Beignets -- Snacks -- Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory -- Port Orleans French Quarter
*This dining experience took place in May 2016.Note: Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory will be undergoing a refurbishment and will be closed beginning July 11, 2016 and re-open at a to be determined date in Fall 2016. At this time, a temporary location will be set-up in the lobby. Some options, like the beignet sundae bowl may be limited and/or unavailable. The gluten free & allergy friendly beignets will still be available for purchase.
One of my favorite snacks are the gluten free and allergy friendly beignets served at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort. Perfectly deep fried and smothered in powdered sugar, these classic New Orleans treats make the perfect snack, breakfast, or dessert any time you visit Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory.And you'll want to even more now with the addition of the gluten free and allergy friendly beignet bowl sundae. That's right. As if these beignets couldn't get any better, Chef Tony and the culinary team at Port Orleans French Quarter created this amazing gluten free and allergy friendly dessert that you're going to want to try.
Made with several pressed beignets, the fried beignets turn into a sundae base. Topped with your choice of ice cream (in my case, I got So Delicious Coconut Milk ice cream) and sauces (I went with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup and Raspberry Sauce on one visit and just Raspberry Sauce on my second visit), it's a delicious treat.Typically, the gluten free only version of this sundae comes with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, raspberry sauce, a chocolate chicory sauce. You can see a photo and review of it on Alexis's Gluten Free Adventures's site.
Of course, I love a classic fried beignet. If you're looking for something to add to your beignet, try one of the three new dipping sauces. All three are gluten free and the raspberry sauce is both gluten free and dairy free (and probably vegan too). I love the raspberry sauce because combined with the beignet it reminds me of jelly donuts!If you're interested in recreating beignets at home, check out the recipe from Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter.Have you tried the gluten free and allergy friendly beignets?
Scat Cat's Cafe -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Port Orleans French Quarter
*This dining experience took place in December 2015.
Port Orleans French Quarter is home to many things - gluten free and dairy free beignets and the ever popular Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory - but has not had a proper table service dining location after the closing of Bonfamille's Cafe well over a decade ago (read a history of the resort over at PortOrleans.org).During the 2015 holiday season for about a week, Scat Cat's Cafe, a pop-up restaurant located in the space formerly known as Bonfamille's Cafe, served up guests classic N'Awlins flavors with a family style all-you-care-to-eat dinner.Because I love the Port Orleans restaurants so much, I knew I had to go. And, of course, my friends Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and Amanda from Eating Out Without, also wanted to dine here too (you can read their reviews of our dinner on their blogs).When we arrived, we were greeted by Chef Tony and Chef Paul who I often see at the resort at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory or Boatwright's, one of my favorite restaurants on Disney property. Both chefs gave us a run-down of the menu. It was awesome to hear that the majority of the menu was naturally gluten free and mostly dairy free. The only dairy filled items included the mashed potatoes and mac & cheese (a gluten free mac & cheese substitute was offered for Alexis). Hearing this reminded me that we were in for a treat at this dinner.
While Chef Tony went over the menu with us, Chef Paul came out with GNI brand rolls and some extra virgin olive oil with herbs in it. These were very well heated and the olive oil was a great accompaniment to the rolls. Of course, knowing the dinner was all-you-care-to-eat, I made sure not to indulge in to many of these!
The house salad made served included a delicious roasted garlic vinaigrette and was easily one of my new favorite salad dressings. The sweet and garlicky taste of this dressing was a nice variation of so many of the vinaigrette made on Disney property.
Up next were the maque choux (made with corn, peppers, and onions) and collard greens. Both were naturally gluten free and dairy free and delicious. I think I might have been the only diner at my table to really dig into both of these, and I certainly ate my fair share. Having family with Southern roots, I absolutely adore collards, and I found these to be a delicious version.
Since we couldn't have mashed potatoes, Chef Paul also brought out seasoned asparagus. Asparagus is on my high list of favorite vegetables, and this version was outstanding. Both Amanda and I quickly made our way through this dish. Hands down one of my favorite things from the meal.
The main course included roasted chicken, which had been brined and seasoned well. The brining made the chicken extra moist and super flavorful. Everyone at the table loved this, and we quickly asked for seconds on the chicken.I also really enjoyed the sausage that accompanied the main platter, though I only ate one piece of this. The jambalaya was equally good, but I could have gone for the dirty rice that is served at Boatwright's. That dirty rice is bananas good!
