Deluxe Dining Plan All-Male Revue...er, we mean Review **Updated w/Tutto Italia 7/6

[MuppetGuySF]

So, I am a huge fan of reading dining reviews. Just love it. But I notice that almost all of those writing dining reviews are people with families, or honeymooning couples, so I decided that it's time for the men to sneak into this trend.

So here's the story, we're two single guys who are Disney geeks at heart (and mind!) who are totally stoked (can you tell I'm from Northern California?) to be on the DELUXE dining plan. We both LOVE to eat, and in particular, love eating good food. So I think perhaps this report will have a slightly different angle than other trip reports, what with the whole all-male perspectives...I'm hoping it will keep everyone interested as much as the rest of your reports have kept me incessantly reading every last word!

Let me assure you there will be A LOT of eating on this trip. None of this, "Oh we were too stuffed to order dessert." None of this, "We ended up with so many extra credits at the end of our trip." This is pedal-to-the-medal, full-speed-ahead, dining extravaganza. Hope ya like it!

Here's a little bit about us. In classic DISboard Dining Report fashion, we've chosen Disney character names for ourselves. Another unique element of this review will be hearing from each of us in our own words. I'll be writing in the standard color and he'll be writing in RED

Me: Evinrude (definitely earn bonus points in my book if you immediately know who that is!!:cool1:) I'm 35, grew up in Northern California, so I was a Disneyland kid growing up. Went there several times with the family growing up, also went with friends in high school and throughout college. Lately, I've been chaperoning trips annually for 7th and 8th graders to the Land and DCA. Been to Disney World twice before, but neither were well-planned trips. More like quick jaunts without knowing the art of really planning for a WDW trip. Only have been to 3 table service restaurants total! I have a broad taste for food. I love fine dining, but am also totally a fan of some chain restaurants (Chili's is at the top of my list! Fajitas!...YUMMY!) I love seafood and chicken, and tend to love fried foods (I know, I know...it's so bad for me, but I can start the diet when I get back, right?) I wouldn't call myself especially adventurous with new flavors and foods, but I'm trying to break out of that shell. I'm not one to make a fuss at a restaurant, but occasionally speak my mind if I don't get what I ordered! My biggest peeve? My entree arriving while I'm still eating my appetizer. Argh!

Langbein (I don't even think we could come up with a prize big enough for you if you get this reference) is a 24-year old with a self-described huge ego and even bigger stomach. I've been to Disney more times then I can count, primarily as a kid. My brother ("DB" for all you board veterans out there) and I used to visit each year with my grandparents, from the time that I was 3 or 4 up through my 15th birthday or so. Those trips typically consisted of a stay at the Grand Hyatt, the Marriott World Center, or the Dolphin/Swan complex. After that streak ended, I visited The World twice more - once with the sleepaway camp I attended and once two years ago with family. Both times we stayed offsite.

I'm extremely excited to be staying onsite for the first time, and can't wait to sample all of the delicious food on our deluxe dining plan of deliciousness. When it comes to food tastes, I'm pretty flexible - always willing to try anything plated before me and working hard to get as much into me as possible. It's no wonder I gained so much weight in college!

I consider myself to have a fairly good palate and know good food when I taste it. We've made our dining decisions based on a few criteria:
1) DISBoards Dining Review Pictures - if it looks good in your pictures, we want to try it!
2) Reviews all over the web - we're pretty trusting of other people's opinions. If you've said it isn't any good, we probably aren't going there
3) Cost (this one might be just me, not Evinrude) - with the DDP costing a sizeable chunk of change, I'm down to get the best value possible out of each meal. That may or may not mean that I'll be ordering the most expensive things on the menu (assuming I like them) each time. Hey, a guy can try to get a good value, can't he?

Looking forward to keeping you all in the loop on this culinary tour de' Disney. Stay tuned!


