This place is very popular so we were glad we made a reservation.  After being seated, our waiter greeted us and explained the whole concept of this type of dining.  We were each given a disc with a green side and a red side.  There are several waiters circulating the restaurant with different varieties and cuts of meat.  If you have your disc turned to green, they will stop at your table with the particular delicacy they have to offer.  Some of the meat is on skewers and will be delivered directly to your plate and some are carved off the skewer and you are given tongs to grasp it as the waiter slices it.  If you need a break, then you turn your disc to red and they will bypass your table.

Before this main event, we were directed to what they call the salad bar, though it was much more than that and by far the most outstanding salad bar we have ever experienced.  Of course there were salads, greens and wonderful dressings, but there were also cheeses like grilled provolone and shaved Grana Padano,  cold cuts like salami and prosciutto and fresh crusty bread.  There were wonderful delicacies such as artichoke bottoms, hearts of palm, and gourmet olives.  There was a hot bar as well with lobster bisque, sautéed mushrooms, black beans and jasmine rice which were all wonderful accompaniments to the cuts of meat.

At our table, we were served mashed potatoes and fried bananas which were covered with a delicious sweet glaze.  The bananas were meant to cleanse the palate between the different selections of meat which included filet mignon, flank steak, sirloin, leg of lamb, lamb chops, ribs, chicken and Brazilian sausage.  Everything was excellently prepared.  We were offered dessert, but we were just too full to even consider it. 

The cost is around $45.00 per person, but if you go to the website and join the e-mail club, you will receive a coupon for 25% your total bill and then you will continue to receive special offers throughout the year.  The initial coupon is only good for a few weeks, so wait until only a short time before you plan to go to sign up. 

If you have a large appetite (as does my teenage son who we always purchase this for!), this is an excellent deal as it offers unlimited meals for the whole day up until 30 minutes prior to park closing. 

The cost is $19.99 plus tax for adults and $9.99 plus tax for children (ages 9 and under) for a single park or you can also purchase a two park meal deal which includes both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for $23.99 plus tax for adults and $11.99 plus tax for children.  Beverages are not included, however, you can purchase a Meal Deal Souvenir Cup for $8.99 plus tax which is good for unlimited fountain drink refills on the day of purchase.

The way it works is that there are 3 participating restaurants in each of the parks. 

At Universal Studios, the participating locations are Louie’s Italian Restaurant, Mel’s Drive-In, and the International Food & Film Festival Food Court. 

At Islands of Adventure, the participating locations are Circus McGurkus Café Stoo-pendous, Comic Strip Café and Burger Digs.

Most of these locations serve the usual selection of burgers, pizza, and chicken.  You go through the line and select one entrée and one dessert and show your wrist band at check-out.  You are limited to only the one entrée and dessert per trip through the line.  Children must choose from the exclusive meal deal children’s menu only. 

My daughters and I won’t consume enough food to make this worth our while, however, for my 15 year old son and for my husband, we found this to be a very excellent value.  The downside is that you can only get one entrée per trip through the line, but being that my son inhales his food in about one third of the time as the rest of us, he had plenty of time to go through the line at least one or two more times while we finished eating.  And since he’s usually hungry again within the hour, it was quite nice for him (and really nice for my pocket book) to be able to just stop and grab another meal along the way.  Remember that sharing of meals is not permitted.

The Outback Restaurant is a popular steakhouse chain with locations in  the Orlando area and though I enjoy a good steak once in awhile, I rarely order one when we visit the Outback because there are several other menu items that are my personal favorites.

Their signature appetizer is the Bloomin’ Onion which is a whole onion that has been cut or “flowered,” batter-dipped and then deep-fried.  It’s delicious though the Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp is my favorite.  These are huge shrimp, sweet and crunchy with a marmalade dipping sauce.  They’re really excellent.

For the next course, the blue-cheese pecan chopped salad  is wonderful!  This is a menu item that I often find myself craving and I have been known to choose the Outback for this salad alone.  

