Toby Goodshank Original Art 2025

Life with Chicken and Broccoli

Category: holiday

  • Review: Duff Beer Garden, Universal Studios Florida

    Review: Duff Beer Garden, Universal Studios Florida

    Tucked along the side of the road as you meander through the Simpsons area of Universal Studios Florida, Duff Beer Garden feels like a little oasis in the middle of the park. It is not fancy, and it is not trying to be. It is a simple place to stop, cool down, have a drink, and take in the strange joy of being inside a real life version of Springfield.

    Growing up with The Simpsons, I watched Homer drink Duff Beer for years. Somewhere deep inside, probably at the subconscious level, it made me want to drink Duff Beer too. Then, finally, I got my chance.

    They have Duff Regular and Duff Light, and in the fall they usually have Duff Oktoberfest. I normally get the Light, and it is a nice draft beer. Without all the fanfare and Simpsons nostalgia, you probably would not think twice about it, but that is also part of the fun. You are standing in Springfield, drinking a Duff Beer, watching old Simpsons clips, and for a few minutes it just works.

    But what makes this place special for us is not really the beer. It is the bartender we met a few trips back, named Demar.

    I love watching a well run business, and before we even spoke to him, I noticed how well Demar worked. He was the superlative of a bartender. The bar usually has about three bartenders, and it gets busy quickly with people coming over for a cold beer. They also sell pretzels and corn dogs, although I do not think I have actually seen anyone eat one.

    What stood out to me was Demar’s speed, consistency, and command of the bar. He knew every combination of every order and exactly what it cost, including the tax. At one point, the other two bartenders went on break, and he had the whole bar to himself. That would be daunting for anyone, especially outside in the hot Florida weather, but he just kept moving. He had a knee brace on at the time and still kept cranking along, explaining the differences between the beers, ringing people up, calling out exact totals, and doing it all with almost robotic, lightning fast efficiency.

    But the impressive part was that he was not just fast. He was kind, friendly, and completely present with people. That is not easy to do when there is a line, the sun is beating down, and everyone wants something at the same time. He made it look easy.

    After a few trips, he remembered us, and that changed the whole feel of the place. It stopped feeling like we were just walking up to a theme park bar and started feeling like we were visiting someone we were genuinely happy to see. As my family sat around and hung out, we began to talk with him, and over time we developed a friendship.

    We had a lot of similar interests, and there was something almost reminiscent of Tom Cruise in Cocktail about him. He had ideas, investments, big dreams, and plans for where he wanted to go in life. That is one of the things I really respect about him. He was not just standing behind the bar pouring drinks. He was working hard, thinking ahead, and building toward something bigger.

    Now, part of the retirement plan at Universal is getting a fully loaded jacketed baked potato and making our way over to Duff Beer Garden for an excellent mixed drink or the occasional Duff Light. We sit there, let the gentle breeze carry the day away, rewatch old Simpsons cartoons, and hang out with our friend.

    That is what makes places like this special. It is not always the menu, the theming, or even the drink in your hand. Sometimes it is the people you meet along the way who become part of the tradition. Duff Beer Garden could have just been a quick stop for a cold beer in Springfield. Because of Demar, it became one of our favorite places to return to.

    Review Score: 9.5 out of 10
    Rating: Duff Worthy

  • Restaurant Review: Mythos, Universal Islands of Adventure- Final Review

    Restaurant Review: Mythos, Universal Islands of Adventure- Final Review

    “The world’s greatest theme park restaurant,” “10 time winner,” and “#1 Theme Park Restaurant in the World” are proudly displayed at the front entrance. With or without the banner, this is our favorite restaurant in a theme park and probably, for me, my favorite restaurant in the United States.

    But this visit felt different, because this was not just another meal at Mythos. It felt like the beginning of saying goodbye.

    What is there not to love about this place? I am a huge fan of the décor and the mythology surrounding it. Every time you step inside, you are transported to ancient Greece, to the time of Hercules and his legendary journeys.

    Islands of Adventure is still my favorite of the Universal parks, and I love The Lost Continent the most. From an early age, I remember looking over maps in my elementary school library, searching for Atlantis. I wanted to be a famous adventurer and archaeologist like Dr. Jones.

    I was late in coming to Universal, having been caught under the spell of Disney for too long. Because of that, I missed the real heyday of this land. I was lucky enough to get on Poseidon’s Fury once or twice before it closed, but I never had the chance to see the Sinbad stage show. Now the entire section is draped in “Pardon Our Appearance” wooden walls. The land is changing, and with it, we are losing our favorite restaurant.

    We have eaten at Mythos 15 times or more, and I still enjoy it every time. The cuisine is Mediterranean, and while they slightly vary the appetizers and dishes, the core of the menu remains the same.

    The lobby and waiting area are tight and cramped, but the generous air conditioning feels glorious on these hot May days. We check in at the front desk and make our reservation for four, but the wait times are really never that long. I do have one request, though, and that is to sit in our favorite server Madison’s section.

    Upon entering the main dining hall, you feel like you have stepped into another world, with an endless discovery of hidden features in the décor and artwork that surrounds the room. You definitely want to sit in the main hall if possible. There is a side section with some nice views of the park, and an outside area that may be nice in the fall, but the main hall is where the real immersion is. I usually end up sitting and looking toward the open kitchen, watching the army of servers and runners waiting at the pass.

