SPECTACLEFEST dining review--*COMPLETE*--with pics

[Praying Colonel]

(For the SPECTACLEFEST trip report, click here (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1195908).)

Day 1: Pepper Market and Teppanyaki

We arrived at CSR around 10:30, checked in and took our luggage and groceries to the holding room. The family was kinda hungry, but we'd had a big breakfast on the road and didn't want a full meal, so we went to Pepper Market, where DW and the kids used our first snack credits. (I drove all night and wasn't feeling so hot, so I just got a soft drink.)

We'd heard horror stories about how long the wait is to be seated, have your drink order taken and get your food at the various stations. We found that not to be case with us on this occasion. In fact, we found service to be prompt throughout our stay, even with another convention in attendance.

DS ordered tiramisu, DW ordered a fruit tart and DD ordered a blueberry danish. (We all got our refillable mugs at this time, too.) DS enjoyed his tiramisu very much--it was fresh and "spongy" (his word). DW loved her fruit tart--it had blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and small chunks of canteloupe on top of custard in a flaky small pie crust. Her only complaint was that she wished it had more custard on the bottom. DD aso enjoyed her danish, saying that it was very fresh. All of these items were available for snack credits. Later in the week, CSR would change its policy and the tiramisu and fruit tart would no longer be available on the DDP.

Next we had a 5:45 AD at Teppanyaki.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0045.jpg

We arrived around 5:40 and were seated about 10 minutes later. The hostess asked if our family (and the other family, from Massachusetts) were on the DDP, and she very graciously took the time to explain what was covered on the plan and what would be out of pocket.

Our cook was Tom:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0032.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0035.jpg

Tom had a dry sense of humor and did all the usual tricks you see from a teppan cook.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0034.jpg
^Onion volcano, Mickey-style

Perhaps most importantly, he knew the correct pronunciation of our hometown, Louisville--when I told him we were from "Loo-EE-vill," he looked at me knowingly and said, "That's not how it's pronounced, is it?" And then he pronounced it the way we locals do ("Loo-uh-vul," as if you're trying to swallow it as you say it :teeth: ) So we liked Tom even before he started cooking!

They brought us a sample of spicy seaweed salad:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0030.jpg
^(Sorry for the low image quality)

It was so tasty that 3 of us got that for our appetizer, while DW got the garden salad with the ginger dressing. The seaweed salad had an interesting, crunchy texture, with a soy/sesame dressing that was tasty without being too salty. DW's salad was fairly ordinary with the exception of the ginger dressing, which was spicy and sweet.

For the main course, DD got the ebi (shrimp):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0037.jpg

DS got the Hatamoto (chicken and shrimp):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0040.jpg

DW got the Fujiyama (sirloin steak and shrimp):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0039.jpg

And yours truly got the Seto (shriimp and scallops):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0038.jpg

There's not a large margin for error if you're cooking chicken and sirloin in this manner--cook it too long and it gets very dry and chewy. Tom cooked all of our meals to perfection. Done, but tender. The veggies and noodles didn't have much unique flavor to them, but they went well with the meat, and the dipping sauces (soy-based and mustard-based) provided good flavor without being overpowering.

All entrees were served with steamed rice, and none of us ate much of it because the entrees were so large. By the time we finished, we all decided that the only dessert we could handle would be ice cream, so I ordered chocolate:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0043.jpg

while everybody else ordered the ginger:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0042.jpg
^(Note the Mickey sprinkles--nice touch!)

It was very creamy, and both ice creams had a lot of flavor.

They also served hot green tea samples:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0041.jpg

which were fine, but we were all so full that none of us felt like we could drink (or eat!) anything else.

Overall, we found the service to be excellent, our chef to be fun and the food to be comparable to our neighborhood teppan restaurant, with the extra twists of the seaweed salad and the ginger ice cream, which we'd never experienced. We left there happy and full:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0044.jpg

Next: Day 2--A Big Honkin' Pecan Cinnamon Roll, Tusker House and the much-maligned Hollywood & Vine

[Dis31]

Thanks ! Can't wait for more reviews and pics. :crazy:

[Dorisk3]

Thanks for the pics with your review- looking forward to reading the rest!

[2giddy4wdw]

Thanks for the review. We are going to be eating there this December. Our first time. Everything looked great and we are glad that you enjoyed everything. Hope we get the same service!!!!

[sugarpie]

We loved the seaweed salad, too! :)

[OurDogCisco]

Great review.... Can't wait to hear the rest...

[poohluvrs]

Thanks for the food pix!
:offtopic: I had to do a double take - you look just like Susan Sarandon!

[Praying Colonel]

Thanks, but that's not me, that's my wife. This is me, the goofy-looking guy on the right:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0010.jpg

As you can see, I "married up." ;)

[ufgator]

Thanks for your reviews and pics so far! Looking forward to more.

[Praying Colonel]

Day 2:

I used a snack credit at the Pepper Market to grab a roll for breakfast. I got a pecan cinnamon roll that was about as big as my head (and that's saying something, because I've got a huge noggin):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0050.jpg

It was nice and fresh with lots of cinnamony goodness throughout the roll. There were lots of pecans on the roll in a gooey toffee-like glaze. This was yummy, and along with a Diet Coke in my refillable mug ("Diet Coke--it's not just for breakfast anymore" :teeth: ) would be my go-to breakfast for most of the week.

For lunch we ate at Tusker House in the MK, because DW thought the idea of a veggie sandwich sounded good:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0070.jpg

I thought it would have grilled veggies, but they were freshly sliced and had a light vinaigrette dressing. The sandwich came with an abundance of grapes which didn't get eaten, even after all of us shared some. My wife enjoyed the sandwich very much.

The kids and I had the fried chicken sandwich with steak fries:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0071.jpg

The sandwich was served with a mixture of chopped lettuce and tomatoes in mayo and some other spices. It was hot and fresh, as were the fries (best fries we had all week, according to the kids). The bun they served it on was a kaiser-type roll, which was good but was too much bread for my taste--I tore off a good bit of the bun and left it behind.

For dessert, DW and kids had the cheesecake shown above, while I had carrot cake:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0072.jpg

They were all pre-made, but they certainly didn't taste like it. I particularly enjoyed the carrot cake. The icing was cream-cheese based and not so sweet that it overpowered the cake, a pet peeve of mine. You could taste both, and it was yummy--the best carrot cake I've had in a long time.

We were so full from lunch that we didn't get an afternoon snack, which would become a fairly common occurrence for us during the week. I knew they give a lot of food on the DDP, but I didn't think there was any way they could overfeed our teenagers! Turns out they could. :confused3 We ended up with several snack credits left over by our last day.

For dinner we did the Fantasmic Dinner Package at H&V. I know H&V is a lightning rod of sorts--there are some folks who've had bad experiences there. We ate there on our last trip in 04 and liked it just fine. We had a very good experience this time. (Sorry, no pics--somehow they got deleted from the camera.)

Things that were different, for the better:

--Wait time: Last time we were seated around 7:15 for our 6:45 PS. This time we reported around 6:35 for our 6:45 ADR and were seated by 6:50.

--Bussing: Last time they seemed to be having a hard time getting tables bussed. Maybe they were short-handed on help that day, I don't know. But they were struggling. This time, no such problem. The restaurant was immaculate and they turned tables over very quickly.

Things that were different, for the worse:

--Variety of buffet ingredients: There weren't as many choices this time. For example, last time they had 5 different types of butter--butter mixed with bleu cheese, butter mixed with cranberries, etc. They had several different types of rolls. They had some nice touches to the dishes, like roasted garlic in with the pot roast and veggies. They didn't have as much of that this time. 1 type of butter, 1 type of roll and 1 type of bread, etc. I was sorry to see the little things like that weren't available this time around.

--They weren't as fast in replenishing the salads this time around. My kids love caesar salad--I mean, they'll pass up a crab cake appetizer or a shrimp cocktail so they can order caesar salad as their appetizer. Well, they were very low on caesar when they went through the line for the first time, and it didn't get replenished until the kids had moved on to dessert.

Things that were the same, for the better:

--Service: Our server was wonderful again. She kept our drinks filled, our table cleared and was right there when we dropped a table service and needed another one. She was excellent.

--Food quality: As I've said before, you're not getting V&A's when you do H&V. It's not a place for exploration. The food's pretty basic. But there have several different veggie and entree choices, the dessert bar's good and with the exception noted above, they kept the food fresh and replenished.

So for what it is, we like H&V just fine. We probably won't do it next time around because as you'll learn in a later installment, DW is swearing off buffets on general principle. But we had a pleasant experience here once again and would recommend it to others.

Next: Day 3--Pecos Bill's, a dinner to remember and DW's favorite snack!

[MinnieGirl33]

Thanks for sharing! :thumbsup2

Keep 'em coming!

[kmermaid]

Great reviews! Sounds like we are following you in our trip in about a week! Staying at CSR, eating at H&V & Teppanyki.

