Toothsome Chocolate Emporium

[macraven]

Now that is sad you had to cut your vacation short
Hope you can do a repeat soon and have better weather

I got stuck in that storm also and it was not fun

 

[J-Dog]

http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/...porium-at-universal-gets-a-grand-opening-date

Finally, the "real" opening is happening on Sept 22!

 

[A (squared)]

FYI, I called the Universal dining number and they said Toothsome won't be taking reservations until sometime later this year. Our day at Universal just happens to be September 22 - opening day - so I think we're going to try and hope for the best. And probably have a backup reservation at another Citywalk restaurant if Toothsome turns out to be just too much of a madhouse.

 

[gorkt]

This looks great! I am going to be at Universal 11/9 and 11/11. I hope they will be taking reservations by then, otherwise I might just try to stop for shakes.

 

[lomillerin]

Do guests staying onsite get priority seating?

 

[ruthies12]

Thanks for the updates! I'm really hoping that they will be taking reservations before my trip in 48 days!!! I'll be checking back to see if any other peeps got reservations and if anyone finds out about the priority seating since the night I plan to eat here is the night we are staying on property.

Does anyone have pics of the drink menu? Not the milkshakes, I really want to know what kind of adult beverages they have available if anyone can oblige......

 

[GaryDis]

This Touring Plans review has pictures of the drinks, which all look like a much better buy than the shakes. The High Fashion is on my list, though the Chocolate Cherry Mule has potential.

 

[Nobody352]

Do guests staying onsite get priority seating?

HA! no.
most of the time you can sit OUTSIDE right away without a wait.
Or... you can wait 20-45 minutes to be seated inside.

 

[GaryDis]

This evening, around 6, we were told a wait of 20 'minutes, but got our text in ten. We'd been waiting just inside the front doors, and so had to wait another couple of minutes for someone to seat us. And, since we were being given an upstairs table, we had to wait for the elevator, as a leak was hitting the stairs. You'd think construction firms in FL would know how to make roves that didn't leak in a heavily rain. Still, we were happy with such quick seating

We started off with the Chocolate Old Fashioned for DH and the High Fashion for me. DH's was good though he's now unsure if he likes bourbon; he was in,y following my lead. The High Fashion didn't have enough of the bra died cherry flavor I expected, though the Old Forrester 86 was good. I wish they had included stirrers with the drinks, as mine certainly neede it, which is typical for such drinks. Or maybe I should have done my best Bond impression and asked for it to be shaken, not stirred.

We enjoyed the chocolate almond bread, in spite of it having no noticeable almond flavor. That actually pleased DH, who doesn't care for almond. The bread itself seemed like a chocolate flavored wheat, yeast bread, with pieces of chocolate as well, but with a fragile texture that would break rather than be torn. My guess is that it's either a low gluten flower, mixed with other flour, or otherwise made in a way that avoided the strength of most typical wheat breads. Nevertheless it was very good.

DH had the meatloaf which he enjoyed. I had the salmon teriyaki, which was exquisite, cooked perfectly and accompanied by fresh celery, carrots, snap peas, and broccoli, possibly some bok choy, arranged in a circle around a bed of rice, and cooked just right, crisp but not raw. I eat a lot of salmon out, and while it's often mundane, this was delightful.

For dessert, DH had the chocolate bread pudding, while I had the chocolate creme brûlée. The bread pudding was excellent, a mixture of rich white bread with chocolate and chocolate bread mixed in (brioche? challah? I'm not sure) and not heavily spiced like a typical New England bread pudding. It was served warm, which DH appreciated as we were damp from the rain and in a cold section of the restaurant. The white chocolate ice cream had a slight bit of ice crystals but otherwise was quite good, though DH in his haste misidentified it as vanilla. While it's a good combination, we both thought it was overkill, making a dessert that can easily be split between two people. The creme brûlée was good, albeit a little thin, and unexceptional. I probably wouldn't order it again, but neither would I discourage anyone from trying it.

Service was very efficient, with the entrees brought promptly. The dessert took a bit longer than expected but not so long as to annoy us. The waiter was helpful but not overly friendly,many at times terse. I think he'd do well in Boston or NYC, but he didn't have the sort of talkative friendliness that other readers here seem to like.

We were paid a visit by Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome, which we enjoyed, though I think she was a bit taken aback when I pointed out that P. T. Barnum would be pleased with what she's done with the concept of milkshakes. The robot Jacques was about to join us when our dessert arrived, but that was for the better, as I think we would both have had trouble understanding him in that environment, not that it was too loud. His voice is a bit muffled and staticky.

Overall, we quite enjoyed it, and would consider it again, especially if you can manage a time that avoids an extended wait (or get a reservation when they start taking them in a few days). I would still encourage people eating full dinners to avoid the eye candy that comprise their shakes and sundaes, saving them for hearty mid afternoon snack, or at least splitting them. Many of the ones we saw on other tables were going unfinished, except for the teen boy at one table. Instead, I suggest one of the other fine desserts. I recommend the bread pudding, and I'd be eager to try chocolate mousse or the flourless chocolate cake.

