Wine Bar George is a stellar dining venue located at Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida. One of our travel agents, Erica Seman, recently had the opportunity to enjoy a dining experience at the restaurant. Here are her thoughts in this review of Wine Bar George.
Is there any better spot for a date night in Walt Disney World than a restaurant that serves delectable charcuterie boards, top-notch wine, and refreshing cocktails? I don’t think so!
My boyfriend Brennan and I consider Wine Bar George to be just about as good as it gets!
The two of us spent the very first night of our latest trip at Wine Bar George, and it was such a good decision. We had made the journey to Orlando that day from Cleveland, Ohio. On our way to the airport, we got caught up in an April snowstorm.
As you can imagine, we were very eager to reach the sunshine state! When the hostess at Wine Bar George offered us the option to dine al fresco, we knew we had to take her up on it!
She led us up the stairs in the back and over to the terrace on the second floor. We soaked in the sunshine as we looked down at the hustle and bustle of Disney Springs below.
We enjoyed a very talented violinist playing versions of pop songs nearby. As we sat together here, Brennan and I finally began to feel like we were on vacation.
The first thing we decided to eat on this trip was one of the restaurant’s charcuterie boards. Wine Bar George offers a selection of these boards, including its “Artisanal Cheese Board” and a larger one dubbed the “Big Board.”
Brennan and I opted for the classic “Charcuterie Board,” which came with four artisanal types of meat along with two tasty condiments and a few pickles.
To us, the fun of a charcuterie board is sampling lots of different flavors and exploring which combinations we enjoy the best. Ours came with a wide variety, so I believe we made an excellent choice.
With the Charcuterie Board, the meat we were served included pepperoni, pate, mortadella, and prosciutto. We ate everything, except for some of the pate. Unfortunately, neither of us cares for pate, in general. My personal favorites were the pepperoni and the prosciutto.
Centered on the plate were homemade pickles, honey mustard sauce, and a bacon pepper relish spread. The pickles were so fresh and crunchy. They had a subtle sweetness to them that I don’t feel you get with regular pickles in the jar at home.
The star of the dish for both of us was the bacon pepper relish, and we ate every last bit of it. We even went so far as to ask our server, Mo, whether it was possible to buy a separate jar of it to take with us. Unfortunately, you need to make a reservation and visit Wine Bar George if you want to try this!
Brennan and I each ordered a drink to accompany our charcuterie board. As whiskey is my boyfriend’s drink of preference, he went with the Hoot. This cocktail is made with Hooten Young American Whiskey, G.E. Massenez Crème de Cassis, and a splash of ginger beer. He enjoyed this quite a bit and found it very refreshing.
I thought it was only fitting that I choose the Brightside for my drink, as I was finally sitting in the sunshine with my boyfriend at my favorite place on Earth. The whole experience to me was pure bliss!
The beverage turned out to be right up my alley in terms of its flavor palate; it was citrusy, fresh, and sweet. It is made with Luna Azul Blanco Tequila, lemon, yellow chartreuse, honey, and grapefruit. The presentation was very appealing, too, as it was served in a wide margarita glass with a dried lime floating on top.
These drinks and the charcuterie board were the perfect precursors to the entrees we ordered.
I am not exaggerating when I say that Brennan’s entrée was possibly the BEST thing that we ate on our entire trip. Keep in mind that we ate a lot, even eating and drinking our way entirely around the world at Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival. However, it turned out to be the golden standard for our stay as we compared it to just about everything else we would go on to eat during our trip.
This culinary masterpiece was the Santa Carota Short Ribs. We absolutely could not get enough of this magnificent dish. To whoever cooked this: bravo! The ribs were incredibly tender and delicious, falling apart when prodded with the fork. The caramelized vegetables were phenomenal. And the red potato mash? It was quickly the crème de la creme of any mashed potatoes we have ever eaten (sorry, Mom!). Every spoonful was soft, buttery, and garlicky.
We cleaned the plate (if you read my review of Skipper Canteen, you’re no doubt noticing a pattern here). We were by no means served a small portion, but the only thing disappointing about this dish was that there was not even more of it!
My entrée, the Bell & Evan Chicken Breast, was outshined that evening. It was not a bad dish by any means, but it did not deliver the “wow!” factor or either of us. The chicken was the best part of it. It was cooked quite nicely with a tender and juicy quality. It also seemed to have a light lemon sauce over it which gave it a pleasant, but not spectacular, flavor.
The whole dish didn’t quite come together for me as I was not a big fan of the vegetables that came along with it. The chicken was accompanied by exotic mushrooms, caulilini, and Yukon hash. It all tasted like lemon, which I do like, but that was about the extent of the flavoring. Some extra seasoning or even a bolder sauce would have contributed more to the dish. Personally, this probably would not be high on my list of what I would order again here.
To drink during the entrée portion, Brennan and I had each ordered a glass of the restaurant’s cabernet franc. I thought it had a sweet, crisp taste and was well-balanced. It was a good glass of wine all around. But, of course, that was to be expected at a Disney restaurant with the word “wine” in its name!
Ultimately, Wine Bar George earned this couple’s seal of approval, and we will return. It’s an ideal spot if you want to enjoy an upscale meal but prefer to remain in a somewhat more relaxed, casual environment. In addition, we both would recommend it for anyone looking for a nice place to spend an evening at Disney!
If you are considering a Disney vacation, make sure to check out our full list of the Walt Disney World Resorts or you might enjoy our guide to luxury Disney hotels.
This article was contributed by Erica Seman of Firefly Travels. Make sure to contact Erica when planning your next Disney vacation!
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