The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Sandwich

Championship Chicken Sandwich
ESPN Club
Disney's Boardwalk Inn
Orlando, FL

So if I just tell you what is in this sandwich, you will definitely think it is very boring.  But trust me I have dreams about this it was so good!  It is a grilled piece of chicken breast on rosemary focaccia with sun-dried tomato pesto, goat cheese, and arugula.  The chicken breast has some kind of herbs on it like time and rosemary and it perfectly grilled.  I can't even begin to tell you how juicy it was.  It was juicier than any piece of fried chicken I have ever had, yet it was grilled! It was perfectly tender and delicious.  The bread really made this sandwich special because it was lightly toasted and still soft in the middle.  It had the perfect balance of filling to bread and the rosemary wasn't overpowering in the focaccia.  The sun-dried tomato pesto was slathered all over the bread and added a creamy texture that was amazing against the crispness of the bread.  It also added another layer of flavor the the chicken breast.  The arugula was also perfect because it was crispy and peppery, while also lightening up this sandwich.  My favorite part was the smear of goat cheese on top of the chicken.  It was perfectly tangy and creamy and was my favorite part of this sandwich.  You have a choice between cucumber salad and french fries (I obviously got the fries).  I ordered mine extra crispy and they were some of the best fries I ever tasted.  Tender inside, hot, salty, and crispy on the outside.

I know this sandwich's ingredients sounds boring, but trust me you will never taste anything like it!

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The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Pasta

Gnocchi with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Orlando, FL

Gnocchi has always been one of my favorite pasta dishes because it is made with my favorite ingredient, potatoes, and I absolutely love pesto cause of its strong flavor.  So when I saw this I knew I had to get it! The roasted vegetables I thought would be a little weird, but they were honestly the best part of this dish!

The gnocchi are like little pillows sitting in your dish. Light, airy, and incredibly flavorful.  They are perfectly salted and creamy inside.  The pesto sauce was one of the best I have ever tasted.  It was such a bright green color and wasn't too garlicky.  You could taste every bit of fresh basil put in and the high grade olive oil used. The perfect amount of sauce was used so it wasn't swimming in a pool of sauce.  Now to the vegetables.  It came with plump mushrooms, broccolini, roasted eggplant, and cherry tomatoes.  The mushrooms were probably my favorite because they were so meaty and tender.  The broccolini was perfectly cooked and added an extra layer of flavor to the entire dish.  I usually am not a fan of eggplant, but this eggplant was amazing.  It had a sort of nutty, roasted flavor that I have never tasted before.  Since I hate tomatoes, I was not willing to give them a try, but they looked beautiful!

This dish was everything you could want in a pasta dish and more!

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The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Meat

Braised Lamb Shank with Potato Gateau
The Wave
Disney's Contemporary Resort
Orlando, FL

If you are in Disney World and are looking for a more upscale restaurant without being too fancy, this is definitely the way to go! Everything that is cooked is completely fresh and homemade.  There is hardly any deep frying and definitely no microwaving in this restaurant.  All ingredients are seasonal and some even come from Disney World's own gardens.  Because of this the menu always changes, but it is always fantastic.

Let me get down to the meat though.  When I saw this lamb shank come to my table I felt like a caveman!  It is enormous, I think it may be 14 ounces.  The waiter said it was slow cooked for 9 hours and you can absolutely tell.  I didn't need a knife at all, only a fork to pull away the tender meat from the bone.  The sauce is absolutely delicious because it tastes like its been cooking in meet juices for days! Then the side dish of the potato gateau is one of the best thing I ever ate.  It is tender potatoes mixed with a cream cheese sauce using tangy goat cheese and baked until crispy.  The tanginess of the goat cheese really cuts through the big meaty flavor of the lamb.  If you are in Disney, definitely try this restaurant!!!

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Fettucine Alfredo

As you know I am a huge fan of Disney!  One of their former restaurants, Alfredo's, had the best fettucine alfredo I have ever tasted!  It was actually the original fettucine alfredo and it differs from its competition because it actually contains no cream!  This recipe is so simple and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter
1 lb fettucine
2 cups parmesan cheese
salt

Directions:
Bring water to a boil and salt.  Then cook your pasta for about 10 minutes.  Right before draining reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. 

