fan, so I was glad to have some dipping sauce on hand.Our entire party actually ate quite quickly because none of us were feeling very comfortable at this restaurant.After my dining experience, I went to City Hall to discuss this experience with the Disney team – something I have never done in my 5 ½ years of dining gluten free and dairy free at Disney (not even when the Chef at Jiko made me a terrible meal because he said coconut milk was dairy). I was just stunned at the chef’s lack of professionalism. I can completely understand if the restaurant has changed their offerings and limited availability but this seemed rather excessive and completely out of the ordinary for Disney restaurants. It was an unfortunate experience overall, and I honestly can’t justify ever going back. It was that bad.I personally don't want to bother going someplace that can only serve me allergy chicken tenders when I can go to a quick service location and get them at half the price. (This is my personal preference, but I see the value in having this option at a table service) To add to the fact that each time I’ve been here I’ve had just horrible service from the chefs and servers, it just makes the Plaza a place I can’t go back to.And I really wish that wasn’t the case. I want to love it. I want to have amazing experiences there and meet Chef Ken. But a location that has only a handful of great chefs and a higher percentage of mediocre to terrible chefs has an inherent problem in the kitchen. There’s a lack of consistency and training across the board, and it’s also unfair to those awesome chefs who end up taking on the brunt of special diets (regardless of whether they love it or not, it’s still a lot of extra work).So, this was the final straw for me. I just can’t go to the Plaza again. Maybe in a few years but not for a really long time. This experience just really was dreadful. I can’t even give it a rating because I don’t think there’s a fair scale of which to even rate it.Have you been to the Plaza? What was your experience there?

ABC Commissary Allergy Friendly Lunch Menu

ABC Commissary at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (as of 2/2016) – This menu covers the top 8 common allergens (gluten/wheat, milk/dairy, egg, soy, peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish). Check with the restaurant for modifications and/or other special dietary needs. Note: This menu was introduced as part of Disney’s allergy-friendly menus launch in 2015. Gluten/Wheat Allergy-FriendlySandwiches served with Apple Slices, Steamed Broccoli, or French Fries1/3 lb fresh Angus Bacon Cheeseburger1/3 lb fresh Angus CheeseburgerChicken ClubChicken TendersAsian Salad served with Chicken or Salmon, Cabbage, Carrots, Edamame Beans, Oil and Vinegar Dressing6-oz Strip Steak served with Steamed Broccoli and French FriesRoasted Salmon served with Steam Broccoli and French FriesDessertAllergy-Friendly Chocolate Chip CookieAllergy-Friendly Chocolate BrownieChocolate MousseKids’ MealsChicken TendersCheeseburgerFrench Fries Available Upon RequestAll Kids’ Meals include a choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani WaterFish/Shellfish Allergy-FriendlyPlease consult with a Special Diets-trained Cast Member before placing your order.Milk Allergy-FriendlySandwiches served with Apple Slices, Steamed Broccoli, or French Fries1/3 lb fresh Angus Bacon Burger1/3 lb fresh Angus BurgerChicken ClubChicken TendersAsian Salad served with Chicken or Salmon6-oz Strip Steak served with Steamed Broccoli and French FriesRoasted Salmon served with Steam Broccoli and French FriesDessertAllergy-Friendly Chocolate Chip CookieKids’ MealsTurkey SandwichChicken TendersHamburgerFrench Fries Available Upon RequestAll Kids’ Meals include a choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani WaterEgg Allergy-FriendlySandwiches served with Apple Slices, Steamed Broccoli, or French Fries1/3 lb fresh Angus Bacon Cheeseburger1/3 lb fresh Angus CheeseburgerChicken ClubChicken TendersCouscous-Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Salmon or ChickenAsian Salad served with Chicken or Salmon6-oz Strip Steak served with Steamed Broccoli and French FriesRoasted Salmon served with Steam Broccoli and Couscous-Quinoa PilafDessertAllergy-Friendly Chocolate Chip CookieKids’ MealsTurkey SandwichCheeseburgerFrench Fries Available Upon Request All Kids’ Meals include a choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani WaterPeanut/Tree Allergy-Friendly Our location does not use any peanut/tree nut products, in the preparation process. Please feel free to make your selection from our main menu.Soy Allergy-FriendlySandwiches served with Apple Slices or fresh Steamed Broccoli1/3 lb fresh Angus Bacon Cheeseburger1/3 lb fresh Angus CheeseburgerBaked Chicken TendersAsian Salad served with Salmon, Cabbage, Carrots, Oil and Vinegar DressingDessertAllergy-Friendly Chocolate Chip CookieStrawberry ParfaitKids’ MealsBaked Chicken TendersCheeseburgerAll Kids’ Meals include a choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani Water

As always, make sure to contact a Disney Cast Member when ordering so that they can ensure the best standards for dealing with cross contamination, etc.

If you have a special dietary needs menu and want to share it with readers, you can send it to me via email at gfdf.wdw@gmail.com

Riverside Mill Food Court -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Port Orleans Riverside

*This dining experience took place in August 2014. Visiting Riverside Mill Food Court at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort makes you feel like you're transported back to the days of Mark Twain and riverboats, with a distinctly Southern feel. The restaurant is set to resemble a working cotton press and has massive amounts of working gears that are powered by a large water wheel. It's pretty impressive to say the least. It's also a massive food court with lots of seating and Southern inspired menu.On this particular occasion, I stopped by for a quick lunch before a meetup over at Port Orleans French Quarter for my favorite gluten free and food allergy friendly beignets. I also had dinner planned for Boatwright's with friends, so it was a very Port Orleans inspired day! While the food at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory is decidedly New Orleans, the menu at Riverside Mill is a little more standard for a food court, with a few standouts with Southern flare including a Muffuletta flatbread and a Southern fire chicken sandwich. I was having a hard time deciding what to order.I was greeted by Chef Page, and I asked him what might be safe to eat. We discussed several options including the Southern fire chicken sandwich and the Mahi sandwich which sounded really interesting. I opted to go for the Mahi sandwich which came with fries from a dedicated fryer. It was rather busy at the food court, so I took the time while I waited to explore the restaurant a bit. There are lots of amazing details in there!Once my meal came out, I got a seat and dug in. The Mahi sandwich had Cajun seasoning on it and was seasoned nicely. Served on a Local Oven brand bun, this was a fairly substantial sandwich. The sandwich was topped with coleslaw and a remoulade sauce (which is mayonnaise based). You know how I feel about condiments and this sandwich satisfied my sauce cravings. Now if I would have asked for some remoulade on the side for the fries... The French fries were the standard fries you get at Disney World, so nothing special there. But had I dipped them in remoulade...genius! The restaurant itself had quite a few offerings available to me, which was terrific. I liked the food a lot here and I love the atmosphere. It's a great place to dine and enjoy the atmosphere and for a quick service it has a lot of charm to it. I enjoyed my Mahi sandwich a lot and would definitely order it again without hesitation.Overall, I'd give this a solid 7 out of 10. I am looking forward to grabbing breakfast here soon, when I stay at Port Orleans Riverside for a work conference. I do have to say that I think I prefer Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory's menu overall, but happily would dine at Riverside Mill again for lunch or dinner.Have you been to Riverside Mill? What did you order there? 

