shrimp and grits | the disney food blog

Review! Shrimp, Grits, AND Cheesy Corn?? We’re Reviewing NEW Menu Items At The Polite Pig In Disney Springs!

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We’re back again in Disney Springs to bring you all the food news after its reopening!

Disney Springs

While we took you on a tour of the reopening restaurants, we’re returning for seconds at The Polite Pig (and to try a few new menu items!).

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Move Over Pork Rinds — There’s a NEW Special Menu Item at The Polite Pig in Disney World!

By Janelle Sheetz 1 Comment

Why, it seems like only yesterday we stopped by The Polite Pig and tried their new Pork Rinds, all in the name of science, of course! 😉

Pork Rinds

Oh, wait! That’s because we DID visit The Polite Pig in Disney Springs since it has officially reopened.

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Chef Art Smith Is Shelling Out Not One, But TWO Shrimp and Grits Cooking Demos

By Janelle Sheetz Leave a Comment

Is there anything about Homecomin’s super adorbs Chef Art Smith not to LOVE???

Chef Art Smith at Homecomin’

This well-known Southerner has been keeping us well-fed and entertained with his at-home cooking classes — we’ve already mastered his Chicken and Dumplings and some of his favorite Fried Chicken Dishes! And today, Chef Art Smith will be showing us how to make two of his most-famous Shrimp and Grits recipes!

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Review! Look Out Chicken and Waffles, We Want Chicken and DONUTS at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

By Rachel Franko 3 Comments

With the quest for boarding groups calling for an early wake-up call, we often find ourselves hunting for new breakfast options in Hollywood Studios.

ABC Commissary

And, ABC Commissary has our backs because it’s now opening its doors for BREAKFAST! But, how will these morning menu options compare to the NEW breakfast items over in Batuu? Let’s find out!

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Review: Octopus and Chocolate Ganache — It Must Be Lunch at Tiffins in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom!

By Molly 2 Comments

Jambo! Recently, we were at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and had a hankering for a nice and unique lunch. Having not been to Tiffins in a while, it seemed like the perfect choice.

Tiffins

Tiffins is the only signature restaurant in the park and features African and Indian inspired dishes. In the past, we have really enjoyed our meals here, but they have updated the menu since our previous reviewed visit and we were excited to check out both some old favorites and new choices.

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Best of the Fest: What to Eat (and Drink!) at Disneyland’s Festival of Holidays!

By AJ and the DFB Team 1 Comment

Happy Holidays from Disneyland Resort where we’re ringing in the season at Disney’s Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure! From November 9, 2018 through January 6, 2019, the season will be celebrated with festive entertainment, decorations, and FOOD!

Festival of Holidays!

Festival of Holidays recognizes the traditions of Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. And a highlight for us is the Festive Foods Marketplace which presents cuisine through holiday dishes at twelve Marketplace Food Booths (plus some Treats for Santa!). American holiday traditional and globally-inspired holiday menus make up the additional offerings at Disney California Adventure, and we were on the scene of today’s soft opening to try them ALL!!

Check out the full menus — with prices — for all of the Festival Marketplace Booths here!

Best of the Fest

Let’s dig in to some of our favorite bites and sips!

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Review: Can Epcot’s Coral Reef Restaurant Rise to the Surface?

By AJ 20 Comments

Coral Reef Restaurant

is a table service option in Epcot’s Future World at Walt Disney World.

Learn About:Coral Reef Restaurant

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

As you might imagine, Coral Reef is located in the Seas Pavilion, home of The Seas with Nemo and Friends. It’s one of only two table service restaurants in Future World — the other being Garden Grill in the neighboring Land Pavilion. The biggest draw to Coral Reef is the centerpiece of the restaurant: the six-million-gallon aquarium where fish, sea turtles, and (sometimes) divers swim by throughout the meal.

