A Harry Potter Obsessive's Guide To Eating At The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter
I solemnly swear that I ate everything I could.
Witches and wizards—some in robes and others in standard muggle clothing—are waving their wands, muttering incantations, and managing all kinds of mischief. It smells like a mix of baked goods and sunscreen. The sound of a familiar score is deafening in the best way—and there's a line down the street of people waiting for mugs of frothy, golden Butterbeer. There's only one way to truly describe it: There is magic in the air.
I'm at Universal Orlando Resort's Wizarding World of Harry Potter, smack in the middle of Hogsmeade's High Street, and Hogwarts Castle—a replica of the architectural icon from all of the Harry Potter films—is looming over me in the distance. It's 90 degrees, but the pointy, thatched roofs all around me are dusted with glittering, fake snow, giving the village its Christmas-card look. This place has the hustle and bustle of a theme park, but everyone here is staring upwards, in absolute awe of their surroundings. The level of detail is so perfect that it's enough to bring me—a Harry Potter obsessive—to tears.
Every summer, I reread all seven Harry Potter books and rewatch all eight Harry Potter movies. It started in 2002 when I was 18: I was, admittedly, a little old to join Potter mania. I read the first four books in quick succession and then started waiting, like all other rabid fans, for the next book and movie to come out. I attended every midnight book release party and every opening-night movie screening.
The rest of the Delish team knows the power of Harry Potter. Our copycat Butterbeer video (and its boozy cousin) racked up more than 6 million views last fall, which—at the time—made it our most popular video by a long shot. So my boss suggested I go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort to turn up other magical delights. With the announcement of a new play and book coming this summer (Harry Potter and The Cursed Child) and a new Rowling film (Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them ) opening this winter, Harry Potter mania is about to reach another high. It seemed like the perfect time to explore the two areas of the Wizarding World—Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, located within Universal's two theme parks—with an eye toward identifying (and consuming) the most delicious eats and sweets I could find.
The Three Broomsticks
That is how I found myself in Hogsmeade—located at Universal Orlando Resort's Islands of Adventure theme park—under a sweltering sun, surrounded by the aforementioned witches and wizards, and yes, some muggles. Despite the heat, I'm here to eat and the best place to get a good meal in Hogsmeade is The Three Broomsticks pub. This is the site of many Harry, Hermione, and Ron hijinks, and it's everything Rowling describes: "extremely crowded, noisy, warm and smoky." (Minus the smoke, of course—this is 2016 in a family theme park.) Worn wooden beams soar over weathered walls, and there are antlers, portraits of wizarding history, and assorted unidentifiable knickknacks all over the place.
Looking at the menu, I'm immediately in awe of The Great Feast—a massive platter of rotisserie smoked chicken legs, spareribs, corn on the cob, and roasted potatoes. It's enough to feed a family of four, and was actually designed with family-style dining in mind, according to Universal Orlando Resort Corporate Executive Chef Steven Jayson. Hogwarts students all share ridiculously over-the-top platters of food when eating in The Great Hall, and this dish is an homage to that style of eating. I sneak a few bites of each portion of the platter—the chicken is actually perfectly cooked, bursting with herbs, and instantly comforting. The potatoes are nicely seasoned, the ribs are not the saucy KC-variety I'm used to, but I'm not mad about it, and the corn is wonderfully bright and tastes fresh.
It is, however, 9:30 in the morning, so I actually focus more on the Traditional English Breakfast. If you've ever been to England, you'll know that this is the real thing—eggs, sausage, black pudding, bacon, baked beans, grilled tomato, sautéed mushrooms, and potatoes. The grilled tomato bursts over the sausages and eggs when I dig in, and I struggle to remember that I am not even IN the U.K. It's all part of the magic, chef Jayons says.
"We wanted to immerse our guests into what it was really like for these [characters]," he says. "What would they really eat?" They did their research: the culinary team traveled to England to research authentic British pub fare, and ran everything by Rowling herself to figure out how they could bring the right food back to the States.They settled on authenticity above anything else, which explains The Three Broomsticks distinctive lack of traditional theme park food. Beyond this classic breakfast, the menu is full of English favorites like Porridge (one of Mrs. Weasley's standard breakfast foods), a Smoked Salmon Breakfast, and a Pancake Breakfast to Shepherd's Pie, Fish and Chips, Cornish Pasties (pastry filled with ground beef, veggies, and potatoes), and Smoked Turkey Legs. By the end of it, I start to feel like an inflated Aunt Marge.
