Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Best Thing I Ever Ate at Disney - Gluten Free Appetizers

In my The Best Thing I Ever Ate at Disney series, I have blogged about my favorite gluten free desserts, waffles, and breakfast spots at Disney.  Today, I am going to focus on my favorite appetizers.


Indian-style Bread Service - Sanaa

Sanaa, which is located at Kidani Village at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, features African cooking with Indian flavors.  Their pastry chef developed a recipe for gluten free vegan naan that is free of the top 8 allergens using Cup4Cup Wholesome Flour Blend.  This flatbread alone is reason enough to visit Sanaa, but most dishes on the menu can be made gluten free, and if you have a window table, you get to watch the animals while you dine.  We tend to order the bread service with  9 accompaniments, with our favorites being coriander chutney, mango chutney, and the roasted red bell pepper hummus.



Old Bay-scented Crispy Calamari and Florida Rock Shrimp - Flying Fish Cafe

A couple of weeks ago, we dined at the Flying Fish Cafe at Disney's BoardWalk, and I have been dreaming about their gluten free crispy calamari and Florida rock shrimp since that visit.  Pre-celiac, calamari was a favorite dish of mine, and as soon as I saw it on the gluten free menu at the Flying Fish, I knew I had to order it.  I was impressed with the flavorful breading, and the portion size of my appetizer.  We enjoyed all of the dishes we ordered at the Flying Fish, but I already made advance dining reservations to go back on Christmas Eve because of their amazing calamari.



Fried Calamari with White Balsamic and Lemon Agrodolce - Trattoria al Forno 

At Trattoria al Forno on Disney's BoardWalk, I am still trying to find an entree I love as much as their fried calamari appetizer.  It sits on a lemon agrodolce that contains golden raisins and peppers.  After you are done eating the calamari, dip your gluten free bread in the agrodolce for an added treat.  The calamari at Trattoria al Forno is just as good as the calamari at the Flying Fish Cafe, but I prefer this version because it is all calamari.





The grilled beef satay, which is skewers of marinated grilled beef served with bulgogi sauce, is an option on Kona Cafe's gluten free lunch menu.  I love how tender and flavorful the meat is, and the bulgogi sauce is sweet with a nice spicy kick.  With their grilled beef satay, Pan-Asian noodles, and grilled teriyaki steak with pineapple salsa. Kona Cafe has become one of my favorite Disney restaurants to dine at for lunch.  



Crawfish Bites - Boatwright's Dining Hall

Boatwright's Dining Hall at Port Orleans Resort - Riverside is one of my favorite table service restaurants at Disney.  One of the reasons I love to dine at Boatwright's is the Cajun-seasoned crawfish bites.  I have had them gluten free, and also gluten free and dairy free with my friend Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW.  They were great both ways, but I think I preferred the GF/DF version I had with Sarah.
Update - Boatwright's is now serving Colonel Peace's Pieces, which is crawfish, shrimp, oysters, and okra in a crispy corn breading.



Garlic and Parmesan Skinny Chips - Cookes of Dublin/Raglan Road

My daughter's obsession with garlic parm fries started at Cookes of Dublin.  I ordered them as a side for myself, but could barely keep my twins' little hands out of them.  We order garlic and parmesan skinny chips every time we go to Cookes of Dublin or Raglan Road, and everyone still fights over them.



Chicken Wings - Shutters at Old Port Royale

The chicken wings at Shutters at Old Port Royale at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort can be classified as wing perfection, because they were so perfectly crispy, and were tossed in a habanero-brown sugar glaze.  Sweet, but not overly spicy, even my daughter Emma could enjoy them with me.



Potato Leek Soup - Be Our Guest

The final appetizer on this list can be found at Be Our Guest in the Magic Kingdom for lunch or dinner.  No matter the temperature outside, someone in my family is ordering this delicious soup.  Some day, I need to ask for the recipe, so I can make it at home.

What are your favorite gluten free appetizers at Disney World?

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