Not only am I one of those terrible people who goes Black Friday shopping, I am one of those people who goes out to eat on Thanksgiving. Well, at least I did this year at Big Fin Seafood Kitchen.
This was the first year I haven’t worked on Thanksgiving since 2013 when it was my first holiday away from home. The literal only reason I took it off was that it was going to be the one holiday Jay and I could spend together since it fell within our usual days off. My original plan for the day involved pajamas, Disney movies, and staying in; until that is I found out my favorite restaurant was having an amazing Thanksgiving special.
I discovered Big Fin Seafood Kitchen last summer, and it has quickly become my favorite restaurant in all of Orlando. I am not a huge fish person, but I love clams, and the rest of the food is just as good as the seafood they are famous for. I have been lucky enough to eat there on a few occasions now, and each time is just wonderful. The ambiance is perfect. The lighting is just dim enough to set an intimate mood without being too dark to see. The noise level is quiet, but if you drop your fork you won’t have the rest of the tables glaring at you. The servers are never hurried or impatient, and always have time to chat.
Our reservation was at 6 p.m. but traffic was not as bad as anticipated, so we arrived about half an hour early. We were still seated right away. Big Fin’s booths are all clearly meant for groups of four or more, but we usually ask for a booth even though there’s only two of us and it’s never been a problem.
Our server was Ryan, who is our regular server. I never thought I would go anywhere enough to have a regular server, but he is fantastic. The last time we visited Big Fin was in June, and he still remembered my cocktail order.
Ryan, the greatest server ever!
Which is good, because I didn’t! He was able to narrow it down to two options, and Jay figured it out from there. Apparently, it’s the Elderflower, which is Vodka and White Cranberry Juice with Elderflower. Jay decided to try the Big Fin, which is Bourbon, Bigalet, Angustora Bitters, and an Orange Twist. Jay said I would hate it, so I didn’t try it, but he loved it.
We skipped the appetizers and went straight for the Thanksgiving special. For $25 they had Oven Roasted Turkey, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Cornbread Stuffing, green beans, homemade Cranberry sauce, gravy, and dinner rolls. Honestly, you can’t beat that, and Jay and I don’t like cooking all that much anyway. So, this way no mess, no clean up, and to quote Jay, “No turkey carcass.”
Ryan asked if we preferred white meat, dark meat, or a mixture. We both asked for all white.
The rolls came out right away, and the food wasn’t more than ten minutes behind them. I asked to add sweet potatoes since they’re my favorite Thanksgiving food, so they brought out two huge bowls. Jay proceeded to dump gravy all over everything, but I’ve never been a big gravy person. I apologize to both my parents, but I have never had such a good Thanksgiving meal in my life. The turkey was juicy, the sweet potatoes were amazing, the stuffing was delicious, and everything was just wonderful.
I asked Ryan if it was too late to add my favorite appetizer, the Big Bowl of Clams, and he said of course not. He came back ten minutes later because they weren’t offering it at all that day because of the limited Thanksgiving menu. He was super apologetic and I told him it was fine. Just another excuse to come back!
Jay finished his dinner in no time, but I ate slower and wanted to at least have some leftovers. Even the cranberry sauce was good, and I generally avoid cranberry sauce like the after-dinner dishes.
Ryan came by to ask if we saved room for dessert and I said I’d need a box first, but we absolutely wanted dessert. Jay ordered the Pumpkin Cheesecake, and I asked for the Butterscotch Pecan Ooey Gooey. I don’t really know how to describe the Ooey Gooey as anything but wonderful. It’s a sort of cross between bread pudding and a cake. Jay loved the cheesecake too, even though he said you had to wait a second for the rest of the flavor to hit because the pumpkin was a little overpowering. I tried a bite of it, but was much happier with my choice.
Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Ooey gooey.
Our stomachs were full to bursting by the time we left, and I could not have been happier. The week leading up to Thanksgiving hadn’t been the best, but Big Fin made up for everything else in one night. I highly recommend Big Fin Seafood Kitchen for any occasion, not just a holiday. Their pricing is on par with most Disney restaurants, but the food and service is just so much better. Not only is the food amazing, but it’s a five-star experience anytime I dine.
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