So here's our plan:

June 7 (Arrival Day) Evinrude gets in at 6:15 AM and Langbein arrives at 11:00 AM. Evinrude's probably gonna have to eat SOMETHING for breakfast, but not sure where yet. Oh, btw, we're staying at AKL.

Park: Animal Kingdom
Lunch: Yak & Yeti (page 9, #127)
Dinner: Jiko (page 11, #161)

June 8
Park: Epcot
Breakfast: Probably use some snack credits at Mara.
Lunch: Tutto Italia (page 12, #172)
Dinner: Le Cellier

June 9
Park: Disney Hollywood Studios
Breakfast: Boma
Lunch: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
Dinner: Brown Derby

June 10
Park: Magic Kingdom
Breakfast: Not sure, maybe snack credits somewhere
Lunch: Plaza Restaurant
Dinner: Hoop-De-Doo Revue

June 11
Backstage Magic Tour (We're SUPER excited about this!), and the rest of the day at Epcot
Lunch: Whispering Canyon Cafe (included on the tour)
Dinner: Teppan Edo

June 12
Park: Probably more Animal Kingdom; possibly golfing at Fantasia Gardens
Breakfast: Spoodles
Lunch: Beaches and Cream
Dinner: Flying Fish

June 13
Park: Magic Kingdom
Breakfast: Crystal Palace
Lunch: Grand Floridian Cafe
Dinner: Tony's

June 14
Park: Who knows?
Breakfast: Kona Cafe
Lunch: Chefs de France
Dinner: Narcoosee's

June 15
We'll be around for Breakfast and Lunch, but no plans yet

So whatta ya think? We are PSYCHED!!!

[Locodanny]

Hello one and all,

Just to make the connection: this is the one and only Langbein. Occasionally we may be posting from my username on here (with the same specifications as mentioned above: me in red and Evinrude in standard). Just an FYI.

Back to your normally scheduled Disney Dining Report reading...

[yakkin' yeti]

Hi! Your line-up sounds great. Have a wonderful trip!

Mostly I lurk, but I had to pop in to say you've totally stumped me with Langbein. Evinrude is a classic -- how do you not love the hardest-working dragonfly in animation? But yeah, no clue on the other one. It sounds Scandinavian. Any clues?

[MickeyNicki]

You guys are great! I cannot wait to hear all about it and find more wonderful things to eat!! We will be there the week before you guys so I will try and leave some food behind :lmao:

Have a great trip and take lots of pictures

[KatMark]

Oh, this is going to be fun. I can't wait! :)

[MJAJmom]

Hey Guys,
Sounds like a great trip coming up. We'll be there the same time as you (june 5-14) and trying out the Deluxe Dining Plan for the first time. We'll be trying out several of the places you have listed. Can't wait to hear your comments after the trip. Have a wonderful time!

[TuckandStuiesMom]

Totally looking forward to it.:goodvibes

[muppetmom]

Goofy? in Norwegian or Swedish?

[Tickanee]

Hey Guys! Sounds great. Can't wait to hear about your food adventures. :yay:

[Magic2000]

Hey guys! We'll also be there the same time as you - June 6-13 at Yacht Club and June 13-20 at CSR! We're on the deluxe plan the first week, and the regular plan the second. I don't want to think it'll be too much food - and I LOVE desserts! I will highly recommend the creme brulee at LeCellier!

We're eating at many of the same places as yall are - Yak & Yeti (it is SO GOOD!), LeCellier, Sci Fi, Brown Derby, Plaza, Whispering Canyon, Kona Cafe, Chefs de France, Narcoose's, and Beaches & Cream (we're eating here several times since its my DD's favorite!!)!! We've eaten at Jiko before - it is great! We've also eaten at Grand Floridian Cafe for breakfast and lunch - nice atmosphere and good food! We've done the Hoop De Doo several times and we've always enjoyed it!!!

Can't wait to read your reviews when yall get back - I'll be anxious to see if yall think it was "too much food" after all!!! Have a GREAT trip!!!

