We Smelled It...It Had to be Eaten, Part II ... Ding, Dong, Done!!! [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

oybolshoi

12-27-2008, 08:04 PM

Welcome back to the food fest that never ends ... :rotfl2:

Part I was growing too cumbersome so we've started a second thread to accomodate the rest of our dining reviews from October 2008. I'm posting a link here to Part I of the reviews ... just click on it and you'll find yourself on the first page of that thread. Not only are there direct links to the completed reviews, but there is an introduction of sorts about the hubby and me.

We Smelled It ... It Had to be Eaten, Part I (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27649321&postcount=1)

I thought it might be easier on people if I posted links to the first set of reviews here as well, so here ya go!!!

Earl of Sandwedge (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28252822&postcount=300)
Aloha Isle and the Dole Whip (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28295034&postcount=352)
The Walt Disney World Florist ... Helping Us Spend Our Last Penny (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28314782&postcount=397)
The Apple!!! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28350160&postcount=440)
Raglan Road (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28363910&postcount=455)
Main Street Bakery in an SSR Studio (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28414780&postcount=513)
F&W Festival Booths, Part I (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28454750&postcount=554)
Afternoon Delight - Free Banfi Wine Seminar (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28483322&postcount=596)
California Grill (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28616986&postcount=668)
Breakfast at Boma (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28708785&postcount=742)
Tokyo Dining & Random F&W Booths (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28869839&postcount=804)
Mini Golf and Mega Appetite ... More F&W Booth Samplings (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29072678&postcount=938)
Party for the Senseless, Part I (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29184011&postcount=1045)
Party for the Senseless, Part II (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29184036&postcount=1046)

Reviews posted on this thread:

Oooh-la-la ... A F&W Festival French Regional Lunch at Bistro Paris (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29476013&postcount=49)
Casey's Hot Diggity Dogs & A Side Order of F&W Booths (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29611637&postcount=83)
Ghirardelli's Mad & Nutty House (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29700386&postcount=116)
Breakfast at The Rainforest Cafe (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=29770210&postcount=133)
Wolfgang Puck's Upstairs Dining Room (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30161354&postcount=163)
Breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30242649&postcount=196)
World Showcase Alcoholic Domination, Part I (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30325384&postcount=224)
Rose & Crown Pub - A Most Beery Interlude (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30388909&postcount=259)
World Showcase Alcoholic Domination, Part II ... AND ... Wolfgang Puck's Sushi Bar (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30424489&postcount=277)
Food & Wine Booths, Part 4 ... (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30553469&postcount=301)
Afternoon Tea at the Gardenview Lounge (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30687546&postcount=340)
Bluezoo!!! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30826883&postcount=386)
Breakfast at Wolfgang Puck Express & More F&W Snacks (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=30940135&postcount=443)
Kitchen Conversations with Robert Irvine (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31005841&postcount=476)
Citricos (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31054908&postcount=503)

All are welcome here ... any questions or comments? Post away ... if I don't have an answer I'm sure someone else will. :goodvibes

As always, thanks for reading along!

***Separate thread started for non-Disney food reviews, pictures, recipes, chatter, blathering, laughing, digesting, etc. etc. etc ... **

Here's the link and many thanks to Whogirl'smom for the title:

Belly Up to the Bar With Bendy and Her Friendies! (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=29342957#post29342957)

Pumbaa_

12-27-2008, 08:09 PM

:woohoo: looking forward to Part II!

ireland_nicole

12-27-2008, 08:27 PM

wow, it's a good thing I finally caught up on the last 50 pages tonight or I might never have made the jump! (btw rules, blech...) I liked your other recipes; I'm gonna try the brie for New years, and can't wait to try the bird rolls. Anyway, looking forward to the rest of your reviews; Wishing you a healthier New Year! (And I know I'm late for this, but I sincerely wish your friend well in her recovery.)
Nicole

jeminni

12-27-2008, 08:28 PM

Welcome back to the food fest that never ends ... :rotfl2:

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends....;)
Sorry now I have those Emerson,Lake and Palmer lyrics stuck in my mind.

Looking forward to all your reviews, esp the GF and WP ones. :goodvibes

whogirl'smom

12-27-2008, 08:38 PM

I'm here! I just PM'd you, too.

Tink rules

12-27-2008, 09:13 PM

To the ends of the Earth Bendy...

Now lets eat... :goodvibes :goodvibes :goodvibes

MickeyNicki

12-27-2008, 11:07 PM

I'm in....for the second go around!

oybolshoi

12-27-2008, 11:25 PM

I lurves you all verrrrrry much! :grouphug:

Look for the Frenchie Lunch sometime tomorrow afternoon / evening ... I got distracted by the wii ... :rotfl2:

wdwthanksgiving

12-27-2008, 11:51 PM

my helmet is tightly (and attractively) strapped and the seat belt is on...
let's fly like the wind!:yay:

Tink rules

12-27-2008, 11:54 PM

Please put your tray table up and your seat in the upright position...:rotfl:

oybolshoi

12-27-2008, 11:56 PM

We are experiencing some mild turbulence this evening ... please stand by while I take some Beano. :lmao:

Tink rules

12-28-2008, 12:02 AM

Watch it Bendy... we're gonna get closed down again...

Besides... it's not that Hallmark e-Card, now is it??????

TheDISneyFamily

12-28-2008, 08:06 AM

I found you! I found you! :yay:

:surfweb: Where's the food? I'm in Disney Withdrawal, woman! Start writing!

Hope your Holidays were good, and you are on your way to a fabulous New Year! :hug: Tell Jay we said, 'Hi!' :goodvibes

-Michelle

P.S. Christmas Eve was amazing - and we finally met Chef Scott. Lots of stories to tell. ;)

ibouncetoo

12-28-2008, 11:06 AM

2xcited2sleep

12-28-2008, 11:09 AM

Looking forward to part II. YUM-O! :)

Amy7979

12-28-2008, 11:39 AM

I'm in here, too!

TigerKat

12-28-2008, 11:42 AM

I'm here!!:yay:

oybolshoi

12-28-2008, 11:43 AM

I've got a question for you fine people ....

Would you be open to the idea of my starting a thread on the Community Board where we can all continue to exchange recipes and non-Disney related food porn? Everyone could share pictures that way and we could encourage each other in our cooking endeavors and anything else that might come up along the way.

It would depend on you guys ... if you really would like to continue the food-loving momentum and cheer we had building before Christmas I'll be happy to start something and post a link here as well as in my signature.

All would be welcome ... :goodvibes

Let me know your thoughts .... I've got to go to the grocery store now (how ironic ... :laughing: ).

B.

TigerKat

12-28-2008, 11:48 AM

Anything involving recipes and/or food porn excites me, I'm definitely interested!:goodvibes

Hedy

12-28-2008, 11:55 AM

I'm here!

cntkg1

12-28-2008, 11:56 AM

MG checking in! :hippie:

*KeepMovingForward*

12-28-2008, 12:02 PM

I'm jumping on board! I love your food reviews so I can't wait to hear more. ;)

ICNAnnie2

12-28-2008, 12:31 PM

I may lurk most of the time (new and a bit shy :blush: ) , but I'm here, too.

LOVE the idea of a thread on the Community Board! :goodvibes I have thoroughly enjoyed the pre-holiday banter and recipes. That's a discussion I could really get into and might be able to come out of my shell and contribute a bit more. Hope you go for it! :cool1:

iluvpluto27

12-28-2008, 12:43 PM

I'm looking forward to part 2!

BoosGram

12-28-2008, 01:12 PM

oybolshoi

12-28-2008, 01:57 PM

OK ... I've started a separate thread where we can talk about things other than Disney food. Hopefully this will work for everyone but please don't stop posting your comments here ... I really think the back and forth between everyone is what makes these threads so much fun, so I ask you all to help me keep things entertaining. :goodvibes

Here's the link to the other thread I started on the CB ... thanks to Whogirl'smom for the title!

Belly up to the Bar With Bendy and her Friendies! (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=29342957#post29342957)

Stop on by when you have a chance and let's see if we can't keep the off-topic food love going strong! :grouphug:

BriarRosie

12-28-2008, 02:59 PM

I lurves you all verrrrrry much! :grouphug:

Look for the Frenchie Lunch sometime tomorrow afternoon / evening ... I got distracted by the wii ... :rotfl2:

Wii wii, I can relate. (I have the Wii Fat...er...Wii Fit and use it!)

I wanted to comment on the old thread and found it closed. We're quite the chatty bunch. :rolleyes1 Mostly I wanted to know if I could share the brie with you. Yum.

I can't wait to see some actually EDIBLE food at the French Regional Lunch. :rolleyes:

Tink rules

12-28-2008, 03:29 PM

Signed on for the rest of the adventure.

Since I will now be doing eight days on the DDP in September, I'm especially looking forward to your Artist Palette and Citricos reviews, as these are being considered for our 'special' meals.

Jackie...

Bendy's food reports should come with a warning... They are very addicting... but good for our health... ;)

I've got a question for you fine people ....

Would you be open to the idea of my starting a thread on the Community Board where we can all continue to exchange recipes and non-Disney related food porn? Everyone could share pictures that way and we could encourage each other in our cooking endeavors and anything else that might come up along the way.

It would depend on you guys ... if you really would like to continue the food-loving momentum and cheer we had building before Christmas I'll be happy to start something and post a link here as well as in my signature.

All would be welcome ... :goodvibes

Let me know your thoughts .... I've got to go to the grocery store now (how ironic ... :laughing: ).

B.

:thumbsup2 :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

OK ... I've started a separate thread where we can talk about things other than Disney food. Hopefully this will work for everyone but please don't stop posting your comments here ... I really think the back and forth between everyone is what makes these threads so much fun, so I ask you all to help me keep things entertaining. :goodvibes

Here's the link to the other thread I started on the CB ... thanks to Whogirl'smom for the title!

Belly up to the Bar With Bendy and her Friendies! (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=29342957#post29342957)

Stop on by when you have a chance and let's see if we can't keep the off-topic food love going strong! :grouphug:

I love the title... I guess that means we get to talk booze too???

Besides... I can't believe you got shut down... we WERE talking about food (sort of...) :rolleyes1

OurDogCisco

12-28-2008, 03:43 PM

Yay... I'm in and I already posted my frist recipe!!!

rentayenta

12-28-2008, 07:31 PM

Get typing Bendy baybee! popcorn::

oybolshoi

12-28-2008, 10:39 PM

Tink rules

12-29-2008, 12:29 AM

Do you do it in Word or whatever you have and then copy and paste it??? Just as long as you don't copy something else...you're usually safe... (Well, that's my secret to less stress... now where's those nestle crunch bars???)

Tatania

12-29-2008, 03:36 AM

Ya know ... it just hasn't been my month when it comes to posting reviews.

I just lost the entire Regional lunch post when I tried to upload ... the friggin window just shut down. :headache:

So ... now I've got to go back to the draft and start over. So, guess who ain't posting a review again tonight? And unfortunately I'm back at work tomorrow all day so if I'm lucky I can try to upload it tomorrow night.

I wonder if I can talk my employer into getting me new laptop? This one has obvious issues aside from those caused by the user. :rolleyes: :mad:

This has happened to me a few times on this board and it's a total pain - especially when you've just typed out a long recipe!
Now if a post is going to be long, I always do it in Word first so I have it saved in another spot.

I loved all your Christmas food photos and am so impressed by your cooking skills. Just the thought of the cream cheese ice cream has me drooling all over the keyboard. I think I'll give that recipe a try!

Looking forward to the rest of your reviews.

And to Tatania re: the alcohol thing--you should have been there for the political discussion that erupted thanks to my smart *** husband!

I would've loved to have been there. Nothing more fun than a political discussion - especially when you know the other side's position has no historical basis.
This summer I visited some of the monasteries in Europe that make their own liquers. The one in Ettal is very good and of course, everybody knows about the Benedictine monks (around since 550 AD) and their wonderful talents in making alcoholic beverages. The Benedictines were one of the strictest orders and made a considerable contribution to the spiritual life of the West. Obviously they saw nothing wrong with alcohol. :rolleyes1:

whogirl'smom

12-29-2008, 09:24 AM

Eeeek at losing the review, B! I have bad computer mojo, too.

Tatania, you are officially invited to Christmas dinner at MIL's next year. You will be seated next to dear BIL! :rotfl2: :goodvibes

D&R love Disney

12-29-2008, 11:26 AM

I'm in and already bellied up to the bar :lmao:

Laptops are :badpc: mine just came down with some security issue. I think spybot took care of it but it's still not running right. Time for a new one!

Looking forward to more reviews!

DisneyMom5

12-29-2008, 05:38 PM

I'm back from our latest round of Christmas (with, literally, a funeral thrown in) and following all the bunny trails to your new posts! :thumbsup2

logansmummy

12-29-2008, 09:44 PM

Hello Brenda,

It feels good to be back! Your posts always get us geared up for our EAT TIL YOU DROP Vacations! Tell us more tell us more! Enquiring minds need to know! :cool1:

oybolshoi

12-29-2008, 10:21 PM

Good evening ... I don't have it ready to post tonight unfortunately.

Still had PT (my last session is tomorrow ... hooray!) and a few other things to take care of.

thanks for the kind words and in response ... I am one of those really bad people who actually waits to be brained by her muse and then I sit down and type the reviews up as I go using the pictures, my notes, and an admittedly sketchy memoory to spur me on. If the muse headache leaves mid-post then I do copy over to word and finish the review in bits and pieces until I feel like it's good enough to post.

I am my own worse enemy it seems. I only had a portion of the review saved in word and the best of what I'd written yesterday got sucked into the black hole. My fault for not being more careful. :confused3

Sorry ... I sure feel like I'm doing everything wrong around here this month.

Tink rules

12-29-2008, 10:43 PM

oybolshoi

12-29-2008, 11:01 PM

Aren't you glad it's all over on Wednesday???

So if you changed the cruise... are you still doing F&W next year??? I missed out on this one and I'm hoping to make it next time...and I wouldn't want to have to try to eat enough for all of us... :upsidedow

October 2009 cruise = canceled

October 2009 F&W Fest = 9 or 10 nights of Bendy and Jay celebrating a certain someone's 40th birthday at WDW ... :rolleyes1 :rolleyes1

October 2010 = no vacation because of the September 2010 Transatlantic cruise we've booked. :banana:

Tink rules

12-29-2008, 11:03 PM

So in other words I'd better show up THIS time??? :flower3:

Tink rules

12-29-2008, 11:05 PM

Wait... wait...

Do you have AP's???

The ship should get back in around dawn - Erica meets you at the pier and takes you to WDW... you get in enough time to breath in some pixie dust - and if F&W is in... then at least some of whatever you can reach first...then you head over to MCO for the flight home...

I know... I'm a scheemer... :rolleyes1

A fat english gent

12-30-2008, 08:14 AM

One will have to try harder if one is trying to out fox the Fatman......I found you....:snooty:

Regards

Your Fatty Friend...:flower3:

ps...Will there be any bad,naughty or cheeky words on this one?.....:rolleyes1

TheDISneyFamily

01-02-2009, 09:53 AM

October 2009 cruise = canceled

Oh no! I'm sorry! :sad2:

October 2009 F&W Fest = 9 or 10 nights of Bendy and Jay celebrating a certain someone's 40th birthday at WDW ... :rolleyes1 :rolleyes1

Are you extending your trip by a few days? You might get to meet the whole clan this time. :eek:

October 2010 = no vacation because of the September 2010 Transatlantic cruise we've booked. :banana:

Yay! :yay: Sounds amazing!!! What about Vegas 2010? Does this take the place of that?

BTW - Happy New Year!!! :hug:

Hedy

01-02-2009, 02:04 PM

I'm back from our latest round of Christmas (with, literally, a funeral thrown in) and following all the bunny trails to your new posts! :thumbsup2

:hug: :hug:

cntkg1

01-02-2009, 02:27 PM

October 2009 cruise = canceled

:sad:

Oh no! I'm sorry! :sad2:

Not as sorry as the BOBers are. :sad: :sad: :sad:

ChelleinNC

01-03-2009, 03:55 PM

Ok, so I've been sitting here wondering how hungover everyone could have been that no one had posted in days :confused3 I never got the update that the thread had closed :headache:

I'm here now though :goodvibes so feel free to update ;)

I'll head over to the other new thread to post about my Very Merry Disney Birthday meals :banana:

Tink rules

01-03-2009, 10:52 PM

Don't worry... Bendy snuck out the back door with the booze... :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

oybolshoi

01-05-2009, 12:21 AM

Sunday, October 12th - French Food ... Utterly Unpronounceable But Oh-So-Easy to Eat!

Ahhhhh, lazy Disney World Sundays ... sitting on our wee little balcony overlooking the SSR golf course and sipping freshly ground Velvet Soul coffee while discussing the previous evening's parking lot smackdown.

What's that about a smackdown, you ask?

Well, it went something like this ...

After Jay and I returned to the resort from Party for the Senseless we talked about going over to Ghirardelli’s for a sundae, but truth be told my feet were tired and neither one of us thought we could do justice to a fifth ... or would that be sixth? ... dessert. Since it was late (for Disney) we thought a visit to the hot tub with a few miniature bottles of boozie goodness would be just the thing to round off a pretty darn good day.

We changed clothes and headed for the Grandstand Pool ... a mere five minute stroll from our building. The balmy, mostly clear evening was punctuated with the insistent croaking of tree frogs and the occasional ripple of children's laughter. Saratoga Springs was calm and peaceful that evening and forgive me for saying this, but the resort had an almost Midwestern hominess that made us feel like we were in our own Stinktown backyard ... if our backyard had several acres of land, professional landscaping, and an 18-hole golf course.

And then

... cue unexpected event that you just knew had to happen...

the night was pierced by the shrill vocal stylings of a woman who nearly mowed us down with her feet. We jumped off the sidewalk momentarily to allow her to pass and so as not to have tread marks on our backsides ... in light of what she was complaining about I think her actions qualify as ironic but you can make your own decision once you're done reading.

Apparently she and her party - a husband, some small offspring, and her slightly elderly father - had narrowly avoided becoming pavement pancakes when some maniac pulled into the parking lot at the speed of sound. We know this because the more she talked about it with the older gentleman she was speed-walking with the more upset and strident she became. To hear her talk you'd think the driver of the Voracious Man-Eating Vehicle (as dubbed by Jay and yours truly) was blazing around the resort in a black hearse custom painted with licks of bright orange flame and sporting jacked-up monster-truck tires slick with the blood of previous victims.

And then suddenly the woman stopped in her tracks. "There's the SUV that nearly killed us all. I'm going to go say something to the driver."

I admit at this point that Jay and I slowed down on purpose to see how this was going to unfold because as adamant as the woman was about confronting the driver of the Terror Truck, her father was equally as adamant that she leave well enough alone.

In all fairness, since we didn't see what actually happened it's hard to really comment on whether or not this woman's level of agitation was warranted. All I know is that no one was murdered or maimed by RacerX and her mad Carmageddon-like driving skillz, so I tend to agree with Grandpops - let it go because you never know just which guest is a ticking timebomb waiting to explode.

But no no no no no no! This lady must go tearing across the parking lot to begin haranguing the driver of the SUV before she'd even completely exited the vehicle. And of course pops had to follow his daughter so the driver was out-numbered and on the defensive right away.

Jay and I decided to get the hell out of dodge when the shouting began.

I totally understand why the first woman who nearly trampled us to death was upset, but since no one was hurt I think she should have just vented to Dad and then relaxed with a drink or two. And I can more than sympathize with the so-called demented driver who could have been in a tearing hurry for any number of reasons or who may just have been one of those myopic people like me who really have a difficult time driving at night.

A final point ... ladies I think we can all agree that having total strangers approach you in a parking lot when you are alone, even at Disney World, is a scary prospect. In that regard I don't blame the SUV driver for being testy in return ... my hackles would have risen in that situation, too. Although if it were me I would have refused to leave my vehicle and if I'd been dumb enough to lock my cell phone in the safe again I would have turned on the ignition and headed right for the Resort Big House and requested security ... 'cause you don't tempt fate and you never take strangers at face value when you're by yourself.

And thus ends what you'll all probably feel is a totally pointless and quite possibly downright disappointing tale of the first and only parking lot argument Jay and I have ever witnessed at WDW. We lead a sheltered vacation life. ;)

Anyway, enough about that … let’s get to the reason you’re here in the first place: the Food & Wine Festival French Regional Lunch at Bistro Paris!

Here is the description from Epcot’s F&W guide book: Discover the cuisine and wine from a different region in France on select Sundays from 12PM to 2PM throughout the duration of the Festival. Lunch will be prepared by the chefs from The Bistro de Paris at Epcot’s France Pavilion and wines will be presented by a visiting winery principal. Cost per person to attend: $135 plus tax, gratuity included.

Just for fun … here’s a list of the different regions & wines that were being offered during the specific lunches:

October 5th -
Wine / Region: Bordeaux
Presenter: Lionel Gallula, Metrowine

October 12th –
Wine / Region: Jean Sauvion Wines; Loire Valley
Presenter: Jorge Hernandez, Director of Corporate Education & Training, W.J. Deutsch & Sons

October 19th –
Wine / Region: Maison Louis Jadot: Burgundy
Presenter: Marc Dupin, Export Director for Maison Louis Jadot

October 26th –
Wine / Region: Pierre Sparr; Alsace
Presenter: Evan Goldstein, M.S.

November 2nd –
Wine / Region: Georges DuBoeuf; Beaujolais (I think this is really more of a province than a region of France)
Presenter: Mike Aitken, VP of Sales, W.J. Deutsch & Sons

Pretty pricey for a two-hour lunch, but Jay and I really wanted to try something different at this year’s festival and with the program cutbacks our choices were pretty slim. We had a great dinner at Bistro the previous October so we were confident that the food would be good, but not knowing anything about the region or wines that were to be featured that afternoon made us both a little nervous. Louis Jadot and Georges DeBouef are wines / distributors that we’re very familiar with, but Sauvion was a big ol’ question mark and I admit to being nervous about the whole event.

We cleaned up and headed for the bus stop by eleven (yes, it goes to eleven) so that we could catch a ride to Epcot and arrive at the restaurant with time to spare ... or so we hoped.

You smell and look all nice and flowery!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/228.jpg

Jay and I were struck on more than one ocassion during the trip by the crowd sizes ... never have we seen so many people at WDW in October. This next picture sort of sums up what was in many ways a weird trip ... financial markets crashing, credit markets seizing, political parties trembling ... and everyone and their third cousin twice removed was waiting in line at Epcot to ride the newly refurbished and less than impressive Spaceship Earth.

This is just wrong...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/229.jpg

I haven't seen a line like that for this ride since before the advent of Fast Pass. Granted, there does appear to be a tour group nestled in the queue but still ... who waits more than five minutes to ride Spaceship Earth in October? Jay and I still shake our heads over the oddness of it and echo the two gentlemen who were walking behind us that morning before we stopped to snap a picture for posterity:

What recession???

We made our way back to the French pavillion with lots of extra time and since it was such a warm day we cooled off in the shops for a bit before checking in at Bistro's podium. In keeping with our run of bad seating karma that seems to have begun with our 2006 trip and the infamous "your party can't sit together fiasco" at Sweet Sundays, Jay and I ended up seated at a table about as far away from the gentleman presenting the wines and leading the discussion as humanly possible. The only good thing about the table location was that it wasn't a far walk to the bathrooms.

I don't normally get too annoyed by the seating at these events but I admit that I am starting to feel some festival angst. I call and book events as early as possible but then because we don't show up hours in advance on the day of the event to check in we're penalized with the crappiest seats available. And lest you think I exaggerate hold your skepticism for my review of the Kitchen Conversation we attened a few days later.

I know ... no one is ever completely happy, but part of reviewing an event is to point out how we think it could be better and we always seem to end up with the worst possible seats. I do think that for the amount of money guests pay to attend these events that more care should be taken to ensure that everyone has a seat that allows them to see without obstruction and to hear without noise pollution.

End minor rant.

Feed me!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/230.jpg

Booze me!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/232.jpg

Place setting
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/231.jpg

Keepsake menu ... it's a chef's jacket!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/233.jpg

There was one other couple seated at the table with us ... a very nice husband and wife from Tampa. Sharing lunch with them made the afternoon a truly enjoyable one ... we talked about different Disney restaurants that we'd tried and different foods that we liked. Funny how we have to travel more than one thousand miles from home to find people who like food and booze as much as we do.

Here's some information about the region and winery, because I’m sure you’re just dying to know. Much of this was taken from the back of our menu and I actually thought it was kind of interesting.

The Loire Valley is the fourth largest wine producing area in France after Languedoc-Roussillon, Bordeaux, and Rhone, and is often referred to as The Garden of France. The region is subject to varied climatic influences from maritime to continental and is considered France’s most diverse wine growing region. The principle grapes grown in the Loire include Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet), Gros Plant / Folle Blanche (Muscadet, Cremant), Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, Pouilly Fume), Chenin Blanc (Vouvray, Savennieres), Cabernet Franc (Chinon, Bourgueil, Saumur, Rose’ d’Anjou), and Pinot Noir (Sancerre Rouge, Vin Gris, Rose de Loire).

The House of Sauvion has been long established in the Loire Valley and is family owned and operated by two brothers: Jean-Ernest and Yves Sauvion. Sauvion et Fils is one of the best known Muscadet producers and one of the largest Loire Valley negociants (I had to look this up … it’s the French term for a wine merchant who gathers the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and then sells the results under its own name). Sauvion wines are renowned for their purity, elegance, clarity, and their varietal integrity.

Is it just me or does that sound a little like the 4 Cs of diamond shopping?

The afternoon began with a brief introduction from our winery representative and the first pour ... a lovely Rose that I admit to being suspicious of because it looked an awful lot like a pink zinfandel and I don't really care for those. But surprise surprise ... this ended up being my favorite wine of the afternoon!

Rose' d'Anjou, Sauvion 2007

It's so pretty!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/234.jpg

If you're offering me another glass I'm not saying no ...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/246.jpg

To accompany the wine, each table was presented with a platter of snackeroos to ready our tastebuds for the courses to come.

In French: Amuse Bouche
In English: Appetizer
In Stinktonian: Is that Salmon Mousse?

Amuse Bouche
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/235.jpg

Everybody gets one of each!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/236.jpg

These were both very good and paired well with the wine. The appetizer on the left was just a piece of cold, smoked salmon rolled up and placed on a small, soft slice of french bread; the other appetizer was a very light, mild salmon mousse sprinkled with poppy seeds.

We were all offered fresh, warm rolls before the first course was served and who can say no to that?

Yeah, it's bread ... but it's French bread!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/237.jpg

Course I

In French: Soupe de Moules de Bouchot au Safran
In English: Mussels Saffron Soup
In Stinktonian: Who dropped seashells in my soup?!

Love the presentation!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/241.jpg

This doesn't look completely objectionable.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/243.jpg

I'm not a fan of mussles so I was actually relieved when this was placed before me. There were a goodly number of them gathered at the bottom of the soup bowl but that was it ... there were no foreign or freaky objects floating about. The soup itself was a delicious surprise - creamy, rich, and subtle - I could have eaten just this for the rest of the afternoon and been perfectly happy. For a seafood based soup it didn't taste or smell of fish and we all agreed that it was a fantastic start to the meal. By the way, my three table-mates all said that the mussels were well cooked and of generous size.

The wine served with this course was a Sauvion du Cle'ray, Muscadet 2006.

Very nice!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/240.jpg

Course II

In French: Filet Mignon Veau Farci aux Cepes, Gratin de Topinambour at Pommes de Terre au Lard Fume’
In English: Veal Tenderloin Stuffed with Porcini Mushrooms; Sunchoke and Potato Gratin with Smoked Bacon
In Stinktonian: Bleargh! Mushrooms. And hey …. is Dan Quayle working here because potato has been spelled p-o-t-a-t-o-e on the menu!
Stinktonian V.2: Garcon … there appears to be a toe in my gratin!

Mmmmm, meaty goodness even with the 'shrooms
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/245.jpg

The veal was very good - tender and flavorful ... I just had to eat around the 'shroom stuffing. The potato dish was tasty and creamy and we all asked each other if anyone knew what the heck a sunchoke was. Luckily the winery rep. broached the topic and told us that sunchokes are a type of underground vegetable that are a cross between a rutabaga, potato, sunflower seed, and water chestnut. That doesn't even make sense, does it? It's like Mother Nature went all greenhouse of Doctor Moreau when she thought this thing up. Since the sunchoke was mixed in with other stuff it's hard to actually comment on its taste or texture.

The wine served with this course was Chinon, Sauvion, 2007.

Not bad for a red wine!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/244.jpg

And to prove that I do not mock the French just for the sake of being mean ... here are pictures of the inside of the souvenir menu. See for yourselves how they spell not well.

I mock because it's what I do ...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/Stuff/P1010040.jpg

No jokes about toe jamb, please.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/Stuff/P1010039.jpg

Course III

In French: Tarte Tatin, Glace Vanille Caramel au Beurre Sale’
In English: Carmelized Apple Tart Tatin, Vanille and Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream
In Stinktonian: Nekkid apple pie with a spoonful of ice cream

Very good indeed!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/249.jpg

A wonderful light, fruity end to the meal and the ice cream was to die for! This was like eating a deconstructed caramel apple and if you ever dine at Bistro and find this on their menu I highly recommend giving it a try.