[kyirish25]

Being a fellow Louisvillian I can appreciate the correct pronunciation :thumbsup2

Love your sense of humor! :rotfl:

ETA - your wife looks familiar. She wouldn't happen to work in the childrens section at the library, would she?

[Viki]

Great review. Bring more!

[dawgfan]

Thanks for the review.

[Praying Colonel]

Being a fellow Louisvillian I can appreciate the correct pronunciation :thumbsup2

Love your sense of humor! :rotfl:

ETA - your wife looks familiar. She wouldn't happen to work in the childrens section at the library, would she?

Thanks for the kind words. And OMG--yep, that's her! "Small world," huh? :goodvibes

She's taking vacation this week to recover from our vacation. :teeth: She'll be back at the library next week.

[BahamasBride03]

Enjoying your reviews and your trip report!

[poohluvrs]

Thanks, but that's not me, that's my wife. This is me, the goofy-looking guy on the right:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0010.jpg

As you can see, I "married up." ;)
:rotfl: what a fun & adorable family! thanks for the pix & reviews! :teeth:

[burly]

I love the pictures with your reviews. :)

[schatterjee]

Great reviews and photos! Can't wait to read the rest!

[Praying Colonel]

For lunch we ate at Pecos Bills, a MK favorite for our family. We arrived around 11:50 and beat the lunch crowd--by the time we finished and were leaving, lines were long.

DW got the chicken salad:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0083.jpg

It had a variety of chopped veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, jicama and carrots) and real cooked chicken (not the pressed faux-chicken chicken) tossed in a lime vinaigrette dressing. I had a taste and it was very light and flavorful. It would be a nice alternative to a burger. DW couldn't come close to eating it all; it was the prototypical "Big Salad." :goodvibes

DD got the BBQ pork sandwich with beans and fries:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0084.jpg

There was a hefty amount of BBQ on the bun, and she couldn't finish all of her sandwich, either. The fries were crispy and hot, and she liked the beans--I tasted them and they were a little sweet for my taste, but still good.

DS and I got the bacon double cheeseburger:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0085.jpg

I had fond memories of my Pecos Bills burger from our last trip, and I was a little disappointed. It was overcooked and dry, and seemed to have been sitting for awhile because it was only just warm. Guess we just caught them at a bad moment. The fixins bar was great, as usual, and helped with the dryness.

Remember in "My Cousin Vinny" when they went to the diner and the menu was "Breakfast," "Lunch" and "Dinner"? Well, here they should just list "Dessert," because they had 1, brownie-peanut butter mousse (see pic 1, above). But it was very good! :thumbsup2 The peanut butter mousse part was light and a good accompaniment for the moist brownie. Even though it came pre-packaged, it tasted fresh and we all enjoyed it very much.

Dinner was our first visit ever to Le Cellier. I'd read different reviews on the DIS, some saying it was wonderful, others saying they had poor service and/or their meal was ordinary. So I went into this with a little trepidation. This turned out to be an extraordinary meal.

We arrived at 5:50 for our 6:00 ADR and were seated by 6:05. Our server was Dave, who was beyond wonderful--it was like he had ESP. He was right there with everything exactly when it was needed. I couldn't imagine a better service experience, and we tipped an additional 5% beyond the gratuity that was added to our meal. He certainly deserved it.

The atmosphere was quiet and leisurely. I'd read that the tables were too close together, but we were at a table a little out of the way and didn't feel crowded. Also, it didn't seem that other tables were crowded together, either.

Having heard so much about the legendary cheese soup, DS and I started with that.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0102.jpg

I'd read some reports that it was too salty, but ours was seasoned just right. The creamy cheese and hint of beer interacted perfectly with the bacon and other spices and made the soup and breadsticks quite good just by themselves. While I liked the pretzel sticks, my favorite breadstick was the multi-grain.

DD and DW split the cheese appetizer:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0101.jpg

They allowed DS and me to have a taste of the 3 cheeses, and that appetizer was out of this world! I never thought cheese could be so wonderful. The accompanying sauces and wafers on which the cheese was served really brought out the flavor and made it special. As much as I enjoyed the cheese soup, I think I'll try this when we return.

For their entree, DD and DS ordered the sauteed jumbo shrimp:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0103.jpg

The kids raved about the spices and lemon sauce in which the shrimp was served. I didn't get a chance to try a taste of this, because it was gone so quickly!

DW ordered the maple-glazed filet

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0104.jpg

while I ordered the Le Cellier Mushroom filet

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0105.jpg

When I go to a steakhouse, I want a good steak. If the steak isn't good, it doesn't matter to me how good everything else is. You call yourself a steakhouse, you better get the steak right. And I like to think I know a good steak from a bad one--my father was a meat cutter for about 30 years, and so I know my way around a good cut of meat.

Lots of restaurants will give you a lot of flash and dazzle in an attempt to cover what is not a good cut, or is not cooked well. These filets were "like butter"--beatiful cuts that were cooked just perfectly to a medium doneness. My wife's maple glazed filet had a smoky sweetness to the sauce that was a great addition without overpowering the taste of the meat itself. My filet was also outstanding. I think I preferred her filet to mine, but I liked my side items better than hers. The fried parsnips were a first for me, and were crunchy and tasted a lot like an oniony potato. They were very good. I loved the risotto and probably could've made a meal out of that alone. It wasn't overdone or too starchy. DW loved her cream cheese mashed potatoes. I'm not a big mashed potato guy, but the cream cheese and herbs added a lot of flavor and an extra creamy texture.

For dessert, DW and DS each had the maple creme brulee

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0106.jpg

while DD had the strawberries and balsamic ice cream

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0107.jpg

and I had the Happiest Celebration on Earth Chocolate Whiskey Cake

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0108.jpg

They raved about the creme brulee, DW saying it was the best she ever had. I had a small taste and the maple really did add something extra that was nice. DD loved her ice cream, especially the wafers that came with it. She said it made a nice accompaniment. The cake was beautiful. I usually don't like to mix fruit and chocolate, but the orange marmalade went with the cake just perfectly, as did the bourbon. (DW thought the bourbon taste was too strong.) The cake itself was moist and extremely rich, and I couldn't finish it all. Before the meal I wondered if I would be satisfied after having a filet that was "only" 7 oz, but that was no problem at all.

This was one of our 3 best meals of the week and a magical experience for all of us. The atmosphere, service and quality of the food set the tone, and we had a wonderful time sitting and sharing that time together.

Even though we were all full after the meal, DW had seen a candied-pecan stand earlier and wanted to have some before we left the park. So later that evening we stopped on the FW side of the lagoon and picked up a pack:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0122.jpg
^(Sorry for the low image quality)

She loved these--they were still warm and had a cinnamon-sugar glaze toasted onto them. She shared with all of us--a major concession on her part, since candied pecans is her favorite snack in the whole world!

Next: Day 4--A ribeye for lunch and a letdown for dinner

[Shell0616]

Thank you! Your reviews are wonderful! I think you just helped me pick my meal at Le cellier! :thumbsup2

[richard_andmel]

Great reviews and pictures. Thanks for sharing. We go in about 20 days and you are making me hungry. (That could be because I'm dieting at the moment though. :teeth: )

[rlduvall]

Waiting patiently for more reviews. ;) Were you able to get the candied pecans with a snack credit or did you have to pay OOP?

Thanks for taking the time to post your reviews and pictures. I know it takes alot of work, but all we dis'ers are sure enjoying it. :cloud9: My best friend and I will be there for free dining in September. :goodvibes

[katiesmomluvsdizne]

Thaks for the great reviews and esp. all of the pics. Love all of the details!
Helps to make the days go by faster-leaving on 9/22 (almost 30 days) :cool1:
Thanks again. BTW not from Louisville, but close enough to know the correct pronunciation. If I say it, will it get you to post more reviews???? :)

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Thanks for the great reviews and pictures! :thumbsup2

[Praying Colonel]

Waiting patiently for more reviews. ;) Were you able to get the candied pecans with a snack credit or did you have to pay OOP?

Yep, the pecans were 1 snack credit.

The reviews take longer than I thought they would, and I'm doing a trip report at the same time, so I'm alternating days--1 day another trip report installment, the next another dining review.

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your reviews ~ Thanx for sharing.

[kimisabella]

great reivews - so glad you had a good experience at Le Cellier , we were there last year, was OK, we are going back next week and I hope that its a better experience

[castleri]

Could you please explain what the exclusions were at Teppanyaki? Just want to be prepared in advance if possible. Thanks

[Praying Colonel]

Basically, any sushi and any entree with lobster had to be paid for OOP.

[Swimnoid]

Thanks for the reviews, especially the LeCllier pictures. They are helping me decide to get when we go in December!

[MickeyCrazed]

Fantastic Reviews... Thanks for the details!

