Disney4me Posted October 29, 2018 Report Share Posted October 29, 2018 The place to go for food that reflects the many cooking traditions of Mexico is Frontera Cocina, a table service restaurant located in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs. And the mantra of the restaurant’s owner and leader, Chef Rick Bayless, is all about seasonality and respect for Mexican ingredients, methods, and food culture. Frontera Cocina That’s why you’ll find that the menu at Frontera Cocina changes with some regularity, reflecting both the season and the vibrancy of Mexican food. Chef Bayless is world-renowned for his cooking, which he has shared on his show, Mexico: One Plate at a Time and Top Chef Masters. And if you’ve had the pleasure of hearing him talk about cuisine on these programs or podcasts over the years, you already know how much he cares about his craft. Chef Rick Bayless And so it was great to see the chef out and about in his Disney Springs restaurant during a media preview for Frontera Cocina’s new seasonal menu and Taste of Oaxaca menu. Also on hand were entertainers who will be at the restaurant from time to time through early November to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. Live Entertainment We were invited to preview the new menus, and we were thrilled to have an excuse to return to Frontera Cocina. Our first visit was a hit, so our expectations were high. First up was the Taste of Oaxaca. Taste of Oaxaca at Frontera Cocina We started with three Featured Drinks, each unique and using ingredients specially curated for quality and impact. The Oaxaca Daiquiri was our favorite drink of the night, crafted as it was with a genuinely unique rum. (More on that in a moment!) Oaxaca Daiquiri Aside from the delicious Paranubes Oaxacan rum, the Daiquiri is comprised of banana, guanabana liquor, and agave nectar. It’s served frozen with a brown sugar-chia seed rim. Oaxaca Daiquiri This unusual rim was delicious with the sweetness of the drink. But this one is strong… and tastes potent. On the other hand, the fruitiness was so delicious, you might get over the strength of the alcohol even if that taste isn’t typically your preference. Oaxaca Daiquiri One ingredient behind the Oaxaca Daiquiri’s delicious uniqueness is the Paranubes Rum, which is derived from plantains. It’s that custom flavor which drives the drink. Oaxaca Daiquiri Rum Our server brought us a shot of the rum so we could sample it on its own, and we have to say, we’ve never tasted anything like it — in a good way! Oaxaca Daiquiri Rum The Mezcalita is Banhez mezcal, Ancho Reyes liquor, orange juice, and chocolate bitters. It’s a lovely color, owing to the orange juice. Mezcalita This drink is a delightful, balanced combination of smoky mezcal and sweet orange. And while the chocolate bitters add an unexpected element, it’s more of an aftertaste. The Mezcalita was the least memorable of the drinks, but it’s also the least intimidating (read: strong!) of the three drinks we tried. Mezcalita We also enjoyed the Mexican Chocolate Martini, which basically tasted like Christmas in a glass. Comprised of Montelobos mezcal, chocolate liqueur, and Avión espresso tequila liqueur, this is a strong drink that’s easy (a little too easy, maybe!) to drink. And that rim: it tastes like cocoa and brown sugar. Totally tasty. Mexican Chocolate Martini Food at Frontera has always been solid, and thankfully, the Taste of Oaxaca carries forth that tradition. We started with an updated version of guacamole — Guacamole with Chile Lime Chapulines. Guacamole with Chile Lime Chapulines As ever the chips were a great base for the fresh, flavorful guac. And unlike some Mexican restaurants, these aren’t greasy and unnecessarily heavy. Guacamole with Chile Lime Chapulines If you were wondering what chapulines are, they’re grasshoppers. Yep. Chef Bayless doesn’t include insects for shock value, though; rather his intention is to celebrate the cuisine of Oaxaca, where grasshoppers are a popular ingredient to provide texture and protein. And in our experience, it’s really the texture that the chapulines provide, rather than a powerful flavor. Guacamole with Chile Lime Chapulines Along with the guac and chips come the restaurant’s two classic salsas: chipotle and salsa verde. We always ask to keep them for