The pot roast with carrots was very flavorful, and I added a bit of the juice on the bottom of the bowl to the meat, since our version didn't have gravy. I'm not a huge beef eater, but I did enjoy the portion of it that I ate.
As you can see from my plate, I certainly did not go hungry at this meal. Highlights of the main meal were definitely the salad, roasted asparagus, collard greens, and roasted chicken. If you like classic Cajun and Creole cuisine, this meal would have been right up your alley.
The restaurant was serving a bread pudding for dessert, which was unfortunately not gluten free or dairy free. Thankfully, Chef Paul brought out some beignets for Amanda and me (Alexis got a bananas foster ice cream sundae), and this was the perfect ending to our meal.I absolutely adore the beignets served at Port Orleans French Quarter, and I seriously couldn't have imagined another dessert with my meal. Smothered in powdered sugar and deep fried, these beignets continue to be one of my favorite unique sweets at Disney World. Whether they are dessert or a decadent breakfast option, they are always worth the trip!
Our dinner at Scat Cat's Cafe was terrific, and I can't thank Chef Tony and Chef Paul enough for continually taking care of special diets diners with delicious and decadent food. So much of their menu was already safe for us to eat, and that made having a "normal" dining experience even more possible. It's definitely a testament to why I am such a huge fan of the Port Orleans restaurants and culinary team. They are so committed to making great food for everyone, dietary restrictions or otherwise!I would love to see Scat Cat's Cafe or some other type of table service come back to Port Orleans French Quarter. The restaurant space was terrific, and the family style meal was both tasty and a very affordable dining option ($25.99 per adult). Fingers crossed that they may explore that option at POFQ in the future.Many of the items served at Scat Cat's Cafe can be found over at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, so if you're craving this roasted chicken or the Jambalaya, you can still get your fix there or at Boatwright's at Port Orleans Riverside.Would you like to see a table service dining location at Port Orleans French Quarter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!
Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Port Orleans French Quarter
*This dining experience took place in August 2015.
Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, located at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort, is one of my favorite quick service locations. With N'Awlins inspired food and decor, you'll be ready to "let the good times roll" when you dine here...especially since it's home to gluten free & dairy free beignets!On this particular occasion, I was greeted by Chef Tony. He showed me the new allergy friendly menus, and after some debating, I settled on the 1/3 lb Angus Avocado Burger with French fries and a side of remoulade. On my previous visit, I had the grilled fish sandwich which I enjoyed a lot but wanted something different.
As you can see from my photo, I had a huge sandwich and serving of fries and a giant container of remoulade. Yes, you know the chefs know you well when they serve you condiments in a large container.The sandwich itself was served on a Local Oven bun and well cooked. I enjoyed the addition of the avocado on the sandwich, and, of course, added some remoulade on it to round out the flavors. The French fries dipped in remoulade continue to be my favorite way to eat fries. So so good (trust me on this one!).
For dessert, I had to get some beignets. Deep fried and smothered in powdered sugar, even though I was totally full from my dinner, I had to enjoy these sweet treats. Piping hot is the best way to eat them, and they really are perfect for any meal. (Go ahead, eat them for breakfast like they do in New Orleans; no judgement here!)Have you been to Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory? What did you order when you dined there?
Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Port Orleans French Quarter
*This dining experience took place in June 2015. Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory located at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort completely evokes New Orleans. With vibrant music playing in the background, N'awlins inspired fare, and Mardi Gras style theming, you'll swear you landed on Bourbon Street when you dine here. I've enjoyed many meals here, but of course, Sassagoula's claim to fame are the gluten free beignets. I've spent entirely too many visits here covered in powdered sugar after eating these deep-fried gems, so to say it's a favorite spot to visit is an understatement.On this particular occasion, I stopped by to grab lunch (and beignets, of course!). Chef Tony greeted me with the new allergy-friendly lunch and dinner menu available at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory. You can also check out their breakfast menu here on the blog too. There were quite a few choices for both gluten and dairy free, and options to customize others not on the list as well. On a previous visit, I had a chicken sandwich (Po'Boy style) so this time I opted for the fish sandwich, which was a favorite of mine over at Riverside Mill (hello, remoulade!)