In a small bowl mix together the 2 sticks of softened butter and parmesan cheese.  I used a fork to mash the two together. 

Once the pasta is done cooking and the water has been reserved in a separate bowl, drain the pasta.  Then add the butter and cheese mixture in the bottom of the pot and melt for a minute or two.  Then add the pasta back into the pot with the butter and cheese.  Toss together with tongs until everything is melted.  Slowly add a few tablespoons of the water until a sauce forms.  You may end up using the whole half a cup, but don't pour it all in at once.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Pot Roast

I am a huge fan of Disney World for many reasons, one being the food of course.  One of the restaurant, The Liberty Tree Tavern, has some of the most tender, juicy, flavorful pot roast you will ever eat.  I sought out to create a recipe that tasted just like it and here it is!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 pounds boneless beef shoulder roast
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups large diced carrots
2 cups large diced celery
2 cups large diced onion
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Burgundy wine
6 cups beef broth

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy pan and brown the meat on all sides. Make sure this pan can also go in the oven and is deep enough for a lot of liquid.  A dutch oven works best.
Remove the meat and add butter. After butter has melted, add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and fresh thyme. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Stir in the flour, and continue cooking until everything is brown
Stir in Burgundy wine and beef broth. Add the meat back into the pan. Cover and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until meat is fork tender.

Here I have served my pot roast with mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

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The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Appetizer

Calamari Fritti
Tutto Italia
Disney World's Epcot Italy Pavilion
Orlando, FL

So obviously this is one of my favorite restaurants if you have read my cannelloni al forno post.  Fried calamari may look very simple, but it is very difficult to cook well.  The breading either comes off and is soggy or the calamari is chewy and tough or there is just no flavor.  These are cooked perfectly.  A good amount come in each order (It fed my starving family of four) but honestly you could never have enough of these delicious bites.  Each calamari or squid is cut into ringlets that are the perfect size.  I do have to say it makes me sad that they don't serve the tentacles because I personally love them, but maybe it freaks out some Disney guests. So back to the calamari.  They are absolutely fried to perfection with the perfect amount of crust on the outside.  The crust is flavored with herbs and spices, I am assuming things like basil and parsley and other italian ingredients.  The crust is the perfect golden brown and is so crispy.  The calamari itself is so tender and juicy.  Not even a little bit tough.  Now they serve these calamari with a classic marinara sauce that has at least 2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes on top.  My parents said it was delicious, but since I hate tomato sauce I leave it off of the calamari.  For me the best topping for these calamari is a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  Now what is the most annoying thing about squeezing fresh lemon juice?  The seeds of course.  But this restaurant has thought of everything.  They wrap the lemon in a yellow cheesecloth that catches all of the seeds but allows the juice to go right through.  Pretty cool right?  And has soon as that lemon juice hits the hot calamari it starts to glisten a little.  You sink your teeth in and you hear the amazing crunch.  Then you taste that tender calamari and you know this is one of the best appetizers you have ever eaten.

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The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Breakfast

Winnie the Pooh's French Toast
Crystal Palace
Magic Kingdom in Disney World
Orlando, FL

