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? 

Old Port Royale Food Court -- Breakfast

*This dining experience took place in May 2014.Set amidst the tropical paradise that is Caribbean Beach is Old Port Royale, home to the food court, Shutter's table service restaurant, and a gift shop. It's a one-stop shop as you relax and enjoy all that the resort has to offer. Island inspired, you'll feel like you stepped into a Caribbean dream. While staying at Caribbean Beach recently, I stopped by two mornings for quick service breakfast offerings. This review combines both visits and includes what I ate both days.One of the first things that you notice when you head to Old Port Royale is that it's setup like an outdoor market (only inside). Each area houses a different type of food - pizza, sandwiches, etc. at lunch and dinner and different breakfast entrees during the morning hours. Because I needed to speak with a chef about the offerings, I popped into the first area I saw with breakfast options. It happened to be the section that served the Bounty Platters which you can find at every resort quick service location on property and includes: Eggs, Breakfast Potatoes, Bacon, Sausage, French Toast, and Biscuit all for around $8.99.I spoke with the chef and asked for scrambled eggs, bacon, breakfast potatoes and toast. They carried Udi's Gluten Free bread on hand. I also asked if they carried the allergy Mickey waffles (they do - see my list of Mickey waffle locations) with the Namaste & Bob's Red Mill combination mix being what they are currently using. I opted to get the Mickey waffles on morning #2.The wait wasn't very long, and soon I was eating in a very quiet area of the food court (with a nice view of the lake). Ahhh, relaxing! My breakfast was really pretty good. The eggs weren't anything special per se, but they were tasty and free of dairy. The bacon is that thin stringy bacon commonly found on property (again nothing special) but the breakfast potatoes here were the big winner. I don't know what they seasoned it with (seemed like just salt and pepper) but they were roasted perfectly. They were delicious! The bread didn't come with any Earth Balance but was fine with the other accompaniments.Day #2 was an early morning for me. I was at the food court at 6:30 a.m. Yes, you read that right. 6:30 a.m. Not my most favorite time to be up while at Disney. I was at a work conference, and had to present at that conference at 8:30 a.m. so no time for me to dilly dally. I literally was the 1st person in the food court that morning. Yeah...that's early.I met with the chef and asked for the allergy Mickey waffles and a side of scrambled eggs. I knew I needed something protein based along with my sugar.I have to say that the Mickey waffles weren't the best I've had, nor were they the worst. They were good but nothing special. The eggs were way overcooked but still edible. Overall, I preferred my entree from Day #1 over the Mickey waffles, but that's just me.In general, Old Port Royale Food Court had nice options for gluten free & dairy free breakfast diners like me. I found my meals to be perfectly adequate and safely prepared. Sure, it wasn't my favorite place on property, but if you're staying at Caribbean Beach this is a great option for a meal.I'd give these visits a 7 out of 10. Solid quick service meals with good special diets accommodations.Have you been to Old Port Royale Food Court? What meals did you enjoy there?