Sanaa -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village

*This dining experience took place in July 2014. As many of you know, Sanaa is one of my favorite restaurants on Disney World property. From the curries to the impressive bread service, I can't say that I've ever had a disappointing meal at Sanaa. It's a restaurant that might seem a little bit exotic but the food is prepared in such an approachable way that you can't help but love the African and Indian inspired flavors. It seems like I've been to Sanaa quite a bit lately (no surprise since it's such a favorite of mine) - from dinner with friends Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and Jennifer from Gluten Free Go-To Guide in April to a recent lunch in June to check out the new menu offerings.  On this particular visit, I knew I wanted to get something different for lunch. I was given the special diets menus that are available at Sanaa, which you find on the menus page. While going over the menu, I was greeted by Chef Trish who is a terrific mainstay chef at Sanaa. It had been a while since I had seen her. I think the last meal I had where she was on-hand was the fabulous dinner she prepared for Laurie Sadowski & I in October during the dessert party weekend (vegan, gluten free "samosa" were amazing!) I mentioned that I was interested in the Sanaa burger on the menu, and she said they could work to make it gluten free and dairy free. She also talked about the new Local Oven buns that are now available at the restaurant, and how they toast them to make them extra tasty with the burger. She also mentioned adding a chutney to the burger and making a side salad that might pair well with it too. One thing I love about Chef Trish is that she knows how adventurous I am with food, so I can usually tell her to surprise me and get treated with something amazing. She is exceptional with flavors and pairings! There was a bit of a mix-up in the kitchen, and they accidentally served me a burger with cheese, which I noticed immediately. Somehow, while Chef Trish was preparing my salad, they made my burger only gluten free. Thankfully, we were able to sort it out, and they prepared my burger and sides promptly and safely the second time around. And boy, it was worth any bit of a wait. The burger itself wasn't anything to rave about. It was the traditional pre-formed beef patties you find at quick service locations. It makes me wish I had ordered the burger when it was the Bison burger before the menu change. However, the chutney made up for the ordinary burger.Served on a toasted Local Oven bun (which is good, though I still prefer Udi's buns), the chutney was fabulous. It was basically a modified version of their mango chutney which is one of my all time favorites that they serve at the restaurant. It was messy but worth it.I was also served roasted potatoes, made up of a blend of potatoes, including sweet potatoes. These were perfectly roasted and really delicious. The star was the salad. Made with a bright lemony vinaigrette, it wasn't over-dressed, and was perfectly seasoned. It was really fresh and vibrant and was a great contrast to the rest of the meal.   Overall, despite the slight hiccup, this was a fantastic lunch offering at Sanaa. I'm not usually a burger person, but this one was a nice twist with unique side options. I would definitely order it again.I'd give this a solid 8.5 out of 10.Have you been to Sanaa? What's your favorite item to order there?  

Boma -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House

*This dining experience took place in August 2014.Boma: Flavors of Africa, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House, is one of my favorite places for brunch on property. It's reasonably priced breakfast buffet and unique offerings make it a good value and a great dining experience. Adding to this, the restaurant is terrific at accommodating guests with special dietary needs and makes dining at a buffet meal much less stressful (and delicious!).Boma serves both breakfast and dinner, but breakfast is by far my favorite of the two meal offerings. You can read gluten free dinner reviews from my friend Alexis at Gluten Free in Orlando who is a big fan of dinner at Boma! The day before, I had dined at the Mara and was greeted by Chef Frank who mentioned he would be at Boma the next morning. And sure enough, Chef Frank was there to go through the options with me. Before we made our rounds through the buffet, our server also brought along some Jungle Juice (combination of passion fruit, guava, and orange juices) and unsweetened ice tea. Perfect way to start the morning! Once I had some caffeine flowing, Chef Frank and I toured the breakfast buffet. From carved meat to hot quinoa cereal, there are plenty of off the buffet items that I can enjoy. They will also bring many of these items from the back if you ask. I also opted for a custom made omelet (my favorite at Boma), some allergy Mickey waffles, and various breakfast pastries. Let's just say that I did not go hungry at this meal. First up were my offerings from the buffet. I always get the carved turkey and carved ham from the carving station. The sambal chili sauce is safe but their Boma mustard is not (it contains soy sauce). I also grabbed my favorite grilled asparagus which is smoky and hearty and my hands down favorite breakfast item at Boma. Some other offerings included the pap (similar to grits), chakalaka (stewed tomatoes), and tater tots. I must say that I did miss the Boma breakfast potatoes that they usually have present. Tater tots are OK but Boma breakfast potatoes are amazing! Hot quinoa is another Boma favorite, and I get it with brown sugar and raisins. If you are concerned about cross contamination (hot oats are nearby which are not certified gluten free), I recommend asking for the toppings from the back. Fruit at Boma is a must. I don't know what it is about Boma but they always have amazingly fresh fruit. I learned from Gluten Free in Orlando that Boma has bananas foster version of their allergy Mickey waffles. Of course, that means lots of dairy but that didn't stop Chef Frank from coming up with a terrific version that was different and unique. He made allergy Mickey waffles and served them with dried bananas and walnuts (on the side) and hot real maple syrup.  All I have to say is "WOW!" Super delicious. I love allergy Mickey waffles, and these were cooked to perfection. Add in warmed maple syrup and the fruit & nut topping, well, let's just say it was more than divine! I started to eat my other meal offerings first but Chef Frank made sure to encourage me to eat the waffles first while they were piping hot. Good call! (and yes, I ate every last bite of them)In addition to my regular buffet plate, Chef Frank also brought me an omelet made with ham and onion (my go-to Boma combination). This was a great protein boost post the sugar coma that was my allergy Mickey waffle plate (so worth it).  To add to all of the deliciousness, Chef Frank also brought me out a bounty of breakfast pastries that included Kinnikinnick donuts, Udi's muffins, and Enjoy Life cookies. Thankfully, he suggested that I get a to-go bag for them to take them back to my room or in the park as a snack. Typically, you cannot take to-go items from a buffet, but as a special diets diner, they will often allow you to take special diets products with you. I definitely enjoyed these later down the road as a snack!As you can tell, I did not leave Boma hungry. In fact, it's a great brunch spot that will fill you up for most of the day. The food is always terrific for breakfast, and I love how many options I have available to me. Chef Frank really went above and beyond to make my dining experience great, and the food he prepared was stellar. The allergy Mickey waffles were crisp and delicious and some of the best I've ever had on property! Overall, Boma continues to remain one of my top breakfast choices at Disney and my favorite breakfast buffet. I am looking forward to dining here again soon! (maybe for the Jingle Jungle 5K post-race meal). I give this a solid 9 out of 10. Those allergy Mickey waffles with dried bananas and walnuts blew me away! Have you been to Boma for breakfast? What is your favorite buffet item?

