Best CityWalk® Restaurant
Emeril's® Restaurant Orlando
Contemporary Cajun and Creole cuisine; lunch and dinner; call 407-224-2424 for reservations; smart casual dress. Open daily 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5:30-10 p.m.; Fri and Sat until 11 p.m.
CityWalk is lucky enough to have an outpost of one of the hottest restaurants in the nation, one that is absolutely intoxicating, from the friendly waitstaff to the trendy decor to the exceptional food. Reminiscent of the New Orleans warehouse district, the vibrant dining room is comprised of exposed pipe, stone walls adorned with contemporary art, sleek hardwood flooring, a circular slate bar, and a two-story, 12,000-bottle wine wall boasting a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.
The beautifully presented and innovative Cajun-Creole cuisine explodes with flavor and creativity. I can never resist starting with the spicy smoked wild and exotic mushrooms in a home-cured tasso cream sauce over angel-hair pasta, but a for something a bit lighter and screaming with flavor pick the barbeque shrimp. The spinach salad is another great starter with crispy bacon, toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, dried cranberries and a sherry-herb vinaigrette. If the filet with green peppercorn sauce is on the menu it’s a winner – the tender steak sided with lovely mashers is perfectly tender. Now the house specialty, andouille-crusted redfish, is not a favorite with me – just too much going on at once and no one flavor standing out.
The best seats in the house are in the Julia and Tchoupitoucas Room, a glass-enclosed space facing CityWalk, or the coveted counter seats perched in front of the exhibition kitchen. But the real secret is the upstairs Cigar Room, an intimate three-table nook perched high above CityWalk. This is one restaurant that will leave you yearning for another night and yet another terrific meal. It is simply the best.
Tip: Although no one would raise an eyebrow, you won't feel comfortable in park clothes. If you must come without changing, try sitting at the bar for your meal (the easiest way to eat without a reservation). Speaking of reservations, they are absolutely mandatory, even at lunchtime. Dinner usually requires thinking ahead 6-8 weeks; however, always call for cancellations in particular around 3 p.m. the same day, the time all diners must reconfirm for the evening meal. Children are scarce here so consider getting a babysitter. At lunchtime, use CityWalk's valet parking and have the restaurant validate your ticket (good for up to two hours).
Best Known For:
Andouille-crusted Texas redfish in a Creole meunière sauce.
Sample Menu Items:
Lunch entrees: Grilled North Atlantic salmon with sweet barbecue glaze, homemade andouille-brabant potato hash, crispy onion crust and homemade Worcestershire sauce; grilled Kobe hamburger with homemade sea salt-vinegar chips; roasted chicken breast smoky black bean sauce, pico de gallo, smashed avocado, cilantro aioli and tortilla crisps; shrimp and cheddar grits with wild mushrooms, creole tomato glaze, and sizzled scallions.
Dinner entrees: Hickory smoked-lemongrass roasted duck with ginger rice pilaf, baby bok choy, and honey-soy butter sauce; grilled vegetable plate with Portobello mushroom, sweet corn, zucchini, squash, roasted garlic, and extra virgin olive oil; pan-fried trout meunière with asparagus, toasted almonds, and parsley; grilled black angus sirloin strip steak with a buttermilk-chive twice baked potato, horseradish compound butter, and homemade Worcestershire sauce.
