3/20/15 3/20/15

Raglan Road Irish Pub -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Disney Springs

*This dining experience took place in February 2015. Raglan Road Irish Pub located in Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs) is always my favorite table service restaurant to go to the in the Downtown Disney area. It's so good, and how can you resist all the gluten free (and dairy free) deep fried goodness that they serve up here? Their gluten free and dairy free fish and chips are the real deal.On this particular occasion, I was joined by my friend Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando (you can read her lunch reviews of Raglan Road HERE) and my brother. I had emailed the Raglan Road team ahead of time because they debuted a new spring menu, and I was curious about the offerings and if any of the new desserts could be made gluten free and dairy free.I was excited to hear that I could order the chocolate cake with advance notice gluten free and dairy free and that the strawberry crumble could also be made dairy free (it's already gluten free). The restaurant did ask for 24 hours notice to request the chocolate cake. You can contact them on their website for more info. For an appetizer, I had been wanting to try the Dalkey Duo which is gluten free and dairy free fried sausages with a Dalkey mustard. I have to say that while this was good, I'm not sure it would be a repeat on my appetizer rotation -- the Raglan Road onion rings and scallops are definitely crowd-pleasers and would be my first picks for appetizers. The sausages themselves were quiet good, but more like a bratwurst than a smoked sausage which is what I was expecting. You get a decent sized portion (9 sausages), but these are definitely a sharing appetizer, as they were quite heavy and greasy. The mustard was a nice accompaniment as it cut the greasiness down a lot. For my entree, I chose the lobster club with avocado and french fries. The sandwich came on a gluten free and dairy free bun. When I had visited Raglan Road for brunch, I got the same bun and was told that they ordered it from a local bakery. On this visit, the manager told me that they make it in-house, adhering to cross-contamination standards while baking. The bun itself tasted like an Udi's Gluten Free bun to me, so I hope to investigate this further to find out if they are made locally or in-house. The lobster club itself was very good. Sometimes lobster salad can be over-mayonnaised (not sure that's a word but that's the best way I can describe the over-use of mayo) or overly seasoned (case in point - the lobster club at Artist's Palette at Saratoga Springs), but this version was perfect. The creaminess of the avocado and butteriness of the lobster were terrific together. This would definitely be a sandwich I'd order again. For my dessert, I was surprised to see a fairly large gluten free and dairy free chocolate cake. This is definitely for splitting! The cake itself was good -- not overly sweet or rich. I would have liked to see a bit more of a fudgy texture (more like a lava cake), but it was still a great choice. The real winner to this dish was the fruit that accompanied it. It was so delicious and paired very well with the cake. With a touch Cointreau, everyone at the table agreed that the fruit was really delicious (yes, I made them all try it!).Overall, I enjoyed my lunch at Raglan Road. While I wouldn't probably order the sausages again (just too heavy for me), I wouldn't hesitate to pre-order the chocolate cake from Raglan Road. They do such a terrific job at handling special diets diners, and I'm glad they continue to be my go-to restaurant in Downtown Disney. Have you been to Raglan Road Irish Pub? What are your favorite dishes to order?

3/16/15 3/16/15

Olivia's -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Old Key West

*This dining experience took place in February 2015.Olivia's at Disney's Old Key West Resort is one of those restaurants that I find myself frequenting quite a bit. I've probably mentioned it a million times but I love the relaxed vibe and Key West theme that the restaurant and the resort offer guests. There's just something so chill about it.One of my recent staples for breakfast at Olivia's is the Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs. It normally comes with hollandaise sauce, but since that contains dairy, I get the hash sans sauce. Which is actually OK because it's super delicious even without the sauce.On this particular visit, I didn't branch out and try anything new. In fact, I was looking forward to the hash and some hot tea. My visit came directly after the Princess Half Marathon 5K race, which my mom ran (yay, mom!) but was absolutely frigid in terms of temperature for Florida. Yes, the Frozen 5K theme definitely transferred over to the weather -- it was a balmy 33 degrees. In Florida terms, that is FREEZING! Thankfully, when we arrived I was able to get some hot tea pronto. I love getting my own little tea pot to enjoy. Often table service locations will only bring you one tea bag but multiple pots of hot water. Thankfully, Olivia's kindly gave me fresh tea bags with every new pot of hot water...and on this visit, there were plenty of pots! The chef who assisted me did a great job with my hash. The eggs were well poached (important, as I always enjoy a good poached egg with a runny yolk) and the toast was well toasted. They also had Earth Balance Vegan Margarine on hand (not the soy free version) for the toast.Overall, this was another delicious breakfast at Olivia's. Next time I might branch out and try something different on the menu, but I always have my go-to sweet potato hash as a breakfast staple in my visits to Olivia's. You can also read a review of the sweet potato hash from Alexis at Gluten Free in Orlando. Have you been to Olivia's? What have you ordered for breakfast there?

3/9/15 3/9/15

Grand Floridian Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

*This dining experience took place in February 2015.The Grand Floridian Cafe located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has become one of my regular breakfast rotation options when dining at Disney World. It isn't my favorite table service location on Disney property by any means (that honor is reserved for exceptional places like Boma and the newly re-imagined Kouzzina now open as Trattoria al Forno), but it provides a really solid breakfast in a quiet atmosphere that's very conveniently located to the Magic Kingdom. Good breakfast + near Magic Kingdom is a win win in my Disney touring book.On this particular occasion, I was dining at the Grand Floridian Cafe right after running the Enchanted 10K during the Princess Half Marathon race weekend. It was a super chilly morning in the low 40s, and between the race and the cold I was ready for a hot meal (and hot beverage).I almost always order the exact same thing when I dine for breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe -- the American with eggs of some type (this time scrambled), breakfast potatoes, and bacon. Sometimes I order allergy Mickey waffles in place of toast and other times I get toast with non-dairy butter. Today, it was all about the carb loading Mickey waffles!I asked the chef if they could make the seasonal waffle offering which was served with a cranberry pecan citrus maple syrup. I'd heard rave reviews about it and wanted to check it out. The chef said she'd check as the syrup might contain dairy. She followed back up at our table and said that I was safe to consume the syrup. *Note: I was told by other guests that they were told that the syrup was not safe to consume at the time they visited. Because of the seasonal nature this may or may not be true depending on when you visit Grand Floridian Cafe. Always double-check with a chef to confirm the status of sauces and/or syrups.My entree was delicious as usual. I asked for only bacon but received a mix of sausage and bacon. I'm not a big sausage person so I only took a few bites. The bacon, on the other hand, was thick-cut and delicious. If you want to avoid the standard Disney bacon, this is another location to add to your list to visit. One nice addition to the entree was a side of arugula salad tossed in a light vinaigrette. This was a great touch to the breakfast with it's mild but peppery taste.It's a good thing I had just run a 10K and was both hungry and had expended some calories. This was a huge meal. I anticipated getting 2 allergy Mickey waffles but I was presented with 4. (I ended up sharing with my family). The cranberry pecan citrus maple syrup was delicious but very sweet. I ended up mixing a combination of the specialty syrup and plain maple syrup. I don't think I could have eaten the whole thing if I'd ordered it solely because of the sweetness. Still, it was a delicious option that I'm glad I tried.Overall, I enjoyed my breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe. They consistently provide a solid breakfast entree in a fairly quiet setting (it's definitely not the bustling chaos that is 1900 Park Fare!). It made for a nice option post-race.Have you been to the Grand Floridian Cafe? What was your favorite dish?

