Magical Dining Month | La Luce by Donna Scala at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek

Mark Baratelli, Owner
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(I am in no way a restaurant critic, nor do I pretend to be one. I am invited to eat at restaurants, I go, I eat, I tell you what I liked. Period end of story. You want a food-obsessed foodie who knows everything? Not me. Just a warning.)

Visit Orlando is putting on a month-long city-wide restaurant promotion September 1-30, 2012 called Magical Dining Month. Seventy of Orlando's finest restaurants will prep you a prix fixe dinner menu for thirty bucks. For that price you get an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Its a great chance to try some upscale restaurants at a more affordable price.

The first of four media preview nights was last night, August 28, 2012. Visit Orlando wanted the ten invited guests to experience one restaurant's prix fixe dinner menu that night, free of charge. The restaurant (there's a different one each of the four nights) was La Luce by Donna Scala, located inside Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek (14100 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando, FL 32831).

This restaurant is in one of the new "dining districts" called the Disney/Lake Buena Vista District. This district designation and naming helps tourists decide on dinner. In cities like New York City, these districts and their names came about naturally over time. In Orlando, we needed a bit of a push. think its great because the goal behind it is to bring to light for tourists and convention goers that Orlando has a rich and growing food scene.

La Luce by Donna Scala was created by Napa Valley chef and restaurateur Donna Scala.

The look of this place is what I'd call decadent sparse: wide open, blank & empty, with luxury elements. The lighting choices, table placement and wall textures gave the large space a warm feeling. The placement of the kitchen did not aid the servers. The diners entered and exited down a long path along the front of it, and it forced the hurried servers to pause while loping diners passed. Same thing happened when diners went to the bathroom, which is located next door to the kitchen. Must be frustrating for the servers.

The food I had won't knock your socks off, but I enjoyed it.

So during Magical Dining Month, you get an appetizer, entrée and a dessert. What did I order?

For my appetizer I ordered the Ligurian Halibut Crostini with tuna sauce, green peppercorn and radishes. The flavors and fish were great, but I wish it were served on a pice that was one-bite size, not two. Jeez I am being picky.
For the entrée I ordered the Pollo Arrosto, a roasted half chicken, polenta, grilled corn and red pepper butter. Delicious, but you better love the hell out of chicken because this was truly a half chicken. For me, too much chicken. For someone else, maybe just the right portion.
For the dessert I ordered the Butterscotch pudding with a wad of toffee on the side. The chef raved about this pudding, so most of the table ordered it. I don't know what she was raving about. Lame. My friend ordered the tiramisu with Crème anglaise. The thing came out lopsided, almost rolling down itself. Maybe I am used to the fake ones at Dennys that stand straight up and are frozen. Also, the servers had a very unique way of pronouncing the word tiramisu. Its probably the correct way, but it was unexpected. Ask the server to say it for you and see if I'm right.

Overall, the service and interior design of the place will impress you more than the food. Is it worth it? Yup.

Upon walking in, you know the place is special.

How do we feel about logos on plates?

The art on those panels in the middle are apparently chalk drawings.

I wondered if I'd feel comfortable eating at this brown table in the middle of the room. In a way, you've got this great modern chandelier over you and you could feel kind of special. On the other hand, you're int he middle of the restaurant, with no tables around you, almost on display.