the entree round, where we manage to eat every drop. Salsas Salsas Salsas Entrees for the Taste of Oaxaca are a highlight, starting with the rich Roasted Bone-In Beef Shortrib. Roasted Bone In Beef Short Ribs Served with Cotija mashed potatoes, sauteed Swiss chard, crispy onions, and toasted peanuts, the shortrib is roasted for 12 hours! Frontera Concina is doin’ it right, y’all! Roasted Bone In Beef Short Ribs The Cotija mashed potatoes were the big stand-out. The were rich and creamy without being heavy, and they were spot-on perfect with the beef. (These are also available as a side order on the regular menu, so don’t miss these!) Roasted Bone In Beef Short Ribs The play of textures is fantastic here. We loved the simple fried onions, which added a lot of visual interest as well as flavor. Something about onions and beef just works. Roasted Bone In Beef Short Ribs The dish is enhanced by a roasted peanut mole, which is as complex as you’d expect! Roasted Bone In Beef Short Ribs The peanuts are a surprising addition — and they’re here in two forms: toasted as a garnish and roasted in the mole. But they work really well, both adding to the dish rather than overwhelming it. Roasted Bone In Beef Short Ribs Did we mention the shortrib is roasted for TWELVE HOURS? Totally worth it when you see how fork-tender and pleasant the meat is. Our server told us this dish is the culinary team’s favorite, and we can totally see why! Roasted Bone In Beef Short Ribs The next entree, though, was our favorite. Oaxacan Mole Chicken. It’s gorgeous to look at, with the dark, developed Oaxacan red mole making a major statement. Oaxacan Mole Chicken The simplicity of the basic components here are a foil to the complex, highly-finessed mole, which you can bet was cooked over several hours. The base of the dish is plantain rice. This is helpful because you’re going to want to eat every drop of mole, and the rice will catch a lot of it for ya. Oaxacan Mole Chicken The plantains are soft and fruity, which works with the various notes in the mole. Oaxacan Mole Chicken The protein is a crispy half chicken, bone-in. It remains moist, with delicious skin. Oaxacan Mole Chicken And with the mole cascading over it, this is the kind of soul-warming dish you want to dig into with your hands. Oaxacan Mole Chicken The red mole is set off by garnishes of sesame seeds and cilantro. The light seeds, in particular, show you just how dense the color of that mole is. Something that rich in color can’t be bad. It’s a food rule (that we just made up). Oaxacan Mole Chicken And to top it all off, you also receive warm corn tortillas, a vessel for capturing the perfect bite every time. Oaxacan Mole Chicken The Taste of Oaxaca ends with a delicious dessert — the best of the two we tried during our visit: the Bunuelitos. Bunuelitos Simply said, this dessert has every component of texture and taste that you want in a dessert: crispy and creamy, sweet and salty, cinnamon and chocolate. (Okay, those last two might be diner-specific, but you get it.) Bunuelitos Bunuelitos consists of crispy flour tortillas, cajeta-caramel mousse, red wine drizzle, raw sugar, Mexican cinnamon, dark chocolate shavings, mezcal-infused dried cranberries, and roasted almonds. It sounds like a lot, right? But it turns out, it’s just right. Like just right. Bunuelitos The chocolate, cranberries, and nuts sprinkled atop the freshly-fried tortilla make their way into every bite. Bunuelitos And when we tell you the cajeta-caramel mousse with goats milk was rich, thick, and yummy, just know that we wish we had more words, but this mousse transcended them all. Our advice: try to save room for this. You’ll be doing yourself a favor. Bunuelitos But, y’all, we didn’t stop after this. We had a whole new seasonal menu left to try, and it did not disappoint. Seasonal Menu at Frontera Cocina Thank goodness we started with something light — although the Frontera Harvest Salad is in no way light on flavor or creativity. Frontera Harvest Salad As salads go, this was one of the finest we’ve tried. The peppery arugula and shaved Brussels sprouts are an awesome combination of greens, and they’re tossed with fabulous toppings like goats cheese, mezcal-infused cranberries, bacon, and pomegranate seeds. This is all carefully dressed with cilantro-serrano