[deide71]

The review and pics are awesome. Many thanks :goodvibes !

[Praying Colonel]

We cut our touring day short (see why here (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=14109419&postcount=33)) and decided to head back to CSR for lunch at the Pepper Market and a rest break. Due to our (long) wait for a bus, it was about 1:30 before we got back to PM and ordered what was now a late lunch.

For those of you who’ve not eaten at PM before, you wait to be seated by your server, who takes your drink orders. After that, you go to one of several stations (Mexican, oriental, deli, pasta, grill) and order your food. Some places like the grill have to make your food fresh, while others like the oriental station have some items pre-made and they dole out your food on the spot. Then you take your meal back to your table, eat and pay on the way out.

I was very hungry and was tempted to go get some oriental because there was no wait, but it looked like it had been sitting awhile and didn’t look especially tasty. The Mexican station had a long line and a sandwich didn’t appeal to me, so I went to the grill.

The chef’s special was a gouda cheeseburger with roasted red peppers, and it looked appealing. But I decided I’d go with the ribeye since it was on the DDP. It came with roasted veggies and either fries or mashed potatoes with gravy, and I ordered mine with fries.

While I was waiting, I went to the Bakery and got my dessert. At that time, anything from the Bakery qualified as either a DDP snack credit or a DDP dessert. (They would change that later in the week and “Bakery II” items such as cake, cheesecake, crème brulee, flan and tarts would be excluded from the DDP.) I got a slice of cherry cheesecake, which was New York-style cheesecake with cherry glaze on top. It was thick and rich, and so good (and I was so hungry!) that I ate half of it while waiting for my steak to cook.
(Same thing with the rest of the family unit, so sadly, no dessert pics from this meal.)

My ribeye came off the grill in about 7 minutes and I sat down to eat. It was a thinnish cut and it would’ve been easy to overcook it, but it was a perfect medium-rare and a nice cut of meat, with no gristle as some inferior cuts have. The fries were fresh and hot. The roasted veggies were red pepper, squash and eggplant, and they were not good. They were lukewarm and had no flavor. I ate the peppers and left the rest.

DW ordered a personal pizza with everything except sausage. It was cooked for her from scratch in about 10 minutes. It was a good, basic pizza--nothing special about it, either good or bad. If you’re craving pizza, it would be a fine choice.

DS and DD ordered Market Nachos from the Mexican station. They gave lots of lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, black beans and taco beef in a bed of chips. You could add sour cream, tomato salsa or a corn/onion/black bean salsa on your own from containers on the side. They put the nacho cheese on the bottom of the bowl first, then the chips and other ingredients. I thought that was a neat trick to keep the cheese from making the chips too soggy. The portions were huge, too much even for two teenagers who weren’t eating lunch until almost 2:00!

As you can see from these pics, we shared a little bit of each, and we were so hungry that a good bit got eaten before I could start snapping photos!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0103-1.jpg
^Portion of ribeye with fries, roasted veggies and a piece of pizza

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0102-1.jpg
^Personal pizza

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0101-1.jpg
^Portion of Market Nachos

Dinner that evening had been scheduled months in advance: the Cape May clambake, 6:00. But we’d eaten a very large lunch just 4 hours before. After our rest break, I suggested to the family that we cancel and just have a snack at MGM (our evening touring destination). DW thought this was a good idea, but the kids were excited about eating seafood and wanted to go. So “for the children,” we decided to keep our ADR and headed over to the Beach Club.

We arrived around 5:45 and saw at least 20 people standing at the front desk to enter their names! “Uh-oh,” I thought. We’d not seen anything like this so far during our TS dinners.

But the line moved fairly briskly and after about 5 minutes, the attendant gave me a pager that would reach anywhere on the 1st floor. We spent time in the gift shop until our pager lit up about 10 minutes later.

Our server seated us and told us about the different sections of the buffet--salad, American, seafood, dessert. She was wonderful--she did a super job throughout our meal of keeping our table cleared and our drinks filled.

Probably because a large group of us checked in at once, we all seemed to be meeting up regularly at the buffet, creating long lines. The fact that the kitchen had difficulty keeping certain key items like shrimp on the buffet probably didn’t help, either. Perhaps in an attempt to keep things moving, they had some seafood items like clams and mussels available on the American side of the buffet.

DW's plate:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0110.jpg
^Clockwise from top right: mashed potatoes, rib, peel and eat shrimp, pasta seafood salad and caesar salad

DW wasn't impressed with any of it. Average quality that you could find in a Ryan's or Ponderosa steakhouse, she thought.

My first plate looked like this:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0109.jpg
^Clockwise from top left: ribs, pasta seafood salad, sausage and peppers, broccolini, mussels and clams

The side and "American" items weren’t especially great. The token green thing on my plate (a sad attempt to set an example for the kids! ;) ), Broccolini, was cooked just right--not mushy, not too al dente. The ribs were pretty ordinary, as was the sausage and peppers. The pasta seafood salad was low on seafood and had little seasoning.

As average as the side and "American" items were, all would be forgiven if the seafood items were good. As I said about Le Cellier, you better get the steak right if you call yourself a steakhouse, and if you’re doing a seafood buffet, you need to get the seafood right. And I’m sorry to say that I don’t think they really did a good job with the seafood. The clam chowder was good, with clam pieces that were big and didn’t taste overcooked. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about the clams and mussels on the buffet. The shrimp had been picked through pretty thoroughly when I went through the buffet line the first time; just a few pathetic shrimp swimming in a large pan of broth. On my 2nd trip to the buffet they were just adding shrimp to the line. They were extremely hot but overcooked, with a spongy, soggy texture.

An excellent dessert bar helped take away some of the disappointment from the dinner.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0114-1.jpg
^My dessert plate, clockwise from top right: flan with fresh berries, German chocolate cake, apple crisp, strawberry shortcake, oreo bon-bon, something I don't remember ;) and individual cheesecake

DW loves flan, and she especially enjoyed the flan with fresh berries on top. The kids and I really enjoyed the oreo bon-bons, but my personal favorite was the strawberry shortcake. We all agreed that dessert was the best part of the meal.

Maybe we just caught the Cape May folks at a bad time. Maybe we were all still too full from a big late lunch to enjoy a buffet. But this was the only disappointing TS on our trip. The seafood wasn’t that great, and in our opinions the other buffet items (with the exception of the dessert bar) didn’t measure up even to Hollywood & Vine. With so many other great dining options available, I’m not sure we’ll be back.

Next: Day 5--A Dole Whip with extra pixie dust, and our first visit to the Poly

[dixiedizfan]

Your reviews are excellent, as are your photos. Keep 'em coming! :thumbsup2

[bluejasmine]

I love your reviews and photos, sounds like such a fun and wonderful trip!

[LoveMyBoys]

Great reviews and pictures, looking forward to more. :)

[MeandMyBoys]

Thanks for the great reviews!! And the pictures! The ones from Le Cellier had me drooling!! Is there a drooling smilie?? To think that only a week ago, I was eating there. Oh, when can I go back?!?

DH would have eaten every meal at Le Cellier. In fact, he wanted to know if I could change all our ADRS so he could eat there for every TS meal!! :rotfl:

[kyirish25]

Thanks for the kind words. And OMG--yep, that's her! "Small world," huh? :goodvibes

She's taking vacation this week to recover from our vacation. :teeth: She'll be back at the library next week.

How cool! I recognized someone on the DIS :thumbsup2 When I was working part-time me and DS would attend storytime every Friday. However, its been over a year since we've been in so I doubt she would remember us.

[Rafikifan]

I love your reviews. Thanks! :thumbsup2

[arizonacolbys]

Great dining reviews - love all of the pictures!! :thumbsup2 We can't wait to try the Dining Plan for the first time next month. Sounds like you all had an enjoyable trip! :)

[Praying Colonel]

We'd never had a Dole Whip before. Can you imagine? We were in MK on this day, so this was the time.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0091-1.jpg
^Dole Float

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0092-1.jpg
^Dole Whip, already eaten around the edges due to melting in the late morning sun

Can't believe what we've been missing! The tangy pineapple was a nice counterpoint to the cool ice cream. As I stated in my trip report, they must add pixie dust, too, because we caught our 2nd wind after our Dole Whip break and toured throughout the afternoon without interruption. Nice snack!

For lunch we were looking for someplace we'd never tried before and where we wouldn't have to wait in a long line with the noon lunch crowd. We looked in at Columbia Harbor House, found no lines and decided to give it a shot.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0097-1.jpg

Everybody got the fried fish basket

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0099-1.jpg

with the exception of DS, who got the "Captain's Special"--fish and chicken combo basket.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0098-1.jpg

The baskets come with your choice of either fries or carrots. (Yeah, we're ordering carrots with our fried fish. :rolleyes: )

Everything was hot and crisp. The 3 pieces of fish had a flavorful batter on it that reminded me a little of Captain D's fish. I didn't try the chicken, but DS said it was very good, also.

