A few GF dining reviews - November 2012

[valree]

Giordano’s
For dinner on our last night, we decided to get pizza from Giordano’s and bring it back to the room. I told my friend to call in an order from the Giordano’s on 192 because it was on the way back from Publix where my other friend and I needed to pick up my goddaughter’s birthday cake. When we got to Giordano’s, the hostess couldn’t find our order, and that’s when we realized that we were at the wrong Giordano’s. We asked the hostess where the other location was, and she said that there’s one on 535 so we headed to that location. It ended up being OK because it was close to our hotel.

The non-GF diners got 2 deep-dish pizzas, and I ordered a thin-crust pizza with sausage. My pizza was delicious! As you know, I’m picky when it comes to flour () so I was prepared for the worst, but I had no reason to worry. Before I was GF, I had Giordano’s in Chicago and thought the deep-dish pizza was just OK compared to Gino’s, which had been my favorite for years. Giordano’s is definitely a winner in the GF category. It even beats out my local pizza place. I think it’s the sauce; the sauce has the right amount of tanginess to it. The sausage and the crust were perfect too. I saved the leftovers and ended up flying home with them the next day and eating them for dinner. I don’t know if I’ve ever travelled with leftover pizza before! I will order from Giordano’s again in the future. I think my family is renting a house this year, and Giordano’s will be great for one of those nights where hang out at the house.

 

[babyberger]

Babycakes NYC
After walking around Downtown Disney, we headed to Babycakes. By this time, Downtown Disney was really crowded so it took us a while to get there. Plus, we had a stops for souvenirs and Italian ice. I had asked Emily, the GM at Babycakes and frequent guest on the WDW Today podcast, about the items containing garbanzo bean flour, and she helped me choose what to get. Emily was great, and very quick to respond to any questions that you might have. She said that most things contain garbanzo bean flour except for the Brownie Bites and Brownie Cupcakes. I decided on a Brownie Cupcake. I paid for it, and ate in the hotel room. What a mistake! If I had eaten it there, I would have known to go back and get 4 more! It was delicious! The brownie was moist, and the frosting was not overly sweet. Now I had to plan time to come back and get more. That never happened, and thankfully I had my emergency French Meadow brownies that I always take with me. I will definitely go back to Babycakes on my next trip!

Next up: Cosmic Ray's

This past trip was our first trip with DS being gluten free, we were so excited to try Babycakes, but like you I didn't want to get too much if he didn't like it. We got donuts for the next morning, and they were gone so fast! We made a point to go back two more times during our trip so he could get some goodies

 

[valree]

This past trip was our first trip with DS being gluten free, we were so excited to try Babycakes, but like you I didn't want to get too much if he didn't like it. We got donuts for the next morning, and they were gone so fast! We made a point to go back two more times during our trip so he could get some goodies

The first stop on my next trip: Babycakes!

 

[valree]

Big River Grille
We had an ADR at Kouzzina on our last day, and I had been looking forward to leisurely breakfast before we all went our separate ways. We started out late, and it took us an extra long time to get to the Boardwalk. When we got to the restaurant, the very nice hostess told us that they couldn’t seat us because breakfast was over. I saw servers sitting at the tables folding napkins, so yeah, we were pretty late! I was bummed, but there was nothing else that we could do. We went outside to regroup to think of a plan B. We decided to go to Big River Grille because it was close by instead of getting back into our cars and going somewhere else.

It was a beautiful day so the hostess sat us outside. As our server was taking our drink orders, I asked her if they could accommodate GF diners. She said that I can have anything. What “anything” really meant was any burger or sandwich without a bun or any entrée except for items involving pasta because they don’t serve GF pasta. I chose the bunless California Chicken Sandwich, which is “Grilled chicken topped with Swiss cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato and Ranch dressing.” The sandwich is served with kettle chips, but I ended up switching with my goddaughter. She took my chips, and I took her mashed potatoes. This may have been the most boring chicken sandwich I’ve ever eaten. Everything about it was blah. The chicken was bland, as if it was just thrown on the grill with no seasoning. Even the ranch dressing had no flavor. The others at the table weren’t impressed with their meals either. The kids didn’t even finish the chocolate cake that came with the kids meals. I never thought I’d see one of them leave a dessert on the table. I don’t know if the restaurant was having an off day or if it’s always like that, but I never seem to see many reviews about it. The food was boring, and the service was just OK.

My next trip will be at the end of October, and I’ve got a few restaurants in mind. I want to try some new things (Yachtsman Steakhouse and Flying Fish) and revisit a few old favorites (California Grill and Artist Point) depending on how long I’m in town. There are a few off-site places I’d like to try as well: 4 Rivers Smokehouse for BBQ and the Chef's Table at the Edgewater. I have a few other bakeries I’d like to try as well. Breakfast at Kouzzina is also on the list.

That’s the end of my trip report. Please let me know if you have any questions! I look forward to reading all of your reports in the future!

 

[DisneyMom5]

Thanks for the report! We've been several times, but it's always nice to hear what GF offerings are available. DS loves being at Disney so much...it's the only time he feels normal while eating out.