Cape May Cafe -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Beach Club

*This dining experience took place in August 2014.When it comes to a seafood buffet, Cape May Cafe located at Disney's Beach Club Resort has some of the best and most gluten free (and dairy free) friendly options around. it's a veritable feast of crab legs, clams, mussels, and more. It's also a family favorite, and we go every year in July/August to celebrate my stepdad's birthday. Amazingly, I hadn't been since the previous year's birthday celebration, so it was great to go back for a visit. We always try to get a Cape May Cafe ADR for 5 p.m., right when the restaurant opens. Cape May is very popular so it can often get very busy, very quickly here. I also personally prefer dining there earlier, so I can feel less stressed about cross-contamination while enjoying the buffet (and not getting every item from the back - though I do still get quite a few from the kitchen). On this particular visit, we noticed that Cape May now has little menus available at the check-in station. Our family always sits at the benches near the restaurant while we wait. We love watching the restaurant set-up and getting excited for the meal!  Typically, we get seated near the front of the restaurant, but this time we were in the back. This was fine, though I have to say, our family much prefers the booths to tables because the tables were really closely placed together, making it difficult to get in and out.Upon being seated, I was greeted by the chef. He then took me around to the buffet to go over the options. The menu seems to be relatively the same as it was last year. Though, I have to admit, I certainly do miss the braised cabbage and bacon they used to have the menu...too bad this can't make a comeback! My game plan at Cape May Cafe was to have the chef bring me some items from the back while I loaded up on items in the front. I may look a bit like a food hoarder when I dine here. I think I had 4 plates at my seat after all was said and done. I just feel better getting all my food at once, but that's a personal preference and buffet strategy. First up were the peel and eat shrimp with cocktail sauce and marinated olives. These are some of my favorites. I will say the peel and eat shrimp weren't as good as I remember them being but the olives were outstanding!  One of my hands down favorite things at Cape May Cafe is the Cape May Salad. Made with cranberries, candied walnuts, and a citrus vinaigrette, it's so delicious. The regular version of the salad comes with blue cheese, so if you ask the chef, they will make you your own version. I highly recommend this too! I have to say, this version was probably the most overdressed version I've ever had, which was disappointing. But still, very good.I also asked for hummus from the back, and the chef brought GNI rolls to accompany the hummus. I preferred the Kalamata olive hummus over the roasted red pepper hummus, as I think the version from Sanaa is much better.  As you know, I'm a condiment queen, and I do enjoy a good dip! The star of Cape May Cafe is the seafood, and the crab legs and steamed clams are always high on my list. Both were good, though the clams were a little overcooked. Still, that won't stop me from eating a good hearty plate filled with them. I also got a plate that included BBQ ribs (pork), steamed potatoes, paella, green beans, and roasted chicken. The paella was my hands down favorite. It wasn't particularly authentic but it tasted really great. The seafood was also cooked well, which made it even better. The ribs were also another hit for me -- not overly sauced but seasoned well. I always love their roast chicken legs found on the kids buffet. Super flavorful and moist. The chef also brought me a piece of salmon from the kitchen along with some sautéed broccoli rabe. The salmon was fabulously seasoned and well cooked. This was the surprise favorite for me after the paella. Sadly, the broccoli rabe was completely overcooked and the garlic and shallots served with it were burnt. This was the only thing I thought was really disappointing at the meal.  Amazingly, I somehow made room for dessert after all that food, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Cape May Cafe was still serving Babycakes NYC products. After the storefront for Babycakes closed last year, many restaurants stopped carrying their desserts, so I wasn't sure what would be available to me. But now, I'm happy to report that both the donuts and the mini brownie cupcakes are available. For a full location of Babycakes NYC spots, check out reference sheet for it. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Cape May Cafe. Some of the dishes weren't as great as they have been in the past, but in general the food remains consistent and delicious. It's still a family tradition and favorite that fits in perfectly with the summertime! I'd give this visit a 7 out of 10. Have you dined at Cape May Cafe? What is your favorite meal: breakfast or dinner?   

Guest Review -- Studio Catering Co. -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Hollywood Studios

This guest post comes to us from Lindsay, blogger over at Gluten Free Mom To Be. She writes about her recent trip to Disney as a gluten free diner. Lindsay's site has many gluten free resources including tips and information about gluten free pregnancy. If you're looking for Disney content, she also shares trip reviews as well as Gluten Free Guides to Disney Parks on her blog. In this guest post, Lindsay is reviewing Studio Catering Co. at Disney's Hollywood Studios!Almost midway into our summer Disney vacation, the infamous Hollywood Studios Day came around. For anyone that knows my family's history with Disney vacations, we are well known for having any ailments peak on the Hollywood Studios day causing little to no time being spent in that particular park. Well, I'm happy to report that we did indeed thoroughly enjoy Hollywood Studios this trip, however we didn't quite get off Scott free when it came to our vacation sickness. For the time being though I can't wait to regale you on our adventures through Hollywood Studios.We were up nice and early to take advantage of the extra magic hours and ready for the mad dash to the Toy Story ride that ensues at park opening. With a short wait though we made it onto the Toy Story ride, which just so happens to have been in a broken car. So needless to say we were unlucky or lucky enough to be able to ride the Toy Story ride twice in a row first thing in the morning, the first time just for the ride itself and the second for the carnival game fun too.As soon as our Toy Story adventure had ended, we headed over for the group of Tower of Terror riders to use their fastpasses. Although the system for Fastpass+ is a bit chaotic since it's all bright, shiny, and new, I have to say it is quite nice to pre-plan a few of your desired attractions before you even arrive for your vacation.After a short wait with their fastpasses, our family members were out and ready to join us for some more Hollywood Studios fun. We stopped in for a few character meet and greets and then made our way over to snag some passes for the Frozen sing-a-long that afternoon. And finally it was time for us to head over and catch the Disney Junior show, you know the infamous show that we missed last vacation due to my little one's impromptu trip to the Urgent Care center.And let me just say, it was definitely worth the wait, she just loved each and every part of the show including her favorite stars on the stage, the interactive bubbles and streamers coming down from the ceiling, and the live music and dancing all around her, all of which is right up my little one's alley.By the time we had finished with the Disney Junior show it was nearing lunch time and we decided to pop over to the Studio Catering Co. for an early lunch to avoid a little bit of the craziness that never fails to appear at the peak lunch hour. I was third in line at my register and first to place an allergy order with the manager.I knew that the Studio Catering Co. was home to Udi's white sandwich bread, hence making their sandwiches, wraps, and salads all available to the gluten free diner. With a little confirmation from the manager that this was the case, I was so excited that I could choose any sandwich off of their menu. They offer a Sloppy Joe, a Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, a Chicken Caesar Wrap, a Toasted Tuscan Deli sandwich, Grilled Vegetable Sandwich, Greek Salad, and a Pressed Turkey Club.For me, the Toasted Tuscan Deli sandwich caught my eye which has smoked ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, pesto-marinated vine ripened tomatoes, and caesar dressing. The manager assured me that everything on here was completely gluten free so I ordered the sandwich as is but without the caesar dressing, which can be a little too fishy for me at times.After ordering my little one's kids meal and my husband's sandwich, my ticket went through and the wait began. It's not completely unusual to wait a bit longer for allergy orders at Disney's quick service locations so I wasn't surprised when the manager forewarned me that the wait could be about 15 minutes.While our little girl slept, my husband switched places up at the counter with me while I stood watch with the stroller and sleeping baby. True to the manager's word, the wait definitely was around 15 minutes or so but completely worth it. As the people began to trickle into the Studio Catering Co. and the lines began to grow, my husband came around the corner with the manager beside him carrying my allergy free tray of food.The sandwich looked DELICIOUS! It was held perfectly intact, thanks to the Udi's gluten free bread, and had layers of Italian yumminess inside, oh yeah and it was accompanied by a generous side of Disney's signature fries. The gluten free bread was lightly toasted with warmed meats, tomatoes, and melted cheese layered inside.The flavors were perfectly combined and would probably have been accented excellently with the caesar dressing, I just like to steer away from caesar dressings. After the first bite, I knew I had found my new favorite Hollywood Studios lunch location. I literally devoured this sandwich, partially because my little one was sleeping and I actually was able to enjoy my hot sandwich hot but mainly because it was just that good.The fries on the side were of course delicious but by far the star of the plate was the sandwich. To go along with my meal, the manager gave me some Enjoy Life Chocolate Chip Cookies which I tossed in our bag for later since there was no room left for any more food after that sandwich.As we finished our lunches, our little girl woke up to enjoy hers. A short while later, with full bellies and some of us being freshly rested, we were off to enjoy the rest of our day in Hollywood Studios.First up was our last fastpass for another round on the Toy Story ride. Next, our show time had rolled around for the Frozen sing-a-long which our little girl LOVED! With some live performers, appearances by Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff, and some scenes and songs from the movie, not to mention some much needed air conditioning for an extended period of time, it was the perfect early afternoon treat for our whole group.Finally, we stopped into the Frozen wonderland where we got to play in a little snow and make our very own Olaf, watch some ice skating, and even get a Mickey pretzel and a bonus Elsa and Anna cookie for our little princess (neither of which were gluten free, tear). Good thing we snagged some treats because while we were enjoying the winter wonderland inside, outside was the signature Orlando downpour. Soon enough the storm had let up and after donning ponchos we trudged through the puddles, grabbed the stroller, and were on our way to see what our third night in Disney World would bring.All together we had a great lunch at Hollywood Studios' Studio Catering Co.. I've already added this location to my itinerary for our next vacation, whenever that may be, and cannot wait to either indulge in the sandwich which I enjoyed this time or maybe try something new. One thing I'd like to recommend though would be to arrange an early lunch here to avoid the crowds and get first dibs on the manager for your allergy order.Have A Magical Day, Lindsay