 

[J-Dog]

I keep hearing multiple reports that the ice cream is crystallized, like it's been freezer-burnt. I wonder why that would be?

Did they buy a ton of ice cream in anticipation of the opening and then not go through it as fast as they expected?

You would think a place that is super-busy making milkshakes and sundaes wouldn't have a problem turning-over their stock of ice cream in the freezer.

 

[GaryDis]

I keep hearing multiple reports that the ice cream is crystallized, like it's been freezer-burnt. I wonder why that would be?

Did they buy a ton of ice cream in anticipation of the opening and then not go through it as fast as they expected?

You would think a place that is super-busy making milkshakes and sundaes wouldn't have a problem turning-over their stock of ice cream in the freezer.

Turnover is just one of the contributing factors.

We watched some of the shakes being made. A big burly guy had pulled a container of about a gallon size out of the freezer, and was scooping at least half of it into one of those oversized mixers that looks big enough to hold a half gallon of milk, container and all. Then it got handed to someone more petite to add the milk and other ingredients and put it on the motor base to blend. All this was in an overcrowded show room not much bigger than an average home kitchen, and filled with busy workers. Of course, when big burly guy was done with that flavor, he returned it to the freezer to start on the next shake.

The bottom line is that the containers are being removed from the freezer long enough for there to be noticeable meltage, which would then refreeze, causing the crystallization. Less popular flavors may go in and out more, while more popular flavors might get shakified or dessertified before crystals could form. But it's all at risk. They probably can't use the huge tubs that most parlors use, because scooping the massive quantities would slow things down further. I didn't focus on any single shake being prepared from beginning to end, so I don't understand why they're using such large blenders. I also can't swear that the non-shake desserts are being prepared in the same area.

 

[Squirlz]

We started off with the Chocolate Old Fashioned for DH and the High Fashion for me. DH's was good though he's now unsure if he likes bourbon; he was in,y following my lead. The High Fashion didn't have enough of the bra died cherry flavor I expected, though the Old Forrester 86 was good. I wish they had included stirrers with the drinks, as mine certainly neede it, which is typical for such drinks. Or maybe I should have done my best Bond impression and asked for it to be shaken, not stirred.

.

Curious what these cocktails cost?

 

[GaryDis]

Curious what these cocktails cost?

The High Fashioned was $11, the Chocolate Old Fashioned $12.

 

[bumbershoot]

though I think she was a bit taken aback when I pointed out that P. T. Barnum would be pleased with what she's done with the concept of milkshakes

As in "there's a sucker born every minute?" If so, that's awesome. Thank you.

 

[GaryDis]

As in "there's a sucker born every minute?" If so, that's awesome. Thank you.

Exactly. DH was appalled, I had to remind him she was just an actress and not really the owner.

 

[tinkerone]

Does anyone know the cost of the Candy Floss in the jar? I always bring my dgd some home from Disney every year and I thought this might be a good change.

 

[bumbershoot]

Does anyone know the cost of the Candy Floss in the jar? I always bring my dgd some home from Disney every year and I thought this might be a good change.

It was too much for my blood. I'd say $10 or $15. Good ingredients; my son could have eaten it, and he's likely still irritated that I said "no". But it was in a glass container and we were traveling carry-only only.

 

[tinkerone]

It was too much for my blood. I'd say $10 or $15. Good ingredients; my son could have eaten it, and he's likely still irritated that I said "no". But it was in a glass container and we were traveling carry-only only.

Thanks for your response, I'm hoping for a more definitive answer though.
The candy floss at WDW is only $4.95, or at least it was, so to pay twice that amount or even three times......what are they thinking? Your right bumbershoot, it may be too rich for my blood to.

 

[tink1957]

A few pics from our visit to Toothsome...
Revolutionary Old Fashioned
May Contain Nuts...this was delicious and can easily feed 2 or 3.

The upstairs bar area where we were seated
I didn't post our entrees since the pics didn't turn out well or of the yummy chocolate almond bread because it disappeared too quickly. I got the shrimp and crab mac and cheese, the pasta was too dry and the sauce was not too cheesy so I would skip it next time and go with one of the chicken dishes or the blue plate burger that DS got. How can you go wrong with meatloaf, garlic mashed potatos and corn on a burger?

We had a visit from Jacques but he didn't linger as we were in our cell phones.

All in all it was a great place that we will visit again, I'll just order something different next time. Service was good, by the way and we only had a 10 minute wait on 9/21.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks for your response, I'm hoping for a more definitive answer though.
The candy floss at WDW is only $4.95, or at least it was, so to pay twice that amount or even three times......what are they thinking? Your right bumbershoot, it may be too rich for my blood to.

I hope you get a good answer too. Apparently I did not take a picture.

The difference is the ingredients and the packaging. At WDW it's all junk sugar and food coloring. At toothsome it was real sugar and natural coloring from what I recall. And the packaging is beautiful (though as I mentioned weeks ago there was a typo on another product which had me shaking my head). It's a premium product.