Minnie and I usually try and have one nice table service meal a trip. This trip we chose Artist Point that is located at the Wilderness Lodge. This restaurant was recommended to me by an Executive Chef at Walt Disney World so how can you ignore that?
We gave our reservation name to the cast member at the first podium. We walked up a ramp and the host station welcomed us by name and were seated. The restaurant is very “upscale rustic”. Fashioned like a big log cabin lodge with fantastic artwork throughout the dining room. It has very low lighting and is very quiet, which was a welcomed break from the noise of the parks.
The theme of Artist Point is fashioned from the Northwest United States. The menu certainly reflects that. I did cheat before we went and I looked at the menu so I knew what I wanted before we got there.
They bring you a basket of warm sourdough bread with butter topped with black sea salt and truffle oil.
My appetizer was a confit of natural bacon topped with a fried quail egg, and served with a sweet potato “smear”. For those of you who may not know the process of “confit” it is usually meat that is covered with rendered fat and slow roasted. I have to tell you I could have eaten three courses of this and I would have been happy. However, I ran my fork through the egg yoke and through the bacon it just fell apart. The sweet potato helped balance the heaviness of the pork.
Minnie had their mixed green salad topped with sliced manchego cheese, sunflower seed granola, fresh fruit, and ice wine vinaigrette. It was very good as well and a huge portion.
For Entree I had the pacific northwest trio. It was sliced venison loin, wild game sausage, and buffalo strip steak. Served with gouda mashed potatoes, winter vegetables, red onion marmalade, and berry gastrique. The server recommended medium rare on the steaks, which is what I usually order anyway. It was perfectly cooked, tender, and flavorful. The marmalade and gastrique really accent the flavor of the meat without hiding it.
Minnie had the cedar plank roasted king salmon that was served with risotto and sauteed red cabbage. It took two people to serve this salmon. The waiter brought the dish with her sides and another server brought a big cedar plank with the salmon on it. The salmon is wild so it has a very good flavor. It wasn’t overly seasoned and you could really taste the cedar coming through.
Now onto dessert. I had the signature cobbler. It was fresh blueberries mixed with a cake batter and baked. Then it is topped with fresh raspberries, black raspberries, and blueberries. If that wasn’t enough it is topped by their house made black raspberry ice cream. It was delicious. The warm cobbler just melted the ice cream so it was creamy, the berries added a freshness to the dish and the right balance of sweet and sour.
Minnie had the trio of crème brulee. They included vanilla mint, mocha, and dutch chocolate. I am glad she got this because it was very rich and after the meal I had I am not sure I could have finished all of them. However they were each delicious with the sugar crust on top.
Overall, I would definitely come back and eat here. Although, the price is steep it is worth every penny. (This restaurant is a Signature Dining Experience, so is two table service credits on the Disney Dining Plan.) If you are looking for a quaint, quiet, romantic dinner with tremendous food, you can’t get much better at Walt Disney World.
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Keith was born and raised in Northeast Ohio.He now lives with his wife a few miles from his childhood home. His first trip to the Magic Kingdom was at the age of two and while the only memories are in pictures, the magic laid dormant within him. Until he saw the animated movie Robin Hood, and his love began to grow. He has always had an interest in food and the togetherness it brings. He became a classically trained chef and all around foodie. His last trip to Disney World was in 2011 and he has been learning, researching, and keeping up on all things Disney since. He hopes to bring you all of the food news from the parks, tips on how to save money on food, and all the tastes and smells from the House of Mouse (especially when smell o vision is invented). You can follow Keith on Twitter @DarthChef79.
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