Celebrate Women’s Herstory Month with New Food & Drinks at Universal Orlando Resort

Women make the world go round; I know it, you know it, and Universal Orlando Resort knows it. That’s why we go big when it’s time to show appreciation — and the time has certainly come. March is Women’s History Month, or, dare I say, Women’s Herstory Month, and many of our delicious dining establishments are banding together to sing their praises through tasty food and unique drinks.

What started as a week-long celebration in Santa Rosa, California, in 1978 honoring women’s contributions to American history has since grown into a full month spent commemorating women for their accomplishments and the work they continue to do every day. As a woman myself, March is a gratifying time of the year, and spending it at Universal makes it all the more exciting. Let’s celebrate the occasion together over these incredible dishes and cocktails!

What’s on the Menu for Women’s Herstory Month at Universal CityWalk

Universal CityWalk’s finest restaurants have each whipped up something special for Women’s Herstory Month — and they’re all handcrafted by our talented female chefs and bartenders. Whether you’re in the mood for good food or a great drink (or maybe both), our talented team has got you covered!

The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

A taste of the islands awaits you at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar this Women’s Herstory Month in the form of one mouthwatering delight: Fish in Coconut. This dish is made with a Japanese hamachi (yellowtail) fillet and paired with sweet coconut rice served with coconut gochujang sauce and a side of pickled brassica salad.

Cowfish Chef Dania Alvarez-King is the mastermind behind this dish and says she wanted to come up with something traditional that reminds her of her childhood in Samana, Dominican Republic. Consuming seafood and coconut was a regular occurrence for Dania and her family, and reminiscing about these flavors got her thinking of ways she could put a Cowfish spin on them for Women’s Herstory Month.

“The flavor profile brought back memories,” Chef Dania says. “When you’re using coconut milk with a gochujang spice, which is a traditional Asian spice, and combining those two together, mixing and enhancing the flavor, it gives you that sweet and spicy but savory dish at the same time. It’s kind of like combining the spices of a traditional Dominican item with an Asian spice twist to it.”

As a woman working in the culinary industry, Dania says that Women’s Herstory Month enables her to preserve her integrity as a woman and empower other female professionals like herself. “Just because you’re a woman does not mean you cannot be successful in the culinary field,” she says. “I’m proud to be a woman in the culinary industry. I’m proud to be a woman at Universal.”

VIVO Italian Kitchen

What better way is there to show appreciation for women in the culinary industry than with a celebratory dish near and dear to VIVO Italian Kitchen’s own Chef Alexis DeMoss — and named in her honor, too! Women’s Herstory Month is here, and if you’re going to celebrate it at Universal, you can’t go without trying the DeMoss Carbonara. Made with classic spaghetti noodles, this delight sports a savory pecorino cheese and a rich parmesan-pancetta cream sauce enriched by egg yolk. It’s topped off with a poached egg and garnished with fresh herbs and black pepper.

Chef Alexis says the carbonara is one of the first dishes she learned to cook early in her career. “This was a really great representation of a ‘her story’ just because it was one of my first menu items, and it’s something I’m really, really proud of,” she says. “I learned it when I was just a line cook, and then I executed it all the way through each development in my career. And I kind of perfected it; people always ask ‘What’s your specialty?’ and I would consider (the carbonara) one in my arsenal.”

For those dining at VIVO this March, Chef Alexis hopes guests trying the DeMoss Carbonara feel just as inspired as she does when she’s making it. “I hope that it’s something they’re excited to see and they feel (my own) pride and the love in the dish,” she says. “I just want it to be taken as, ‘Wow, this is really cool! They have a female chef and she has a special that has her name on it. She must really be something to this venue.’ It’s really cool to see successful women in this industry, so I hope that they’re just as excited about it as I am.”

When crafting this dish for Women’s Herstory Month, Alexis initially had no idea it would be named after her. With all the work she puts into the kitchen, however, our CityWalk director of culinary operations Chef Isaac Maisonet Pacheco saw fit for her specialty dish to wear her name as well. To be honored in such a way for Women’s Herstory Month really moved Alexis.

Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food

It all started with tequila — at least that’s what our assistant beverage manager Liam Wedderburn says happened. When tasked with crafting a celebratory cocktail for Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food to serve during Women’s Herstory Month, Liam looked to the ladies and their expertise.

Liam and his team “loved” the blanco tequila made by woman distiller Zandra Gómez and knew they had to use it for Women’s Herstory Month. Instead of just mixing up his own cocktail with this tequila, Liam wanted to take it a step further. “I figured instead of me coming up with something, let me try to find out if there’s a famous bartender out there who’s come up with a modern cocktail using tequila,” he says. “That way we can showcase two different women at the same time.”

After loads of research, Liam stumbled upon the Lavender Mint Margarita made by Abigail Gullo, an award-winning bartender. When he learned that this drink was inspired by the garden Abigail’s grandma kept, he knew it was the perfect choice for Women’s Herstory Month. “This recipe works perfectly with the tequila, and it’s the combination of these two that make the drink taste so wonderful,” Liam says.

