Megan Padilla
With a record 68 million visitors last year, Orlando retains its title as the No. 1 vacation destination in the U.S. That's a lot of mouths to feed, and nowhere is the power of visitors' palates and pockets more evident than at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World. Here's a look at recent openings and anticipated restaurant rollouts this year.
There is no shortage of folks who love wine; some study it, others collect it and many are content to simply drink it. Master sommelier George Miliotes will bring his renowned wine expertise to his new venture, Wine Bar George, expected to open in the fall. Wine Bar George will be the only master sommelier-led wine bar in Florida, according to Miliotes. "The opportunity to open a wine bar in one of the more awesome locations in the world doesn't come to many people often," said Miliotes, who is passionate about teaching people about wine and was instrumental in the creation of Darden's Seasons 52 concept and Walt Disney World's California Grill.
A rendering of Wine Bar George, which is expected to open in fall 2017.
Miliotes is a firm believer in education and knowledge-sharing and plans to be very visible and hands-on with his wine bar and teaching people about wine and food. Miliotes will lead lunch and dinner preshift talks with his team and welcomes anyone who is interested to participate. "Show up at 4:30 and you can listen, too," he said. Thanks to the Coravin device, which enables him to pour a glass without pulling the cork, Miliotes can share some of the best bottles in the world. "If you want to come in and talk wine smack with us and taste really special wines, we'll do it!"
Wine Bar George will have at least 100 wines by the glass and a menu with 10 or 15 small plates to share as well as a couple of entrees. With all of the entertainment options on site at Disney Springs, to-go wine and cheese trays will be available.
Whether guests just want to sit on the outdoor patio with friends and enjoy the scene or would rather sit at the bar to learn about wine, Wine Bar George has something for everyone. There will even be an upstairs library for private wine dinners.
The design for the 210-seat, 6,000-square-foot space will be reminiscent of a winemaker's home estate, featuring oak wood, warm lighting and a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere.
A recent surprise was the closing of Portobello Country Italian Trattoria by James Beard award-winning chef Tony Mantuano on April 24. Not to worry: He's developing an Italian restaurant concept for Levy Restaurants to replace his popular Disney Springs eatery, whose tables have been packed for the past seven years. Mum's the word about what it will be called, but the space is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation, and the menu will feature dishes inspired by Mantuano's adventures across the many regions of Italy. "We've been grateful to serve our loyal guests at Portobello for the last seven years," said Andy Lansing, president and CEO of Levy Restaurants. "We look forward to welcoming our guests back to the location early this fall when we unveil a new concept at Disney Springs."
The Polite Pig opened on April 10, making it the newest restaurant at Disney Springs. This quick-service, modern barbecue concept is presented by husband and wife chefs James and Julie Petrakis, who have become well known for their Central Florida restaurants Cask & Larder and the Ravenous Pig, under the umbrella of the Swine Family Restaurant Group.
Sharing a similar culinary philosophy as other Swine Family restaurants, the Polite Pig specializes in dishes made with sustainable and local ingredients but is served in a more fast-casual setting than their other establishments. For this venture, they've partnered with James' brother Brian Petrakis, who owns Greens & Grille, the popular Orlando quick-service restaurant near the Mall at Millenia.
Among the signature dishes at the Polite Pig are peel-and-eat Florida shrimp with bourbon cocktail sauce on the Snacks menu; salmon BLT with bacon jam, marinated tomato, romaine and aioli on the Sandwiches menu; house-smoked chicken, brisket, pork shoulder, wild salmon and St. Louis-style ribs on the From the Smoker menu; and BBQ cauliflower with yogurt and pepitas on the Sides menu.
The Polite Pig will also introduce a beverage program that serves wine, beers and cocktails on tap. Cask & Larder Brewery will brew several of its signature beers for the Polite Pig, including its Lone Palm Golden Ale, 5 Points IPA, Red Drum Ale and Working Man Porter. On tap cocktails include gin and tonic; vodka lemonade; rum and coke; tequila and grapefruit; and old fashioned. The Polite Pig will also feature a bourbon bar with more than 60 varieties of whiskey, including Florida's largest collection of Pappy Van Winkle whiskeys.
The Polite Pig is located in Disney Springs' Town Center neighborhood. The 5,000-square-foot venue is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with seating for about 200 guests who order at a counter and then find a seat where food is delivered to them.
Cross the gangplank to board the new Paddlefish and the smell of Old Bay Seasoning and a sophisticated slate of coastal blues and grays promises a traditional Eastern-shore seafood boil isn't far away. This paddlewheeler has been an anchor of Walt Disney World dining since it was christened the Empress Lilly (in honor of Walt's wife Lillian) in 1977, then remade as Fulton Fish House in 1996. After a transformation of more than two years, Paddlefish opened anew on Feb. 4 in the style of a sophisticated yacht rather than a glittery showboat, a transformation not dissimilar from Disney Springs' itself.
Executive chef Mark Boor's inventive menu is also the result of two years of research and development to "take an iconic restaurant with a 40-year history and reimagine it." Though Paddlewheel is a massive food palace that can seat up to 750 diners at once, every single item, right down to the condiments, is made from scratch and cooked to order. The seafood is ethically sourced and brought in only from environmentally friendly fish farms and marine fisheries with healthy ecosystems.
Boor's creations, such as the perfectly seared scallops served on a bed of pureed cauliflower with roasted Brussels sprouts and browned butter and bacon (an entree that can easily be shared as an appetizer) as well as his "bet you can't eat just one" lobster corndogs served with a chili aioli easily stand up to those of his James Beard award-winning neighbors at Disney Springs. Other seafood standouts include the tableside-made lobster guacamole (for real!) and a whole branzino that's been crusted in sea salt, baked for 30 minutes and carved tableside.
Though Paddlefish sounds enormous, it actually comprises several indoor and outdoor spaces. I suggest reserving a table in the trophy room for elegant, waterfront dining with floor-to-ceiling windows. For cocktails and apps, the rooftop lounge offers breezes and a bird's-eye view of Disney Springs.
There is a common thread in all of these restaurants: camaraderie and a sense of community. Says longtime Florida food writer Heather McPherson, "What you see in the food and beverage scene in Central Florida are people who lift each other up and who work together. All the James Beard nominees here are good friends, they never talk behind each other's back and will call for help when needed. We're growing up as a city but still have old-fashioned values."
Miliotes agrees about the shared spirit of restaurateurs at Disney Springs. "It's about the community of restaurants, not about individuals. Everyone wants to see each other be successful."
The clear winners in this approach, of course, are the diners.