I told Chef Tony to surprise me with a side dish, and he brought me out a bounty of French fries with a side of Remoulade (which is dairy free, as it is mayonnaise-based). Ah, I love it when the chefs at Disney restaurants know you all too well.
This sandwich itself was delicious. The bun (which was Local Oven) was nicely toasted and worked really well with the sandwich (and the perfect vessel for remoulade goodness). The fish that day was Mahi Mahi, which is a fish I enjoy a lot. It has a great texture and isn't too flaky like cod or tilapia. It really holds up well in sandwich form.The fries were standard Disney fries but became transformed immediately when using my extra remoulade as a dipping sauce. If you like sauces, I can highly recommend this...mayonnaise-based sauces and fries were made for each other!
Of course no visit to Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory is complete without an order of beignets -- and these did not disappoint (really, how can anything deep fried and covered in powdered sugar?!). I love that these are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, and vegan! Want to recreate them at home? You can totally do that with the recipe from Port Orleans French Quarter!As always, I enjoyed my lunch at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory. They are consistently terrific at handling special dietary needs, have unique options like beignets, and the food is excellent. It's definitely one of my favorite resort quick service locations!Have you been to Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory? What did you order there?
Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory -- Lunch/Dinner -- Port Orleans French Quarter
*This dining experience took place in January 2014.
Nothing says New Orleans like beignets and Po'Boys. They are simply iconic New Orleans fare, and thankfully, Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, located at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter can supply these gluten free and dairy free.On this particular visit, I stopped by for lunch after the Family Fun Run 5K during Marathon weekend. I had not eaten lunch or dinner at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory before, so I was excited to check it out.I got the chance to say see Chef Tony & Chef Raphael, both of whom are so nice and always willing to make guests great special diets meals. They told me that they can make a lot of the quick service options GF/DF which is great (and including pasta which was hugely popular during the race weekend). I decided that I really wanted to try one of the Po'Boys. How could you not at a New Orleans inspired restaurant?! Not all of the Po'Boys can be made GF/DF - any that are fried (like the shrimp) are not going to be safe, but the beef and pork ones are OK. I asked if I could get chicken by chance, and yay, they could make me a chicken Po'Boy. I was very excited to hear that there was no hidden dairy in the remoulade sauce, as there have been a few instances on property where they've added sour cream or other type of dairy. The meal comes with chips or a bean salad. The house made chips are not GF but they have pre-packaged chips (much like you can find throughout Disney property) and the bean salad is GF/DF. I was feeling like chips that day, so I went with those.
Now, if you're familiar with Po'Boys you know that they are traditionally served on a sub (i.e. hoagie, grinder) roll. They currently don't have a safe option at this point at the restaurant but they do carry the Udi's bread. This actually works well, so the only downfall is that these sandwiches are turbo messy. Bring extra napkins (and really this isn't a bad thing!). My was loaded with grilled chicken (nicely seasoned), lettuce, tomato, and of course that remoulade sauce. The remoulade is what makes it uniquely New Orleans, and this version was stellar. I really enjoyed this condiment and man, I think it would be a really good dip for French fries (just saying!). You know me....I gotta have dip for fries! The chips were a nice accompaniment to the sandwich, though I might get the bean salad next time. It sounds intriguing!Overall, I really enjoyed the sandwich and I wouldn't hesitate to get it again. It would also be nice to try out some of the others too. What I most appreciated were the bright fresh flavors and that the sauce was clearly made in-house. Remoulade French fry dip...yep, I'm gonna make this a thing!Of course, I couldn't go to Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory without getting beignets. And having just finished a 5K that day, well, it was a nice treat! (of course I had them pre-race too). And holy moly - as always these were amazing but these were extra piping hot and delicious. I love extra hot deep fried beignets and these totally hit the spot. Seriously, I may have a beignet addiction!Overall, I really enjoyed the lunch at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory. I would like to pop by for dinner sometime because they do have some options not available at lunch. I really love that this location is taking the extra steps to make gluten free options that are unique to the location and also something different from just burgers and fries (though, of course, you can get them there as well). And of course, any place that serves GF/DF beignets and Po'Boys is my kind of place!I'd give this a solid 9 out of 10 for this visit for great food and options.Have you been to Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory for lunch or dinner? What were your favorite special diets options?