[disneygirlinnj]

Totally subscribing! You guys seem like my type of men..haha! I'm with you about all the other trip reports being families, honeymooners, etc. I don't mind them but it's nice to see you guys over here. Definitely want to hear your reviews from another fellow foodie!

[MelanieC]

Can't wait - is it June yet :)

[jenn&nelsonrego]

popcorn::

[ljcrochet]

Can't wait to read your reviews.

[Illuminations_Rocks]

Goofy? in Norwegian or Swedish?

another Google master, I see!

I'm in men! Sounds like a good one...

[jeminni]

I'm in. :goodvibes

[mmorrison]

We are going to have overlapping trips! My husband and I are going to be in AKL June 7-12th. If we have any left over dessert, or snack credit we will know where to send it... we are wimps! Just kidding! :)

Your Cavalier is PRECIOUS!!! I have a Blenheim boy. :)

We are going to several of the same restaurants I wonder if our experiences will be different or the same...

What time are you eating at Jiko? I think we are eating there the same day....

[MuppetGuySF]

Hi! Your line-up sounds great. Have a wonderful trip!

Mostly I lurk, but I had to pop in to say you've totally stumped me with Langbein. Evinrude is a classic -- how do you not love the hardest-working dragonfly in animation? But yeah, no clue on the other one. It sounds Scandinavian. Any clues?

Thanks for your well wishes! I'm so glad that you remember Evinrude. I just love that guy! I was definitely of the Pete's Dragon - Rescuers - Fox and the Hound generation of Disney films. Just love 'em.

You guys are great! I cannot wait to hear all about it and find more wonderful things to eat!! We will be there the week before you guys so I will try and leave some food behind :lmao:

Have a great trip and take lots of pictures

Yeah...eat well, but leave a few crumbs behind for us. :rotfl:

Oh, this is going to be fun. I can't wait! :)

Neither can we!

Hey Guys,
Sounds like a great trip coming up. We'll be there the same time as you (june 5-14) and trying out the Deluxe Dining Plan for the first time. We'll be trying out several of the places you have listed. Can't wait to hear your comments after the trip. Have a wonderful time!

Cool! More Deluxe Dining Plan virgins! Where are you staying? Are we gonna be at any of the same restaurants at the same time??? Have a great trip.

Totally looking forward to it.:goodvibes

Hey Guys! Sounds great. Can't wait to hear about your food adventures. :yay:

Can't wait to read your reviews.

another Google master, I see!

I'm in men! Sounds like a good one...


Awww y'all....thanks for signing on!

Hey guys! We'll also be there the same time as you - June 6-13 at Yacht Club and June 13-20 at CSR! We're on the deluxe plan the first week, and the regular plan the second. I don't want to think it'll be too much food - and I LOVE desserts! I will highly recommend the creme brulee at LeCellier!

We're eating at many of the same places as yall are - Yak & Yeti (it is SO GOOD!), LeCellier, Sci Fi, Brown Derby, Plaza, Whispering Canyon, Kona Cafe, Chefs de France, Narcoose's, and Beaches & Cream (we're eating here several times since its my DD's favorite!!)!! We've eaten at Jiko before - it is great! We've also eaten at Grand Floridian Cafe for breakfast and lunch - nice atmosphere and good food! We've done the Hoop De Doo several times and we've always enjoyed it!!!

Can't wait to read your reviews when yall get back - I'll be anxious to see if yall think it was "too much food" after all!!! Have a GREAT trip!!!

Cool...maybe we'll see you 'round the world! You gonna be at any of the same restaurants at the same time? Thanks for the creme brulee recommendation!

Can't wait - is it June yet :)

Oh honey, I wish!

[MuppetGuySF]

I'm in. :goodvibes

Sweet Bridget....can't wait to share!

We are going to have overlapping trips! My husband and I are going to be in AKL June 7-12th. If we have any left over dessert, or snack credit we will know where to send it... we are wimps! Just kidding! :)

Your Cavalier is PRECIOUS!!! I have a Blenheim boy. :)

We are going to several of the same restaurants I wonder if our experiences will be different or the same...