The wine served with dessert was Vouvray, Sauvion, 2007.

Another good selection
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/248.jpg

Va-va-va-vouvray!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/247.jpg

As the event concluded the chefs were brought out so that we could offer our thanks and give them a well-earned round of applause. They created a nice menu and served wonderfully tasty food - nothing less than we would expect from the Bistro culinary team.

Well done!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/250.jpg

Final thoughts: Jay and I both thought this event was a home-run. Yes, it was expensive but we felt that the program lived up to the price tag. It was held in a lovely restaurant, we received top-notch service, the food and wine servings were very generous, and the menu was quite tasty. The winery representative made sure to stop at each table to speak with the guests and when he found out how much I enjoyed the Rose he had the waiter bring another bottle for our table, poured it out for us all, and shared a glass with us. We weren't rushed to leave once the event was formally ended and throughout the afternoon we were always offered more wine by the wait staff.

To my way of thinking that's how these events are supposed to be - informative and relaxing little oases in the midst of theme park chaos filled with good food and good wine and good company. In this case the Food and Wine Festival planners did a wonderful job and we walked out of Bistro very happy with the manner in which we'd spent our afternoon and our money.

BoosGram

01-05-2009, 12:37 AM

whogirl'smom

01-05-2009, 02:40 AM

That was just lovely! And I, too, appreciate the translation esp. being up at 2 a.m. (I think I'm having a not so pleasant reaction to the antibiotics, jittery, can't sleep, anxious). So thank you for posting this tonight, it was so nice to find at this ungodly hour!

Tatania

01-05-2009, 03:54 AM

In Stinktonian: Who dropped seashells in my soup?!

Your posts need to come with a warning: "put down all food and drink before reading or you may end up snorting it all over the keyboard when you burst out laughing."

*KeepMovingForward*

01-05-2009, 07:21 AM

I think you've sold me on trying this if they offer it up again at 09's F&W Festival. The veal and nekkid apple pie definitely would have been a hit with me...although after all that booze, I'm sure EVERYTHING would have tasted delicious to me! :rotfl:

Now about that parking lot smackdown. I have to agree, I think I would have let that go if I were that irate woman. No reason to get up close and personal-especially on vacation. Oh well...made for great storytelling. ;)

oybolshoi

01-05-2009, 07:59 AM

Well, after all the disappointments you two suffered, I'm really glad that this event went so wonderfully. And you look adorable in that dress :) . I also want to thank your for the English and (very funny) Stinktonian translations of the menu; I'd have been lost (oh, I know, I'm lost most of the time anyway) without them ;) . Man, I'd love to try one of these events, but sadly we won't be in Epcot during F&W any time soon (although, since we're going to be cruising the next two Septembers, I'm really not complaining).

Thanks for reading and thanks for the kind words ... glad you enjoyed everything (the Stinktonian translations were a last minute inspiration that would not have been included in the first version of this review that the computer gobbled last week).

Cruising is a nice alternative to F&W ... ;)

That was just lovely! And I, too, appreciate the translation esp. being up at 2 a.m. (I think I'm having a not so pleasant reaction to the antibiotics, jittery, can't sleep, anxious). So thank you for posting this tonight, it was so nice to find at this ungodly hour!

Thanks! I do hope you start feeling better soon ... I've had those reactions to antibiotics before too, and it totally bites. :hug:

Your posts need to come with a warning: "put down all food and drink before reading or you may end up snorting it all over the keyboard when you burst out laughing."

Why thank you! :laughing: I'm always hesitant to put a warning like out here ... it's awfully subjective and what if I'm wrong? Then you will all be virtually looking at each other and shrugging your shoulders saying, "That wasn't funny at all." ;)

I think you've sold me on trying this if they offer it up again at 09's F&W Festival. The veal and nekkid apple pie definitely would have been a hit with me...although after all that booze, I'm sure EVERYTHING would have tasted delicious to me! :rotfl:

We would definitely do it again as long as the program would be a different one from this one (just to try something new). And yes ... there was definitely a lot of wine being shared around which was refreshing after some of the stinginess of other F&W events (Kitchen Conversations, anyone?).

Now about that parking lot smackdown. I have to agree, I think I would have let that go if I were that irate woman. No reason to get up close and personal-especially on vacation. Oh well...made for great storytelling. ;)

It was a strange thing to see for sure ... I guess they must have resolved their problem because when we came back about an hour later all was quiet, the SUV was parked in the same spot, and there weren't any bloodstains on the pavement. ;)

*KeepMovingForward*

01-05-2009, 08:42 AM

It was a strange thing to see for sure ... I guess they must have resolved their problem because when we came back about an hour later all was quiet, the SUV was parked in the same spot, and there weren't any bloodstains on the pavement. ;)

You have such a way with words Brenda. You totally crack me up! :rotfl2: Definitely a great way to start an otherwise crappy Monday.

kabuki

01-05-2009, 11:46 AM

Love the review as always Brenda! Jason and I have our dates and now have the long wait to see what events we will be able to choose from. Maybe ,please ,they will add more lunch options when we are going, your day looked so nice!

Ciciwoowoo

01-05-2009, 12:08 PM

Oh my! I love the Stinktown translations :rotfl2:

We here at the Dis need to whip up some sort of VIP badge for you and Jay, Brenda. Show it at all the finer places at the World and exclaim,

"Don't you know who I am? I'm DisBoard royalty! Seat me at your finest table and don't be stingy with the cheese and wine!"

:goodvibes

As always, looking forward to reading more!

ChelleinNC

01-05-2009, 03:23 PM

I can't wait till the kids are out of the house so DH & I can go to F&W. You lunch looked wonderful!

oybolshoi

01-05-2009, 07:52 PM

You have such a way with words Brenda. You totally crack me up! :rotfl2: Definitely a great way to start an otherwise crappy Monday.

Glad I could help ... it was a tough Monday, wasn't it? I thought the day was never going to end.

Love the review as always Brenda! Jason and I have our dates and now have the long wait to see what events we will be able to choose from. Maybe ,please ,they will add more lunch options when we are going, your day looked so nice!

Thank you very much! I hope they have events similar to this one for 2009 - I remember that they offered a bunch of lunch options in 2007 and none of them were scheduled for our dates (Flying Fish and Narcoossee's were among the options I believe) so we were excited to nab this for 2008. It was a delicious all-around experience.

BTW ... so, what are those dates anyway? :rolleyes1

Oh my! I love the Stinktown translations :rotfl2:

We here at the Dis need to whip up some sort of VIP badge for you and Jay, Brenda. Show it at all the finer places at the World and exclaim,

"Don't you know who I am? I'm DisBoard royalty! Seat me at your finest table and don't be stingy with the cheese and wine!"

:goodvibes

As always, looking forward to reading more!

Hey stranger! Glad you enjoyed the update ... Stinktonian is tough to master and even more tough to prevent from bursting out at the most inappropriate times. :lmao:

I fear that if we were easily identifiable to Disney folks they would ban us from the premises ... :rotfl2:

I can't wait till the kids are out of the house so DH & I can go to F&W. Your lunch looked wonderful!

It was a great event for us ... we'd definitely do it again if given the chance. As for F&W ... what about a short getaway trip for mom and dad? Surely you've earned that? :goodvibes

TigerKat

01-05-2009, 07:54 PM

Great update Brenda, I'm still kicking myself for having to cancel Bistro this past trip.:headache:

oybolshoi

01-05-2009, 07:59 PM

Great update Brenda, I'm still kicking myself for having to cancel Bistro this past trip.:headache:

thanks for reading Kathy ... and just where are your reviews again? I don't seem to recall seeing them for some time. Did I miss them while I was spacing out on pain pills or did you not post any in the first place?

BTW --- you must try Bistro at least once!!!

BriarRosie

01-05-2009, 08:42 PM

jeminni

01-05-2009, 09:24 PM

Brenda,

Your meal at the Bistro looked fabulous. :thumbsup2 I'm soo hungry now. :)

oybolshoi

01-05-2009, 10:37 PM

You definitely appeared to get the "better" menu for your lunch than I did with mine. I'm still a bit jealous of that. ;)

And Kathy can console herself for canceling Bistro by reading my report. :laughing:

It was bound to happen sooner or later ... :lmao: but you got it back at the Irvine event. ;)

Brenda,

Your meal at the Bistro looked fabulous. :thumbsup2 I'm soo hungry now. :)

It was quite tasty and we overall we were quite pleased. :goodvibes

rentayenta

01-06-2009, 12:14 AM

:goodvibes :thumbsup2 Love your review and you look pretty with the touch of light in your hair. You look a little busty in the flower dress too.

Tell me you are an author of some sort. :worship:

LiteBrite

01-06-2009, 08:10 AM

Finally! :yay: I been a-waitin' and a-waitin' to hear about the parking lot smackdown ever since you teased it way back at the beginning of part one! Well, to be honest, I guess I actually forgot that I was a-waitin' in the interim, but I was a-waitin' nonethless.

I don't know how sorry to feel for the lady in the SUV, since we don't know the severity of her parking lot crimes, but man, that sounds scary to have some steamed up, for all you know crazy lady and her dad coming at you in a parking lot like that. :scared1:

Now, about the food - every bit of it looked yummy, especially the veal, and most especially the shrooms! Had I been there, I would have been oh so happy to take care of them for you. :angel: I also really liked the look of that nekkid pie. Mmmmmmmmm.

oybolshoi

01-06-2009, 08:35 AM

:goodvibes :thumbsup2 Love your review and you look pretty with the touch of light in your hair. You look a little busty in the flower dress too.

Thanks for reading and for your kind comments which made me smile. :goodvibes

My hair is normally really really really dark ... like a glass of guiness without the foam. So I usually get it highlighted a couple times per year so that I don't scare small children with my natural goth look. :laughing:

As for the dress and my ... endowments ... just call me Chesty LaRue! :rotfl2:

Tell me you are an author of some sort. :worship:

Does wanna-be author count? Honestly, I've been told by people who are supposed to be experts that I'm a good writer but not good enough to be published. So I publish myself here ... thanks DIS! :thumbsup2

Finally! :yay: I been a-waitin' and a-waitin' to hear about the parking lot smackdown ever since you teased it way back at the beginning of part one! Well, to be honest, I guess I actually forgot that I was a-waitin' in the interim, but I was a-waitin' nonethless.

I don't know how sorry to feel for the lady in the SUV, since we don't know the severity of her parking lot crimes, but man, that sounds scary to have some steamed up, for all you know crazy lady and her dad coming at you in a parking lot like that. :scared1:

Somehow it seemed more like a smackdown right after we got home from the trip than it did when I finally sat down to write about it. But the lead up was funny as we were walking to the pool. I suppose we should have stayed to watch the whole thing play out but we felt like we were being nosy ... go figure. :confused3

Now, about the food - every bit of it looked yummy, especially the veal, and most especially the shrooms! Had I been there, I would have been oh so happy to take care of them for you. :angel: I also really liked the look of that nekkid pie. Mmmmmmmmm.

The food was quite tasty and I would have been pleased to let you and Jay and anyone else pick over my 'shrooms. :thumbsup2

rentayenta

01-06-2009, 11:13 AM

Thanks for reading and for your kind comments which made me smile. :goodvibes

My hair is normally really really really dark ... like a glass of guiness without the foam. So I usually get it highlighted a couple times per year so that I don't scare small children with my natural goth look. :laughing:

:thumbsup2 Well it looks great! I put some low lights in mine during the late Spring and Summer. If I do it in the winter, I look cheap and easy. :rotfl:

As for the dress and my ... endowments ... just call me Chesty LaRue! :rotfl2:

:wave: Hi Chesty LaRue! :rotfl2:

Does wanna-be author count? Honestly, I've been told by people who are supposed to be experts that I'm a good writer but not good enough to be published. So I publish myself here ... thanks DIS! :thumbsup2

Those experts just don't want you as competition. Have you read some of the garbage out there? Hell, if Oprah can have a magazine and Rachel Ray can have a cooking show, so can you! ;) You are far more entertaining.

kabuki

01-06-2009, 12:07 PM

Brenda!:3dglasses

I know I have fallen off the update wagon .. The holidays ran us over so bad I felt like a cast member waiting to give out glasses at PFTS when the doors open! ;)
At this point I was living off the Jay and Brenda reviews .. It's hard being so good at what you do.. It lets some of us (ME) get LAZY!

D&R love Disney

01-06-2009, 12:37 PM

Why did I read that before eating my lunch :confused3 Now I really don't want my sandwich, jax and pepsi :rotfl2: I want some wine and cheese!!!!!

Shrooms, why do they have to ruin food with them :lmao:

TigerKat

01-06-2009, 04:48 PM

thanks for reading Kathy ... and just where are your reviews again? I don't seem to recall seeing them for some time. Did I miss them while I was spacing out on pain pills or did you not post any in the first place?

BTW --- you must try Bistro at least once!!!

You weren't spaced out, well maybe you were, but you didn't miss anything.:laughing: I had a new camera on this trip that took some getting used to so without porn I decided why bother? I can say we were very impressed with Fulton's Crab House this past trip, ate there twice. Raglan Road was another very impressive meal and the BOMA breakfast rocked!

Lorie - I DID console myself by reading your review.....:rotfl2:

DisneyMom5

01-09-2009, 07:03 PM

:hug: :hug: Thanks Hedy! :goodvibes

"Stinktonian" = funny! LOL

It's amazing how different experiences can be. BriarRosie's was not so good, but yours sounded nice. I think I'd even eat those options! LOL

Thanks for the update!

dvc4life

01-09-2009, 10:28 PM

I can't wait till the kids are out of the house so DH & I can go to F&W. You lunch looked wonderful!

I'm a lurker and was just catching up and was wondering what the ages of your kids are? We don't do any of the events like Bendy, but we have been taking our kids since 2005 to F&W and they love trying the different kinds of food at the stands. They were 9 and 12 then. But they will now try all types of foods that they wouldn't have before we took them to F&W Fest. They really enjoy it too! So sad :sad1: that we won't be able to attend this year.

So, just a thought, take the kids and expose them to all the fun of the different food booths that are around. And if you use the Disney transportation and don't have to drive, the parents can enjoy the wines that are offered and no worries about driving! :cool1:

TheDISneyFamily

01-10-2009, 08:10 AM

Course II

In French: Filet Mignon Veau Farci aux Cepes, Gratin de Topinambour at Pommes de Terre au Lard Fume’
In English: Veal Tenderloin Stuffed with Porcini Mushrooms; Sunchoke and Potato Gratin with Smoked Bacon
In Stinktonian: Bleargh! Mushrooms. And hey …. is Dan Quayle working here because potato has been spelled p-o-t-a-t-o-e on the menu!
Stinktonian V.2: Garcon … there appears to be a toe in my gratin!

Mmmmm, meaty goodness even with the 'shrooms
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/245.jpg

The veal was very good - tender and flavorful ... I just had to eat around the 'shroom stuffing. The potato dish was tasty and creamy and we all asked each other if anyone knew what the heck a sunchoke was. Luckily the winery rep. broached the topic and told us that sunchokes are a type of underground vegetable that are a cross between a rutabaga, potato, sunflower seed, and water chestnut. That doesn't even make sense, does it? It's like Mother Nature went all greenhouse of Doctor Moreau when she thought this thing up. Since the sunchoke was mixed in with other stuff it's hard to actually comment on its taste or texture.

Yum. If I were there, you could have handed all of that mushroom stuffing to me. :thumbsup2 Your lunch sounded wonderful. :cloud9: We might have to break down and try one or two next year, especially since we've decided that we're done with PFTS for awhile. I hope the 'powers that be' working on Food & Wine Fest 2009 have listened to and taken into consideration all of the feedback that they've gotten from the 2008 festival. :goodvibes

I'm ready for more foodie goodness! :surfweb:

Tatania

01-10-2009, 06:14 PM

One of my favourite comedy authors is Bill Bryson and I think laugh as much at your writing - maybe more - because some of his books are really not that funny. I think a humerous book on food and travel to some interesting place would have a very good shot of being published because people can't seem to get enough of food and travel books.

Tink rules

01-11-2009, 03:29 AM

And it would give her a really good reason to eat more... (good food Bendy... we have to fill up that empty leg, now don't we???) :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

ChelleinNC

01-11-2009, 09:55 AM

So, just a thought, take the kids and expose them to all the fun of the different food booths that are around. And if you use the Disney transportation and don't have to drive, the parents can enjoy the wines that are offered and no worries about driving! :cool1:

They are 15 & 11 and would :love: for us to take them to F&W but that's not happening for several reasons. DD15 plays varsity tennis, and fall is tennis season; it's too hard to pull them out of school now that they're in middle & high school; and then there's the fact that I want to do F&W sans children ;)

2xcited2sleep

01-11-2009, 10:57 AM

I have also been waiting for the tale of the parking lot smackdown! Yikes! I'm glad you were only a witness to it rather than a participant! ;)

Either I was at Epcot the same day you were or there was another day with ridiculously long lines at Spaceship Earth. And I thought the same thing. I haven't seen the queue filled up in forever! Not sure what was going on. :confused3

So glad you enjoyed the lunch event. It sounds heavenly!!

dvc4life

01-11-2009, 11:05 AM

They are 15 & 11 and would :love: for us to take them to F&W but that's not happening for several reasons. DD15 plays varsity tennis, and fall is tennis season; it's too hard to pull them out of school now that they're in middle & high school; and then there's the fact that I want to do F&W sans children ;)

I totally understand about how hard it is to pull them out of school. In fact we won't be able to go this year because of that. My girls are 15 & 12 and my 15 year old is so involved with music and the 12 yr old is in Volleyball. We are bummed, but the girls are only in school once and Becca wants to try out for All-State Music. So whatcha gonna do.

Hope you get to go some day!:flower3:

oybolshoi

01-11-2009, 01:35 PM

:thumbsup2 Well it looks great! I put some low lights in mine during the late Spring and Summer. If I do it in the winter, I look cheap and easy. :rotfl:

Hi Chesty LaRue! :rotfl2:

Those experts just don't want you as competition. Have you read some of the garbage out there? Hell, if Oprah can have a magazine and Rachel Ray can have a cooking show, so can you! ;) You are far more entertaining.

Was your New Year's resolution to be too nice to other people? You're making me blush, but I appreciate the kind words. :hug:

I'm entertaining? Wow ... I never thought of it that way - I'm just trying to have fun and let everyone else share in it. :goodvibes

Brenda!

I know I have fallen off the update wagon .. The holidays ran us over so bad I felt like a cast member waiting to give out glasses at PFTS when the doors open! ;) At this point I was living off the Jay and Brenda reviews .. It's hard being so good at what you do.. It lets some of us (ME) get LAZY!

The holidays hit us hard, too ... you'll notice I didn't update much either. But I would really like to read about the rest of your trip so I do hope that you jump back on the wagon and start posting your reviews again! :thumbsup2

Why did I read that before eating my lunch :confused3 Now I really don't want my sandwich, jax and pepsi :rotfl2: I want some wine and cheese!!!!!

Shrooms, why do they have to ruin food with them :lmao:

It was yummy! And I'm right there with ya on the 'shrooms, but as long as I can fish them out and give them away I'm happy enough.

You weren't spaced out, well maybe you were, but you didn't miss anything.:laughing: I had a new camera on this trip that took some getting used to so without porn I decided why bother? I can say we were very impressed with Fulton's Crab House this past trip, ate there twice. Raglan Road was another very impressive meal and the BOMA breakfast rocked!

Lorie - I DID console myself by reading your review.....:rotfl2:

Trust me ... I was spaced out to the extreme. :lmao: Glad to hear Raglan Road and Boma didn't disappoint, especially since they were places you tried based on other people's experiences.

Thanks Hedy! :goodvibes

"Stinktonian" = funny! LOL

It's amazing how different experiences can be. BriarRosie's was not so good, but yours sounded nice. I think I'd even eat those options! LOL

Thanks for the update!

Thanks for reading!

And it is amazing how different an experience can be even at the same event - she and I both had very different perspectives from the Kitchen Conversation we attended the following week.

I'm a lurker and was just catching up and was wondering what the ages of your kids are? We don't do any of the events like Bendy, but we have been taking our kids since 2005 to F&W and they love trying the different kinds of food at the stands. They were 9 and 12 then. But they will now try all types of foods that they wouldn't have before we took them to F&W Fest. They really enjoy it too! So sad :sad1: that we won't be able to attend this year.

So, just a thought, take the kids and expose them to all the fun of the different food booths that are around. And if you use the Disney transportation and don't have to drive, the parents can enjoy the wines that are offered and no worries about driving! :cool1:

Welcome de-lurked lurker!! :hug:

I'm very sorry you won't make it to F&W 2009 (I like that it rhymes) ... there will be plenty of us headed down in October and the more the merrier! :goodvibes

Yum. If I were there, you could have handed all of that mushroom stuffing to me. :thumbsup2 Your lunch sounded wonderful. :cloud9: We might have to break down and try one or two next year, especially since we've decided that we're done with PFTS for awhile. I hope the 'powers that be' working on Food & Wine Fest 2009 have listened to and taken into consideration all of the feedback that they've gotten from the 2008 festival. :goodvibes

I'm ready for more foodie goodness! :surfweb:

Hiya Michelle! Happy anniversary a wee bit early!

We're done with PFTS for a while, too. Even though I'd love to attend on my birthday, Jay and I have both decided that for the $$$ being charged we can do something else that will be more enjoyable. I do hope there are more regional lunches or signature lunches offered this fall - we'd do those in a heartbeat.

One of my favourite comedy authors is Bill Bryson and I think laugh as much at your writing - maybe more - because some of his books are really not that funny. I think a humerous book on food and travel to some interesting place would have a very good shot of being published because people can't seem to get enough of food and travel books.

Oh ... that's the nicest thing you could say to a dork like me. :hug:

I've had that discussion with Jay before but then I usually second-guess myself ... mostly with the question: why would anyone out in the real world pick up a book written by a no-name about her and her hubby's food travels? :confused3

oybolshoi

01-11-2009, 01:41 PM

And it would give her a really good reason to eat more... (good food Bendy... we have to fill up that empty leg, now don't we???) :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

At this point if I eat any more food I'm not going to be able to fit into my clothes. I have to get back on my diet and exercise plan before I can indulge in any gluttony.

ALTHOUGH ... since Jay and I are marking 10 years of marriage this May we're thinking of spending the weekend in Memphis and trying the gourmet restaurant at the Peabody ... that would make for a terrific blog review! :thumbsup2

And Memphis is a lot less expensive than Chicago. :goodvibes

They are 15 & 11 and would :love: for us to take them to F&W but that's not happening for several reasons. DD15 plays varsity tennis, and fall is tennis season; it's too hard to pull them out of school now that they're in middle & high school; and then there's the fact that I want to do F&W sans children ;)

Any chance you can park them with a trusted family member for a long weekend and come sample F&W this year?

I have also been waiting for the tale of the parking lot smackdown! Yikes! I'm glad you were only a witness to it rather than a participant! ;)

Either I was at Epcot the same day you were or there was another day with ridiculously long lines at Spaceship Earth. And I thought the same thing. I haven't seen the queue filled up in forever! Not sure what was going on. :confused3

So glad you enjoyed the lunch event. It sounds heavenly!!

We noticed that the lines for Spaceship Earth were really long the whole of our trip ... but it seemed like all the lines were really long and all the fast-passes were out early - that's why we just bypassed all the rides and attractions the whole time we were there. It just wasn't worth it to us and since we've been so many times it's not like we felt we were missing anything by skipping the rides.

And lunch was terrific - we're hoping they do something similar this year.

I totally understand about how hard it is to pull them out of school. In fact we won't be able to go this year because of that. My girls are 15 & 12 and my 15 year old is so involved with music and the 12 yr old is in Volleyball. We are bummed, but the girls are only in school once and Becca wants to try out for All-State Music. So whatcha gonna do.

Hope you get to go some day!:flower3:

We'll all try to take great pictures and write good reviews so you can enjoy the festival vicariously. :thumbsup2

dvc4life

01-11-2009, 05:56 PM

We will be at Disney just before F&W 2009. We are going on the DVC Members cruise in September and spending a few days after but it will be before F&W starts. Better luck next year! I'll just wait for your reports, which are such great reading! Thanks!

oybolshoi

01-11-2009, 08:18 PM

Sunday, October 12th - Maybe Leaving the Cell Phone in the Safe isn't Such a Smart Idea After All ...

We skipped out of Bistro Paris happier than two ears of corn at a shucking party.

http://www.thundercrush.com/forum/Smileys/smilies_smf/stunned-1.gif

What?

:confused3

We were both born and bred in the Midwest.

Jay's family owns a farm in a godforsaken section of Missouri that time has forgotten.

We eat corn.

And we sometimes avail ourselves of the phrase "aw, shucks" in conversation.

It all fits. :laughing:

Anyway, we were happy happy happy after our lunch at Bistro and I felt ten pounds lighter in spite of everything I'd eaten because I was no longer worried that I'd chosen an event that would leave us gagging on the bitter taste of disappointment once it was finished.

We headed back to Saratoga Springs to soak up some sun at the pool, but before we did that, I checked my handy-dandy ADR / DIS-meet calendar and saw a reminder that I contact Whogirl'smom about a quick meet-n-greet at the MK around 6:30PM. I always feel a little odd about calling people even after we've exchanged phone numbers and agreed upon a meeting ... I feel like I'm being pushy and rude and intrusive when more likely than not the person on the other end of the phone is thinking: I didn't really want to meet you in the real world ... now that I think about it, you're a little too weird and scary for me so could you please just hang up now and forget we ever spoke?

Luckily for me, if Jamie was thinking along those lines she did a fabulous job of masking her apprehension. We confirmed that we'd meet at 6:30pm in front of City Hall - right next to the park bench where the bronze figure of Mayor Goofy is perched.

There are many things wrong with the above statement but rather than spoil the fun right away I will leave it stand for now and tell you that as soon as the call was ended ... you guessed it ... just like my conversation with Erica two days earlier, I promptly turned off the phone and tucked it away in the room safe to think on it no more.

Do you wonder if Erica and Lionel shared an involuntary shudder 40 minutes to the east of Orlando just as I locked the room safe???

Jay and I enjoyed our afternoon at the pool and sometime along the way we decided that we wanted to cancel the dinner reservation we had for the Kona Cafe and enjoy the first nice weather evening of our trip by snacking around Epcot instead. Before we left for the bus stop I made sure to call Disney Dining and cancel the reservation so someone else could hopefully take advantage of it. While I regret not having the opportunity to try the Lapu Lapu, I'm convinced that we made the right decision and we had a fine old time doing things completely unplanned.

Why do we always look so much more attractive while on vacation?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/254.jpg

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom with about thirty minutes to spare and since there was no time for rides Jay and I did the only other thing we know to do ... eat! Casey's Corner has long been a favorite of ours - big old juicy hotdogs with squinky-squishy fries that beg to be dipped in freshly melted pretend cheese. We always order the the All Beef 1/4 Pound Hot Dog Meal which comes with a drink and a choice of french fries or fruit. Our drink of choice was water and of course we ordered the french fries ... why spoil a hot dog with a "healthy" side dish? Unless you're planning on dipping those apple slices into a vat of hot, melty pretend cheese, that is.

I was especially interested to see for myself whether or not the great bun debate that had raged here on the DIS was really worth all the energy and angst that it had generated. For what it's worth, I think the wheat buns are a stupid move on Disney's part. They weren't awful, but they were very dry and added nothing to the meal. My personal opinion is that Disney ought to offer patrons a choice as to the type of bun they'd prefer. Eating a hot dog on a whole wheat bun does not make it a healthier food option, nor does offering up pre-sliced, vacuum sealed, slimy apple chunks in place of french fries. I'd much rather make my own choices about what constitutes healthy or unhealthy food ... I don't need the Walt Disney Company to save me from myself and neither does anyone else.

So there!

The unhealthiest kind of processed meat, but it tastes so good!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/255.jpg

It works like this: fry, cheese, mustard, eat; repeat until fries are gone.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/256.jpg

Jay and I thoroughly enjoyed our quick dinner at Casey's and then made our way back down Main Street to City Hall. Only it wasn't City Hall that I'd been thinking of when I talked with Jamie ... it was Exposition Hall. Even that might not have been such a bad thing except for the fact that the bench and the Goofy statue were gone, replaced by a wide swath of stroller parking for patrons eating dinner at Tony's Town Square.

Awwwww, crap!

I smell a potential disaster.

Jay's suggestion was profoundly simple and logical: just call Jamie and let her know where we were waiting and that we got the buildings confused.

Brenda: That's a great idea and I'd do it in a heartbeat but my phone and your phone are locked in the safe.

Jay: Again? You did that again after what happened Friday night?

Brenda: I like to live dangerously.

Jay: Do I even want to know if you have any clue what this woman looks like?

Brenda: I also like to make things difficult.

I consoled Jay by telling him that I'd know Jamie when I saw her, even though the only picture I'd seen was from her avatar here on the DIS. That did not make him feel better as we circled the main street hub, walking back and forth between City Hall and Exposition Hall and annoying CMs who were stringing rope barriers for the parade that was scheduled to begin at 8PM. I'd just about given up hope as the clock chimed seven when I spied someone hurrying along the sidewalk ... I rolled the dice and walked up to her and said hello, crossing my fingers that I'd picked the right person from the multitudes swarming into the park.