This is another place where they should just label your dessert option "dessert," because they had 1, triple-chocolate cake (showed with the fish basket, above). It was pre-packaged but moist and tasty. The "triple-chocolate" part must come from the icing, because they put an inordinate amount on the cake. I prefer my cake with just a little bit of icing, so I took off most of the icing, but it was chocolaty, too, and went well with the cake.

This was a good place to have a basic fast-food lunch with no waiting. I'm not sure I'd wait in line to eat here, but it served our purposes at the time and we'd come back again.

Everybody has their little foodie things they have to do or it's not officially a WDW vacation. For me, it's a Mickey bar.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0155-1.jpg

DW and I had 1 after watching the afternoon parade. Love the shape of the bar, and that creamy ice cream sure tasted good in the hot Florida sun!

Dinner that evening was at the Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. I'd never been to the Poly and I'd read almost uniformly positive reviews of the Kona Cafe, so this is the meal I'd been looking forward to the most.

We arrived about 30 minutes early for our 8:15 ADR. After walking around the lobby and taking in the beautiful scenery, we checked in at the Kona and were seated immediately. The restaurant was only half full which surprised me, given the positive reviews I'd read.

As at LeCellier, our server here was exceptional. Thuy seemed to have ESP, being right there with what we needed, almost before we knew we needed it. ;) He also made some great menu suggestions and very nicely saved DS from a potential mistake. DS initially ordered the turkey medallions for his entree, but Thuy very politely advised that the item was on the menu as a low-fat option for folks who are dieting, and DS may be happier ordering something else like the shrimp and scallops. Great save, Thuy! :thumbsup2

We started with some fresh bread, served with infused oil.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0168.jpg

The bread was fresh-baked, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The oil went wonderfully with it. We had to remind ourselves that we had a lot of food coming and not to overdo it on the bread, but it was difficult!

For the appetizer, DD and DS each had the Kona Chowder:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0169.jpg

while DW had the Kona Salad

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0171.jpg

and I had the crab cakes.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0170.jpg

The 3 crab cakes were smallish portions, but that was OK--they were extremely tasty and warm. The accompaniments took it to a higher level. The cakes were garnished with a pineapple relish and a wasabi-based sauce added an extra zing. As you can see, they served a lot of greens with the crab cakes, and DW said that if she'd known they would serve that quantity of greens with the crab cakes she would've ordered them instead of her salad. We shared and both of us had plenty. The quality of the cakes and the outstanding accompaniments made the appetizer the best crab-cake appetizer I've ever had.

DD allowed me to sample her chowder, and it was outstanding. It was a creamy bisque with lumps of seafood (fish, shrimp and crabmeat). Although I loved my crab cakes, I momentarily was sorry that I hadn't ordered the chowder. It was the best-tasting soup I've ever sampled.

The Kona salad had a citrus vinaigrette dressing and bleu cheese crumbles on a bed of fresh greens with orange slices and almonds. The mixture of flavors and textures made for a wonderful salad, but I think DW is right--if you're in the mood for a salad, just order the crab cake appetizer so you get both the greens and the exceptional crab cakes.

For our entrees, DW ordered the macadamia-crusted mahi mahi.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0172.jpg

The mahi mahi was served with mushroom risotto, sauteed bok choy, a lime sauce and crispy fried onions. There was way too much for DW to finish, so she shared part of her entree with us. The fish was cooked perfectly, and the lime sauce added an extra punch without overpowering the taste of the fish. The bok choy went well with the risotto, a combination that I wouldn't have considered. The onions were fresh and went well with both the fish and the risotto.

The rest of us ordered the shrimp and scallops.

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There were 3 large breaded fried shrimp served with 6 sea scallops, surrounding a lump of sticky rice and accompanied with different sauces, 1 fruit-based and 1 wasabi-based. I ordered this because I love scallops--when cooked well. These were perfect. They were pan-seared and had grill marks on them, and they were just right. The sauces also were wonderful, all creamy, spicy and tangy at the same time. There was a garnish of some type of shredded vegetable on top, and I'm sorry to say I don't know what it was, but it was tangy and went well with the sticky rice. There was a little more breading on the shrimp than I prefer, but the shrimp were large and not overcooked.

For dessert DD got the banana creme brulee

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0174.jpg

DS got the white chocolate cheesecake

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0175.jpg

DW got the apple brown betty

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0176.jpg

while yours truly got the Kilauea torte.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0177.jpg

As you can see, the cheesecake and torte were both nicely presented with
different flavored sauces that went well with the desserts.

The torte was beautiful. Warm, moist chocolate cake with a warm, gooey, chocolaty center. The vanilla bean ice cream went with it perfectly. There were chocolate shavings for garnish, and I dipped these in the flavored sauces. What a treat!

DD enjoyed her banana creme brulee very much, saying it was the best creme brulee she had all week.

DS is a big fan of cheesecake and he loved his white chocolate cheesecake. He offered me a taste, and it was very rich, thick and not too sweet. The fruit on top went well with it.

DW was pretty full after her meal and only had a couple of bites of her brown betty, but she said it was so good that she was tempted to keep on eating.

And let me say a word about the atmosphere. It was perfect. The restaurant was softly lit, and everything had a (what else?) Polynesian theme to it which was comfortable without going overboard and being kitschy. The kids thought the Polynesian fans were neat, and they loved the chocolate carving of Lilo and Stitch by the dessert area. There was soft music being played by a guitarist outside the restaurant, and it drifted into the restaurant, setting a comfortable, unhurried tone for our meal.

I came in with high expectations, and they were not only met but surpassed. This was one of our consensus top 3 meals of the week, and IMHO was the best overall meal we had. As you can see from the menu ( http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_kcd.htm), they don't do a wide variety of dishes. But everything they do, they do exceptionally well IMHO. If you ever get a chance to dine here, don't miss it.

Next: Scandinavia and the Mediterranean

[karebear1]

YUMMO!!!! thanks for posting all your yummy meals!

[disneyfan551]

Absolutely FABULOUS reviews!! Thanks for taking the time to share with us!!

You just confirmed that I'm undecided as to what to get at Kona (our 1st time...) next month! Everything sounds good.. mahi mahi...shrimp/scallops...steak... Ugh, too many decisions!! :rolleyes1

[llqool]

thanks for your detailed report on Kona...you took pictures of all of the entrees I am considering getting when we go next month!

just a couple of questions -- what is that under the crab cakes? Some sort of tartar sauce? and about the Mahi Mahi...this was the entree I was thinking of getting, but the thought of the mushroom risotto really turned me off (not a big mushroom fan!). Was the risotto really that "mushroomy" or is there just a hint of it?

Thanks!

[Praying Colonel]

The sauce under the crab cakes was a spicy sauce that tasted like it had a little bit of wasabi in it. It went well with the crab cake and pineapple relish on top.

The risotto didn't taste "mushroomy" to me, and I think you could eat around the mushroom pieces. But I like mushrooms OK so wouldn't have really noticed a problem. HTH.

[Catrin]

I continue to enjoy your review and dining notes each day!

I am so glad we decided over Kona Cafe instead of 'Ohana this year. We wanted something different and I know we will not be disappointed!

Catrin

[DLo]

Thanks for the great pics. We went to the Kona Cafe last year for the 1st time and loved it. This year we will be at Disney for my 40th b'day. I booked a dinner ADR at Kona for my big day. Last year, we did as you did and went out onto the beach to watch the fireworks after dinner. I hope I timed the ADR right again this year !!

We are going to Le Cellier the next night so I appreciate that info. , too!!

[Bev J]

Thanks for your review!
Seeing the pictures and your descriptions from Kona has made me want to change my ADR's to eat here instead!

Something about seeing the pictures makes all the difference..Guess we will have to return the favor and make sure and take pics of our food!!

Bev

[3DisneyBuggs]

Kona looks so good, I think we may eat there our first night too. Thanks!!

[TikiGoddess]

Can you tell me where the candied nut stand was in Future World? My dh is obsessed w/those.

[Buzzandthemermaid]

Thanks for the reviews. I was gonna ask if the candied nut thing was a snack, too, but someone beat me to it.

I was born in the 'ville. Go Bats!

[Praying Colonel]

Can you tell me where the candied nut stand was in Future World? My dh is obsessed w/those.

It's on the FW side of the lagoon, close to the gift shop and boat landing as you walk toward Canada.

[TikiGoddess]

Thanks Colonel...we'll have to scope those out, by the way, I'm waiting for you to review fried chicken. You know, being a Colonel and all...Sanders? KFC? Just kidding! I'm really enjoying your reviews! :thumbsup2

[schatterjee]

Such great reviews & photos! Thanks for posting!!