What time are you eating at Jiko? I think we are eating there the same day....

Wow...how cool that we'll be there at the same time. Maybe we'll be neighbors! So fun to hear that you're a Cavalier lover too. Aren't they the best?!?! I bet your Blenheim is super cute too. My pooch is just the happiest, cutest, so full of love, and so playful. Such a great breed.

Hey we're gonna be at Jiko at 8:35 PM. Will we see you there? Sure hope so!:yay:

[Locodanny]

Totally subscribing! You guys seem like my type of men..haha! I'm with you about all the other trip reports being families, honeymooners, etc. I don't mind them but it's nice to see you guys over here. Definitely want to hear your reviews from another fellow foodie!

DisneyGirlInNJ - you're totally my kind of girl! Primarily because you're from NJ. So am I! What part? I'm in the northeast - near Short Hills, Livingston, etc. Northern California definitely isn't the same, but it's a decent substitute.

Goofy? in Norwegian or Swedish?

DING DING DING! We have a winner! MuppetMom - I'm proud. I picked the name because I was always called Goofy by my mom growing up, but didn't want to be so easy. And Langbein is remarkably similar to my last name (well, sort of). So it just fit. I'm not Norwegian, Swedish, or anything like that.

Thanks for the posts - keep checking back!

[BriarRosie]

Heh, I don't fit into the family or couple mode, either. You guys might inspire me to title my next food report something about single ladies. "If you liked it then you should have put a fork in it..." Nah. :laughing:

I totally was with you on the outboard dragonfly reference, but the Langbein thing stumped me. I didn't Google. :)

I'll be reading.

[muppetmom]

I didn't google it...we have a norwegian/swedish boy on my son's soccer team. I have heard them use the word (in a nice way). I had no idea how to spell it. I have also learned some french, spanish and german words along the way. Some I can repeat and some I can't! I should have used soccermon as my login instead of muppetmom....but I like the muppets better!

[disneygirlinnj]

[QUOTE=Locodanny;32018611]DisneyGirlInNJ - you're totally my kind of girl! Primarily because you're from NJ. So am I! What part? I'm in the northeast - near Short Hills, Livingston, etc. Northern California definitely isn't the same, but it's a decent substitute.

I'm in the same area.. Bergen County for me over in Hackensack. I don't think I'd mind Southern Cali either...definitely a good substitute. At least I hear that the food over there is also pretty impressive, haha!

[MuppetGuySF]

Heh, I don't fit into the family or couple mode, either. You guys might inspire me to title my next food report something about single ladies. "If you liked it then you should have put a fork in it..." Nah. :laughing:

I totally was with you on the outboard dragonfly reference, but the Langbein thing stumped me. I didn't Google. :)

I'll be reading.

Ha! I like your sense of humor! So glad you're on board. I just finished reading your most recent V & A review. Wow...sounds SO awesome.

I didn't google it...we have a norwegian/swedish boy on my son's soccer team. I have heard them use the word (in a nice way). I had no idea how to spell it. I have also learned some french, spanish and german words along the way. Some I can repeat and some I can't! I should have used soccermon as my login instead of muppetmom....but I like the muppets better!

Gotta love the muppets! And gotta love someone who uses the muppets in their screen name :banana: Which muppet is your favorite?

[kabuki]

I'm in! Love the name - love the humor and fellow west coast people! Gotta Love that! :thumbsup2

[BriarRosie]

Ha! I like your sense of humor! So glad you're on board. I just finished reading your most recent V & A review. Wow...sounds SO awesome.


Well, thanks! I forgot to ask...

Are you going to include food porn? Please? :flower3:

[TigerKat]

Yes, we need to know if porn is included? This should be fun.....:rotfl:

[RainbowWit]

Awesome! I'm deffinately in!

[Locodanny]

Well, thanks! I forgot to ask...