WOOOO-HOOOOTY-HOO!!!!

I turned to Jay and said, "Nailed it!"

Imagine our relief when Jamie proceeded to tell us that they were late due to some driving / parking kind of issues and would have called to let us know but didn't have their cell phone with them!!!

We had a good laugh at ourselves and spent a few minutes chatting before releasing Whogirl and her Whomom and Whodad for dinner. They were just the cutest family and I even managed to snag a picture of Jamie and me before we all parted ways.

Someone's got the chompers out again!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/257.jpg

Jay and I hopped the monorail over to Epcot and decided that some snacking was in order before Illuminations started. We began in Poland, where they were selling a drink that I'd been dreaming about ever since seeing the food booth menu: Chopin Vodka Raspberry Cocktail. It was the most expensive drink being offered at the food booths, aside from champagne, and I made the silly assumption that it was a taste combination that would be impossible for anyone to screw up.

You know what they say about people who assume, and in my case it's totally true. ;)

We ordered both food options that Poland was selling: the Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup and the Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies with Carmelized Onions and Sour Cream. Our gravest mistake of the evening was ordering the Vodka Raspberry cocktail to wash it all down.

It all sucks if you ask me!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/258.jpg

To be fair, Jay said the mushroom soup in Poland was pretty tasty but I don't like mushrooms so there was no way I was going to try even a smidge of it.

The kielbasa, which is almost impossible to see in our picture because it was buried under stringy, greasy onions that looked like burnt tentacles, was not very good - lukewarm and greasier than any sausage has a right to be. The pierogie was bland and disappointing ... those bits that I could manage to eat that hadn't been tainted by sour cream.

And the drink ... how do I say this politely?

...

...

...

Your drink is like swill to us. Do I have that right ... only a swine would drink this?

It was vile. An uber-sweet, syrupy, gloppy mess that you will never convince me contained a drop of alcohol. We will never darken Poland's doorstep again ... unless they bring back the Okocim Beer that they used to peddle.

It took half of the world showcase and another whole bottle of Dasani before either Jay or I could stomach the thought of eating anything else. And when we found ourselves in Morocco we decided to split some Mint Ice Tea, Grilled Beef and Hummus in a Pita Pocket, and a Chicken Brewat Roll.

Second time's a charm!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/259.jpg

This was a much better and much more satisfying food booth visit. The mint ice tea was wonderfully refreshing with just a hint of mintiness that in no way overpowered our tastebuds. The beefy hummus pocket was delicious but I think I would have liked it a little better with no beef and more hummus. And the chicken roll was like an eggroll that had been made with chicken instead of pork or shrimp - there were some veggies tucked into it as well. Jay and I agreed that our stop in Morocco was a fine old way to end the evening at Epcot ... it was growing very crowded and we decided to head back to SSR while Illuminations was taking place - we were in the mood for dessert and planned on making our way to Ghiaradelli's for a sundae!

So stay tuned for our dessert mad-house ... review coming soon (relatively speaking)!!

maxiesmom

01-11-2009, 08:37 PM

I'm sorry someone didn't warn you about the crap they try to pass off as food at the Poland booth. It is very nasty, and nothing like authentic Polish food. I'm half Polish, and I couldn't believe how awful that food was!

Now Ghiaradellis, that is worth doing! I don't think they can mess up anything there. I can't wait for you to post some pics, but I will have to try not to lick my screen. And drool on my keyboard.

Timon

01-11-2009, 08:48 PM

Awww Bendy...that bun looks horrible!!! :crazy2: How could they do that to us???? :sad2:

I see you're still flashing....for hot dogs this time!!!! :lmao: :rotfl2:

jeminni

01-11-2009, 08:49 PM

I've never tried the food at the Poland booth but after reading your review and seeing the picture it sure doesnt look like I'm missing out on anything. One of my goals on my next trip is to get a hot dog at Casey's, although I think I'll have to pass on the dip fries in cheese then mustard part. :rotfl:

BoosGram

01-11-2009, 08:59 PM

OK, Brenda, I just woke up my poor unsuspecting DH with some serious giggling and snorting. It's fortunate for my keyboard that no food or drink was being consumed at the time.

It's so cool that you got to meet Whogirl'smom (I love her name and she was kind enough to tell how she got it, too). So funny the two of you forgetting your phones.

And I second what Maxiesmom said about Polish food. DH is 100% Polish American and I'm part Polish (I always say that the Polish part is my mouth 'cause I love Polish food; my ears are the Irish part 'cause I love Celtic music ;) ).

KristinAnne

01-11-2009, 09:01 PM

Sitting here in the icy/snowy tundra that has become the Northeast this winter, your post makes me desperate for a nice, warm, relaxing vacation stroll right now! It looks so great, despite the bad Polish food!

*KeepMovingForward*

01-11-2009, 09:32 PM

We thought the same thing about the Raspberry drink at the Poland stand...I refuse to believe there was any booze in that thing and it was a total waste of money. They got me once, but never again! We loved the mint tea too...in fact, I think we got three of those because they were so good (and it was so hot out). Great review! I love reliving the F&W Fest. I just wish I had most of that food in front of me right now. ;)

cathy0124

01-11-2009, 10:10 PM

Note taken for 2009.. "Avoid the wierd Vodka drink at Poland" . Check.

Going to my 1st FWF this year.. want to make sure I don't drink the swill :lmao: Thanks for taking one for the team Brenda!

Cathy

oybolshoi

01-11-2009, 10:37 PM

I'm sorry someone didn't warn you about the crap they try to pass off as food at the Poland booth. It is very nasty, and nothing like authentic Polish food. I'm half Polish, and I couldn't believe how awful that food was!

Live and learn, right? I think we know better anymore than to expect truly authentic cuisine from the F&W booths ... it's really America's version of ethnic food. :rolleyes:

In years past I do think their food at the Poland booth was better, but this year it was baaaad.

Now Ghiaradellis, that is worth doing! I don't think they can mess up anything there. I can't wait for you to post some pics, but I will have to try not to lick my screen. And drool on my keyboard.

Ummmm ... wait with bated breath for when I tell you all about how our order was screwed up at Ghiardelli's. :laughing:

Awww Bendy...that bun looks horrible!!! :crazy2: How could they do that to us???? :sad2:

I see you're still flashing....for hot dogs this time!!!! :lmao: :rotfl2:

I'm guessing the same brain surgeon who decided homogenization of menus across the resort was a good idea also chose whole wheat buns for hamburgers and hotdogs. :rolleyes:

And Cass, I'll flash for anything if it's free ... as long as no one holds me to that because it's not intentional. :lmao:

I've never tried the food at the Poland booth but after reading your review and seeing the picture it sure doesnt look like I'm missing out on anything. One of my goals on my next trip is to get a hot dog at Casey's, although I think I'll have to pass on the dip fries in cheese then mustard part. :rotfl:

I hope you enjoy Casey's if you do get to try it Bridget - it's really a tradition for us and the dogs are quite good. And the fries are good with just the cheese, too, although I like the mustard as well!

OK, Brenda, I just woke up my poor unsuspecting DH with some serious giggling and snorting. It's fortunate for my keyboard that no food or drink was being consumed at the time.

It's so cool that you got to meet Whogirl'smom (I love her name and she was kind enough to tell how she got it, too). So funny the two of you forgetting your phones.

And I second what Maxiesmom said about Polish food. DH is 100% Polish American and I'm part Polish (I always say that the Polish part is my mouth 'cause I love Polish food; my ears are the Irish part 'cause I love Celtic music ;) ).

Hiya Joanne - thanks for reading and I'm glad you enjoyed it! Whogirl'smom and I have been chatting for a long time here on the DIS so it was awesome to finally meet her in person. :thumbsup2

Sitting here in the icy/snowy tundra that has become the Northeast this winter, your post makes me desperate for a nice, warm, relaxing vacation stroll right now! It looks so great, despite the bad Polish food!

Thanks for reading and I hope the weather gets better up by you - you guys have really been pummeled over the last month or so. :hug:

We thought the same thing about the Raspberry drink at the Poland stand...I refuse to believe there was any booze in that thing and it was a total waste of money. They got me once, but never again! We loved the mint tea too...in fact, I think we got three of those because they were so good (and it was so hot out). Great review! I love reliving the F&W Fest. I just wish I had most of that food in front of me right now. ;)

Hey there! How have you been? Thanks for reading ... I'm glad to know we weren't the only ones who thought that drink was disgusting. I'm with you ... they got me once but never again. The tea was wonderful ... I could drink that all day long.

Note taken for 2009.. "Avoid the wierd Vodka drink at Poland" . Check.

Going to my 1st FWF this year.. want to make sure I don't drink the swill :lmao: Thanks for taking one for the team Brenda!

Cathy

Woohoo! Your first F&W fest! Be sure to try anything you think sounds good ... even if someone else here says it stinks ... the quality of certain things can vary from day to day and everyone has different tastes so you might find that you really like something that a lot of people don't care for ... except for that drink in Poland. :laughing:

BTW - what are your dates? I'm going to start keeping track on my community thread of all our food friends who are planning October trips to see how we all overlap. My goal is to plan a get-together one evening over at the Beach Club ... :woohoo:

rentayenta

01-11-2009, 10:40 PM

Define soon :rotfl2:

Okay:

A hot dog on a wheat bun is silly. Laughable. Insane. The Rorschach should be administered to the person who thought that up. :crazy2:

Love your Flashdance sweater off the shoulder, tank showing look. :thumbsup2 You and Jay look great. :goodvibes

Don't feel bad about missing the Lapu. They are good but no better than your average Rum Runnery type drink. The drink is deceiving. They put a teeny libation in a very large pineapple. :rolleyes1

wdwthanksgiving

01-12-2009, 12:18 AM

"...gagging on the bitter taste of disappointment..." :rotfl:
- and that's why i love reading your words, my friend :)

oybolshoi

01-12-2009, 07:49 AM

Define soon :rotfl2:

It's all relative ... :rotfl2: It really depends on how much real world stuff I accomplish - I have a small window in which to work on this stuff during the week (stupid job ... always getting in the way ;) ).

Okay:

A hot dog on a wheat bun is silly. Laughable. Insane. The Rorschach should be administered to the person who thought that up. :crazy2:

:lmao: That's the best thing anyone's said about this whole bun issue in ages! And the best part ... it's true!!

Love your Flashdance sweater off the shoulder, tank showing look. :thumbsup2 You and Jay look great. :goodvibes

Don't feel bad about missing the Lapu. They are good but no better than your average Rum Runnery type drink. The drink is deceiving. They put a teeny libation in a very large pineapple. :rolleyes1

Thanks again! I bought these t-shirts a Old Navy last summer and I love them because they are very light and very soft and comfy, but the shoulders are always slipping and I hate having my bra straps show. So I wear a tank underneath and let it all hang out. :laughing:

"...gagging on the bitter taste of disappointment..." :rotfl:
- and that's why i love reading your words, my friend :)

Aww, thanks! As I re-read that installment I think maybe I should have written: gagging on the bitter taste of expensive disappointment. :rotfl2:

kabuki

01-12-2009, 12:46 PM

BTW - what are your dates? I'm going to start keeping track on my community thread of all our food friends who are planning October trips to see how we all overlap. My goal is to plan a get-together one evening over at the Beach Club ... :woohoo:

Hey Brenda,

I am sending out my dates to you.. I just saw the goings on on Lori's reviews also.
Jason and I will be at WDW the 16th to the 25th and would love a drink or 5 with you, Jay and everyone! :banana:
Also we hated the Poland drink also! It was super gloopy and sweet and I forget the price but I know it was $$$$!

BriarRosie

01-12-2009, 01:58 PM

Sunday, October 12th - Maybe Leaving the Cell Phone in the Safe isn't Such a Smart Idea After All ...

We skipped out of Bistro Paris happier than two ears of corn at a shucking party.

http://www.thundercrush.com/forum/Smileys/smilies_smf/stunned-1.gif

What?

:confused3

We were both born and bred in the Midwest.

Jay's family owns a farm in a godforsaken section of Missouri that time has forgotten.

We eat corn.

And we sometimes avail ourselves of the phrase "aw, shucks" in conversation.

It all fits. :laughing:

I can relate, sort of. I refer to my meat-eating ways as "a Midwesterner who loves her corn-fed beef". :thumbsup2

Anyway, we were happy happy happy after our lunch at Bistro and I felt ten pounds lighter in spite of everything I'd eaten because I was no longer worried that I'd chosen an event that would leave us gagging on the bitter taste of disappointment once it was finished.

I think I can claim Bitter Taste of Disappointment, party of one at my Frenchie lunch, so the karma has evened out. :laughing:

There are many things wrong with the above statement but rather than spoil the fun right away I will leave it stand for now and tell you that as soon as the call was ended ... you guessed it ... just like my conversation with Erica two days earlier, I promptly turned off the phone and tucked it away in the room safe to think on it no more.

Do you wonder if Erica and Lionel shared an involuntary shudder 40 minutes to the east of Orlando just as I locked the room safe???

Oy. I don't know about them, but I just shuddered. Will you ever have your phone with you? Even text messages help, IMHO.

Jay and I enjoyed our afternoon at the pool and sometime along the way we decided that we wanted to cancel the dinner reservation we had for the Kona Cafe and enjoy the first nice weather evening of our trip by snacking around Epcot instead. Before we left for the bus stop I made sure to call Disney Dining and cancel the reservation so someone else could hopefully take advantage of it. While I regret not having the opportunity to try the Lapu Lapu, I'm convinced that we made the right decision and we had a fine old time doing things completely unplanned.

I notice you tend to have these bursts of food sponteneity, canceling dinner reservations. Or am I imagining this?

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom with about thirty minutes to spare and since there was no time for rides Jay and I did the only other thing we know to do ... eat! Casey's Corner has long been a favorite of ours - big old juicy hotdogs with squinky-squishy fries that beg to be dipped in freshly melted pretend cheese. We always order the the All Beef 1/4 Pound Hot Dog Meal which comes with a drink and a choice of french fries or fruit. Our drink of choice was water and of course we ordered the french fries ... why spoil a hot dog with a "healthy" side dish? Unless you're planning on dipping those apple slices into a vat of hot, melty pretend cheese, that is.

I was especially interested to see for myself whether or not the great bun debate that had raged here on the DIS was really worth all the energy and angst that it had generated. For what it's worth, I think the wheat buns are a stupid move on Disney's part. They weren't awful, but they were very dry and added nothing to the meal. My personal opinion is that Disney ought to offer patrons a choice as to the type of bun they'd prefer. Eating a hot dog on a whole wheat bun does not make it a healthier food option, nor does offering up pre-sliced, vacuum sealed, slimy apple chunks in place of french fries. I'd much rather make my own choices about what constitutes healthy or unhealthy food ... I don't need the Walt Disney Company to save me from myself and neither does anyone else.

So there!

The unhealthiest kind of processed meat, but it tastes so good!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/255.jpg

It works like this: fry, cheese, mustard, eat; repeat until fries are gone.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/256.jpg

I haven't eaten at Casey's in years, and those buns don't inspire me to return. I think yellow mustard is best when taken in moderation. I like the Chicago dog enough if they go light on the mustard. I couldn't imagine dipping fries in it like you do. Bleh.

I consoled Jay by telling him that I'd know Jamie when I saw her, even though the only picture I'd seen was from her avatar here on the DIS. That did not make him feel better as we circled the main street hub, walking back and forth between City Hall and Exposition Hall and annoying CMs who were stringing rope barriers for the parade that was scheduled to begin at 8PM. I'd just about given up hope as the clock chimed seven when I spied someone hurrying along the sidewalk ... I rolled the dice and walked up to her and said hello, crossing my fingers that I'd picked the right person from the multitudes swarming into the park.

WOOOO-HOOOOTY-HOO!!!!

I turned to Jay and said, "Nailed it!"

Imagine our relief when Jamie proceeded to tell us that they were late due to some driving / parking kind of issues and would have called to let us know but didn't have their cell phone with them!!!

We had a good laugh at ourselves and spent a few minutes chatting before releasing Whogirl and her Whomom and Whodad for dinner. They were just the cutest family and I even managed to snag a picture of Jamie and me before we all parted ways.

Someone's got the chompers out again!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/257.jpg

Egad! Wardrobe Malfunction! :eek:
I think it's funny that Jamie left her phone behind, too.

Jay and I hopped the monorail over to Epcot and decided that some snacking was in order before Illuminations started. We began in Poland, where they were selling a drink that I'd been dreaming about ever since seeing the food booth menu: Chopin Vodka Raspberry Cocktail. It was the most expensive drink being offered at the food booths, aside from champagne, and I made the silly assumption that it was a taste combination that would be impossible for anyone to screw up.

You know what they say about people who assume, and in my case it's totally true. ;)

We ordered both food options that Poland was selling: the Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup and the Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies with Carmelized Onions and Sour Cream. Our gravest mistake of the evening was ordering the Vodka Raspberry cocktail to wash it all down.

It all sucks if you ask me!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/258.jpg

To be fair, Jay said the mushroom soup in Poland was pretty tasty but I don't like mushrooms so there was no way I was going to try even a smidge of it.

The kielbasa, which is almost impossible to see in our picture because it was buried under stringy, greasy onions that looked like burnt tentacles, was not very good - lukewarm and greasier than any sausage has a right to be. The pierogie was bland and disappointing ... those bits that I could manage to eat that hadn't been tainted by sour cream.

I passed on the food at Poland because it just didn't look good to me this year. I had been spoiled by having authentic pierogies made fresh for me by a woman from Poland, and those just looked nasty by comparison.

And the drink ... how do I say this politely?

...

...

...

Your drink is like swill to us. Do I have that right ... only a swine would drink this?

It was vile. An uber-sweet, syrupy, gloppy mess that you will never convince me contained a drop of alcohol. We will never darken Poland's doorstep again ... unless they bring back the Okocim Beer that they used to peddle.

I think you told me to stay away from this drink, and I heeded your advice. I didn't want to pay that much for a drink that was swill.

It took half of the world showcase and another whole bottle of Dasani before either Jay or I could stomach the thought of eating anything else. And when we found ourselves in Morocco we decided to split some Mint Ice Tea, Grilled Beef and Hummus in a Pita Pocket, and a Chicken Brewat Roll.

Second time's a charm!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/259.jpg

This was a much better and much more satisfying food booth visit. The mint ice tea was wonderfully refreshing with just a hint of mintiness that in no way overpowered our tastebuds. The beefy hummus pocket was delicious but I think I would have liked it a little better with no beef and more hummus. And the chicken roll was like an eggroll that had been made with chicken instead of pork or shrimp - there were some veggies tucked into it as well. Jay and I agreed that our stop in Morocco was a fine old way to end the evening at Epcot ... it was growing very crowded and we decided to head back to SSR while Illuminations was taking place - we were in the mood for dessert and planned on making our way to Ghiaradelli's for a sundae!

So stay tuned for our dessert mad-house ... review coming soon (relatively speaking)!!

That looked a lot better than Poland, but I skipped that kiosk, too. I get too full too quickly. I need a designated food sharing partner for food and wine so I can sample more items. :thumbsup2

I wouldn't go make a special trip to Ghiaradelli's when a No Way José (face or no face!) is steps from my room. :laughing:

ChelleinNC

01-12-2009, 02:33 PM

Any chance you can park them with a trusted family member for a long weekend and come sample F&W this year?

Well......my inlaws just moved down here so it's possible. Have to wait and see. If not this year, then next year! :goodvibes

whogirl'smom

01-12-2009, 04:37 PM

The Casey's fries are really making me want some with cheese (must try next trip). Remember when Wendy's restaurants had the food bar with the fake cheese? Nothing like Biggie fries with day-glo cheese!

Whew! Your picture of me turning out way better than mine! I was just glad that someone else suffers from brain fog like me. We really enjoyed meeting you and Jay!

All I can say about the Polish food is that I reeaallly need to slow down when I read....the first time I did not read "burnt tentacles" but "burnt male-body-part". :rotfl: :rotfl: That made me chortle all over again. But the Morocco food looks like it more than made up for it!

Time to take Whogirl to dance!

flafan

01-12-2009, 08:29 PM

Loving your report :thumbsup2 Thanks for sharing

oybolshoi

01-12-2009, 09:56 PM

Hey Brenda,

I am sending out my dates to you.. I just saw the goings on on Lori's reviews also.
Jason and I will be at WDW the 16th to the 25th and would love a drink or 5 with you, Jay and everyone! :banana:
Also we hated the Poland drink also! It was super gloopy and sweet and I forget the price but I know it was $$$$!

Excellent! I wil add you to the list ... hopefully we'll get a chance to share a drink or a snack or both!

I can relate, sort of. I refer to my meat-eating ways as "a Midwesterner who loves her corn-fed beef". :thumbsup2

I think because I was born in Michigan that I may not qualify as truly midwestern ... many days I'd rather eat Frosted Flakes than corn-fed beef. :lmao:

I think I can claim Bitter Taste of Disappointment, party of one at my Frenchie lunch, so the karma has evened out. :laughing:

You win some, you lose some ... it just stinks when that happens at a F&W event that costs a pretty penny to attend.

Oy. I don't know about them, but I just shuddered. Will you ever have your phone with you? Even text messages help, IMHO.

I've never used my phone to text ... I don't even know how to do it. I have a hard enough time seeing the phone numbers when I try to dial ... gawd only knows what kind of gibberish people would get from me if I tried to text. :rotfl2:

I notice you tend to have these bursts of food sponteneity, canceling dinner reservations. Or am I imagining this?

You are not imagining things ... we usually end up canceling at least one ADR per trip, sometimes more depending on our mood and the weather. Sometimes things sound good at home when you make those ADRs forty years in advance and then you get to WDW and it suddenly doesn't sound appealing anymore.

I haven't eaten at Casey's in years, and those buns don't inspire me to return. I think yellow mustard is best when taken in moderation. I like the Chicago dog enough if they go light on the mustard. I couldn't imagine dipping fries in it like you do. Bleh.

The buns were nasty, it's true. Mmmmm, but doesn't mustard make everything better?

Egad! Wardrobe Malfunction! :eek:
I think it's funny that Jamie left her phone behind, too.

Not really a malfunction ... it's just a tank under the t-shirt which just likes to fall all over the place and flash sexy round shoulders at my hubba. ;)

You don't know how relieved I was when Jamie admitted that she'd left her phone behind, too! :lmao:

I passed on the food at Poland because it just didn't look good to me this year. I had been spoiled by having authentic pierogies made fresh for me by a woman from Poland, and those just looked nasty by comparison.

I think you told me to stay away from this drink, and I heeded your advice. I didn't want to pay that much for a drink that was swill.

I tried to warn everyone away from that drink ... even complete strangers who were waiting in line to order later in the week. ;)

And your food instincts were right ... at least on the night that we stopped there - the food was nasty, IMHO.

That looked a lot better than Poland, but I skipped that kiosk, too. I get too full too quickly. I need a designated food sharing partner for food and wine so I can sample more items. :thumbsup2

The only way that Jay and I manage to try so many things is because we share it all ... it works great for us!

I wouldn't go make a special trip to Ghiaradelli's when a No Way José (face or no face!) is steps from my room. :laughing:

That's why we went to Ghiaradelli's this time ... because we weren't staying within walking distance of B&C!

Well......my inlaws just moved down here so it's possible. Have to wait and see. If not this year, then next year! :goodvibes

Good luck! :thumbsup2

The Casey's fries are really making me want some with cheese (must try next trip). Remember when Wendy's restaurants had the food bar with the fake cheese? Nothing like Biggie fries with day-glo cheese!

Whew! Your picture of me turning out way better than mine! I was just glad that someone else suffers from brain fog like me. We really enjoyed meeting you and Jay!

All I can say about the Polish food is that I reeaallly need to slow down when I read....the first time I did not read "burnt tentacles" but "burnt male-body-part". :rotfl: :rotfl: That made me chortle all over again. But the Morocco food looks like it more than made up for it!

Time to take Whogirl to dance!

I think you look great in that picture ... and you're not flashing enough molars to chew through a park bench, either (unlike some people). We enjoyed meeting you and your family, too ... if we ever get back down there at the same time we'll have to make more room in our schedules to meet ... and we'll both bring our phones. :goodvibes

And thank you for the giggle fit about the "tentacles" ... :rotfl2:

Loving your report :thumbsup2 Thanks for sharing

Thank you for reading - I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far.

cathy0124

01-12-2009, 10:02 PM

Live and learn, right? I think we know better anymore than to expect truly authentic cuisine from the F&W booths ... it's really America's version of ethnic food. :rolleyes:

In years past I do think their food at the Poland booth was better, but this year it was baaaad.

Ummmm ... wait with bated breath for when I tell you all about how our order was screwed up at Ghiardelli's. :laughing:

I'm guessing the same brain surgeon who decided homogenization of menus across the resort was a good idea also chose whole wheat buns for hamburgers and hotdogs. :rolleyes:

And Cass, I'll flash for anything if it's free ... as long as no one holds me to that because it's not intentional. :lmao:

I hope you enjoy Casey's if you do get to try it Bridget - it's really a tradition for us and the dogs are quite good. And the fries are good with just the cheese, too, although I like the mustard as well!

Hiya Joanne - thanks for reading and I'm glad you enjoyed it! Whogirl'smom and I have been chatting for a long time here on the DIS so it was awesome to finally meet her in person. :thumbsup2

Thanks for reading and I hope the weather gets better up by you - you guys have really been pummeled over the last month or so. :hug:

Hey there! How have you been? Thanks for reading ... I'm glad to know we weren't the only ones who thought that drink was disgusting. I'm with you ... they got me once but never again. The tea was wonderful ... I could drink that all day long.

Woohoo! Your first F&W fest! Be sure to try anything you think sounds good ... even if someone else here says it stinks ... the quality of certain things can vary from day to day and everyone has different tastes so you might find that you really like something that a lot of people don't care for ... except for that drink in Poland. :laughing:

BTW - what are your dates? I'm going to start keeping track on my community thread of all our food friends who are planning October trips to see how we all overlap. My goal is to plan a get-together one evening over at the Beach Club ... :woohoo:

We're going the 1st weekend..Sept 25 - Oct 2nd.
Had to squeeze into that 40% off code :cool1:!
This way we'll be able to hit FWF and MNSSHP as well
Two more marked off my list.. It would be so much easier on my DH if he wold just agree to move to FL.:rotfl:

Cathy

Tink rules

01-12-2009, 11:09 PM

SmallWorld71

01-12-2009, 11:29 PM

Come on... admit it... we just want out of the snow!!! :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

Jumping on the get me out of the ice world that has taken over bandwagon. Love the sunny pictures, no matter what food is in them. :thumbsup2

Tink rules

01-12-2009, 11:33 PM

There is a ring around the moon tonight...

At other times I'd think it was romantic...

tonight it means more snow...

then the arctic comes in...

Funny thing is we have the 109th airwing (the Air National Guard that flies into Antarctica and are the only ones who can fly to the South Pole... they're walkin around in short sleeves... :rotfl:

oybolshoi

01-13-2009, 12:19 AM

We're going the 1st weekend..Sept 25 - Oct 2nd.
Had to squeeze into that 40% off code :cool1:!
This way we'll be able to hit FWF and MNSSHP as well
Two more marked off my list.. It would be so much easier on my DH if he wold just agree to move to FL.:rotfl:

Cathy

congrats to you - I hope you have a great trip! :goodvibes

Jumping on the get me out of the ice world that has taken over bandwagon. Love the sunny pictures, no matter what food is in them. :thumbsup2

I love the sunny pictures and the suntanned us right now, too. We have a front moving through and the house is rattling in the wind ... high temp of 43 earlier today ... falling to 12 by tomorrow morning. Bitterly cold the rest of the week with no snow or anything else to even make it worthwhile.

I'd smuggle whisky into the office so that I could keep warm during the day but then I'd have to share. :rotfl2:

There is a ring around the moon tonight...

At other times I'd think it was romantic...

tonight it means more snow...

then the arctic comes in...

Funny thing is we have the 109th airwing (the Air National Guard that flies into Antarctica and are the only ones who can fly to the South Pole... they're walkin around in short sleeves... :rotfl:

Sorry to hear about the looming snow ... right now I wish we had some. What's the point of having this kind of prolonged cold if there's no snow on the ground to pretty things up? It's just ugly and dead in Stinktown ... oh, and stinky. :laughing:

Tink rules

01-13-2009, 01:07 AM

I'm not sure about having the stinky part...but I don't think I'm going to see my garden until July.... :sad2:

cntkg1

01-13-2009, 09:45 PM

DreamnDisney

01-14-2009, 11:14 AM

i love reading about all the great disney food...yummm:banana:

oybolshoi

01-14-2009, 11:25 PM

Finally MG sees some food she would actually eat. :lmao: I'll have to make sure I try one of those hot dogs in October. Maybe by then, they'll have rethought the wheat bun thing.;)

Morocco sounded pretty good too. :thumbsup2

I doubt the wheat buns will be gone, MG, but the dogs are still awesome for what they are ... processed pig parts in a sausage casing. :lmao:

If you really come to WDW before your cruise I'll give you the option of F&W with me and Jay or a scrumptious spread at Casey's. :goodvibes

i love reading about all the great disney food...yummm:banana:

Thanks for reading and I hope you stick around for the rest ... lots of food to come still! :thumbsup2

Tatania

01-15-2009, 01:59 AM

Oh ... that's the nicest thing you could say to a dork like me. :hug:

I've had that discussion with Jay before but then I usually second-guess myself ... mostly with the question: why would anyone out in the real world pick up a book written by a no-name about her and her hubby's food travels? :confused3

I guess it's the same people who made Frances Mayes, Ferenc Mate, Bill Bryson, Elizabeth Gilbert, et. al. famous authors. They were all 'no names" at one time :)
For example this sentence "Anyway, we were happy happy happy after our lunch at Bistro and I felt ten pounds lighter in spite of everything I'd eaten because I was no longer worried that I'd chosen an event that would leave us gagging on the bitter taste of disappointment once it was finished." is pure brilliance and I wish I could come up with something oike that. As a matter of fact, I wish I had your help right now as I'm procrastinating on a travel article for the local paper that MUST be done by this weekend "sigh".