[DisneyLovingRN]

Thanks so much for all your reviews and pictures so far. :thumbsup2 It's nice to see/read something so thorough! Plus, it's giving me a heads-up on some of the places we'll be dining on our trip in a few weeks! Can't wait for the rest! popcorn::

[MINNIEBOWSER]

I am loving your reviews. Thank you for taking the time write them. :thumbsup2
I was soooo happy you gave Kona Cafe such a great review. It is my favorite place. We make it a point to eat at Kona on our first evening and our last evening when at WDW. Our first time there, I ordered the Beef Terriyaki and it is the only entree that I have ever ordered there since because I loved it soooo much. :cloud9:
I look forward to your next review!!!

[lexmelinda]

Great reviews....I especially like the pictures. Thanks! :)

[lawyergirl]

Thank you so much for the pics and reviews!!! I nearly cried when I saw the candied pecans - I only discovered them on my last day in WDW (in fact, only when I was on the plane home) and they are now my favourite snack of all time! Thanks for the pics and memories!! :)

[Dani&TJsMom]

Thank you so much for the great reviews :thumbsup2 ! I love all the pictures and details! We'll be staying at CSR in November :Pinkbounc . Reading your reviews and seeing your pictures makes my mouth water! I also have ADRs at LeCellier (love it :love: ) and Kona (first time :banana: ). Thanks again!

[pigget74]

Thanks for all the reviews. We have been wanting to eat at Kona and I think I might now try to get an ADR for our upcoming trip.

[LAWalz23]

Great reviews so far! Looking forward to the rest! Interesting about the breads and butters at H&V because we had the same experience at Chef Mickeys last week, The herb bread that we always had was nowhere to be found.

[Gabe's Mom]

Great Reviews! I'm hungry for creme brulee now :cool1:

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks so much for the great reviews and pics. :)

[zaja]

Great reviews! :teeth: Love all the pics, really helps everyone decide where they want to eat next trip!

[magicmouse2]

excellent reviews thanks :cool1:

[i<3Disney]

Great reviews :) Love the pics :thumbsup2

[Praying Colonel]

Having read the wonderful reviews of the bakery in Norway, we decided to eat lunch at Kringla Bakeri og Cafe. We arrived shortly before noon and our orders were taken with no waiting.

We were told the DDP Special was the best choice. You get an open-faced sandwich, soup or salad, a pastry and drink for 1 CS credit. DD, DS and I all ordered the Jarlsberg and leek soup

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0118-2.jpg

with our open-faced sandwiches.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0119.jpg

The soup was excellent. It was cheesy and creamy, with a hint of the leek throughout.

DW, who ordered the salad instead of the soup, wished she'd ordered the soup instead. Her salad was an ordinary garden salad with greens that were wilted and brown around the edges. You can get better at a Wendy's.

The sandwich was, well, not good. The sandwich looked and tasted as if it had been made hours in advance. The bread was stale, the cheese was hard around the edges and the sandwich meat tasted as if it had come from a supermarket deli.

The school bread made the meal!

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0120.jpg

Puffy white yeast dough filled with custard, iced with a white-sugar/coconut icing, then more custard on top. The custard wasn't too sweet, which was good because the sweetness of the icing went just right with the custard and bread. I was surprised at how large it was; even though our sandwiches went largely uneaten and we enjoyed the school bread very much, it was almost too large to finish.

DD ordered the rasberry cheesecake.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0121-1.jpg

She liked it very much. It was thick, creamy and rich.

Overall, our experience here was mixed. The soup and desserts were very good, but the sandwiches and salads were very not-so-good. If I were paying OOP, I'd just come here for the soup and dessert. Maybe they can give you an additional cup of soup instead of the sandwich?

For dinner we went to the Boardwalk

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0178.jpg

and ate at Spoodles.

The layout for the restaurant is large and open. We got the feeling that it was what you might expect in a large Italian farmhouse.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0191.jpg

We had a 9:30 ADR, but left MGM early and arrived around 8:50. We just planned on checking in and then exploring the Boardwalk until our table was ready, but the restaurant was less than half full and we were seated immediately.

Our server, Georgi (ironically, from the country of Georgia!), did an outstanding job. He took the time to explain the menu and offer recommendations. When he learned we were on the DDP, he advised what we could add on according to the menus. He encouraged those of us ordering the alfredo and the steak to add on both shrimp and scallops, which we did. He went above and beyond and really made our meal a pleasure.

DW and DD started with the Mediterranean Dips.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0181.jpg

Hummus, a yogurt-based dip and a dip with sundried tomatoes were served with olives, almonds and toasted pita. This is DW's kind of food--she loves tapas and little nibbles of this and that with different tastes and textures, and she thoroughly enjoyed this appetizer, as did DD. It was too much for them to eat and we all shared liberally. If ordering this OOP, 1 of these appetizers could be shared between 2 people easily, and 4 could probably handle it just fine, too.

DS ordered the lamb kefka.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0182.jpg

It was ground lamb cooked with spices in a patty form and served on a bed of couscous. It also had a spicy sauce that gave it an extra zing. DS gobbled this down so quickly that we didn't have time to share! :goodvibes

I had the flatbread with olive tapenade, tomatoes and mozzarella.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0183.jpg

The crispy bread went perfectly with the veggies and gooey cheese, and the balsamic drizzle on top set the whole thing apart.

For entrees, DD and DS each had the Fetuccini Alfredo with shrimp.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0185.jpg

Both of the kids thought it was very creamy and cheesy, and they didn't want to share with Mom and Dad! :teeth:

DW had the Portugese Stew.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0184.jpg

Copious amounts of seafood was served with potatoes in a thick broth. DW loved this, saying the seafood was cooked just right and not overdone. She's not much on calimari but ate the whole thing.

Yours truly ordered the strip steak with shrimp and scallop add-ons.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0187.jpg

Strip steak is not my favorite cut of beef; I prefer filet, ribeye or prime rib just because strip steak is pretty lean and it's easy to overcook. I ordered this anyway, thinking that I could always just enjoy the shrimp and scallops if they screw up the steak.

Well, no need to worry--this was the best strip steak I've ever had. It was char-crusted on the outside and cooked a perfect medium-rare on the inside. It came with a horeradish-based sauce that went perfectly with the steak and the sweet potato fries. The shrimp and scallops were grilled with fresh herbs and would've been a perfect entree by themselves. I ended up sharing a lot of this with the family because as good as it was, there was just too much there to finish if we were going to have dessert, too.

Ah, dessert. :love:

A big fan of anything white chocolate, DS had the white chocolate orange cake

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0188.jpg

while DD had the homemade gelato.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0189.jpg

DW had the ice cream sundae (forgot to take a pic), and I had the vanilla bean creme brulee.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0190.jpg
^Sorry for the low image quality

The kids definitely made great choices. They were beautiful, both in presentation and flavor. DS' cake was moist, rich and fruity. He said it was the best cake he's ever had. DD's gelato came with a homemade fruit syrup and candied wafer of toasted nuts. DW was unimpressed with her sundae (it looked like a kids' make-your-own sundae) and DD graciously shared her dessert with her Mom, and they both enjoyed it thoroughly. The vanilla taste was abundant throughout the creme brulee and was a nice way to end the meal.

We thoroughly enjoyed everything about this underrated restaurant. Everything was top-notch, from the atmosphere to the service to the meal itself. If we were paying OOP we would've probably ordered half the food we ordered and walked out feeling quite satisfied. We usually tried to "pace ourselves" at our TS meals during our trip, but it was very difficult to do so here because everything was just so good. We left both happy and miserable, because we were all quite full.

It was easily one of our top 3 meals of the week. On one hand, we want to make sure that everybody gives this wonderful restaurant a chance, but OTOH, we kinda like having it as our own little secret. :ssst:

Oh, OK: I guess y'all can try it, too. :teeth:

Next: Day 7--fish and lobster

[disneyfav4ever]

Spoodles looks fantastic. I'll have to put that on my to-try list.

[cannp123165]

I am really enjoying your brilliant reviews and pictures :)

princess: Caroline princess:

[serendipity]

thanks so much for the reviews!! you have really sealed the deal for us on many places. We agreed completely with your reviews of the Cape May Cafe!

[3DisneyBuggs]

I have a ? about the Mediterranian Dips- are the almonds whole in a bowl for dipping? I can't eat nuts so I want to know if they are purred in the dips or just whole? Thanks and love your reviews!

[Praying Colonel]

The were sliced and in a bowl with the olives. You could definitely eat the olives and leave the almonds if you wanted.

[El Tel]

Fantastic reviews and photos. :wizard: They have given me great ideas for dining when we go later in the year.
If I can do reviews like yours I'll be a very happy bunny :)

[nurseypoo5]

Your my dining review guru!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love love love love love all your reviews! I hope when i go next month i can come back with reviews half as entertaining as yours :) Your so funny, yet get to the point of the review, and made my mouth water (ok, so see my stats...I AM ON A DIET DARNIT!) lol!

