Orlando, Florida! April 2017

My mum and I recently took a trip to Orlando, Florida! It was incredible, truly a holiday of a lifetime and the food did not disappoint. Here are just a few picks of my foodie highlights from the adventure.

For our first breakfast we went to the Kona Café in the Polynesian Resort. This table service restaurant is situated on the first floor of the lobby. I had tonga toast which is fried cinnamon toast stuffed with banana. It was good but next time I would choose differently. My mum's macadamia and pineapple pancakes looked incredible!

Magic Kingdom

The Mickey ice cream is probably the most iconic of all Mickey shaped goods. It is a must try classic, and I don't know whether it was just because of the environment but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's available at almost evert cart in Disney.

The other must try sweet treat in Magic Kingdom is Dole Whip. This pineapple flavoured, dairy-free soft serve is perfect on a hot day. It is available at Aloha Isle in Adventureland and at the Polynesian Resort.

EPCOT

If you like sampling different cuisines, Epcot is for you. Disney have really out done themselves with the attention for detail as you wonder round the eleven countries. My favourites were school bread (cardamom and coconut custard pastry) in Norway and spicey chicken with traditional beer in China!
 

Also, if your in Epcot, you can take a short stroll to The Boardwalk. Follow the signs near the French quarter and head to the lagoon that surrounds Disney's Swan and Dolphin, Disney's Yaught Club and Beach Resorts. By far my favourite thing about The Boardwalk is Ample Hills creamy. There are some fantastic ice cream flavours. Ice creams do however have a significant Disney-style price tag. I would suggest getting one to share!

Disney Springs

Disney Springs has a lovely, chilled atmosphere that has some great food and shops to choose from. There's a huge Disney store to pick up all the merch you could think of. My favourite restaurants I would recommend are Sprinkles for cupcakes and D.Luxe Burger for a typical American lunch (and the dipping sauces!!!). I also tried The Boathouse and Erin McKenna's Bakery but both were slightly disappointing.

Universal

I would say the food at Universal is not as good as Disney. The only must-try for me is butter beer in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I have also heard very good things about Cowfish in Citywalk where you can get sushi or burgers, or both!

If you want to head away from the, sometimes pricey, park food and drink I have a great final recommendation. Located right on International Drive, Maggiano's Little Italy was lovely. I took my beautiful mum for her birthday whilst we were away and the staff were fantastic. The food was rich and traditional Italian. They even brought my mum a complimentary dessert with a candle. This place would be great for kids too and it was really easy to park as there is a car lot right next door. Delicious meal and great atmosphere!

http://www.maggianos.com/

Bookoo's, Helston, Cornwall

I recently travelled down to Helston to try this quirky diner-style restaurant. It was worth the trip, if just for milkshake alone. I had the forerro roche brownie milkshake, it was amazing but very filling!
The burger was  also hefty with some really tasty accompaniments, such as onion rings and house-made barbeque sauce. The only thing I would say is that the sweet potato fries were slightly underdone, but the staff were lovely and made a real effort for my boyfriend's birthday with balloons and banners. There is an extensive menu, with gluten free and vegan menus as well.

Overall, great burgers and shakes that adults and kids can enjoy!

High tea @ Q Tearoom, St Agnes

I recently phoned Q Tearoom looking to book an afternoon tea for that day. They said they usually need 24 hour notice but were very accommodating and could organise something. Later in the afternoon they put on this lovely spread.

Everything was so fresh and garnished with delicious fruit. The Baker Tom scones were huge and lovely too.
The tearoom was very quaint, as you would expect, but what really shone through was the staff. I couldn't fault the whole experience, this is great for a spot of lunch or sweet treat.

Chocolate Construction Cake!

This cake can be personalised to suit your needs!

Orders welcome :)

Trevaskis Farm, Cornwall

I have heard a lot of good things about Trevaskis Farm and have been wanting to visit for a while. It surpassed my expectations. I would recommend booking as I arrived just after it opened for lunch and it was already full. I had a delicious fig and blue cheese panini off the daily specials menu. But the desserts are really where Trevaskis comes into its own. The long counter was full of indulgent treats that could be eaten in or taken away. There was something there to suit every sweet tooth! I had a slab of lemon meringue pie and it was simply perfect.

 

I will be going back to try some of the hot meal options on the menu and tackle another huge dessert!

 

#mustvisit

 

 

http://trevaskisfarm.co.uk/eat

Carrot, Coconut and Chocolate Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting

150ml coconut oil

100g light brown sugar

2 eggs

75g honey

125g self raising flour

50g oat flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp bicarb

200g grated carrots

50g desiccated coconut

50g dark chocolate

 

200g coconut cream

 

Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3. Whisk all wet ingredients well. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients then add the wet mix. Bake in a lined tin for 30 minutes then test with a skewer, if it comes out clean remover from the oven. If not, continue to bake in five minute intervals until ready. Leave to cool. For the frosting, simply whisk the coconut cream until light and fluffy. Spread on the cake and enjoy!

 

To make this cake vegan, swap honey for maple syrup and eggs for flax eggs. To make gluten free, use 175g of oat flour.

Afternoon Tea @ The Lane, Deal

This afternoon tea at The Lane is definitely one of the best I've had. The interesting mix of sweet and savouries were different to a standard tea. Mini brioche buns filled with pulled pork and slaw were fantastic! All treats shown in the photo above were for one person so at £14.50 it was good value for money. Overall, I was really impressed at this modern take on a traditional tea and if you can't manage it all staff are happy to box up the leftovers!

I will definitely be back to sample the cocktails and amazing-looking cakes on offer!

 

https://www.thelanedeal.co.uk/

Roast @ Cowdray, West Sussex

After a friend's wedding the night before, I sampled this delicious roast dinner at the Cowdray Estate. The café offered a varied menu, full of fresh ingredients and there were lots of options for those with allergies. The farm shop next door is also worth a visit!

http://www.cowdray.co.uk/eat/the-cafe/

Fifteen, Watergate Bay, Cornwall

I had been wanting to try Jamie Oliver's beach front restaurant for a while. I opted to order off the main menu and not for the five course sample menu. This worked out better as there was more choice with bigger portions and not as expensive.

The crab pasta to start was simple which complemented the fresh crab. For the main, the pork chop with lentils and salsa verde was delicious and nothing like I'd ever tasted. I don't normally eat pork but this was chargrilled making it superb, and the salsa verde cut through the lentils rich flavour. Though my favourite course was the dessert. The panna cotta was so silky smooth with a strong hit of vanilla, like the nicest milky bar yogurt you've ever eaten!

I would also strongly recommended sampling the cocktails, they were superb. I had a coconut mojito followed by an apple pie martini, both were so well balanced and refreshing.

I was very impressed by the whole experience, it was a lovely treat and will definitely be back to try the seasonal variations.

https://www.fifteencornwall.co.uk/

The Italian Kitchen, Bideford, Cornwall

I visited The Italian Kitchen for new years eve for a venetian themed evening. Everything was so fresh and seemed very authentic. It was also great value for money for the amount of food served. I can fault anything each course was so tasty. I am very keen to visit again to sample the everyday menu.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Theitaliankitchenbideford.co.uk