Magic Kingdom fare
HOLIDAYS over? Planning your next trip? Why not consider this?
In 2016, 68 million visitors to Orlando, Florida, spent $41.8 billion there on lodging, theme parks, entertainment and dining, making it the US’s top tourist destination.
On a recent visit, I went for one purpose – to eat.
In and around the Magic Kingdom, I found first-rate, homey Italian fare and an artisanal cocktail spot with thoughtful Southern dishes. Here are my favourites:
Kadence
Inside an unremarkable-looking black box of a building in Orlando’s Audubon Park Garden district, the three young, ambitious chef-owners of Kadence deliver a smart, intimate and fun sushi omakase experience to customers arrayed around a counter.
Most of the fish served is shipped twice weekly from Japan, and those imports are supplemented with regional seafood.
Primo
Situated in a quiet corner on the ground floor of the JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Primo is a farm-to-table restaurant.
Using organic ingredients, the chefs create hearty Italian favourites such as seared gnocchi with fried sage, and a selection of wood-fired pizzas.
Artist Point
Named for a picturesque vantage point in Yosemite National Park, Artist Point is a Disney fine-dining sleeper hit.
Located within Disney’s Wilderness Lodge hotel, the soaring space with an American West theme is family-friendly but somehow quiet and serene, with a menu reflecting the ingredients and sensibilities of the Pacific North-west. – Laurie Woolever, Washington Post