Some of you may be wondering what that word that starts with a “k” is in my title…it’s the Greek word for kitchen and it is also Cat Cora’s restaurant at Walt Disney World’s Boardwalk Resort. Kouzzina (pronounced “koo-zee-nah”) opened in 2009 with recipes from chef Cat Cora. The recipes are Mediterranean-inspired with a little Southern style thrown in, too.
Kouzzina was one of those restaurants that we read mixed reviews about, so we weren’t exactly sure what we’d be getting when we arrived. We had advance dining reservations, but finished with our previous activity early and headed over to the resort about an hour early. We checked in with the hostess, to our surprise, she said she thought they’d be able accommodate our party of seven early. Within about 15 minutes, we were seated in spacious, but warm and inviting dining room. It is decorated with a lot of dark woods, gold tones, and granite and is open to the kitchen, even giving diners a view of the “action” and the wood-fired grill and ovens!
Our server was quite friendly and had good recommendations. My husband was disappointed that there wasn’t an assortment of olives available as an appetizer, however, the server assured him he would get plenty of olives. Diners receive a complimentary bread basket with two types of olive oil (one fruity; one peppery) and an assortment of olives. All were excellent (and we received refills as needed…especially of the olives).
Ordering entrees was difficult because so many sounded delicious. Mr. Diner and I both ended up ordering the Wood-Fired Rib-Eye Steak with Broccolini & Kouzzina Potatoes ($33.99). The steak was excellently prepared and very flavorful from being prepared over a wood-burning flame. The broccolini was tender and the potatoes were nicely roasted fingerling potatoes. For dessert, we ordered the greek donuts, which were very fresh and served with raspberry & chocolate dipping sauces ($6.99). Other desserts included a Baklava, a molten chocolate cake, and more. It was an excellent meal!
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Kouzzina offers some decent kids’ menu choices ($8.99) which include grilled fish, grilled chicken, grilled hot dog, macaroni & cheese, and greek lasagna with healthier sides and delicious desserts. One of them chose the Ice Cream Sundae for dessert, and the other chose the creative Build-Your-Own Cupcake. The cupcake is really cute and comes with fun toppings.
We loved dining at Kouzzina! It’s a little off the beaten path if you’re not staying the the surrounding resorts, but well-worth a visit. Plus you can enjoy the boardwalk atmosphere with shops, the water (we had fun watching the turtles & ducks), and the street entertainers. We will definitely be back…I’d love to try the Fisherman’s Stew, Cinnamon-Stewed Chicken, & Oak-Fired Pork Tenderloin. In fact, someone else at our table ordered the Pork Tenderloin (see below) and it was one of the most flavorful and tender pork dishes I’ve ever tried.
Entrée Price: $$$
Average Fork Rating: 4.8
Mr. Diner: 5
Mrs. Diner: 5
Amazing Diner: 5
Sweet Diner: 5
Little Diner: 4
I agree; the food here is delicious. The dinner I had here was one of the best that I had on a recent trip to Disneyworld. It is a bit off the beaten track, but I certainly thought it was worth it.
ReplyDeletesounds like a good place--maybe for Mom and Dad only on our next trip!
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