The Edison is one of the new Disney Springs venues from the folks at Patina Restaurant Group (Morimoto Asia, Tutto Italia). It’s a multilevel fun factory of a restaurant with good food to go with the entertaining decor.
Thomas Alva is the Edison of the name, of course, and there are homages to his inventions and patents everywhere. Indeed, the very design of the restaurant is an old power plant (electric power distribution, 1882) and lit with a soft glow from what are nostalgically referred to as Edison bulbs (incandescent lamps, 1879). Music plays in the background (phonograph, 1887) and old-timey black-and-white movies are displayed on various walls (motion picture camera, 1891).
Apparently he had something to do with inventing bacon, too, given its near ubiquitousness on the menu.
That includes an appetizer called the DB Clothesline Candied Bacon, with long rashers of bacon clipped, for some reason, with clothespins to a rod suspended between two tall poles. (The clothespin was not an Edison invention, that was David M. Smith, 1853). The bacon, thick and chewy, was slathered with sticky maple syrup and dotted with cracked peppercorns. I found it a bit sweet for a starter but I loved the leftovers with my eggs the next morning. The DB in the name, by the way, stands for David Burke, the New York chef, who is not affiliated with the Edison but who does, coincidentally, hold two patents of his own, one for a meat aging process (2011) and another for a revolving serving tray (1995).
(I do wonder if the sweet bacon referenced a job Edison had as a boy, one of the lads hawking confections on trains who were known as candy butchers. If so, kudos on the research, people.)
Bacon had a dominant presence on the burger known as The Edison. Here it was draped over a thick patty fashioned out of sirloin steak, shortrib and brisket meat, grilled to a requested medium-rare juiciness. Cheddar cheese, nicely melted and oozing, and frizzled onions also topped. House pickles garnished and a stack of thick fries accompanied.
The meatloaf was served, as meatloaves should be, with mashed potatoes. The texture was tender-firm and a spicy ketchup glaze added a piquant note to counter the rich reduction gravy. Carrots of various colors decorated the plate. Oh, I almost forgot — the meatloaf was swathed with bacon.
Our server was friendly and cheerful, and there was also an affable young man who strolled through the restaurant with levitating magnets and other Edisonic diversions. Later in the evenings the restaurant takes on more of a cabaret setting (adults only) with acrobatic aerialists, live music and dancing.
Even without the live entertainment, The Edison is a fun place to be. Having good food to go with the experience makes it even better.
The Edison is at Disney Springs, 1570 E. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista. It is open for lunch and dinner daily. The phone number is 407-560-9288 (or WATT; get it?).
