Florida: Orlando, Trendy Options for Dinning Out with Kids. 
Wolfgang Puck Café, Fulton’s Crab House, and Portobello Restaurant, a ll conveniently located in Downtown Disney® at Walt Disney World Resort, offer unique experiences to please the adventurous dining spirit of any family.
Here’s the news. According to the Ypartnership/Harrison Group Portrait of American Travelers(SM) and travelhorizons (TM) national surveys*, a key component to the quintessential American vacation is an interesting and unique dining experience with a whopping 67% of travelers citing this as an important aspect of their vacation.
No surprise there, right? For parents who are self proclaimed foodies the recent survey results are not surprising. Once out of the high chair phase, dinning out as a family offers not just the joy of new menus and with enticing flavors but a way to bond as a family. Dining together offers a chance for children/teens to practice social skills and to develop an interest in more than grilled cheese or PB &Js. This means once your child can read, resist the temptation to order just to speed up the process. Making decisions is part of the learning process. Making a choice and then speaking to the wait staff is all part of the experience. And this may take time.
When our children were in elementary school we had a series of practice sessions at home including a few formal dinners in which they cooked and served. Well, formal was their descriptive but we were offered a menu and did dine on entrees created their Saturday morning cooking school sessions. I share this idea because it resulted in our children (at the time eight and 10) having more respect and patience for restaurant servers and menu choices.
Family dining matters. As we all know successful and rewarding family dining takes time and selecting the best restaurant can sometimes be a challenge. First, look for places that not only have innovative children’s menus but also offer half portions for dinning. It is the half portion options for youngsters that will provide the best way for children to try new items. Second, any family casual dining experience is better when framed by a comfortable, interesting (dare I say trendy) lively atmosphere and staffed by energetic, efficient staff.
Bonus points: Restaurants with clever descriptions of the food selections get high marks from me.
Three Orlando restaurants fit my family dining profile each offering a unique atmosphere and plenty of healthy menu options for all ages.
Portobello Restaurant. Transport your family to the Italian countryside for a relaxing dining pace. Complete with waterfront views. Adults have limitless choices ranging from delicious pastas to signature wood burning oven pizzas, and fresh catch options.
Highlights on the children’s menu: Bibita Modo Tuo - a delightful frozen blend of soda, cream, and your favorite flavor peach, coconut, or strawberry created for the young and the young at heart. Along with the cutesy drink the children’s menu includes whole wheat cheese pizza and spaghetti with meat sauce. And if there is room for desert there’s always build-your-own-sundae complete with gummies, sprinkles, chocolate or strawberry syrup, plus whipped cream.
My advice: Forget the sundaes. I think this is the place to introduce you children to the delights of authentic Italian gelato.
Location on the planet: Disney Market Place 1650 Buena Vista Drive Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830. (407) 934-8888 or Disney line: 407-WDW-DINE or
www.portobellorestaurant.com Wolfgang Puck Café. The eclectic energy of California dining is offered at Wolfgang Puck Café. Try the Sushi Chef’s innovative roll creations at the sushi bar or dine in the café offering trendy salads and entrees.
Highlights on the children’s menu: Tic-Tac-Toe Pizza and a crispy chicken finger roll with cream cheese and gooey honey mustard inside. Naturally they offer make-your-own-sundae with chocolate chip cookie, sprinkles, caramel and tempting sauces.
My advice: This is the choice if you have teenage girls. It oozes trendiness.
Location on the planet: Downtown Disney - West Side 1482 East Buena Vista Drive Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830. (407) 938-9653 or
http://wolfgangpuckorlando.com
Fulton’s Crab House. The atmosphere of a grand riverboat restaurant is the backdrop for a host of fresh, traditional seafood and landlubber choices for families dining together.
Highlights on the children’s menu: snow crab legs and Mac N’ Cheese with cheddar goldfish and build-your-own-sundae.
My advice: This is the chance to introduce you child to blue crab cakes for which Fulton’s is known.
Location on the planet: Downtown Disney 1670 Buena Vista Drive Lake, Buena Vista, FL 32830. (407) 934- 2628 or
www.fultonscrabhouse.com Content provided by Levy Restaurants of Orlando and comments by Nancy Nelson-Duac Founder & Editor FTF. Copyright 2011.
