Walt Disney World Resort Best Bites: June 2018

This month's Walt Disney World Resort Best Bites is overflowing with new menus, a new brunch, and more! But first, I have to tell you about a brand-new location that recently opened at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World Resort. Rix Sports Bar & Grill is the perfect place to unwind as an upscale destination where you can watch your favorite game and experience a unique twist on classic bar food, handcrafted cocktails, and local draft beers. Whether you're a sports fan or a foodie, you're sure to love this place.

In addition to classics like wings and nachos, the appetizer menu features items such as Lobster Sliders with fresh lobster salad on Parker House rolls and Veggie Lettuce Wraps with sautéed peppers, onions, squash, zucchini, and an Asian sesame marinade. There's also the Watchos. This delicious basket of crispy waffle fries comes loaded with queso blanco, bacon, and scallions and is a great dish to snack on while you enjoy the game!

For the entrées, you'll find an array of items such as Short Rib Chili, Rix Salad (with an artisanal blend of greens tossed in an orange-honey vinaigrette with beets, tomato, cucumber, and goat cheese), the BBQ Ranch Burger, and 15-Spice BBQ Ribs. One of the highlights of the menu is the mouthwatering Bacon Cheeseburger with crispy onion straws, peppered thick-cut bacon, tomato, lettuce, and your choice of cheese. Now, if you're getting hungry reading about these dishes, then check out the full menu online and be sure to make a reservation!

Now let's get back to one of the things I mentioned earlier – BRUNCH! If you read my June Sweet Treats post, then you know that there's a new brunch coming to Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' at Disney Springs. Starting on June 24, you can enjoy the Rise & Shine Southern Brunch on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On the starter menu, you'll find cheddar drop biscuits served with either blackberry fig jam or sawmill gravy. There's also DELICIOUS DOUGHNUTS! You can either get Bacon & Pecan Doughnuts drizzled with caramel or the Rise N' Shine house-made sugar doughnuts served with spiced cane syrup and seasonal fruit.

But wait, there's more! The starters on the menu include a selection of southern comfort foods like the Hallelujah Biscuit. This dish is comprised of an open-faced big biscuit topped with Chef Art's famous fried chicken, two fried eggs, pimento cheese, and pecan-smoked bacon and smothered in sawmill gravy. There's also the Sunrise Burger topped with pecan-smoked bacon, a fried egg, white cheddar, and tomato-bacon jam, or the Country Benedict, an open-faced big biscuit with griddled country ham, two poached eggs and house-made hollandaise. And of course, a brunch wouldn't be complete without drinks! The Rise & Shine cocktail menu has a wide selection of Bloody Marys, sangria, and more – with the highlight being the Princess Mimosa with bubbly and freshly-squeezed Florida orange juice.

Over at Disney's Animal Kingdom, we have a yummy new Italian Sausage Hoagie at the Dino Diner topped with sautéed peppers and onions and served with potato chips.

At Magic Kingdom Park, there's the Hot Dog of the Month at Casey's Corner – the Philly Cheese Steak Hot Diggity Dog with roast beef, sautéed peppers and onions, and cheese sauce. This month's Flatbread of the Month at Pinocchio Village Haus is the Beef & Bleu Flatbread with bleu cheese, onions, and beef brisket with Alfredo sauce and brushed with a garlic butter.

Right next door at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, you can cool off with some refreshing new coffee beverages and snacks at the Oasis Bar & Grill. Enjoy some Kalua Pork Sliders while you sip on a Seven Seas Salty Caramel cold brew with vodka, coffee liqueur, and a caramel garnish or an Island Java-rita cold brew coffee margarita with premium tequila, orange liqueur, and flavors of mango, guava, and ginger. There's also the Tahitian Vanilla cold brew with Irish whisky, Irish cream, vanilla, and whipped cream that goes GREAT with Malasadas – Portuguese doughnuts served with passion fruit curd.

Looking for an on-the-go breakfast pastry? Well Disney's BoardWalk has some savory pastry turnovers at the BoardWalk Bakery. Try the Meat Lovers Pastry Turnover with scrambled eggs, ham, pork sausage, jalapeños, and crème fraiche or the Vegetarian Pastry Turnover with scrambled eggs, spinach, basil, piquillo peppers, and crème fraîche.

Rounding out the list this time is Disney's Wilderness Lodge! At Artist Point, you'll find two new menu items – the first being Wild Halibut Cioppino. Serving two, this dish comes with clams, mussels, bay scallops, Carolina gold rice, pigeon peas, and baby fennel. The second dish is the Farm Egg Pappardelle with duck ragoût, English peas, dandelion greens, and aged cow's milk cheese. And for your sweet tooth, you can also find Chocolate Caramel Mousse at Roaring Fork.

Be sure to come on out and visit Walt Disney World Resort to try all of these delicious new offerings! To make a reservation for Artist Point at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' at Disney Springs or Rix Sports Bar & Grill at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, visit the Walt Disney World Resort website or call (407) WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).