I too am going to Le Cellier, CHH (son loves fish), Kona and Spoodles, so thanks so much for setting in stone that NONE of these will be changed. I had been tempted to change Spoodles to WGPs, but because my DS loves anything with shrimp in it (and not much else) i'm so keeping Spoodles!

Thanks again! Too bad you didnt eat at Coral Reef as this is the one place i'm most nervous about!

Hugs and thanks so much! You have the most adorable family ever (well next to mine ofcourse :) )

[deide71]

Spoodles was the best meal of our trip last December. Glad to see someone gine it the props it deserves :thumbsup2 .

[aubriee]

Excellent reviews. I'm enjoying them very much. We'll be at Spoodles in Sept and I was a little nervous about it, but I think we're going to love it. There are three of us, but unfortunately there are now four appetizers we want to try: lemon/garlic shrimp, Mediterrean dips, flatbread with olive tempenade, tomatoes, and mozzarellla, and now that lamb kefta. Oh, Well! Decisions, Decisions!

[penguingirlie]

Thanks for the great reviews. We head to CSR tomm. and it was nice to see pictures of the food at the Pepper Market. And Spoodles is wonderful. I thought that was our secret- who told you?? I hope that everyone realizes that Spoodles is great. It deserves every praise it gets!

[jcchicago]

Keep 'em coming!

[Mouse's Shadow]

great reviews. After seeing your Kona review I'm thinking about switching from Artist Point. Thanks for such a detailed report.

[Praying Colonel]

DW was in the mood for fried fish on Day 7 in Epcot, so we stopped for lunch at the Yorkshire County Fish Shop.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0100-2.jpg

After a very short wait, a nice CM from Wales took our order of--what else?--fish and chips. As with other CS restaurants we'd experienced that week, there was 1 choice for dessert, shortbread.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0102-2.jpg

The fish was hot and breaded with a thick, savory breading. For those who've experienced Long John Silver's fish, the taste reminded me a little of that. The fries were hot and crispy (we had really good luck with WDW fries that week--they were excellent at every restaurant). The shortbread was a nice change of pace--it was very buttery and not too sweet.

Overall, this was a pleasant CS experience. We noticed that several families from the UK were also eating lunch here, so it must've measured up OK. :thumbsup2

For dinner that night we ate at Cap'n Jacks in Downtown Disney.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0117-2.jpg

This was the one TS restaurant we picked on our trip where we were trying to maximize our DDP TS credits. DD and DS had never had lobster before, so DW wanted to eat here so they could try lobster.

We arrived about 30 minutes early for our 5:30 ADR, so we checked in and intended to come back a little later. But they seated us immediately beside a window with an excellent view of the water. Our server did an absolutely outstanding job throughout our meal, always there with menu suggestions, drink refills and otherwise prompt service.

We'd promised the kids some virgin drinks with dinner, so we started with those.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0118-3.jpg
^Left to right: virgin pina colada, virgin strawberry marguerita and not-virgin marguerita for DW! :teeth:

The drinks were excellent. DS loves coconut, and is now in love with pina coladas. DD loved the fruitiness of her strawberry marguerita. DW meant to order a frozen marguerita instead of on the rocks, but she still enjoyed her drink very much. It was too much for her to drink by herself, so I had to help her out a little. :goodvibes

For appetizers, DS ordered the spinach & artichoke dip

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0121-2.jpg

DD ordered the caesar salad

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0120-1.jpg

while DW and I each ordered the crab cakes.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0119-1.jpg

DS shared a little of his dip, and it was the best s&a dip I've ever had. It was extra creamy and cheesy. I'm a big fan of artichokes, and there were large chunks of them throughout.

DD's caesar looked like your basic caesar, but as I stated in a previous installment, the kids love caesar salad and she was very happy with her salad.

The crab cakes were topped with a spicy horseradish cream sauce and served with fresh greens topped with a vinaigrette. DW and I had a difference of opinion on these. I thought they were OK, but I've had better--I thought they were a little greasy. But DW loved hers and thought they were perfect. Maybe my problem was that I'd had crab cakes at the Kona just 2 days before and I was still comparing these to the outstanding Kona crab cakes.

The server advised that we could do a free lobster tail add-on to the sirloin entree, so that's what I had.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0123.jpg

The rest of the family had the twin lobster tails.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0122-2.jpg

Top sirloin is a lean cut of beef and easy to overcook. This sirloin was cooked just right--crusted on the outside and medium on the inside, hot off the grill. The ragout (a gravy-type sauce with onions and horseradish cream drizzled on top) made a perfect accompaniment.

I was disappointed in the side items. The mashed potatoes were lukewarm and flavorless. Adding a little of the ragout allowed me to eat a couple of bites. The vegetables were cold and closer to raw than al dente, and I couldn't eat them.

But we didn't come here for the side items--we came for the lobster tails, and they were perfect! They were thick, plump, juicy and hot without being overcooked. DW and I loved them.

As for the kids' first experience trying lobster: they were...underwhelmed. DS thought it was OK but nothing special. He prefers shrimp. DD liked it, but didn't like having to work it out of the shell. Oh well, at least they had the chance to try it....

For dessert, DD and DS each had White Chocolate Raspberry New York Cheesecake:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0124.jpg

DW had the key lime pie:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0125.jpg

while yours truly had the double chocolate lava cake with ice cream.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0126.jpg

We all enjoyed our desserts very much. The cheesecake was exceptionally thick and creamy. The white chocolate made it very rich, and DD couldn't finish hers. (Dad had to help out a little bit. ;) )

I had a taste of DW's key lime pie, and I thought it was too sweet--I prefer key lime pie to be very "limey," and I thought the overt sweetness detracted from that. But DW absolutely loved it, so again we had a split of opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate lava cake. It was moist and chocolaty, and the rasberry sauce drizzled on it gave it a little something extra.

Overall, we wouldn't place this meal in our top 3 of the week but enjoyed it very much. The service was wonderful and with a couple of exceptions, the food was very good, too. It didn't rise to the level of some other TS meals we had during the week, and I wouldn't recommend making a special trip to eat here unless you were on the DDP and were jonesing for lobster. But if we're in the Downtown Disney area in the future and need a good TS restaurant, we won't hesitate to return.

Next: Departure Day and Final Thoughts

[kaylie&laurensmom]

Wow - these are awesome reviews!! We are going to several of the restaurants you reviewed and my mouth is watering! Thanks for sharing! :sunny:

[serendipity]

yummmm

[dixiedizfan]

Colonel, I've enjoyed reading your thread more than any others, and will hate to see it come to an end. Your reviews and pictures have been fantastic ... thank you!

[MinnieGirl33]

Colonel, I've enjoyed reading your thread more than any others, and will hate to see it come to an end. Your reviews and pictures have been fantastic ... thank you!

I have to agree! :thumbsup2

[Praying Colonel]

Aw, y'all are too nice. :)

As you can probably tell, our family loves to eat! Thanks to the DDP, this was our 1st trip eating on site for every meal, and it was really a lot of fun to try the places I've read so much about here on the DIS. It's been a labor of love documenting our foodie adventure. :goodvibes

[PrincessPatty]

Loved the review!! Thanks for your time...you did a great job :thumbsup2

You have encouraged me to try some new places, especially Captain Jacks...free add on lobster tail?!?!? And it looks huge!!

Once again thank you! :wave:

[Dani&TJsMom]

Your reviews are great! I've enjoyed looking at the mouth-watering pictures and your descriptions! Thanks so much for taking the time to put them together. :thumbsup2

[Julieh22]

Thanks for the great reviews with pics!!!!!

[3DisneyBuggs]

Excellent reviews and pictures. Too bad your trip wasn't longer!!

[purpliequeen]

Awesome reviews! Thanks! I want to try Spoodles next time and Kona, since we cancelled Kona this past month.

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Thanks for all the time and effort you put into the reviews. They were great :thumbsup2 coming from a daughter of a chef that says alot. This Kona Cafe looks wonerful I will definately have to try it out sometime. The pictures were wonderful also.

[i<3Disney]

Thanks for the reviews! And I loved your reference to My Cousin Vinny, lol, SO TRUE. :rotfl2:

[angelmav]

Great reviews and thanks for the pics! :thumbsup2

[Muushka]

What a great dining report!!

I loved the reviews, and the pictures of the meals and I love the way you took a picture of the outside of the restautant. How fun!!!

:yay: :yay: :wave: :wave: A great big THANK YOU to you!!! :wave: :wave: :yay: :yay:

[Praying Colonel]

Day 8 was, unfortunately, Departure Day for us. :( No going to the parks--the plan was to check out and then spend some time at the CSR Dig Site pool area.

We still had mucho, mucho snack credits remaining, so breakfast that morning was 4 big honkin' pecan cinnamon rolls from the Pepper Market bakery. I enjoyed these rolls so much during the week--freshly baked, layered with a glaze of pecans and filled with cinnamony goodness. Oh, and did I mention they were big? :teeth: I miss those rolls!

