The Wave -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Contemporary

*This dining experience took place in March 2016.It's been a long time since I've dined at the Wave (almost 3 years!), a table service restaurant at Disney's Contemporary Resort. Not having had the greatest of experiences at the Wave, I often go to other restaurants nearby like Kona Cafe.After reading Gluten Free in Orlando's review this past year and talking to Leah from Our Florida Project on my podcast, I decided to give the Wave another chance.The Wave is known for their local and sustainable menu, and the current allergy friendly menu that I got definitely reflected a bit of that. There didn't seem to be a lot of gluten free & dairy free choices, so I asked to speak to a chef to discuss options. And boy, am I glad I did.While waiting for the chef, I enjoyed the theming and decor of the Wave. It's a pretty restaurant, though nothing too fancy. I do like the modern lighting and the "wave" represented in the ceiling & light fixtures.After a short wait, Chef Laura came out to chat with me, and she couldn't have been nicer. I told her I wasn't up for the buffet that morning (The Wave offers a breakfast buffet and a la carte menu), and she asked what I was interested in. I mentioned the sweet potato pancakes, and was so excited when Chef Laura said they could make them gluten free & dairy free!I ended up ordering the America Breakfast Entree, with hashbrowns instead of the roasted potatoes (which contains peppers, something I wasn't keen on eating that morning), and Chef Laura suggested I sub out pancakes for toast.Done and done.As you can see, I ended up with a ton of food!The American Breakfast entree itself was really nothing special. I ordered scrambled eggs, which were plain and basic. The bacon, thankfully, is Nueske's bacon, which is my favorite Disney served brand. I hate stringy Disney bacon, which is often found at quick service locations, so I'm always happy when I get good bacon. That being said, the bacon was overcooked for my taste.The hashbrowns were my least favorite thing I ate, as they were a bit bland and seriously underseasoned. I added some salt and pepper to jazz them up.The sweet potato pancakes normally come with pecan butter, but Chef Laura instead gave me Smart Balance vegan margarine (I personally prefer Earth Balance but am at least glad they had one vegan margarine option) and toasted pecans on the side with pure maple syrup.As you can see, it was a huge portion!These were some of the best pancakes I've ever had at Disney.Wow. I loved the sweet potato flavor with a hint of cinnamon and other fall spices. Using gluten free pancake mixes (in this case, Bob's Red Mill) can often result in a dry pancake, but these weren't dry at all thanks to the sweet potato puree.The restaurant actually roasts their own sweet potatoes in house for the puree, which is a nice touch.Though I had a ton of food, I literally demolished these pancakes. They were not too sweet and just the right amount of balance of spice. These were a big win for me.Overall, I really loved the pancakes at the Wave and thought Chef Laura was really attentive and willing to talk through options with me. Though I wasn't in love with my American Breakfast entree, it wasn't bad by any means, just nothing special either.With that in mind, I wouldn't hesitate to go back for those pancakes and maybe try something else on my next visit!Have you been to the Wave for breakfast? What did you order?