For the main course, all the Outback steaks are outstanding, especially Victoria’s filet which I will often have, but my favorite are the Grillers (I like the steak and veggie griller - you can also get chicken, shrimp or salmon). The vegetables are so good, but the grilled pineapple beats all - I never knew I would like that! These entrees are a bit on the lighter side allowing you to save room for dessert!

Your meal will come with unlimited loaves of fresh hot pumpernickel bread on a cutting board with fresh whipped butter.

There are some great choices for dessert.  My personal favorite being the chocolate lover that I am is the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under!   This is a large brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, warm fudge sauce, chocolate shavings and whipped cream.  If you can’t decide which dessert to order, they offer a sampler trio including this dessert along with the peanut butter pie and cheesecake!

They have a great children’s menu too.  My younger daughter has always been a big fan of ribs and when she was very young, we noticed that ribs were almost never a choice on the kids menus of most restaurants.  With adult-sized meals being so pricey and way too much for her, we often took her to the Outback where ribs are always an option on the “Joey” menu for kids 10 and under.   And to this day, she likes the ribs at the Outback best!

Another reason why I like the Outback is that having a very close friend who suffers from Celiac Disease, we really appreciate that the Outback offers a gluten-free menu specifically for those on this special diet. 

It’s often difficult to please everyone in the family when choosing a place to eat.  Even if you’re not a big fan of pizza, CiCi’s really does a fine job of catering to the whole group!

The only thing not included in the buffet price is the beverage, but just like everything else at CiCi’s, your beverage is unlimited – drink all you want while you eat all you want.

Start with the salad bar where you can choose from lots of fresh veggies, toppings and dressings.

Move on to the pasta where you can choose from two sauces – either marinara or creamy alfredo.  The garlic bread is to die for!

Now, even if you’re not a big fan of pizza, you can certainly fill up on pasta and salad, but I guarantee that there will be varieties of fresh-dough pizza like nothing you have ever tried before.  Cici’s is quite creative and you will find some really interesting toppings.  And if you have a pretty creative imagination yourself, you can even put in a request and they’ll do their best to make it for you. 

The pizza goes fast, and the cooks keep it coming and every time you go back to the buffet, you’ll find a different kind.  You’ll find everything from the traditional pepperoni, Italian sausage, or meat lovers varieties to vegetarian choices like Spinach Alfredo, or Zesty Veggie to some really unusual choices like Ham and Pineapple or Macaroni and Cheese!

You’ll want to save room for dessert which is also included in your buffet.  The warm cinnamon rolls and moist brownies are yummy.  And of course don’t forget to try the dessert pizza!

And those boys I was mentioning at the beginning – you know the ones.  They can really put away the food, but they do it in a hurry and then want to rush you out of there?  Well, you can send them off to the arcade room where they’ll be busy and out of your hair while you leisurely finish your meal!  How perfect is that?!

My siblings just shunned me for admitting this out loud, so let me amend that statement before cries of “Anorexia!” stream past your lips.  Many people will list some type of food among their favorite things, say that food is one of their passions, or state that food is their favorite thing in the world. 

Ever since I went away to university, my enthusiasm for food has dwindled.  I simply wouldn’t eat if I didn’t have to.  I love my mother’s cooking, and I do enjoy eating it when I am home, but  I do not like food in the same way that others claim to love food.  I am for the most part simply indifferent. 

However, I do have some interest in tasting strange and unique foods because I have always been fascinated by other cultures and I have found that I usually tend to enjoy ethnic much more than the common dining hall variety.  So whenever my family goes out to eat, I usually lobby for a strange and exciting sounding ethnic restaurant. 

I’ve never been to Spain, but I’ve heard quite a lot about Spain’s infamous tapas bars.  Tapas are supposedly different types of light foods that are served in appetizer portions.  There’s a tapas bar downtown where I go to school, but it’s a bit shady so I’ve never been there.  Instead, my family and I went to Café Tu Tu Tango recently to try out Orlando’s version of tapas. 