A fat english gent

01-15-2009, 06:51 AM

A fat english gent

01-15-2009, 06:52 AM

He shot's,he scores....:banana: :dance3: :banana:

Tink rules

01-15-2009, 02:27 PM

oybolshoi

01-15-2009, 08:56 PM

Do i spot a hidden Mickey in this one?....Christ i hope ive saved the right pic....:rolleyes1

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/244.jpg

Will you be carrying your Mobile with you in October?.....:flower3:

He shot's,he scores....:banana: :dance3: :banana:

Have you turned into one of those Hidden Mickey seekers, oh mystery-man of my dreams?

And yes ... I'll have my phone but I can't promise that it will work when you call. :lmao:

ChelleinNC

01-15-2009, 09:06 PM

I hope you're talkin about the glasses..... :rolleyes1

:lmao: :rotfl2:

oybolshoi

01-15-2009, 10:51 PM

Sunday, October 12 - Ghirardelli Soda Fountain: It's a Madhouse ... or is that a Nuthouse?!?!?!

The only thing that was going to wash the taste of that over-priced Polish sludge out of our mouths was a sweet, ice creamy delight drowning in hot fudge. Jay and I hadn't visited Ghirardelli since May 2007 ... at that time the ice cream shop had a long counter where customers placed their orders and then waited for their yummies in a confused mass of humanity that had the definite feel of a cattle pen on killing-floor day. Imagine our surprise when we walked in at 10:30 on Sunday evening to find that they’d remodeled the ordering area, installed several registers that were elevated on platforms above the clearly marked human traffic lanes, and placed big friendly menus above the registers.

All of this did make the ordering process easier, but unfortunately Ghirardelli didn't expand their seating area so I have to say that the place still had a cramped and rather sweaty feel to it.

Jay and I decided to share a sundae, and opted for The Gold Rush – a peanut butter hot fudge sundae, which was described as vanilla ice cream with hot fudge and melted peanut butter throughout, topped with whipped cream, a cherry, roasted peanut halves, and a Ghirardelli milk chocolate square for the low low price of $7.95.

Seeing that nuts were unfortunately included in this product, we were very careful to request that our dessert be prepared without them. The young lady taking our order was great and made note of the request – it was even printed out on the receipt she gave me. This trivial bit of information will play an important part in the tale to come, so please stand by.

We couldn’t believe how crowded the place was for a Sunday evening and wandered aimlessly in the holding pen before spotting a small corner table that had just been vacated. And then we proceeded to wait and watch as people continued to cram their way in … the line to place orders extended out the door and led Jay to exclaim at one point in his best Charlton Heston Planet of the Apes impersonation, “IT'S A MADHOUSE!!!”

Plenty of ice cream folks, no need to push.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/260.jpg

I said, "IT'S A MADHOUSE!!!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/261.jpg

Is it just me, or do you guys think that poor man at the table behind Jay looks like he maybe had one sundae too many? :rotfl2:

After about a ten-minute wait our dessert was delivered and we plunged eagerly into the sweet delight, ready to compare and decide for ourselves which establishment offered the better peanut butter / chocolate sundae – Beaches & Cream or Ghirardelli.

The Gold Rush
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/262.jpg

It wasn’t bad but it didn’t hold a candle to the No Way Jose over at Beaches & Cream. Aside from the portion size being a smaller one for the same price, they do something at B&C with their peanut butter topping that makes it a smooth, sweet, creamy joy. The peanut butter at Ghiradelli was thicker and almost gritty at times.

And hey … is that a peanut???

The first time I asked myself that question I let it go; after all, it's possible that a stray nut made its way into the topping or plunged into the ice cream when the kitchen staff wasn't looking. I spat the offending legume into my hand and stuck it on a napkin where it lay there innocently, unaware of its own, and as yet, untapped potential for wreaking intestinal havoc.

However, when another spoonful of dessert revealed an unexpected colony of peanuts that appeared to be reproducing before our very eyes, I set my spoon down on the table with a disgusted crash. My first instinct was to let Jay finish dessert on his own - he's not crazy about nuts but doesn't have the health concerns that I do when it comes to those peanutty little buggers. All it takes is one errant little peanut ... aka earthnut, goober, goober pea, pinda, pinder, jacknut, manilla nut, or monkey nut ... set loose in my intestinal tract and there will be rumblings and crampings and emissions of the most gassy kind followed by a lengthy and painful visit to the porcelain god. And who needs that on vacation?

I was annoyed because more than half of the dessert remained and our receipt clearly showed that we had requested no "nuttiness." Taking a deep breath I flagged down one of the many table runners who were literally being worked to distraction. Politely I showed her our peanut goldmine and the receipt which clearly stated that they should have been banished from the dessert. She was just as sweet as could be, took the offending dessert and our receipt, and then re-appeared five minutes with a brand new, peanut-free sundae that quite frankly looked and tasted better than the first one.

Second time's a charm!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/263-1.jpg

Yes indeed, this was much better and not just because there were no goober peas included - there was a more even mix of hot fudge and peanut butter and both were smoother and creamier than on the first go-round. Having said that, we still liked the No Way Jose better and are looking forward to having one this October at Beaches & Cream.

Once we were finished with dessert V.2 we decided to catch a ride on one of the little ferry boats that run back and forth between Port Orleans, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Downtown Disney. It's a relaxing and mildly romantic way to end the evening as long as someone with a screaming toddler doesn't board your boat (luckily this time that person boarded the other boat). :laughing:

All Aboard!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/264.jpg

And so ends the evening. Next up ... a day of firsts: Breakfast at the Rainforest Cafe and dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Upstairs Dining Room!!! Thanks for reading! :goodvibes

*KeepMovingForward*

01-15-2009, 11:04 PM

Brenda, I just had to comment that I'm almost getting used to your pictures with the "chest backdrop" in them. :rotfl2: Are you sure Jay was truly photographing the food though? ;)

Tink rules

01-15-2009, 11:21 PM

I still suffer through Ghiardelli's even though they did away with the raspberry sauce...

And I'm with you on the peanuts... and for me... peanut butter, but that goes back to a nun in 3rd grade and another story all together... :scared:

I go for the biggest chocolate/chocolate ice cream soda and call it dinner... which is something I'm going to corrupt all my nieces and nephews with on our trip... (See... the good Aunt's let them eat ice cream...)

oybolshoi

01-15-2009, 11:30 PM

Brenda, I just had to comment that I'm almost getting used to your pictures with the "chest backdrop" in them. :rotfl2: Are you sure Jay was truly photographing the food though? ;)

:lmao: If I were a little more well endowed I might think you were on to something. ;)

I still suffer through Ghiardelli's even though they did away with the raspberry sauce...

And I'm with you on the peanuts... and for me... peanut butter, but that goes back to a nun in 3rd grade and another story all together... :scared:

I go for the biggest chocolate/chocolate ice cream soda and call it dinner... which is something I'm going to corrupt all my nieces and nephews with on our trip... (See... the good Aunt's let them eat ice cream...)

I love peanut butter ... as long as it doesn't have peanuts in it. :lmao: I like to eat peanut butter sammies for breakfast with coffee.

And the other night when Jay was working late I ate Bissinger's milk chocolate for dinner. :goodvibes

Tink rules

01-16-2009, 12:08 AM

Bendy... you can have my legumes... I'll take your shroomies... :)

jakenjess

01-16-2009, 08:49 AM

*KeepMovingForward*

01-16-2009, 08:54 AM

:lmao: If I were a little more well endowed I might think you were on to something. ;)

Ahhhh...you don't give yourself enough credit there Brenda. I'm sure Jay would argue that you have a very nice decollete. I just thought the pics were kinda funny...because Fred would have taken very similiar shots of me- in the name of food of course. :rotfl2:

On another note...our experience at Ghirardelli hasn't been all that great in the past few years. We went in October and it was a stampede zone, totally not what I want to endure before trying to have a leisurely bite of ice cream. I agree that B&C is better. Sorry about your peanut debacle. :sad2:

ChelleinNC

01-16-2009, 09:00 AM

Glad you got the 2nd sundae because V1 didn't seem to have any hot fudge :scared: at least not nearly enough ;)

I LOVE the No Way Jose and can't wait to get one when we stay at BCV this summer ::yes::

BriarRosie

01-16-2009, 02:13 PM

I think the best part of the sundae you had was probably the chocolate square. I'd rather stick with the No Way José, too. And they were stingy with the fudge on the first sundae, too.

The guy behind Jay looked ready to hurl. But Jay looked great in his festival tshirt, even with the "madhouse" face. LOL.

I also stand by my earlier comment about Brenda flashing the bewbs before dessert. :scratchin

whogirl'smom

01-16-2009, 02:48 PM

I am ready for the yummy ice cream! It has warmed up to 14 degrees here!:beach:

We still have never been to Ghirardelli's b/c I'm always too dang full from just having dinner somewhere, or we're about to go to dinner somewhere. Maybe next time, ice cream can be dinner!

rentayenta

01-16-2009, 06:17 PM

I think I'll stick with Beaches. If Bendy says it's better then dagnabit, that's good enough for me. ;) :thumbsup2

oybolshoi

01-16-2009, 09:26 PM

Hi Brenda!

I'm glad to hear they revamped Ghiradelli's a bit; it was total chaos the last time we were there! :crazy2: They should expand the seating, though. When we were there it was raining and EVERYONE decided it was a great idea to have a chocolate-y delight, all at the same time. The picture of Jay describes it well;)

So sorry they neglected to omit the nuts, but glad the second sundae was better anyway. Since we're staying at BCV for a few nights, I think I'm going to try the No Way Jose -- sounds delicious!:goodvibes

Hi Lori! Nice to see you here! :wave2:

I've yet to ever pay a visit to Ghirardelli when it hasn't been busy ... early afternoon ... mid-evening ... late evening ... raining ... meteor shower. ;)

Oh yeah ... if you're staying at BCV go with the No Way Jose - much much better!

Ahhhh...you don't give yourself enough credit there Brenda. I'm sure Jay would argue that you have a very nice decollete. I just thought the pics were kinda funny...because Fred would have taken very similiar shots of me- in the name of food of course. :rotfl2:

On another note...our experience at Ghirardelli hasn't been all that great in the past few years. We went in October and it was a stampede zone, totally not what I want to endure before trying to have a leisurely bite of ice cream. I agree that B&C is better. Sorry about your peanut debacle. :sad2:

Awww, thanks. Jay always says more than a handful is a waste. :rotfl2:

Wait ... can I say that here? :p

It sounds like we all agree that B&C is the place to go for dessert ... yum!

Glad you got the 2nd sundae because V1 didn't seem to have any hot fudge :scared: at least not nearly enough ;)

I LOVE the No Way Jose and can't wait to get one when we stay at BCV this summer ::yes::

You are right now that I look at the pictures again ... not nearly enough fudge unless it was on the other side of the glass.

Another vote for Jose!! :thumbsup2

I think the best part of the sundae you had was probably the chocolate square. I'd rather stick with the No Way José, too. And they were stingy with the fudge on the first sundae, too.

The guy behind Jay looked ready to hurl. But Jay looked great in his festival tshirt, even with the "madhouse" face. LOL.

I also stand by my earlier comment about Brenda flashing the bewbs before dessert. :scratchin

The chocolate square was pretty tasty now that I think about it. And I think it was either filled with caramel or some kind of peanut buttery goop. That doesn't probably sound very appealing but it was good.

I thought Jay looked great in that picture! :rotfl2:

I am ready for the yummy ice cream! It has warmed up to 14 degrees here!:beach:

We still have never been to Ghirardelli's b/c I'm always too dang full from just having dinner somewhere, or we're about to go to dinner somewhere. Maybe next time, ice cream can be dinner!

Miss Whogirl'smom ... if you're going to make ice cream dinner then do it at Beaches and Cream instead of Ghirardelli. I think you will all be happier.

I think I'll stick with Beaches. If Bendy says it's better then dagnabit, that's good enough for me. ;) :thumbsup2

Apparently everyone here thinks Beaches & Cream is better ... I definitely think their No Way Jose is better. :)

cntkg1

01-16-2009, 10:12 PM

Tink rules

01-17-2009, 03:05 AM

Awww, thanks. Jay always says more than a handful is a waste. :rotfl2:

Wait ... can I say that here? :p

I always offer 2 handfuls - keeps him out of trouble... :rolleyes1

whogirl'smom

01-17-2009, 05:45 PM

Miss Whogirl'smom ... if you're going to make ice cream dinner then do it at Beaches and Cream instead of Ghirardelli. I think you will all be happier.

I bow to the Ice Cream Goddess of Stinktown! :worship:

I always offer 2 handfuls - keeps him out of trouble... :rolleyes1

Naughty, naughty girls....:sad2:

:rotfl2:

rentayenta

01-17-2009, 06:33 PM

I think the No Way Jose looks so much better than the Kitchen Sink. The Kitchen Sink looks like a breeding ground for germs. Every photo I see has like 435 different spoons in it. :scared:

oybolshoi

01-19-2009, 12:52 PM

If I actually liked ice cream I'd be all over that sundae of yours B. Chuck and I could share it and he'd eat the icecream as long as I could have all the sauce...oh yeah, and the peanuts! ;)

BTW, I love your eye for picking out all the goofy looks of others on your pictures. Since reading your TR's (all the way back to the Molar Express TR), we have picked up a lot of those pictures you can get while exiting one of the attractions. They're a hoot!!! :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

Thanks for the entertainment on this frigid Friday night. :cold:

you don't like ice cream? :confused3

and when you're as goofy as I am, you tend to have an eye for the goofy in others as well. ;)

I always offer 2 handfuls - keeps him out of trouble... :rolleyes1

:rotfl2:

I bow to the Ice Cream Goddess of Stinktown! :worship:

Thank you, thank you! :flower3:

Naughty, naughty girls....:sad2:

:rotfl2:

What else did you expect with this crowd? :lmao:

I think the No Way Jose looks so much better than the Kitchen Sink. The Kitchen Sink looks like a breeding ground for germs. Every photo I see has like 435 different spoons in it. :scared:

I think the Kitchen Sink looks like it would be fun to try, but the end result that I see in pictures around here does tend to be rather revolting, doesn't it? :scared:

oybolshoi

01-19-2009, 02:34 PM

Monday, October 13th - Free Food at the Rainforest Cafe ... Why Else Would We Eat Here???

Even though we knew it was a decision that would qualify as a special kind of stupid - you know, like blow-drying your hair in the shower or placing a cup of scalding hot coffee between your legs while driving - we made an 8:30AM reservation for breakfast at the Animal Kingdom Rainforest Cafe knowing full well that Monday morning was EMH at the park and that it would likely be packed to the gills.

But hey, we're nothing if not adventurous, especially with a $25 gift card burning a hole in our vacation wallet.

Upon arriving at our resort bus stop we were delighted to find a CM there with a walkie-talkie; he asked us where we were headed, radioed the request in to the transportation powers-that-be, and within five minutes our chariot had arrived. And no one else in the entire resort apparently wanted to go to the Animal Kingdom because we had the bus to ourselves. Ahhh, what a luxurious waste of gasoline and space!

We've always dreamed of our own private bus...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/265.jpg

If you've ever wondered where the entrance to the Rainforest Cafe is, the restaurant actually has two - one outside of the park near the baggage check area and another entrance that dumps out into the Animal Kingdom itself. We chose the front entrance outside the theme park so as not to deal with security or any crowds that were waiting for the official 9AM park opening.

Enter at your own peril...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/279.jpg

The Rainforest Cafe is a ... you guessed it ... tropical rainforest themed restaurant minus the six-foot bugs, incurable diseases, and social unrest that you might expect to find in a real rainforest. The theming is quite detailed and engaging ... fake trees and vines form an overhead canopy through which birds and butterflies and monkeys and flowers are scattered. There are large aquariums with real fish marking the area between the restaurant and the retail village where young children will find many delights to further part you from your hard-earned cash. And the bar is actually an aquarium, too, which we thought was very cool indeed.

We were seated near the front of the restaurant where an elephant we referred to as Stampy peered threateningly over our shoulders. I can totally understand why families with children enjoy dining here, but after the first five thunderstorms / eruptions with squawking birds, screeching monkeys, and stampeding elephants (get it ... Stampy!), Jay and I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.

Front dining room...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/267.jpg

The bar ... pretty cool, huh?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/275.jpg

Stampy!!!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/266.jpg

Our waiter was a little strange ... when he first showed up at the table he spoke English to me and then turned to Jason and began speaking Spanish. I gave Jay one of those looks that plainly said, "Would this be a good time for you to tell me about the double life you've been leading?"

He returned that look with one of his own, "I haven't got a clue as to what's going on here ... I've been mistaken for a Russian and an Arab, but this is a first."

When Jason failed to respond, our waiter switched back to English and apologized ... he thought Jay looked like a native Spanish-speaking person and that's why he was using a different language. We told him he didn't need to apologize ... it's not as if we were offended ... but we were definitely confused and suggested that coffee, water, and juice would be a refreshing way to clear away the mental fog we were both struggling with.

Water and coffee ... drink it up!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/271.jpg

Jason is always more adventurous with juice selections than I am, and he boldly chose the Rainforest Ricky, which we believe was a combination of pineapple, guaveberry, grapefruit, and strawberry juices blended together with ice. There may even have been an option to include alcohol in this, but Jay requested the booze-free version. I was skeptical when it was first delivered to the table - it fairly oozed sweet gackiness to my eyes, but Jay pronounced it quite good and urged me to give it a try.

And he was right! It was surprisingly good and not very sweet at all. I promptly requested a serving of my own when we placed our breakfast orders.

Rainforest Ricky ... not at all icky!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/272-1.jpg

I ordered the Breakfast of Bandits which the menu described as follows: scrambled eggs and choice of bacon or sausage served with breakfast potatoes and fresh fruit.

But where's the fruit?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/273.jpg

This was a very generous serving; the eggs occupied at least half of my plate and they were very well cooked, not too hard and not too runny. The bacon was cooked just the way I like it - chewy but not crisp - and the potatoes were well seasoned, slightly crisp little cubes that burst with hot, pulpy goodness at the first bite. My only quibble was with the fresh fruit ... or lack thereof. I guess I'm going to have to learn how to lower my expectations, but when I read "served with fresh fruit" I tend to think that means more than one strawberry and an orange quarter. And that lemon poppyseed mini-muffin doesn't qualify as fruit even if it did have a nice citrusy flavor.

Jason ordered the Benedict Bamba described as: traditional eggs benedict accompanied by breakfast potatoes and fresh fruit.

Hello ... fruit?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/274.jpg

Jason said the same thing about his breakfast as I did about mine - it was all very tasty but he was disappointed by the miserly fruit serving. We had a good laugh about it, but we did think the menu was a bit misleading in this regard.

And thus ended the meal - overall it was a good start to the day and we enjoyed the food. Would we ever go back again for breakfast or any other meal? Highly unlikely unless another gift card finds us because we think that the Rainforest Cafe is over-priced, especially at lunch and dinner. In addition to that it's just not our kind of place... too loud, especially for my delicate nerves. ;)

And a warning to those of you with small, sensitive children - there were some little ones who were frightened by the noise and, thus, ironically added to it. :lmao: You might want to take that into consideration when looking into a meal at the Rainforest Cafe.

ChelleinNC

01-19-2009, 02:44 PM

kabuki

01-19-2009, 02:45 PM

oybolshoi

01-19-2009, 03:32 PM

:lmao: :rotfl: blow-drying your hair in the shower :rotfl2:

"Rainforest Ricky ...not at all icky" :lmao: :sad: :rotfl2: :rotfl: Honestly had tears in my eyes over that one.

You make me happy by laughing ... thank you! :goodvibes :lmao:

We've only eaten there once and I have absolutely no memory of the food. Just that it was very loud and we were freezing (ok that part was our fault, got soaked on Kali before going for lunch--just didn't expect the A/C to be that strong) Did I mention it was very loud in there? :rolleyes: I don't see us going back, unless it was free ;)

Free is the only reason we were there and we thought we could get more bang for our buck at breakfast. Yes ... it's very very loud (maybe even louder than CA Grill ... :lmao: ).

If I have a GC I am going to use it goodness! No matter how many monkeys are yelling at me ..
I am just happy you both made it out without going CRAZY :scared: This place is SO LOUD!

Thanks for the report Brenda!

Hiya Chelsi! Thanks for reading and for confirming what I already suspected ... it's a very loud place indeed! :lmao:

SmallWorld71

01-19-2009, 04:18 PM

oybolshoi

01-19-2009, 05:04 PM

RFC - Definitely a destination for those with kids; any whining your kids might make is completely drowned out. :rotfl: We have one about an hour near us and DS9 and DD5 have requested to go there soon: they both have a birthday coming up. The funny thing is, the place looked pretty empty when you went since it was early; imagine the noise when the place is full. :scared1:

There was so much noise from just the restaurant ... monkeys, elephants, birds ... that I guess it would make perfect sense to take kids there if they were melting down - no one would notice. :lmao:

Tink rules

01-19-2009, 11:45 PM

D&R love Disney

01-20-2009, 11:02 AM

Rainforest Ricky ... not at all icky!

I definetly need to show that one to Rick :lmao:

I'm not a big fan of Rain Forest but we do enjoy sitting at the bar and laughing at everyone sitting on the half animal barstools :rotfl2:

aceys_h0ney

01-20-2009, 11:21 AM

I am new to reading dining reviews and kicking myself for not venturing over here sooner! Love your reviews and I am tuned in for more. We ate at RFC in Michigan once and I agree it was charming for a few minutes but after the multiple thunderstorms and animal antics we were ready to bolt as soon as our meal was done. Even the kiddos were bored after awhile.

oybolshoi

01-20-2009, 09:37 PM

so...

order the juice... forget the fruit and bring earplugs...

Sounds like a gift card meal to me.... ;) ;) ;)

Another good one Bendy... I think you and Jay definately deserved your own stretch bus like limo... :thumbsup2

Not-icky Ricky might be even better with vodka or rum ... ;)

And it was the perfect gift card meal ... glad it was free!

I definetly need to show that one to Rick :lmao:

I'm not a big fan of Rain Forest but we do enjoy sitting at the bar and laughing at everyone sitting on the half animal barstools :rotfl2:

Those barstools do not look comfortable at all to me. :lmao:

I am new to reading dining reviews and kicking myself for not venturing over here sooner! Love your reviews and I am tuned in for more. We ate at RFC in Michigan once and I agree it was charming for a few minutes but after the multiple thunderstorms and animal antics we were ready to bolt as soon as our meal was done. Even the kiddos were bored after awhile.

Hi there and welcome aboard! I spend way to much time writing these things but it's fun. If you have any questions feel free to ask away and thanks for reading! :goodvibes

jeminni

01-21-2009, 07:35 AM

I dont care for the RAinForest cafe either- way too loud and overpriced. But having said that Jay's eggs benedict does look good. Maybe someone needs to suggest that they change their menu to read fresh fruit *garnish* so they can have truth in advertising. :thumbsup2

DreamnDisney

01-22-2009, 10:38 AM

your review is great:cheer2:

*KeepMovingForward*

01-22-2009, 11:06 AM

We have a RC by us here at home. We tried it once for curiosity sake, but were totally underwhelmed by the food and the prices were high. At least I know it wasn't just us. Now that is too funny about your server talking to Jay in Spanish. I guess the guy thought he was a kindred spirit there. :rotfl:

BriarRosie

01-22-2009, 09:21 PM

Monday, October 13th - Free Food at the Rainforest Cafe ... Why Else Would We Eat Here???

Even though we knew it was a decision that would qualify as a special kind of stupid - you know, like blow-drying your hair in the shower or placing a cup of scalding hot coffee between your legs while driving - we made an 8:30AM reservation for breakfast at the Animal Kingdom Rainforest Cafe knowing full well that Monday morning was EMH at the park and that it would likely be packed to the gills.

But if you do stupid things, you can join the ranks of the Clueless and Litigious and win major moolah in a settlement. :p

But hey, we're nothing if not adventurous, especially with a $25 gift card burning a hole in our vacation wallet.

Upon arriving at our resort bus stop we were delighted to find a CM there with a walkie-talkie; he asked us where we were headed, radioed the request in to the transportation powers-that-be, and within five minutes our chariot had arrived. And no one else in the entire resort apparently wanted to go to the Animal Kingdom because we had the bus to ourselves. Ahhh, what a luxurious waste of gasoline and space!

We've always dreamed of our own private bus...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/265.jpg

I've had my own private bus "limo" before. It's nice, ain't it?

We were seated near the front of the restaurant where an elephant we referred to as Stampy peered threateningly over our shoulders. I can totally understand why families with children enjoy dining here, but after the first five thunderstorms / eruptions with squawking birds, screeching monkeys, and stampeding elephants (get it ... Stampy!), Jay and I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.

The bar ... pretty cool, huh?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/275.jpg

The bar is actually my favorite place at the restaurant. I guess I just like sitting on animal rumps. :rotfl2:

Our waiter was a little strange ... when he first showed up at the table he spoke English to me and then turned to Jason and began speaking Spanish. I gave Jay one of those looks that plainly said, "Would this be a good time for you to tell me about the double life you've been leading?"

He returned that look with one of his own, "I haven't got a clue as to what's going on here ... I've been mistaken for a Russian and an Arab, but this is a first."

OMG! I was giggling like crazy picturing the odd glances between you two when the server started speaking Spanish to Jay! I pictured an eyebrow raise here and there from you.

Jason is always more adventurous with juice selections than I am, and he boldly chose the Rainforest Ricky, which we believe was a combination of pineapple, guaveberry, grapefruit, and strawberry juices blended together with ice. There may even have been an option to include alcohol in this, but Jay requested the booze-free version. I was skeptical when it was first delivered to the table - it fairly oozed sweet gackiness to my eyes, but Jay pronounced it quite good and urged me to give it a try.

And he was right! It was surprisingly good and not very sweet at all. I promptly requested a serving of my own when we placed our breakfast orders.

I'm going to do a Dolores Umbridge annoying throat clearing thing. Can you hear it? Can you? May I just say one thing? FRUNCH. Thank you. ;)

I ordered the Breakfast of Bandits which the menu described as follows: scrambled eggs and choice of bacon or sausage served with breakfast potatoes and fresh fruit.

But where's the fruit?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/273.jpg

This was a very generous serving; the eggs occupied at least half of my plate and they were very well cooked, not too hard and not too runny. The bacon was cooked just the way I like it - chewy but not crisp - and the potatoes were well seasoned, slightly crisp little cubes that burst with hot, pulpy goodness at the first bite. My only quibble was with the fresh fruit ... or lack thereof. I guess I'm going to have to learn how to lower my expectations, but when I read "served with fresh fruit" I tend to think that means more than one strawberry and an orange quarter. And that lemon poppyseed mini-muffin doesn't qualify as fruit even if it did have a nice citrusy flavor.

Jason ordered the Benedict Bamba described as: traditional eggs benedict accompanied by breakfast potatoes and fresh fruit.

Hello ... fruit?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/274.jpg

Those look adequate, but I never seem to like any fruit that restaurants serve with breakfasts. It's usually not ripe. Maybe I just have Bad Fruit Karma.

And thus ended the meal - overall it was a good start to the day and we enjoyed the food. Would we ever go back again for breakfast or any other meal? Highly unlikely unless another gift card finds us because we think that the Rainforest Cafe is over-priced, especially at lunch and dinner. In addition to that it's just not our kind of place... too loud, especially for my delicate nerves. ;)

And a warning to those of you with small, sensitive children - there were some little ones who were frightened by the noise and, thus, ironically added to it. :lmao: You might want to take that into consideration when looking into a meal at the Rainforest Cafe.

I never go to Rainforest Cafe or Planet Hollywood because it's not special enough to be WDW "different" when I can find those places in my backyard. If I had free food incentives, I might do what you did.

Tink rules

01-22-2009, 09:57 PM

The bar is actually my favorite place at the restaurant. I guess I just like sitting on animal rumps. :rotfl2:

Makes MINE look so much smaller!!! :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

Tatania

01-23-2009, 09:54 PM

It wasn’t bad but it didn’t hold a candle to the No Way Jose over at Beaches & Cream. Aside from the portion size being a smaller one for the same price, they do something at B&C with their peanut butter topping that makes it a smooth, sweet, creamy joy. The peanut butter at Ghiradelli was thicker and almost gritty at times.

