As usual they were running behind schedule at this popular restaurant when we checked in for our 8:30 dinner reservation. We were seated just before 9:00 and quickly placed our drink orders before going outside to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
And so here is a bit of Happily Ever After, as seen from the deck of the Grand Floridian’s Narcoossee’s restaurant…
Ok, now on to the food, which was chosen from this menu…
The first food brought to our table was the complimentary bread basket…
A simple, but always good sourdough that is crispy on the outside but nice and soft inside. And of course, the butter topped with sea salt is a good addition.
We all then started with a salad. Hunter went with the…
Artisan Romaine Wedge – Romaine Wedge with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette, Herbed Mascarpone, Tomato, Avocado, Onion and Parmesan
This was good but not as good as the salad that both Paula and I chose…
Watermelon and Tomato Caprese with Burrata Cheese and Pistachio
Moving in a bit closer…
This was a perfect blend of flavors with the melon and tomatoes. And that burrata cheese in the middle was delicious!
Paula and Hunter then decided to share an entrée…
Grass Fed Filet Mignon with Red Wine-Oxtail Reduction, served with Yukon Gold Rustic Mashed Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables (which were roasted carrots & maybe zucchini?)
They also ordered an extra side of the mashed potatoes topped with the red wine-oxtail reduction so that they wouldn’t have to share them…
They loved their steak and mashed potatoes. Hunter said that the red wine-oxtail sauce was wonderful!
My entrée choice was the…
Wild Caught Shrimp and Garganelli Pasta – Wild Gulf Shrimp, Savoy Spinach, Oven-roasted Tomatoes, Basil Pistou, Comte Cheese, and Chardonnay-Garlic Cream
And a closer look…
This was very good. The shrimp tasted fresh, the pasta was perfectly cooked and the chardonnay-garlic sauce was delicious.
While all of the food at this meal was A+, unfortunately it was paired with only “C” (painfully slow) service. It would not have been a problem except that it was getting very late and I was counting on using Disney transportation (to/from Magic Kingdom, which had closed after the fireworks) to get back to my resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge.
And so here was my dilemma. Do I order dessert (one of my favorite Disney World desserts) and risk missing the last boat and bus?
The answer is YES!…
Almond-crusted Cheesecake with Lambert Cherry Sauce
Oh, how I love this dessert!! The combination of the sweet, creamy cheesecake and the salty, crunchy almonds is heavenly. I had this for the first time years ago and ever since I’ve had no need/desire to consider ordering any other dessert here. But I did take a photo of their Dessert menu for my review…
We quickly ate the cheesecake and I paid my bill just in time to catch the last boat (which docks right next to the restaurant) to Magic Kingdom. From there I was successful in catching a bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge.
And so that leaves just the ratings and rankings. If I were to rate this meal based on food alone, I would give Narcoossee’s 5 stars but with the very slow service I would have to subtract a 1/2 star and give it a 4 1/2. Yelp reviewers gave Narcoossee’s 4 stars and Trip Advisor 4 1/2 stars. It ranked #70 of the more than 3,000 Orlando area restaurants reviewed on Trip Advisor. Narrowing it down to just the Disney World area restaurants, Narcoossee’s ranks #16.
Taste of Disney 