Café Tu Tu Tango is best summarized as eclectic.  Its claim to fame is serving “food for the starving artist.”  I suppose this means that the food is priced reasonably, but it also means that various starving artists quite literally find a haven at Café Tu Tu Tango, which makes it much more interesting than expected.  Local artwork varying from realism to abstract to metalworking plasters the walls and conflicts in a riot of colors to create a cheerful, engaging atmosphere.  The pieces are festooned with price tags, because the real reason behind the cluttered walls is for the artists to promote their work.  Several artists actually come in and work in studio spaces near the front, lending to the sophisticated and chic feel of the place, which was carefully crafted to accent the food.

The food, for a lack of a better word, was stupendous.  Our very helpful waiter explained that as a tapas style restaurant, all of the dishes would be in smaller portions, arrive at the table in a staggered fashion, and were intended to be shared.  All of the food that my family was presented with was artful, tasteful, and interesting. 

There is something for everyone at Café Tu Tu Tango.  From exotic dishes such as tropical jerk flatbread to simple delights like strawberry salad; we thoroughly enjoyed everything.  My brother is rather finicky about ethnic food, so he stuck to a pepperoni pizza and tried some calamari.  My sister is attached to Italian food so she had a roma tomato and goat cheese flatbread.  My father and I split crusted mahi mahi skewers and the tropical jerk flatbread topped with beef, mangos, grilled onions and cheese.  My mother enjoyed roasted pears and pecan crisps as well as filet on skewers smothered in a bourdelaise sauce and gorgonzola fondue served with wonderful crispy chile scented potatoes.

We thoroughly enjoyed the unique flavor sensations that the tapas presented to us, and I would recommend Café Tu Tu Tango to anyone looking for an artsy and delicious evening.   I—to my dismay—found myself liking food.  

Written by:  Gabriella Bensur

On this last visit, we had the opportunity to go to the newer location on Vineland Avenue in Orlando just up the street from Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine.  As always, we started off with some of the wonderful appetizers.  My favorites are the bruschette of the day and the zucchini fritte (thin strips of zucchini coated with a parmesan batter and deep fried).  On that particular day, the bruschette was a tomato goat cheese topping served with slices of toasted garlic bread – delicious!  Three different starter salads are on offer, Caesar, Italian and House.  Though I chose Italian this time, I have had all three and they are all wonderful.   The Italian salad has a vinaigrette dressing whereas the House salad is served with a creamy dressing, both full of lettuce, olives and assorted veggies.  With our salads came baskets of warm crusty Italian bread with herbed olive oil for dipping. 

For the main course, there are a variety of selections including pastas (of course), seafood, veal, chicken and steak all prepared in an authentic Italian manner.   I have tried many but my favorites are Chicken Bryan (grilled chicken breast topped with herbed goat cheese, basil, sun dried tomatoes and a light sauce), Veal Piccata (sauteed veal topped with mushrooms, proscuitto ham and lemon butter sauce) and Pasta Weesie (fettucini alfredo topped with shrimp, scallions and mushrooms).

There are a few choices for side items with certain entrees and a must have is the cavitappi amatriciana.  It’s a pasta dish with a delicious tomato sauce.  The sauce is excellent and we have been known to ask for a bowl of it for dipping our bread! The server always complies!

Make sure you save room for dessert!  They always have a wonderful selection on offer.  Since I love tiramisu, I almost always order this – it’s delicious!  My husband usually orders the fudge brownie with ice cream and I have to say that it is also very delicious since I usually have to sample his as well!

Bon Appetit!

They suggested that we arrive an hour before the scheduled time for our seating which we did, however, it would have been better to arrive even sooner.   We waited in line for about 20 minutes to check-in.  Even though we ordered our tickets in advance, you still have to acquire your seating assignment.  They offer you the opportunity to upgrade your meal or seating, but we didn’t feel it was worth it so didn’t bother.   After we checked-in, they took us into a large room for a pre-show and appetizers.  The pre-show was very entertaining and you wouldn’t want to miss it, so make sure you arrive no less than an hour before the show.  The appetizers are included in your admission, but drinks were quite pricey ($4.50 for a soft drink!) – better to hold your thirst until you enter the theater!

We were then taken into the theater and seated in long rows quite like sitting at a bar.  I noticed that if you were not seated on the end, it would be close to impossible to get out to use the restroom.  So, if you are not young and spry enough to climb over the back of the seat, then you may want to let people ahead of you so you can be on an end! 