Are you going to include food porn? Please? :flower3:

Yes, we need to know if porn is included? This should be fun.....:rotfl:

Have no fear. We will, without a doubt, be including some (read: a lot of!) food porn!

[TigerKat]

Have no fear. We will, without a doubt, be including some (read: a lot of!) food porn!

:yay:

[Kitri]

Have a great trip! I'm also from NorCal, and I'm totally stoked about reading your reviews! ;)

[MuppetGuySF]

Yes, we need to know if porn is included? This should be fun.....:rotfl:

Um...we are two guys, so of course there'll be porn...OOOOHHHH, you mean food porn (hee hee hee)...totally. Lots and lots of pics.

[TigerKat]

Um...we are two guys, so of course there'll be porn...OOOOHHHH, you mean food porn (hee hee hee)...totally. Lots and lots of pics.

:lmao: Oh boy, you two are gonna be lots of fun....;)

[kimgof]

sounds like its gonna be a great report! Enjoy your trip guys!:goodvibes

[oybolshoi]

Great food itinerary?

check.

Good sense of humor?

check.

Oodles of food porn forthcoming?

check.


Looking forward to reading and drooling --- hope you have a great trip and many terrific meals! :thumbsup2

[jeminni]

Um...we are two guys, so of course there'll be porn...OOOOHHHH, you mean food porn (hee hee hee)...totally. Lots and lots of pics.

Woo porn, err food porn. :rotfl: Looking forward to both of your reviews. :goodvibes

[DonaldTDuck]

Okay, I'm in. If you want to read my all-male trippie, click the link in my siggie. It's from my trip with 3 buddies in September '07. Lots of meal reporting in it, but sorry, no food porn.

[BriarRosie]

Have no fear. We will, without a doubt, be including some (read: a lot of!) food porn!

Um...we are two guys, so of course there'll be porn...OOOOHHHH, you mean food porn (hee hee hee)...totally. Lots and lots of pics.

:banana: Woohoo! Ok. I know at least Kathy, Brenda and I will be quite happy about the food porn promises! I'm sure everyone else will, too. :banana:

[Miss_Mouse]

I typcially tend to lurk on the review threads, but I had to come out of the woodwork for this one! I'm already thoroughly entertained and y'all haven't even left yet!

I'm totally looking forward to your reviews and definitely the food porn - woohoo! Hope you both have a terrific trip.

[Locodanny]

I'm in! Love the name - love the humor and fellow west coast people! Gotta Love that! :thumbsup2

Well thanks, kabuki. Whereabouts in the west are ya? You think this is humor? Just wait... :cool1:

Have a great trip! I'm also from NorCal, and I'm totally stoked about reading your reviews! ;)
Wooo NorCal! I've only been here a year but love it already. Whereabouts are ya from?

Um...we are two guys, so of course there'll be porn...OOOOHHHH, you mean food porn (hee hee hee)...totally. Lots and lots of pics.
OK, so evinrude did what I thought was inappropriate on these boards... mention porn. Oh well - guess he's ballsier than me. Or is he? Coming up next on the All Male Dining Review... Evinrude vs. Langbein in an all-out manliness challenge!

Great food itinerary?
check.
Good sense of humor?
check.
Oodles of food porn forthcoming?
check.

Looking forward to reading and drooling --- hope you have a great trip and many terrific meals! :thumbsup2

Funny story: Evinrude and I are not only friends, but we work together, too. We've been talking about this trip with some other coworkers for quite some time, and at this point they're so sick of hearing about it (I can't understand why) that they just roll their eyes and laugh whenever we mention it. So we decided yesterday to fill each of their calendars with all of our ADRs and to set alarms to go off for each one. Nothin' like office practical jokes!