You'd be surprised how easy it is to make the peanut butter topping for the No Way Jose at Beaches & Cream. All it is is Jiff Smooth Peanut Butter melted down over a low heat so that it is the consistency of sauce. I've reproduced the Sundae at home and it's very good. The recipe is on our Disney Recipe Exchange.

oybolshoi

01-25-2009, 01:51 PM

I posted this on the community thread but I'll post it here as well ...

No updates until later this week or maybe next weekend; we had a death in the family yesterday. We knew it was coming but that doesn't make it any easier when it happens. If you can spare a moment to send some good thoughts towards my nephew Dylan and his new wife Jen (it was her mother who died last night) and her family, I'd sure appreciate it. That's a terribly difficult way to start out a new marriage ...

Hope you are all well and taking good care of each other and the ones you love. :grouphug:

dvc4life

01-25-2009, 02:36 PM

Brenda - Saying a prayer for your nephew and his new spouse. So sorry to hear of the loss with in your family. And even though you knew it was coming, it is still very hard to deal with. :sad1:

Tink rules

01-25-2009, 02:49 PM

I PM'ed you...

Please know that we are here for you... :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

*KeepMovingForward*

01-25-2009, 03:08 PM

Oh Brenda, that is terrible news for your nephew and his wife. That is awful that they are dealing with this at all, let alone as newlyweds. We will definitely keep your family in our thoughts and prayers. :hug:

BoosGram

01-25-2009, 11:22 PM

Brenda, I am so sorry about the loss in your family. They're never easy, no matter how much time you might have to prepare. My thoughts and prayers will be with you all :grouphug: .

PinkPrincessZ

01-28-2009, 08:26 PM

Hi Brenda - my thoughts are with you and your family. Take care.

Kris

rentayenta

01-30-2009, 12:10 AM

:grouphug:

oybolshoi

01-31-2009, 11:07 PM

Just wanted to thank you all for the kind words, good thoughts, and prayers this week. :grouphug:

I'm working on the next review and hope to get it posted within the next day or two ... Wolfgang Puck's mysterious upstairs dining room! :upsidedow

aceys_h0ney

02-01-2009, 05:45 AM

Brenda I am so sorry for your nephew and his wife. My thoughts are with your family.

Me&3

02-03-2009, 01:32 PM

:grouphug:

praisehisname

02-03-2009, 03:28 PM

sunny04

02-05-2009, 06:33 PM

Oh my gosh, I have so much to catch up on! For some reason, I missed the moderator post on the Part 1 and JUST NOW realized you had a second part already going!! Wow...I'm really behind!:blush:

Robert P

02-06-2009, 09:28 AM

Stampy.......:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl2: :rotfl:

" I want my elephant ! ".:happytv:
"Where's my elephant ? "

You kill me. Please keep em comin'.

Me&3

02-07-2009, 11:22 AM

Oh my gosh, I have so much to catch up on! For some reason, I missed the moderator post on the Part 1 and JUST NOW realized you had a second part already going!! Wow...I'm really behind!:blush:

The same thing happened to me:confused3

oybolshoi

02-07-2009, 08:42 PM

Monday, October 13th – Pull Your Feet From the Muck and Beware That Duck; Here's Hoping Dinner at Puck's Won’t Suck.

There are very few reviews of Puck’s mysterious upper level dining room on the DIS and the handful that I did find half-convinced me that Jay and I were going to be served scummy dishwater and filet of donkey for dinner by a crew of very surly ex-convicts participating in a work-release program. But we’d already canceled a dinner reservation here once before … in May 2007 … and it seemed like this was the perfect time for us to give the Puck a try since we were staying within walking distance of Downtown Disney. I hoped with all my might that I hadn’t chosen poorly since Puck’s Dining Room didn’t offer any kind of discount to sweeten the blow of over-priced vacation food

The ever-lengthening list of unanswerable questions I carry about in my head received a new entry on this evening; sandwiched somewhere between “why do people brake while driving uphill?” and “isn’t mailman redundant?” there is now this: Was it the weather that prevented so many guests from venturing over to the West Side on that dark and stormy Monday night or was Cookie Kwan menacingly staked out somewhere in Downtown Disney or Pleasure Island warning people away?

Either way, when we walked into Wolfgang Puck's Super-Emporium of Dining Delights I was worried. When I saw how few people were there I was more worried. When we were seated next to a table of four who promptly introduced themselves as a group of morticians attending a convention at the Swolphin I had to restrain myself from grabbing Jay's hand and fleeing the establishment as though the hounds of hell were at our heels.

Thank goodness there was a wide variety of alcoholic drinks from which to choose so that I could soothe my frazzled nerves. I stayed with a tried and true favorite, thinking that when in Florida nothing could beat a Key Lime Pie Martini. And, in a refreshing change of pace, I was right! My drink was prepared just the way I've come to expect it to be ... the perfect creamy blend of sweet and tart served in a glass rimmed with graham cracker crumbs. While it technically could be classified as a dessert drink, I think there is enough sourness to this drink that allows it to be paired with quite a few different foods. However, like so many things in this life, it really comes down to preference so don't take my word for it ... try it yourself and see what you think!

Key Lime Pie Martini
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/368.jpg

Jay opted for the other drink on the menu that I was eye-balling, and that was something along the lines of a margarita martini without the blechie margarita mix. The hubba was kind enough to let me take a taste of his drink and it was very good and very strong, mixing the best of a well-made margarita with a vodka martini.

Jay and his drinky-poo
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/366.jpg

The moment that Jay and I began snapping pictures of the dining room and our drinks the friendly undertakers at the table next to us offered to take a picture of us as well. They commented that prior to this convention visit they'd never before seen people take pictures of their food and drinks ... I told them that I was a member of an on-line Disney Food Porn group and that we feed each other's addictions whenever possible. :p

The happy, hungry, and slightly damp couple
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/367.jpg

Wolfgang Puck's upstairs dining room is decorated in warm, comfortable, and whimsical fashion - the colors are bold but muted and there is a wall of windows that overlook the Downtown Disney lake. As the evening progressed the restaurant grew busier - there were a couple of large gatherings being held there that evening but that did nothing to detract from the quality of the food or service we received. Jay and I did take a few pictures of the dining room and I'll post them now but they're not as good as we would like - sometimes the flash just doesn't fire on my camera the way it should, although I think it's fair to place most of the blame on operator error.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/370.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/374.jpg

When it finally came time to make an appetizer selection Jay and I decided that we really had no alternative but to order two and share the seafoodie goodness. I chose the Sautéed Maryland Crab Cake with Basil Aioli, Marinated Tomatoes, and Micro-Green Salad. Aside from the serious jonesin I usually have for fresh seafood the likes of which cannot be found in Stinktown, I was very curious as to the presentation and serving size of a $16 crab cake.

I need not have worried.

Behold … one becomes three!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/371.jpg

I was delighted when this plate was placed before me - three crab cakes was a much happier prospect and meant that there would be plenty for us to share. We both thought that this was a very tasty selection bursting with crab and just a hint of spiciness from the aioli.

Jay's appetizer choice was the Pan Seared Sea Scallops with White Corn-Parmesan Polenta, Braised Lamb Shoulder, and Rosemary-Lamb Jus.

Scallops and grits and stuff
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/372.jpg

The scallops were very good and very tender, not a bit overcooked, and the polenta was a wonderful smooth, cheesy accompaniment. As I look at this picture today, however, I'm struck by a noticeable lack of lamb and I wonder now if Jay ordered something that's been changed since our visit. Well, regardless of what it's called, it was tasty to eat - Jay and I were well pleased with the beginning of the meal and I began to feel like it was finally OK for me to relax ... with a bottle of wine!!!

I'm a lucky woman in many ways and one of them includes being married to a man who will share a bottle of white wine with me at dinner even though he'd probably prefer a red. Our waiter suggested this wine after we told him that we really like pinot grigio ... Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio is a very affordable, very drinkable white wine with an average retail price of about $13; Jay and I enjoyed it very much and would drink it again in a heartbeat.

Wine wine wine
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/373.jpg

I ordered Shrimp Scampi Risotto for my entree and loved every bite of it.

Sweeping the seas clean at dinner
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/375.jpg

Yum! Giant shrimpies sautéed with garlic, white wine, lemon, and parsley resting on a bed of creamy risotto ... I think I just died and went to food porn heaven - now that I think about it that may explain the presence of those undertakers! This was a wonderful dish if just a tad on the rich side because of the creaminess of the sauce. I had a difficult time trying to finish this because it was such a generous serving, but I put a pretty good dent in it ... with a little help from Jason.

And speaking of the hubba, he ordered the Line Caught Yellow Fin Tuna Nicoise for his entree. The menu described it as seared tuna with roasted fingerling potatoes, haricot vert, wilted spinach, olive vinaigrette and a crispy poached egg.

Mmmmm, tuna
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/376.jpg

I can tell you that the tuna in this dish was quite good and tender but I haven't a clue about all that other stuff on Jay's plate. He would tell you that everything was excellent and that if you are a fan of seared tuna served with a mish-mash of stuff you would be hard pressed to find a better choice than this one.

Even though we had definitely had more than enough to eat and drink by the time the dishes were cleared away Jay and I plunged recklessly ahead and ordered some whisky and a couple of desserts, almost as if we were daring the dining gods to spoil our meal at the last possible moment. For our continued drinking pleasure we chose a glass of Oban 14-year single malt scotch. It's a smooth, slightly sweet whisky with a dry, smoky finish and as good as it tastes on its own it's even better with dessert!

Oban 14-year
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/379.jpg

For my dessert I chose a chocolate lava cake type thingie ... I can't find a reference to it on any of the on-line menus that are currently posted. It was quite good and exactly what I expected it to be, nothing more and nothing less, and it was wonderful with that scotch!

Chocolate!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/380.jpg

As far as presentation goes Jason picked the ultimate winner of the evening -Banana Beignets .

Banana-y goodness!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/381.jpg

I don't like banana-flavored stuff very much, but even I have to admit that this is the coolest presentation I've seen in a long time. Crispy banana beignets sprinkled with powdered sugar, crème anglaise, banana jam and vanilla bean gelato. And look at the edible spoon!!! Jay said these deep-fried little donuts practically melted in his mouth with no hint of a greasy aftertaste. He gave this dessert two enthusiastic thumbs up and highly recommends it to all you banana lovers out there.

And so ended a wonderful, relaxed, and very tasty meal at Wolfie's hidden dining room. As I stated earlier ... reviews of this establishment have been far from favorable, but Jason and I had a lovely meal there. Our serving team was pleasant and helpful and the food was well-prepared and very good. We'd recommend this restaurant to anyone who's interested in trying an establishment they haven't dined at before that has the added benefit of not being subject to the Disney's Dining Plan Food Rationing and Menu Stifling Team.

PinkPrincessZ

02-07-2009, 08:58 PM

Excellent review! Good to see you back - I hope you are well. :grouphug:

*KeepMovingForward*

02-07-2009, 09:29 PM

Everything looks absolutely delicious. I was eyeballing that Key Lime Pie Martini in the worst way. Never had one of those, but it looks REALLY good. ::yes::

Tink rules

02-08-2009, 12:03 AM

Morticians..... :sad2: :sad2: :sad2:

Did you ask them if the see dead people???? :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

rentayenta

02-08-2009, 12:11 AM

The happy, hungry, and slightly damp couple
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/367.jpg

It totally looks like you are coppin' a feel here. :rotfl2:

:thumbsup2 Great review. Your descriptions cannot be beat!!!!

oybolshoi

02-08-2009, 12:29 AM

Hey Brenda! I was getting worried about you and then realized you had started a Part 2! Sometimes I'm a little slow!

Anyway, I had posted back in November that Tom is taking me this year to celebrate my 40th. He told me to pick between Food & Wine or Christmas. Well, I decided today to do Christmas. It was tough, because of all your good reviews, but I *really* want to see the decorations! We're going WITHOUT THE KIDS December 3 - 7.

Can't wait!!!

Denise

Hi Denise! While I'm sorry that you won't be heading down to WDW during F&W I can't blame you for choosing Christmas at Disney ... heck, I'd probably do the same since that's a time of year that we can't usually travel thanks to Jay's employer. I hope ... wait ... I know you will have a wonderful time!

Oh my gosh, I have so much to catch up on! For some reason, I missed the moderator post on the Part 1 and JUST NOW realized you had a second part already going!! Wow...I'm really behind!:blush:

No worries about catching up ... I've been pretty slow since just before Christmas. And I'm sorry about the whole first thread thing ... I thought everyone who was subscribed to that thread would have received the notice that it had been closed.

Stampy.......:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl2: :rotfl:

" I want my elephant ! ".:happytv:
"Where's my elephant ? "

You kill me. Please keep em comin'.

:lmao: I had a feeling you'd pick up on Stampy! We love that episode ... of course. :rolleyes: I think that's the one where Homer hits a statue of a deer at night and says, "D'OH!" to which Marge replies, "A deer..." and Lisa chimes in, "A female deer." :lmao:

It's nice to see you here Mr. Scorpio ... our attempt (failed) at world showcase domination will be coming soon.

The same thing happened to me:confused3

Again, I'm very sorry about the confusion. I thought about sending PMs to all the people who had posted on that first thread but it was just too many. I just assumed it would be easy for everyone to find the new thread.

Many apologies. :grouphug:

Excellent review! Good to see you back - I hope you are well. :grouphug:

Thanks Kris - glad you liked the review and I appreciate the good wishes. :flower3:

Everything looks absolutely delicious. I was eyeballing that Key Lime Pie Martini in the worst way. Never had one of those, but it looks REALLY good. ::yes::

We thought dinner was terrific and I was very relieved that it turned out so well. I love key lime pie martinis and this one was excellent! :thumbsup2

Morticians..... :sad2: :

Did you ask them if they see dead people???? :lmao: :lmao:

I tried to stay on their good side ... never antagonize a mortician. That life lesson is right up there with "never get into a land war in Asia." :lmao:

It totally looks like you are coppin' a feel here. :rotfl2:

I swear sometimes that you and I must share the same brain! :lmao: I said that to Jay before I posted that picture. :rotfl2:

:thumbsup2 Great review. Your descriptions cannot be beat!!!!

Thank you very much!

Tink rules

02-08-2009, 12:33 AM

Now we know it wasn't the food that put that smile on Jay's face... ;)

aceys_h0ney

02-08-2009, 04:05 AM

Great review. While we will never be able to dine at some of these places until we have a childless vacation I know I will be prepared! Looks great, I will live vicariously through you guys.

oybolshoi

02-08-2009, 10:39 AM

Now we know it wasn't the food that put that smile on Jay's face... ;)

Well ... seeing as that picture was taken before we had anything to eat ... ;)

Great review. While we will never be able to dine at some of these places until we have a childless vacation I know I will be prepared! Looks great, I will live vicariously through you guys.

Thanks very much! And we will have a couple of reviews coming up where you could definitely dine with your kids and have a great time, so please stay tuned. :goodvibes

ChelleinNC

02-08-2009, 11:16 AM

I really can't decide what looked best! The appys both looked wonderful, the entrees mmmmm but the desserts :upsidedow :banana: I'm not a big banana fan, but it looked good. Your lava cake thingie looked really good!

I think this is the first "good" review I've seen for WP upstairs, let me rephrase. I think this is the first "positive" review I've read, your writing makes it an "excellent" review :thumbsup2

DisneyMom5

02-08-2009, 02:54 PM

I sooooo want that Key Lime Pie Martini. I had some Key Lime Pie last night at Red Lobster (it was REALLY good, plate was decorated with raspberry sauce and it went together awesome) and remarked to John that I had seen a KLP martini on tv, and it's one thing I really want to try. Must locate martini. LOL

"Staying out of a land war in Asia..." :rotfl2:

Got to go restart/restructure my trip report, as it has been locked or something. I swear I will finish it before I go back. LOL

2xcited2sleep

02-08-2009, 03:25 PM

oybolshoi

02-08-2009, 03:27 PM

I really can't decide what looked best! The appys both looked wonderful, the entrees mmmmm but the desserts :upsidedow :banana: I'm not a big banana fan, but it looked good. Your lava cake thingie looked really good!

We were very pleasantly surprised by the entire meal. And I'm with you - I don't like bananas all that much either but his dessert was too cool!

I think this is the first "good" review I've seen for WP upstairs, let me rephrase. I think this is the first "positive" review I've read, your writing makes it an "excellent" review :thumbsup2

Thanks very much! :flower3:

And I know exactly what you mean about good / positive reviews about this place ... I searched high and low for them and couldn't really find anything to recommend us to it. We just rolled the dice and assumed it had to be better than what we'd heard. Luckily this time we were right! :goodvibes

I sooooo want that Key Lime Pie Martini. I had some Key Lime Pie last night at Red Lobster (it was REALLY good, plate was decorated with raspberry sauce and it went together awesome) and remarked to John that I had seen a KLP martini on tv, and it's one thing I really want to try. Must locate martini. LOL

I'm a big fan of key lime pie martinis are long as they are made well ... and I don't even like key lime pie. :rolleyes:

"Staying out of a land war in Asia..." :rotfl2:

I filched that from The Princess Bride, but I bet you already knew that. :lmao:

Got to go restart/restructure my trip report, as it has been locked or something. I swear I will finish it before I go back. LOL

Did it get closed out? I hope not ... I was really enjoying your updates. I also liked the fact that you update almost as frequently as I do. ;) :rotfl2:

cntkg1

02-08-2009, 03:28 PM

oybolshoi

02-08-2009, 03:29 PM

I am a BIG fan of the key lime martini. Good to know they mix a good one there. I would have been "spooked" by the morticians conference too... glad you stuck around.

And the banana beignets... :faint:

Is it wrong I am thinking of making a meal out of the key lime martini(s) and beignets?? :confused3

They make an excellent KLP martini at Wolfie's so if you're ever there give it a try!

And there was a moment there when I thought that whole mortician thing was some kind of cosmic sign of dining disaster to come, but thank goodness it wasn't! :rotfl:

Hey ... I like the idea of beignets and martinis ... yum!!! :thumbsup2

oybolshoi

02-08-2009, 03:32 PM

B, first I'm hoping that things have indeed settled down on the homefront. :hug:

Now, enough of the mushy stuff, onto food porn!

Believe it or not, I think I actually found 5, yes 5 things I would've loved on this menu.

That Key Lime Martini looked absolutely refreshing. I would have to disobey the Dr's orders and partake in one of those for sure. Was it as good as it looked??

The crab cakes looked devine and that shrimp scampi looked delish for sure.::yes::

And those beignets would have been scrumpcious no matter what fruit was on them.

Great update as always Bendy. :thumbsup2

Hiya Goosie!!! :wave2:

Thanks for taking a read and boy am I flattered that I finally have a meal to discuss that you'd actually want to try! :rotfl2:

I cannot say enough good things about that martini and the restaurant - both were wonderful! :thumbsup2

Tatania

02-08-2009, 04:21 PM

MickeyNicki

02-08-2009, 04:35 PM

Gurlllll you are killing me! That WP dinner looks amazing...from now on you let me know what your plans are for dining and I will just copy yours...you seem to pick all the yummy winners! ;)

oybolshoi

02-08-2009, 06:15 PM

The opening of your review had me rolling in the aisle again! You are so funny ::yes:: The only downside is that you never asked for any of the recipes while you're at these restaurants :sad: :sad: The last time I was in Disney World I came back with at least 25 new recipes and the drink ones are the easiest of all to collect. All you have to do is jot down a few ingredients - which most bartenders are happy to give you. For the actual dishes, the kitchen often has photocopies they can give of the recipes. I don't suppose you got the recipe for it that amazing looking Key Lime Pie Martini? I'd love to make that at home.

For the Banana Beignets could you take a look at this recipe and let me know if this looks similar to what Jay had - minus the toppings?

http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/recipes/recipedetail_wp.php?Alias=RE_WP3082
If so, I could add it to my Disney Recipe collection :hyper: :)

Well thank you for laughing! I was the only person in the house who thought it was funny ... Jay just said he was "laughing on the inside." ;)

As for recipes ... I never think to ask for any because for the most part I don't want them. I already have a Disney Cookbook for one thing and for another ... a lot of the things we have on vacation (a lot, not all) are things that we want to leave on vacation. We wouldn't make most of them at home and I think if we did they might lose some of their charm for us. Does that make any sense at all? :upsidedow

I did try to find you a key lime pie martini recipe but had no luck ... I posted something else for you on the Bendy thread ... maybe that will be a nice substitute?

As for the link you provided ... it does sound very similar to what Jay had for dessert. In my mind a fritter and a beignet are the same thing anyway, so if you like 'naner flavored stuff then I'd say this recipe is a good place to start.

Gurlllll you are killing me! That WP dinner looks amazing...from now on you let me know what your plans are for dining and I will just copy yours...you seem to pick all the yummy winners! ;)

Thanks for reading, Nicki! We thought our dinner was wonderful. And we were pretty darn fortunate on this trip to have some great meals but we've picked some stinkers in the past so I wouldn't completely rely on us. ;)

And would you believe me if I told you I don't have a clue yet as to where we're going to eat come this October? :faint:

BTW, my next review is going to be breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe thanks to your recommendation so keep an eye out for it! :goodvibes

D&R love Disney

02-09-2009, 10:25 AM

MickeyNicki

02-09-2009, 10:55 AM

And would you believe me if I told you I don't have a clue yet as to where we're going to eat come this October? :faint:

Neither do I! I keep saying I am going to sit down and figure it out but I never have the time....after we get back from our little March trip I need to do it for sure...even tho I have to wait until July to make the ressies :rotfl:

Joie29

02-09-2009, 11:06 AM

TigerKat

02-09-2009, 11:08 AM

Neither do I! I keep saying I am going to sit down and figure it out but I never have the time....after we get back from our little March trip I need to do it for sure...even tho I have to wait until July to make the ressies :rotfl:

The only one I'm sure of for Oct. is that we're trying Citricos!

Brenda, the Upstairs dining room looked incredible!:thumbsup2

whogirl'smom

02-09-2009, 01:34 PM

Wow, that was some awfully good lookin' crab cakes and scampi there! And I agree, much as I love my cookbooks, I don't think a lot of the stuff would turn out the same (like my adventure with Sticky Toffee Pudding...) I don't think I've ever read another review for WP upstairs, so I really enjoyed this. We are booked for Dec. and there's so many places to think about now that we're DDP free!

BriarRosie

02-09-2009, 01:56 PM

Monday, October 13th – Pull Your Feet From the Muck and Beware That Duck; Here's Hoping Dinner at Puck's Won’t Suck.

I'm so glad you stopped rhyming, as you were heading into dangerous territory. :laughing:

There are very few reviews of Puck’s mysterious upper level dining room on the DIS and the handful that I did find half-convinced me that Jay and I were going to be served scummy dishwater and filet of donkey for dinner by a crew of very surly ex-convicts participating in a work-release program. But we’d already canceled a dinner reservation here once before … in May 2007 … and it seemed like this was the perfect time for us to give the Puck a try since we were staying within walking distance of Downtown Disney. I hoped with all my might that I hadn’t chosen poorly since Puck’s Dining Room didn’t offer any kind of discount to sweeten the blow of over-priced vacation food.

Heck, I've never made it past the sushi bar near the entrance downstairs. I see it and can't bring myself to go further. I've seen those horrid reviews and shied away as well.

Either way, when we walked into Wolfgang Puck's Super-Emporium of Dining Delights I was worried. When I saw how few people were there I was more worried. When we were seated next to a table of four who promptly introduced themselves as a group of morticians attending a convention at the Swolphin I had to restrain myself from grabbing Jay's hand and fleeing the establishment as though the hounds of hell were at our heels.

I would have thought the morticians would heighten the appreciation of the place. In my head, I have a theory of morticians being really wild and crazy when they aren't tending to the needs of the dearly departed and their loved ones.

Thank goodness there was a wide variety of alcoholic drinks from which to choose so that I could soothe my frazzled nerves. I stayed with a tried and true favorite, thinking that when in Florida nothing could beat a Key Lime Pie Martini. And, in a refreshing change of pace, I was right! My drink was prepared just the way I've come to expect it to be ... the perfect creamy blend of sweet and tart served in a glass rimmed with graham cracker crumbs. While it technically could be classified as a dessert drink, I think there is enough sourness to this drink that allows it to be paired with quite a few different foods. However, like so many things in this life, it really comes down to preference so don't take my word for it ... try it yourself and see what you think!

Key Lime Pie Martini
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/368.jpg

Oh nice! I'll have to add that to my list of drinks not on the Disney Borg All-Purpose Bar Menus.

Jay opted for the other drink on the menu that I was eye-balling, and that was something along the lines of a margarita martini without the blechie margarita mix. The hubba was kind enough to let me take a taste of his drink and it was very good and very strong, mixing the best of a well-made margarita with a vodka martini.

Jay and his drinky-poo
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/366.jpg

"Hi. I'm Jay. Do sissy drinks make you feel emasculated? Well, friends, worry no more! For $19.95*, I can show you how to properly enjoy a sissy drink while holding on to your masculinity!"

*plus shipping and handling

It was either that or this:

"Bond. James Bond." But that wasn't a proper Bond martini. It was a sissy drink, not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)

When it finally came time to make an appetizer selection Jay and I decided that we really had no alternative but to order two and share the seafoodie goodness. I chose the Sautéed Maryland Crab Cake with Basil Aioli, Marinated Tomatoes, and Micro-Green Salad. Aside from the serious jonesin I usually have for fresh seafood the likes of which cannot be found in Stinktown, I was very curious as to the presentation and serving size of a $16 crab cake.

I need not have worried.

Behold … one becomes three!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/371.jpg

I was delighted when this plate was placed before me - three crab cakes was a much happier prospect and meant that there would be plenty for us to share. We both thought that this was a very tasty selection bursting with crab and just a hint of spiciness from the aioli.

Oh man. I think I may have to visit this mysterious dining location sometime. Those crab cakes look fabulous.

Jay's appetizer choice was the Pan Seared Sea Scallops with White Corn-Parmesan Polenta, Braised Lamb Shoulder, and Rosemary-Lamb Jus.

Scallops and grits and stuff
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/372.jpg

The scallops were very good and very tender, not a bit overcooked, and the polenta was a wonderful smooth, cheesy accompaniment. As I look at this picture today, however, I'm struck by a noticeable lack of lamb and I wonder now if Jay ordered something that's been changed since our visit. Well, regardless of what it's called, it was tasty to eat - Jay and I were well pleased with the beginning of the meal and I began to feel like it was finally OK for me to relax ... with a bottle of wine!!!

I think the lamb was hiding under those onion strings. But damn, I think I want both of your appetizers and make my meal of that.

I'm a lucky woman in many ways and one of them includes being married to a man who will share a bottle of white wine with me at dinner even though he'd probably prefer a red. Our waiter suggested this wine after we told him that we really like pinot grigio ... Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio is a very affordable, very drinkable white wine with an average retail price of about $13; Jay and I enjoyed it very much and would drink it again in a heartbeat.

Wine wine wine
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/373.jpg

Well, I'm sorta with Jay on the red wine issue. I enjoy a few whites, but I had a bad experience with Pinot Grigio. I don't know if it was just the wine I tried, but I thought it had the astringency power of rubbing alcohol.

I ordered Shrimp Scampi Risotto for my entree and loved every bite of it.

Sweeping the seas clean at dinner
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/375.jpg

Yum! Giant shrimpies sautéed with garlic, white wine, lemon, and parsley resting on a bed of creamy risotto ... I think I just died and went to food porn heaven - now that I think about it that may explain the presence of those undertakers! This was a wonderful dish if just a tad on the rich side because of the creaminess of the sauce. I had a difficult time trying to finish this because it was such a generous serving, but I put a pretty good dent in it ... with a little help from Jason.

Aww man, now I want that dish, too. I think there's too much sauce on it, but that's just my opinion.

And speaking of the hubba, he ordered the Line Caught Yellow Fin Tuna Nicoise for his entree. The menu described it as seared tuna with roasted fingerling potatoes, haricot vert, wilted spinach, olive vinaigrette and a crispy poached egg.

Mmmmm, tuna
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/376.jpg

I can tell you that the tuna in this dish was quite good and tender but I haven't a clue about all that other stuff on Jay's plate. He would tell you that everything was excellent and that if you are a fan of seared tuna served with a mish-mash of stuff you would be hard pressed to find a better choice than this one.

Love that they had to put "line-caught" into the tuna description. Why do they think it's that important to mention? Do they think there are activists ready to stone them if they are caught with nets, the whole dolphin cruelty thing? I dunno. It's just fussy and unimportant to me in the description of a dish. (Ok, rant over.) It did look tasty, though.

For my dessert I chose a chocolate lava cake type thingie ... I can't find a reference to it on any of the on-line menus that are currently posted. It was quite good and exactly what I expected it to be, nothing more and nothing less, and it was wonderful with that scotch!

Chocolate!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/380.jpg

This dessert has my name all over it. If a restaurant has this ubiquitous molten lava cake on the menu, I will always have it.

As far as presentation goes Jason picked the ultimate winner of the evening -Banana Beignets .

Banana-y goodness!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/381.jpg

I don't like banana-flavored stuff very much, but even I have to admit that this is the coolest presentation I've seen in a long time. Crispy banana beignets sprinkled with powdered sugar, crème anglaise, banana jam and vanilla bean gelato. And look at the edible spoon!!! Jay said these deep-fried little donuts practically melted in his mouth with no hint of a greasy aftertaste. He gave this dessert two enthusiastic thumbs up and highly recommends it to all you banana lovers out there.

