Eating WDW

I was recently able to enjoy breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe, making another dent in my dining experiences at the restaurant at the Grand Floridian Resort. After having to make some reservation changes for a party of 10, we managed to swing a dinner reservation here. I apologize for the photo quality (or lack thereof); I was having some camera setting issues and needed to fall back on the ol’ iPhone, but I managed to resolve the issue. So let’s just right in!

Bread service

Matt was looking at the appetizers and decided on starting with the Pan-seared Scallops, which are served with Bacon-laced Arugula, Spinach, and Fennel Meyer Lemon Butter Emulsion.

The portion consists of two scallops, which were nicely cooked. My favorite part, however, was all the good stuff underneath. It was a bit smoky from the bacon with a nice hit of salt, while the greens still retained their brightness. We’d certainly order these again.

For his entree, Matt ordered the Orecchiette Pasta, served with Grilled Chicken, Prosciutto, Peas, and Asiago Cream Sauce. He noted the dish was a bit on the salty side, but otherwise he liked it. I don’t think he enjoyed it enough to order it again, however.

I’m not especially big on pasta, and between the sauce and the prosciutto, there was indeed a bit salty. Perhaps this would make a better side than a main course. Some more peas would have been nice as well.

I had been craving a burger, so opted for the Grand Floridian Burger, an Angus Chuck Burger with Butter-poached Lobster, Red Onion Marmalade, and Arugula on a Brioche Bun with Chips. Matt’s interest in this burger was piqued by the Red Onion Marmalade.

There was a good portion of lobster on the burger, which was was all tail meat and I imagine was Florida lobster. While texturally it was cooked nicely, it didn’t taste like it was poached in butter. After a couple bits of burger and lobster, I ended up eating the lobster off the burger as the two flavors and textures didn’t work for me.

There was a plentiful amount of arugula, some of which I removed. The marmalade was really fantastic and brought an unexpected sweetness to the burger, and the burger was cooked pretty close to the medium-rare I requested. I ended up bringing half of the burger home.

The chips were a bit hit and miss. Some had a good crunch, while others were on the soft side, and some had a lot of salt on them.

Here are some of the items our fellow diners ordered:

Pan-roasted Chicken Breast: Normally comes with Chef’s Seasonal Risotto and Chicken Jus, modified for a special diet with no Chicken Jus and added Green Beans and Rice

Shrimp and Grits: Jumbo Shrimp with Chorizo and Fennel served on top of Creamy Mascarpone Cheese Grits

Kids’ Meaty Macaroni

Kids’ Chicken Nuggets and Fries

Dessert Sampler (display): Fresh Berry Tart, Boston Cream Pie, Key Lime Tart, Lemon Cheesecake

Matt decided he wanted dessert, and the small portions were a perfect end to the meal. The desserts on the sampler ($10.99) can be purchased individually for $3.49 each, and I think it’s a fair price for the size. Matt liked everything about the Boston Cream Pie: Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Vanilla Custard and topped with a Dark Chocolate Glaze. I had a bite and though it was pretty good, but my favorite part was the dark chocolate since I like the slight bitterness of it.

Here are the menus from our visit:

Overall, our dinner and experience at Grand Floridian Cafe was very good. Our server was great handling our large party and anticipated our needs without rushing us. The Pan-seared Scallops and the Grand Floridian Burger were stand-outs for us, and we wouldn’t hesitate to order either dish again. Everyone in our party seemed pleased by their dishes as well. I look forward to our next visit to try some more menu items and revisit some new favorites as well.

Have you enjoyed dinner at Grand Floridian Cafe? What do you like to order?