I’m making a New Year’s resolution to spend the last hours of 2024 indulging in some of the finest dishes Universal Orlando Resort has to offer, and you should, too. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are right around the corner, and I can’t picture a better place to celebrate than at Universal CityWalk. Our endlessly talented chefs have banded together to bring you an exclusive selection of specially curated dishes that are more than fit for the occasion. Here’s what you can expect at a handful of CityWalk restaurants this holiday season:
A Merry Christmas & Happy New Year at VIVO Italian Kitchen
VIVO Italian Kitchen is celebrating December holidays at Universal CityWalk to the max. This Christmas and New Year’s Eve, VIVO has a slew of specials in store for holiday lovers and foodies alike. Exclusively on Christmas Day, December 25, 2024, you can sink your teeth into an entrée and dessert pairing that is nothing short of sensational. You’ll start with the Seven Seas Cioppino, a savory spread of finds that hail from — you guessed it — all seven seas! Lobster, mussels, calamari, halibut and shrimp coupled with a warm tomato broth and a side of grilled sourdough is a match made in seafood heaven.
Sweeten your palate with a classic Italian fried pastry, Zeppole. This fluffy dough is filled with a rich, white chocolate ganache and fruity raspberry compote and sprinkled in powdered sugar. My mouth is already watering.
Diners coming to CityWalk on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2024, are in for a world of flavor as you’re not only getting another exceptional entrée and dessert pairing, but you can also check out what limited-time specials Sip & Bites, a reservation-only offering at VIVO, is bringing to the table. Your entrée for the night is a savory Porchetta made with sausage and green lentils, golden raisins and spiced broccolini with a red wine reduction. By its side is a decadent Chocolate Ravioli dessert made with Gianduja chocolate silk, raspberry sauce and vanilla-macerated berries. Who knew ravioli could sound so sweet?
Six immaculate dishes. One night only. Yours for the taking. I’m talking about Sip & Bites, and you won’t want to miss out on it. Running from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, VIVO is bringing you six handcrafted dishes to indulge in. You only have one night to try the hearty Meatball Bites, classic Shrimp Cocktail, Crispy Ravioli, Bruschetta, Antipasto and Winter Truffle Flatbread — so what will you choose? Personally, I was torn between the perfectly seasoned Meatball Bites, the Crispy Ravioli and its irresistible blend of chicken-basil pesto and Calabrian chili aioli, and the cheesy Winter Truffle Flatbread with its truffle emulsion, cremini mushrooms and arugula. That’s why I tried all three! ZERO regrets.
Curb Your New Year’s Eve Cravings at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar
Seafood lovers may find their match made in fishy heaven at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar this New Year’s Eve once they lay their eyes on this three-course spread of delights. You’ll kick off your dining ventures with the Shrimp CheeZze Basket, a flavorful selection of mozzarella, cream cheese and parmesan cheese crisps served with a zesty marmalade.
Your entrée takes surf and turf to new heights with sushi rice, juicy beef tenderloin and a succulent lobster tail drizzled in a smoked onion-oyster mushroom velouté sauce and served with Togarashi XOXO butter. This dish is rightfully known as the Land & Sea Bowl, and trust me when I say you need it in your life. Wrap up the night with Cheesecake Lumpia for dessert. It’s made with vanilla bean and a fortune cookie crumble and served with a side of strawberry yuzu jelly and white chocolate ube sauce. All this? Just for you? You bet — and only on the last night of the year at Cowfish!
Go Big at Bigfire This New Year’s Eve
Want to know how you can make the most of this New Year’s Eve? By taking on an exquisite three-course meal at Bigfire. This one is overflowing with only the finest tastes our chefs have to offer this holiday season. Are you in the mood for soup or salad? Indulge in a warm Sunchoke & Parsnips Bisque made with osetra caviar, chives and lemon oil, or enjoy a Golden Beet Salad made with rogue river bleu, port roasted figs, arugula and orange-ginger Marcona almonds drizzled in pistachio vinaigrette.
For your entrée, you can choose between the Chicken & Dumplings or Caribbean Lobster. Dessert is one item on the menu that is made to celebrate the occasion. Rightfully named the New Year’s Kiss, this treat is a dark chocolate pistachio cake with raspberry sauce and a graham clock cookie and chocolate wine bottle. One way or another, you’ll be getting a New Year’s kiss!
Delicious New Year’s Eve Dishes at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville has a healthy handful of dishes for you to try this New Year’s Eve, and each one is a culinary masterpiece. The Caribbean Lobster Bisque sports sherry cream, coconut shrimp and coriander while the Florida Black Grouper is blackened and served with a white cheddar and asparagus risotto, winter vegetables and a bacon-tomato relish. The Chocolate Crème Brulée with its macerated berries and toasted shaved coconut is also a show-stopper by itself. We’re entering a new year — treat yourself!
Pig Out at NBC Sports Grill & Brew This New Year’s Eve
NBC Sports Grill & Brew is pulling out all the stops this New Year’s Eve with its bountiful Smoked Beef Ribs Board. Two more-than-generously sized, flame-smoked beef ribs are accompanied by creamy house-made mac and cheese, braised kale and pork belly and the best hot honey and serrano corn bread money can buy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You need this in your life.
Ring in the New Year at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
One way to both sweeten and savor the night is to get in on the New Year’s Eve special at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. One incredible entrée coupled with a dazzling shake for dessert is all you’ll need to celebrate this occasion accordingly. The CAB Prime Rib boasts a cocoa and coffee crust and comes complete with black truffle and drunken goat au gratin potatoes, broiled broccolini and Too Chocolate Stout Au Jus. Right behind it is Penelope’s Firework Shake, and it’s filled with vanilla ice cream, confetti cake, buttercream frosting and plenty of popping rock candies to really bring the BOOM! Did somebody say “delicious?”
All the New Year’s Eve Eats at Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food
Who knew celebrating the new year could taste so good? Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food in Universal CityWalk does, and that’s why it’s serving up a Crispy Local Snapper for the holiday. Known as Mojarra frita, this whole crispy local snapper is cooked to perfection and served with a pickled red onion-cucumber salad while adorning three juicy limes and cilantro sprouts. Enjoy it with a side of house rice, corn tortillas and salsa chipotle for an authentic Mexican dining experience.
The Best Tastes of New Year’s Eve at Pat O’Brien’s
Spend New Year’s Eve relishing the finest flavors the bayou has to offer by dining at Pat O’Brien’s. What’s on the exclusive menu, you ask? Steak Oscar, of course. This meaty beef tenderloin is smothered in a hearty crawfish cream sauce and joined by a side of rich maple-bourbon heirloom carrots, roasted garlic potato puree and béarnaise sauce. I hope you made a resolution to eat to your heart’s content, because that’s exactly what you’ll be doing at Pat O’Brien’s.
Have a Flavorful New Year’s Eve at Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom
The sweet tastes of Jamaica are calling your name this New Year’s Eve, and it sounds like the call is coming from Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom. You can’t truly treasure the night without having first tried its specialty Local Snapper dish, which is stuffed with spinach, okra and bell peppers and served with sweet plantains, Jamaican festival (sweet fried dumpling) and escabeche sauce. Garnished with cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, this dish is overflowing with flavor. With this dish, you’re bound to have happy holidays at Universal CityWalk.
CityWalk is open until 2 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, and guests will be able to enjoy a DJ and live entertainment from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., including a midnight countdown.
What Universal CityWalk restaurant are you dining at this holiday season? Let us know in the comments below!
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