Ever heard of the term “When it rains, it pours?” Well, that was why I visited The Turf Club Bar and Grill in Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort. After a lovely trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom I noticed that a wonderful variety of clouds was following me. Racing to catch the bus to the resort so I can find my car (Which was in Downtown Disney), I frantically tried beating another Florida afternoon thunderstorm. By the time I reached Saratoga Springs, the measly storm caught up, and started pouring. And the pouring wouldn’t stop. 20 minutes in, the area was looking darker and darker. Then being hungry added to the frustration, and the quick service eatery in the resort didn’t have anything that looked good. A bit more walking around and I stumble across a beautiful little corner in the lobby, leading to a small room with a pool table and a restaurant in the far end. Being a cuisine adventurer, I thought, sure why not?
The place, let me say, is gorgeous, full of smiles and class. Even with Florida looking its absolute ugliest, the restaurant was small, compact, but nicely lit and nicely organized. Half of the tables are located on a nice patio overlooking Downtown Disney---but thanks to the storm, the patio became a river. So eating indoors seemed the plausible decision. Saratoga Springs has been around since 2004 and is Disney’s largest of the Vacation Club resorts. The hotel’s theme is that of the popular Saratoga Springs area in upstate New York. This resort has won multiple awards and is recognized as one of the environmentally friendliest resorts in the country.
The most popular appetizer of the restaurant was the lightly-breaded calamari, which came with two sauces. The roasted garlic mayonnaise sauce was absolutely spectacular and complimented the calamari in every possible way. The calamari itself was very good, even though in some instances you can clearly tell you are eating octopus/squid. The drink I had was a well-known drink in the Walt Disney World bars, a pomegranate splash. Nice drink, not too much alcohol, full of flavor. The storm is still spewing in the midst of all this.
My main entrée was going to be something very different from my usual ordering habits: a salmon salad. An interesting note about the salmon was that they asked me how I wanted the salmon cooked. This question usually applies to steak or burgers, but I had never heard of multiple options for cooking fish. I asked for a medium-well, much to the recommendation of the waitress. The wait was a big longer than I anticipated, but my oh my what a dish they delivered.
The plate was huge, and the salmon looked amazing. The salad was quite intimidating, since vegetables and I have had a rough relationship since……..forever. The salad contained arugula, tomatoes, and the all-mighty bacon. The salmon itself was glazed with a really nice ranch sauce, while the rest of the salad contained a tasty dressing that is unlike anything I’ve had before. It was very delicious; all of it, but there was no way I could finish. The calamari did not help either. The lunch was very fulfilling, and the storm totally stopped by the time I paid.
Bottom Line: When you make lemons, make lemonade. Or, in this case, when you are totally stuck in a storm, beg that it’s in a location that contains a nice restaurant like this one. The price is a little upsey, but the food is worth it. The setting is romantic, the view is nice (when Florida allows it), and the overall ambience was nothing short of peaceful. The entire staff was friendly as Disney allows them to be, and they improved what was becoming a miserable afternoon. For a little upscale dining, I recommend The Turf Club Bar and Grill.
The Turf Club Bar and Grill@ Saratoga Springs Resort
1960 Broadway
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
(407) WDW-DINE
No comments:
Post a Comment