Two Lovers, Five Diamonds
By katie Farmand • Photography by © 2010 the walt disney company

Disney’s five-diamond restaurant – Victoria & Albert’s – honors romance with gourmet dining and intimate royal treatment.

It was a romance summed up and symbolized by a single wardrobe change. From the day that Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria wore but one color for the next 40 years: black. That was her way of paying tribute to the love the royal couple had shared during a marriage of 21 years. Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa pays homage in a different way. Central Florida’s only AAA Five-Diamond restaurant honors their romance with an intimate setting made for couples, especially those who love great food and wine. Chef Scott Hunnel has been nominated for the prestigious James Beard “Best Chef in the South” award for his innovative approach to creating exquisite cuisine, and the award-winning wine list with more than 700 selections make the culinary experience matchless in Orlando. “After almost 15 years in the kitchen, I’ve developed relationships with artisanal purveyors around the country,” says Hunnel. “I make daily phone calls to find what’s best, from a farmer who grows herbs and micro-greens in Ohio to the guy who procures the finest caviars in the world.” Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had nine children. Victoria & Albert’s has none. Unlike other Disney restaurants, this jewel box doesn’t allow youngsters under 10 in the dining room, so you’re assured a peaceful evening. Tucked in a corner on the second floor of the elegant hotel, you know you’ve arrived when you step inside the candlelit dining room with just a dozen or so tables and the soothing sounds of a harpist. Be advised, men must wear jackets (tie optional) for this formal affair. Restaurant service is “butler style,” with two gracious attendants to fulfill your every whim. In the main dining room under a trompe l’oeil sky of fluffy clouds, tables are adorned with white Frette linens, Wedgwood china and silver and fine glassware. Dinner is a two- to three-hour journey through time to an era when dining out was as much about precision in details as attention to food. Debuting this month is the restaurant’s new Queen Victoria’s Room, behind closed doors just off the main dining room with just four tables. Restaurant manager Israel Perez says to expect even higher levels of attention in that setting. “Service in the room is French gueridon style, with tableside finishes such as a flourish of Himalayan sea salt, a final sauté or saucing, or a beautiful display of cheeses,” he explains. “Amazing ingredients, dazzling presentations.” Personalized menus change daily and feature seven small courses crafted by Chef Hunnel. Dishes are seasonal, but Chef Hunnel gave us a sneak peek of what he is anticipating for Valentine’s Day. “Butter-poached lobster with bisque and lobster roe foam paired with Puligny-Montrachet... Minnesota elk with cannellini bean sauce, Ibérico ham and fennel with a sip of Pinot Noir from Patagonia... and Japanese beef tenderloin with cauliflower caviar and oxtail sauce coupled with a Spanish Priorat wine,” Hunnel muses. “I love creating an unforgettable combination of tastes for a special-occasion evening.”

His passion for food and presentation is obvious in his creations, every plate is a work of art with swirls of delicious, colorful sauces, precise towers of beautiful vegetables and perfect drizzles of vinaigrette. Ingredients range from unusual global finds such as Monterey abalone, kabocha squash and legendary Spanish Jamón Ibérico to locally sourced shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico and Zellwood corn. “And I love the challenge of creating an entirely vegetarian or vegan dinner or cooking for any dietary need,” says Hunnel. “For my team of chefs, that is part of the fun in a small kitchen.” Dessert is entirely another story, created by the hotel’s Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek. He loves to play with sweets, and his indulgences might include white chocolate gelato with micro orchids or a decadent trio of a Tanzanian chocolate pyramid, Hawaiian Kona chocolate soufflé and Peruvian chocolate ice cream – one of his signatures. Chef Hunnel is a gracious host, often stopping by tables in his tall white toque to check on guests. But for the ultimate immersion into the world of his cooking, book the coveted Chef’s Table in the restaurant kitchen. You’re escorted through the doors and into an elegant alcove at the back of the kitchen with a front seat for the action – don’t expect kitchen frenzy, the ambience is almost as soothing as the dining room as the chefs move in symphony to sear, steam and chop. Chef Hunnel starts the fun with a Champagne toast, then asks for likes and dislikes as he crafts up to a dozen courses, small tastes of unusual ingredients: a dab of caviar, perfectly seared Kurobuta pork tenderloin and belly, a shave of black truffles on top of creamy risotto, all paired with the perfect wine. It’s a truly memorable evening. Plan on three or four hours. Each evening ends with a long-stemmed rose for women and personalized menus for everyone to carry home. Cost for dinner in the dining room is $125 per person, plus $60 for wine pairings. The Chef’s Table and the Queen Victoria’s Room are $200 per person, plus $95 for wine pairings. The restaurant has its own reservation line, 407-939-3862. There generally are two to three seatings nightly in the dining room, but only one nightly in the Queen Victoria’s Room and at the Chef’s Table. The Chef’s Table books up months in advance, but we recommend calling for cancellations.

Chef Scott Hunnell has been nominated
for the prestigious “Best Chef in the
South” award.

Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Salad (above). Here is a longtime favorite at Victoria & Albert’s, a beautiful heirloom tomato salad, perfect for Florida’s winter tomato crop. Aged balsamic vinegar, available in specialty markets, gets its dark color and pungent sweetness from aging in barrels over a period of years.