Back outside, I check out the food carts that dot the high street. They're stocked with ice-cold Pumpkin Juice, Gillywater (aka bottled water), and other assorted snacks and sweets, but I'm most intrigued by a huge barrel that is pouring Butterbeer for a long line of eager guests. I decide my time has come to sample the famous beverage as well so instead of cooking in the sun, (pro tip: skip the line at the two kiosks outside and head inside to AC and a—usually—much shorter line at The Hog's Head) I seek refuge in the dingy bar next door to The Three Broomsticks.
The Hog's Head
"It was not at all like The Three Broomsticks, whose large bar game an impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. The Hog's Head bar comprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats."—Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix
Thankfully the place didn't smell like goats. But The Hog's Head does give off a darker, dirtier vibe than The Three Broomsticks. It's predictably packed, probably because it's the only place in Hogsmeade where you can get actual beer and alcohol, along with more kid-friendly counterparts. I order one of everything (except the non-magical stuff, like Boddington's and Guinness). I decide to start with the main attraction, Butterbeer, which is available in two varieties—cold or frozen (I'm told they also serve a warm version of Butterbeer, but only when Florida weather requires it ... which is almost never).
The cold version (my personal favorite) has a cream soda-like texture and is topped with a white, frothy head that is incredibly addictive. When the liquid passes through the foam, the flavors combine to create something that is super smooth and easy to drink—it has that butterscotch taste without being overly sweet. (The books describes Butterbeer as "a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch"—and they nailed it.) The frozen version, on the other hand, is served with a straw so that you can mix the foam and slushie portion together to get both flavors in each sip.
I could polish a cold version off at an alarming rate, but I control myself in order to try the other beverages on offer—pumpkin juice, pumpkin fizz and Hog's Head Brew. The Pumpkin Juice, which comes on tap or bottled (so you can take it home), tastes like fall in a glass, while the Pumpkin fizz is a carbonated version of the juice—it tastes like pumpkin pie soda. (I actually preferred the fizzy version.) Finally, for the hard stuff, the exclusive-to-Hogsmeade Hog's Head Brew delivers a classic Irish red beer, not too hoppy, and not too heavy, perfect for those who need a REAL drink after a day in the park.
I need to walk all this off so I head outside and duck into Honeydukes Sweets Shop. The tiny space is filled with towering shelves of every colorful candy or sweet ever mentioned in the Potterverse. Huge towers dispense the dreaded Bertie Bott's Ever Flavour Beans, and a bakery case features goodies like Butterber Fudge and Pumpkin Pasties. I grab a bunch to try later, but recognize I can't eat another thing at this moment. I feel like a regular Moaning Myrtle—wailing about my body's current state. I decide a ride on the Hogwarts Express is the break my belly needs.
The newest area of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located at Islands of Adventure's sister park, Universal Studios Florida, less than a mile away from Hogsmeade. Guests have the chance to ride the famed Hogwarts Express between them, and I was freaking out with excitement. The 5-minute ride is so wonderful that I basically screw professional decorum and allow myself to go full-on fan girl. (Insider tip: It's worth riding the train both ways to get the full experience. You get to enter Platform 9 ¾ in King's Cross station, which any HP-obsessive won't want to miss.)
Leaky Cauldron
After exploring the main thoroughfare of Diagon Alley—full of fun shops like Ollivander's wand shop, Flourish & Blotts bookstore, Quality Quidditch Supplies, the Magical Menagerie, and a fire-breathing dragon perched atop Gringotts bank—I'm finally feeling hungry again. My destination is the Leaky Cauldron. Described in the books as "a tiny, grubby-looking pub ... dark and shabby," it's the literal entrance to the magical street (you tap a brick wall with your wand) and where Harry first meets his nemesis Voldemort. So as a fan, I have extremely high hopes.
This Leaky Cauldron exudes that vibe with a little more elegance. Cathedral-high ceilings with wooden beams, long communal wooden tables, huge candelabras—this place is much more impressive than the books can even describe. I settle at a long table in the corner and am in awe of the plates that have appeared before me. If The Three Broomsticks was meant to emulate The Great Hall of Hogwarts, the Leaky Cauldron is more a classic British pub, according to Chef Jayson.
The signature dish is The Ploughman's Platter, an enormous plate of English cheese, crusty bread, oven-roasted tomatoes, cornichon pickles, scotch eggs, green salad, and apple and beet salad. The platter is meant to be shared, but I refuse: the scotch eggs are all mine. I move on to the Fish and Chips, which hold their own to the version I ate in actual London: the cod and chips were perfectly crispy and the tarter sauce had a great bite. Next was a platter of Mini Pies—cottage (beef, vegetables, potato crust) and fisherman (salmon, shrimp, cod, potato crust). The cottage version was actually one of my favorite menu items of the trip—I would definitely have devoured a whole one given the option.
