Steakhouse of one's dreams

     Ever since fellow blogger and fervent Disney investor Joshua Kennon wrote with praise about his visit, I have wanted to go to the Yachtsman Steakhouse.  This restaurant, which opens only for dinner, is located within the Yacht Club Resort, in the Epcot area of Walt Disney World. 

     Because I am local to the area, I have been around Epcot a few times, yet it required the use of my faithful GPS to arrive at the place.  The resort is themed as a typical Maine yacht club.  The entrance to the restaurant is not grandiose, and the décor and general ambiance are quite unassuming, yet the quality of the food offered is prime, and the service efficient.  One can hardly expect this to be a high-end restaurant by its looks, especially by the way the clientele dresses (I think Disney should emphasize the importance of dress code even more for this place).

The restaurant’s main dining room faces the pool area of the 

resort, and showcases an especially made, wooden chandelier.  

The window theme just above gives the feeling of typical Maine 

construction close to the seashore.

    When I arrived I was asked to wait for a few minutes while my table was getting ready in an area facing a frigorific with prime cuts of meat aged to improve flavor.  If I wasn’t very hungry at the time, the view certainly woke up my taste buds.

     My first choice was an aperitif plate of a most excellent charcuterie.  The selection consisted of a bacon-wrapped boar terrine, which was cooked to perfection with pieces of aged Gouda, dried cherries and pistachios.  It was flavored with ginger, mace and clove, which gave the terrine a unique balance of sweet and savory, all wrapped in heavenly smoked bacon.

     There was also a truffled sucling pig pie, very much as it is traditional in England, baked in pastry and served with little cubes of port gelée.  The gelée homogenized the dish together within the mouth, providing the perfect measure of flavor, whilst each and every component could still be identified.  Perhaps my favorite was the warm lardo toast, served on sourdough and garnished with arugula, pickled onions and parmesan shavings.  Lardo is an Italian specialty, where the fat of the pig is hand-rubbed with salt and cured with spices (in this case peppercorns and rosemary), and then aged.  The Yachtsman’s ages theirs for 2 months, and the result is the best lardo you would try out of Italy.

     The Spanish style chorizo had large chunks of pork, heavily spiced with pimentón (sweet Spanish paprika), garlic and cumin, and reminded me of the likes of my mother, who always had some at hand to snack on.  The one thing I did not find it quite belonged on this selection was the beef merguez sausage, an African specialty which is not really charcuterie (charcuterie to me is always pork, pork and more pork).  Yet everything else was so good, it did not deter to the excellency of the dish. Grainy mustard and pickles were succinctly placed as accompaniments, as well as the warm bread basket and butter with roasted garlic to make a proper amuse-bouche.  I chose a dark ale to wash down all that amazing goodness!

The bread basket comes with a slab of salted butter and half a roasted garlic.

It was perfect to pair with the charcuterie plate.

     Since this is a steakhouse, the main course was, of course, steak.  The menu offers several prime cuts at an also very prime price.  I went for the biggest one, a 16 oz. Boneless Rib-Eye, perfectly charbroiled to medium-rare.  It was topped with a touch of Point Reyes blue cheese butter and served with a halved bone with richly exposed marrow which, in turn, could be perfectly sucked up by imbibing the sweet brioche herbed roll it came with.  Very few times I have had meat this good, and so well accompanied and perfectly served.  It was undoubtedly a succulent dish, yet it was not heavy.  The waiter poured me a glass of Château Aney Cabernet, but there are also exclusive wines like Caymus to accompany the excellent cuts of meat served.  I chose this light red that was more herbal than fruity, somewhat creamy and quite unobtrusive to the flavors of the meat.

     The desserts are presented as a composite.  I tried two.  The apple profiterole had no sugar added, and it was light and fruity and everything a dainty dessert should be.  The profiterole had the texture almost of a macaroon, with a floral apple mousse inside.  It was surrounded with caramel apple crunch, alongside a quenelle of chopped rosy apple and a tuille made out of Cheddar cheese.  The latter provided the cheese note to the end of a heavy meal, without actually having eaten any cheese.  Small drops of chocolate and raspberry sauces framed the dish as in a painting.

     My second choice just had to include some chocolate, particularly after such a rich meal.  Again, a perfectly light dessert of a single rectangular slice of chocolate cheesecake, topped with chocolate ganache and accompanied by a purée of Asian pears and a quenelle of butter walnut ice-cream.

    Undoubtedly, the Yachtsman’s Steakhouse is a restaurant to talk about.  The service is quite competent.  Waiters recommend dishes diligently and they know how to pour wine to taste it first.  One can tell they are gourmets themselves.  You should take anyone there who you want to impress, but also knows how to savor the indulgences of a good meal.  I cannot overemphasize reservations, which should be made well in advance.  You won’t get in otherwise.

