Saturday, December 24th (continued)
We had actually had Toothsome on our must-do list for many months before we ever arrived: we had eagerly monitored guest feedback here on the Disboards after it opened in October, and we were hopeful that the issues it experienced on opening (namely, the LONG delays for food to arrive) had been successfully worked through within their first two months in business. It was one of the first places we had planned to dine with Kerry, Robert and David early in the trip.
Fast forward, then, to December: Kerry, Robert and David couldn’t wait to try it either, and decided to dine there the night before we arrived in Orlando. Unfortunately, their experience was anything but positive: while finding their dishes visually appealing, they didn’t enjoy the taste; they also felt their service was sub par. Worse yet, the suspected that the food actually made them sick, as they all suffered from various forms of upset stomach in the hours following their meal there. Their report certainly didn’t have us running to book the next available table……and the vacation marched on without us making any real effort to set aside time to give Toothsome a try.
Fast forward to this day, in the final hours of our trip, and that massively ornate building was calling our name as we debated our options for a last lunch in Orlando.
While we trusted the honest and candid feedback from our dear friends, we also thought that the restaurant deserved a second chance; an opportunity for it to either redeem itself. We truly felt we’d regret not giving it a try ourselves…..because every business, even the great ones, can have a bad day. It didn’t take us long to talk ourselves into it: if they had a table available, Toothsome for lunch it would be
.
Heading into the restaurant, we were welcomed by a pair of friendly young greeters who were decked from head to toe in very impressive steampunk-style dresses. We asked if there would be much of a wait for a table…..we were being mindful of the time, knowing we needed to be at the airport by around 4 pm for our early evening flight…….and they explained that they would just need a few moments, but should be able to seat us quite quickly. They took our phone number, and cheerily promised to text us within the next few minutes. We opted to browse the adjacent chocolate shop while we waited.
We had just nicely started meandering through the store, taking in all the nifty little details and unique products that lined the walls and filled the tall shelves (and trying desperately to avert my eyes from the selection of chocolates and truffles in the long glass case....telling myself I'd ruin my meal if I filled up on sweets this close to lunch), when I heard Steve call for me from behind….. “Uh, Gina? You might want to turn around. Look who I found!”.
Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome herself was gliding through the shop, stopping to chat with guests and pose for pictures: her big personality just it up that whole little shop. We both were quite impressed by the depth of the character of this lady…..while she made a great personal connection with US, she also wove a lot about HER (and the Toothsome story) into our conversation and it all felt very ‘natural’. While just having an accurate looking character is a pretty cool thing in my book, having one that also embodies the personal characteristics (especially when it’s a face character) is no small feat. We hadn’t even sat down yet, and I was already having that “I’m so glad we came!” feeling
.
We were still chatting it up with Penelope when I got the notification that our table was ready, so we returned to the podium and were whisked away to our table. The restaurant was actually surprisingly empty, so our brief wait for a table had nothing to do with numbers. We were asked if we had any objections to being seated on the second floor, and we said absolutely not. We were also asked if we preferred to take the stairs or the elevator; we opted for stairs, figuring we’d be glad we worked off an extra 10 calories or so by the time this meal was over
.
The inside of Toothsome is just as captivating as the outside, and the second floor is particularly lovely. The huge windows let in a ton of that glorious Florida sunshine, and provide a spectacular view of Citywalk.
There’s a large bar in the center of the 2nd level, which appears in this picture as if it weren’t being used, but there was a bartender present.....though he wasn’t very busy right then, obviously. He, too, was in the trademark steampunk garb, and fit in with the décor as seamlessly as the wrought iron stools and brass accents.
Everything from the photos on the walls to the knick knacks on the shelves were perfectly fitting. I’ve never thought myself much of a steampunk fan before that point, but Toothsome was rapidly converting me.
Our very friendly and efficient server was quick to bring us menus once we were seated by the hostess. The menu not only featured a full summary of the food and beverage items available, but it also offered a little history lesson on the Toothsome story.
We eventually had to tear our eyes off the décor and from the more information parts of the menu and start deciding on what we were actually going to order. Our server was great…..she popped back a few times to see how we were doing, but didn’t rush us at all. We both had decided when we arrived that we would HAVE to order milkshakes: since they were their signature creation, it would seem a sin not to sample two flavours from their extensive line up.
Choosing one turned out to be an almost impossible task. They all sounded SO good!!
I am pretty sure we spent more time deciding on our milkshake choices than we did on our entrees.
We had just nicely passed along our orders (finally!!) to our server when this guy strolled up to our table:
Jacques, Penelope’s trusted companion
. While not quite as engaging as the effervescent Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome, he too was wonderfully in character and a ton of fun.
How awesome to have met both characters on our first visit!
More on our meal at Toothsome is still to come .