In the ongoing struggle to convince Brian that he should love WDW as much as Lauren and I do, I tailor trips to his tastes when he joins us there. Brian has never had a meal at Chef Mickey’s and he never will. But I love showing him the really wonderful restaurants that WDW has to offer, and the mack daddy of them all is Victoria & Albert’s.

Lauren I tried it out before we took Brian there (a test run for things we expose Brian to is always prudent.) At first we felt a little uncomfortable at V&A’s, not because it is so fancy but because everyone was acting so weird about it being so fancy. I like nice restaurants but not ones with the proverbial “stick up the butt”, and when we were first seated it felt a little stuffy,

It was just so quiet, and the waiters were parading around like they were at a funeral. The only audible was the music of the harpist in the corner (lovely), that is, until Lauren and I showed up. We just can’t eat that way. At first we whispered, but who wants to whisper when they are trying to enjoy a nice dinner, so eventually we raised our voices to a normal level, the waiters loosened up and talked to us less formally, and we started to really have a good time in this truly incredible restaurant.

They had called me a week or so before we arrived at WDW to ask what we liked to eat and I told them we were vegetarians - no problem, they told us. And so when we arrived, we had a menu created just for us. It was, and I don’t make this statement lightly, the best vegetarian meal I have ever had in a restaurant. Don’t forget, Lauren lives in New York and I have had dinner in plenty of great places but this won the prize.

Chef Scott Hunnel overseas V&A’s, the only 5 diamond restaurant in central Florida. For some people, it might be the atmosphere, the china, crystal, fine linens, and harp that people might love, but me, l love the food and wine.

The seven course meal seems at first daunting, but the portions are very small. Small, but power packed with flavor. The butternut squash soup may be the most delicious thing I have ever eaten.

I like Scott Hunnel because he is not one of those chefs that gets all snooty with his art, refusing to change a single thing for diners. Waiters told me that if there is something I like, to call ahead and request it, and he just bends over backward to do something that soooooo few chefs care enough to do - create a gourmet experience for a vegetarian.

When Brian decided to come with us he requested fish be added to the vegetarian menu and not only  was he truly impressed with the experience but he didn’t even choke on the check - it’s not exactly inexpensive.

V&A stands up to and in many ways surpasses other 5 diamond restaurants I have experienced. Thank you, Scott, for what you do for we who do not eat meat. It is really amazing.

Click here to see my menu.