We had 4 CS credits remaining, so after swimming at the Dig Site we got cleaned up and headed to Pepper Market for lunch. DW got the Wet Burrito

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0165.jpg

while the rest of us got the Market Nachos.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0166-1.jpg
^Due to a mixup by the server, mine was served in a to-go box. No problem--they still "ate good," as we sometimes say in Kentucky ;)

DW and I split our lunches and had half of each. I'd read good things on the DIS about PM's wet burrito so maybe I was expecting too much, but I was a little disappointed. It was basically a large soft taco filled with chicken filling and covered with enchilada sauce and cheese. The condiments went nicely with it, but I thought on the whole it was average. Like I said, maybe I was expecting too much--by CS standards, it was very good.

The nachos were delicious. As I said in a previous installment, they put most of the cheese sauce on the bottom of the bowl so your chips don't get soggy so quickly. The nacho filling was spicy and not too salty, and the veggies were fresh. I enjoyed adding some of the corn/bean/onion salsa served with the wet burrito.

We were more limited in our dessert options at this meal than we had earlier in the week. We were informed by the nice lady working at the bakery that they'd just made a change in what bakery items were on the DDP. Previously, all bakery items were DDP snacks/desserts. Now, only "Bakery I" items (muffins, rolls, danishes, cookies, croissants and baguettes) were on the DDP--"Bakery II" items (creme brulees, tarts, slices of cheesecake and cake, tiramisu, etc.) were now excluded from the DDP. No problem--for dessert, DW and kids each got big chocolate chip cookies

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0167.jpg

while I got 1 more pecan cinnamon roll (for the road, because I was too full from lunch to eat another bite). Everybody enjoyed their cookies. They were still warm, as if they'd just come out of the oven.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this PM meal as much as I'd enjoyed my ribeye and fries meal at PM earlier in the week. But the bar is set pretty high at PM--much higher than you might set it for other CS restaurants. It's hard to beat PM, both for value and overall food quality. :thumbsup2

We checked our ticket and were surprised to learn that we still had 3 snack credits remaining! :confused3 DS had used very few snack credits throughout the week, so DW let him use the remaining credits to buy to-go goodies at the gift shop, Panchito's. He selected Jelly Belly jellybeans because they had the WDW logo on the bag--we shared a bag on the way home and he's saving the remaining bags for later in the fall when he's wishing he could be at WDW. Awwwww....


**********

Final thoughts on our dining experience:

--My TS restaurant ratings:

Top-tier: food, service and atmosphere were beyond exceptional in every way--these are must dos on our next WDW trip:

Kona Cafe
LeCellier
Spoodles

2nd tier: food, service and atmosphere were very good and we look forward to returning, but it didn't quite rise to the level of the top tier:

Teppanyaki

3rd tier: food, service and atmosphere were good but not great and/or there were a couple of hiccups in 1 or more areas--we don't see these as destination dining experiences, but wouldn't hesitate to eat here if we happened to be in that area:

Cap'n Jacks
Hollywood & Vine

4th tier: Not bad, but disappointed by our experience here and since there are other very good TS restaurants to experience, we probably won't return:

Cape May clambake

--My CS ratings (from top to bottom):

Pepper Market
Tusker House
Pecos Bill's
Yorkshire County Fish Shop
Kringla Bakeri og Cafe
Columbia Harbor House

None of them were bad and I wouldn't hesitate to return to any of them in the future.

--Service: We were so impressed with the quality of service we received throughout the week at our TS restaurants. We never had to wait longer than 10 minutes past our scheduled ADR time, and we were sometimes seated well before our scheduled time. We were always asked ahead of time if anyone in our family had any food allergies or dietary restrictions. I expected our servers to be at least a little disinterested once they learned we were on DDP, since they were guaranteed an 18% tip. Not only did this not happen, but at several of our meals we received the best service I've ever had at any restaurant. Our servers handled our DDP very nicely, never making us feel like 2nd-class citizens and oftentimes pointing out certain things we could do to maximize our DDP usage. It was really a magical experience.

--DDP: It added a whole new dimension to our trip. With a couple of exceptions, we'd always eaten our TS meals offsite. Getting DDP allowed us to pre-pay and cap our dining costs and also experience food and restaurants we never would've experienced otherwise. Free dining started the week after our trip, but we couldn't reschedule due to the kids' school schedules. But we still felt like we got more than our money's worth, even though we had to pay for it. We got an upgraded WDW experience, and WDW got what they wanted by having us stay onsite. Everybody wins!

--"Too much food": With the exception of eating at Cap'n Jacks to get lobster, we never tried to "maximize" our DDP value. We just went to places we thought we'd like and ordered things that looked good. But even with that happening, we were never, ever hungry--ever. And that's saying something with 2 teenagers in the group! In fact, we found that if we didn't eat a relatively early lunch (around 11:30 or so) that we wouldn't be hungry for dinner. The one time we ate a late lunch, we weren't really hungry for dinner.

So what worked best for us was an early lunch (which was also great because you beat the lunch crowd), no afternoon snack and then dinner at the regular time (or even a little later, as we did on a couple of occasions that week).

As it was, we had about 7 snack credits left as of the morning of our last day. So I guess it was "too much food" in a way, but only because we had some leftover snack credits at the end. Timing our meals properly helped us avoid feeling like we were forcing ourselves to eat.

Well, that's it for my dining reviews! Thanks to all for reading, and thanks for the nice notes. It was almost as much fun writing about eating as it was to do the eating! ;)

[Danadisney]

Thanks for taking the time to post. We are going to try Kona Cafe in December based on your reviews.

Have a Disney Day!

[Cruz Family]

Thank you so much! I really felt like I was there with you on your trip. We leave in 23 days for free dining and I just can not wait. I am sorry you missed the free dining, we had already booked paying for the DDP when they came out with the free dining. You are a beautiful family and have given me many ideas for new things for my family to experience and make our trip that much more special. Thanks again, Melissa :thumbsup2

[Blondie]

Excellent reviews! Thanks!

[01Sweetpea]

Great reveiws....I have enjoyed all of them!

[Gerweniel]

Wow - Great reviews and pics. Reading this has gotten me all mixed up on our upcoming ADR's - I thought I had it all figured out.... :rolleyes:
I hadn't even considered Kona and Spoodles, but your description and photos may make me try to squeeze them in somehow.

Sounds like you had a great time! Thanks for all your effort.

[lexmelinda]

Lexington, KY checking in...not ashamed to admit it, even after last Sunday night's game! Your Kona review got me thinkin------so I cancelled WCC and booked Kona instead with the added bonus of a fun evening at the Neverland Club for DS6 and an "adult" evening with the teenagers! OH and by the way, I'll be taking SR 429 on the way down based on your advice. Thanks again! :)

[Praying Colonel]

lexmelinda, the only thing tougher than being a UK fan after Sunday's game is being a UK fan living in Louisville. That would be me. :sad2:

Have fun on your upcoming trip!

[dixiedizfan]

Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and pictures, and especially for your excellent use of grammar and spelling!

[lexmelinda]

lexmelinda, the only thing tougher than being a UK fan after Sunday's game is being a UK fan living in Louisville. That would be me. :sad2: Go, Cats! :thumbsup2

[WAHMto5]

Thanks for all your great reviews and pictures, especially your final break down!

[bookgirl2632]

I just read this entire thread and absolutely loved it. Thanks for all the candid reviews. We'll be eating at LeCellier and Spoodles on our upcoming trip and I'm really glad we chose them. We're still up in the air about the CS choices, but Tusker House is a must. And after seeing one of the Dole Whips that everyone raves about, I must have one!!

[MinnieGirl33]

Thanks Colonel !

I so enjoyed "meeting" your family & hearing of your trip. Reviews were absolutely wonderful to read.

Kinda' sad they are over. :sad2:

[mrludwig]

Great review and thanks for the pictures!

[sconnell]

Thanks so much for the great reports! I read all of the Dining and trip reports today! It's crazy, but I feel like I know your family now. lol. So glad you had a great time! Can't wait until my little ones are old enough to go off on their own. Right now, we can't let them out of our site for a second!
DD is 4 and DS will be 2 the day after our trip! (which is in 16 days! :cool1: )

[highsmith]

Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I was totally on the fence about Spoodles, as we are staying at BWV and it would be easy but I had heard bad things! You changed my mind!!!

We have many of the same dinner ressie and I am so excited!

15 days and counting! :cool1:

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Loved your reviews. We are trying spoodles this trip because of your wonderful review of this restaurant. I loved every minute of your report; I wish you were still there trying things out so I could read about it. Thanks for all your hard work in putting this together.

