Shutters -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Caribbean Beach

*This dining experience took place in May 2014. It includes a vegan review in addition to my gluten free & dairy free review. Tucked away in the corner of Old Port Royale at Caribbean Beach Resort lies Shutters the resort's table service location. With a quiet atmosphere, dim lighting, and a view of the lake, it's a welcome respite amidst all the park & resort hubbub. Having not stayed at Caribbean Beach since 2008, I really hadn't visited the resort for food options since then.On this particular occasion, I met up with my friend Tony from Disney by the Numbers for dinner at Shutters. This is the only meal in which Shutters is open, which is a shame because I'd love to see a table service breakfast option here!Tony & I were greeted by Chef Bruce who was very nice. He asked if there was anything that we were interested in, and I had been eying the Pan-seared Jerk-rubbed Mahi Mahi which came with Caribbean Yellow Rice, Green Beans, Ancho Barbecue Sauce, and Vegetable-Pineapple Salsa. Chef Bruce said they could do everything except the rice which would be subbed out for a rice pilaf and the barbecue sauce. Tony opted for the Vegan Pasta Piquant. We also got an order of the GNI brand rolls with Smart Balance margarine (it is vegan & gluten free).Our rolls were fairly well cooked, and a lot better than the last rolls we got when Tony, Krista from Disneyways.com, and I had dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant. Those Ener-G rolls sometimes turn into hockey pucks once cooled. These were well heated, though I have to admit, I'm not a fan at all of the Smart Balance margarine. It tastes super fake and not at all like Earth Balance. I would prefer extra virgin olive oil over this any day. I was really looking forward to my entree, but I honestly can't say I was blown away. It was just meh. The fish wasn't bad but I didn't love the jerk seasoning on it. The rice tasted a bit like it was out of a box. The green beans were plain and nothing special, and I didn't get that wow factor from the pineapple salsa that I hoped I would. Was it a terrible meal? No. Was it an amazing meal. Not really. If I had my choice, I would head over to Boatwright's at Port Orleans Riverside (which I did the next evening) and order the fish dishes with the dirty rice & seasonal vegetables. Now that's a fish dish! Tony's pasta dish was a bit spicy but as he noted nothing special either. He did have a generous amount of veggies and the portion was quite large. I think we both agreed that this was a place we wouldn't probably frequent but wouldn't be the worst place to dine either. The prices were fairly reasonable for Disney ($16.99 for the pasta dish!). Overall, I give this a 6.5 out of 10. The atmosphere was charming but the food was lackluster. I appreciated all that Chef Bruce did to make sure we had a great meal and thought the chef interaction was great. I was just a wee bit underwhelmed by the food options.Have you been to Shutters? What did you order while there?