FABULOUS FLORIDA FLAVORS
cheddar creamy grits. We
also shared side dishes of
smoked cauliflower with
a citrus crème fraiche
and truffle macaroni and
cheese, which were special
treats for our palates.
Disney’s Cítricos
By Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron R. Fodiman
We tried every dessert on the menu,
starting with the decadent chocolate
torte with several types of chocolate
that satisfied us completely; an orange
blossom flan that exquisitely combined the
citrus theme with traditional flan; and the
gorgeously presented blackberry tartelette
with a lemon and blackberry mousse. The
visually pleasing fourth dessert, which
looked like a rose, was made from seasonal
apples, marzipan, raspberry jam, and was
accompanied by frozen coconut milk. It
delighted us with its spectacular taste and
texture. Dining under the London sky at
Cítricos should not be missed. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Cítricos is located on the
second floor of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
& Spa, 4401 Disney’s Grand Floridian, Lake
Buena Vista, (407) 939-5277. For reservations,
go online to Disneyworld.disney.go.com.
CUISINE
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 147
When the people
at Disney let
us know that
Cítricos at the
Grand Floridian Resort &
Spa had been re-imagined
in the whimsical and
elegant style of the movie Mary Poppins
Returns, we decided an evening at this
favorite restaurant of ours was due. The
current décor is a bright, cheerful, fanciful
setting, incorporating garden colors, subtle
dressmaker details and the look of London
in the 1900s. We walked past the open
kitchen and were seated near one of the
large windows. Sommelier Israel Perez,
who has created the new wine and cocktail
program, captivated us with two “zero
proof” cocktails, which delighted our taste
buds. The first was a delicious, refreshing
London Dry Juniper Seltzer filled with
cinchona bark and smoked rosemary
blended with citrus, lemongrass and
juniper aromatics. The next, a sparkling
grapefruit soda made with Florida honey,
was just as alluring.
With our taste buds tingling, we were
ready to try the menu devised by Chef
Andres Mendoza. We were swept away
The short ribs at Cítricos were barbecued with guava and served over cheddar
creamy grits with roasted poblano peppers, a slaw and Brussels sprouts.
by his strawberry salad with chamomileinfused
goat cheese and bacon vinaigrette;
his smoked duck breast over pasta; citruscured
Hamachi with blood orange puffed
tapioca; and pork belly with boniato sweet
potato and plantain croquette. The flavor
combinations of these starters made each
dish memorable.
We then ordered four of seven entrées,
leaving the rigatoni, New York strip and
filet mignon for more conventional diners.
The golden tilefish with shrimp and chorizo
“risotto” was a unique recipe for this often
overlooked gift from the sea. The butterpoached
cobia in its grapefruit beurre blanc
sauce was heavenly and showed how the
chef was using local products along with
the local citrus for which the restaurant
was originally named. The roulade of
chicken with its corn cake and romesco
sauce was also perfection, as were the
barbecued short ribs with guava over aged
NORAA