Don’t Forget To Wave ~ The Keto Series

You know how we have expectations for certain experiences and sometimes, they just don’t live up to the hype?  Well, I went to The Wave for dinner with a friend about two weeks ago. I was all ready and excited for a great experience to report back to all my fellow low-carb, sugar free “Ketonians”. (Which, but the way, is my new favorite word since it makes us sound like super heroes.)  But alas, it was a little less than I’d hoped.  Read on, though, because things aren’t all negative….

The Wave, located on the first floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort offers a full bar with a lounge menu,  a complete breakfast buffet with an a la carte menu in the mornings, as well as a full service lunch and dinner for guests.  I was able to experience the latter two with interesting results. Let’s start with dinner.

The Wave’s dinner menu offers a few options for ketonians with minimal modification.  On the appetizer side the Seasonal or Caesar salad without croutons and the artisanal cheese selection are a great start. I enjoyed the cheese selection but one of them was sitting in honey, which would have been nice to know in advance. It was a Grana Padana and came with stone ground mustard and dill pickles which were a nice compliment. The other was a very hearty blue cheese accompanied by hard salami, absoulte perfection.  Finally, the third was a delicious goat brie cheese with crostini on the side, which I didn’t touch.  Overall a nice beginning!

The dinner menu had a few options: Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Halibut (the sustainable Fish of the Day), the Pork Tenderloin, and my choice, the Braised Beef Short Rib.  This is where my disappointment was most noticeable and it wasn’t due to the menu, but rather the service.  Let me first say that I was a server for 5 years in Disney Resorts when I first moved to Florida so I always give people the benefit of the doubt, but I also know the standards of excellence Disney requires.  For this meal, our service simply missed the mark.  In so many ways!  Aside from the fact that he was condescending from the get go, when I explained that I was avoiding sugar he offered zero input as to which options might be best.   Furthermore, when I asked questions about items I was considering, he was more dismissive than helpful.  I’ll finally add that he basically disappeared after our food arrived, another server refilled our waters and it was clear he thought very little of our two-top (restaurant term for 2 people which equals a small tip, to some).  I say all that only to add that while he could have ruined a perfectly good experience, we didn’t let him.
The Beef Short Rib was quite tasty!  The sauce had a hint of sweetness but it wasn’t drenched.  If you are strict about zero carbs, I wouldn’t recommend it but if you think you have walked plenty on your vacation, it’s worth the slight bend in rules.  They allowed me to substitute broccolini and mushrooms sautéed in butter for my sides as opposed to the menu suggestions.  Both were delicious!  My friend ordered the Pork Tenderloin and it was also great.  She isn’t a ketonian, however, so it would need some modifications and hopefully you’ll have a nice server to do that for you if you choose to order it.

We left satisfied despite the attitude and service. 

But wait…there’s more!   Over the weekend a friend and client invited me to get together with her as she was staying at Bay Lake Tower.  We settled on lunch at The Wave and I was cautious but hopeful.
Thankfully our server, Stephen, saved the day!

Aside from the salads, the lunch menu appetizers were not low-carb friendly but the entrees were plentiful! The most obvious choice was the Salmon served with cauliflower rice, roasted vegetables with an olive tapenade and beurre blanc sauce. It sounded fantastic.  When I mentioned my aversion to bread, Stephen immediately recommended a bun-less burger option, he noted Reuben lovers could opt in with just meat, swiss cheese and sauerkraut for a perfect lunch.  The sustainable fish of the day was Halibut, pan seared and served with a fancy quinoa salad. My friend chose that and she loved it.

When Stephen assured me that the Caesar dressing was made fresh in house, I asked if he could put the pan seared halibut over a caesar with no croutons. He quickly said, “Absolutely!” 

Well, I am happy to report, it was fantastic! The house-made dressing was garlicky, delicious and had plenty of parmesan cheese while the halibut was a white, mild fish. Together they made the perfect ketonian lunch!

We genuinely enjoyed our time and our food that day and I was reminded how incredibly important good service is to the dining experience.  Therefore, I honestly do recommend you check out The Wave thanks to its keto-friendly options and moreover, be sure to ask for Stephen! You’ll recognize him by his British accent. 

Thanks so much for reading!

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