The performance began shortly after we were seated and we were served our meal while we watched.   They first served beer and soft drinks.  There are 2 rounds of beer included, but even though they say the same for the soft drinks, these were unlimited.  Next, they offered us a choice of salad or a creamy vegetable soup.  After that came the main course.  We thought we had to choose one main entrée (chicken, pork, or seafood), but they actually gave us more than one.  I had the pork and the seafood – it was served with Caribbean rice and red potatoes.  It was actually very good and very generous on the helpings.  For dessert, we were served apple cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup.

The show was fun!  They have an extremely talented cast.  We especially enjoyed the circus type acts and acrobats.  After the show, we exited back through the pre-show area where the performers were waiting so we were able to get some great photos.   I would recommend this experience for people of all ages – it was a very enjoyable evening.

When I think of Harry Potter—once I push past the death of my favorite character, and the unsatisfactory conclusion—I remember what I fell in love with when I first began the series.  Hogwarts and its many quirks., Hogsmeade, butterbeer, Zonko’s, and Honeyduke’s.  Then there are the dragons and hippogriffs., the Triwizard Tournament,  the Ministry of Magic, Quidditch, the Golden Trio, Draco Malfoy, Sirius Black, Professor Dumbledore and the list could go on, but that is where I usually start. 

I am pleased to say that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter successfully captured all the elements of the series that drew in the fans in the first place, while avoiding all the unpleasantness that popped up starting in book five. 

There was Hogwarts, albeit a bit small, standing in all its glory and containing the enthralling ride “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey,”  during which you experience all of the castles familiar characteristics, the Trio, Draco, Dumbledore, the Fat Lady, and a few other characters.  When you first cross into this section of Islands of Adventure, a sign greets you that reads, “Welcome to Hogsmeade.”  And what a welcome it is.  The village is complete with all of our favorite shops; Honeyduke’s, Zonko’s, the Three Broomsticks, and several more.  Even Ollivander’s is represented, successfully transplanted from Diagon Alley (this didn’t really seem to bother anyone, I think we were all just happy to see it).  There are several artful touches scattered around that subtly complete the scene.   

All around are the normal signs and warnings found in amusement parks, but these are all embellished with Ministry of Magic symbols and predicated by phrases such as “A notice from the Department of Magical Games and Sports” or “the Department of Magical Transportation” or “the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.”  The list of Departments goes on, and every time I read one of those names, it brought a smile to my face.    

Two adorable shows, one featuring the infamous Hogwarts Choir complete with toads (funny I missed that in the books) and the other ladies from Beauxbatons and gentlemen from Durmstrang complete the mood, and support the Hogwarts ride and a Triwizard Tournament roller coaster respectively.

There is even a kiddie roller coaster called Flight of the Hippogriff that takes off outside Hagrid’s hut for those who won’t like the loops and dives of the previously mentioned Dragon Challenge Triwizard Tournament coaster (which is a phenomenal coaster, by the way). 

All in all, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is very well done and highlights all of the things that one usually thinks of when Harry Potter is mentioned.  For a slightly disillusioned fan, it was exactly what was needed to bring the magic of Harry roaring back to life!

Written By: Gabriella Bensur

Unfortunately, I did not receive my green-inked letter, and to my utter astonishment and very real disappointment, I have never met anyone who has. 

So when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened and I heard that Universal was planning on building Hogwarts, I decided I would have to settle for the amusement park experience of our favorite magical school.  A visit to the park is considerably shorter than seven years of Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and History of Magic, so I suppose that’s a plus. 

What I was not expecting was Hogwarts to be presented to the hoards of Potter fans as a ride entitled Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

Gee, J.K. Rowling, why didn’t you name one of your seven highly acclaimed books that?  I can’t for the life of me see why. 

Anyway, so Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey;  first you walk through the dungeons, which are pretty artfully done, and then you proceed through a line that meanders about the Herbology greenhouses.  When you finally enter the castle, you find yourself in rooms that incorporate one of the best features of Hogwarts—talking portraits!

