While I was in Orlando, I had to find a restaurant for business dinner. At this point, most of everyone knows that I am the “go to person” when it comes to food. After some research, I decided on STK located in Disney Springs. Since they have two locations in New York, I was familiar with them and their reputation with food.
They have second floor that leads to an open balcony, which is illuminated with string lights at night. It is very pretty, but, their menu is slightly smaller than the main menu on the first floor. So, if you want to dine at their balcony, and wanting a specific item, make sure you can get them on the second floor as well. We sat at their main dining area on first floor. One thing I kind of omitted to the group was that the restaurant is more for a “younger” crowd, meaning, dimmed lights and loud music. The whole decor was modern, sleek, glitz and glamour. I think it was a bit too “hip” for our group (LOL) but I figured the food would be worth it, and they will forgive me after they have had their food.
I started off with a fun drink, Key Lime Pie Martini ($15). I know, right? It is made with vodka, malibu rum, fresh lime juice with frothy pineapple cream. And, instead of having salt around the rim, it had graham cracker crumbs, which completed the “pie” cocktail creation. It was creamy and tasty, sweet and smooth, and really had a good key lime flavor to it. I don’t know how they did it, but it was awesome!!!
One thing I was really looking forward to was their complimentary garlic bread. Sourdough bread, made into pull-apart inside a deep cast iron pan. It is topped with bleu butter, and served with chimichurri oil. I must say, it is one of THE best garlic bread I’ve ever had… I would be happy just to have the bread (and the cocktail). I heard that the complimentary bread is offered on the first floor only, not on the second floor, so if you want to try this bread, you must sit on the first floor.
I was not super hungry on this evening, and I was more excited about their side dishes than having a steak, so I ordered an appetizer item as my main dish. I chose Seared Scallops, which is served with short rib marmalade, and charred scallion cornbread purée. The scallops were nice size and very plump. It was cooked perfectly. The short rib marmalade was so flavorful, and to my surprise, went great with the scallops. The cornbread purée gave a little hint of sweetness to it, and bringing all the flavors together. Even though it was a small dish, I really enjoyed it.
For the sides, we ordered Parmesan Truffle Fries (10), Sweet Corn Pudding ($10), Lobster Mac & Cheese (special of the night), and Asparagus. I only managed to get a photo of the fries and corn… As soon as they arrived to our table, they could not wait to dig in before I got to take a photo. The truffle fries were my favorite, they are serious about their truffle fries. The moment it arrived, we could smell the truffle. It was not some “hint” of truffle or anything like that, but it was heavy duty truffle. The potatoes were cut thick and in perfect rectangle, stacked on top of each other almost like Jenga. It was so potato-y with great truffle and parmesan flavor, it was so addictive! The corn was very creamy, bit on a sweet side, and very filling. I can see why they call it “pudding” as they are thick and satisfying. The Lobster Mac & Cheese had chunks of lobsters in it, really generous amount. We didn’t have to dig and look for lobster chunk, it was there in every bite. Asparagus was fresh and cooked perfectly, soft but not mushy, still have that solid center without being too hard.
Most of others had steak dishes, and they all loved them. We also had a bottle of red wine to go with everyone’s steak, but on a light side. We ordered 2013 Yulupa Pinot Noir from Kenwood Vineyards of Sonoma County. It was light, smooth, great flavors of oak, cherries, and spice. It went great with steak and also with my scallops.
I was super full after the meal, and so was everyone. But, somehow, we talked ourselves into ordering ONE dessert to share among the table. We ordered Orange Dream Cheesecake ($10). It is made with bruleed oranges, topped with whipped cream. I was happy to see the small size when it arrived, as we were really full. The cheesecake was decadent, rich, velvety, and had great orange flavor without it being overpowering. It had a sugar crackle on top as brulee would, and added the extra sweetness to it. It was very elegant and well made. Everyone enjoyed a taste of it.
At the end, I was completely forgiven for the “hip” atmosphere, dimmed lights, and the loud noise. Everyone enjoyed their food immensely, and the service was great as well. We were well taken care of by our beautiful server Rachel, and a manager on the floor also came by to check on us as well. Since it was a large group, the gratuity was already added to the bill, which Rachel made sure to let us know. I appreciate the extra courteous and polite service, since I know there are many restaurants that will not inform you of this, ending up receiving so much more gratuity in a sneaky way. This place, they had respect for the customers and treated us right. I really had a good time here, minus the loud music. The setting was not the optimum for a business dinner, but I would definitely love to go to STK again. Next time will be with my family and friends though, not for business dinner… STK Manhattan, here I come!
STK Orlando – Disney Springs, 1580 Buena Vista Dr, Orlando, FL 32830