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Old 21 Oct 17, 11:07 AM  
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soraia
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Soz & Loz's Food-A-Palooza – Offsite Eats Food Report – October 2017 COMPLETE

Hello everyone!

I normally do trip reports, but the main focus of this trip (cheeky 1 week offsite) was pretty much entirely the food, so thought it would make sense to do a food report rather than a full trip report.

Bit of context – I've been on a diet since May (15kg lost so far in 5 months) and so was dreaming of eating ALL THE FOOD. The prospect of having a week in Florida and eating all my favourite things was keeping me going, hence the focus on the food!

So now for some introductions – on this trip was me Soraia and my good pal Lauren (or dibber mermaid_lo). We were housemates at uni and both lived in London after that but she has since moved up to Glasgow almost 2 years ago and I hadn't seen her since then so this also served as a nice little catch up for us


Soz & Loz

The plan was originally to do a cheap and cheerful offsite trip split between I Drive (Avanti Resort) and Universal (RPR) and no Disney at all. We did end up succumbing to the calls of the mouse and got tickets for MNSSHP (which neither of us had ever been to) so did have a bit of Disney magic on the trip

I must say, we did overestimate the amount of food we would be able to eat (Florida portions definitely started getting to us very quickly) but on the whole it was a lovely trip with some delicious food.

Hope you enjoy reading!

Travel Day
Burger King @ Dublin Airport
Aer Lingus economy in-flight food
Buffalo Wild Wings

Day 1
iHop
Olive Garden
Bahama Breeze

Day 2
Keke's Breakfast Cafe
Cheesecake Factory
Longhorn Steakhouse

Day 3
Denny's
Emeril's Tchoup Chop
Casey's Corner
MNSSHP candy haul

Day 4
Starbucks
NBC Sports Grill & Brew
Snacks at Universal
Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Kitchen

Day 5
Orchid Lounge (RPR) pastries
Bubba Gump
Menchie's Frozen Yogurt
Olive Garden

Day 6
Cinnabon
Mel's Drive-In @ Universal
NBC Sports Grill & Brew
Menchie's Frozen Yogurt

Day 7
Orchid Lounge (RPR) pastries
Cowfish
Famous Famiglia pizza (MCO)

Edited at 10:05 AM.
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Old 21 Oct 17, 11:21 AM  
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TRAVEL DAY

We were both flying with Aer Lingus, but I was coming from London and Lauren from Glasgow so we'd be meeting at Dublin and then getting the same onwards flight to Orlando.

Both flights were on time and our rendezvous point was Burger King (we're classy birds) where we found out they were not able to serve any beef products. At Burger King. OK then?

I got the chicken nuggets meal, Lauren got the BBQ chicken tendercrisp meal.

My chicken nuggets were almost cardboard like and the chips were cold but to be honest after 5 months of not eating fried foods it was a glorious moment for me.



We forgot to take a picture of Lauren's but we do get better from now on!

The flight to Orlando was good and they keep you steadily fed on Aer Lingus. I decided to ruin my appetite by digging straight in to some chocolate and skittles I had bought (I NEEDED THEM IN MY LIFE!)


Don't judge me!

Pretty much straight after they brought out the mini pretzels and drinks. I still had them though! I asked for fanta and got given the whole (large) can, while Lauren asked for diet coke and got given a glass for mice!? I wish we got a picture, it was quite funny!



For lunch, the options were either beef stroganoff or chicken ravioli. Lauren got the beef and I got the chicken. These were served with salad and soda bread which neither of us had ever tried and was lovely – kind of like savoury cake! The dessert was a chocolate mousse which was also nice.


Chicken Ravioli


Beef Stroganoff - the better choice!

After a few hours they came around with some tasty little vanilla ice cream tubs.



Finally, about an hour before landing we got some “Portuguese style” hot wraps. Now, let me tell you something. I'm Portuguese. These wraps were not remotely “Portuguese style”. They tasted more like a curry chicken, and were actually pretty darn tasty.


NOT “Portuguese style”

Our uber driver recommended Yard House so we tried there first but it was rammed and there was a 45 minute wait so we headed next door to Buffalo Wild Wings instead.

Quite a good atmosphere in there, loads of screens all over the place showing different sports.




We shared the House Sampler – mozzarella sticks, boneless wings with honey bourbon sauce. Nachos and onion rings. We also got a portion of the cheese curds. To drink we both got a pink lemonade (the first of many during this week!)




The food took a LONG time to arrive and we were really tired. When it came it was all alright – cheese curds were definitely the highlight. I liked the boneless wings as well, although Lauren wasn't sure about them and thought they tasted quite vinegary. We both agreed the nachos were the only real low point – they tasted really weird so we pretty much left them and concentrated on everything else!

All in all the meal came to $30.11 including tax and we left $5 tip for our server Mimi.

I'd be willing to give Buffalo Wild Wings another try but not on a Saturday night and not on the day that I arrive and am full of jetlag as the service from the kitchen was really really slow!