This restaurant has one of the best meals you could ever eat in Disney World.  It is a huge buffet that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and all meals are equally delicious.  My family's personal favorite is the breakfast there because of this french toast. The other great thing about the Crystal Palace is it has Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore.  So no need to wait on an extra line in the park, just make sure you are at the table when they come around.  So the breakfast buffet consists of classic breakfast items done right.  Of couse you have the fruit, bagel, and danish section (but I usually skip that to get to the good stuff).  Then you get to the delicious biscuits with gravy, hashbrown casserole, breakfast potatoes, and other fattening breakfast foods that you would only eat in Disney because you know you are going to walk probably 10 miles the rest of the day.  So of course all of the foods are delicious, but the real treasure in this restaurant is the french toast.  The thing about the french toast is though, its on the kids buffet line that is probably 2 feet high off the ground.   I was embarassed the first few times we went to go to the kids buffet, but honestly there are more adults there than kids bending down to fill their plate with this stuff.  I don't know how they do it, but every time I get this delicious concoction its still steaming hot even though its been out on a buffet.  You bring it back to your table and it smells like you are in a bakery in Paris at 5:00am when all of the goodies are being baked.  The first time I got it I used a knife and fork cause I thought it would be sticky, but seriously dont even waste your time cutting this thing.  Just sink your teeth right in.  This isn't traditional french toast. It's more like a cross between the most delicious donut you ever ate, french toast, and a churro.  The shape is not uniform at all, which is the best part because some of the edges get very crispy and you pick them off as you bite into this delicious dish.  I have no idea how they make this thing, all I know is its delicious.  The dough is soft, yet still has a good chew to it and is the most buttery, sweet thing you have ever tasted.  The outside is so crispy and is the perfect texture difference between the soft dough.  Then the entire thing is coated in cinnamon sugar and you wish they sold the coating just so you could put it on everything sweet.  Of course you get your hands ridiculously sticky, but obviously you would since this came off of the kids buffet.  If you go to Disney and don't get this treat, you have made a huge mistake.  There is no other place you can get anything like this.  And I don't know why, but the fact that it's Winnie the Pooh's French Toast makes it even more magical. 

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The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Pasta

Cannelloni Al Forno
Tutto Italia
Disney World's Epcot Italy Pavilion
Orlando, FL

Words cannot describe how good this place is.  First of all you walk in and you feel you are standing on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.  There are beautiful paintings every where of famous places in Italy and famous artwork from Italy.  All of the staff in this restaurant are from Italy, even the chefs.  You know you are going to get authentic italian food in this place.  Honestly you can't go wrong with anything on this menu.  My family and I have tried multiple items on the menu and nothing is short of delicious.  Before you even order your meal, steaming baskets of fresh bread come out that you swear your italian grandmother is making in the kitchen.  Of course if you have an italian grandma.  Most American restaurants serve butter with their bread, but in Italy oil is very common.  The oil is imported from Italy and is absolutely delicious.  Plus they add fresh basil, fresh cracked pepper, garlic, and crushed red peper flakes in the oil and when you dip the steamy bread into this flavored oil you honestly feel like you died and went to heaven.  Then you look at the menu and of course you can't decide what to get cause everything is written in italian and sounds delicious.  The language is quite beautiful.  The one dish that I promise is definitely the best on the menu is the cannelloni.  It has everything anybody could want in a pasta dish.  Pasta, tomato sauce, spinach, 3 cheeses, and a cream sauce.  There is no way this thing can be bad.  It comes to the table and of course you aren't allowed to touch the dish cause it just came out of a 500 degree broiler that creates a crust of  mozzarella and ricotta cheese on top.  You crack through this crusty shell of cheese on top to find pillowy softness underneath.  Light, thin sheets of pasta in a tube shape stuffed with the richest ricotta cheese and most tender spinach you have ever tasted.  Underneath the two cannelloni is a thin layer of the lightest, freshest tomato sauce you have ever tasted.  The top is delicately topped with another layer of tomato sauce and then a layer of bechamel sauce, which is a typical thickened cream sauce.  Then like I said before, you have the crust of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses on top.  The contrast of textures and flavors of this concoction is ridiculous.  This really is the best thing I ever ate.  If you want it you have to get there fast because the menu always changes.  You cannot miss out on this authentic and delicious italian masterpiece. 

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The Best Thing I Ever Ate: Appetizer

Sticky Wings
Kona Cafe
Disney's Polynesian Resort
Orlando, FL

These wings are some of the best wings I ever ate.  They come out 12 wings to an order and look absolutely gorgeous.  The barbecue sauce is glistening with a few sesame seeds on top for additional crunch.  You bite into the wing and the chicken meat is juicy, moist, plump and delicious.  It's just crazy good.  Of course its sticky, but who cares cause they are just so good.  On top of the juicy meat, the outside is perfectly crispy and topped with a delicious sauce.  The sauce on top is a combination of sweet and spicy because this is in a Hawaiian themed restaurant.  The heat isn't too strong, it just sort surprises you after you think these are just sweet honey barbecue wings.  These really are the best wings I ever ate!

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