Orlando’s Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
While attending this year’s Mom 2.0 conference in Orlando, Florida last week we decided to explore Universal Studios Citywalk. Among its multiple eateries, we discovered the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. Imagine walking into a 19th Century Willy Wonka style steampunk Chocolate Factory. From the decor to the ambiance and the wonderful treats the venue is a sure crowd pleaser. In fact, after dining there and feasting on several desserts we recommend that visitors to Orlando put this restaurant on their dining bucket list.
Decor and Ambiance
When entering the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, visitors’ eyes will go directly to the over the top handmade milkshakes made in front of customers. Here they do not make traditional milkshakes. A few of the milkshakes include the Key Lime Pie that has a piece of pie on the top or the Red Velvet Milkshake adorned by a hefty cupcake. There is also ice cream, gelato, cakes and macaroons for patrons who wish to take home some sugary wonders.
The ambiance in the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen is funky and unusual, to say the least. Imagine Willy Wonka meets Back to the Future meets a Southern haunted mansion. The dual-level restaurant boasts old-fashioned artifacts as wall decor as well as large screen TVs that showcase the different machinery involved in the chocolate making process.
Entertainment
The best thing about a themed restaurant like this one is that there’s plenty of entertainment for all ages. For starters, there is glass wall to the bakery area by the entrance that allows everyone, to watch exactly how the delicious desserts are made. Depending on where guests sit they can also watch video clips of machinery that many will find fascinating.
But undoubtedly the main event here are the ‘owners’ a husband and wife team, dressed in classic 19th-century steampunk fashion. To picture the husband, imagine the professor from Back to the Future, while the wife reminded us of Tarzan’s Jane. Both are quite chatty and make a point of interacting with the patrons.
One thing to remember is that the ‘owners’ never stray off their themed persona. Hence they find current technology items such as cameras, cell phones, and tablets fascinating.
In our case, the ‘husband ‘took my cell phone, named it Francesca and talked to it like it was alive. Needless to say, our son found the behavior pretty hilarious.
So how’s the food?
The venue features a plethora of appetizers, entrees and of course Instagram-worthy desserts. The menu offered 36 different appetizers and 25 different entrees to choose from. Our favorites turned out to be the broccoli cheddar soup, followed up by the Toothsome Signature Beef Filet Mignon Oscar.Word of warning -most dishes are huge and can be easily shared!
Chocolate Desserts
All of the deserts here are enormous. I would recommend coming in with a small group. Doing so will allow each person to order a different dessert, and everyone can share to get the full experience of the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen.
Like I mentioned before the milkshakes here are the IT item, but the chocolate infused alcoholic drinks are also worth sampling.
Admission
Entrance into this innovative chocolate factory is free. Therefore, if visitors walking around Citywalk want to experience something new and exciting, this is the place to go. There are no requirements to purchase anything, but with all the tempting goodies sold, I think that will be impossible.
Autism Travel Tips
When heading to the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, plan to arrive early. The restaurant does not accept reservations and operates on a first come first served basis.
By arriving earlier in the day, visitors will be able to avoid some of the crowds. I would also recommend going there on an off day likeTuesday or Wednesday.
The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen is well lit and super clean. They do have an elevator for wheelchair access to the second floor, as well as stairs.
The ground floor houses the see through kitchen and store as well as a large seating area. The second floor has a bar and quieter spots for those with noise sensitive kids to relax in.
There may be items such as nuts that can trigger food allergies on premise. Therefore, if any family member has food allergies, make sure to ask specifics about the ingredients used.
Have you been to the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen? If so, what was your favorite dessert or dish?