vinaigrette. Frontera Harvest Salad There’s nothing heavy about this salad, but the creamy goats cheese helps to make it feel like a meal. And with the combination of outstanding flavors and textures, you don’t miss having a meat at all. Vegetarians unite for this one! Frontera Harvest Salad Seriously, you can tell that so much love went into the Frontera Harvest Salad, and when we told Chef Bayless how much we enjoyed it, you could tell he and his team really put their hearts into this one. It’s in no way a throwaway dish simply added for the vegetarians; it’s a winner for any diner. Frontera Harvest Salad The only fish option of the meal was the Herby-Spicy Grilled Swordfish. And it’s another terrific choice! Herby Spicy Grilled Swordfish The swordfish itself is beautifully grilled, with prominent grill marks. Herby Spicy Grilled Swordfish The swordfish is thick and juicy — perfectly cooked. The char from the grill gives it the distinctive grilled flavor, too. Herby Spicy Grilled Swordfish The Herby-Spicy of this dish is in the sauce that tops the fish. It’s packed with flavor with a nice saltiness as well. We hit on lots of garlic and pepper, but there’s a great balance of spices in it. Herby Spicy Grilled Swordfish The base of the dish is plantain rice, which, again, serves the purpose of absorbing the sauces and juices from the protein. There’s also some Swiss chard under there — and it’s yummy. Herby Spicy Grilled Swordfish The cilantro-serrano aioli is a delicious addition, although the fish doesn’t necessarily need it. Still, there’s some nice herbaceousness in there. Herby Spicy Grilled Swordfish You get a wedge of lime, too. That acid can cut through the savory fish. Herby Spicy Grilled Swordfish Chile Roasted Cauliflower Gratinado is a good side dish but the least memorable of all the food we tried. The sauce is tomato-based and overpowered the cauliflower — which isn’t entirely surprising. Chile Roasted Cauliflower Gratinado It’s comprised of interesting components: golden raisins, toasted sesame seeds, and crunchy Cotija cheese. And the topping is texturally satisfying. But overall, it’s a little washed out. Chili Roasted Cauliflower Gratinado Dessert on the seasonal menu is terrific — even in the shadow of the outstanding Bunuelitos. The Spiced Pumpkin Tart is basically the definition of seasonal, with its graham cracker tart crust, pumpkin espuma, whipped cajeta cream, and candied spiced pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin Cream Tart We loved this — truly. It’s pumpkin done in a thoughtful way, lightened up as an espuma — essentially a foam — but rich due to the whipped cajeta cream. Overall, it’s really satisfying and tasty. Pumpkin Cream Tart What can we say about Frontera that we haven’t already? Frontera Cocina never fails to deliver creative and intelligent food that’s full of soul, and it’s absolutely worth a try for fans of Mexican food… and just great food, in general! Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! The 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, is now available for Pre-Order! With more than 750 pages, the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to pre-order your copy of the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2019 to save 25% today! But there’s MORE! Just like all DFB pre-order deals — when you pre-order your DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, 2019 Edition today for 25% off the cover price, you’ll also get our fully updated 2018 Edition for FREE immediately, so you can start planning TODAY! Use code WDW2019 at check-out for a 25% off the cover price, AND get the 2018 edition for free! Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Have you been to Frontera Cocina? Let us know what you thought about your experience! Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Frontera Cocina to attend their media preview for their new menus. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ Related posts: Disney World Splitsville Cast Member Special Offers 25 Can’t-Miss Experiences to Celebrate the Holidays at Walt Disney World This Year! The Five Best Table Service Salads at Walt Disney World (According To The Experts!) View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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