A Casual "CUT"
Walt Disney Resort, Orlando, Florida, USA
Cuisine Style: Californian
Average Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined in: January 2014
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Robert Leonardi
Proprietor / Manager:
Kimberly Kelley
Wolfgang Puck to lay off 193 workers at it closes the Grand Café and dining room on August 1, 2017
A new location for Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill is planned in the Town Center area of Disney’s shopping and dining complex, the official Disney Parks Blog reported recently.
Live, Love, Eat is the motto of Wolfgang Puck where the showcase is casual California fare mixed with some Austrian classics from Chef Puck's home country. I was visiting Orlando meeting up with a few friends that I had worked with a few years earlier when I was in Afghanistan. After a long and hot day of waiting in lines at Universal Studios, the Wolfgang Puck Restaurant was a short distance drive from Universal and was surrounded by other shops and Restaurants, all part of the Disney Springs Resort area. The name Wolfgang Puck is well known, but I had never eaten at one of his restaurants before, so I was looking forward to the experience. One of the five friends I met up with tag along, while the other went their own way.
The restaurant is a two-story structure with the back side facing Lake Buena Vista. The first floor consists of the Sushi Bar, Café, and Express. My buddy and I ate upstairs in the Dining Room. Though the restaurant style would require you to be a little dressy, it was sunny Florida and everyone wears flip flops so good luck. Oddly enough it was a little chilly that day because North America was experiencing a rare weather event known as the 2014 Winter Polar Vortex, which was producing record lows, including freezing temperatures in Miami, which is below so-called Central Florida no freeze line. The temperature that evening was in the fifties, which is twenty degree’s Fahrenheit cooler than the norm for that time of year.
Once being seated, we looked the menu, and split a bottle of the 2008 Opus One, a partnership Napa, California winery by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, of the famed Bordeaux Grand Crus Classés first growth Estate Château Mouton Rothschild, and California wine mogul Robert Mondavi. Hell, we just got back from Afghanistan, we had the money to spend, so why not go all out and order a $300 bottle as a treat. Our server that evening was specially treated when I gave her a tasting of the wine from my share.
Back in 2009 while working at a fine dining Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, a bar customer celebrated the winning of his favorite college football team, and then purchased a 1986 Château Latour, then gave me, the server, and the Bar Tender a taste, which was pure heaven. I decided that I would return the favor one day.
I decided on three courses plus a dessert. Nick was still busy drinking. My starter was the crab cakes, served with a pear and fennel salad, and a whole grain mustard aioli. The aioli went wonderfully with the crab cakes. I consider myself sort of a crab cake connoisseur, comparing recipes in a different restaurant across America to either my recipe for crab cakes or Hank’s Seafood Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina, the only restaurant I have ever eaten at, that made better crab cakes then mine. The Wolfgang recipe was good but sorry; I think mine and Hank’s are better.
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| Crab Cakes |
Nick began with the seared scallops, prepared medium rare, served with a cauliflower puree, caramelized cauliflower, and a brown butter Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
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| Scallops |
For my salad course, I had the apple salad, which consisted of celery root and apple puree, with cut up Medjool dates, Marcona almonds, endive lettuce, and smoked mozzarella, with the house balsamic vinaigrette dressing mixed in. It was a very refreshing salad, but I liked the Kale Caesar a little bit more. Nick had the baby kale "Caesar" salad, with polenta croutons, roasted tomatoes, and freshly grated parmesan. I really enjoy a good Caesar salad, and having it prepared with Kale instead of Romaine intrigued me, so I had a bite, and thought that is was very good indeed.
For entrées, Nick had a very boldly spiced Sichuan NY Strip "Au Poivre" which he was nice enough to let me try after I gave him a taste of mine, then had to ask him to try his. For a rich guy, he is cheap as hell sometimes. The dish came with broccolini, shiitake mushrooms, caramelized shallot sauce, and crispy potatoes. He then destroyed the steak by ordering it nearly well done instead of medium-rare, just like my dad does, and I thought my dad was the only guy that destroyed good pieces of meat.