    Since we eat here so often, we usually end up trying many of the different appetizers on the menu. Our favorite from this trip was the warm and savory spanakopita dip with freshly baked pita chips and za’atar spices. This was our third and best visit during our trip this week.

    We normally argue about the dip to bread ratio. My son and I are masters of making it work and making sure each pita has the appropriate amount of dip. My brother, who came along this time, was admonished the day before for disrespecting the ratios and taking a crazy spoonful out. However, on this trip, the pita to dip ratio was on point with the last cooking crew of the night.

    There are many excellent entrées, and I have tried my family’s dishes when they have ordered them. My son’s favorite is the beef loin medallions, which are always cooked correctly and come with a tasty mashed potato puree and red wine reduction sauce.

    For me, it is always the same entrée, as much as I try to deviate. I always get the souvlaki couscous bowl with pan fried tofu and a side of sriracha. It is just an excellent bowl of Greek goodness with za’atar spiced couscous, fresh cucumbers, marinated artichoke, Kalamata olives, spiced chickpeas, feta cheese, tzatziki, and tahini dressing. I just never get tired of eating it.

    Luckily, this trip we were able to have Madison again as our server. She is exemplary and everything you want when enjoying a meal. She is friendly, kind, caring, and goes above and beyond in her work. After all these trips, she has now become our friend, and having a friend makes all the food taste better.

    The portions on this night were beyond generous and also the best we have had to date. We had to give everyone kudos, so we called over the manager to let him know how much we enjoyed the place.

    Unfortunately, Mythos will be closing down next year, and we are beyond disappointed. We did find out that they hope to keep the staff together and move them over to another location in the park. I am hopeful, but there are so many little things here that make this place special, and those things will be hard to replicate.

    I wish they could just airlift the entire restaurant and place it somewhere else, untouched. The stone walls, the cavernous room, the mythology, the food, the memories, and the people all work together in a way that makes Mythos more than just a theme park restaurant. It became part of our family’s Universal story.

    We are sad to see it go, but grateful we had the time, the meals, and the experiences. Mythos gave us more than good food. It gave us a place we looked forward to returning to, trip after trip.

    And maybe that is the most fitting ending for a place like this. With a name like Mythos, it was never meant to be just another restaurant. It was meant to become part of the story. For us, and for so many others who loved it, Mythos will go down in legend.

    Restaurant Score: 9.9 out of 10
    Rating: Mythical

  • The Last Holiday Show

    The Last Holiday Show

    Sunday came and I found myself getting ready, excited to attend our final Christmas show recital. It was Olivia’s last holiday performance as a senior, and it struck me all at once that seventeen years have passed in a blink. Where did all this time go? The days feel long while you’re living them, yet the years slip by before you even have a chance to catch your breath.

    All those seasons of gathering our family for the holiday show came back to me. The performance has always been something special, a bright spot that lifts my mood just as the weather turns cold and dreary. It marks the beginning of Christmas, with all its magic, love, and giving.

    She looked beautiful on that stage. I felt like the proudest father in the audience. Every routine showed how much she’s grown, how hard she’s worked, and how steadily she has become her own person. I remembered those early performances when she was small and nervous, and how each year she stepped out there with more confidence and talent. All the practices, the patience, the late nights, the dedication were visible in every movement.

    I’m grateful to my wife for the countless hours she devoted to making it all possible—practices, recitals, overnight trips—staying steady through the friendship drama, cliques, breakups, and reunions that came with growing up.

    My pride in Olivia is beyond words. I always admired the seniors who stayed committed long enough to reach that moment when they received their flowers. Watching her become one of them felt surreal. Life moves quickly, and moments like this reveal everything that mattered along the way.

    I think about how many things I never finished myself, which makes me even more grateful that my children have their own sense of follow-through. They see things through to the end. They carry a strength that feels like its own kind of blessing. Every day I feel lucky to be their father, and especially blessed to have a daughter as talented, determined, and beautiful as Olivia.

    When the show reached the March of the Wooden Soldiers, my thoughts drifted to my parents. I felt the ache of knowing they weren’t physically with us after all the years they sat in those seats cheering her on, and sometimes dozing off. They didn’t get to see her big senior moment. That ache lasted only a heartbeat before a sense of comfort settled in. I knew they were with us in their own way, watching from a place we couldn’t see, feeling pride and joy beyond anything we could imagine.

    Sitting beside my brother reminded me how grateful I am for him. He has been steady through every chapter of our lives, carrying memories only the two of us share and bringing a sense of grounding and humor that makes our family feel whole. We were still very much the little boys who grew up wrestling, laughing, and knocking into one another. He is the last piece of our original tribe, and having him there made the night feel complete.

    Our extended family filled the row around us, in-laws who have become as real and true as any blood relative. Their presence added warmth to the evening and reminded me how lucky and blessed we are to have such a circle.

    By the end of the night, I felt refilled with love. The kind that settles deep inside you long after the lights fade, quietly reminding you that every step, every year, and every moment is a beautiful mystery worth living.