2/2/15 2/2/15

Raglan Road Irish Pub -- Brunch -- Table Service -- Disney Springs

*This dining experience took place in January 2015.Whenever I want a bit of the luck of the Irish and some amazing gluten free fried food options, I always head to Raglan Road Irish Pub located in Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs). With an extensive amount of gluten free (and dairy free) food offerings, they have been voted one of the best restaurants in Orlando for gluten free diners.I've enjoyed many meals here and typically order the fabulous gluten free fish and chips or their citrus salmon salad. I've never been disappointed with my meals here. One of the things I've been dying to do is try their brunch offerings on Sunday.And thankfully, I had the opportunity recently to meet up with friends Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and Amanda from Eating Out Without for brunch (none of us had ever been). You can read the reviews of their brunch meals on each of their blogs! If you love live entertainment, the Rollicking Raglan Brunch serves up traditional Irish folk music and dancing. We were close to both the stage and the dancing stage in the middle of the dining room. It can be pretty noisy in there, but there are breaks in between sets. If you're interested in a more quiet area of the restaurant, just ask the hostess. We were greeted by our server that day who asked us first thing if anyone had special dietary needs. I love that Raglan Road always asks this early on in the dining experience. Our server was very knowledgeable in options and very willing to ask the kitchen any questions that we might have. She also let us know that the restaurant was now carrying a gluten free and dairy free bun that was available for sandwiches (you can't get it with anything but sandwiches at this time due to limited supply). Ever the curious one, I decided to order a sandwich as many of the breakfast-type brunch offerings didn't appeal to me. Many were gluten free but very few were dairy free, so I stuck to the regular menu. I ordered a side of gluten free and dairy free onion rings with the Pancetta and Chicken sandwich. First up, came the onion rings. I do love a good onion ring, but my biggest complaint with them has always been a lack of a dip. Well, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a house-made remoulade brought with the onion rings. Hurrah! I will say that if I hadn't ever had the remoulade from Port Orleans I would proclaim this version to be my favorite at Disney; however, I have to say that the Port Orleans one trumps the Raglan Road version any day. It was still a great sauce but nothing compared to the amazing version at Port Orleans restaurants.A few notes about the gluten free fried foods at Raglan Road. They are currently made with Domata Gluten Free Flour blend (which includes chickpea flour). I was unable to obtain the recipe, but if you have specific allergens and questions, I would recommend contacting Raglan Road with questions. Additionally, Raglan Road tends to undersalt their fried foods. If you find the batter to be bland, just add some extra salt when it comes to your table. I always find this the best route. Or cover them in one of their many delicious condiments. That's always my solution! For my entree, I had the steak fries with the Pancetta and Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich was traditionally served with a herb aioli; however, the aioli contained dairy, so the sandwich was served plain. I asked for plenty of condiments so that alleviated any blandness issue but I'll get to that in a minute.First up, the bun appeared to be Udi's Gluten Free. The server told us it came from a local bakery, but everyone at the table agreed that it looked an awful lot like Udi's, and I thought it tasted exactly like Udi's. We weren't able to get anymore information, but I'll be curious to go back again to check this out.I found the sandwich to overall be fairly good -- nothing special. What made it special were the sauces that I asked for at the meal. As many of you know, I'm known as the condiment queen, and this visit to Raglan Road was all about the condiments. I always get the sweet chili jam for my onion rings (it's so good and a perfect combination of sweet and spicy) and the tartar sauce for the fries. With the addition of the remoulade, I had three condiments to compliment my meal. I added the tartar sauce to my sandwich (which would have been amazing if it was a fish sandwich), as well as to my fries. The remoulade and sweet chili jam were used on fries and onion rings. So good! If I had been thinking of it, I probably should have tried the remoulade on the chicken sandwich. Instant makeshift Po' Boy!Overall, I had a great time at Raglan Road's brunch. I would love to see an increase in gluten free AND dairy free breakfast offerings, but was pleased that I could still enjoy my lunch and dinner-time favorites. I can't wait to visit for brunch again soon!Have you been to Raglan Road for brunch? What did you order?

1/27/15 1/27/15

Boatwright's Dining Hall -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Port Orleans Riverside

*This dining experience took place in December 2014.It's no secret that Boatwright's Dining Hall is one of my favorite restaurants on Disney property. Since my birthday visit last February, I have dined at Boatwright's more times than I can count and each meal has been amazing. That's a testament to how great the restaurant, chefs, and menu are there.When it came to a birthday dinner for my mom, I asked her what her choice would be, and to her it was no question - Boatwright's. It just so happens that my mom's birthday is also Christmas Eve, so we were celebrating both the holiday and my mom's birthday that evening. The restaurant was definitely pretty busy, so as with any Disney dining, I recommend making ADRs anytime you want to dine at a table service location.We were greeted by Chef Paul, who has prepared many of my meals at Boatwright's and at other Port Orleans restaurants like Riverside Mill. I knew that I wanted to get the crawfish bites (of course) and the sweet-tea brined pork chop (now known on the menu as the Louisiana Lugger). You know you go to a restaurant a lot when you know what items you want to order before you even get there.First up were GNI brand rolls with some extra virgin olive oil. I know I've said it before, but I will say it again - the Boatwright's chefs really know how to heat these rolls up. Not heated up properly, these rolls can be less than great, but the chefs here always make sure they are well heated. The extra virgin olive oil is always a nice way to enjoy the rolls too.Up next came my favorite crawfish bites. As always, these were outstanding. Crispy and delicious, I love the light batter and the freshness of the crawfish. And they are always perfectly seasoned at Boatwright's. I have to hand it to Chef Paul; he really has the gift for salting his fried foods perfectly (as does Chef Tony). Some restaurants tend to under-salt their fried foods (Raglan Road never salts or grossly under-salts their fried foods), so this is just another testament to how great this culinary team is.The portion size of this appetizer is pretty generous, so I always recommend sharing it with your dinner-mates. My family adores the gluten free version as well as the glutenous one, so regardless of your special dietary needs I can highly recommend them as a crowd-pleasing appetizer.One important note about the gluten free (and dairy free) crawfish bites. The current menu version is more of a crawfish cake not the previous version of crawfish bites. If you would like to order the crawfish bites, I recommend contacting Disney's Special Diets Department (special.diets@disneyworld.com) at least 2 weeks in advance to request them. The restaurant can still accommodate with advance notice.One of my favorite entrees at Boatwright's is the sweet-tea brined pork chop with sweet potato hash. With the perfectly grilled pork chop to the sweet potato hash topped with crispy fried gluten free and dairy free onion straws, there's nothing about this dish I don't like. The onion straws absolutely make the dish (how can you not like an onion straw?!) and the chefs here know all too well that I love them (hence the heaping piles on my plate).Like the crawfish bites, if you are interested in onion straws you'll want to contact Special Diets at least two weeks in advance to request. And trust me, you'll want to. They are worth the extra email or two!I don't tend to get desserts at restaurants, and this night I had a homemade gluten free and dairy free German chocolate cake waiting at home for my mom's birthday, but Boatwright's does carry several options for gluten free and dairy free diners.Overall, my mom was really excited to spend her birthday at Boatwright's (she even got a special dessert for the occasion) and spending our Christmas Eve there was even more special. Thanks to Chef Paul and the entire culinary team for a wonderful holiday meal!Have you been to Boatwright's Dining Hall? What's your favorite menu item?