Mara -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House

*This dining experience took place in August 2014.The Mara, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House, is one of my favorite quick service locations in the resorts. With African inspired fare, they have a really great variety of options that are also very special diets friendly. It's one of my go-to spots for quick service breakfast (their breakfast potatoes are outstanding), though I also enjoy it for lunch and dinner. On this particular occasion, I stopped by for lunch. I was staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for a long weekend, and I had grand plans to sit around the pool, read, and relax. So, having lunch at the Mara was on my short list of things to do.The menu at the Mara has  a lot of traditional offerings, like the ones on the image above from the menu in the restaurant. However, I wanted to check out the African Stew. It had been a very long time since I'd had it and my friend Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando had raved about the African Stew when she visited recently. I was greeted by Chef Frank who came over from the Boma kitchen (one of the benefits of having the Mara and Boma share many of the same kitchen facilities), and he went over options with me. I knew fairly early on that I was interested in the African Stew, and he let me sample a bit to see if I still wanted to order it. The African stew is made beef, turkey, ham, carrots, potatoes, peas, chickpeas, and raisins - in a coconut milk broth. It is served over Basmatic rice, which means it's a hearty dish.I decided to get that, and I loved that the dish needed no modifications at all for gluten free and dairy free diners. As you can see, the portion is huge. So huge, in fact, that I was unable to finish it. With sweet and salty notes, this dish gives you a lot of different flavors in a small bite. The curry flavor was very mild, so even if you think you might be overwhelmed by curry, I would recommend asking for a sample. It really is an approachable version of this stew. I liked the variety of vegetables and meats in this dish, and I equally enjoyed the hint of sweetness from the raisins and the coconut milk. It was subtle but definitely there. Overall, I really enjoyed the African Stew. It was something different to order outside of the typical allergy chicken tenders that I so often order there and at other quick service locations. It would be the perfect entree for a cool winter day in Florida (and yes, we do get those) or a filling dinner. I would definitely order this one again!A solid 7 out of 10 for this dining experience for great flavors and a naturally gluten free and dairy free dish. Have you been to the Mara? Have you tried the African Stew? What are your favorite dishes to order at this quick service location? 

