Sunday, July 26, 2020

The Wave...of American Flavors - Disney's Contemporary Resort

On our recent trip to Disney World, we had dinner at The Wave...of American Flavors, a table service restaurant at Disney's Contemporary Resort.


The Wave's menu features American cuisine inspired by local and regional ingredients. We have had breakfast, lunch, and dinner at The Wave before, but not since we moved to California four year ago.


My family had to use the QR code provided by the restaurant to view The Wave's dinner menu on their phones, but I was given a paper allergy-friendly menu. If you see something on the menu that you are interested in, and it is not marked as gluten/wheat friendly, ask to speak to a chef. I often find that dishes can be modified to be gluten free if you ask. I did not speak to a chef before we ordered, because every entree except for the gnocchi was labeled safe for wheat/gluten. Because of the pandemic, Disney is offering limited menus, but it was great to see five entrees I could choose from, including the grilled beef tenderloin, herb-roasted chicken breast, pork tenderloin, sustainable fish of the day, and tikka masala.


It took me a while to get my gluten free rolls, because our server was from Chef Mickey's, and was unfamiliar with some protocols at The Wave. She was super sweet though, and whenever we asked a question she could not answer, she went and checked with the kitchen.


My Bloomfield Farms rolls were heated well, and I loved that they were served with salted butter. I hope all Disney restaurants are now serving these amazing rolls. They are the only rolls I encountered on our recent two week trip to Disney World. The Boomfield Farms rolls are an improvement from the brands previously used at Disney-owned and operated restaurants, but like other gluten free rolls, they do need to be heated properly.


For an entree, I chose the pork tenderloin with smoked cheddar grits, coffee barbeque sauce, roasted broccolini, and chermoula. The pork was super tender, and perfectly complimented by the grits and barbecue sauce. My mother and my husband ordered the same dish, and loved it. The grits were just heavenly!

When we were done with our entrees, a table was seated next to us, and there was definitely not six feet between my husband and another guest. They were about two feet apart, back to back. I did ask to speak to a manager. She apologized, and told me that no one should have been seated at that table, but did not move them. We did put our masks back on, and only took them off briefly to eat dessert. Overall, we did feel safe at Disney World with all the protocols they have in place, but we did have a few incidents that made us uncomfortable. At Mama Melrose's, when we were seated at a table too close to another party, we asked to be moved. It became our habit after the first few days to keep our masks on in restaurants when we were not eating, especially when talking to our servers, because it would be safer for them, and safer for us.


I had not planned on ordering dessert, but when a chef stopped at our table to answer a question for my mom, I asked about gluten free desserts. He offered me flourless chocolate cake, and I asked if it could be served with vanilla ice cream. It was super rich, but very good with the ice cream. I always make sure I ask for whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to go with flourless chocolate cake at Disney World. I love chocolate, but sometimes it needs something less rich to balance it out.

All eight members of our party loved their meal at The Wave, and we will definitely return on future visits. My parents and nieces actually dined there again a few nights later, while we had dinner at Frontera Cocina in Disney Springs. The gnocchi were a bit hit with my gluten-eating daughters and nieces, and my mom loved the cauliflower tacos so much, so had them on both visits. The gnocchi and tacos are not gluten free. I think we often avoid The Wave, because of the dark atmosphere without natural light, but the quality of food they serve makes it worth a visit.

You can read more about The Wave, make advance dining reservations, and view their menus and hours on Disney's website. My friend Sarah enjoys dining at The Wave. You can check out her menu posts and reviews on her website Gluten Free and Dairy Free at WDW.

What are your favorite gluten free options at The Wave?

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