On the way back to the hotel we stopped by Walgreens and I got myself a snack for the room.


mmm donut holes...
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Old 21 Oct 17, 11:42 AM  
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DAY 1


Breakfast @ iHop


Our first breakfast of the trip was going to be iHop which I was SO excited about. I love this place! Lauren has never actually been so was looking forward to trying it out as well.

We got a nice booth in the corner by the window (I love a booth!) and our server Maria was a total babe.

I got a free Rooty Tooty Fresh 'n Fruity pancakes stack for joining the e-club and went for the peach topping, and then also got the banana crepes with nutella combo (hash browns, eggs over easy and sausage links). To drink I got a french vanilla coffee. My total came to $16.19 including tax.





This was PHENOMENAL and everything I hoped it would be! I loved it all!

Lauren went for the sweet cream cheese crepes with peach, french vanilla coffee and an orange juice. Her total was $12.09 including tax.



The whole shebang...

Unfortunately Lauren's iHop experience wasn't everything she hoped it would be and she was disappointed all around. The crepes were far too sweet and sickly

When we got the cheque we were told we could take our receipts to the gift shop next door and get a free gift which we thought was a bit random but went to check it out. The free gift ended up being an Orlando pen which was actually pretty good quality – we were surprised.

Keep that in mind if you go to the iHop at 7661 International Drive!

Lunch @ Olive Garden

We're both fans of Olive Garden and love (American) Italian food so this was our choice for the first lunch of the holiday.



We got a nice little booth with a fancy touch pad which was cool but we didn't really understand what we could do with it (it didn't seem like you coud actually order anything on it but you could see what was on the menu etc).



Our server was Esteban who was super friendly! We both couldn't decide what iced tea to drink (the peach belini or raspberry) and he said he'd mix up a combo of both and this was one of the highlights of the whole trip. SO GOOD!


YUM

He then brought out the salad and bread sticks which are always a highlight. I love the dressing they use in the salad and the bread sticks were so warm and fluffy!


Yes please!

I chose the five cheese baked ziti and asked for loads of shaved parmesan on top (because clearly five cheeses wasn't enough already...!). I really enjoyed this meal! I've never had it before but I'd definitely go for it again. It was a HUGE portion though!


Five Cheese Ziti al Forno

Lauren went for the “create your own pasta bowl” and chose rigatoni with marinara sauce and breaded chicken. She enjoyed it – the pasta was well cooked and the chicken was nice and crunchy, even if the sauce was a bit bland. Her highlight were definitely the bread sticks, SO yummy!


Cucina mia - “create your own pasta bowl”

I was defeated by all the cheese (when will I learn?) but Lauren had the lemon cream cake for dessert which she really enjoyed – it was light and tasty!



The bill was very reasonable and came to $42.64 but Lauren's mum very kindly got us a $25 gift card which meant we only had to pay $17.64 plus Esteban's tip! She's a fellow dibber herself so thank you roseya – that was so sweet of you and we really enjoyed our meal!

Dinner @ Bahama Breeze


Bahama Breeze is another old favourite and we've both enjoyed our meals there in the past so wanted to go back.

I forgot to call ahead so thought we might have to wait a bit for a table (it was Sunday night) but luckily we were seated right away.

Our server was Junior who was nice enough but felt very “rehearsed” anytime he said something. I appreciate they all have certain things they have to say but it sounded like he was reading a monotone script. Sure enough we heard him recite the exact same spiel in the same way to another 2 tables. The atmosphere is always nice in there (I love the island music they play) but Lauren thought it was a bit too dark – she likes to be able to see what she's eating and it is a bit hard sometimes at Bahama Breeze.

To start we both shared the coconut shrimp and got some cocktails. I had the coconut mojito and Lauren had the Yaka Hula Hickey Dula. The coconut shrimp was delicious (highlight of the meal) and the cocktails were nice too!




For mains I went for the buttermilk chicken breast which is my go-to thing at Bahama Breeze. I asked for the single portion (it usually comes with 2 chicken breasts) but Junior said they don't do that which is strange as I've definitely ordered it before at that exact location. Oh well. It was still super tasty and I'll probably order it every time I go to Bahama Breeze!


Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast

Lauren went for the chipotle chicken taco salad as she wanted something a bit more light and fresh. She said this was OK but a bit soggy (the taco strips were not crunch at all) and there wasn't much avocado which was part of the reason she ordered it.


Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

The bill came to $58.36 and we left a $10 tip.

I always enjoy Bahama Breeze and will come back whenever I visit Orlando.
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Old 21 Oct 17, 11:53 AM  
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I love seeing what other people have eaten! Great so far!
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Old 21 Oct 17, 11:56 AM  
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Fab start wish we had an IHoP round here

Looking forward to Tchoup Chop as Ive never been there.
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Old 21 Oct 17, 12:23 PM  
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soraia
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Originally Posted by Clamshell View Post
I love seeing what other people have eaten! Great so far!
Thank you

Originally Posted by Juliemack View Post
Fab start wish we had an IHoP round here

Looking forward to Tchoup Chop as Ive never been there.
I KNOW! How amazing would it be to have an iHop here? Although it would be catastrophic for my diet
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Old 21 Oct 17, 03:39 PM  
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Oooh love a new food report, keep thinking about doing one next year as I started a trippy but haven't got round to finishing it so a food report might be easier!

