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In the words of visitor Melissa Chappotin, "When you go to Disney, you can't miss the food. It's part of the experience."
The restaurant foods can be as whimsical as a talking mouse or as complex as a Pixar movie. Offerings range from poulet rouge with wild mushroom ragut, truffled egg and porcini sauce to smoked turkey legs at vendors in the theme parks.
But Disney food experts and their fans agree some dishes at restaurants at the four theme parks or nearby resort hotels are simply are must-haves.
At Disney, they call its high-end cuisine "Signature Dining" and here's a sample of some of the best:
Cobb salad at the Brown Derby restaurant, Disney-MGM Studios —The Cobb salad was invented at the Brown Derby, that Los Angeles hangout of movie stars of the 1930s through 1980s, and named after the restaurant's owner, Robert H. Cobb. Being the spiritual heir to the original, the eatery at Disney-MGM prepares and serves it as it was intended: finely chopped, with lettuce, avocado, tomato, chicken or turkey, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, blue cheese and French dressing, mixed at the table. Price: About $15.
Fettuccine Alfredo at L'Originale Alfredo di Roma, Epcot —Alfredo di Lello created the dish in the 1920s at his restaurant in Rome and this is the genuine article. Price: About $18.50.
Tamarind-braised short ribs at Jiko the Cooking Place, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge —In a high-end restaurant in which originality and a deep respect for the culinary traditions of Africa rule, Chef Annette Grecchi-Gray's creation has become a classic, with huge chunks of meat served with an onion-garlic sauce and a gratin of Idaho and sweet potatoes. Price: About $26.
Cedar plank-roasted wild king salmon at Artist Point, Disney's Wilderness Lodge resort —Disney's chefs have adopted "planking" (cooking on an oil-rubbed slab of wood). The salmon, which is roasted with apple slices and served with a maple-based glaze and summer vegetables, herb dumplings and sage brown butter vinaigrette, remains a favorite. Price: About $40.
Grilled pork tenderloin, California Grill, Contemporary Resort —Cooked with olive oil, sage and mustard butter and served over garlic and herb polenta with a zinfandel glaze. Price: About $25.
Yoshie's Sushi, California Grill —Yoshie is the name of California Grill's Japanese sushi chef. She incorporates seasonal specialties into the sushi. The sushi runs between $13 and $25.
Peeky Toe Crab Cakes, Flying Fish Cafe, Boardwalk Resort —Crab cakes are eternal at the Flying Fish. "Peeky toe" crab meat is named after a specific sort of crustacean said to "peek up" at New England crabbers through open claws (toes) before striking, and the Flying Fish serves the crab-rich croquette with an ancho chili remoulade. Price: About $14.
Canadian Cheddar cheese soup, Le Cellier (Canada pavilion at Epcot) —Le Cellier looks like a wine cellar and acts like a North American steak house. The rich, cheesy soup is made with bacon, white Cheddar, beer and Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces. Price: About $5.
Kilauea torte, Kona, Polynesian Resort —This molten-chocolate cake is intended to be reminiscent of a volcano, and suffice to say that, like all desserts at Kona — where visitors are greeted by chocolate sculptures - it is Disney-visual. Price: About $6.
Cheesecake at Citricos or Victoria & Albert's, Grand Floridian Resort —The menu at V&A, which is Disney's highest-end, top-rated restaurant, changes constantly. But the stilton cheesecake has become a favorite. It is not a dessert, in truth, but a cheese course made with fine English cheese and served with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Citricos also offers an almond cheesecake. The V&A has a $100 prix fixe menu. Cheesecake is about $8.
