I vividly remember my dozen or so visits to the Orlando area over the years-the theme parks, the weather, the squeals of delight from my children in their younger days. I don’t recall very much about my meals in Orlando-a clear demonstration of the mind’s ability to obliterate painful memories.
So imagine my delight when I was sent to Orlando for a weekend of company-funded high-end dining and found an array of serious restaurants, many of them attached to the very theme parks that draw people to Orlando in the first place.
In a culinary revolution reminiscent of the one that’s taking place in the casinos in Las Vegas, the entertainment moguls in Orlando have figured out that dining-previously an afterthought, if a thought at all-can be a destination in and of itself. That the same parents who are shelling out megabucks to take Junior to Space Mountain in the morning will pay for a high-quality dining experience in the evening.
Not surprisingly, Walt Disney World is at the head of this bandwagon, offering more upscale eating than a sensible person could experience in a week, even if he/she were to ignore the siren songs of the Magic Kingdom, the Animal Kingdom and assorted other kingdoms.
One can dine luxuriously, for instance, at Citricos, a spiffy Mediterranean restaurant in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, where outstanding dishes by chef Roland Muller include foie gras terrine with bell-pepper salsa, and striped bass with an artichoke-tomato ragout. Next door is the even more exclusive Victoria & Albert’s, a jackets-required, 65-seat oasis of elegance where prix-fixe dinners start at $80.
Along Disney’s BoardWalk area, visitors can nosh on manchego-stuffed peppers and chorizo sausage at Spoodles, or pan-roasted tilefish at Flying Fish Cafe. Or they can sample smoked-salmon pizza and Chinois chicken salad at Wolfgang Puck Cafe, located in Downtown Disney, adjacent to Pleasure Island.
One can literally rise above it all by dining at California Grill, the rooftop restaurant in Disney’s Contemporary Resort, where diners gaze down on Cinderella’s Castle and other Disney World landmarks. California Grill also is an excellent place from which to view the evening fireworks display, but chef Clifford Pleau manages some culinary pyrotechnics of his own, including beautifully presented sushi plates, and black grouper with lemongrass-scented risotto.
But nearby Universal Orlando, with its twin theme parks Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, is hardly a slouch. Not with Delfino Riviera, a luxuriously appointed Italian restaurant located in the Portofino Bay Hotel, offering soothing views of manmade Portofino Harbor and Ligurian cuisine by chef Massimo Fedozzi.
Along CityWalk, a shop-filled walkway bridging Universal’s theme parks, those looking for a casual sit-down meal can choose among celebrity-themed eateries including Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Motown Cafe, Bob Marley-A Tribute to Freedom and NASCAR Cafe. Woe to the visitor, however, who thinks it might be fun to “pop in” to Emeril’s Orlando Restaurant for a quick Cajun bite; the celebrity superstar chef Emeril Lagasse is so hot these days that his CityWalk eatery, open for lunch and dinner, is booked days in advance.
Or one can choose to dine far from the costumed characters and zillion-car parking lots, and head to downtown Orlando, where Manuel’s on the 28th attracts a dressy clientele (jackets requested) to its dramatic, spotlit dining room high above the city lights. Here the signature dish is duck confit, layered with wasabi-tinged fried wonton crisps, topped with a dollop of boursin cheese.
And these restaurants are booked solid during the peak tourist months, proving that there’s an eager fine-dining market among Orlando’s visitors and locals.
Or maybe it’s that people will pay almost anything for an Orlando-area experience that doesn’t involve waiting in line.
CULINARY KINGDOMS
California Grill: Contemporary food (and especially fine sushi) in a rooftop restaurant overlooking the entire Disney complex.
Citricos: Stunning Mediterranean cooking in Disney’s elegant Grand Floridian Resort.
Delfino Riviera: Gorgeous, romantic Italian in Universal Orlando’s Portofino Bay Hotel.
Emeril’s Restaurant Orlando: Bam! That’s the sound of the door closing if you don’t secure reservations days in advance.
Manuel’s on the 28th: Formal, jackets-requested French with commanding views of downtown Orlando.
Flying Fish Cafe: Casual seafooder along Disney World’s BoardWalk; don’t skip the Chocolate Lava Cake.
Louis’ Downtown Restaurant: Refined, French-accented Southern dishes in the city.