1/19/15 1/19/15

Trattoria al Forno -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

*This dining experience took place in December 2014.It's hard to believe that Kouzzina, one of my favorite spots for breakfast has shuttered its doors. In it's place is now the recently opened Trattoria al Forno. Located in the same restaurant space as Kouzzina, the look and feel of the restaurant hasn't changed drastically, despite the complete menu overhaul and theming changes.Trattoria al Forno's menu is Italian based - with loads of standard menu items like Lasagne and pizza. If you dine for dinner, you'll find that the breaded items (including meatballs) are made to be gluten free for all guests, so gluten free diners will find a plethora of breaded options available. You can read a review of dinner from Gluten Free in Orlando.I had the chance to try out the abbreviated breakfast menu when Flying Fish Cafe was open for breakfast temporarily. So, once the full restaurant was open, I was curious to see how the breakfast offerings transitioned from the temporary location.The interior of Trattoria al Forno really hasn't changed much from Kouzzina, though my family all agreed that it felt more open. They have opened up some areas, but also have spaced the tables a little too close together, in my opinion. We dined at Trattoria al Forno on Christmas morning, so it was interesting to see how calm the restaurant was.While looking over the menu, we were greeted by Chef Brad - a chef we've come to know quite well since being regular Kouzzina diners. He went over some of the options with me, which I'll be honest with, were somewhat limited because of the dairy. If you're gluten free, the breakfast options are plentiful. Trattoria al Forno is definitely very dairy heavy on their menus.I opted to get the two eggs entree, with scrambled eggs, bacon breakfast potatoes and Udi's gluten free toast with Earth Balance vegan margarine. I also asked if I could have a side of the fennel sausage that they serve on the polenta dish from the breakfast menu. I fell in love with it when I tried it at Flying Fish.As we were waiting for our breakfast, Chef Brad popped back over with a little Christmas treat -- an allergy Mickey waffle (yes, they know my tastes well there!). This was super crispy and piping hot and such a nice way to start my holiday breakfast.For my main entree, I really enjoyed this version of the "American" breakfast, as usual. The bacon at this location is consistently delicious - thick-cut and hearty (not that wimpy, stringy Disney bacon). The fennel sausage was delicious and would have been great in a breakfast skillet or omelet! The star of my meal had to be the breakfast potatoes. They were amazing. The seasonings were delicious and the potatoes were extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I think I enjoyed these breakfast potatoes better than the ones served at Kouzzina.While we were eating, we also got to say hello to Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and her family, as they were also having breakfast there Christmas morning. Great minds definitely thought alike in choosing a breakfast option for the holidays!Overall, I really enjoyed Trattoria al Forno. In some ways I much preferred Kouzzina's breakfast because I had more options that needed minimal to no tweaking to be gluten free and dairy free. Many of the new entrees are so dairy heavy that they aren't even an option, which is a bummer. However, what I can eat has been excellent!I'm looking forward to dining for breakfast at Trattoria al Forno again and maybe trying something different!What are you most looking forward to trying at Trattoria al Forno?

1/15/15 1/15/15

Kona Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Polynesian

*This dining experience took place in December 2014.Kona Cafe located in Disney's Polynesian Resort has long been a staple in my family as a great restaurant and a particularly great go-to spot for breakfast. It helps that they had great gluten free and dairy free offerings for years too!It's been a bit since I've been to Kona Cafe or the Polynesian for that matter. It's been under a lot of construction in 2014, so I haven't been since I had lunch in May. As you can see from the photos, when I visited the lobby area was still under construction (since then the lobby renovations have been revealed).When we arrived at Kona, I knew I would be given one of the new gluten free menus, but I was pleasantly surprised when I also received a dairy free menu. I would love to see combined menus, but I was easily able to cross reference the menus and see which options were safe for me. One thing I didn't notice was the beloved Big Kahuna breakfast entree, which is a bit of a breakfast sampler of sorts. That's been my go-to choice for years at Kona. Our server asked if I had questions and went to get the chef who was on duty.I asked the chef if it was possible to get the Big Kahuna modified, and she said that wasn't a problem at all. In fact, she said a lot of special diets guests request it, so they are still happy to prepare this dish for guests. When I mentioned Mickey waffles, she said they now had Stitch waffles instead of Mickey shaped ones. I was curious to see if they were still as good as the Mickey versions that Kona and Ohana have been serving for years.I have to say, that in some ways this entree has definitely changed over the years. I remember when this was a ginormous entree that you would have to split between you and one of your fellow diners. Of course, if I'm very hungry, I have no problems polishing this entree off (and I certainly didn't that morning).My favorite parts of the Big Kahuna are the breakfast potatoes and breakfast ham. The Stitch waffles were really good, and I can see kiddos loving the fun shape; however, I missed having my traditional Mickey waffles just a bit! I was excited to see that Kona Cafe still serves Earth Balance (not the soy free version), which is nice to top on your piping hot waffles.You can also get gluten free (and dairy free) pancakes too. Check out Gluten Free in Orlando's review of Kona Cafe for breakfast that includes pancakes!Overall, I enjoyed our meal at Kona Cafe. It was nice to have special diets menus to refer to. I would love to see more of these integrated into restaurants, as it is really helpful for guests to get an idea of what is safe before speaking with members of the culinary team.Have you been to Kona Cafe for breakfast? What's your favorite thing to order?

12/3/14 12/3/14

Las Ventanas -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Coronado Springs Resort

*This dining experience took place in November 2014 and includes my gluten free & dairy free dining review along with a review that includes: gluten, corn, dairy, tomatoes, apples and peanuts. Disney's Coronado Springs Resort has several dining options available to guests, including Las Ventanas which opened earlier in 2014 as a table service location that serves breakfast and lunch. The restaurants at Coronado Springs are not owned and operated by Disney and therefore aren't my most favorite in terms of accommodations and offerings. However, I was able to safely dine at both Las Ventanas and Pepper Market while staying at Coronado Springs during the 2014 Food Allergy & Celiac Convention held at the convention center.Blog reader and friend Kathleen was at FACCWDW coordinating the teen area at the event. She did a fantastic job with the area and offered so many great resources for teens and college students. She's doing fantastic things at her college as a food allergy advocate and hosts her own blog at: http://soulfoodheals.com/. I was so thrilled when she and her mom invited me for breakfast on the morning after FACCWDW, because it gave us a time to chat and catch up. Kathleen and her mom totally had the same idea as I did by going to Las Ventanas as a quick service breakfast wasn't appealing to any of us. When we arrived, we let the server know that we had special dietary needs. He then brought out the manager on duty who went over some options with us. While I would have loved to have seen a Disney chef, I was glad that the manager spent some time to discuss options with us and to ensure safety. While the menu did note several dishes could be made gluten free (including steak and eggs, Huevos Divorciados, and Ventanas Breakfast) which was nice. Everyone at the table decided to go for the Ventanas Breakfast which seemed the easiest and best option for special diets. It came with two eggs any style, choice of peppered bacon or grilled ham, and green onion potatoes. The manager advised us that the potatoes were made with extra virgin olive oil and contained no dairy, and the eggs short of scrambled could be made dairy free (my guess is they have pre-packaged beaten eggs, though I am curious how they can't make scrambled eggs on the fly. Seems not that hard!). The manager also mentioned that they had gluten free bread, and both Kathleen and I wanted to see what brand so we could determine if it was safe to eat or not.The brand used was Hilltop Hearth and was certified gluten free. It was also dairy free. Here's a list of the ingredients from the box. Both of us ordered the toast dry, since they didn't have any non-dairy butter options.The breakfast itself was OK, nothing spectacular. I asked for my eggs to be cooked over-easy, but they were hard cooked, so someone missed that memo. I asked if I could have both pepper bacon and ham, and was served both. I love bacon, as you all know, so I was happy to see pepper bacon in a restaurant! The potatoes sadly were missing the scallions, but tasted OK. I can't say that I loved the bread served but it wasn't terrible either. It had a slight after taste, and I wonder if it was due to the chickpea flour or soy flour. Overall, I think the meal was OK - solid and at least safe. It wasn't as amazing as some of my favorite Disney restaurants, but it was a great option while staying at Coronado Springs. I also really enjoyed the company and found that to be the best part of my meal! Thanks to Kathleen and her mom for inviting me! I can't say that Las Ventanas will be in my regular rotation but I'd definitely go back again and see what other options might be available. Have you been to Las Ventanas? What did you think of the special dietary options there?