Woo porn, err food porn. :rotfl: Looking forward to both of your reviews. :goodvibes
I can get ya' both if you'd like, jemini!:rolleyes1

Okay, I'm in. If you want to read my all-male trippie, click the link in my siggie. It's from my trip with 3 buddies in September '07. Lots of meal reporting in it, but sorry, no food porn.
A Southern Boy takes on Disney with some friends - a fun read, DonaldTDuck!

I typcially tend to lurk on the review threads, but I had to come out of the woodwork for this one! I'm already thoroughly entertained and y'all haven't even left yet!

I'm totally looking forward to your reviews and definitely the food porn - woohoo! Hope you both have a terrific trip.
Well thanks for coming out of the woodwork for us, Miss_Mouse! It's going to be a fun report and we look forward to hearing your comments as we go. Just as long as they're funny. And AWESOME! :hippie::clown::rockband::dancer:party: ...and I'm done with smilies!

[Stormhawk]

Hmm, food porn and all out contests of manliness... I see the No Way Jose being used as Disney never envisioned :banana: :scared1: :thumbsup2

Really looking forward to the reveiws!

[Shir Kahn]

Ok, I'm here for Food Porn! I want pictures of everything! Can't wait! :cloud9:

[cnorth]

I'm in... The funny part is that you boys have our exact same first day, just one day earlier. :thumbsup2 Have a great time, the DxDDP is fabulous

[kabuki]

We are in San Diego but are up in your area all the time.. I mean Food and Wine Hub come on! :confused3 !!!

Can't wait for the report! :flower3:

[BriarRosie]

OK, so evinrude did what I thought was inappropriate on these boards... mention porn. Oh well - guess he's ballsier than me. Or is he? Coming up next on the All Male Dining Review... Evinrude vs. Langbein in an all-out manliness challenge!


Feats of Strength! I can picture it now, both of you trying to pull that sword out of that stone in front of the carousel. Good luck to you both. :p

[Locodanny]

Feats of Strength! I can picture it now, both of you trying to pull that sword out of that stone in front of the carousel. Good luck to you both. :p

You read my mind! That, and I was thinking... anyone ever watch Man vs. Food? How about the "Goofy's Candy Company Make Your Own Challenge." Whoever eats the most make your own creations wins? We do have a lot of snack credits to use...!:lmao:

[MuppetGuySF]

I typcially tend to lurk on the review threads, but I had to come out of the woodwork for this one! I'm already thoroughly entertained and y'all haven't even left yet!

Way to come out of the woodwork! Converting one lurker at a time...

Ok, I'm here for Food Porn! I want pictures of everything! Can't wait! :cloud9:

You got it!

I'm in... The funny part is that you boys have our exact same first day, just one day earlier. :thumbsup2 Have a great time, the DxDDP is fabulous

Same first day, huh? Very nice. It's all so Animal Kingdom-y! :simba: Glad you highly recommend the DxDDP. I just love the idea of all that great eating. And psychologically, there's something nice about having paid for it already and just showing up and chowing down!

We are in San Diego but are up in your area all the time.. I mean Food and Wine Hub come on! :confused3 !!!

Can't wait for the report! :flower3:

Love Love LOVE San Diego! You are quite lucky to live in such a kickin' place!

I can't wait either! So soon, my friend...so soon.

[onelilspark]

Funny story: Evinrude and I are not only friends, but we work together, too. We've been talking about this trip with some other coworkers for quite some time, and at this point they're so sick of hearing about it (I can't understand why) that they just roll their eyes and laugh whenever we mention it. So we decided yesterday to fill each of their calendars with all of our ADRs and to set alarms to go off for each one. Nothin' like office practical jokes!




:rotfl: I'm in.