But even with that draw — making Coral Reef a truly unique Disney World experience! — Coral Reef often sinks to the bottom of DFB’s rankings of table service restaurants. Sadly the food just hasn’t been that great over the years. Lunch in 2014 was decent at best, with the Seared Mahi Mahi being the only I’d-get-that-again dish (alas, the Sriracha Shrimp we enjoyed on that visit are no longer on the menu…).

But you know we like to re-review restaurants on the regular, since chefs, menus, and servers change up regularly. My most recent visit was the best I’ve had in terms of food, and while it won’t move Coral Reef up to the top of the list at Epcot — admittedly a difficult park because there are so many awesome choices — it gives me hope that maybe the restaurant is providing a better experience for guests.

Coral Reef

Atmosphere

The atmosphere of Coral Reef is the star of this restaurant, and for those who love sea life or aquariums, this really is a must-try. Nothing quite compares to the beauty of dining with only eight inches of glass between the diner and the sealife.

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Review: The Dining Room at Paddlefish in Disney Springs

By AJ 18 Comments

With so many new (and not-so-new, but still greatly loved) dining experiences in Disney Springs, it can be tough to decide where to make your precious Advance Dining Reservations.

Learn About:Paddlefish

Downtown Disney
Disney World Restaurants

So on a recent visit to Disney Springs, I checked out Paddlefish — this time in the dining room (as opposed to the top deck bar) to get an overview of some of the menu’s most popular items. And while most of it was good, some of it was great (and one item — spoiler alert! — was just bad).

Paddlefish is a brand new restaurant in an old, established building. You’ll recall that Fulton’s Crab House used to reside here, in the docked, multi-storied Empress Lily on Lake Buena Vista; and actually this spot has been a restaurant since 1977. When Paddlefish opened, guests were greeted with a combination of old and new. Neutral and trendy gray paint gave the restaurant a streamlined look, but some details of old remained, like brass railings and the fabulous sternwheel.

So what do you say? Shall we paddle in?

Paddlefish

Atmosphere

The first floor bar at Paddlefish is a beautiful space, with its curved, recessed ceiling, wall of windows, and various seating arrangements. Definitely a comfortable place to grab a drink or two! [Read more…]

Photo Tour and Review: Wind and Waves Now Open at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

By Brooke 4 Comments

Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

has been undergoing extensive renovations. And recently, Disney Food Blog was invited to see everything that’s happening there.

Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

The resort is located on Florida’s East Coast, just south of the Cocoa Beach area. If you’re driving there after a stay at Walt Disney World, it will take you a little less than two hours to get there. When I arrived, I was surprised by the charming and relatively small size of the resort. I think I’ve grown accustomed to sprawling WDW resort complexes! The lobby, with its central courtyard and atrium, reminded me of a beachy Grand Floridian.

Resort Lobby

While we were waiting for lunch at the resort’s restaurant, Wind and Waves Grill, to begin, I decided to take a look around. Come along with me on the tour. [Read more…]

News: Disney World’s California Grill to Offer “Brunch at the Top” Starting February 2016

By Brooke 17 Comments

Great news if you’re a fan of California Grill, Sunday Brunch — or both!

Learn About:California Grill

Disney World Restaurants

Coming on the heels of the announcement that Narcoossee’s at the Grand Floridian would begin offering a Sunday brunch, now we are hearing that California Grill will do the same.

The popular signature restaurant, which sits atop Disney’s Contemporary Resort, has been a dinner-only spot since opening in the 1990s. But as Disney World continues to expand hours in table service restaurants across property, it looks like California Grill will soon join the trend.

The experience promises to be a hybrid of sorts. If you’d like, you can choose to begin your meal with something to drink. Options include both mocktails and cocktails, or indulge in a trip to the Bloody Mary Bar.

Bloody Marys from the Bloody Mary Bar

Guests begin their meal with house made Breakfast Pastries and Breads. Assortments will include Caramel Apple Monkey Bread, Cranberry Pecan Scones, and Tillamook Cheddar Biscuits, accompanied by Jam made from scratch and Orange Blossom Honey Butter. [Read more…]