[serendipity]

I enjoyed reading your reviews so much! Thanks so much for all of your thoughts and pictures

[Tinkerbellmom33]

Excellent reviews!! Thank you, they are so helpful. Definitely going back to Le Cellier next year and trying Spoodles. I was on the fence with that one, but after seeing your pics and review I'll defintely book it.
Thanks again for such a great review. :thumbsup2

[swankybeth]

Great reviews and pictures, thanks for taking the time to post your reviews. :thanks:

[Martindis2006]

This was probably the most fun, entertaining and informative thread I have read. Thank you so much for the information.

Did you book your next vacation to WDW yet?????

p.s. You must try CS at Pinnochio's haus in the MK. This was the first stop for us on our last trip and my husband was in heaven and could not believe how much food you got with the CS meals.

[mickyzzzzz05]

There are many great dining reviews posted here and yours is one of the best. Great pictures and wonderful descriptions. Thank you for taking the time to provide an informative review.

[lonegungirl]

Great reviews and pictures!

I've never been to Captain Jack's, but I wonder if part of the reason you were not that impressed with it was that it was at the end of your trip? I remember one trip where I went to Kona Cafe's the last meal of the stay, and thought that various things I ordered there were not as good as similar dishes I had earlier in the week...but then thought that maybe it was because I was chronically full by that time.

[NMW]

Thanks for the reviews and pictures!

[Praying Colonel]

I've never been to Captain Jack's, but I wonder if part of the reason you were not that impressed with it was that it was at the end of your trip?

Could be--but we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Spoodles just 1 night before, so I don't think that was it. I should probably give it another chance.

This was probably the most fun, entertaining and informative thread I have read. Thank you so much for the information.

Did you book your next vacation to WDW yet?????

p.s. You must try CS at Pinnochio's haus in the MK. This was the first stop for us on our last trip and my husband was in heaven and could not believe how much food you got with the CS meals.

Thank you (and everyone else!) for your kind words! And thanks for the recommendation--we'll give it a try next time. :thumbsup2

As for booking our next trip--I wish! :teeth: Looks like our next trip will be an adults-only trip in January 08. DW is on track to obtain her Masters Degree in Library Science in 12/07, and this will be a celebration trip. Even though we've not booked it officially, we're already game-planning--resort, itinerary and perhaps most importantly, where we'll eat! :thumbsup2

[mommykds]

Thanks for the reviews & photos! Great job.

We were also at Disney for the free dining & did the same thing you described. Early lunch otherwise we couldn't eat dinner! Hope they offer it again next year!

[KYCruiseCrazy]

wow DISers from the "VILLE" . love the photo report.

[Steph9072]

(For the SPECTACLEFEST trip report, click here (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1195908).)

Day 1: Pepper Market and Teppanyaki

We arrived at CSR around 10:30, checked in and took our luggage and groceries to the holding room. The family was kinda hungry, but we'd had a big breakfast on the road and didn't want a full meal, so we went to Pepper Market, where DW and the kids used our first snack credits. (I drove all night and wasn't feeling so hot, so I just got a soft drink.)

We'd heard horror stories about how long the wait is to be seated, have your drink order taken and get your food at the various stations. We found that not to be case with us on this occasion. In fact, we found service to be prompt throughout our stay, even with another convention in attendance.

DS ordered tiramisu, DW ordered a fruit tart and DD ordered a blueberry danish. (We all got our refillable mugs at this time, too.) DS enjoyed his tiramisu very much--it was fresh and "spongy" (his word). DW loved her fruit tart--it had blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and small chunks of canteloupe on top of custard in a flaky small pie crust. Her only complaint was that she wished it had more custard on the bottom. DD aso enjoyed her danish, saying that it was very fresh. All of these items were available for snack credits. Later in the week, CSR would change its policy and the tiramisu and fruit tart would no longer be available on the DDP.

Next we had a 5:45 AD at Teppanyaki.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0045.jpg

We arrived around 5:40 and were seated about 10 minutes later. The hostess asked if our family (and the other family, from Massachusetts) were on the DDP, and she very graciously took the time to explain what was covered on the plan and what would be out of pocket.

Our cook was Tom:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0032.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0035.jpg

Tom had a dry sense of humor and did all the usual tricks you see from a teppan cook.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0034.jpg
^Onion volcano, Mickey-style

Perhaps most importantly, he knew the correct pronunciation of our hometown, Louisville--when I told him we were from "Loo-EE-vill," he looked at me knowingly and said, "That's not how it's pronounced, is it?" And then he pronounced it the way we locals do ("Loo-uh-vul," as if you're trying to swallow it as you say it :teeth: ) So we liked Tom even before he started cooking!

They brought us a sample of spicy seaweed salad:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0030.jpg
^(Sorry for the low image quality)

It was so tasty that 3 of us got that for our appetizer, while DW got the garden salad with the ginger dressing. The seaweed salad had an interesting, crunchy texture, with a soy/sesame dressing that was tasty without being too salty. DW's salad was fairly ordinary with the exception of the ginger dressing, which was spicy and sweet.

For the main course, DD got the ebi (shrimp):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0037.jpg

DS got the Hatamoto (chicken and shrimp):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0040.jpg

DW got the Fujiyama (sirloin steak and shrimp):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0039.jpg

And yours truly got the Seto (shriimp and scallops):

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0038.jpg

There's not a large margin for error if you're cooking chicken and sirloin in this manner--cook it too long and it gets very dry and chewy. Tom cooked all of our meals to perfection. Done, but tender. The veggies and noodles didn't have much unique flavor to them, but they went well with the meat, and the dipping sauces (soy-based and mustard-based) provided good flavor without being overpowering.

All entrees were served with steamed rice, and none of us ate much of it because the entrees were so large. By the time we finished, we all decided that the only dessert we could handle would be ice cream, so I ordered chocolate:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0043.jpg

while everybody else ordered the ginger:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0042.jpg
^(Note the Mickey sprinkles--nice touch!)

It was very creamy, and both ice creams had a lot of flavor.

They also served hot green tea samples:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0041.jpg

which were fine, but we were all so full that none of us felt like we could drink (or eat!) anything else.

Overall, we found the service to be excellent, our chef to be fun and the food to be comparable to our neighborhood teppan restaurant, with the extra twists of the seaweed salad and the ginger ice cream, which we'd never experienced. We left there happy and full:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0044.jpg

Next: Day 2--A Big Honkin' Pecan Cinnamon Roll, Tusker House and the much-maligned Hollywood & Vine



We live about an hour North of Louisville and one of my biggest pet peeves is people saying "Loo-EE-vill," I was LOL when I read that. :rotfl:

Great reviews and pictures by the way.

[phisigprincess]

Thanks for the reviews! Everything looked great!

[MicheinMA]

Wow! Waht great reviews! :thumbsup2 Thanks so much for sharing. We are leaving in less than 3 weeks and will be going to several of the places you went. I'm kicking myself that we didn't make an ADR for Kona. Oh well, we'll just have to book another trip! :cool1:

[missmun52]

Great reviews!!! :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

[DisneyJo]

Thanks for the great reviews, we're staying at CSR in August and have ADR's at several of the same restaurants so it's good to hear good things :goodvibes:

[ColleenS]

I'm so glad some one bumped this up!

Great report! Awesome photos too! Thanks for sharing:thumbsup2

[Elitravelor]

Wow, I am so glad I found your dinning review! Excellent! Now I am ready for all our ADR's in August. It was great to hear that your teens were satisfied and "not hungry"! A plus to this Mom of a fit 21 year old DS who sure can eat!:thumbsup2

[Disfan3]

Thanks, but that's not me, that's my wife. This is me, the goofy-looking guy on the right:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/bevans988/DSCF0010.jpg

As you can see, I "married up." ;)


:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

what a sweet hubbie you are!! AND you write TR?? AND Dining Reports!! :banana:

[kerry h]

Thanks for youre dining reports, ive really enjoyed reading them-and cant wait to try some of these places.:)

[Pumbaa_]

What a great review! It took me awhile to notice it was from last year:sad2: , but so glad it was resurrected.

Thanks for such a great job!

[AnninIowa]

Awesome job!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Busymom85]

Great review and pictures. You make me want to try the Pepper Market for lunch. Do you think it would take to long to pop over from MGM?

[Praying Colonel]

Busymom,

It's about a 5 minute drive from MGM to CSR, but if you're taking Disney transportation it can take a while. 1 day we waited and waited for the bus at MGM before it finally arrived.

If you can drive it, it would be a nice lunch. If you're taking the bus, then you might want to think about walking over to the Boardwalk, instead.

[MandM-Mom]

Great reviews, can't wait to try Kona!

[Tink3Belle]

Thanks for the great reviews. We have been saving for Disney therefore not spending much money at the grocery store. We just stare at food on the Dis Boards til we get there. Thanks for the great pictures.:rotfl:

So glad I am eating at your top 3 I have been looking forward to Spoodles and Kona especially and also Lecellier although we ate there last visit.:woohoo:

[Schucraig]

Thanks for the great reviews and pictures!:thumbsup2