Food & Drink: Welcoming Tables

Isabella and Jeff Morgia (ROBERTO GONZALEZ)

Editor’s note: Because of the coronavirus pandemic, The Meatball Stoppe is currently offering curbside pickup and delivery only. The Studio Movie Grill is temporarily closed.

Isabella and Jeff Morgia, owners and chefs at The Meatball Stoppe (themeatballstoppe.com), have begun conducting dementia-friendly dinners every Thursday night, the first available in Florida. The Morgias (pictured above), with a history of Alzheimer’s in their family, understand the value of creating a comfortable space for family dining under such circumstances. Their staff is being trained by the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center and the Senior Resource Alliance. Similar programs exist in Washington state, Indiana, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. The meals run from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Studio Movie Grill at Margaritaville Resort (studiomoviegrill.com), with a menu of pizza, burgers, entrees and kids meals, has free monthly Special Needs Screenings, sensory-friendly showings for sensitive children and their siblings, with the lights up and the volume down.

An encouraging stat: According to UK travel company Hayes & Jarvis, Orlando contains the highest proportion of wheelchair-accessible eateries of the 50 most- visited cities in the world.

—J.H.