Pigging out in Winter Park

     Who can resist a restaurant by the name of The Ravenous Pig? First of all, anything pig perks up my attention. Maybe it is the fact that when I converted to Islam I was told pig was a big no-no. I tried to not have it and succeeded for about 18 months, and then… plunged into it like a savage.

     I learnt about this restaurant while volunteering at a local greenhouse that supplies their organically grown produce. Chef-owners James and Julie Petrakis are firm believers in the green movement that Central Florida is experiencing and want nothing but the best for their restaurant. This translates into greens that can be eaten right off the root, since they are grown on irrigated towers that avoid the plants from actually being in contact with the earth. Literally, they grow on air.

     This restaurant is in the heart of Winter Park, the chicest district in Orlando, Florida.  One can almost drive by it without noticing it – and that would be a pity.  It has a few tables outside but I recommend inside sitting.  The ambience is very lively, modern where it has to be, but also sleek and sophisticated.  There is a bar area and 3 small dining rooms.  I sat in the middle section when I went, and was immediately and was always waited on with timely and undivided attention.  The servers will always ask about drinks you may want to start your meal with (as they are very keen on cocktails in this restaurant).  I ordered The Ravenous Pig Old-Fashioned, a classic old-fashioned but infused with bacon.  It had the crunchiest, perfectly shaped bacon slice on top, which gave the drink just the right amount of flavour.  It was excellent.

     For those days when we just want to get drunk and hug our blues, I recommend the Ginger in the Rye, a smoky, highly complex cocktail that will carry you over anything.  It is made with Rittenhouse Rye whiskey, Cynar aperitif, ginger liqueur and Dolin French vermouth.  The ingredients are poured over a block of ice the lasts forever, so it will not taste watered down, not even as you finish it.  The mint garnish provides a note of freshness.  Drinking this cocktail is like smoking a robust Cuban cigar.

     As my starter I tried the House-made Charcuterie and Artisan Cheese platter.  It seemed to me the best way to honour the nature of the place, as well as its intent of focusing on gastro-pub cuisine.  What exactly is gastro-pub cuisine?  Basically, the concept entails bringing pub fare into a more sophisticated experience.  No other course could be as representative of the concept as this one.  It came beautifully presented on a walnut chopboard, and it included a jar of pickled vegetables, a chicken foie gras topped with chocolate bits, two of the thinnest sliced salumis – sopressata and tartufo, a truffled terrine, rustic toasted bread, a slice of sheep’s cheese from Wisconsin and Dijon mustard.  Each bite was a delicacy to be savoured, and the perfect food to linger on with a group of friends on an informal outing.

     Another one of their traits was the Umami “Bloody Mary” Oyster Trio, composed of three New England oysters in a sort of di-structured Bloody Mary – one with vodka and celery, the other with a hint of spicy tomato and the last one with Worcestershire sauce (this last one my favorite).  We chose champagne as the drink, and a basket of deliciously warm and very cheesy Gruyère biscuits with smoked sea salt butter to accompany it.

     A fulfilling, yet light lunch potage, the Tomato Soup is much more than the concept we might be accustomed to for this dish.  Made with seasonal, organic heirloom tomatoes, it is both warm and cool, as the dish in itself is served warm, and is topped with a cool basil crème fraîche.  Whole cherry tomatoes of all colours and green tomato crostini provide the incipient mixture of flavours from the garden.  I could have this every day.

    Last but not least, dessert came in the form of a what I would call a hint of a custard; a Zellwood sweet corn panna cotta, elderflower strawberries and Earl Grey twille.  It was as light as a plume, making for the end of a pub experience that carried none of the heaviness usually associated with it.

     If one is not as light as one would hope after the main course (a probable feeling), one can always order The Sweets Board, an assortment of home-made salted caramels, raspberry marshmallows and chocolate chip cookies made with beurre noisette.  Two of each, they are perfect to round up the meal with a nice espresso.

    The one concept that pervades at The Ravenous Pig is that nothing is left to chance.  Even in the bathrooms, the cozy decorations are detailed and unique.  Where else could one find a copper water can in the shape of a pig?

     Apart from the food, this was hands down my favorite feature, because it shows the dedication and passion put into this place. 

     If planning on going, be aware that the menu changes with the seasons, and new experiences keep coming up all the time.  Also, if going on a Friday or Saturday, reservations are de rigueur at least 3 weeks in advance. 

     You can get some of the recipes and an explanation of the concept of the restaurant in their book, which includes excellent photos and be purchased directly from their website at http://www.theravenouspig.com/shop/shop-the-ravenous-pig-seasons-of-florida