By Samantha Chapnick
I’m a travel writer, so you rely on me to discover the undiscovered. A boutique hotel on a private island. Secret savings for, or way to skip the lines at, a major attraction. A hole-in-the-wall eatery that only the locals frequent.
Doing my job means each meal is an uncertain foray into uncharted territory. For every recommended restaurant, my stomach endures tens if not hundreds of genuinely awful meals.
Which makes a really good chain restaurant my guilty pleasure. It”s the same feeling as discovering "Crossing Jordan" or "ER" playing, in English, on your Tokyo hotel room TV — the good-enough-ness that comes with familiarity.
For those nights when you want a known quantity, here are our top picks in Orlando. Their food quality is good, the predictability even better. And in some cases, e.g. the Rainforest Cafe, the atmosphere fabulous!
On my way to get a sweet potato, I had to nudge my way through a small clutch of teens waiting anxiously near the bread station. Ruling out the possibility Sting was the guest baker that evening or that bran intake had suddenly become the hottest facebook topic, I leaned in and learned they were waiting for that night’s special dessert item: peanut butter chocolate chip muffin cookies.
I share their enthusiasm about this $8 all-you-can-eat soup and salad buffet, if for reasons best understood by those who distinguish deep green lettuce from nutrient-devoid white ones. The wide variety of fruits and vegetables are very fresh and fairly ripe, and everything is presented in a pristinely clean environment. If a pea falls out of the bowl, or salad dressing is dripped on to the counter, a staff member cleans it almost immediately.
There are always at least four varieties of muffins, soups, pastas, prepared salads and desserts including mac & cheese, Indian lentil, potato leek, deep kettle chili, tangy lemon muffins, sourdough bread, potatoes, soft-serve ice cream, and Jello. I’m less enthusiastic about the quality of the pasta and soups, yet still, they are steps above packaged foods.
So many concept restaurants, so little time … My mother jumped when the thunder cracked, the rain began and the gorillas began their UHG-UHGing. She had never been through one of the cafe’s simulated storms. My daughter, thrilled at being the one with more experience, for once, proceeded to take her on a tour of the entire restaurant — the big neon globe, the brightly colored fish reminiscent of a Disney movie, the animals crouching amongst the foliage and, of course, the gift shop.
After ordering tropical drinks in light-up souvenir cups and entrees that had more flair than the usual theme restaurant, we marveled at how good the set design was, how friendly and knowledgeable the service staff were — especially considering the unbelievable crowds. The food turned out to be much better than expected. We had a crisp green salad, fresh cheese quesadillas and a very very spicy pasta dish.