Guest Review -- Disney World with Special Dietary Needs Trip Recap Day 2

This series of guests posts comes from reader Kathleen. Her love of Disney and passion for bringing awareness to special dietary needs on her college campus makes her the perfect guest writer for Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW. I’ve been following along on her college journey where she blogs about dining at college with special diets. Check out this great article on allergy friendly dining that she wrote last fall for her campus. Thanks again, Kathleen, for taking us along on your Disney special diets journey! (if you aren’t hungry, you will be after you read these reports)I’ve broken up Kathleen’s posts, and today we’re checking out her last days at Disney World on her vacation. You can catch days 1-3 on her previous post, and you can also recap with her visit to Universal Studios Orlando on her previous guest post! Hi everyone! My name is Kathleen and I’m currently a senior at NC State University in Raleigh. A few years ago, I found out about several food allergies that I have (gluten, corn, dairy, tomatoes, apples and peanuts) and ever since then, I’ve been on the lookout for new and exciting foods to try. Disney is a big deal in our family, and on our annual trip each summer, we love eating at new restaurants to mix things up. This was my third Disney trip with allergies, but my first without dairy, since I found out about that only a year ago.Day #3 – 7/23On Wednesday, we didn’t have any dining reservations for once, so we ended up having a big lunch at Whispering Canyons Café in between MGM – errr, Hollywood Studios – and Magic Kingdom. This time, Chef Angela helped me out. She said that she could do plain pulled pork for me (unlike the other night), and that she had a gluten and corn free bun in the kitchen that I could have to make a sandwich. I was going to order the sweet potato fries and coleslaw, but after checking the ingredients, she ended up making my coleslaw with balsamic vinegar and olive oil (the regular one had apple juice), and a cucumber-dill salad, both of which were great. That sandwich was huge, but not to worry – I polished off the entire thing!The bagel that she gave me for the bun was also very good, but she later told me that it was an Udi’s bagel. Since I ended up having another skin flare up later that day, I checked the ingredients that night and corn syrup solids was one of them. I’m not sure why two different chefs (this one and Margaritaville) who were so adamant about the bread not having corn, would overlook that. However, the experience was still really good.That night we were all set to watch the Spectromagic Parade at 11 (wayyyy past my normal bedtime of 9 PM – look at me staying up!), and I used that opportunity to try out the Rice Dream ice cream at the ice cream parlor on Main St. When I ordered, the cashier asked if it was an allergy or a preference, and when I told him it was an allergy, he got one of the servers to put it in a cup instead of a cone. Pretty impressive for a quick service stop.The ice cream itself had an interesting flavor – I liked it, but not as much as the So Delicious coconut milk ice cream I get at home. Still, I’m glad I got to try it. Unfortunately, right after I sat down with my ice cream, they announced that the parade was cancelled due to the one drop of rain that had apparently hit someone. Well, just kidding…there was supposed to be an impending storm that never ended up happening, so for the first time in forever, we were unable to see the parade. Oh well!Day #4 – 7/24Thursday was our “day off” from the parks. Usually on these days we’ll hang out at the pool for a while before moseying on over to Downtown Disney to shop and eat dinner. This year, I convinced my family to try out Whispering Canyons Café for a third time – breakfast! I was happy to see Chef Angela again, and she remembered me from the day before (regular, at last!).Now, there were two things that I was on a mission to find and try before leaving Disney. One of them was the famous allergy Mickey waffles. Chef Angela said that there were two types of batter – one with corn and one without. The batter also has applesauce. Usually they mix the two batters together for the allergy waffles, but she was able to make me Mickey waffles with no corn and no apples, and with pure maple syrup and earth balance butter on the side! She told me that the waffles were lighter in color and had a different flavor due to the lack of applesauce, but honestly, I wouldn’t have known the difference. They were fantastic! I stayed away from the earth balance since I knew it had corn in it, but the waffles and syrup were so good, I didn’t miss it. The waffles also came with bacon or sausage. I was in a bacon mood (who isn’t?), and let me tell you, the chefs at Whispering Canyon know how to cook their bacon. It was perfectly crispy – just how I like it.Later that evening, after soaking up some rays by the pool and going on an impromptu bike ride to the campgrounds, we took the bus to Downtown Disney to eat dinner at Raglan Road. Originally, I was planning on getting the gluten free fish and chips or chicken curry with an appetizer of onion rings (provided that the batter was corn free). Unfortunately, the onion rings were not dairy free so I couldn’t get those. (*Note from Sarah: These have been dairy free in the past; however, ingredients and recipes do change, so it's important to always check with a manager or chef when you dine at a restaurant at Disney)This was not my week for curry, because it contained at least one of my allergens. Three strikes and it was out. In the end, I ordered the butternut squash “Raglan Risotto” because I love butternut squash, and it was something unexpected. Plus, the fries looked like steak fries and I’m not a huge fan of those, so I was unsure about the fish and chips. The risotto was really good – it was super creamy. I’m not sure how they got it to taste like that without milk or cream, but I liked it. The pear cider was also good. It’s possible that the risotto was too creamy to be true, however, because I ended up having a really bad skin reaction right after dinner. (*Note from Sarah: in the past this has been the restaurant's default vegan dish; always check with a manager or chef when you dine at a Disney restaurant for current ingredient listings, as products and recipes can change). Overall, I think this was my worst experience during my week at Disney. Not to say that it was awful, because the waitress was really nice and attentive to my allergies, but it was a little hard to hear and I wish I could have spoken with the chef since there ended up being some sort of cross contamination or unwanted ingredient in my dinner. Next time, I think I’ll try the fish and chips and hopefully that will work out better.Day #5 – 7/25On Friday, our only reservation was at Crystal Palace and it was an early dinner. The rest of my family had gelato in Italy, and I just brought a snack from the hotel to tide me over between breakfast and dinner. Normally we do a lot more character meet and greets, but this ended up being the only one we did this year!The chef was great – she took me around the buffet to show me what was okay for me to eat, and said that she could prepare a couple of the hot bar vegetables plain for me. Remember when I said I was on a mission for two specific things? Well, the allergy chicken tenders were the second. I knew that Crystal Palace offered them, so I asked the chef if she could make those for me. She said that was not a problem, and that she would bring those out with the vegetables. I was able to try the sweet potato salad (!!), beet salad, and cucumber/pickled ginger salad from the salad bar. They were all good. You know I love sweet potatoes, and I’m also a fan of beets and fermented vegetables so it was a good appetizer.I was very excited for my entrée to come out. The colors on the plate were so pretty I almost didn’t want to mess up the food. Ha! Yeah right! I haven’t had chicken fingers in quite a while, and these were definitely worth all of the hype I’ve been reading about them.After bringing that out, the chef told me there was rice dream and a chocolate brownie that I could have, and she brought those out for me for dessert. I already knew what the rice dream was like, but that chocolate brownie was the bomb. In the words of Princess Anna, I wanted to stuff some chocolate in my face, and I did. Just more gracefully. I think Crystal Palace was the best experience I had during the trip – those chicken tenders and brownie sealed the deal!Day #6 – 7/26The last day of the trip is always sad for our family, but luckily we’re so busy enjoying the parks that we don’t really realize it until we’re in bed. Our last dinner reservation was at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios. I’ve come to realize that I prefer buffets for dining with allergies because I can see what’s available and know what it is instead of just reading a name off of a menu.The chef, Chef Trevor, was very nice. He was surprisingly young, and cute too! This buffet had a lot more protein options that were safe (as opposed to Crystal Palace), so I had the carved turkey. I also got the steamed broccoli, and broccoli salad from the buffet. The chef brought me some plain green beans and plantains (twice in one week, what up!) that I could eat as well. Not to sound like a broken record, but everything was delicious. That broccoli salad was so good, I went back for seconds! I love mixing fruit and nuts into my salads, and the combination of broccoli, soy nuts and cranberries worked really well.The allergy brownie at this place was made with corn flour, so I couldn’t have that, but Chef Trevor brought me out a bowl of So Delicious Coconut ice cream. I’ve never had the coconut flavored one before, and I think it’s my new favorite! To make it even better, I topped it with an enjoy life cookie that I brought from the hotel. Ta da! Cookie Sundae.Overall, this trip to Disney was fabulous. I got to spend time with my family, eat good food, and hang out in the happiest, most allergy friendly, and my personal favorite, place in the world – Walt Disney World! Now I just need to grow three inches so I can be a princess and I’ll be set. All I can say is, thanks to Sarah for letting me share my experience with you all. I had a wonderful time and I’m so excited to see what’s in store for next year!A huge thank you to Kathleen for her great trip report! If you want to learn more about Kathleen’s experiences as a college student with special dietary needs, you’ll get that chance at the upcoming Food Allergy & Celiac Convention held at Disney World on November 22, 2014.

