Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending the media event for the 10 year celebration of Paradiso 37 at Disney Springs. We were a little unsure about the options they would have for us, but accepted The Wandering Maven and Paradiso 37’s invite to find out.
This was our first “media event” so we had no idea what to expect. We obviously mentioned when we arrived that we were vegan. We were told to let the servers know when it was time to eat and that they had set aside vegan options for us.
The event was to celebrate 10 years of the restaurant! The menu is based off the 37 countries of the America’s so there is quite a variety of food offered. We were there to sample the new options on their menu as well as some cocktails.
When we looked over the menu they gave us we were curious as to what we were going to actually get since so much of it was meat. Soon the food started to arrive and out table quickly filled.
The first thing given to everyone was Chips and Guacamole. The chips were good, but the guac was super cold. It wasn’t very flavorful, just overwhelmingly cold. It seemed to be missing something. I would give this another try as it may have just been waiting to be served for the event.
The next option we were given was plain grilled corn. The on menu option, South American Crazy Corn, comes with a sauce (appeared to be mayo based) and a ton of cheese. The vegan option of this was pretty lame to be honest. The corn was just room temperature.
Next they brought us some grilled pineapple. This I can get behind. It was super juicy, sweet, and soft. I would be happy with a ton of grilled pineapple and vegetables for an entree here.
Our next option was the only real substantial option they brought us, the Paradiso 37 Tropical Salad. The salad is vegan when you get it without bacon. It is a mix of greens, pineapple, coconut shavings, and a pineapple vinaigrette. I made sure to ask about the vinaigrette as many often have honey but this one was good to go.
The salad was great, I’m not usually big on sweet salads but I actually really enjoyed this. I would get this option again if on the hunt for a lighter/healthier meal.
After the salad they brought out some non-vegan sliders that came with fries. We asked about the fries and were told they are vegan but cooked in a shared fryer. They were fine, tasted like normal restaurant fries.
We spoke with Chef Mo around this time, he was unaware that we were vegan and ran and grabbed us some of the salsa they have with more chips. The salsa may have been my favorite option given. It was super thin, not chunky, which I don’t mind, but it was full of flavor and very smoky. I would go back for this and a drink, that’s for sure!
Last we were given dessert. After I joked with our table mates about probably getting sorbet while they enjoy beignets and churros, our sorbet came out. They had three flavors; mango, citrus, and berry. Out of the sorbets we liked the citrus one the best.
For drinks they had a few we couldn’t have for obvious reasons, there was a coffee one with cream, and s’mores one with marshmallow. We did sample a few of the drinks that we could have and found them enjoyable.
When we were heading out we spoke with Chef Mo some more to get more info. When we checked in to the event we were told they had vegan cheese, obviously that never came. We talked to Chef Mo during our meal asking about the flatbread if it would be vegan without the cheese, he said it would be (but obviously confirm that if you’re going there and want to try it) and that he had vegan cheese in the freezer. We obviously were confused as to why it was in the freezer but were stoked to know they HAD some anyway. He said he will be working on an option with the vegan cheese soon.
I also asked about what on the menu is/can be vegan that we didn’t taste. They have a black bean burger on the menu, however it and the gluten free bun contain egg. He said they can make enchiladas, fajitas, or tacos. But he gave us some hope in saying that he is working on a vegan burger with the vegan cheese, so we will be back to try that when he’s ready!
The restaurant itself is beautiful here. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. I would recommend heading here for an evening snack and drink.
We were hosted for this event which means we did not pay for the food and beverages. All of our opinions are our own and we will always keep it real with you guys.
I was just here over the weekend and the waitress told me they could not make me veggie enchiladas. 🙁 I guess I should’ve asked to speak with the chef.