12/2/14 12/2/14

Liberty Tree Tavern -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in November 2014.Liberty Tree Tavern located in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom is one of my family's favorite seasonal places to dine during the holidays. We almost always eat at this restaurant for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Something about the turkey dinner reminds us all of the holidays.On this particular visit, I was joined by blog reader Laurie as we enjoyed a meal before the Food Allergy & Celiac Convention held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort on November 22nd. It was the perfect meal in the few days before the event, as I needed all the fuel I could get while setting up and getting ready for guests.One of the things I love about Liberty Tree Tavern is the holiday decorations during the winter season. I love the Christmas trees with touches that are inspired by colonial times.Liberty Tree Tavern's menu is an all-you-care-to-eat feast that includes all the fixins' and have included dairy free mashed potatoes (upon request) and gluten free gravy for many years now.I also really adore the mugs that they serve dinner with (of course, I miss the days when the mugs were actual glass and not made of plastic).One thing that has always alluded me was stuffing. I crave that traditional stuffing every time I go there, and as I learned recently from Gluten Free in Orlando, they were now carrying a gluten free version. My hope was that it was also dairy free, and luckily I was not disappointed!We were greeted by Chef Alfonso, who said he would take good care of us. Laurie is just gluten free, but he asked if he could make the entire meal gluten free & dairy free and that worked for her (which was awesome).First up, came GNI brand rolls along with some Earth Balance vegan margarine. The rolls were heated well and tasted great with a bit of the Earth Balance.Next up came the house salad with strawberry vinaigrette. The last few times I've visited, I've found the dressing to be very underwhelming both in flavor and seasoning but this time I found it to be spot on. They had a huge container of it on the side, which was great for adding as much or as little as we wanted. As you can imagine, I was pretty excited about the prospect of stuffing. In fact, I think it was the thing I was looking forward to most! The meal came with turkey, roasted pork and roast beef, along with dairy free mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and sweet potatoes.The turkey is by far my favorite meat served at Liberty Tree. I like the roasted pork but do really miss the ham that they used to serve here. I never eat the roast beef, but Laurie said it was good. The mashed potatoes were excellent but the star along with the gluten free gravy was the stuffing. I'm a sucker for stuffing of all types, and this one was fantastic. Very moist and full of traditional stuffing flavor, it really made my meal complete.The steamed green beans were probably my least favorite dish, mostly because it's just plain steamed green beans. They're good, but really nothing special.The seasonal vegetable at Liberty Tree is always an interesting one. Sometimes it's great -- like sauteed squash and zucchini and sometimes it's not the best match for the locale - like sauteed broccoli rabe. This time, it was sweet potatoes in brown sugar.These were quite yummy, and I'm partial to sweet potatoes. They were a bit overcooked though and the texture was just slightly off. Overall though I found these to be a welcome addition, as the last few visits I haven't enjoyed the seasonal vegetable much (due to overseasoning or overcooking)After our main meal, Chef Alfonso came out and shared with us the recipe to his stuffing, which I'll share soon here on the site! It's made with Udi's Gluten Free Bread and classic stuffing ingredients. You could tell he was really proud and dedicated to making offerings that are safe for multiple special dietary needs.For dessert, Liberty Tree Tavern typically carries sorbet with fruit for gluten free and dairy free diners; however, Chef Alfonso said he was going to create something special for our meal. I was a bit surprised with with he came up with!For dessert, Chef Alfonso created something really unique and very nicely themed for the restaurant. It included homemade gluten free & dairy free waffles along with a cranberry compote and Tofutti ice cream. It was definitely a wow moment for the meal, as neither of us were expecting this kind of dessert.I really enjoyed the waffle which paired well with the cranberry compote. The compote was tart, as you would expect cranberries to be which combined with the ice cream was a great combo. Of course, despite being really full from the meal, I managed to make my way through almost all of my dessert. It was too great to pass up!Overall, I was really pleased with my visit to Liberty Tree Tavern and loved what Chef Alfonso is doing with the special dietary options. He really went above and beyond to make a great meal for us, and everything was really well prepared.The last few visits I've had, I've haven't enjoyed as much but this visit totally redeemed my love for Liberty Tree Tavern. It's a staple in my family's holiday traditions and I look forward to keeping it that for years to come.Have you been to Liberty Tree Tavern? Are you looking forward to trying the gluten free and dairy free stuffing?

10/14/14 10/14/14

La Hacienda de San Angel -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.La Hacienda de San Angel is my go-to for Mexican food in the Disney Parks and Resorts. I'm not as much of a fan of San Angel Inn, but I find the food at La Hacienda to be bright, fresh, and plentiful. Nestled on the World Showcase Lagoon, it has terrific views and is gorgeous when visiting around sunset. On this particular occasion, I stopped by the evening before the Happy Haunted 5K race. This seemed like the perfect pre-race dinner spot. I was pretty keen to order one of the platters available here because I've had them several times, and they are delicious!Once seated, our server took our drink orders and go the chef for me. That was a La Hacienda de San Angel first, as usually the server works with you on your order. I was pleasantly surprised and really appreciated that the chef came out to chat with me. He let me know that both of the salsas along with the chips were safe for me to consume, which is great. A few years ago only 1 salsa in the chips and salsa duo was safe so I'm glad they've maintained the safe options lately. For my entree, I ended up splitting the seafood platter which needed no modifications (the spicy mayo on the corn is mayonnaise based), except for the removal of the cheese on the corn and beans. I love the chips and salsa here, although be warned the red salsa is sweet, smoky, and spicy! I am a big fan of salsa verde which always hits the spot. Every time I eat here and get chips and salsa, I wish that La Cantina de San Angel would still serve safe gluten free chips. I haven't dined there since that happened, and I miss that as a good quick service option. Both of these locations are non-Disney owned, so they don't have to adhere to all of Disney's special diets policies. The view from our table was lovely. It's a great spot to catch IllumiNations or have a nice sunset dinner. The platter itself has changed ever so slightly since last year. Gone are the griddled onions (which I loved) and the corn now has a spicy mayo (delicious). Otherwise, most components are still the same. I love the zucchini and squash and the corn. All 3 of the seafood components were well cooked, though I have to say the scallops were my favorite. One other slight change was the rice. Gone is the red/salsa based rice. And thank goodness. I loved this version which was much lighter and matched the main entree so much better. The black beans are fantastic and great to dip your extra chips in! Served with corn tortillas, this was a huge meal. We did have second helpings of the rice and beans, but couldn't manage another bite by the time we finished. I definitely did a good job carb-loading that night!Overall, La Hacienda de San Angel is still a great table service location in the World Showcase. You can tell they've become more popular because the prices have raised and the portions have diminished slightly. Still, the platters are your best bang for you buck with tons of food to share among the table! Have you been to La Hacienda de San Angel? What do you recommend ordering there?

10/14/14 10/14/14

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?

