LakeHouse -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort

*This dining experience took place in February 2016.Hyatt Grand Cypress Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDWThe LakeHouse at the Hyatt Grand Cypress opened in February 2016 and offers healthy, locally-sourced, farm-to-table meals. Located near Disney Springs, it's a quiet and welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of the Disney Parks.During their opening, I had the chance to check out the LakeHouse as an invited guest of Disneyways.com's. Prior to our arrival, the restaurant was alerted to my special dietary needs and noted that they would have the culinary team on hand to assist with any questions and to provide safe options on the visit.LakeHouse at Hyatt Grand CypressWhen visiting the LakeHouse, I was impressed by the clean and modern decor. The restaurant area was previously housed by another restaurant, and the Hyatt Grand Cypress did a $2.8 million refurbishment re-opening the restaurant with a new name and culinary concept. The refurbishment was really well done if my visit to the LakeHouse is any indication.LakeHouse at Hyatt Grand CypressAfter our arrival, we were given menus to look over and were told that Chef Max would be coming out to discuss options with our group.When Chef Max arrived, he noted that they would like to do a tasting of options and made sure to include as many gluten free (and some dairy free) dishes that they could. When I inquired about the sushi, I was told that the restaurant can make their sushi gluten free and even had gluten free soy sauce.Sushi at Hyatt Grand CypressThe sushi may have been my favorite part of the meal at the LakeHouse. First, it was gorgeously presented with generous portions and high quality ingredients.Sushi at Hyatt Grand CypressWe were served the Caterpillar Roll and Rainbow Roll both of which were gluten free, though the Caterpillar Roll did contain dairy, in the form of cream cheese. If you can't have dairy, there were definitely many different gluten free and dairy free rolls to try!I was wowed by the Rainbow Roll and could have easily eaten it all myself at the meal.Drink at Hyatt Grand CypressWhile enjoying our sushi, I also got a blood orange mojito, which was quite delicious. I love a good mojito, and this was a nice twist on a classic one.Shrimp Cocktail at the LakeHouseUp next, Chef Max brought out the grilled shrimp cocktail with shaved horseradish and Bloody Mary cocktail sauce. This was another favorite for me. I loved the grilled shrimp, and the cocktail sauce was delicious. Even better was the addition of the shaved horseradish which added a unique twist.In looking at the restaurant's menu, as of June 2016, it looks as if this is no longer listed. I do hope they bring it back though because it's a great appetizer option!Beet Salad at LakeHouseWe also tried out two salads on the menu - both of which were gluten free (both contained cheese but could easily be served without it). The Warm Spinach Salad was nice and earthy, with a bit of sweetness added in with apples. If you like beets, this is definitely a salad for you. This looks like a salad that is no longer on the menu either.Salad at LakeHouse The salad bowl was my favorite of the salad options. I loved the crunchy pecans, sharpness of the pecorino romano and even bitter greens. It all came together beautifully with texture and taste.It looks like the salad bowl is still an option at the LakeHouse but may have some different seasonal additions to it.Seafod Manhattan Clam ChowderThe Manhattan Clam Chowder was a huge surprise for me, as I didn't expect to like it. I'm not a huge red sauce based soup fan, but I was blown away by this Manhattan Clam Chowder. It had tons of fresh seafood in it, and I swear seafood in every bite. Definitely a surprise winner of the meal.Vegan entree at LakeHouseFor the entrees, most of the dishes did contain gluten, but two were offered to me, including a gluten free & vegan dish, which does is not listed on the current LakeHouse menu and the Cowboy Rib Eye Steak served with steak fries and house salad.From the meal, these were my two least favorite dishes.The vegan grilled veggies was a bit boring. I love grilled veggies, but they were sadly undercooked and underseasoned. The red pepper sauce that came with it was not particularly good and had a strong vinegar taste to it. I would have loved to have seen a gluten free and vegan stirfry or some type of more composed dish. This was literally just grilled veggies.Steak at LakeHouseThe rib eye steak was well-cooked and tasted OK, though I found the house salad and steak fries to be really bland.For dessert, I was given an Amy's Gluten Free brownie, which was not very good. I took two bites and passed on it.Overall, I really enjoyed the majority of the dishes we tried at the LakeHouse. I thought the starters and sushi were standouts and definitely could have made an entire meal of them.Because the restaurant focuses on local and seasonal items, the menu does change quite a bit. I'm glad to see that as of June 2016, they are marking gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan items on the menu, which is nice. They also have gluten free breakfast options too.I was invited to dine at the LakeHouse as a guest by Disneyways.com & the Hyatt Grand Cypress. I was not required to write this post and all opinions are my own.

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Mel's Drive-In -- Dinner -- Quick Service -- Universal Studios Orlando