Magical Dining is back! It's your chance to enjoy many Orlando area restaurants at an amazing price. From Aug. 27 – Oct. 3, more than 80 of Orlando’s fine dining restaurants offer a $37 three-course, prix-fixe dinner menu. Simply head over to MagicalDining.com for the full list of restaurants.
Here's a tip--you can filter restaurants by location and/or dietary options (gluten free, vegan or vegetarian). I filtered restaurants that offered gluten free entrees and was pleasantly surprised to find a total of 34! After discussing the options with my hubby, we made a reservation at The Capital Grille - International Drive.
Reservations are recommended and can be hard to come by at the restaurant, but fortunately, during Magical Dining this location is opening one hour earlier on Saturdays and Sundays due to demand. We arrived ten minutes early and were seated right away. Not surprising, the entire service from start to finish was phenomenal. (Shoutout to Angel and Rafeal for a magical evening!)
If you have never dined at Capital Grille, it is an upscale restaurant based on the classic "gentlemen's club". Think mahogany paneling and art-deco chandeliers. Paintings on the walls pay tribute to those in the local community who made a difference before their passing. (There was a painting of former Florida Governor Lawton Chiles behind our table. Our server told us that the Los Angeles restaurant includes a portrait of Stan Lee and the Parsippany, NJ location includes Whitney Houston.) Wine lockers are also available for frequent diners. (I spotted one for Shaquille O'Neal.)
So back to my dining experience. When we were first seated, we were both given the regular menu and the Magical Dining menu. I was also handed a gluten sensitive menu. (Side note -- when I made the dining reservation online, I made note of my gluten allergy in the notes so the servers were aware of my gluten allergy from the beginning of our evening.)
The staff was very careful and respectful of my allergy. In fact, the waiter politely asked if he should bring the bread service to the table for my husband or hold it back. I thanked him for asking and told him to please bring it out.
The bread and our drinks arrived first. (The wine list is quite expansive! You can order by the glass or by the bottle.) I found a mid-priced Merlot that was available by the glass.
My first course (a Wedge Salad with bleu cheese and smoked bacon) arrived quickly. My second courses (8oz Filet Mignon), add on (Maine Lobster tail) and accompaniments (Sam's mashed potatoes & creamed spinach) arrived a couple of minutes after our salad plates were removed.
I was offered coffee before the final course was presented but declined as I still had a few sips of wine to finish. My third course selection was the Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake, which was amazing. In fact, everything we chose was excellent.
I can't wait to return to The Capitol Grille sometime soon, but in the meantime, I plan to explore more Magical Dining restaurants around Orlando!
Disclaimer, Visit Orlando hosted me and my husband at The Capitol Grille in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