10/13/14 10/13/14

Raglan Road Irish Pub -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Downtown Disney

*This dining experience took place in September 2014. When it comes to good fish and chips and a pint of cider, there's no place better than Raglan Road Irish Pub, located in Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs). With dedicated fryers and proper fried fish and chips (and more!), there's a reason Raglan Road has been voted as one of the best gluten free places in Orlando. It's my restaurant of choice, whenever I visit the Downtown Disney area, not only for great food but also for great entertainment.On this particular occasion, I stopped by on a mid-week evening for a quick bite. I had originally planned to go to Cooke's of Dublin for their delicious shrimp and chips (also gluten free and dairy free fried wonderfulness) but the quick service location was beyond packed. I was with my brother and his wife, and we quickly headed back to Raglan Road to see if they had any bar seating open. Thankfully, they did!Of course, the first thing I did was order a Magners Irish Cider. I asked for their pear cider, which is my favorite, but they were out. So, plain cider it was. Not really needing to go through the menu, I quickly ordered the gluten free (and dairy free) fish and chips and onion rings to split with the group. I always double-check with the server or the bartender to confirm that the ingredients are still safe for me to consume. I have to say, sitting at the bar with a proper pint of Magners is pretty much my idea of heaven after a long day (especially, after a long day of conferencing, which I was doing for the next several days). I love Raglan Road's onion rings. They are fried well and are nice and crispy. They are not overly battered which I really appreciate. My only slight complaints are that the gluten free fried items tend to be under-salted (which is a matter of opinion, but I don't consider myself one to be adding salt frequently) and that they need to have a sauce to accompany the onion rings. My vote? The sweet chili onion jam. It's so good! I do usually ask for it on the side but just forgot that night.My fish and chips were delicious as always. If you're not a big steak fry fan, you may want to ask for Skinny Chips as a substitution or on the side. I know Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando is a big fan of these! I absolutely adore their house-made tartar sauce which is just fresh and delicious. I think I need to do a top 10 condiments list one of these days. This would surely make the list (along with the sweet chili jam). Overall, Raglan Road continues to be the best non-Disney owned restaurant on Disney property (with Cooke's of Dublin being the best non-Disney owned quick service). Their attention to special diets and consistent offerings make this a location I will go to again and again!If you're not craving fried food, don't worry. They have plenty of non-fried options. I'm a huge fan of their citrus salmon salad, and their shepherd's pie has a huge gluten free following. Have you been to Raglan Road Irish Pub? What's your favorite dish to order?

10/13/14 10/13/14

Boatwright's Dining Hall -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Port Orleans Riverside

*This dining experience took place in August 2014.When it comes to my favorite restaurants on Disney property, I have to say it probably boils down to two. These are the two that I consider the ones I could eat at nightly and not be bored or disappointed. One is Sanaa and the other is Boatwright's Dining Hall. Both have decidedly unique culinary themes and both are a bit spicy (and condiment heavy, which I adore). I also consider both of them to be a bit of hidden gems on property; both very affordable and delicious. And they are equally popular with my family and friends. Case in point? This meal was requested by my friend for his birthday! Yep, people love Boatwright's. What I love most about it is the food is excellently prepared and delicious. Port Orleans resort restaurants in general are all about real food. Boatwright's, to me, is pure comfort food, with a Cajun and Southern twist. And they have crawfish bites and remoulade. Enough said.On this particular occasion, we were greeted by Chef Tony. He had been making up a beignet storm at the August Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW meet-up that afternoon; let's just say the meet-up and the beignets were very popular! It was a terrific meet-up, and I'm so glad the team at Port Orleans really worked to accommodate our group.At dinner, one of the first things that Chef Tony did was bring me out a basket of GNI rolls and some extra virgin olive oil with herbs. This is, as it always is here, a perfect combo. The GNI rolls were heated really well (more bonus points for Boatwright's!) and I love having some variation with the olive oil. Of course, I really can't go to Boatwright's and not get crawfish bites. I think it's literally impossible. Chef Tony served them up with a huge serving of remoulade (ah, the culinary team here knows me all too well). Our group shared these, and everyone agreed they are delicious.Every time I eat these, I have visions of a crawfish Po' Boy made at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory using these in my head. That would be so amazing. For my entree, I ordered the sweet tea brined pork chop with sweet potato and bacon hash. The onion straws do normally contain gluten and dairy, but with advance notice (2 weeks through Disney's Special Diets Department), they are able to make these along with the crawfish bites gluten free and dairy free. I've had this dish several times, and this is officially my favorite dish on the menu. Those onion straws are my culinary jam. Breaded in Namaste pancake and waffle mix with some spice added to it, these were heavenly. And, as you can see from the photo I was not lacking in the portion department with these either. They truly add a nice crunch to the dish, and I'm so grateful that the team can make them for me here. Onion straws for the win!The sweet potato hash is excellent. Combined with the flavors from the pork chop and the onion straws, the dish just is perfection. And the portions are huge! One thing I know, you will never leave hungry at Boatwright's!Boatwright's continues to impress me. I can't believe it took me until this year to dine there. It has quickly come up the ranks as one of my favorite places to dine, and yes, I'm quickly going through the menu options! With big flavors and comforting dishes, I look forward to my next meal and more to come!Have you been to Boatwright's? What dishes do you order there?

10/13/14 10/13/14

Ravello -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Four Seasons Orlando

*This dining experience took place in September 2014.

*If you are looking for a more recent review of Ravello, including their character breakfast options, check out the review written by our friend Christy from Pack Your Pixie Dust.

Ravello located at the newly opened Four Seasons Orlando Resort (located in Walt Disney World in the Golden Oak community), is a modern Italian restaurant that recently opened this fall. I was lucky enough to attend the preview dinner of Ravello and was blown away by the level of service, attention to detail, and special diets offerings. It's not often that I get such a lovely meal outside of Disney World, and I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by the preview dinner. So much so, in fact, that I wanted to go back again after the menu had fully launched to try some of the other offerings. Both Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi and Executive Sous Chef Samuel Faggetti have mentioned rumblings of house-made gluten free pasta and pizza dough (made in dedicated areas of the kitchen), and I was hoping that they would have some on hand.

On this particular visit, I was joined by Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando. We had spent the day visiting Epcot's Food & Wine Festival and attending the Back to Basics sessions offered for free during the festival. We had been busy at the parks, and we were ready for a nice relaxing meal.

We dined here early in the day (5:30 p.m.) and found the restaurant to be quite quiet. I adore the decor in this restaurant and love the modern contemporary feel. I like the touch of upscale, and I think it would be a great place for an adults only dinner or for date night.

When we were presented with the menu, we could see it had been expanded from the preview dinner, which was terrific. There were many more appetizers which also made me very excited, as I love ordering interesting starters to a meal. Our server, went over some of the options with us and did go back and forth to the kitchen to assist us with our questions. I didn't get a chance to say hello to Chef Fabrizio or Chef Sam, but our server did work to answer questions promptly for us.

For my appetizer, I ordered the grilled radicchio salad that came with pancetta, beets, and capers in a vinaigrette. To be honest, it wasn't what I pictured in my mind, but it was delicious regardless. It was very earthy, highlighting the beets and the grilled radicchio. As you can see, it was also gorgeously presented.

For my entree, I ordered the shrimp and lobster pasta. Ravello is not currently making house-made gluten free pasta (darn!) but they did have Italian imported gluten free pasta on-hand. I have to say that Italian gluten free pasta is ever so much better than some of the brands you buy here stateside. Some are great but others? Not so much. This dish normally comes with a pappardelle pasta but this came with penne. The pasta itself was cooked perfectly al dente and was delicious. The sauce was rich and flavorful, as was the seafood. I think my only complaint is that the portion was a wee bit on the small side for a $35 entrée. Still, the components were very fresh and well cooked. I'm glad I got to try this dish, though next time I may go back to the chicken dish I had on my first visit (which was beyond amazing) or another non-pasta dish.

Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Ravello. The food quality is exceptional and the service is excellent. It may not be a restaurant for everyone, although I saw many families and children dining there, enjoying pizza, pasta, and the like. You can read Alexis review of Ravello on Gluten Free in Orlando .I can't wait to check out the breakfast. As a brunch fan, I'm dying to check out their gluten free section of the buffet. If you're looking for something more casual, head over to PB&G for excellent barbecue! If you do dine there, be aware that the resort is valet parking only. You can get parking validated when you dine at Ravello, making the cost $5 plus gratuity (at the time this article was written).

*If you are looking for a more recent review of Ravello, including their character breakfast options, check out the review written by our friend Christy from Pack Your Pixie Dust.

10/13/14 10/13/14

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?

9/23/14 9/23/14

Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

*This dining experience took place in September 2014. Note: Kouzzina is closing September 30, 2014 permanently and will become Trattoria al Forno. I can't believe that this is my final review of Kouzzina. This Greek/Mediterranean inspired recipe has been of the Disney restaurant community for the last 5 years. When Disney announced that the restaurant was closing (and being changed) in March 2014, you can imagine how devastated I was! They have some of the best allergy Mickey waffles and breakfast offerings on property, and I was definitely bummed at the thought of losing these options.On the plus side, we have learned that much of the breakfast menu will be tweaked and will offer similar options (things like the turkey sweet potato hash will be gone though). In fact, if you head to Flying Fish Cafe beginning October 1, 2014, you'll be able to sample the new breakfast menu that will eventually be served at Trattoria al Forno. I'll be going during Tower of Terror 10 Miler race weekend, and I'm looking forward to checking it out.I'm also very glad to know that the culinary team there will be there after the transition which is a great thing.As my last visit, I knew I had to get two things: turkey sweet potato hash and allergy Mickey waffles. Chef Brad greeted us and took my meal order. As a fairly steady Kouzzina regular, he's a chef I see pretty often, so it was great to catch up with him!As always, this dish did not disappoint. With poached eggs, sweet potatoes and turkey breast and an arugula salad, it's just the perfect breakfast dish. Normally, I get it with gluten free & dairy free toast (usually Udi's Gluten Free) but this time, I had to have my allergy Mickey waffles.As always, Kouzzina's allergy Mickey waffles were amazing. Crispy and cooked perfectly and topped with real maple syrup. These are so delicious, and I have a feeling that they'll continue to be delicious at Trattoria al Forno.Chef Brad also popped by the table and sent along a sweet treat for the road - Enjoy Life rice crisp candy bars. These are perfect to take in the parks, and I enjoyed one when I recently went to the Florida Bloggers Conference and needed an afternoon pick-me-up!Overall, I'm going to miss Kouzzina for breakfast so much. It was a great restaurant with terrific special diets offerings. I know that so many of you will miss it to.What was your favorite breakfast meal at Kouzzina? Are you looking forward to the opening of Trattoria al Forno?

9/4/14 9/4/14

Sanaa -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village

*This dining experience took place in July 2014. As many of you know, Sanaa is one of my favorite restaurants on Disney World property. From the curries to the impressive bread service, I can't say that I've ever had a disappointing meal at Sanaa. It's a restaurant that might seem a little bit exotic but the food is prepared in such an approachable way that you can't help but love the African and Indian inspired flavors. It seems like I've been to Sanaa quite a bit lately (no surprise since it's such a favorite of mine) - from dinner with friends Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and Jennifer from Gluten Free Go-To Guide in April to a recent lunch in June to check out the new menu offerings. On this particular visit, I knew I wanted to get something different for lunch. I was given the special diets menus that are available at Sanaa, which you find on the menus page. While going over the menu, I was greeted by Chef Trish who is a terrific mainstay chef at Sanaa. It had been a while since I had seen her. I think the last meal I had where she was on-hand was the fabulous dinner she prepared for Laurie Sadowski & I in October during the dessert party weekend (vegan, gluten free "samosa" were amazing!) I mentioned that I was interested in the Sanaa burger on the menu, and she said they could work to make it gluten free and dairy free. She also talked about the new Local Oven buns that are now available at the restaurant, and how they toast them to make them extra tasty with the burger. She also mentioned adding a chutney to the burger and making a side salad that might pair well with it too. One thing I love about Chef Trish is that she knows how adventurous I am with food, so I can usually tell her to surprise me and get treated with something amazing. She is exceptional with flavors and pairings! There was a bit of a mix-up in the kitchen, and they accidentally served me a burger with cheese, which I noticed immediately. Somehow, while Chef Trish was preparing my salad, they made my burger only gluten free. Thankfully, we were able to sort it out, and they prepared my burger and sides promptly and safely the second time around. And boy, it was worth any bit of a wait. The burger itself wasn't anything to rave about. It was the traditional pre-formed beef patties you find at quick service locations. It makes me wish I had ordered the burger when it was the Bison burger before the menu change. However, the chutney made up for the ordinary burger.Served on a toasted Local Oven bun (which is good, though I still prefer Udi's buns), the chutney was fabulous. It was basically a modified version of their mango chutney which is one of my all time favorites that they serve at the restaurant. It was messy but worth it.I was also served roasted potatoes, made up of a blend of potatoes, including sweet potatoes. These were perfectly roasted and really delicious. The star was the salad. Made with a bright lemony vinaigrette, it wasn't over-dressed, and was perfectly seasoned. It was really fresh and vibrant and was a great contrast to the rest of the meal. Overall, despite the slight hiccup, this was a fantastic lunch offering at Sanaa. I'm not usually a burger person, but this one was a nice twist with unique side options. I would definitely order it again.I'd give this a solid 8.5 out of 10.Have you been to Sanaa? What's your favorite item to order there?