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| Steak |
I, on the other hand, enjoyed the boned-in maple glazed smoked pork chop entrée prepared to medium. It was served with a sweet potato pecan drop donuts, braised greens, and an apple bacon chutney, very tasty.
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| Pork Chop |
Dessert:
After resting for a short while, finishing up the Opus One, and BS about work, I enjoyed some coffee and ordered a dessert consisting of an ice cream cheesecake with crumble, which was so rich, I didn’t want to eat for a week after finishing it. Nick was full, but he did order another bottle of Opus One for his dessert.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy California Cuisine Articles and Restaurants:
FarmTable Kitchen Casual Cal-Italian cuisine and chef tables in St. Petersburg, Florida
Fleur de Lys Lavish French-Californian by Hubert Keller in San Francisco, California
Gaia Restaurant Organic and; a sustainable concept in American Canyon, California (now Table 29 Bistro & Bar)
Greystone Restaurant Italian CIA school restaurant in Calistoga, California (Now Gatehouse Restaurant)
Harvest Moon Café Farm-to-Fork Daily changing New American fare menu in Sonoma, California
Wipeout Bar and Grill Surf shack theme with California and Mexican cuisine in San Francisco, California
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Orlando restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
Morimoto Asia Upscale Pan Asian Fare w/sushi in Orlando, Florida, USA
A Few Florida Favorites:
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Old-school English-American Eatery
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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Music, food, and wine near pier 60
Clearwater / Beach, Florida USA
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The “Last Local Beach Club”
Panama City Beach, Florida, USA
|
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Homey seafood eatery in a 1903 cottage
Dunedin, Florida USA
|
Exploring the restaurant scene on this 7-mile long Gulf barrier island
Anna Maria Island Florida, USA
|
Relaxed hangout serving German Grub
Brandon, Florida USA
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Wolfgang Puck a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants. They were only one point shy of hitting 4 stars so they can make it with a few minor improvements
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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9.5
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8
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0
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Food quality
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10
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7
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0
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Plate presentation
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8.5
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8.5
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0
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Customer service
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8.5
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6
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0
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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8
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0
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Total regular points awarded
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45.5
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37.5
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0
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.824175824175824
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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1
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.021978021978022
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.846153846153846
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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3
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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3 of 5 Stars:
55% Rating with a 1 point “wow” bonus
Exceeded my expectations in a dining experience
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Wine rating:
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6 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Italy, Germany, Austria
New World selections:
Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, California, Washington State
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style:
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American, Café, Californian, Sushi
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Low Carb, Pescatarian, Vegan Options, Vegetarian
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wears flip-flops!!
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Modern, Trendy, Great bar, Good for special occasions, Scenic views, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Public Lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Tasting Notes:
Wine & Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palate Experience:
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Wine Regulatory:
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Winemaker Notes:
Aromas of rose petals, cassis and black cherry in 2008 combined with notes of marzipan and sandalwood.
Cabernet Sauvignon 86%, Petit Verdot 8%, Merlot 4%, Cabernet Franc 1%, and Malbec 1%
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Winemaker Notes:
A satin texture enrobes the wine’s smooth, round tannins, its bright acidity supporting a juicy and elegant mouthfeel. This precocious and remarkable wine offers a long finish, with traces of clove and dark chocolate. 17 Months in New French Oak
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricy)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€€
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Alcohol prices:
$ USD
RESTAURANT NAME:
DOWNTOWN DISNEY West Side
1482 East Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Website Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Sun
11:30 am - 4:00 pm
Dinner: Mon-Sun
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Eclectic and Innovative New Zealand cuisine
Christchurch, New Zealand
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A classy southern seafood eatery house
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Waterfront upscale new American cuisine
Sanibel Island, Florida, USA
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Other Pictures:
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| Entrance |
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| Kitchen |
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| Dining Room |
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| Apple Salad |
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| Kale Caesar Salad |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
