Me and Paradiso 37 have had a small subtle rivalry ever since it’s opening back in May 2009. There are many reasons for this rivalry (that they actually know nothing about) and it originally stems from its partial replacement of the Pleasure Island lineup of clubs and comedy clubs (Adventurer’s Club, R.I.P.) as well as its unknowing theft of my idea for a restaurant. As a matter of fact, it changed its name shortly after opening after I questioned why a place with a subtitle of “Streets Foods of the Americas” prices their dishes so extremely high. You thought I forgot that fact, didn’t you Paradiso?
So because of this, my two visits there came with a hintage of bias against the institution. Third time’s the charm, this time I am giving the place my most unbiased attention. Paradiso 37 has been an extremely successful staple of Downtown Disney for the past year as although the park attendance has dipped slightly, Downtown Disney has seemingly exploded because of its addition of restaurants, family-friendlier theming, and because CityWalk is too stupid to realize that charging everybody for parking after 6:00 is nothing short of idiotic.
Upon entering the restaurant, the noise reached an almost-unbearable level as we have loud music, a loud DJ, and a loud ambiance. The building itself isn’t that big, which allows for the noise to bounce back and forth across the rooms involved. The presentation was the weakest part of this restaurant, as it has an inconsistent theme, and the booming music didn’t allow you to enjoy the scene regardless. The menu has remained the same since 2009, which is slightly odd considering the expansive range and potential (two continents, the Caribbean, over a dozen countries)---and also the fact that the menu is quite small.
I decided to go with the mac and cheese bites, and then went after their most popular dish: the Surf n’ Turf. The Surf dish consisted of bbq shrimp, their popular Argentinean skirt steak, seasonal vegetables, corn on the cob, and potato pancakes. For a drink I went with their pineapple mojito. I am just a sucker for a good mojito. After a small wait I got my drink from one of the two bars that can be found in the restaurant. It was good, but quite small. At nearly $9, it was quite pricy, even if it tasted refreshing, tangy, and had a nice slight pineapple kick.
The mac and cheese bites were quite phenomenal, much better than the previous time I had them. They are massive, well-fried, very hot, and had the right mix of batter and actual macaroni and cheese. They came with this unique cilantro dipping sauce that had a heavy dose of lime and jalapeno. While the cheese bites did not need the dip whatsoever, the cilantro dip wasn’t half bad. It was mildly spicy, but wasn’t overwhelming. It felt like it would compliment chips better than a fried appetizer. And then came the main course.
The surf n’ turf was a mix of good, bad, and outstanding. The skirt steak, the main item in this dish, wasn’t anything spectacular. That being said, unless you have Argentine blood running through the veins of the restaurant, its nearly impossible to successfully recreate the skirt steak that’s so popular down in South America. There wasn’t enough of the underrated chimichurri sauce (seriously, if you do it right, this sauce will enhance all your foods) to compliment the chewy, tough, and very thin steak. It was the weakest part of the meal. Closely following the disappointment factor was the corn on the cob, which came out cold---which is odd considering everything else in the dish is served hot.
However, that shrimp, my goodness. The amount of meat on one shrimp rivals that of the entire steak on the left, and three of them was quite a welcome blessing. They were doused lightly with bbq sauce, and its size was supported by a hearty, thick taste that will satisfy any shrimp lover. Underneath the shrimp was the surprisingly delightful potato pancake, which was warm, soft, and should have been an appetizer option. Honestly. A rather odd moment of the meal was when I realized that the best part of the meal was.....the potato pancake. It wouldn’t usually be an issue, but the $24 price tag makes it one.
Bottom Line: Paradiso 37 is an excellent idea that hasn’t quite translated into a great restaurant just yet. With so many options to choose from, a one-page menu doesn’t really make sense. And when pancakes and appetizers manage to trump steaks and other main courses, its time to look at a revamped menu. Sadly though, the mammoth success of Paradiso 37 will make my complaints fall on deaf ears. And if its not the success that will make my shouts fall on deaf ears, it will definitely be the noise in the place as it reached a point in which I had to complain to a manager. There is good food here, and there is potential, but the overall result is muddled, expensive, and far below the quality line to justify a visit. Downtown Disney offers a lot of great restaurants----this just isn’t one of them.
Final Verdict: Do Not Recommend. Yet.
Paradiso 37
Downtown Disney Area
Lake Buena Vista, Fl
No comments:
Post a Comment