The meal continues with a Beef, Lamb and Guinness Stew that's served in the cutest mini bread bowl ever and is loaded with carrots, potatoes, and gravy. Yes, it's weird to be eating all this heavy pub grub when you're wearing a tank top and sandals and it's 90 degrees outside, but the food is so authentic, it doesn't faze me at all.
Plus, there are still sausages to try. There's a Bangers and Mash plate and a Banger Sandwich: the first is English sausages served on fluffy mashed potatoes, the latter served in a crusty bagel. Finally, there is the Toad in the Hole, an English sausage baked into Yorkshire pudding with onion gravy, peas, and tomatoes. It's an odd-looking dish, but Chef Jayson assures me it's incredibly British, the kind of dish I imagine Ron Weasley would scarf down with abandon. For dessert there is to-die-for Sticky Toffee Pudding with an incredible butterscotch sauce, Chocolate and Butterbeer Potted Cream, and a parfait-like dish called Cranachan that features fresh raspberries, jam and custard. I take small bites of each dessert despite the fact that my stomach is nearing Dudley Dursley levels.
The Leaky Cauldron also pours the requisite Butterbeers and pumpkin juice, but you can also find inventive drinks like Tongue Tying Lemon Squash, Otter's Fizzy Orange Juice and Fishy Green Ale, and draught beers Wizard's Brew and Dragon Scale. I take sips of each one because I'm a completist and a glutton. The Fishy Green Ale has little bubble-tea-like balls that release a burst of fruity flavor when you bite into them (It's my favorite of these beverages). I stumble back out into the sunlight, woozy and so full. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a brilliantly orange and purple shop. The building's most notable feature, however, is a 20-foot high replica of a red-headed man who is constantly putting on and taking off his cap. I need to go in.
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes
The eponymous shop of Fred and George Weasley is mostly a joke shop with signature items like a stuffed version of the Pygmy Puff that Ginny Weasley affectionately named Arnold, Decoy Detonators, Sneakoscopes, Extendable Ears, and more. This place is an explosion of color and noise, worthy of the mayhem the Weasley twins were known for. However, there are also finds worthy of Delish—specifically, the famous Skiving Snackboxes.
The box is filled with an assortment of sweets developed to help Hogwarts students get out of class. They don't actually cause any ailments—but they're delish, nonetheless. My favorite was the Nosebleed Nougat—milk chocolate, pistachios, and white pearls, kind of a Three Musketeers on steroids—but there was also Puking Pastilles (super-sticky green and purple sweets that are pretty inoffensive), Fainting Fancies (half lemon, half orange sugary gummies), and Fever Fudge (vanilla fudge with red hot candies sprinkled throughout). I quickly make myself feel actually sick by trying all these sweets, but it's all in the name of research. A quick hug of a stuffed Pygmy Puff makes me feel better instantly and I'm back on the prowl, thankful that I reserve a separate chamber in my stomach for ice cream. I've saved the best for last.
Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry stays at the Leaky Cauldron prior to term. He spends every day sitting outside in the sun, eating ice creams at Florean Fortescue's, occasionally getting hep from the man himself on his homework. Ever since reading that passage, I thought that sounded like an amazing way to spend an afternoon, homework excluded, so I ignored the voice in my head saying you've had enough for one day, and decide to try as many flavors as possible.
The interior of the tiny shop is packed, but I manage to sneak a peek and it's a delight—bright colors and a baked-good-meets-icy-goodies smell. The hum of the freezers and the happy chatter of the crowd creates a feeling of not-unpleasant madness. I gather up as many flavors as I can and take them outside for an epic tasting.
The soft-serve flavors here look insane in the best way. They all have a vanilla base, but then flavored syrups are added to create pretty lines in the ice cream. My favorite: the Earl Grey & Lavender. I am not a tea person AT ALL, but the ice cream was so light and fresh tasting, that it was a blessing after some of the heavier flavors I scarfed down. Butterbeer was everything I've already waxed poetic about—it's like licking the foam out of the bottom of the glass. And the Salted Caramel Blondie is a brownie, chocolate chip cookie, and an Oreo with salted caramel drizzle. In short, it's everything you could want in a dessert.
After the ice cream binge has concluded I'm fairly convinced I've been hit by a stupefy charm, because I CAN NOT MOVE. Dusk is setting in behind Gringotts Bank, the crowd is miraculously thinning, and the dragon gives another one of it's trusty roars. I am seriously ready for a four-poster bed in my very own Gryffindor common room. The level of detail, love, and deliciousness in this place is totally overwhelming, especially as I head out toward King's Cross Station. I know it will take actual magic to make me ever want to eat again—but for now, all was well.
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