If I didn't go for the chocolate dessert, this dessert looks promising. :) Love the edible spoon. That's creative.

And so ended a wonderful, relaxed, and very tasty meal at Wolfie's hidden dining room. As I stated earlier ... reviews of this establishment have been far from favorable, but Jason and I had a lovely meal there. Our serving team was pleasant and helpful and the food was well-prepared and very good. We'd recommend this restaurant to anyone who's interested in trying an establishment they haven't dined at before that has the added benefit of not being subject to the Disney's Dining Plan Food Rationing and Menu Stifling Team.

Ah yes, the Menu Stifling Team. If this place put foie gras on their menu, I'd be over there in a heartbeat. ;)

skellingtonfreak

02-09-2009, 05:33 PM

Wolfgang Puck's looked AMAZING! That is going to have to be a place to try one day. Thanks for taking one for the team!

jakenjess

02-09-2009, 07:59 PM

Hi Brenda,

I haven't had much computer time lately so I'm just getting caught up. I wanted to send my condolences to your family. :grouphug: I'm so sorry and will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.:hug:

minniechiptink

02-09-2009, 08:23 PM

Thanks Brenda for telling me the name of your new thread! I was so excited when some nice person told me, but then when I scrolled down and saw YOUR name..... Wow! I felt like I just met a celebrity!:)

Now, I can read about food in Disney and dream about going again someday, if I can talk my husband into it. Probably in 5 years!

Thanks again!

oybolshoi

02-09-2009, 10:59 PM

Okay, I'm convinced! Now I need to figure out where I can sneak a visit to the Upstairs during the next trip. That martini looks to die for and I know I'd love that wine. I really enjoy Ruffino's Orvietto and I like Pinot Grigio so I think I'll pick up a bottle.

If you're staying at SSR it's a lot easier to fit into your schedule ... at least that's how I look at it. Too many other delectables at Epcot to distract from Wolfie's if you're staying over that way on a trip. I really liked the wine and so did Jay - very refreshing!

Neither do I! I keep saying I am going to sit down and figure it out but I never have the time....after we get back from our little March trip I need to do it for sure...even tho I have to wait until July to make the ressies :rotfl:

The only thing I know for sure is that we're going back to Kimonos for sushi now that it's not quite so weird and scary to me. :lmao:

Oh, and we'll probably head back to Jiko.

And I'm considering CRT for breakfast one morning because I've always wanted to eat in the castle and that seems like the best meal of the three they offer. Although I'm not sure I can swallow the pricetag ... :confused3

The only one I'm sure of for Oct. is that we're trying Citricos!

Brenda, the Upstairs dining room looked incredible!

Citricos is great, Kathy, you'll really enjoy it! And we really liked the dining room ... can't find a thing to criticize unless it was that sushi wasn't on the menu. :laughing:

Wow, that was some awfully good lookin' crab cakes and scampi there! And I agree, much as I love my cookbooks, I don't think a lot of the stuff would turn out the same (like my adventure with Sticky Toffee Pudding...) I don't think I've ever read another review for WP upstairs, so I really enjoyed this. We are booked for Dec. and there's so many places to think about now that we're DDP free!

It was all quite tasty! I'm glad you enjoyed the review and keep reading for more fabulous ideas for December (if I do say so myself). :goodvibes

I'm so glad you stopped rhyming, as you were heading into dangerous territory. :laughing:

Had I posted this on the blog I would have played the name game ... 'nuff said. :lmao:

Heck, I've never made it past the sushi bar near the entrance downstairs. I see it and can't bring myself to go further. I've seen those horrid reviews and shied away as well.

Now that we've also eaten at the sushi bar I think we'd have a hard time choosing between the two ... the dining room is more of a special ocassion place and the sushi bar is for the eating of vast quantities of fishes. YUM!

I would have thought the morticians would heighten the appreciation of the place. In my head, I have a theory of morticians being really wild and crazy when they aren't tending to the needs of the dearly departed and their loved ones.

I don't know how wild and crazy this group was but they were very friendly and we had a good time chatting with them until they ... departed. ;)

Oh nice! I'll have to add that to my list of drinks not on the Disney Borg All-Purpose Bar Menus.

You have been assimilated!

"Hi. I'm Jay. Do sissy drinks make you feel emasculated? Well, friends, worry no more! For $19.95*, I can show you how to properly enjoy a sissy drink while holding on to your masculinity!"

*plus shipping and handling

It was either that or this:

"Bond. James Bond." But that wasn't a proper Bond martini. It was a sissy drink, not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)

:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :worship:

It was pretty darn strong for a sissy drink. But you're still a riot! Your comment reminds of the time we were staying at Portofino Bay and he ordered a banana daiquiri at the pool bar.

WHUT? :confused3

I called him Fredo Corleone for the rest of the day. :lmao:

Oh man. I think I may have to visit this mysterious dining location sometime. Those crab cakes look fabulous.

I think the lamb was hiding under those onion strings. But damn, I think I want both of your appetizers and make my meal of that.

Now you know why we had to order two appetizers.

Well, I'm sorta with Jay on the red wine issue. I enjoy a few whites, but I had a bad experience with Pinot Grigio. I don't know if it was just the wine I tried, but I thought it had the astringency power of rubbing alcohol.

Sounds you like you had a bad pinot grigio but we all like different things. I just can't drink a lot of reds so if we order a bottle while dining we typically order white. We do drink a fair number of reds at home, but then I get away with just one glass and Jay doesn't have to finish the bottle in one sitting ... unless he really wants to. ;)

Aww man, now I want that dish, too. I think there's too much sauce on it, but that's just my opinion.

My scampi was really good. And you're right that there was a bit too much sauce but there was also a lot of rice hiding there in the plate.

Love that they had to put "line-caught" into the tuna description. Why do they think it's that important to mention? Do they think there are activists ready to stone them if they are caught with nets, the whole dolphin cruelty thing? I dunno. It's just fussy and unimportant to me in the description of a dish. (Ok, rant over.) It did look tasty, though.

Maybe they like to call it "line caught" so that we don't think the tuna came out of a can (except that might be dolphin) or so that we don't think they scooped it out of a net (how primitive). I'm with you on the description ... I think it's silly but it's also kind of funny. :laughing:

This dessert has my name all over it. If a restaurant has this ubiquitous molten lava cake on the menu, I will always have it.

I knew you'd like this one!

If I didn't go for the chocolate dessert, this dessert looks promising. :) Love the edible spoon. That's creative.

The spoon and the ice cream were my favorite parts of this dessert.

Ah yes, the Menu Stifling Team. If this place put foie gras on their menu, I'd be over there in a heartbeat. ;)

You and me and Jay and a handful of other people, right? ;)

Wolfgang Puck's looked AMAZING! That is going to have to be a place to try one day. Thanks for taking one for the team!

Thanks for reading! And I'm always happy to take one for the DIS-foodies, especially when it turns out this well. :thumbsup2

Hi Brenda,

I haven't had much computer time lately so I'm just getting caught up. I wanted to send my condolences to your family. :grouphug: I'm so sorry and will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers.:hug:

Hi Lori - it's good to see you posting again! Thank you so much for the hugs and kind words. They're much appreciated. :hug:

Thanks Brenda for telling me the name of your new thread! I was so excited when some nice person told me, but then when I scrolled down and saw YOUR name..... Wow! I felt like I just met a celebrity!:)

Now, I can read about food in Disney and dream about going again someday, if I can talk my husband into it. Probably in 5 years!

Thanks again!

Hey there! Glad you found us ... be sure to go read the first part that I started in September (if you really want to subject yourself to it ... there are some good reviews there if I do say so myself).

No celebrity allowed here ... just lots of good humor (I hope) and good food and good fun!

Thanks for reading! :goodvibes

oybolshoi

02-09-2009, 11:06 PM

What a fabulous review of Wolfgang Puck's! I have been so curious about it...those banana fritters and your yummy drink are calling my name. :goodvibes

Your little mortician references were hilarious...:rotfl:

It is crazy, but I happen to know a few morticians (including a good friend of mine almost went to mortuary school! :eek: and worked in a funeral home for some time) and they are some of the most upbeat, funny, wild bunch of lively people I know! :laughing: My friend, who wound up as an art historian like me, ended up becoming a specialist on funeral home architecture, so she still kept a touchstone. She is SO normal, and SO wonderful, not weird at all.

My girlfriend says that most people who work in the industry are this way--isn't that nuts?? I guess they are able to channel something we cannot, or maybe their work keeps them incredibly in tune with life. :confused3

Anyway, we have had many a laugh over the strange juxtaposition of the lives of those who work with the dead...

D'OH! Somehow I missed your post when I was repsonding to the others. I must need to go to bed. :lmao:

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read this latest update - I'm glad you enjoyed it. We were both really curious about the restaurant too, so it was nice to finally get there and try it for ourselves. Our meal was great ... I hope others who have been there recently have also had the same type of experience that we did.

The mortician thing was a hoot ... I really did wonder if being seated next to them was an omen at first, but they were very nice and very friendly. :goodvibes

I think it takes a special kind of person to be able to do that kind of work ... I know I couldn't do it.

BriarRosie

02-10-2009, 12:16 AM

Had I posted this on the blog I would have played the name game ... 'nuff said. :lmao:

I knew you were evil. :worship:

:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :worship:

It was pretty darn strong for a sissy drink. But you're still a riot! Your comment reminds of the time we were staying at Portofino Bay and he ordered a banana daiquiri at the pool bar.

WHUT? :confused3

I called him Fredo Corleone for the rest of the day. :lmao:

LOL! You know I couldn't resist mocking the sissy drink. I hope Jason enjoyed the mocking, too. And I think I had a banana colada by accident at the Portofino Bay quiet pool. Not by choice, either. I ordered a different colada and accepted the server's mistake as she brought it to me at the pool. But you know what a great poolside drink would be? Brace yourself.

Banana Hammock. :banana:

I thought of that off the top of my head and then Googled it. There is a real drink recipe of that title. :banana:

Now you know why we had to order two appetizers.

Yes. And I often call that, "dinner".

TheDISneyFamily

02-10-2009, 11:34 AM

Well, I guess WPUpstairs will have to go back on the list... again. Maybe we'll actually make it there this time. :rolleyes: Thanks for having dinner there and reporting back to us. :thumbsup2 Only you would be seated next to undertakers... LOL! :lmao: The TR gods were smiling down on you with that one!

Sorry for everything that you and the family have been through lately. :hug: Misery loves company, so here's another hug for you. :hug: You aren't alone.

Take care,
Michelle

oybolshoi

02-10-2009, 10:48 PM

I knew you were evil. :worship:

It's true ... :rotfl2:

LOL! You know I couldn't resist mocking the sissy drink. I hope Jason enjoyed the mocking, too. And I think I had a banana colada by accident at the Portofino Bay quiet pool. Not by choice, either. I ordered a different colada and accepted the server's mistake as she brought it to me at the pool. But you know what a great poolside drink would be? Brace yourself.

Banana Hammock. :banana:

I thought of that off the top of my head and then Googled it. There is a real drink recipe of that title. :banana:

Jay thought your mockery was amusing, too, and he readily admitted that it was a sissy drink. But it was still good. :thumbsup2

I'll pass that hammock drink along to Jay ... I don't do banana flavored drinks. :scared: The name is a hoot, though! :lmao:

Well, I guess WPUpstairs will have to go back on the list... again. Maybe we'll actually make it there this time. :rolleyes: Thanks for having dinner there and reporting back to us. :thumbsup2 Only you would be seated next to undertakers... LOL! :lmao: The TR gods were smiling down on you with that one!

Sorry for everything that you and the family have been through lately. :hug: Misery loves company, so here's another hug for you. :hug: You aren't alone.

Take care,
Michelle

Hi Michelle!

You and I seem to have the same problem with the dining room ... we always cancel! :laughing: I'm so glad we kept this reservation - it was definitely worth the money and the time.

And you're right ... only Jay and I would be seated next to people who couldn't wait to introduce themselves and tell us their profession. Maybe they thought it would freak us out a bit. It made for a good little story. :thumbsup2

Thanks for the hugs and good wishes ... very much appreciate them my friend. :hug:

oybolshoi

02-12-2009, 12:11 AM

Tuesday, October 14th - Walt Disney World Life Lesson #11: When You are Running Late for an ADR Your Preferred Method of Transportation Will Always Let You Down.

You know what they say: breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Such sage advice was never more true than on this day, when my lovey and I devoted our entire Epcot touring plan to nothing less than World Showcase Alcoholic Domination or WSAD, also known as We Sure Are Drunk. I felt certain that if Jay and I were going to survive our drinking plan it would have to be done on a full, but not too full, pair of stomachs. Shortly before we left for WDW I noticed that the Grand Floridian Cafe had been on the receiving end of some pretty good reviews. When MickeyNicki gave them two enthusiastic thumbs up I bit the bullet and made a breakfast ADR, rationalizing that if for some reason the meal turned out badly we'd soon forget all about it in a haze of drunken blissfulness.

While the weather gods graced us with a breezy, mild, and not remotely rainy day, the transportation gods were yukking it up at our expense; as smooth and easy as the bus system was on Monday it was excruciatingly painful on Tuesday, like passing a kidney stone. Our reservation was for 9:30AM ... we waited until 9AM for a Magic Kingdom bus to make an appearance while watching numerous MGM, Animal Kingdom, and Downtown Disney buses pull up, belch fumes in our faces, and then lumber off. We would have been willing to jump a bus to Epcot and then monorail it over to the Grand Floridian, but those buses were also mysteriously absent. By the time our chariot arrived it was 9:15 and I was growing fidgety and it didn't help matters that we got stuck in construction traffic on our way to Magic Kingdom. Upon finally completing the first leg of our journey we hoofed it over to the monorail station, sprinting up the ramp to catch a ride on the train that just happened to be waiting for us only to be told that it was out of service and another train wouldn't be along for at least twenty minutes.

:headache:

I would have laughed at the ludicrousness of it all but I was too busy not puking a lung on that nice family standing right next to us.

Why?

I don't like to run. In fact, I hate to run. If I had to choose between running for my life or being devoured by a pack of hounds with bees in their mouths who, when they bark, shoot bees at me ... well, I guess I'm doing the dog'n'beehive jive because running is just painful.

So, there we were ... stranded within plain view of our final destination. The only other option was to try to catch a lift on one of those cute little boats that randomly sail between the Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian. But waiting for a ride on these boats carries its own special risk since they seem to operate on a mysterious and capricious schedule known only to the hardy sea salts who captain them.

Luckily we didn't have long to wait for a cute little boat and as my hubba gently reminded me ... we were on vacation and if we got somewhere not on time it wasn't the end of the world. And I adore boat rides on the Seven Seas Lagoon - they're so peaceful and picturesque and they come with plenty of fresh air so when the only other people on the boat have a small child with them who blatts loudly in its diaper the cool breeze will waft the smell of poo away before you can turn to your beloved and ask, "who farted?"

The prow of our stinky little love boat
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/383.jpg

Quick, take the picture before they release more poison gas...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/384.jpg

By the time we actually reached the restaurant, which is housed on the lobby level of the Grand Floridian, we were easily thirty minutes late for our ADR and I had visions of being turned away or being faced with a ridiculous wait. But it was just the opposite - the cafe was not busy at all and we were seated immediately. Our table was in the back of the restaurant so we were surrounded by a wall of windows that looked directly out on to the hotel's lawn and walkways. The decor was light and airy - I felt like we were dining in a cozy, comfortable summerhouse.

Pretty...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/386.jpg

In honor of the drunk-fest we'd planned it seemed more than reasonable to start the morning off with a little hair of the dog along with the usual WDW swill that passes for coffee. And no, for those of you who may be wondering, drinking swill at the Grand Floridian does not make it any less swilly.

For my first alcoholic beverage of the day I chose poorly and ordered the Key West, described as a frozen blend of pureed strawberries and orange juice laced with rum.

Too much ice not enough booze
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/391.jpg

In the hands of a better bartender this could have been a good drink but we'll never know for sure because it would have taken a solar flare to melt that iceberg in my glass. It tasted like a watery strawberry snow-cone with none of the added benefit of red dye #5 sugar-syrup to turn my tongue a shocking shade of scarlet.

Jay, as he often does in these instances, chose wisely and ordered the Florida Sunshine , described as Peach Schnapps, Chambord, Vodka, and a splash of orange and cranberry juices.

I covet your drink ... is that so wrong?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/390.jpg

There was no doubt about it ... this drink was the choice of champions and it was perfectly blended - not too sweet and not too tart. And considering how much alcohol it contained, it was a smooth, easy drink - not at all harsh or overpowering.

Had the weather been as hot and humid on this day as it had been on the previous days of our visit I might have ordered something different for breakfast, but I loves me some french toast and I'm a firm proponent of eating bread with my alcohol to help soak it all up. The Cafe offers Maple French Toast which the menu described as challah bread dipped in maple and vanilla flavored batter served with a choice of bacon or sausage.

French toast & pig
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/392.jpg

Butter & syrup
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/394.jpg

Wow! This was ever-so-good! The bread was firm but slightly custardy and had a lovely, light vanilla flavor. They didn't skimp on the bacon, either; there was a lot of pig on my plate for me to share with the hubba. And may I just publicly offer up thanks for the generous pitcher of maple syrup they provided for my bread drowning and bacon dipping pleasure?

Jason surprised me a bit with his choice - I was sure he was going to order the lobster eggs benedict but he opted for the Cafe Breakfast Skillet instead. This item is described as biscuits topped with sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, peppers, onions and melted mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

Breakfast mish-mash
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/393.jpg

I find that revolting ... I do not like all my foods jumbled up together in one serving dish like that, especially at breakfast. However, for those of you who do enjoy what I like to refer to as mish-mash, Jay says this was truly a delight to eat.

Final verdict?

MickeyNicki and her thumbs were right!!!

The Grand Floridian Cafe is a hidden gem - we had a peaceful, leisurely meal with attentive service and very good food. Jay and I both liked that their menu provided some nice variations on standard breakfast fare and they offset their swill with some good alcoholic morning beverage offerings ... just do yourself a favor and avoid the drink with the Antarctic ice shelf.

ocdisney08

02-12-2009, 12:48 AM

Awesome Reviews! Keep them coming! :)

Tink rules

02-12-2009, 02:36 AM

Very good Bendy!!! The GF Cafe is one of my faves... of course that's because I'm usually draggin my butt out of bed and sauntering over in that direction... and I'm with Jay... mushy food is good... how do you think my hips got this way??? :rolleyes1

I'm going to try the Lobster Eggs Benny when I'm there next... I've just got this thing for hollydaise and lobster... :lovestruc

aceys_h0ney

02-12-2009, 03:44 AM

Great review.

That thing Jay got reminds me of that weird bowl from KFC. You know the one where they grab the leftovers of everything in the kitchen and throw it in a bowl, top it with cheese and call it good. Glad he liked it though. I would give an arm for some french toast right about now.

2xcited2sleep

02-12-2009, 07:09 AM

Ahhh... the breakfast of champions. ;) Your drinks sure look yummy. Sorry yours wasn't better. I trust you made up for it later in the day. Speaking of which, I can't wait to hear more about your quest for alcohol domination. WSAD! :rotfl:

GF Cafe looks really pretty. I think that is going on my list! ::yes::

*KeepMovingForward*

02-12-2009, 07:16 AM

We haven't been to the GF Cafe for breakfast in about 5 years. Sounds like it is time to give it another shot. Your meals look great. I'm normally a Mimosa gal at GF, but Jay's drink does look and sound delicious! Sorry about the transportation trauma...Disney's system tends to laugh in your face just when you needed it the most.

ChelleinNC

02-12-2009, 07:40 AM

I wish your drink had turned out better :sad2: They probably don't schedule their best bartenders in the morning ;) Breakfast looked very good :thumbsup2 Can't wait to hear how the rest of the day went :goodvibes

oybolshoi

02-12-2009, 09:08 AM

Awesome Reviews! Keep them coming! :)

Thanks very much!

Very good Bendy!!! The GF Cafe is one of my faves... of course that's because I'm usually draggin my butt out of bed and sauntering over in that direction... and I'm with Jay... mushy food is good... how do you think my hips got this way??? :rolleyes1

I'm going to try the Lobster Eggs Benny when I'm there next... I've just got this thing for hollydaise and lobster... :lovestruc

We were pleasantly surprised by just how tasty breakfast was there. And you and Jay can have the mish-mash ... it just grosses me out. :scared:

Great review.

That thing Jay got reminds me of that weird bowl from KFC. You know the one where they grab the leftovers of everything in the kitchen and throw it in a bowl, top it with cheese and call it good. Glad he liked it though. I would give an arm for some french toast right about now.

Thanks! I know exactly what you're talking about from the commercial's I've seen ... and that KFC bowl grosses me out, too! :lmao:

If you ever make it to the GFC order that Maple French Toast for breakfast - it was delicious!

Ahhh... the breakfast of champions. ;) Your drinks sure look yummy. Sorry yours wasn't better. I trust you made up for it later in the day. Speaking of which, I can't wait to hear more about your quest for alcohol domination. WSAD! :rotfl:

GF Cafe looks really pretty. I think that is going on my list! ::yes::

My drink was a bit of a bust but yes indeedy ... I made up for it at Epcot. The funny thing is we started the day out with a bad drink and our adventures at Epcot ended on a bad drink ... and that's all I'm saying for now or no one will want to read the WASD installment! ;)

We haven't been to the GF Cafe for breakfast in about 5 years. Sounds like it is time to give it another shot. Your meals look great. I'm normally a Mimosa gal at GF, but Jay's drink does look and sound delicious! Sorry about the transportation trauma...Disney's system tends to laugh in your face just when you needed it the most.

The food was very good and you don't know just how close I was to ordering the Grand Mimosa instead of the Key West but I wanted to try something different. D'OH! Next time I guess I'll stick with what I know. :laughing:

And the whole bus / monorail thing was very funny once I remembered to push my "relax" button, but sometimes it takes me a few minutes to find that. :lmao:

I wish your drink had turned out better :sad2: They probably don't schedule their best bartenders in the morning ;) Breakfast looked very good :thumbsup2 Can't wait to hear how the rest of the day went :goodvibes

Breakfast was very good and you're probably right about the bartenders ... heck, who knows if they really even had a bartender working? It could have just been some poor CM with a bucket of ice and some strawberries. :laughing:

The rest of the day went very well and was a lot of fun - I can't wait to share it with everyone!

Myhappythought5

02-12-2009, 10:15 AM

DisneyMom5

02-12-2009, 10:17 AM

That thing Jay had AND the KFC bowls look oogey to me also. Blech.

I have an aversion to mixing corn into anything that isn't also corn.
[Corn souffle = good, Corn bread w/ corn = good,
KFC bowls w/ corn = yucky, casseroles with corn = yucky.
Especially if there is cheese involved. That is just WRONG.]

But I'm glad he liked it, and your toast looked yummy. : )

Thanks for the update!

MickeyNicki

02-12-2009, 10:18 AM

Ooh I am so glad you guys liked it! three more weeks until I can go back and chow down at the GFC...and slurp down Jay's drink :thumbsup2

Joie29

02-12-2009, 11:06 AM

GFC looks great! :thumbsup2 Will have to add this to the list of places to try on our next trip...

That french toast looked wonderful--I love a good french toast. Plus, your bacon looked nice and crisy :thumbsup2 , I can't eat bacon that is not very crisy...

BriarRosie

02-12-2009, 02:13 PM

Tuesday, October 14th - Walt Disney World Life Lesson #11: When You are Running Late for an ADR Your Preferred Method of Transportation Will Always Let You Down.

While the weather gods graced us with a breezy, mild, and not remotely rainy day, the transportation gods were yukking it up at our expense; as smooth and easy as the bus system was on Monday it was excruciatingly painful on Tuesday, like passing a kidney stone. Our reservation was for 9:30AM ... we waited until 9AM for a Magic Kingdom bus to make an appearance while watching numerous MGM, Animal Kingdom, and Downtown Disney buses pull up, belch fumes in our faces, and then lumber off. We would have been willing to jump a bus to Epcot and then monorail it over to the Grand Floridian, but those buses were also mysteriously absent. By the time our chariot arrived it was 9:15 and I was growing fidgety and it didn't help matters that we got stuck in construction traffic on our way to Magic Kingdom. Upon finally completing the first leg of our journey we hoofed it over to the monorail station, sprinting up the ramp to catch a ride on the train that just happened to be waiting for us only to be told that it was out of service and another train wouldn't be along for at least twenty minutes.

:headache:

You obviously haven't learned the First Rule of Disney Transportation:
Most resort-to-resort travel will require 45 minutes to an hour, especially if you have to travel clear across World Drive as part of the journey. The exceptions to the rule are anything within walking or monorail distance.

I wouldn't have gone to the monorail unless I saw it about to come into the station. I would have gone straight for the boat.

I would have laughed at the ludicrousness of it all but I was too busy not puking a lung on that nice family standing right next to us.

Why?

I don't like to run. In fact, I hate to run. If I had to choose between running for my life or being devoured by a pack of hounds with bees in their mouths who, when they bark, shoot bees at me ... well, I guess I'm doing the dog'n'beehive jive because running is just painful.

I guess you're not signed up for the 1/2 marathon next year? :laughing:

So, there we were ... stranded within plain view of our final destination. The only other option was to try to catch a lift on one of those cute little boats that randomly sail between the Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian. But waiting for a ride on these boats carries its own special risk since they seem to operate on a mysterious and capricious schedule known only to the hardy sea salts who captain them.

The boats seem to be fairly frequent when I've taken them. I like 'em.

Luckily we didn't have long to wait for a cute little boat and as my hubba gently reminded me ... we were on vacation and if we got somewhere not on time it wasn't the end of the world. And I adore boat rides on the Seven Seas Lagoon - they're so peaceful and picturesque and they come with plenty of fresh air so when the only other people on the boat have a small child with them who blatts loudly in its diaper the cool breeze will waft the smell of poo away before you can turn to your beloved and ask, "who farted?"

The prow of our stinky little love boat
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/383.jpg

Quick, take the picture before they release more poison gas...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/384.jpg

Oh no! I have not been subjected to random poots on the boat. But believe me, I'd rather it be on the open air boat than in a closed monorail train. :scared:

By the time we actually reached the restaurant, which is housed on the lobby level of the Grand Floridian, we were easily thirty minutes late for our ADR and I had visions of being turned away or being faced with a ridiculous wait. But it was just the opposite - the cafe was not busy at all and we were seated immediately. Our table was in the back of the restaurant so we were surrounded by a wall of windows that looked directly out on to the hotel's lawn and walkways. The decor was light and airy - I felt like we were dining in a cozy, comfortable summerhouse.

Pretty...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/386.jpg

I've never eaten there, but it looks charming.

In honor of the drunk-fest we'd planned it seemed more than reasonable to start the morning off with a little hair of the dog along with the usual WDW swill that passes for coffee. And no, for those of you who may be wondering, drinking swill at the Grand Floridian does not make it any less swilly.

For my first alcoholic beverage of the day I chose poorly and ordered the Key West, described as a frozen blend of pureed strawberries and orange juice laced with rum.

Too much ice not enough booze
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/391.jpg

In the hands of a better bartender this could have been a good drink but we'll never know for sure because it would have taken a solar flare to melt that iceberg in my glass. It tasted like a watery strawberry snow-cone with none of the added benefit of red dye #5 sugar-syrup to turn my tongue a shocking shade of scarlet.

Jay, as he often does in these instances, chose wisely and ordered the Florida Sunshine , described as Peach Schnapps, Chambord, Vodka, and a splash of orange and cranberry juices.

I covet your drink ... is that so wrong?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/390.jpg

There was no doubt about it ... this drink was the choice of champions and it was perfectly blended - not too sweet and not too tart. And considering how much alcohol it contained, it was a smooth, easy drink - not at all harsh or overpowering.

Wow, you'd think you were on a cruise or something, ordering the sissy drinks for breakfast. I don't think I've ever ordered a drink that early except on a cruise. I guess this trip was like a cruise on land. ;) Jay's drink did sound fantastic.

Had the weather been as hot and humid on this day as it had been on the previous days of our visit I might have ordered something different for breakfast, but I loves me some french toast and I'm a firm proponent of eating bread with my alcohol to help soak it all up. The Cafe offers Maple French Toast which the menu described as challah bread dipped in maple and vanilla flavored batter served with a choice of bacon or sausage.

French toast & pig
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/392.jpg

Butter & syrup
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/394.jpg

Wow! This was ever-so-good! The bread was firm but slightly custardy and had a lovely, light vanilla flavor. They didn't skimp on the bacon, either; there was a lot of pig on my plate for me to share with the hubba. And may I just publicly offer up thanks for the generous pitcher of maple syrup they provided for my bread drowning and bacon dipping pleasure?

That looks tasty, but I wouldn't have ordered that.

Jason surprised me a bit with his choice - I was sure he was going to order the lobster eggs benedict but he opted for the Cafe Breakfast Skillet instead. This item is described as biscuits topped with sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, peppers, onions and melted mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.

Breakfast mish-mash
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/393.jpg

I find that revolting ... I do not like all my foods jumbled up together in one serving dish like that, especially at breakfast. However, for those of you who do enjoy what I like to refer to as mish-mash, Jay says this was truly a delight to eat.