9/2/14 9/2/14

Boma -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House

*This dining experience took place in August 2014.Boma: Flavors of Africa, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House, is one of my favorite places for brunch on property. It's reasonably priced breakfast buffet and unique offerings make it a good value and a great dining experience. Adding to this, the restaurant is terrific at accommodating guests with special dietary needs and makes dining at a buffet meal much less stressful (and delicious!).Boma serves both breakfast and dinner, but breakfast is by far my favorite of the two meal offerings. You can read gluten free dinner reviews from my friend Alexis at Gluten Free in Orlando who is a big fan of dinner at Boma! The day before, I had dined at the Mara and was greeted by Chef Frank who mentioned he would be at Boma the next morning. And sure enough, Chef Frank was there to go through the options with me. Before we made our rounds through the buffet, our server also brought along some Jungle Juice (combination of passion fruit, guava, and orange juices) and unsweetened ice tea. Perfect way to start the morning! Once I had some caffeine flowing, Chef Frank and I toured the breakfast buffet. From carved meat to hot quinoa cereal, there are plenty of off the buffet items that I can enjoy. They will also bring many of these items from the back if you ask. I also opted for a custom made omelet (my favorite at Boma), some allergy Mickey waffles, and various breakfast pastries. Let's just say that I did not go hungry at this meal. First up were my offerings from the buffet. I always get the carved turkey and carved ham from the carving station. The sambal chili sauce is safe but their Boma mustard is not (it contains soy sauce). I also grabbed my favorite grilled asparagus which is smoky and hearty and my hands down favorite breakfast item at Boma. Some other offerings included the pap (similar to grits), chakalaka (stewed tomatoes), and tater tots. I must say that I did miss the Boma breakfast potatoes that they usually have present. Tater tots are OK but Boma breakfast potatoes are amazing! Hot quinoa is another Boma favorite, and I get it with brown sugar and raisins. If you are concerned about cross contamination (hot oats are nearby which are not certified gluten free), I recommend asking for the toppings from the back. Fruit at Boma is a must. I don't know what it is about Boma but they always have amazingly fresh fruit. I learned from Gluten Free in Orlando that Boma has bananas foster version of their allergy Mickey waffles. Of course, that means lots of dairy but that didn't stop Chef Frank from coming up with a terrific version that was different and unique. He made allergy Mickey waffles and served them with dried bananas and walnuts (on the side) and hot real maple syrup. All I have to say is "WOW!" Super delicious. I love allergy Mickey waffles, and these were cooked to perfection. Add in warmed maple syrup and the fruit & nut topping, well, let's just say it was more than divine! I started to eat my other meal offerings first but Chef Frank made sure to encourage me to eat the waffles first while they were piping hot. Good call! (and yes, I ate every last bite of them)In addition to my regular buffet plate, Chef Frank also brought me an omelet made with ham and onion (my go-to Boma combination). This was a great protein boost post the sugar coma that was my allergy Mickey waffle plate (so worth it). To add to all of the deliciousness, Chef Frank also brought me out a bounty of breakfast pastries that included Kinnikinnick donuts, Udi's muffins, and Enjoy Life cookies. Thankfully, he suggested that I get a to-go bag for them to take them back to my room or in the park as a snack. Typically, you cannot take to-go items from a buffet, but as a special diets diner, they will often allow you to take special diets products with you. I definitely enjoyed these later down the road as a snack!As you can tell, I did not leave Boma hungry. In fact, it's a great brunch spot that will fill you up for most of the day. The food is always terrific for breakfast, and I love how many options I have available to me. Chef Frank really went above and beyond to make my dining experience great, and the food he prepared was stellar. The allergy Mickey waffles were crisp and delicious and some of the best I've ever had on property! Overall, Boma continues to remain one of my top breakfast choices at Disney and my favorite breakfast buffet. I am looking forward to dining here again soon! (maybe for the Jingle Jungle 5K post-race meal). I give this a solid 9 out of 10. Those allergy Mickey waffles with dried bananas and walnuts blew me away! Have you been to Boma for breakfast? What is your favorite buffet item?

8/29/14 8/29/14

Cape May Cafe -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Beach Club

*This dining experience took place in August 2014.When it comes to a seafood buffet, Cape May Cafe located at Disney's Beach Club Resort has some of the best and most gluten free (and dairy free) friendly options around. it's a veritable feast of crab legs, clams, mussels, and more. It's also a family favorite, and we go every year in July/August to celebrate my stepdad's birthday. Amazingly, I hadn't been since the previous year's birthday celebration, so it was great to go back for a visit. We always try to get a Cape May Cafe ADR for 5 p.m., right when the restaurant opens. Cape May is very popular so it can often get very busy, very quickly here. I also personally prefer dining there earlier, so I can feel less stressed about cross-contamination while enjoying the buffet (and not getting every item from the back - though I do still get quite a few from the kitchen). On this particular visit, we noticed that Cape May now has little menus available at the check-in station. Our family always sits at the benches near the restaurant while we wait. We love watching the restaurant set-up and getting excited for the meal! Typically, we get seated near the front of the restaurant, but this time we were in the back. This was fine, though I have to say, our family much prefers the booths to tables because the tables were really closely placed together, making it difficult to get in and out.Upon being seated, I was greeted by the chef. He then took me around to the buffet to go over the options. The menu seems to be relatively the same as it was last year. Though, I have to admit, I certainly do miss the braised cabbage and bacon they used to have the menu...too bad this can't make a comeback! My game plan at Cape May Cafe was to have the chef bring me some items from the back while I loaded up on items in the front. I may look a bit like a food hoarder when I dine here. I think I had 4 plates at my seat after all was said and done. I just feel better getting all my food at once, but that's a personal preference and buffet strategy. First up were the peel and eat shrimp with cocktail sauce and marinated olives. These are some of my favorites. I will say the peel and eat shrimp weren't as good as I remember them being but the olives were outstanding! One of my hands down favorite things at Cape May Cafe is the Cape May Salad. Made with cranberries, candied walnuts, and a citrus vinaigrette, it's so delicious. The regular version of the salad comes with blue cheese, so if you ask the chef, they will make you your own version. I highly recommend this too! I have to say, this version was probably the most overdressed version I've ever had, which was disappointing. But still, very good.I also asked for hummus from the back, and the chef brought GNI rolls to accompany the hummus. I preferred the Kalamata olive hummus over the roasted red pepper hummus, as I think the version from Sanaa is much better. As you know, I'm a condiment queen, and I do enjoy a good dip! The star of Cape May Cafe is the seafood, and the crab legs and steamed clams are always high on my list. Both were good, though the clams were a little overcooked. Still, that won't stop me from eating a good hearty plate filled with them. I also got a plate that included BBQ ribs (pork), steamed potatoes, paella, green beans, and roasted chicken. The paella was my hands down favorite. It wasn't particularly authentic but it tasted really great. The seafood was also cooked well, which made it even better. The ribs were also another hit for me -- not overly sauced but seasoned well. I always love their roast chicken legs found on the kids buffet. Super flavorful and moist. The chef also brought me a piece of salmon from the kitchen along with some sautéed broccoli rabe. The salmon was fabulously seasoned and well cooked. This was the surprise favorite for me after the paella. Sadly, the broccoli rabe was completely overcooked and the garlic and shallots served with it were burnt. This was the only thing I thought was really disappointing at the meal. Amazingly, I somehow made room for dessert after all that food, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Cape May Cafe was still serving Babycakes NYC products. After the storefront for Babycakes closed last year, many restaurants stopped carrying their desserts, so I wasn't sure what would be available to me. But now, I'm happy to report that both the donuts and the mini brownie cupcakes are available. For a full location of Babycakes NYC spots, check out reference sheet for it. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Cape May Cafe. Some of the dishes weren't as great as they have been in the past, but in general the food remains consistent and delicious. It's still a family tradition and favorite that fits in perfectly with the summertime! I'd give this visit a 7 out of 10. Have you dined at Cape May Cafe? What is your favorite meal: breakfast or dinner?

