My family just recently returned from a week-long trip to Orlando, where we took in the sights and sounds of all there is to enjoy in Florida – Disney, Universal Studios, Daytona Beach, Legoland… and extremely large portion sizes of food.
For my kids, this was their first foray into travelling for any length of time outside of Canada (thanks COVID) and flying on a plane.
Both my wife and I were prepared for the worst on this trip – we both expected the kids to be miserable with the early morning flight, the travelling, the driving, the heat.
My wife expected me to be an absolute mess. I am not much for travelling – I am content to spend a week at home unplugged from the world.
However, much to her surprise, everyone was great on the trip. Maybe it was the fact that everything was new to us, or maybe it was the fact that we didn’t go hungry…
Having been to the States numerous times myself, I knew that the portion sizes at restaurants south of the border are very generous. The kids, however, were not equipped with this knowledge.
On our first day, we were ready to eat. We had been awake since 2 a.m. to catch our flight out of Buffalo, arrived at the hotel around 9:30 and were famished.
So it was off to Denny’s.
Our oldest, Cam, is now at the age where the kids’ menu does not appeal to him, so he took a look at the offerings on the “adult” menu.
“I want the Grand Slam Breakfast,” he said.
For those that are not familiar, you get two of everything with this breakfast – eggs, sausage, toast, bacon, hash browns and pancakes.
As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power.”
“Dude, that’s a lot of food,” I said. “You sure?”
“Yeah, it can’t be that much,” he replied.
“You know it’s going to come on two plates, right?” I asked.
“Yeah, right.”
He went ahead and ordered the Grand Slam, and a few moments later it arrived. The waitress set down two plates in front of him.
“Seriously?” he exclaimed.
The pancakes took one plate on their own, while the rest of the food was heaped on the other.
He dug in, and after getting about halfway through the pile of food in front of him, he gave up.
“I can’t do it,” he said. “Too much food.”
I smiled and told him that portion sizes in the States are much larger than you get in Canada. He nodded.
Me, being naïve, thought this registered with him.
The next day, at Magic Kingdom, we had lunch at one of the many restaurants located in the Disney theme park. Again, being hungry, Cam wanted a hamburger… off the adult menu.
“It’s gonna be big,” I said.
“But I’m hungry,” was his reply.
So he ordered the burger, which took up half the plate put in front of him.
Instead of making a big deal about it, he started digging in. After getting about 75 per cent of the way through the meal – he never touched his fries – he tapped out.
“It’s so big, but so good,” he muttered.
He was right about that – the food was delicious, especially after a morning of walking around in the heat.
After two very big meals, did Cam figure out that portion sizes are bigger and that the kids’ menu may suffice?
Nope.
On Mother’s Day, we went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Other than its delicious desserts, the Cheesecake Factory is known for its generous portion sizes.
Again, Cameron headed for the “big boy” menu and selected a clubhouse sandwich.
“Solid choice,” I said. “You better be hungry.”
“It’s a sandwich, Dad,” he replied. “How big can it be?”
The sandwich arrived, and his eyes widened.
“It’s like four sandwiches!” he said. “How the heck am I supposed to eat that?”
Both my wife and I couldn’t hold in the laughter.
“Told you it was going to be big,” I said.
Cam ended up sharing his sandwich with the entire family.
“Why is everything so big here?” he asked.
I didn’t have a good answer for that, but I think after three massive meals, he finally got the idea that there will be far more food than what he needs on his plate the entire trip.
However, that didn’t stop me from making sure the plate was empty before it headed back to the kitchen.
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Mike Wilson is the editor of Midwestern Newspapers. Comments and feedback are welcome at mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