I would have gone for the lobster eggs benedict. Jay's breakfast seems to be hiding from him. But he enjoyed it, so that's what counts.

Final verdict?

MickeyNicki and her thumbs were right!!!

The Grand Floridian Cafe is a hidden gem - we had a peaceful, leisurely meal with attentive service and very good food. Jay and I both liked that their menu provided some nice variations on standard breakfast fare and they offset their swill with some good alcoholic morning beverage offerings ... just do yourself a favor and avoid the drink with the Antarctic ice shelf.

Guess I have to drag my butt there. But I probably won't. :laughing:

cntkg1

02-12-2009, 03:03 PM

B, your breakfasteseses looked devine! :goodvibes The only thing better may have been a few Mickey waffles. :thumbsup2

Timon

02-12-2009, 03:29 PM

Hi Brenda :wave2:

I've been :sick: for two weeks now so I am a bit behind on your trippie :guilty:

Let me start by saying that I hope you are feeling better and that it's still very sad that you won't be joining us on BOB in October :sad1:

But I am thoroughly enjoying your reports and look forward to your October reviews :woohoo:

RFC post...

Yeah, it's definitely not a place for everyone but Rob and I have enjoyed our experiences there together. We like the AK one much better than the always-stupid-crazy DD one! We took Kira to the DD one when she was almost 10 months old and she was a little jumpy with all those sounds :lmao: I think she will enjoy it much better this October :thumbsup2

Your breakfast looked good, even with the lack fo fruit :rolleyes1

WPU post...

Jay's dessert looked really good and I am not a banana-dessert kind of gal :love:

GFC post...

That's exactly why we always steer clear of WDW transportation :scared: I hate being late for anything, I think I would have an ulcer by the end of the trip if we had to rely on their transportation :rotfl: Your food looked really good :thumbsup2

Looking forward to more :goodvibes

D&R love Disney

02-12-2009, 06:10 PM

That french toast looks so good. Guess we'll be having breakfast one morning at the GF Cafe just so I can have that breakfast.

I don't mind mish-mash but I do not like biscuits and gravy YUCK!

I love those boats, reminds me of the one from Charlie & the chocolate factory.

oybolshoi

02-12-2009, 09:30 PM

This is one of our favorite places to eat. It is so cozy and we normally always have great service and the food is so good. All though I normally jsut get pastry of some kind. the kids especially enjoy this place.

We really enjoyed our breakfast here - it was a great experience.

That thing Jay had AND the KFC bowls look oogey to me also. Blech.

I have an aversion to mixing corn into anything that isn't also corn.
[Corn souffle = good, Corn bread w/ corn = good,
KFC bowls w/ corn = yucky, casseroles with corn = yucky.
Especially if there is cheese involved. That is just WRONG.]

But I'm glad he liked it, and your toast looked yummy.

Thanks for the update!

Thanks for reading and I heartily endorse your corn aversion, btw. :lmao:

Ooh I am so glad you guys liked it! three more weeks until I can go back and chow down at the GFC...and slurp down Jay's drink.

Thanks again for recommending it - you were spot on! And do you think you could have two of those Florida Sunshine drinks ... one for you and one for me? ;)

GFC looks great! Will have to add this to the list of places to try on our next trip...

That french toast looked wonderful--I love a good french toast. Plus, your bacon looked nice and crisy :thumbsup2 , I can't eat bacon that is not very crisy...

It was a really good breakfast spot and the french toast was some of the best I've had in a long time!

You obviously haven't learned the First Rule of Disney Transportation:
Most resort-to-resort travel will require 45 minutes to an hour, especially if you have to travel clear across World Drive as part of the journey. The exceptions to the rule are anything within walking or monorail distance.

I object ... we were at the busstop an hour before our ADR and it has never taken us that long to get from SSR to the MK ... it looked like the buses were getting caught in the construction over by the treehouse villas (right next door ... go figure) ... large trucks moving in and out of the traffic flow and all that good stuff. It happened to us one afternoon when we were coming back from somewhere ... probably Epcot. So, while I admit that we've been spoiled by staying at the BCV on most trips, I always leave an hour for travel before any ADR.

Why else do you think we ended up at Blue Zoo so early on Wednesday night? :lmao:

I wouldn't have gone to the monorail unless I saw it about to come into the station. I would have gone straight for the boat.

We have a soft spot for the monorail ... and we like to sing the monorail song from the Simpsons.

I guess you're not signed up for the 1/2 marathon next year? :laughing:

Never!!!!

The boats seem to be fairly frequent when I've taken them. I like 'em.

We've found that the one back & forth to the GF is kind of sporadic but normally that doesn't bother me. But there was drinking to be done this day and I was impatient ... it's a character flaw that I struggle with every day.

I do like them, though ... very relaxing.

Oh no! I have not been subjected to random poots on the boat. But believe me, I'd rather it be on the open air boat than in a closed monorail train.

I could say something about the way the monorail usually smells anyway, but I think my choice of words would get me banned for at least a month. :lmao:

And I agree ... a fresh-air poot is better than an enclosed one but baby poots are ripe no matter where they happen. :laughing:

I've never eaten there, but it looks charming.

Wow, you'd think you were on a cruise or something, ordering the sissy drinks for breakfast. I don't think I've ever ordered a drink that early except on a cruise. I guess this trip was like a cruise on land. Jay's drink did sound fantastic.

Sissy drinks were our only option ... but I do think it's funny that Jay was able to pick the better of the two drinks.

And the restaurant is very charming ... now that I look at the picture again it reminds me a bit of the gardenview lounge, only much larger.

That looks tasty, but I wouldn't have ordered that.

I would have gone for the lobster eggs benedict. Jay's breakfast seems to be hiding from him. But he enjoyed it, so that's what counts.

I knew you wouldn't want the french toast but I thought for sure you'd be all over the mish-mash since you mentioned once before that you liked those breakfast skillet type things they serve at Cracker Barrel. If I liked lobster more I would have ordered the lobster bennies ... too bad crab bennies weren't an option. I would have been all over that!

Guess I have to drag my butt there. But I probably won't. :laughing:

Maybe some day you will ... maybe. ;)

B, your breakfasteseses looked devine! The only thing better may have been a few Mickey waffles.

It was very yummy! :thumbsup2

Hi Brenda :wave2:

I've been :sick: for two weeks now so I am a bit behind on your trippie

Let me start by saying that I hope you are feeling better and that it's still very sad that you won't be joining us on BOB in October :sad1:

But I am thoroughly enjoying your reports and look forward to your October reviews

Hi Cass! I hope you're feeling better too ... here are some hugs from Stinktown (all Stink has been removed, just for you!)... :hug: :hug: :hug:

I'm gonna miss cruising with you guys this fall, but I'll be keeping up with your TRs so it will almost be like we're there with you and all those other wacky folks. :goodvibes

RFC post...

Yeah, it's definitely not a place for everyone but Rob and I have enjoyed our experiences there together. We like the AK one much better than the always-stupid-crazy DD one! We took Kira to the DD one when she was almost 10 months old and she was a little jumpy with all those sounds. I think she will enjoy it much better this October :thumbsup2

Your breakfast looked good, even with the lack fo fruit :rolleyes1

We had fun at the RFC and I'm glad we tried it but I doubt that we'd go back. And I totally agree with you ... of the two I think the one at the AK is much more subdued. The RFC at Downtown Disney is always a zoo (pardron the expression). :lmao:

WPU post...

Jay's dessert looked really good and I am not a banana-dessert kind of gal.

His dessert was very cool. I'm like you as far as banana and dessert typically go, but this time I think he picked a winner!

GFC post...

That's exactly why we always steer clear of WDW transportation :scared: I hate being late for anything, I think I would have an ulcer by the end of the trip if we had to rely on their transportation :rotfl: Your food looked really good.

Looking forward to more :goodvibes

I hope I managed to make it amusing ... I didn't mean to sound angry or complain-ey about what happened. Most of the time we have pretty good luck with Disney transportation (most of the time).

And the food was great, so the extra effort to get there was well worth it.

Thanks for reading, Cass, and get better soon!

That french toast looks so good. Guess we'll be having breakfast one morning at the GF Cafe just so I can have that breakfast.

I don't mind mish-mash but I do not like biscuits and gravy YUCK!

I love those boats, reminds me of the one from Charlie & the chocolate factory.

Hiya Deb! The French toast was wonderful so be sure to order it! And just ignore the breakfast skillet! :laughing:

And you are so right about the boats ... I never thought about it but they do look like the ones in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory!

sunny04

02-12-2009, 09:37 PM

Me&3

02-12-2009, 10:42 PM

Maybe a rum floater would melt that Key West:confused3 . You should have sent it back.:goodvibes

jeminni

02-12-2009, 10:54 PM

We tried the GF Cafe for breakfast on our last trip ( someday to be reviewed if I ever get back to finishing my DR ) and were also pleasantly surprised by it. I would definatly go go back and try it again. :goodvibes

BriarRosie

02-12-2009, 11:27 PM

Ok, aside from flatulence talk (which was pretty amusing, I must say), you should be able to get crab cakes bennies at Yacht Club Gacky, right? ;)

Oh yeah, it's Captain's Gacky...Grille now. :laughing:

Tink rules

02-12-2009, 11:41 PM

but lets not get technical about the gacky, right???

A fat english gent

02-13-2009, 06:01 AM

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/390.jpg

You can't beat the smell of a tantalizingly hung strawberry girlie drink first thing on a morning......:rolleyes1

ps.....American bacon is pants,hence i'll be visiting Canada long before stinktown....:snooty: .....:rotfl2: :lmao: :rotfl2:

DisneyMom5

02-13-2009, 08:42 AM

1) The monorail already smells like a barn, so I bet that baby poots would be relatively lost.

2) It seems the worst thing that Brits can say about us is that our bacon s*cks and we have too many guns. I can live with that.

3) You seem to follow the Hobbit meal schedule, only with booze.

Have a great weekend and V-day! :love:

dvc4life

02-13-2009, 09:30 AM

Brenda -

Thanks for all the great reviews. Jay's drink looks absolutely wonderful and I wish I had one in my hand right now!!!!!!!! I'm not in to crushed ice drinks, so yours not so wonderful, except for the strawberry. :rotfl2: Both of your breakfasts looked yummy too. I have also seen some great dinner photos from someone on here that makes GFC a must for our next trip.

I can't wait to here about the rest of your drunken, I mean spirited, day. :rotfl2: We would get a long great because me and the DH like to do the same thing while there. Drink around the world! :dance3:

whogirl'smom

02-13-2009, 03:20 PM

I have to say I have never imbibed during breakfast--unless you count our honeymoon, where we got rum punch every morning about 10 o'clock to have on the beach....got to love those all inclusive places!

GFC breakfast looked good to me, except the cheese on Jay's concoction. I used to put gravy over my (fried) eggs when I was little, then break up the biscuit into little pieces on top. This seems like another whole adventure, though. ;) I am still mad there is no more spinach dip at the GFC; no recipe to be found anywhere either.

Sorry about all the transportation woes that morning, the Grand Floridian is just not an easy place to get to for the most part, from lots of the resorts. We took the car once and self parked :sad2: ; the walk back certainly used up those extra calories we consumed!

Krissalee

02-13-2009, 09:53 PM

I love your reviews, and read them religiously, but I am so disappointed that your husband didn't get the lobster eggs benedict! I have been searching for photos of this dish!

The first and second and last time I had lobster eggs benedict was at Blue Heaven in Key West. It was amazing, and hope to find a duplicte soon (and that menu item at GFC was the closest I have found)!

oybolshoi

02-14-2009, 06:55 PM

We have always had excellent food at GF Cafe for lunch, but at the end of the lunch shift, in the early afternoon - you are not getting attentive service, let me tell you! Everytime we've gone there we've been frustrated with the service, but pleased with the food. Glad your service was good too!

I've heard nothing but good things about GFC and their food, so it's good to know that other meals are tasty there as well. Thanks for reading - it's nice to know you're still here!

Maybe a rum floater would melt that Key West:confused3 . You should have sent it back.:goodvibes

I didn't think of either option ... how embarrassing! :laughing:

We tried the GF Cafe for breakfast on our last trip ( someday to be reviewed if I ever get back to finishing my DR ) and were also pleasantly surprised by it. I would definatly go go back and try it again. :goodvibes

Sounds like GFC is the dining sleeper right now. I'll be looking for your review ... how's your daughter doing? Better, I hope. :hug:

Ok, aside from flatulence talk (which was pretty amusing, I must say), you should be able to get crab cakes bennies at Yacht Club Gacky, right? ;)

Oh yeah, it's Captain's Gacky...Grille now. :laughing:

Gas is something we live with in this house every day ... :rotfl:

Captain Gacky ... that's awesome! :thumbsup2

but lets not get technical about the gacky, right???

You can't beat the smell of a tantalizingly hung strawberry girlie drink first thing on a morning......:rolleyes1

ps.....American bacon is pants,hence i'll be visiting Canada long before stinktown....:snooty: .....:rotfl2:

A girlie drink is a good way to start off a long day of drinking ... it's gently wakes the liver up. ;)

You don't like our bacon, eh? Here in Stinktown we love to eat the pig butt ... people call them pork steaks but it's nothing more than the piggie's rear end and it's soooooo goooooood! :lmao:

1) The monorail already smells like a barn, so I bet that baby poots would be relatively lost.

2) It seems the worst thing that Brits can say about us is that our bacon s*cks and we have too many guns. I can live with that.

3) You seem to follow the Hobbit meal schedule, only with booze.

Have a great weekend and V-day! :love:

You are right on all counts! Have a good V-day yourself, mom-of-many! :goodvibes

Brenda -

Thanks for all the great reviews. Jay's drink looks absolutely wonderful and I wish I had one in my hand right now!!!!!!!! I'm not in to crushed ice drinks, so yours not so wonderful, except for the strawberry. :rotfl2: Both of your breakfasts looked yummy too. I have also seen some great dinner photos from someone on here that makes GFC a must for our next trip.

Jay's drink was da bomb! Highly recommended by us both ... :thumbsup2

And the food wasn't bad either!

I can't wait to here about the rest of your drunken, I mean spirited, day. :rotfl2: We would get a long great because me and the DH like to do the same thing while there. Drink around the world! :dance3:

Oh we had a fine fine day ... I'm looking forward to putting down what I remember of it on paper. ;)

I have to say I have never imbibed during breakfast--unless you count our honeymoon, where we got rum punch every morning about 10 o'clock to have on the beach....got to love those all inclusive places!

GFC breakfast looked good to me, except the cheese on Jay's concoction. I used to put gravy over my (fried) eggs when I was little, then break up the biscuit into little pieces on top. This seems like another whole adventure, though. ;) I am still mad there is no more spinach dip at the GFC; no recipe to be found anywhere either.

Sorry about all the transportation woes that morning, the Grand Floridian is just not an easy place to get to for the most part, from lots of the resorts. We took the car once and self parked :sad2: ; the walk back certainly used up those extra calories we consumed!

Drinking with breakfast is a great thing on vacation ... brandy milk punch, anyone?

I don't know about spinach dip at the GFC ... but Jay has a really good recipe that he might be persuaded to share.

The GFC is kind of a bugger to get to sometimes ... this morning was just not our morning, but it worked out OK and the rest of the day was a good one, so no complaints here.

I love your reviews, and read them religiously, but I am so disappointed that your husband didn't get the lobster eggs benedict! I have been searching for photos of this dish!

The first and second and last time I had lobster eggs benedict was at Blue Heaven in Key West. It was amazing, and hope to find a duplicte soon (and that menu item at GFC was the closest I have found)!

I told Jay what you said about his not ordering the lobster bennies and he just responded, "well, I guess we'll have to go back this fall." :lmao:

Thanks for reading! :goodvibes

oybolshoi

02-16-2009, 11:22 PM

Tuesday, October 13th - To Boldly Go Where Everyone Else Has Already Gone ...

Among the many things Jay and I were looking forward to on this trip was our oft discussed attempt at drinking around Epcot's World Showcase ... a feat which has been accomplished by many DISers in many different ways and to whom who owe a slurred shanksamop (that's "thanks a lot" in non-drunk speak) for planting the idea in our heads in the first place. A special thanks, of course, goes out to our friend RobertP who completed his own quest for World Showcase Drink Infamy last spring and was kind enough to share the amusing details with us all on Gastropod Travels.

Before we even left on our trip Jay and I had to agree upon the "rules" which were drafted three times.

Version I aka Death by Drink: You must imbibe every alcoholic beverage available in the World Showcase, including all booze at the 26 F&W Booths scattered around the lagoon, in the course of one day.

After reminding the hubba that the point of this little escapade was to have fun, not alcohol poisoning, he went back to his desk and took up pen and paper a second time.

Version II aka Liver Transplant Needed Urgently: You must imbibe at every F&W booth and every official Epcot World Showcase country in the course of one day.

Sigh. Poor hubba ... thinking about drinking like we were still in our formative college years. This time I had to remind him that we didn't have the combined metabolism or liver enzymes to survive this secondary blitz approach.

It's not easy admitting that you're middle aged. :laughing:

Version III aka Live to Drink Another Day: You must imbibe at least one shared drink at every official World Showcase country in the course of one day.

Third time's a charm!

We were fortunate to have fine fine weather on this day - had it been too hot or too humid all bets would have been off and we would have shelved the attempt for another year. Jay and I arrived at Epcot shortly after 11AM so the World Showcase was already open for business. Since we had the entire day to achieve our goal we weren't in a rush and didn't have a set drinking plan ... we just wandered from country to country until the thirst set upon us.

Drink #1: Rosa Regale, Italy

Pretty in pink
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/397.jpg

Here's to not working!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/398.jpg

Ahhhh, an eight dollar plastic flute of sparkling red wine - a festive and nose tickling way to start off our drink-fest. I will be the first to admit that some years ago I was skeptical of this wine: sparkling ... sweet ... pink ... it didn't sound appealing at all. But then we had dinner at the Chef's Table and they served it to me with my cheese course. It was a revelation! A lovely sparkling red wine with dark pink bubbles, Rosa Regale smells a bit like raspberries and is lightly sweet without any of the gacky aftertaste so many sweet wines seem to leave.

Drink #2: Frozen Lime Margarita, Mexico

They put da lime in the coconut...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/399.jpg

Jay and the limey
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/400.jpg

Our past experience with Mexico's margarita stand was quite good - we always ordered the Fiesta margarita which used to be a tasty blend of lime, strawberry, kiwi, and mango. Rumors on the DIS alerted me pre-trip that one of the Disney Menu Mangling Team had worked their magic on Mexico and sour apple had since replaced lime in the Fiesta margarita.

Sour Apple?

Brenda: Blech!
Jason: Gack!

Strawberry margaritas are usually too sweet for our taste so we rolled the dice and went with lime, which was still being offered by itself but not in combination with anything else. Normally I would have cogitated on that with Jay for a while but I'd been beaten down by too many "that's what our guests asked for" responses from WDW Guest Communications, the Disney Dining Experience group, and the F&W Festival Borg Planning Committee. I admitted defeat and welcomed the blissful numbing effects of the alcoholic brain freeze to come.

We were both surprised at how enjoyable the lime margarita actually was - a refreshing blend of sweet and sour it had a nicely balanced taste - probably because we requested a rimless drink ... no salt or sugar. We would definitely order this one again!

As Jay and I wandered the World Showcase, slowly enjoying our frozen drinkie-poo, we stopped in China for a bit of a rest. The lily pond struck us both as especially purty ... it may have been the booze ... and we snapped two pictures while we could still remember how to use the camera.

Do you see a frog?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/401.jpg

This picture might actually look good if it weren't for that piece of trash floating in the bottom left-hand corner!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/402.jpg

There's a reason we're not professional photographers ... actually there are many. But rather than dwell on our artistic shortcomings let us move forward towards a snackarino from India. Jay and I were both feeling a mite peckish (I love that word!!!) but were craving different things. He loves spicy food and things that still qualify as weird and scary in my book, and so was able to enjoy all by himself the wonder of this from India's F&W booth:

Samosa with Tamarind Sauce

In my slightly tipsy state that looks like a dessert ...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/404.jpg

So, what the heck is a samosa anyway? Jay said it was like eating a potato-stuffed dumpling with a sweet and sour spicy sauce. He actually told me that had I ordered a sauceless samosa I probably would have really enjoyed it. Meh ... I had other things on my mind and they did not include any kind of vegetable.

Drink #3 - Beck's Oktoberfest; Germany

Beer; is there anything it can't do?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/406.jpg

My snack crave was satisfied by the Sausage without Sauerkraut in a Pretzel Roll, enhanced by some spicy brown mustard. The CMs at Germany's F&W booth are always stunned when I order this without the sauerkraut. As far as I'm concerned why ruin a perfectly good sausage and pretzel with cabbage? This is one of my all-time favorite F&W treats in Germany and I love to wash it down with a good beer. Beck's Oktoberfest was not as good as Spaten Optimator but was still a tasty brew and neither Jay nor I wanted anything too heavy at this point in our adventure.

The extra sausage in this picture is my leg, thanks for asking...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/405.jpg

Drink #4 - Shirakawago Sasanigori Ginjo Sake, Japan

Many posts and pages ago in a thread long-since locked I posted a review of Tokyo Dining where I mentioned this really good cloudy sake that Erica's husband ordered and let us try. It was terrific ... so tasty, in fact, that four days later we couldn't remember what it was called. When memory failed we asked the Sake Bar CM in Japan-Mart to choose one for us - so we tried the sake in the blue bottle.

It's funny ... the one we really wanted is the one we didn't try!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/410.jpg

Jay & sake
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/408.jpg

Jay & me & sake ...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/409.jpg

There's one thing worth noting here - in years past when a guest purchased sake at this little bar it was served in a white plastic sake cup with purple flowers on one side and a sort of stylized Japanese wave-scape on the other side. Catch the right CM on the right day and she would write your name on the bottom of the cup in Japanese characters for free! Now if you'd like that cool little souvenir you get to pay extra for it on top of the charge for your sake.

How much?

More than a tacky little plastic cup is worth, that's for sure.

In case you're wondering about the sake, it was actually quite good. It's an unfiltered sake that is typically served chilled - it was light and rich and had a lovely fragrance.

Thus ends this first installment of Drinking Around the World ... our fifth drink would end up being five of them at Rose and Crown where we had scheduled a late afternoon lunch break. So stay tuned for a full blown review of lunch at Rose and Crown ... a very tasty, very beery interlude! :thumbsup2

cathy0124

02-16-2009, 11:32 PM

MMMM....beer...:drinking1
Great installment! ......
(Cathy said as she is busy scribbling notes for 2009 F&WF)

Tink rules

02-17-2009, 12:46 AM

You made me get up and go make myself a soft pretzel... :rotfl2:

BriarRosie

02-17-2009, 01:20 AM

Tuesday, October 13th - To Boldly Go Where Everyone Else Has Already Gone ...

Among the many things Jay and I were looking forward to on this trip was our oft discussed attempt at drinking around Epcot's World Showcase ... a feat which has been accomplished by many DISers in many different ways and to whom who owe a slurred shanksamop (that's "thanks a lot" in non-drunk speak) for planting the idea in our heads in the first place. A special thanks, of course, goes out to our friend RobertP who completed his own quest for World Showcase Drink Infamy last spring and was kind enough to share the amusing details with us all on Gastropod Travels.

And a very good guest blog it was, too.

Before we even left on our trip Jay and I had to agree upon the "rules" which were drafted three times.

Version I aka Death by Drink: You must imbibe every alcoholic beverage available in the World Showcase, including all booze at the 26 F&W Booths scattered around the lagoon, in the course of one day.

After reminding the hubba that the point of this little escapade was to have fun, not alcohol poisoning, he went back to his desk and took up pen and paper a second time.

Version II aka Liver Transplant Needed Urgently: You must imbibe at every F&W booth and every official Epcot World Showcase country in the course of one day.

Sigh. Poor hubba ... thinking about drinking like we were still in our formative college years. This time I had to remind him that we didn't have the combined metabolism or liver enzymes to survive this secondary blitz approach.

It's not easy admitting that you're middle aged. :laughing:

Version III aka Live to Drink Another Day: You must imbibe at least one shared drink at every official World Showcase country in the course of one day.

Third time's a charm!

Yes, the third time is the charm. It's the difference between Drinking Around the World and Puking Around the World Showcase Lagoon. :scared:

We were fortunate to have fine fine weather on this day - had it been too hot or too humid all bets would have been off and we would have shelved the attempt for another year. Jay and I arrived at Epcot shortly after 11AM so the World Showcase was already open for business. Since we had the entire day to achieve our goal we weren't in a rush and didn't have a set drinking plan ... we just wandered from country to country until the thirst set upon us.

Drink #1: Rosa Regale, Italy

Pretty in pink
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/397.jpg

Here's to not working!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/398.jpg

Ahhhh, an eight dollar plastic flute of sparkling red wine - a festive and nose tickling way to start off our drink-fest. I will be the first to admit that some years ago I was skeptical of this wine: sparkling ... sweet ... pink ... it didn't sound appealing at all. But then we had dinner at the Chef's Table and they served it to me with my cheese course. It was a revelation! A lovely sparkling red wine with dark pink bubbles, Rosa Regale smells a bit like raspberries and is lightly sweet without any of the gacky aftertaste so many sweet wines seem to leave.

What, Rose Regale without a chocolate chaser??? It seems I won't have it without chocolate, so I'm shocked and appalled to see it enjoyed without chocolate. It's just how I roll. ;)

Drink #2: Frozen Lime Margarita, Mexico

They put da lime in the coconut...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/399.jpg

Jay and the limey
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/400.jpg

Our past experience with Mexico's margarita stand was quite good - we always ordered the Fiesta margarita which used to be a tasty blend of lime, strawberry, kiwi, and mango. Rumors on the DIS alerted me pre-trip that one of the Disney Menu Mangling Team had worked their magic on Mexico and sour apple had since replaced lime in the Fiesta margarita.

That looks awesome and refreshing. You can't go wrong with a classic 'Rita.

Sour Apple?

Brenda: Blech!
Jason: Gack!

Lori: Egad!
That sounds nasty, like toe jam margarita.

Strawberry margaritas are usually too sweet for our taste so we rolled the dice and went with lime, which was still being offered by itself but not in combination with anything else. Normally I would have cogitated on that with Jay for a while but I'd been beaten down by too many "that's what our guests asked for" responses from WDW Guest Communications, the Disney Dining Experience group, and the F&W Festival Borg Planning Committee. I admitted defeat and welcomed the blissful numbing effects of the alcoholic brain freeze to come.

Resistance is futile. Sigh. I would have gone for strawberry if I was in the mood for it, though.

There's a reason we're not professional photographers ... actually there are many. But rather than dwell on our artistic shortcomings let us move forward towards a snackarino from India. Jay and I were both feeling a mite peckish (I love that word!!!) but were craving different things. He loves spicy food and things that still qualify as weird and scary in my book, and so was able to enjoy all by himself the wonder of this from India's F&W booth:

Samosa with Tamarind Sauce

In my slightly tipsy state that looks like a dessert ...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/404.jpg

So, what the heck is a samosa anyway? Jay said it was like eating a potato-stuffed dumpling with a sweet and sour spicy sauce. He actually told me that had I ordered a sauceless samosa I probably would have really enjoyed it. Meh ... I had other things on my mind and they did not include any kind of vegetable.

I have used the word "peckish". I enjoy the whole "Masterpiece Theater" vibe I get from using that word. LOL!

I liked the Samosa from the year before, but I was just not feeling like getting it this year. I was never quite "in the mood" for it, even though I know I'd probably like it again. And yes, it looks like dessert in disguise.

Drink #3 - Beck's Oktoberfest; Germany

Beer; is there anything it can't do?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/406.jpg

My snack crave was satisfied by the Sausage without Sauerkraut in a Pretzel Roll, enhanced by some spicy brown mustard. The CMs at Germany's F&W booth are always stunned when I order this without the sauerkraut. As far as I'm concerned why ruin a perfectly good sausage and pretzel with cabbage? This is one of my all-time favorite F&W treats in Germany and I love to wash it down with a good beer. Beck's Oktoberfest was not as good as Spaten Optimator but was still a tasty brew and neither Jay nor I wanted anything too heavy at this point in our adventure.

The extra sausage in this picture is my leg, thanks for asking...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/405.jpg

Sigh. I used to shy away from sauerkraut but enjoy it now. In small doses. I can imagine it does a number on your tummy, so I understand why you won't eat it. I still think Spaten Optimator sounds like a fine product of German automotive engineering and performance. :laughing:

Drink #4 - Shirakawago Sasanigori Ginjo Sake, Japan

Many posts and pages ago in a thread long-since locked I posted a review of Tokyo Dining where I mentioned this really good cloudy sake that Erica's husband ordered and let us try. It was terrific ... so tasty, in fact, that four days later we couldn't remember what it was called. When memory failed we asked the Sake Bar CM in Japan-Mart to choose one for us - so we tried the sake in the blue bottle.