Guest Review — Disney World with Special Dietary Needs Trip Recap Day 1

This series of guests posts comes from reader Kathleen. Her love of Disney and passion for bringing awareness to special dietary needs on her college campus makes her the perfect guest writer for Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW. I’ve been following along on her college journey where she blogs about dining at college with special diets. Check out this great article on allergy friendly dining that she wrote last fall for her campus. Thanks again, Kathleen, for taking us along on your Disney special diets journey! (if you aren’t hungry, you will be after you read these reports)I’ve broken up Kathleen’s posts, and today we’re checking out her first few days at Disney World. You can also recap with her visit to Universal Studios Orlando on her previous guest post! Hi everyone! My name is Kathleen and I’m currently a senior at NC State University in Raleigh. A few years ago, I found out about several food allergies that I have (gluten, corn, dairy, tomatoes, apples and peanuts) and ever since then, I’ve been on the lookout for new and exciting foods to try. Disney is a big deal in our family, and on our annual trip each summer, we love eating at new restaurants to mix things up. This was my third Disney trip with allergies, but my first without dairy, since I found out about that only a year ago.Disney Day #1 – 7/21After lunch at Bubba Gump’s, we packed up the car and headed over to the Wilderness Lodge to begin our Disney vacation. We hadn’t been to that hotel in over 10 years, and it was fun to go back.We had a reservation at the Whispering Canyon Café in the lobby of the hotel. Having done my research (on GFDFWDW of course!) on all of the restaurants we had reservations at for the week, including this one, I had a basic idea of what was okay for me to eat. I was looking forward to the family style platter that Sarah reviewed in her post a while back, but no one else wanted it so we ended up each getting our own entrée.The service was great. When the waiter found out about my allergies, he sent for the chef to come talk to me while he took everyone’s orders. Chef Williere came out and asked me what I was thinking of ordering. I told him that I really like pulled pork, and asked him if I could get that with the grilled vegetables. He said he would check on the gluten free sauce to make sure it was corn free, and I told him that the roasted chicken would be my back up. A few moments later, he came back to inform me that the gluten free pulled pork sauce had corn starch in it, so I ended up with the chicken. I’m glad I did, because it was the best chicken I’ve ever had. It was cooked just right, and the skin was perfection. The charred bits are always my favorite part and there were plenty. It was like half a chicken though, so I was able to bring my leftovers back to the room to eat for breakfast the next day.After we finished dinner, Chef Williere came back out to ask me about dessert. Like I said, I did my research, and I told him that my friend Sarah recommended the gluten and dairy free chocolate cake. He chuckled when I asked about it and regrettably informed me that I had to call ahead, so I wasn’t able to get that. Oh well. He told me that he’d go figure something out and surprise me. Boy, did he ever.I was expecting a pack of those enjoy life chocolate chip cookies, and I would have been completely happy with that, but he came out with a blueberry cobbler topped with berry sorbet and fresh berries. It was incredible. I couldn’t believe that it didn’t have any of my allergens in it, and told him just that. He laughed and said he was glad I liked it and to tell Sarah hello and to come visit him (just in case you forgot, Sarah! Haha). I was so impressed with this restaurant, and I convinced my mom that we had to try their breakfast and lunch if we could (which you will read about shortly – I was persuasive).Day #2 – 7/22Tuesday was our first day at the parks! It was also our first time using the magic bands and the fast pass plus system. Now, over the years, we have mastered our Disney schedules and ride orders down to an art (while planning our parks around which restaurants we go to – we’re Italian, we have our priorities). We know exactly when to get to certain rides, and what order to go on those rides to make the most of our trips. With the new system, we were even more efficient. We actually ended up having a lot more time than we thought, which means we’ll be re-strategizing for next year. Woo!Anyways, we started off at Animal Kingdom. I was particularly excited for this park because of the new Allergy Friendly Kiosk that opened up. We were planning on just getting some sort of snack since we had early dinner reservations at Epcot, but since we had just recently signed up for the Landry restaurants membership, we decided to use that to get a discount at the Yak and Yeti.As always, our server was great. He was really nice, and sent the chef out to speak to me very quickly. I actually had a lot of options, which was nice. I almost got the seafood curry (again with the curry!) but since it was a zillion degrees outside, and the curry was a large portion, and we had an early dinner reservation, I instead decided to go with the chicken lettuce boats appetizer. It was really good, and such a simple meal – I’ll definitely be making it at home. It was basically just stir-fried ground chicken mixed with a variety of vegetables that I could scoop into lettuce wraps and top with gluten free hoisin sauce and sriracha!My family ended up trying the famous fried wontons for dessert, but I knew I had a bounty of sugary options waiting for me at the allergy kiosk, so we headed there on the way out so I could get some goodies to go.I was very impressed with all of the options there. They had four Babycakes items: mini cupcakes, chocolate donuts, cinnamon donuts, and chocolate chip cookies. They also had boxes of enjoy life soft-baked cookies, rice chips and cakes, surf sweets gummies, raw granola bars, fresh fruit, hummus and veggies, and pints of Tofutti ice cream. Wow! I ended up getting one of each Babycakes item because I can’t get them in North Carolina, and because, you know, baked goods. Those cookies were the first to go, and the best chocolate chip cookies ever. I was so happy to eat them, as you can see. I spread the other three items out for the rest of the week. I don’t think I’ve eaten a donut in three years, and they were so yummy!That night, we dined at Teppan Edo, the Japanese steakhouse in Epcot’s World Showcase. I ate there on my first allergy friendly Disney trip, so I looked forward to going back. This was my first trip after turning 21 in December, so I ordered the Takara plum wine. It was really sweet, but I’m not a big alchohol fan so that was a-okay with me.The manager told me that I could get any of the entrees made without noodles, with white rice instead of the beef rice, and without any of the dipping sauces. They also provided me with gluten free soy sauce. The service was also really good. They offered to cook my food in the back instead of on the grill in front of us, but since they clean the grills very well in between each table, I told them that I’d be fine if they just cooked my food before everyone else’s. I was a little wary because the last time I went there, I ended up with a really bad stomachache, which has also happened after eating chipotle burrito bowls, so this time I decided to stay away from the rice (the common ingredient). I ordered the scallops and vegetables, and I was completely fine. I’m not sure if it was the rice or the sauce that was such a problem three years ago (pre-dairy allergy), but I’m glad that I didn’t have the same issue again. Plus, the scallops were great!Are you hungry now? Stay tuned for Kathleen's last trip report guest post which recaps days 3-6 of her Disney vacation! If you want to learn more about Kathleen’s experiences as a college student with special dietary needs, you’ll get that chance at the upcoming Food Allergy & Celiac Convention held at Disney World on November 22, 2014.

