You may have read my not-so-stellar review of dinner at Cosmos Cafe in the brand-new Universal Stella Nova Resort on its opening night, but I gave the restaurant another shot on my second night, and I’m glad I did. This dining location has a fairly large menu for a quick service, and it is the same for both lunch and dinner. While there is a large variety of food available, from salads and sandwiches to burgers and fancier entrees, I was in the mood for two side dishes that seemed to be popular with other guests who couldn’t stop talking about them.
It was just after 6:30 pm when I walked up to place my order, and only a small group of guests were standing there reading the menu, so I didn’t have to wait for even a moment. I ordered the Very Cheesy Mac and Cheese for $7 (elbow pasta, three-cheese blend, toasted panko) and the Mexican Street Corn for $7 (roasted corn, aioli, chili, cilantro, lime). I tried to order the Pig in a Blanket for $9 (all-beef hot dog glazed with yellow mustard and wrapped in puff pastry) and the Tres Leches Cake for $10 (vanilla sponge cake soaked in milk, hand-whipped cream, powdered sugar), but they’d run out of both of those items earlier in the evening.
The restaurant did not appear to be quite as busy as the night before, so I was hoping it wouldn’t take as long to be ready. My buzzer started dancing around exactly twenty minutes after I placed my order, which was so much more reasonable. Both of my dishes were piping hot and fresh as well.
When I tell you that this is the best restaurant mac and cheese I’ve ever had, shy of what we make at home, I am not kidding. This dish is loaded with the meltiest, most delicious cheese, and the elbow macaroni was perfectly cooked. I thought the they looked like they might be slightly overdone, but they were not, they were just right. The lightly seasoned panko bread crumbs sprinkled over the top added the perfect balance to the dish. Also, the portion size was incredible for the price tag. When I think of side items, they are usually served in small cups – think of the size that one ice cream scoop would fit into. This was a huge dish, and I ate less than half of it, so the rest would be lunch the next day.
Next is the Mexican Street Corn, one of my very favorite things. We can count corn as a veggie, right? This dish was absolutely fantastic. The corn was crisp, and the sauce it was swimming in was delicious. It wasn’t spicy at all, but there was enough Tajin over the top that made it taste just right. The only issue I had with it was that the lemon wedge should’ve been a lime. That would’ve made it perfect. I only ate about half of this dish, so it’s safely tucked in the refrigerator for lunch with my leftover mac and cheese.
I’m so glad I loved both of these dishes. I hope they stay on the menu as they are; they’re sure to be a hit with future guests.
