After having an outstanding Food & Wine Pairing Lunch at The Wave last year, we were looking forward to returning here for dinner on this trip.
For those who have never been to The Wave, the décor is very “wavy”…
The ceiling is wavy, the chair backs are wavy, etc., etc.
Even the background of their menu is wavy…
We started with their complimentary bread service…
…which was a good multi-grain.
Then Paula and Hunter began our ordering with this appetizer…
Bacon and Eggs – Maple-lacquered Pork Belly served with Tillamook Smoked Cheddar Grits topped with a soft boiled Egg
And a close up shot…
Here is when the first misstep of this meal occurred. While I was still taking photos of their appetizer, so almost immediately after it was brought to our table, a food runner brought our entrees out. So although this was good, they didn’t get to fully enjoy on its own, as was intended when they ordered it as their appetizer.
So moving on to our entrees, starting with the one good one…
Chili-rubbed Joyce Farms Chicken Breast served with Mexican Street Corn, Salsa Verde, and topped with Queso Fresco
And another look…
This was very good. The chicken was moist and the chili rub made it flavorful. I also really enjoyed the corn. No complaints from me regarding this dish.
Unfortunately that wasn’t the case for my friends. For her entrée, Paula chose their…
Seared Potato Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Forest Mushrooms, Rainbow Swiss Chard, and Brown Butter-Parmesan-Sage Cream
Paula said this dish had very little flavor. In one word, it was “Blah”.
Hunter ordered the most expensive entrée on their menu…
Grilled Beef Tenderloin with a Red Wine Reduction, and served with Glazed Carrots and Potato-Celeriac Mash
And a closer shot…
Hunter ordered this cooked to a medium temperature. However, though it was charred on the outside, on the inside it was very red. I would say it was rare. So when our server came to check on us and Hunter showed him his rare steak, the steak was returned to the kitchen for some more time on the grill. When it was returned, it was better. Probably still not medium but for Hunter it was an edible medium rare.
However, though the steak was edible, the carrots were not…
These not only looked unappetizing but they were tough and flavorless. We were told by the manager (who visited our table to apologize for the steak) that these were actually supposed to be multi-colored carrots (orange, yellow, red, purple). Which when raw would look something like this…
And when cooked properly, should have made for a beautiful presentation. Something like this…
The manager was so embarrassed about their many miscues that she removed Hunter’s steak from their bill and also offered us all a complimentary dessert.
So even though I was quite full, I found myself peering over their dessert…
I ended up choosing this…
And one more look…
Chocolate Flight – Trio of Petite Chocolate Desserts
I only liked the Chocolate Peanut Butter one. I didn’t care for the other two (Chocolate Chai Cheesecake and Chocolate Hazelnut) but again, I was pretty full so maybe couldn’t fairly judge these.
As for Paula, she also chose a trio but a different one…
Trio of Sorbet – Orange Mint, Pear Ginger, and Mulled Wine
These were all good and received a thumbs up from Paula.
And that just leaves Hunter, who opted for this instead of something sweet…
The Wave Cheese Board
And another look…
I believe the three cheeses were Cabot cloth-bound Cheddar (in the middle) along with Mt. Tam Brie and Smokey Blue, both from Cowgirl Creamery. All were good.
And so, that just leaves the ratings and rankings. Yelp reviewers gave The Wave 3 1/2 (out of 5) stars, while they were given 4 stars by those who reviewed it on Trip Advisor. The Wave ranked #272 of the nearly 3,000 Orlando area restaurants reviewed on Trip Advisor. Narrowing it down to just the Disney World area restaurants, The Wave came in at #81 of about 300. As for our rating, that’s a difficult call for me. On my last dinner (that one a solo meal) I also ordered the steak and had the same problem as Hunter, so I’m hesitant to just brush that off as an off night in the kitchen. So even though I enjoyed my entrée, overall our meal would only rate about a 3, or perhaps a 3 1/2 at most.
Taste of Disney 