I love the winter holiday season, and I love theme parks, so of course when the two come together, I'm in heaven. The holiday season is a time to celebrate with friends and family, and that celebration usually involves lots of food and drink. Delicious and creative food and drinks are also staples of the theme park world, so it’s no surprise that as Universal Orlando celebrates the holiday season, it’s breaking out a lot of remarkable treats.
Universal Resorts and Destinations does a lot to celebrate the holiday season. There are new shows, unique character experiences and, of course, beautiful decorations, but one absolute highlight is the food. I got to check out Universal Orlando Resort as the holiday season was getting underway, so obviously I had to try out as much of the delicious holiday food, both sweet and savory, that I could get my hands on. Here are a few of my favorites, along with where to find them, because sometimes Universal Orlando likes to hide things and make it a challenge to find what you want.
Max’s Smoked Brisket Skillet Hash
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Max’s Smoked Brisket Skillet Hash is an excellent breakfast option. Though to be fair, it would work pretty well basically any time of day. Chopped brisket, potatoes, poblano peppers, poached egg and a siracha hollandaise sauce that I want to buy by the bottle come together for a hearty meal that will get you ready for a day of fun attractions in the resort.
The only downside to this one is that the only place to get it is as part of the Grinch and Friends character breakfast. Still, character breakfasts are usually a lot of fun, and The Grinch is a hilarious part of Universal's parks, so spending a little extra money to get some time with the Grinch and the Whos, as well as eat some great food, isn't the worst idea.
Turkey Dinner Sandwich
If there’s one thing that’s even better than a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, it’s the sandwiches you can make with the leftovers. The Turkey Dinner Sandwich is the best version of that, with turkey, brie cheese and a cranberry aioli all inside a delicious toasted cranberry artisan bread. It’s the perfect sandwich for sitting and enjoying or taking on the go to your next stop on your park day. Visit Battery Park at Universal Studios Florida to get your hands on this one.
Grinch Hot Cocoa Bomb/Earl’s Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Bomb
Even Orlando gets cold this time of year, and it was actually raining during most of my recent trip. While that wasn't the most fun thing in the world, on the plus side, that meant it was perfect hot chocolate weather, and some of the best hot cocoa at Universal Orlando comes in the form of “bombs.” Along with your cup of hot chocolate, you get a chocolate ornament you drop in. It melts away to reveal marshmallows and other candies to enjoy with our drink. A standard chocolate Grinch-themed version is available, as is a salted caramel option with a chocolate acorn themed to Earl, Universal Orlando’s original Christmas character.
You’ll find Earl’s Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Bomb inside Battery Park at Universal Studios Florida. The Grinch version can be found at Seuss Landing, which for the season has become Whoville at Universal’s Islands of Adventure at Hop on Pop. The “bombs” are also available a la carte if you want the sweets without the hot chocolate.
Peppermint Mocha Petite Gateaux
Now that we’ve gotten the “real food” out of the way, let’s enjoy some treats. The Peppermint Mocha Petite Gateaux is exactly my jam when it comes to sweet treats. It's something smooth and easy to eat while being more than a little decadent. Chocolate and mint are two of the world’s greatest flavors, especially when they’re together, and this is a perfect example of why. Full disclosure, some people I’ve talked to about this one thought the peppermint flavor was so strong it reached “toothpaste” levels, but I don’t agree. Especially when all layers are eaten together, everything balances quite nicely.
This can be found in a few different places in the Universal Orlando Resort. If you’re at Universal Studios Florida, check out the Today Cafe or the San Francisco Pastry Company. At Islands of Adventure, you’ll find it at the Croissant Moon Bakery
Grinch Cookies
A simple cookie is something I would normally overlook, especially a simple sugar cookie with green food coloring. But these cookies are made with cake batter, and that gives them a texture and a flavor quite unlike anything you would expect from such a simple cookie. You still have to love cookies to give this one the time of day when compared to everything else, but as cookies go, it’s worth a look.
Along with the Grinch Hot Chocolate Bomb, you’ll find this cookie at Hop on Pop at Seuss Landing/Whoville. In fact, the two together would make for an excellent combo.
Vegan Cookie Butter Snowflake
I am not vegan. I have nothing against food that is vegan, though in my experience when you try and recreate something that would otherwise use dairy products with anything else, it almost always comes out a lesser version of what it could have been because the taste and texture always end up a little off. So when I say the Vegan Cookie Butter Snowflake may be the best holiday dessert at Universal Orlando, please understand I’m not screwing around. This thing is absolutely incredible. Do not buy this for a group expecting to share, because you will not want to. If you’re at Universal Studios Florida, you'll find this at the San Francisco Pastry Company. At Islands of Adventure, you’ll find it at the Croissant Moon Bakery.
While I stuffed myself as full as I could of amazing Universal Orlando food on my recent trip, I won’t pretend I ate literally everything, so there are probably some delicious options out there for you to discover yourself. Either way, Christmas at Universal Orlando is a wonderful time to be had, and you certainly won’t go hungry.