Guest Review -- Universal Studios Orlando

This series of guests posts comes from reader Kathleen. Her love of Disney and passion for bringing awareness to special dietary needs on her college campus makes her the perfect guest writer for Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW. I've been following along on her college journey where she blogs about dining at college with special diets. Check out this great article on allergy friendly dining that she wrote last fall for her campus. Thanks again, Kathleen, for taking us along on your Disney special diets journey! (if you aren't hungry, you will be after you read these reports)I've broken up Kathleen's posts, and today we're checking out her review of Universal Studios Orlando! Hi everyone! My name is Kathleen and I’m currently a senior at NC State University in Raleigh. A few years ago, I found out about several food allergies that I have (gluten, corn, dairy, tomatoes, apples and peanuts) and ever since then, I’ve been on the lookout for new and exciting foods to try. Disney is a big deal in our family, and on our annual trip each summer, we love eating at new restaurants to mix things up. This was my third Disney trip with allergies, but my first without dairy, since I found out about that only a year ago.Universal Studios 7/19-7/21We started out our trip at Universal Studios, to celebrate my younger sister’s recent high school graduation. I’ve had wonderful allergy service at Disney, so I was excited to compare it to that of Universal’s restaurants. I figured I’d include reviews of these places as well, since a lot of people travel to both parks.After arriving at the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday night, we ventured over to City Walk to eat dinner at Pat O’Brien’s. I’m not sure if it was Cajun or Irish themed – it seemed to be a mix of both – but the menu looked good either way. It had a cool atmosphere too – we were seated in the “piano room,” where a very entertaining lady took requests and performed all kinds of songs.They did not have a gluten free/allergy menu, but I let the server know about my allergies and she checked with the kitchen to see what I could have. Dining gluten free is becoming easier due to the increased awareness of gluten allergies and Celiac disease, but the corn allergy makes things a little more difficult. When the waitress came back, she told me I could get green beans and either grilled meat or a hamburger patty. I ended up ordering grilled chicken and green beans. It was good, but not anything special. I was a little disappointed with the limited options, but I still enjoyed what I ordered.The next day, after seeing the amazing new Diagon Alley and braving the Escape from Gringotts ride (after a 1.5 hour wait – not too bad, considering it opened two weeks prior!), we took a break for lunch and ate at a favorite of my dad’s (and mine), Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. Having been here before, I knew that they had a gluten free menu so I was able to look at that and had a lot more options than the previous night.The server was extremely helpful. She noticed my menu, and asked if I had any questions about it. I asked her about the bread, since a lot of gluten free bread has corn products in it. She checked with the chef, and came back to let me know that it was corn-free! I ordered the Key West blackened fish sandwich, which came topped with cilantro cole slaw. Since the restaurant used soybean oil and a dedicated fryer, I could also get sweet potato fries! I was happy because sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods of all time.The sandwich was delicious and the bun was so good! I’m normally not much of a bread person, just because I can’t have many gluten free brands, but this was great. It wasn’t too dry, which was nice. I asked the server what brand it was, and she told me it was Udi’s. I was surprised because normally I can’t have Udi’s baked products because they have corn derivatives in them, but she told me the bun was corn free so I thought that maybe Udi’s changed their recipe.Unfortunately, I ended up having a skin flare up later in the day, and when I looked at the ingredients online, the buns still had cornstarch, maltodextrin and xanthan gum. If it’s a small enough amount, it won’t bother me, but in this case, it was enough to provoke a reaction. Boo. I guess I’ll still have to continue my search for the perfect gluten and corn free bun. That night, we ate at Bob Marley: A Tribute to Freedom. This place was really cool. I’m not a huge Bob Marley fan, but it was still a fun place to try. Plus, I love Caribbean food, so yay! The restaurant did not have a gluten free menu, but I was eyeing the Jamaican Curry, since I know a lot of curries are gluten and dairy free. When I told the very friendly, very dreadlocked server about my allergies and asked about the curry, he checked with chef and told me the curry was out because it was cooked with tomatoes (unlike the Indian and Thai curries I’m used to making at home – I just made a mental note to make a me-friendly version ASAP when I got home).Just like Pat O’Brien’s, the only options for me were grilled chicken or fish. I ended up ordering grilled Mahi. (Instead of the Mahi Mahi, can I just have the one Mahi? Because I’m not feeling that hungry) However, I was super stoked to learn that the yucca fries and plantains were safe for me to eat. Now, I love plantains more than any other fruit. In fact, they are probably my favorite fruit. Give me plantains, and I’ll be your best friend. And THESE plantains came topped with shredded coconut. My two favorite foods combined? Done. Heaven. Forget an engagement ring, a guy could propose to me with that side dish and I’d be sold. The fish was really good too. It was perfectly seasoned, and was especially delicious after I added the scotch bonnet pepper sauce. Overall, I was sad that I didn’t have many options, but not too sad, because what I could get was awesome.The next day, we were all set to leave Universal and head over to Disney World! After checking out, we walked over to have lunch at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. I’ve never seen Forrest Gump (don’t judge me!), so some of the significance was totally lost on me, but I had a great experience nonetheless. I was excited to see that they had a gluten free menu! Plus, the service was incredible.Our server was so nice, and extremely funny. He cracked me up when he asked me, concerned, what I do for desserts. I told him, not to worry, dessert is obviously the most important meal of the day, and I made it my priority to find some kind of sweet treat whenever I could. I ended up ordering the pear and berry salad with grilled shrimp and no cheese. Since the glazed pecans that normally topped the salad were cooked with heavy cream, our waiter offered to bring me plain pecans. Even better, he told me that they make their salad dressings in house, from scratch, so there were no corn syrup or corn products in the raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I was glad, too, because that dressing tasted just like melted raspberry sorbet. Dee-licious.Universal was not as allergy friendly as Disney, but I definitely enjoyed what I ordered. Margaritaville and Bubba Gump’s were the best of the four places we tried, probably because they are chain restaurants and are better equipped to deal with food allergies.Stay tuned for Kathleen's review of Disney World! If you want to learn more about Kathleen's experiences as a college student with special dietary needs, you'll get that chance at the upcoming Food Allergy & Celiac Convention held at Disney World on November 22, 2014.