Bahama Breeze looks lovely, hoping to make it there next year!
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Old 21 Oct 17, 03:50 PM  
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Excellent start, love a good food report!
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Old 21 Oct 17, 04:35 PM  
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DAY 2


Breakfast @ Keke's Breakfast Cafe (Conroy Road)

I had read so many good things about Keke's here on the dibb so was desperate to try it for the first time on this trip and my goodness was it amazing! Just goes to show you can always trust a dibber

We were going to be spending the morning at the Mall at Millenia so decided to go to the Keke's on Conroy road which is only a 5 minute walk from the mall.

The place looks simple on the inside but is very clean. The only thing I'd say is the AC is VERY strong so definitely bring a jumper!

Our server was Jean Pierre who was fantastic – super smiley, kept us topped up throughout breakfast and even offered us coffee to go at the end!

The menu here is pretty extensive...



To drink we both had an orange juice and coffee. I know this sounds really silly but the creamers they have here are SO good. You can have either hazelnut or french vanilla and the taste is just amazing! Wish we had them here in the UK...



After a lot of deliberation, I chose the Cheese Steak omelet (steak, peppers, onion and cheese omelet served with red skin potatoes “home fries” and granary toast) this was just unbelievable! I don't think the picture does it justice – the omelet was so moist and cheesy, the home fries were delicious and the toast was perfect for washing it all down with!


Cheese steak omelet

Lauren went for the pina colada stuffed french toast (pineapple, coconut and cream cheese stuffed french toast topped with powdered sugar) and absolutely LOVED this as well. In fact, it was “life changing” - that's a direct quote!


Pina colada stuffed french toast

The bill came to $31.36 for both of us and we left Jean Pierre a good tip as he was super attentive.



DO believe the hype – Keke's is fabulous! It was by far the best breakfast of the trip and I might even venture to say it was our favourite meal of the whole holiday!

Lunch @ Cheesecake Factory (Mall at Millenia)

Ah, good old Cheesecake Factory. We always love it here and I struggle to see a future where that will ever change.

We had a short wait for a table. Long enough to take this and drool over all the cheesecake!


Magic mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?

We got a nice little window booth (great for people watching!) and our server Jonah brought out the huge menus and yummy bread.



I chose the lunch portion of the crusted chicken romano (Breast of Chicken Coated with a Romano-Parmesan Cheese Crust. Served with Pasta in a Light Tomato Sauce) which was delicious and I'm ashamed to say I polished the lot.


If this is the lunch portion, I dread to think what size the regular portion is...

Lauren went for the lunch portion of the miso salmon (Fresh Miso Marinated Salmon Served with Snow Peas, White Rice and a Delicious Miso Sauce) and she loved this as well. It was a lighter lunch but really flavourful.


Miso salmon – fancy presentation...

Even though we both scoffed our mains, we still wanted dessert and of course that meant CHEESECAKE!

I always have the Snickers cheesecake which I love but decided to risk it and try something new. I chose the white chocolate & macadamia nut cheesecake and was SO glad I took the risk. It was wonderful and I think I have a new favourite cheesecake now!


White chocolate & macadamia nut cheesecake

Lauren chose the red velvet cheesecake and absolutely loved it as well but the portion was massive.


Red velvet cheesecake

We left completely stuffed to the gills but completely satisfied. Cheesecake Factory, you've done it again!

Dinner @ Longhorn Steakhouse (International Drive)

Neither of us have ever been here before but we both fancied steak and this place is definitely all about the steak!

We had a bit of a wait for a booth but ended up getting one right at the back of the restaurant and in the corner which was great! I know a lot of people would hate this and love to be in the thick of the action to soak up the atmosphere but I love being in a quieter area a bit out of the way!

Our server Alex was nice, a bit quirky and OTT at times. He gave us the menus and we took a while to decide exactly what cuts of steak we wanted.



Whilst looking through the menu we ordered some cheese curds and I got a strawberry lemonade. Alex also brought out the free bread which we both tried but weren't keen on – it was quite dry so don't think it was fresh.


I heart cheese curds!

I ordered the rib eye medium rare with a side of fries and Caesar salad and Lauren went for the NY strip medium rare with house salad and grilled vegetables. When the food came out, they had swapped our sides (my steak had the grilled veg and Lauren's had the fries) and when we flagged this they said they'd bring out a new order of fries and grilled vegetables on fresh plates. We said we were fine just to swap sides on our plates but they ended up bringing the extra food later anyway which is good service but did feel like a complete waste as we didn't even finish our original sides, never mind touch the extra stuff they brought out afterwards!



This is before they brought out the "extra" fresh sides...!

The highlight was definitely the steaks and they were both cooked to perfection. We were both so stuffed from all of today's food that we didn't make a note of how much the meal was but I don't remember thinking it was unreasonable when paying.
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Old 21 Oct 17, 05:25 PM  
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Burger King always disappoints! Weird about the beef situation tho? Did they say why?

Don’t think I’ve read a good report where anyone complains about Keke’s. Looked top! Can’t wait to try it next year.

Great report so far
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