It's funny ... the one we really wanted is the one we didn't try!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/410.jpg

Jay & sake
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/408.jpg

Jay & me & sake ...
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/409.jpg

My experiences with sake are limited. I tasted hot sake once at the Matsu No Ma Lounge (pre-Tokyo Dining, glad I didn't order the drink myself) and promptly called it "hot laundry water with a kick". I thought it was nasty. Then I did the sushi/sake food and wine festival pairing, where I did try cold sake in different styles, which I thought were much better than that nasty hot stuff. One of them was a cloudy, unfiltered sake that was had a name of fluffy white clouds or something. I thought it was the best of the bunch. I haven't had sake since.

There's one thing worth noting here - in years past when a guest purchased sake at this little bar it was served in a white plastic sake cup with purple flowers on one side and a sort of stylized Japanese wave-scape on the other side. Catch the right CM on the right day and she would write your name on the bottom of the cup in Japanese characters for free! Now if you'd like that cool little souvenir you get to pay extra for it on top of the charge for your sake.

How much?

More than a tacky little plastic cup is worth, that's for sure.

I had a green cup from a plum wine purchase there. But I wouldn't pay extra for it.

In case you're wondering about the sake, it was actually quite good. It's an unfiltered sake that is typically served chilled - it was light and rich and had a lovely fragrance.

Maybe I'll try another cloudy sake sometime.

Thus ends this first installment of Drinking Around the World ... our fifth drink would end up being five of them at Rose and Crown where we had scheduled a late afternoon lunch break. So stay tuned for a full blown review of lunch at Rose and Crown ... a very tasty, very beery interlude! :thumbsup2

Oh good!

Tink rules

02-17-2009, 01:43 AM

Lori... are you going to F&W and if what dates???

madameleota71

02-17-2009, 03:03 AM

Brenda,
It's been a while since I've checked out the Dis forums and your thread is the first one I always go to. As usual, I love your pictures and reviews...always entertaining! I've only been to Disney World once and I am determined to get back there this October :goodvibes! I really screwed up the first time and owe my niece a "make up" trip! Thanks to you I will at least know where to go to eat!

*KeepMovingForward*

02-17-2009, 07:34 AM

Love the latest report! Jay's Samosa description makes me very glad I skipped that little sucker. I can just picture the faces I'd be making if I had eaten it.

Sad to hear about the Fiesta Margarita changes too. That was always a drink that I'd stop to get...although this past F&W I was so torn up by the time we got to Mexico (this is what 1-2 drinks per booth by yourself will do) that I decided to skip it. I don't think I would have liked sour apple, especially if it were to cap off a day of extreme boozing. :scared:

LiteBrite

02-17-2009, 07:54 AM

Hiya Brenda :wave:

Tuesday, October 13th - To Boldly Go Where Everyone Else Has Already Gone ...

WARNING - DORK INTERLUDE COMING - I was just watching the pilot of Enterprise last night, where it shows a clip of Zephran Cochran giving his speech about how we were going to get to explore "these strange new worlds and new civilizations" and that we'd be "going where no man has gone before", so this title is a nice little piece of synchronicity for me this morning. :rotfl2: Ok, dork interlude over - carry on.

shanksamop (that's "thanks a lot" in non-drunk speak)

That reminds me of a children's book my daughter used to have, about a mouse dentist who is visited by a fox with a terrible toothache, who begs the mouse to work on his teeth and promises he won't eat him (which promise, of course, the fox never intends to keep). The mouse outwits him by gluing his teeth together when he's done fixing the fox up, leaving the fox only able to say "frankooberrymush" and go on his way. Obviously, shanksamop and frankooberrymush are distant cousins.

Drink #1: Rosa Regale, Italy

Pretty in pink
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/397.jpg

Here's to not working!
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/398.jpg

Ahhhh, an eight dollar plastic flute of sparkling red wine - a festive and nose tickling way to start off our drink-fest. I will be the first to admit that some years ago I was skeptical of this wine: sparkling ... sweet ... pink ... it didn't sound appealing at all. But then we had dinner at the Chef's Table and they served it to me with my cheese course. It was a revelation! A lovely sparkling red wine with dark pink bubbles, Rosa Regale smells a bit like raspberries and is lightly sweet without any of the gacky aftertaste so many sweet wines seem to leave.

I really want to try one of these! :yay:

As Jay and I wandered the World Showcase, slowly enjoying our frozen drinkie-poo, we stopped in China for a bit of a rest. The lily pond struck us both as especially purty ... it may have been the booze ... and we snapped two pictures while we could still remember how to use the camera.

Do you see a frog?
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l213/oybolshoi/October%202008/401.jpg

I just spent several early morning, bleary-eyed minutes looking for a frog in that picture. Is it there, or have I just provided you with a good laugh to start your day off?

TigerKat

02-17-2009, 08:01 AM

I knew we were in for a great review when it started with Rosa!:thumbsup2

KristinAnne

02-17-2009, 08:47 AM

I think I need to go out and get myself a bottle of the Rosa! Is it a problem that it's only 8:30 am? :rotfl2: Your days at Disney look so great...I'm jealous!

D&R love Disney

02-17-2009, 10:22 AM

Great way to start my day, looking at wonderful cocktails!
I thought Jay's Samosa was a dessert and I haven't been drinking LOL.

ChelleinNC

02-17-2009, 10:26 AM

I found Rosa at the grocery store wine section the other day. I've never had it, but it sounds good. Is $23 for a bottle normal, high or low? Ok, sorry back on topic :)

Rosa looks like a good start for the day! Cheers :goodvibes

They put da lime in the coconut...
:rotfl:
In my slightly tipsy state that looks like a dessert ...
agreed and I'm not even tipsy :upsidedow
The extra sausage in this picture is my leg, thanks for asking...
:lmao: for record, I never would've asked :hug:
I mentioned this really good cloudy sake that Erica's husband ordered and let us try. It was terrific I've only had sake that I liked once, and that was as a "sake-tini" sake & Chambord :thumbsup2 Everything tastes better with Chambord :yay:

looking forward to the next installment :goodvibes

Hedy

02-17-2009, 10:50 AM

Mmm...Booze.
As expirienced F&W goers, how many meal equivalents would recommend bookmarking as F&W days, rather than planning on an ADR or a CS?

AshClan

02-17-2009, 11:32 AM

Okay, I've been lurking on the Dining Review board for about a month now, and yours is hands down the BEST report. You are hysterical, and you and Jay certainly know how to chow down with the best of them. I am loving all the pictures and the great reviews. I do recall peeking at some of your other reviews prior to past trips, but have never read a complete one. I may have to go back now to read 'em all.

Thanks for the entertainment! (And for making me constantly hungry, thereby destroying my diet...) I am looking forward to the rest.....

cntkg1

02-17-2009, 01:45 PM

Again, I find myself craving something form the Jay and Bendy TR Pantry. :thumbsup2 That sausage in Germany made this close-to-non-meat-eating DISfriend drool a bit. ;) Add tons of sauerkraut to mine though. :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2 Is that sandwich offered during non F&W days B?

TinkerBelle_325

02-17-2009, 02:07 PM

[B][I]Version I aka Death by Drink: You must imbibe every alcoholic beverage available in the World Showcase, including all booze at the 26 F&W Booths scattered around the lagoon, in the course of one day.

After reminding the hubba that the point of this little escapade was to have fun, not alcohol poisoning, he went back to his desk and took up pen and paper a second time.

Version II aka Liver Transplant Needed Urgently: You must imbibe at every F&W booth and every official Epcot World Showcase country in the course of one day.

Sigh. Poor hubba ... thinking about drinking like we were still in our formative college years. This time I had to remind him that we didn't have the combined metabolism or liver enzymes to survive this secondary blitz approach.

It's not easy admitting that you're middle aged. :laughing:

Version III aka Live to Drink Another Day: You must imbibe at least one shared drink at every official World Showcase country in the course of one day.

Third time's a charm!

We were both surprised at how enjoyable the lime margarita actually was - a refreshing blend of sweet and sour it had a nicely balanced taste - probably because we requested a rimless drink ... no salt or sugar. We would definitely order this one again!

:lmao: I'm so tempted to try the Death by Drink...but slightly modified on my Sept 2009 Trip! I think its fitting to have sampled ALL F&W wines and beers & WS Drinks in 9 days....i can do it!....:scared1:

And a saltless margarita? :sad2: blasphemous! ;)

skellingtonfreak

02-17-2009, 02:45 PM

You are hysterical! I can't wait to hear about the rest of your drinking adventures for the day...that sake looked so good. I will have to try mees some of dat when I go next time!

DisneyMom5

02-17-2009, 02:58 PM

onelilspark

02-17-2009, 02:58 PM

Our past experience with Mexico's margarita stand was quite good - we always ordered the Fiesta margarita which used to be a tasty blend of lime, strawberry, kiwi, and mango. Rumors on the DIS alerted me pre-trip that one of the Disney Menu Mangling Team had worked their magic on Mexico and sour apple had since replaced lime in the Fiesta margarita.

Sour Apple?

Brenda: Blech!
Jason: Gack!

In case you didn't know, you can have them mix any of the flavors together. Since I can't have straight lime and strawberry is just OK, I ask them to mix strawberry and lime. It's delicious! (And leaves me migraine free :thumbsup2 )

And yes, I agree...who came up with a sour apple margarita?? :sick:

2xcited2sleep

02-17-2009, 07:48 PM

I think I may have to try to get some Rosa Regale for my Oscars celebration. Which consists of me, a bottle of something alcoholic and the tv. :lmao:

The first part of your drink around the world sounds so fun! I cannot wait to hear about lunch (& drinks) at Rose and Crown!

I hope our trips overlap some day. I think we'd get along just fine!! ;)

ibouncetoo

02-17-2009, 08:10 PM

I think I may have to try to get some Rosa Regale for my Oscars celebration. Which consists of me, a bottle of something alcoholic and the tv. :lmao:

Throw in some chocolate with that (or choclate dipped strawberries) and you won't regret it! :thumbsup2

There's a bottle of Rosa Regale and some dark hazelnut chocolate waiting for me at my sister's house....can't wait!

.

Tink rules

02-17-2009, 08:44 PM

I think I need to go out and get myself a bottle of the Rosa! Is it a problem that it's only 8:30 am? :rotfl2: Your days at Disney look so great...I'm jealous!

Anytime is a good time for Rosa...

Throw in some chocolate with that (or choclate dipped strawberries) and you won't regret it! :thumbsup2

There's a bottle of Rosa Regale and some dark hazelnut chocolate waiting for me at my sister's house....can't wait!

.

Dark Chocolate Jackie... :thumbsup2 & Peg's holding out on us with the bubbly??? She had better pack some for Sept... (if I decide to book it... :lmao: )

SmallWorld71

02-17-2009, 09:05 PM

Just got caught up.:)
I've only eaten at GFC once, back in 2007 for dinner, but we had good food and service.:thumbsup2

I was practically drooling over the alcohol pics, so much so that I had to go mix myself a nice drink. :drinking1

I'm never there during F&W time, but I do love the bratwurst with kraut that is served at the Germany CS; the bread is so soft and yummy....:lovestruc

oybolshoi

02-17-2009, 09:46 PM

Holy Hairball, Batman! Post some boozie reviews and suddenly everyone comes outta the woodwork! :lmao:

I love you guys, I really do! :grouphug:

MMMM....beer...:drinking1
Great installment! ......
(Cathy said as she is busy scribbling notes for 2009 F&WF)

Thanks so much - glad you enjoyed it. There will be much more F&W to come ... and other stuff, too.

You made me get up and go make myself a soft pretzel... :rotfl2:

I hope you had a beer with that pretzel young lady.

And a very good guest blog it was, too.

It was excellent, to quote Mr. Burns.

Yes, the third time is the charm. It's the difference between Drinking Around the World and Puking Around the World Showcase Lagoon. :scared:

Exactly.

What, Rose Regale without a chocolate chaser??? It seems I won't have it without chocolate, so I'm shocked and appalled to see it enjoyed without chocolate. It's just how I roll. ;)

We actually like Rosa all by itself, although I will admit that it tastes lovely with chocolate. We tried to avoid any food that was too sweet while making our booze attempt ... just doesn't mix well for us, especially in warm weather.

That looks awesome and refreshing. You can't go wrong with a classic 'Rita.

One of the best drinks of the day!

Lori: Egad!
That sounds nasty, like toe jam margarita.

I knew you'd understand.

Resistance is futile. Sigh. I would have gone for strawberry if I was in the mood for it, though.

Strawberry is just too sweet ... but I saw that someone else suggested mixing the lime with the strawberry and that could be pretty darn tasty.

I have used the word "peckish". I enjoy the whole "Masterpiece Theater" vibe I get from using that word. LOL!

Alastair Cookie, right? :lmao:

I liked the Samosa from the year before, but I was just not feeling like getting it this year. I was never quite "in the mood" for it, even though I know I'd probably like it again. And yes, it looks like dessert in disguise.

I keep looking at the picture and thinking it looks like a lopsided cream puff with melted chocolate sauce drizzled over the top.

Sigh. I used to shy away from sauerkraut but enjoy it now. In small doses. I can imagine it does a number on your tummy, so I understand why you won't eat it. I still think Spaten Optimator sounds like a fine product of German automotive engineering and performance. :laughing:

I wonder how my Passat would run if I used Spaten Optimator instead of gas?

My experiences with sake are limited. I tasted hot sake once at the Matsu No Ma Lounge (pre-Tokyo Dining, glad I didn't order the drink myself) and promptly called it "hot laundry water with a kick". I thought it was nasty. Then I did the sushi/sake food and wine festival pairing, where I did try cold sake in different styles, which I thought were much better than that nasty hot stuff. One of them was a cloudy, unfiltered sake that was had a name of fluffy white clouds or something. I thought it was the best of the bunch. I haven't had sake since.

I had a green cup from a plum wine purchase there. But I wouldn't pay extra for it.

Maybe I'll try another cloudy sake sometime.

The unfiltered sakes are really good, in our humble opinion. And we owe Erica's Lionel a big thanks for turning us on to them in the first place. We tried one over the holidays called Tozai Snow Maiden (pretty pink bottle) and it was tremendous! Be sure to drink it cold!!

Brenda,
It's been a while since I've checked out the Dis forums and your thread is the first one I always go to. As usual, I love your pictures and reviews...always entertaining! I've only been to Disney World once and I am determined to get back there this October :goodvibes! I really screwed up the first time and owe my niece a "make up" trip! Thanks to you I will at least know where to go to eat!

Hi there stranger! I'm glad you're still reading and enjoying our silliness - I hope you make it to WDW this October 'cause you'll have a fine old time with the F&W festival.

Love the latest report! Jay's Samosa description makes me very glad I skipped that little sucker. I can just picture the faces I'd be making if I had eaten it.

Sad to hear about the Fiesta Margarita changes too. That was always a drink that I'd stop to get...although this past F&W I was so torn up by the time we got to Mexico (this is what 1-2 drinks per booth by yourself will do) that I decided to skip it. I don't think I would have liked sour apple, especially if it were to cap off a day of extreme boozing. :scared:

Thanks for stopping by to take a read! I think after reading your last statement that you should be the one posting a drink-around-the-world story rather than me because it sounds like yours was waaaaay better than ours.

And sour apple alcoholic anything ... bleargh! :scared:

Hiya Brenda

WARNING - DORK INTERLUDE COMING - I was just watching the pilot of Enterprise last night, where it shows a clip of Zephran Cochran giving his speech about how we were going to get to explore "these strange new worlds and new civilizations" and that we'd be "going where no man has gone before", so this title is a nice little piece of synchronicity for me this morning. :rotfl2: Ok, dork interlude over - carry on.

LiteBrite! Nice to see you again! And thank you for the dork interlude because it was just perfect!

That reminds me of a children's book my daughter used to have, about a mouse dentist who is visited by a fox with a terrible toothache, who begs the mouse to work on his teeth and promises he won't eat him (which promise, of course, the fox never intends to keep). The mouse outwits him by gluing his teeth together when he's done fixing the fox up, leaving the fox only able to say "frankooberrymush" and go on his way. Obviously, shanksamop and frankooberrymush are distant cousins.

Franooberrymush sounds like a breakfast cereal that combines Count Chocula with Booooooberry ... perhaps an unhealthy hot breakfast mix similar to Cream of Wheat? :rotfl2:

I just spent several early morning, bleary-eyed minutes looking for a frog in that picture. Is it there, or have I just provided you with a good laugh to start your day off?

Poor you ... no, I don't think there was a frog in the picture. I only asked because it always seems like lily pads and frogs go together. I hope I didn't give you a headache.

I knew we were in for a great review when it started with Rosa!

Thanks very much ... hopefully the rest will be as enjoyable.

I think I need to go out and get myself a bottle of the Rosa! Is it a problem that it's only 8:30 am? :rotfl2: Your days at Disney look so great...I'm jealous!

Hi there! Thanks for reading and in answer to your question ... it's never too early for Rosa. It would taste great with some fresh fruit! We do have a lot of fun most of the time so I'm happy that comes through in the reviews ... makes it more enjoyable to share with everyone here.

Great way to start my day, looking at wonderful cocktails!
I thought Jay's Samosa was a dessert and I haven't been drinking LOL.

If only every day could start with cocktails, huh? And I'm so glad I'm not the only one who mistook Jay's samosa for desset! :laughing:

I found Rosa at the grocery store wine section the other day. I've never had it, but it sounds good. Is $23 for a bottle normal, high or low? Ok, sorry back on topic.

Rosa looks like a good start for the day!

We usually find a bottle of Rosa here in Stinktown anywhere between $20-$22 per bottle depending on which store we're at, so I'd say your place is about right.

agreed and I'm not even tipsy
:lmao: for record, I never would've asked
I've only had sake that I liked once, and that was as a "sake-tini" sake & Chambord :thumbsup2 Everything tastes better with Chambord.

looking forward to the next installment :goodvibes

Hooray ... another samosa dessert person! And I think sake and chambord probably tastes pretty darn good ... note to self ... try it sometime soon!

Thanks for reading!

Mmm...Booze.
As expirienced F&W goers, how many meal equivalents would recommend bookmarking as F&W days, rather than planning on an ADR or a CS?

Hi Hedy! Hmmmmm, we may be the wrong people to answer this question because we schedule a dinner ADR for nearly every night of our trips during F&W. We just break the food booths up into three or four late-morning / early-afternoon strolls around the WS so that we don't sample too much at once. You should ask that question on the Bendy thread, too (link's in the very first post on this thread) and see what kind of responses you get.

Okay, I've been lurking on the Dining Review board for about a month now, and yours is hands down the BEST report. You are hysterical, and you and Jay certainly know how to chow down with the best of them. I am loving all the pictures and the great reviews. I do recall peeking at some of your other reviews prior to past trips, but have never read a complete one. I may have to go back now to read 'em all.

Thanks for the entertainment! (And for making me constantly hungry, thereby destroying my diet...) I am looking forward to the rest.....

Thanks so much for your post - nothing like reading something so nice after coming home from an ugly day with the soulless dominions of finance! And I can't blame you at all if you never made it all the way through any of my previous review threads ... they do tend to get long. But I've gotten more user-friendly and computer savvy and post links to all completed reviews in the very first post of each thread to make it easier for people to just read the actual reviews if that's what they want. Sure saves time that way!

Thanks again for reading - I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far!

Again, I find myself craving something form the Jay and Bendy TR Pantry. That sausage in Germany made this close-to-non-meat-eating DISfriend drool a bit. Add tons of sauerkraut to mine though. Is that sandwich offered during non F&W days B?

Nancy! This food sample came from the actual F&W booth so you can't get this version any other time of year. BUT ... I think you can get something similar at the permanent Counter Service location in Germany any other time of year.

:lmao: I'm so tempted to try the Death by Drink...but slightly modified on my Sept 2009 Trip! I think its fitting to have sampled ALL F&W wines and beers & WS Drinks in 9 days....i can do it!....

And a saltless margarita? blasphemous! ;)

Actually over the course of an entire trip it would probably be very doable ... just be sure to stay hydrated! I'll be waiting for your reviews ... :thumbsup2

You are hysterical! I can't wait to hear about the rest of your drinking adventures for the day...that sake looked so good. I will have to try mees some of dat when I go next time!

Thanks so much - glad you enjoyed this installment. And the sake we tried was very good but the one next to it in the picture ... ozeki nigori ... that one is even better!

*KeepMovingForward*

02-17-2009, 10:05 PM

Thanks for stopping by to take a read! I think after reading your last statement that you should be the one posting a drink-around-the-world story rather than me because it sounds like yours was waaaaay better than ours.

And sour apple alcoholic anything ... bleargh! :scared:

Now if I posted my own review, people would start to suspect I was the type to be drinking out of a paper bag on the side. :rotfl: I don't know what it is about F&W because at home I drink 2-3 glasses of wine and I'm just about dancing on the tabletops (not for the faint of heart mind you). At Disney somehow my tolerance kicks way up, allowing me to booze myself beyond recognition, all the while walking a straight line, speaking intelligibly and maintaining my decorum-at least until I get back to my room. :rotfl2: My DH has blackmail worthy stories (and photos), which he was more than happy to share with Michelle & Steve (TheDISneyFamily) this past trip. :eek:

Now I think you and Jay have me with the hard liquor and mixing liquor tolerance. I recall your liquor foray at Raglan Road and I just thought to myself...wow...I'd be under the table at that point. Sangria, beer, more beer, whisky and scotch. :worship:

oybolshoi

02-17-2009, 10:43 PM

The Rosa looks good. I'm not a big wine fan, but what you describe is the kind of thing I do like.

Yum on the pretzel sausage thing. I too would have added sauerkraut. Don't blame you for not, though. It's an acquired taste.

You have been to R & C before, yes?
We're excited to (hopefully) be heading back there next fall.

Rosa is excellent ... I've yet to have anyone here in Stinktown try it who didn't like it. Of course, now that I read that sentence it perhaps doesn't sound like the ringing endorsement it should be, but it's good ... really!

We've been to R&C many times for dinner but never for late lunch ... either way we always have a good time there and this day was no exception!

In case you didn't know, you can have them mix any of the flavors together. Since I can't have straight lime and strawberry is just OK, I ask them to mix strawberry and lime. It's delicious! (And leaves me migraine free :thumbsup2 )

And yes, I agree...who came up with a sour apple margarita?? :sick:

I didn't know that but I've filed it away for future reference. Strawberry and lime actually does sound pretty tasty!

I think I may have to try to get some Rosa Regale for my Oscars celebration. Which consists of me, a bottle of something alcoholic and the tv. :lmao:

The first part of your drink around the world sounds so fun! I cannot wait to hear about lunch (& drinks) at Rose and Crown!

I hope our trips overlap some day. I think we'd get along just fine!! ;)

I don't know any other way to watch the Oscars than with booze (otherwise it's too dull). It's a fine beverage and I think you'd really enjoy it!

We did have fun and we had a blast at Rose & Crown, too ... hope to have that posted in a few more days.

If you ever see us be sure to say hello ... we're usually pretty friendly except when we're not. ;) :lmao:

Throw in some chocolate with that (or choclate dipped strawberries) and you won't regret it! :thumbsup2

There's a bottle of Rosa Regale and some dark hazelnut chocolate waiting for me at my sister's house....can't wait!

.

Yum yum yum!!!

Just got caught up.:)
I've only eaten at GFC once, back in 2007 for dinner, but we had good food and service.:thumbsup2

I was practically drooling over the alcohol pics, so much so that I had to go mix myself a nice drink. :drinking1

I'm never there during F&W time, but I do love the bratwurst with kraut that is served at the Germany CS; the bread is so soft and yummy....:lovestruc

Nice to see you here ... it's been a while since you've posted. :goodvibes

Are you going to tell us what you're drinking? ;)

Now if I posted my own review, people would start to suspect I was the type to be drinking out of a paper bag on the side. :rotfl: I don't know what it is about F&W because at home I drink 2-3 glasses of wine and I'm just about dancing on the tabletops (not for the faint of heart mind you). At Disney somehow my tolerance kicks way up, allowing me to booze myself beyond recognition, all the while walking a straight line, speaking intelligibly and maintaining my decorum-at least until I get back to my room. :rotfl2: My DH has blackmail worthy stories (and photos), which he was more than happy to share with Michelle & Steve (TheDISneyFamily) this past trip. :eek:

:rotfl2: I'm the same way ... my alcohol tolerance goes waaaay up on vacation. I wonder if it's just the frame of mind? Or being more rested? Or just not caring what happens after the next drink? :lmao:

Now I think you and Jay have me with the hard liquor and mixing liquor tolerance. I recall your liquor foray at Raglan Road and I just thought to myself...wow...I'd be under the table at that point. Sangria, beer, more beer, whisky and scotch. :worship:

I don't know what it is about Raglan Road that allows us to mix like that and get away with it. Our waitress was right ... we should have toppled over when we got up to leave that night but somehow we managed to skip through Downtown Disney and not trip on each other or anyone else. :lmao:

Tink rules

02-18-2009, 03:42 AM

Holy Hairball, Batman! Post some boozie reviews and suddenly everyone comes outta the woodwork! :lmao:

I love you guys, I really do! :grouphug:

Thanks so much - glad you enjoyed it. There will be much more F&W to come ... and other stuff, too.

I hope you had a beer with that pretzel young lady.

It was excellent, to quote Mr. Burns.

Exactly.

We actually like Rosa all by itself, although I will admit that it tastes lovely with chocolate. We tried to avoid any food that was too sweet while making our booze attempt ... just doesn't mix well for us, especially in warm weather.

One of the best drinks of the day!

I knew you'd understand.

Strawberry is just too sweet ... but I saw that someone else suggested mixing the lime with the strawberry and that could be pretty darn tasty.

Alastair Cookie, right? :lmao:

I keep looking at the picture and thinking it looks like a lopsided cream puff with melted chocolate sauce drizzled over the top.

I wonder how my Passat would run if I used Spaten Optimator instead of gas?

The unfiltered sakes are really good, in our humble opinion. And we owe Erica's Lionel a big thanks for turning us on to them in the first place. We tried one over the holidays called Tozai Snow Maiden (pretty pink bottle) and it was tremendous! Be sure to drink it cold!!

Hi there stranger! I'm glad you're still reading and enjoying our silliness - I hope you make it to WDW this October 'cause you'll have a fine old time with the F&W festival.

Thanks for stopping by to take a read! I think after reading your last statement that you should be the one posting a drink-around-the-world story rather than me because it sounds like yours was waaaaay better than ours.

And sour apple alcoholic anything ... bleargh! :scared:

LiteBrite! Nice to see you again! And thank you for the dork interlude because it was just perfect!

Franooberrymush sounds like a breakfast cereal that combines Count Chocula with Booooooberry ... perhaps an unhealthy hot breakfast mix similar to Cream of Wheat? :rotfl2:

Poor you ... no, I don't think there was a frog in the picture. I only asked because it always seems like lily pads and frogs go together. I hope I didn't give you a headache.

Thanks very much ... hopefully the rest will be as enjoyable.

Hi there! Thanks for reading and in answer to your question ... it's never too early for Rosa. It would taste great with some fresh fruit! We do have a lot of fun most of the time so I'm happy that comes through in the reviews ... makes it more enjoyable to share with everyone here.

If only every day could start with cocktails, huh? And I'm so glad I'm not the only one who mistook Jay's samosa for desset! :laughing:

We usually find a bottle of Rosa here in Stinktown anywhere between $20-$22 per bottle depending on which store we're at, so I'd say your place is about right.

Hooray ... another samosa dessert person! And I think sake and chambord probably tastes pretty darn good ... note to self ... try it sometime soon!

Thanks for reading!

Hi Hedy! Hmmmmm, we may be the wrong people to answer this question because we schedule a dinner ADR for nearly every night of our trips during F&W. We just break the food booths up into three or four late-morning / early-afternoon strolls around the WS so that we don't sample too much at once. You should ask that question on the Bendy thread, too (link's in the very first post on this thread) and see what kind of responses you get.

Thanks so much for your post - nothing like reading something so nice after coming home from an ugly day with the soulless dominions of finance! And I can't blame you at all if you never made it all the way through any of my previous review threads ... they do tend to get long. But I've gotten more user-friendly and computer savvy and post links to all completed reviews in the very first post of each thread to make it easier for people to just read the actual reviews if that's what they want. Sure saves time that way!

Thanks again for reading - I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far!

Nancy! This food sample came from the actual F&W booth so you can't get this version any other time of year. BUT ... I think you can get something similar at the permanent Counter Service location in Germany any other time of year.

Actually over the course of an entire trip it would probably be very doable ... just be sure to stay hydrated! I'll be waiting for your reviews ... :thumbsup2

Thanks so much - glad you enjoyed this installment. And the sake we tried was very good but the one next to it in the picture ... ozeki nigori ... that one is even better!

Ummmmm Bendy... I think you just broke the record for the most multi posts in one response... :worship: :worship: I counted between 26 & 28 but I get dizzy with all that scrolling down... :faint:

Ok... so... we don't come out of the woodwork... we stalk you out in the open...

& I should have had a beer... maybe would have kept me from taking the clonaprin to go to sleep...

YOU keep drinking Rosa in warm weather in Fl... that's why you can't have chocolate with it... why chance tipping the glass while your sucking the chocolate off your fingers???

we miss Allistair Cook greatly... He died didn't he???

Lime and Strawberry would be good...

I thought Mashed Potatoes rather than a cream puff...

Franooberrymush was actually the name of Jay's breakie at GFC...

I could have SWORN there was a frog in the picture... and STARED at the photo for quite a while until I did see one... :rolleyes1