The paintings are adorable.  They bring to life several characters that you will surely remember from the books, and the magic starts to come to life.  They are followed by various statues, the entrance to Dumbledore’s office, the Fat Lady, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and several other artful touches that will enchant the true fan and the casual movie watcher alike. 

The Trio makes their appearance before the ride begins of course,  and when you board the ride you are hoisted into the air by one of Hermione’s spells—because nothing is complete without the genius witch’s wandwork!

What then follows is an absolutely ingenious conglomeration of the first four Harry Potter books which includes the Chamber of Secrets, a dragon, Aragog, dementors, Quidditch, and the stunning usage of bubbled screens that truly make you feel like you are flying with Harry himself. 

It was unlike any ride I have ever been on, and it was an absolute thrill.  My sister and I described it as crazy amazing—it was a bit crazy in that neither of us really knew what was going on, but amazing in its effects and ability to bring the series and the grounds of Hogwarts into stunning clarity before the awed visitor. 

So, despite my skepticism, it was a bloody brilliant ride.  It avoided all the elements of the series that I disliked (the entirety of the last three books) and rejoiced in the bright and exciting adventures of Harry in his early years.   Is Hogwarts finally accessible at Universal Orlando? Of course not.  But the Forbidden Journey offers us Muggles a superb taste of the magic that will always be just beyond our reach.

Ever since James Cameron’s highly acclaimed movie “Avatar” was released, at least a few mentions of floating mountains, Pocahontas, and blue people are going to crop up.

So, naturally, as I was strolling through City Walk at Universal, Orlando on my way to see the Blue Man Group, I had aliens on my mind. 

I was disappointed to find that these blue men do not come from Pandora and are not nine feet (ten feet? eleven feet?) tall.  Instead, their blueness comes from some sort of latex and paint film on their faces and hands while the rest of their bodies are conveniently covered in nondescript black clothing.

The Blue Man Group has been around far longer than Cameron spent filming “Avatar,” which is definitely saying something.  The show is known throughout the States as family friendly and highly amusing entertainment.  The advertisements always show men who are ostentatiously blue-skinned and staring wide-eyed at the viewers as though we should clearly have cobalt skin too. 

So no one really knows what the show is about before going in.  And from what I gather, the routines differ, perhaps not night to night (except when audience volunteers elicit different reactions in certain skits) but definitely from city to city.  This is quite alright, because honestly I don’t think anyone knows what the show is about coming out, either. 

The Blue Man Group involves excellent drumming by the Blue Men, a fantastic rock band playing back-up, strangely baffling stunts involving paint, lots of noise, and incredible lighting.  It appears that in order to be a Blue Man, you must be highly musically inclined, have excellent hand-eye coordination, and be able to perform an entire two hour show without speaking a single word. 

There was definitely something delightfully endearing about the silently sapphire men and their mute appeals for attention.  Their silence was also highly amusing.  The three men interacting in very strange situations without uttering a sound was simple, cute, and funny.  It also brought about lulls in the show where small children (or exhausted adults) probably fell asleep, but the incredibly loud rock music was bound to wake everyone up every once in a while, so that was alright. 

The show was also distinctly unique because all of the situations and comedy centered around very ordinary things that were vaguely scientific and at times simply amazing.  Somehow, the Blue Men managed to make plumbing, ears, eating Twinkies, and the definition of animation both interesting and comical.  Their inclusion of various audience members in their show was both adorable and personal, and usually highlighted by sarcastic, understated, or bizarre humor. 

The lagging bits of the show notwithstanding, the Blue Man Group delivered just what it advertised - a mysterious hodgepodge of colorful paint, lights, comedy and music which was family friendly and at times awe-inspiring.  The actors are no doubt exceedingly talented, managing to elicit delight and laughter from a very diverse crowd with only body language, accented by videos or scrolling words to set up their miming.  Their performance is both one-of-a-kind and breathtaking. 

Although I would have much rather been able to say that I watched looming aliens lope around the stage, I suppose that I can settle for the Blue Man Group being a show that is out of this world. 

Written by my daughter: Gabriella Bensur