Homecomin'

Our April trip was a series of firsts for us: new restaurants, touring some resorts for the first time, our first runDisney, and a few more. One of the most notable firsts was dining at Homecomin' in Disney Springs for the first time!  

In our little group of four (my parents, my boyfriend Don, and myself), we have two of some of the pickiest eaters on the planet. Between our food allergies, my general aversion to eating meat, and general pickiness, we aren't that easy to please. My dad and my boyfriend, on the other hand, are pretty much both Ron Swanson and will eat any and everything in sight. 

But Homecomin' had something for each of us, and it knocked our socks off. As you can see by my face below, I was really excited for my meal. 

To start, Don and I split the Bunch of Puppies. They were perfectly fried and served with delicious pimento cheese and a red jalapeño jelly. They had a perfect subtle kick to them, and were the perfect way to start our meal. Honestly, I could make a meal out of these, they were so good. My dad also ordered the Anna Maria Fish Dip, which had a great smoked flavor, and the buttermilk crackers were toasted just right!

For my entree, my dad and I both ordered the Fried Chicken & Doughnuts. The dish was served with sugared doughnuts, mashed potatoes, and a warm maple syrup. In all honesty, my favorite part of this was the mashed potatoes. The chicken itself was tasty, but needed more seasoning - something that every member of my party said about their own dish. The doughnuts were good, and an interesting combination to have with the chicken, but were too cakey and sweet to pair smoothly. Again, they were delicious, I'm just INSANELY picky. The mashed potatoes, on the other hand, were perfect. Creamy, but not too dense, and buttered just right. Don and my mom ordered the Fried Chicken Sandwich, which was tasty, but again, needed just *that* much more seasoning.

Along with his Fried Chicken Sandwich, Don had a side of Momma's Mac and Cheese. We're a family of mac & cheese snobs, and aren't easy to please when it comes to this dish. My mom's traditional southern mac and cheese sets a ridiculously high standard for all others, and I've never had one that even comes close. In the several bites that I stole, it was clear that this mac and cheese would come in second. It had a slight crisp on the top, the macaroni was cooked just right, and the amount of cheese was exactly what you would want in a home-cooked, stick-to-the-ribs dish. 

We were all stuffed by the end of lunch, but our delightful server convinced us to try the Hummingbird Cake. It's one of Chef Art Smith's most famous dishes, and it lived up to the hype. I'm not usually a fan of fruit in cakes, but the sweetness of the banana and pineapple was a complement to the sweetness of the cake. With that said, it wasn't overly sweet, it was relatively light, and the cream cheese frosting wasn't too dense. 

Overall, between the Southern atmosphere, delicious appetizers, sides, and desserts, Homecomin' definitely secured a place on our 'must-do' list for future trips. The chicken was good, don't get me wrong, but it needed just a tad more seasoning to do the trick. We'll undoubtedly return again soon, and try some more of their wonderful comfort food.