Disney4me Posted July 13, 2016 Report Share Posted July 13, 2016 We’re here for a FIRST LOOK at Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine! Learn About:Homecoming Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine Downtown DisneyDisney World Restaurants Newly open in the Town Center of Disney Springs (yesterday was Opening Day), Homecoming is the latest venue opened by a Celebrity Chef in Disney World. While the restaurants backed by Chef Morimoto (Morimoto Asia) and Rick Bayless (Frontera Cocina) make up other terrific recent additions to Disney World’s shopping and dining district, Homecoming is especially significant to Disney World and Florida as Chef Art Smith has strong connections to both. Hailing from Jasper, Florida, Chef Smith is also a former Disney Cast Member via the Disney College Program! So, as you can imagine, even though Chef Smith heads up restaurants in other areas of the country, the name Homecoming has an extra special meaning. Homecoming sign We’ll be back with our full review of this new spot next week, but in the meantime, we couldn’t resist sharing this FIRST LOOK with you. Oh, and just look who dropped by to say, “Welcome!” Chef Art Smith on Opening Day! (If only I had asked him where he got that awesome shirt! But we DID get another special souvenir… you’ve got to read on, though, to find out about it!) Atmosphere Not only does the name “Homecoming” reflect Chef Smith’s Florida roots — even the design of the restaurant itself is something of a tribute to the Sunshine State. Homecoming Lots of windows bring in plenty of Florida sunshine, making the large indoor seating area (with Florida cypress used throughout) bright and cheerful. Indoor Seating The Floridian theme extends to much of the artwork in and around the building. And it’s worth noting that the murals were created by an artist from Tampa. Homecoming Mural The Shine Bar has its own entryway to the left of the main entrance. Shine Bar Both the walk-up bar and the seating area on the wraparound porch are covered, and offer some fantastic waterfront views. Shine Bar You can also access the beautiful porch from the inside of the main area of the restaurant. Porch While sleek has been the name of the game in many new locations in Disney Springs, the look and feel at Homecoming is welcoming and charming, while retaining a modern aesthetic. Now that we’ve taken a quick look around, let’s check out the menu… Eats It’s not just Southern fare at Homecoming… it’s Chef Smith’s take on Florida fare, too (click the menu image below to enlarge)! Church Lady Deviled Eggs and Bee Haven Bay Fried Green Tomatoes are among the strong list of Starters (and I’m already partial to the Bunch of Puppies — there are nowhere near enough Hushpuppies in Disney World, and these are made with pimento cheese!). Homecoming Menu — click to enlarge There’s a nice selection of Sandwiches and Salads alongside the Main Plates (which is where you’ll spy Art’s Fabulous Fried Chicken!), allowing for a decent variety of price options. And did you see those Sides? Items like KC Greens (kale and collards), Momma’s Mac and Cheese, and Cheddar-Cheese Drop Biscuits are all up for grabs. Of course, you’ll need to wash it all down (click the image below to enlarge)! Draft Beer is available along with Cans & Bottles, and altogether four Florida breweries are represented. These are offered alongside Wines and a whole slew of “Crafty Moonshine & Resort Cocktails” which come together to make a pretty huge Drink Menu. Homecoming Drink Menu — click to enlarge And the Chef probably wouldn’t want you to leave without a little Dessert ;). Chef Art’s signature Shine Cake, Hummingbird Cake, and mini Orange-Sugar Doughnuts are a few of the options. And, of course, Key Lime Pie. Dessert Menu Again, we’ll be back with our full review next week, but here’s just a little glimpse of what we tried, starting with The Local cocktail: coconut rum, lime, and simple syrup with a pineapple and coconut garnish. The Local Our starters included the Jasper Board (an assortment of pimento cheese, smoked sausage, shaved ham, bread and butter pickles, and candied pecans). Jasper Board And how about a batch of those Church Lady Deviled Eggs? Church Lady Deviled Eggs And, yeah — we just HAD to… Here’s the Fried Chicken & Doughnuts (it’s served with a side of the KC Greens)! Fried Chicken & Doughnuts The Fried Chicken is buttermilk-brined for 24 hours. Fried Chicken & Doughnuts But the fare doesn’t end there… Momma’s Mac and Cheese and the Iron Skillet Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Cane Sugar were our substantial Sides. Momma’s Mac and Cheese Iron Skillet Sweet Potatoes As an aside… I just love the doilies under the side dishes! Momma’s Mac and Cheese Our desserts were served up with a couple of stories… Shine Cake and Hummingbird Cake First, we tried the Hummingbird Cake. Chef Smith first made this pineapple-banana cake with cream cheese frosting for Maya Angelou’s 75th birthday. Then he made it again for Lady Gaga’s 25th. Hummingbird Cake Chef Art’s signature Shine Cake is for adults only… this Butter Cake is soaked with – are you ready for this? — Moonshine Syrup! Shine Cake Before we wrap up our sneak peek here, I’ve got a little tale to tell… on Opening Day, Chef Art Smith was kindly stopping at tables to say hello and chat. I mentioned how much I enjoyed the homemade Hot Sauce that sits on the tables, and asked if it might be for sale (because if it was, I would TOTALLY buy it. This stuff ROCKS). Bottle of Homemade Hot Sauce I couldn’t believe what happened next. That bottle you see above? The Chef himself brought it to me to keep! Talk about being made to feel right at home… Overall Before we go, there is an anomaly with the rollout of reservations for Homecoming that we’d like you to know about. During these opening weeks, this Table Service location will be available only to walk-up guests. Advance Dining Reservations, however, will be available via the Disney World reservation system beginning later this month for dates beginning on August 15th. And Homecoming is One Table Service Credit on the Disney Dining Plan. We are VERY happy to say “Welcome” — or “Welcome HOME,” rather — to Chef Art Smith and Homecoming! We’re looking forward to sharing much more with you soon when we present you with our full review of the newest eatery in Disney Springs. In the meantime, though, we’ll leave you with this: it’s a pretty neat and uplifting thing to have a restaurant dedicated to celebrating the Sunshine State — no matter if its a place you call home all the time, or simply when you pay a visit to Disney World. After all, there’s a lot that’s worth celebrating here. Contributing to this post: Tina, Wendy, and AJ Are you excited to pay a visit to Homecoming? Please let us know with a comment! Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com! Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our Newsletter Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook Fan Related posts: Menu Sneak Peek for Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine by Chef Art Smith Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Shine Bar, Coming Soon to Disney Springs News! Homecoming by Chef Art Smith to Open on July 12th in Disney Springs View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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