PB&G -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Four Seasons Orlando

*This dining experience took place in August 2014.When I first heard about the dining options at the newly opened Four Seasons Orlando, the one I got the most excited about was PB&G, also known as the Pool Bar & Grill. Opening to the public on August 3, 2014 (along with the grand opening of the resort), PB&G serves premium American barbecue dishes, fresh salads, frozen cocktails, mocktails, and an extensive kids' and teens' menu with lots of healthy options. Open daily from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., this is a terrific lunch and early dinner spot for resort and day guests. Under the direction of Executive Chef Gerald Sombright, PB&G features plenty of smokehouse and rotisserie favorites, such as pulled pork, smoked brisket, rotisserie chicken, house-made hot dogs, and more. Chef Gerald hails from St. Louis, one of the most celebrated barbecue capitals in the world, and brings his culinary expertise to this fun and casual restaurant. I recently dined at Ravello, Four Seasons Orlando's modern Italian restaurant, with my friends Krista Joy from Disneyways.com and Tony Caselnova from Disney by the Numbers, and I had an amazing experience as a special diets diner. From start to finish the team did an amazing job, and I knew that I had to go to PB&G when it opened. My family all wanted to check it out too, as we are all big fans of Southern cuisine and barbecue. When we arrived at this restaurant, located near the adult pool, the main pool and lazy river area of the Four Seasons Orlando, we were greeted with a brightly decorated restaurant, filled with picnic tables, teak floorboards, and other whimsical elements. The restaurant is outdoor seating, but covered, and gives guests a proper al fresco dining experience.Upon being seated, our server Jeff asked about my special dietary needs -- another great touch that the restaurants at the Four Seasons Orlando all have. Making sure that servers are as knowledge as they can be for special diets diners is really important, and it always makes me more at ease when I dine in a restaurant. Jeff made sure to note that the team would take great care of me.Of course, first things first, we ordered the house-made unsweetened iced tea. You simply can't eat at a barbecue joint without ordering iced tea.As we went over the menu, members of the PB&G management team - Jessie & John - stopped by to go over the menu offerings with us and to check in with me about any dietary concerns. They assured me that Chef Gerald was on hand to make sure that I was well taken care of. One of the things I love is the theme of PB&G's menu. As one would expect, the menu is filled with classic Southern barbecue dishes including ribs, pulled pork, and beef brisket. These fall under the "homage" category and are Chef Gerald's take on these Southern favorites. The other main entree portion of the menu falls under the "treason" category -- dishes that are totally unexpected, and some might say barbecue sacrilege. These include smoked tofu with carrot & kale, octopus which has been smoked and grilled (and is a huge hit with guests), and the Peter Piper brisket burger (which I'm dying to try the next time I visit).Add in lot of salads and terrific appetizer options, and you have a menu that really appeals to a broad audience. I can't lie; every time I look at the menu I find a new dish that I want to order at my next meal at PB&G.For a starter, our group tried the Crimson Red Corn Popcorn (which is an heirloom popcorn), seasoned with gaujillo chili and lime. Chef Gerald also came out to speak with me about the offerings as we happily munched on this excellent starter.If you are a popcorn lover, you will absolutely adore this appetizer. But be warned, it is addicting. My family are notorious popcorn fans, so this was hands down hit with the group. The guajillo chili adds a nice kick and the lime balances out the heat. The spicy, salty popcorn was the perfect treat for a hot August day outside, and we all welcomed it as we explored the menu. This will be an appetizer we order again and again at PB&G. Chef Gerald also gave us a sample of his house-made gazpacho made with smoked watermelon, cucumber and basil. I am a huge gazpacho fan, and this was another perfect summertime dish for al fresco dining. I'm not typically a big watermelon fan, but this truly made this dish. The gazpacho started off with a smoky favor and ended with notes of sweetness from the watermelon. There was so much flavor and balance in this dish, and it was my hands down favorite part of the meal (which is hard to say, as I enjoyed each component in its own right). While there were plenty of options for me on the menu, Chef Gerald made me a dish off the menu -- a seasonal succotash. It was fabulous to talk with him about the development and inspiration of this dish. He truly knows his Southern cuisine and this entree really highlighted the seasonal vegetables. So often, succotash is corn, bacon, and a small smattering of lima beans -- and while I agree that bacon is a great accompaniment -- Chef Gerald's version is a true homage to the simple succotash's that you imagine your Southern grandmother making you with the vegetables from her garden. As a vegetarian dish, this succotash was not lacking in anyway. In fact, it was hearty and rich and did not need any meat in order to make it an entree. The humble lima bean was truly the star. Lima beans have that same stigma as Brussels sprouts, another one of my most favorite vegetables. If you don't think you like lima beans, this dish will change your mind! Chef Gerald used a literal cornucopia of vegetables in this dish, including pickled vegetables, which I adore. The dish was earthy with lots of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors throughout. After eating this, I mentioned to Chef Gerald how much I loved it, and that I hoped it would go on the menu either as a side dish or as a full entree. I hope the next time I visit PB&G, I see it listed because it was truly fabulous. It also shows how much skill and talent Chef Gerald has because it was just delicious.I also got a chance to sample the beef brisket, which was outstanding! Made with corned beef spices and smoked, this makes for a killer sandwich. If only marble rye was gluten free and dairy free!My family raved about each of their dishes, including the pulled pork sandwich, the ribs, and the spun chicken. Simply put: PB&G was a real hit with my family.The next time I visit, I have to try some of the libations that are offered at PB&G. I'm a mojito fan through and through, and this will have to be the first one that I order. Like the main menu, the drink menu is as much of an homage to its Southern inspiration, and I have no doubt that I would be equally impressed with my beverage options that I order.I have to give this team praise for making this a truly relaxing and fun meal. Like Ravello, the service was impeccable and the team knowledgeable about special dietary needs. Our server Jeff was terrific, making sure we stayed cool with our beverages and answering any questions that we had. Management team Jessie & John brought such enthusiasm, and their excitement about PB&G was infectious! And of course, Chef Gerald deserves such high praise for his outstanding dedication to making authentic Southern cuisine and safe options for those of us who have special dietary needs. His culinary perspective offers terrific, casual fare and includes some of my favorite Southern dishes of all time. What he made for me as a special diets diner was delicious and comforting, just like you expect any Southern meal to be.PB&G reminds me of one of my favorite restaurants at Disney World, Boatwright's. Both have a Southern twist and both have authentic and honest food. With reasonable prices and a casual vibe, PB&G is set to be on my short list of go-to places for barbecue.Overall, I have to give this experience a 9.5 out of 10. This is a restaurant that I need to go back to try other dishes!To find out more about the Four Seasons Orlando visit: http://www.fourseasons.com/orlando/You can also see more of my photos from my visit on InstagramFor photos from the Four Seasons Orlando media event check out Amanda Tinney’s site, Where’s AmandaSpecial thanks goes out to the Four Seasons Orlando for inviting me to dine at PB&G. I was not required to write this post and all opinions are my own. 

Splitsville -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- Downtown Disney

*This dining experience took place in July 2014.When it comes to a meal and entertainment, Splitsville Luxury Lanes located in Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs) is one of the best on Disney property. With its retro vibe and upscale food options, this is definitely not your average bowling alley. In addition to having great bowling and billiards, this location boasts some pretty great food options for gluten free and dairy free diners.In fact, last year, Splitsville released new menu offerings which included 16 gluten free options, including rice bowls and sushi. I had the opportunity last year to meet with the team to discuss the options, and I was pretty amazed by the level of attention that they took in creating the menu. My favorite dishes have to be the shrimp rice bowl and the Fantasy Roll sushi. Which brings me to my most recent visit to Splitsville. I met up with friends for a late afternoon drink and light meal. I was joining my friends Krista Joy from Disneyways.com, Tony Caselnova from Disney by the Numbers later that evening for a memorable meal at Ravello located in the Four Seasons Orlando (set to open on August 3rd, 2014), so this was the perfect meal option for me.It's been a while since I've dined at Splitsville and deciding what to order was a no-brainer. It had to be the Fantasy Roll. It's my hands down favorite dish at Splitsville. In addition to the Fantasy Roll, I also ordered a classic mojito. This is one of my favorite go-to gluten free and dairy free drinks. The mojito itself was quite good. It wasn't as memorable as my favorite African Starr Mint Mojito at Sanaa or even the mojito at the Victoria Lounge at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House, but it was still a well made drink. There was a good amount of fresh mint and the balance of the simple syrup paired well with the rum. The Fantasy roll is made of fresh salmon, ahi tuna, cucumber, avocado, and steamed shrimp rolled in soy paper and drizzled with spicy kimchee ponzu sauce. The seafood at Splitsville is always of excellent quality and fresh, and I really enjoy the combination of both raw and steamed seafood. What makes this dish is the kimchee ponzu sauce. It's sweet and spicy and makes for a delicious accompaniment to the sushi. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Splitsville. I was pleased that our server asked everyone upon seating if there were any special dietary needs. It always shows that the team is ready to handle special dietary needs when they ask before you even have to say anything (we did not have a reservation, so the special dietary needs were not noted). Between the sushi, mojito, and great company, it was a perfect afternoon meal. I give this experience a solid 8 out of 10. Have you been to Splitsville? What are your favorite dishes to order?