8/8/14 8/8/14

Guest Review -- Disney World with Special Dietary Needs Trip Recap Day 2

This series of guests posts comes from reader Kathleen. Her love of Disney and passion for bringing awareness to special dietary needs on her college campus makes her the perfect guest writer for Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW. I’ve been following along on her college journey where she blogs about dining at college with special diets. Check out this great article on allergy friendly dining that she wrote last fall for her campus. Thanks again, Kathleen, for taking us along on your Disney special diets journey! (if you aren’t hungry, you will be after you read these reports)I’ve broken up Kathleen’s posts, and today we’re checking out her last days at Disney World on her vacation. You can catch days 1-3 on her previous post, and you can also recap with her visit to Universal Studios Orlando on her previous guest post! Hi everyone! My name is Kathleen and I’m currently a senior at NC State University in Raleigh. A few years ago, I found out about several food allergies that I have (gluten, corn, dairy, tomatoes, apples and peanuts) and ever since then, I’ve been on the lookout for new and exciting foods to try. Disney is a big deal in our family, and on our annual trip each summer, we love eating at new restaurants to mix things up. This was my third Disney trip with allergies, but my first without dairy, since I found out about that only a year ago.Day #3 – 7/23On Wednesday, we didn’t have any dining reservations for once, so we ended up having a big lunch at Whispering Canyons Café in between MGM – errr, Hollywood Studios – and Magic Kingdom. This time, Chef Angela helped me out. She said that she could do plain pulled pork for me (unlike the other night), and that she had a gluten and corn free bun in the kitchen that I could have to make a sandwich. I was going to order the sweet potato fries and coleslaw, but after checking the ingredients, she ended up making my coleslaw with balsamic vinegar and olive oil (the regular one had apple juice), and a cucumber-dill salad, both of which were great. That sandwich was huge, but not to worry – I polished off the entire thing!The bagel that she gave me for the bun was also very good, but she later told me that it was an Udi’s bagel. Since I ended up having another skin flare up later that day, I checked the ingredients that night and corn syrup solids was one of them. I’m not sure why two different chefs (this one and Margaritaville) who were so adamant about the bread not having corn, would overlook that. However, the experience was still really good.That night we were all set to watch the Spectromagic Parade at 11 (wayyyy past my normal bedtime of 9 PM – look at me staying up!), and I used that opportunity to try out the Rice Dream ice cream at the ice cream parlor on Main St. When I ordered, the cashier asked if it was an allergy or a preference, and when I told him it was an allergy, he got one of the servers to put it in a cup instead of a cone. Pretty impressive for a quick service stop.The ice cream itself had an interesting flavor – I liked it, but not as much as the So Delicious coconut milk ice cream I get at home. Still, I’m glad I got to try it. Unfortunately, right after I sat down with my ice cream, they announced that the parade was cancelled due to the one drop of rain that had apparently hit someone. Well, just kidding…there was supposed to be an impending storm that never ended up happening, so for the first time in forever, we were unable to see the parade. Oh well!Day #4 – 7/24Thursday was our “day off” from the parks. Usually on these days we’ll hang out at the pool for a while before moseying on over to Downtown Disney to shop and eat dinner. This year, I convinced my family to try out Whispering Canyons Café for a third time – breakfast! I was happy to see Chef Angela again, and she remembered me from the day before (regular, at last!).Now, there were two things that I was on a mission to find and try before leaving Disney. One of them was the famous allergy Mickey waffles. Chef Angela said that there were two types of batter – one with corn and one without. The batter also has applesauce. Usually they mix the two batters together for the allergy waffles, but she was able to make me Mickey waffles with no corn and no apples, and with pure maple syrup and earth balance butter on the side! She told me that the waffles were lighter in color and had a different flavor due to the lack of applesauce, but honestly, I wouldn’t have known the difference. They were fantastic! I stayed away from the earth balance since I knew it had corn in it, but the waffles and syrup were so good, I didn’t miss it. The waffles also came with bacon or sausage. I was in a bacon mood (who isn’t?), and let me tell you, the chefs at Whispering Canyon know how to cook their bacon. It was perfectly crispy – just how I like it.Later that evening, after soaking up some rays by the pool and going on an impromptu bike ride to the campgrounds, we took the bus to Downtown Disney to eat dinner at Raglan Road. Originally, I was planning on getting the gluten free fish and chips or chicken curry with an appetizer of onion rings (provided that the batter was corn free). Unfortunately, the onion rings were not dairy free so I couldn’t get those. (*Note from Sarah: These have been dairy free in the past; however, ingredients and recipes do change, so it's important to always check with a manager or chef when you dine at a restaurant at Disney)This was not my week for curry, because it contained at least one of my allergens. Three strikes and it was out. In the end, I ordered the butternut squash “Raglan Risotto” because I love butternut squash, and it was something unexpected. Plus, the fries looked like steak fries and I’m not a huge fan of those, so I was unsure about the fish and chips. The risotto was really good – it was super creamy. I’m not sure how they got it to taste like that without milk or cream, but I liked it. The pear cider was also good. It’s possible that the risotto was too creamy to be true, however, because I ended up having a really bad skin reaction right after dinner. (*Note from Sarah: in the past this has been the restaurant's default vegan dish; always check with a manager or chef when you dine at a Disney restaurant for current ingredient listings, as products and recipes can change). Overall, I think this was my worst experience during my week at Disney. Not to say that it was awful, because the waitress was really nice and attentive to my allergies, but it was a little hard to hear and I wish I could have spoken with the chef since there ended up being some sort of cross contamination or unwanted ingredient in my dinner. Next time, I think I’ll try the fish and chips and hopefully that will work out better.Day #5 – 7/25On Friday, our only reservation was at Crystal Palace and it was an early dinner. The rest of my family had gelato in Italy, and I just brought a snack from the hotel to tide me over between breakfast and dinner. Normally we do a lot more character meet and greets, but this ended up being the only one we did this year!The chef was great – she took me around the buffet to show me what was okay for me to eat, and said that she could prepare a couple of the hot bar vegetables plain for me. Remember when I said I was on a mission for two specific things? Well, the allergy chicken tenders were the second. I knew that Crystal Palace offered them, so I asked the chef if she could make those for me. She said that was not a problem, and that she would bring those out with the vegetables. I was able to try the sweet potato salad (!!), beet salad, and cucumber/pickled ginger salad from the salad bar. They were all good. You know I love sweet potatoes, and I’m also a fan of beets and fermented vegetables so it was a good appetizer.I was very excited for my entrée to come out. The colors on the plate were so pretty I almost didn’t want to mess up the food. Ha! Yeah right! I haven’t had chicken fingers in quite a while, and these were definitely worth all of the hype I’ve been reading about them.After bringing that out, the chef told me there was rice dream and a chocolate brownie that I could have, and she brought those out for me for dessert. I already knew what the rice dream was like, but that chocolate brownie was the bomb. In the words of Princess Anna, I wanted to stuff some chocolate in my face, and I did. Just more gracefully. I think Crystal Palace was the best experience I had during the trip – those chicken tenders and brownie sealed the deal!Day #6 – 7/26The last day of the trip is always sad for our family, but luckily we’re so busy enjoying the parks that we don’t really realize it until we’re in bed. Our last dinner reservation was at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios. I’ve come to realize that I prefer buffets for dining with allergies because I can see what’s available and know what it is instead of just reading a name off of a menu.The chef, Chef Trevor, was very nice. He was surprisingly young, and cute too! This buffet had a lot more protein options that were safe (as opposed to Crystal Palace), so I had the carved turkey. I also got the steamed broccoli, and broccoli salad from the buffet. The chef brought me some plain green beans and plantains (twice in one week, what up!) that I could eat as well. Not to sound like a broken record, but everything was delicious. That broccoli salad was so good, I went back for seconds! I love mixing fruit and nuts into my salads, and the combination of broccoli, soy nuts and cranberries worked really well.The allergy brownie at this place was made with corn flour, so I couldn’t have that, but Chef Trevor brought me out a bowl of So Delicious Coconut ice cream. I’ve never had the coconut flavored one before, and I think it’s my new favorite! To make it even better, I topped it with an enjoy life cookie that I brought from the hotel. Ta da! Cookie Sundae.Overall, this trip to Disney was fabulous. I got to spend time with my family, eat good food, and hang out in the happiest, most allergy friendly, and my personal favorite, place in the world – Walt Disney World! Now I just need to grow three inches so I can be a princess and I’ll be set. All I can say is, thanks to Sarah for letting me share my experience with you all. I had a wonderful time and I’m so excited to see what’s in store for next year!A huge thank you to Kathleen for her great trip report! If you want to learn more about Kathleen’s experiences as a college student with special dietary needs, you’ll get that chance at the upcoming Food Allergy & Celiac Convention held at Disney World on November 22, 2014.