The Lavender Mint Margarita puts a floral spin on a classic margarita and is made with blanco tequila, lime juice, lavender syrup and fresh mint, coming together to create a sweet, refreshing taste.

The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen

There was once a point in time when women weren’t allowed to bartend unless they were either the wife or daughter of the bar’s owner. This may be surprising to some but was a harsh reality for most women up until the 1970s. Since then, great things — and drinks — have come about, especially at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen in Universal CityWalk.

What’s brewing, you ask? Only the most inspiring cocktail we have to offer: Women are Innovators. Developed by Toothsome bartender Grace Dudley, this drink is inspired by the Old Cuban cocktail, which was crafted by one of the world’s most famous female bartenders, Audrey Saunders. Grace thought it would be fun to pay homage to someone who’s “breaking boundaries in the bartending industry” with her drink.

Similar to a mojito, Women are Innovators is made with rum, lime juice, blueberry concentrate, simple syrup and sweet prosecco with a mint leaf garnish. Grace says substituting the soda in a mojito with prosecco brings a lighter, more bubbly drinking sensation, making for the perfect, fun drink to sip on during Women’s Herstory Month.

Women’s Herstory Month at Finnegan’s Bar & Grill in Universal Studios Florida

There are ways to celebrate Women’s Herstory Month inside the theme park as well, and if you’re spending the day at Universal Studios Florida, you’ll need to head to Finnegan’s Bar & Grill. This Irish-American pub is serving up two tasty delights for the occasion: Crispy Reuben Rolls as an appetizer and Grilled Lamb Sliders as an entrée.

Although Finnegan’s is notorious for specializing in Irish cuisine, Chef Ross Sequera Torres (the brains behind the Crispy Reuben Rolls) says she was looking for ways to blend her Latino culture with the specialty menu item — and she found one! “I grew up eating pastelitos and empanadas my whole childhood,” Ross says, adding that she had to look deep into her heart when coming up with this dish. “So I think, ‘What better way to mix both cultures?’ So I created the Crispy Reuben Rolls, and it’s basically the heart of a Reuben in an empanada disc.”

If you’re like me and have never tried a Reuben before, it’s a classic Irish-American sandwich made with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing served on rye bread. Ross says the Crispy Reuben Rolls will have corned beef, cabbage, onions, Swiss cheese and a mustard-horseradish sauce to make the flavors pop, all neatly packed inside pastelito dough.

Chef Ross says that through this dish, she hopes to inspire women. “If I could do it, anybody can do it,” she says. “All you have to do is go for it; if you have a goal, go for it. That’s my legacy that I want to leave.”

She describes the Crispy Reuben Rolls as the “perfect appetizer” to complement her chef-partner-in-crime, Carmela Gregory’s, entrée, the Grilled Lamb Sliders. This dish features a ground lamb patty seasoned with minced garlic, salt, pepper and parsley and topped with melted provolone, arugula and harissa mayonnaise on a sweet brioche bun, served with a side of savory pub chips.

Chef Carmela says lamb is a huge part of Irish cuisine, and Finnegan’s doesn’t have a lot of options on its menu showcasing it, which is something she sought to change with the lamb sliders. “I don’t think it’s every day you see lamb on the menu or in a slider form, so maybe if they look at the menu they’ll see it’s something different and they give it a try and they find out ‘Hey, I like lamb,’ and maybe they’ll try it in a different dish,” she says.

Women’s Herstory Month at Mythos Restaurant in Universal Islands of Adventure

The only thing sweeter than being a woman during Women’s Herstory Month is the delectable dessert at Mythos Restaurant in Universal Islands of Adventure. The Fresh Strawberry & White Chocolate Mousse Butter Cake is nothing to play with, but it is something to delight in.

Mythos Chef Justin Jones and Assistant Chef Britney Dreasher collaborated on this dessert and looked to Britney’s love for the Florida Strawberry Festival when deciding what to put on the menu. The two opted for a classic butter cake with a smooth white chocolate mousse and fresh strawberry, and they couldn’t have chosen better! Justin says that when guests are trying this dessert, he hopes it evokes fond memories the same way it does for Britney. “We’re really looking for that emotional response — that memory bank we could tap into,” he says.

Extra Offerings for Women’s Herstory Month

Before calling it a day — or rather, a month — be sure to stop by Mythos Restaurant and Confisco Grille in Universal Islands of Adventure, as well as Lombard’s Seafood Grille in Universal Studios Florida for their commemorative wine portion of this celebration. Each restaurant is highlighting wine specially produced by renowned winemaker Stephanie Dutton. Pop, pour and toast to all the successful women of the world and their accomplishments during Women’s Herstory Month.

Are you just as excited to celebrate Women’s Herstory Month at Universal Orlando Resort as we are? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

Must be 21 or older with valid photo ID to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages.