Flying Fish Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk
*This dining experience took place in October 2014. 
Hard to believe that after not visiting the Flying Fish Cafe ever, I've now been there twice in a span of a few weeks. My first visit was during their regular dinner, where both Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and I got to enjoy their gluten free menu offerings. On this visit, I was checking out their new (and temporary) breakfast which started on October 1st. The menu, as I learned from Chef Brad while dining at Kouzzina recently, was a preview of the new breakfast menu available at the soon to be opened Trattoria al Forno (replacing Kouzzina). With a decidedly Italian theme, I was curious to see what options would be available to be as a gluten free and dairy free diner. 
As you can see from the menu itself, it is limited. I'm told there will be a few more dishes on the breakfast menu when it's moved back to Trattoria al Forno, but by and large it won't be expanded too much.We were greeted by Chef Sergio who is a chef I chat with frequently at Kouzzina. They were extremely busy that morning (it was just after the Happy Haunted 5K run, and the restaurant was quite full), but I did get to go through all of the options with him.By and large, this menu is very dairy heavy. Gone is my beloved turkey sweet potato hash, and there really is no equivalent to that or any of the skillets that I used to enjoy. Chef Sergio was honest in that some dishes like the one with polenta were pretty full of dairy.I decided to go with the two eggs entree, which is roughly the equivalent of the "American" breakfast entree that most breakfast locations have. I opted for allergy Mickey waffles instead of toast. I also asked if there was any way I could try the fennel sausage used in the polenta dish. It sounded really good, and Chef Sergio said he could make that happen. 
I certainly didn't go hungry at this meal. The scrambled eggs were good, and I enjoyed the breakfast potatoes which were pan fried for me to avoid cross-contamination. The bacon is still Neuske's which is delicious. 
The stars of my breakfast were the fennel sausage and the allergy Mickey waffles. Even if they aren't in Kouzzina, I still contend that this team cooks up some of the best allergy Mickey waffles on property! The fennel sausage was fantastic. Super flavorful and delicious. Chef Sergio said they buy the pork in bulk and blend their own fennel spice mix in-house. Yum and yum! I would definitely ask for this again. My family tried all the regular, non-allergy versions of the dishes, and they raved. The polenta dish was a hit as was the scrambled eggs with fresh mozzarella and basil. Oh if only they weren't dairy-filled! Overall, I thought the new menu was interesting but not particularly dairy free friendly. There are definitely some options and modifications that can be done, but it's not the menu that I know and loved from Kouzzina which was so dairy free friendly for me! Have you had a chance to try out this new temporary breakfast at Flying Fish Cafe?
Flying Fish Cafe -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Boardwalk
*This dining experience took place in September 2014. 
If you can believe it, there are actually some restaurants on Disney World property that I have never dined. Flying Fish Cafe, located at Disney's Boardwalk Resort, is one of them. I've always been interested in the seafood-filled menu, but always skipped it for more affordable locations or for Kouzzina, my favorite Boardwalk restaurant. As a signature dining location, Flying Fish Cafe has a reputation for excellent seafood options. Admittedly, it's not a restaurant that I often hear much about, other than it has expensive but delicious seafood. Recently, I attended the Florida Bloggers Conference and had a post-meal dinner with Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and her family. We were both curious about the new gluten free menu available at Flying Fish Cafe for dinner and wanted to check it out. Perfect excuse to finally visit this restaurant! 
Upon arrival, the restaurant confirmed that we would both need gluten free menus and said that as a dairy free person I could also talk to the chef. It would have been awesome if they also had a dairy free menu, and I hope they will consider adding those in the future. As far as the gluten free menu itself. Wow! It was huge! There were tons of choices both for appetizers and for entrees (even sides). There were no desserts listed, but the chef did go over dessert options with us in person. I was also impressed with the amount of gluten free fried items available. You simply must check out Gluten Free in Orlando's review of the Old Bay Scented Crispy Calamari and Rock Shrimp. This looked to die for! Chef Tim went over options with me, and I decided to forgo the appetizer and go with dessert base on his suggestion that he would whip up something different for me. I will say that in the future I'd probably go for the appetizer, as the ones on Flying Fish Cafe's menu looked really good. While waiting for appetizers, bread and drinks, I got a chance to look around the restaurant which is quite beautiful. I love the mobiles and art-work. It really feels refined, yet whimsical at the same time. 
I also got a chance to meet blog reader Bonnie who was there with her husband for dinner and stopped by to say "hi." I love it when readers catch up with me! It's always so nice to meet everyone in person. After dinner, I checked in with them, and they enjoyed the meal as much as our group did! Fair to say, Flying Fish Cafe was quite good.
The rolls brought out to our table were Ener-G. It's been a while since I've seen those on property. While I can't say these are my favorite rolls, they were well heated and tasted fine with the accompanying olive oil (which was very good).
For my entree, I ordered the Oak-grilled Organic Scottish Salmon served with Spanish chorizo, marble potato, carrot, tomato, and Sweety Drop Pepper “hash,” Serrano ham crisp, Catalan-style lemon and garlic aioli and an aromatic saffron-heirloom tomato caldo. The aioli was removed from my dish (darn!) but otherwise, the dish required very little modification which was great.
The picture really doesn't do this dish any justice, but suffice it to say, it was really very good. There were a lot of flavors going on - though I wouldn't say any were really that overpowering in considering how many bold flavors were present. The salmon was delicious though a bit overcooked. The vegetables were fantastic. Very well cooked and seasoned. And the broth was just delicious!
For my dessert, Chef Tim brought out a variety of fruits with Tofutti vanilla ice cream and orange blossom honey. He must have read my mind, as the fruits were all my favorites - peaches, apricots, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. It was fantastic to top the fruit with the honey and ice cream. And it was huge! I shared some with the table because there was so much left. Very delicious and a nice variation on fresh fruit that I'm often given.Overall, I really enjoyed my first dining experience at Flying Fish Cafe. The menu is what you would expect from a signature location, and the prices do indeed reflect that. It's not a restaurant I would go to all the time, but on occasion, definitely. I'm glad I finally added this to my Disney dining restaurant list!Have you been to Flying Fish Cafe? What do you think of the new gluten free menu?
Flying Fish Cafe Gluten Free Dinner Menu
Flying Fish Cafe at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort (as of 9/2014) – This is strictly a gluten free menu. Check with the restaurant for additional offerings. Note: This is also a trial menu being introduced to select Disney restaurants. Appetizers:Our Signature Flying Fish Café Appetizer Duo: Crispy Corn-crusted Savory Crab Cake and Our Very Own Caesar Salad -- $17.00Chardonnay-steamed PEI Canadian Mussels – fennel, chiles, pesto crema, and grilled tapioca crostini -- $19.00Vegetarian Sushi Roll – silken tofu, avocado, heirloom radish and young carrot roll, cucumber-vegetable salad with Tamari and piquant Asian-spiced mango ketchup -- $12.00Crispy Corn-crusted Savory Crab Cake – savory vegetable slaw, roasted red pepper coulis, and ancho chili remoulade -- $17.00Old Bay-scented Crispy Calamari and Florida Rock Shrimp – savory vegetable slaw and classic cocktail sauce -- $16.00Our Chef’s Degustation of Worldly Artisanal Cheeses – fig and almond torta, raisins on the vine, honeycomb and a balsamico and spice-scented red Vidalia onion, fresh and kiln-dried bing cherry compote agrodolce -- $19.00Artisanal Salads:Our Chef’s Thunder Appetizer: Roasted Heirloom Beets and Fresh Vermont Goat Cheese – young greens, spiced pecans, citrus supremes, and a pecan-truffle-blood orange vinaigrette -- $14.00Epcot Land Pavilion Sweet Bibb and Local Mesclun Salad – Epcot cucumbers, tiny tomatoes, radishes, pickled red onions, lemon-Dijon vinaigrette, elephant garlic, and artichoke chips with fennel, Midnight Moon chevre, sweet onion, olive, local basil and sun-dried tomato fritters -- $11.00Mozzarella di Bufala alla Caprese – Florida yellow beefsteak, UgliRipe, and tiny tomatoes, aged balsamico, exotic peppercorns, petite basil, and Sicilian olio verde -- $15.00Our Very Own Caesar Salad – Hearts of romaine leaves, roasted garlic dressing, parmiagiana-montegrappa frico, and pesto-tapioca bread croutons -- $11.00Entrees:Our Signature Flying Fish Café Entrée Duo: Oak-grilled Angus New York Strip Steak and Potato-wrapped Red Snapper -- $49.00Pan-roasted Citrus and Exotic Pepper-crusted Yellowfin Tuna – opal basil, fennel, caper, olive, golden raisin, and pine nut-laced Epcot Land Pavilion eggplant caponata Sicilliana with a Lake Meadow Naturals poached egg -- $40.00Our Chef’s Eco-Friendly/Sustainable Fish Selection: Oak-grilled Organic Scottish Salmon – Spanish chorizo, marble potato, carrot, tomato, and sweety drop pepper “hash,” Serrano ham crisp, Catalan-style lemon and garlic aioli and an aromatic saffron-heirloom tomato caldo -- $38.00Flying Fish Café’s Idaho Potato-wrapped Red Snapper over a rich leek fondue with a Veal Glace de Viande and red wine-cassis butter reduction -- $39.00Key West Pink Shrimp and Calico Bay Scallop Brown Rice Gluten-free Spaghetti Pasta – fricassee of young squash, summer onions, tiny tomatoes, and a local basil with a fennel pollen-scented chardonnay crema -- $32.00Oak-grilled Maine Sea Scallops – confit artichoke bottoms and crispy young artichokes, local tomatoes and basil, pecorino romano and marscapone-laced risotto di carnaroli -- $40.00Oak-grilled Ashley Farms Organic Free-Range Ancho-Chicken – roasted bliss potatoes, pole beans and young carrots with tomatillo ketchup, jicama-pepper slaw, Epcot greens, and apple-chicken jus -- $32.00Oak-grilled Angus New York Strip Steak – thyme-roasted garlic vinaigrette-laced salad of local greens, tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers and pole beans with a classic sauce Foyot -- $47.00Seasonal Sides:Grilled California Asparagus with sauce Foyot -- $17.00Wilted Garlic and Lemon-scented Curly Spinach -- $7.00Creamy Risotto di Carnaroli – local tomatoes and basil, pecorino romano, and mascarpone -- $8.00Aged Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano Potato Gratin -- $8.00Fines Herb-roasted Wild and Cultivated Mushrooms -- $9.00
As always, make sure to contact a Disney Cast Member when ordering so that they can ensure the best standards for dealing with cross contamination, etc.
If you have a new quick service special dietary needs sheet and want to share it with readers, you can send it to me via email at gfdf.wdw@gmail.com