[Flossbolna]

Oh this is already very entertaining before you got to eat any Disney food! I am really looking forward to the reviews you will bring back! :goodvibes Love the idea of letting your co-workers know everytime you are about to have a wonderful meal! :rotfl:

And while I did not know which character Langbein was (besides that in German it is colloquial for mosquitos), I can offer a translation of the name into English: long leg - I guess you are a tall guy then? :goodvibes

[Locodanny]

Oh this is already very entertaining before you got to eat any Disney food! I am really looking forward to the reviews you will bring back! :goodvibes Love the idea of letting your co-workers know everytime you are about to have a wonderful meal! :rotfl:

And while I did not know which character Langbein was (besides that in German it is colloquial for mosquitos), I can offer a translation of the name into English: long leg - I guess you are a tall guy then? :goodvibes

Wow - Langbein is turning out to have so many meanings - all of which apply to me perfectly! I am pretty tall! And some people do think of me like a mosquito - always there to annoy...:confused3 (Just kidding!)

[Tinkerbell10403]

How exciting!!! Hope you guys have fun!

[A&A'sGrammy]

OMG, you guys are cracking me up. :rotfl2:

This is going to be so fun. I usually try to subscribe to finished (or almost) reports but I couldn't resist this one. I'm sure your guys are a blast to work with!!!

I can't wait! Well, you two must be vibrating with excitment....it's getting so close!

[D&R love Disney]

I am so in! Looks like we are in for a fun and food filled report :worship:

[rodeo65]

Looking forward to reading your review. I love your funny, well written posts!!! I may have to wait until we get home though, since we'll be heading out three days after your trip ends. Unless you'll be writing your report the very SECOND you get home. :rolleyes1

Yikes, that means I'll have to wait until mid July to read about all the yummy food we will be trying just after you. :sad2:

[Lizziejane]

oh, I'm definitely along for this one!!

I'm eager to see if in fact the deluxe plan IS too much food for two guys who are determined that there's no such thing as too much food. I'm trying to decide between regular and deluxe dining in January because my two sons can eat the hind legs off a donkey and still claim to be hungry. I'm thinking there is in fact, such a thing as too much food.

So....no pressure or anything...but you guys are kinda the decision maker for me... can't wait to read those reviews!!

[SereneOne]

signing up!:yay:

[MA pigletfan]

I am IN!!!!!
That sounds like a whole like of eating boys!!
And as for the Goofy Create your Own treat challenge..that is one i would love to be in!

[MuppetGuySF]

Looking forward to reading and drooling --- hope you have a great trip and many terrific meals! :thumbsup2

Drooling, huh? Well, sister, break out the Saran Wrap, and cover your keyboard, because once you read our report and see our pics, you are gonna salivate like a mad dog.

How exciting!!! Hope you guys have fun!

Oh, not to worry, Tink'...we will have fun!

OMG, you guys are cracking me up. :rotfl2:

This is going to be so fun. I usually try to subscribe to finished (or almost) reports but I couldn't resist this one. I'm sure your guys are a blast to work with!!!

I can't wait! Well, you two must be vibrating with excitment....it's getting so close!

Well, a blast to work with? We sure think so!!! I think some of our co-workers might beg to differ. We just can NOT stop talking about Disneyworld and our ADR's that I think the real vacation is going to be for them once we're gone!

Looking forward to reading your review. I love your funny, well written posts!!! I may have to wait until we get home though, since we'll be heading out three days after your trip ends. Unless you'll be writing your report the very SECOND you get home. :rolleyes1

Yikes, that means I'll have to wait until mid July to read about all the yummy food we will be trying just after you. :sad2:

Well, I'm not making any promises, but we will do our best to get those pics out ASAP. We don't wanna let you down!

oh, I'm definitely along for this one!!

I'm eager to see if in fact the deluxe plan IS too much food for two guys who are determined that there's no such thing as too much food. I'm trying to decide between regular and deluxe dining in January because my two sons can eat the hind legs off a donkey and still claim to be hungry. I'm thinking there is in fact, such a thing as too much food.

So....no pressure or anything...but you guys are kinda the decision maker for me... can't wait to read those reviews!!

Sounds like your boys are on the same page as us. I tell ya what, if we have mislead you and it turns out there's too much food for you boys, we will gladly tag along and nosh on their leftovers. Deal?

I am IN!!!!!
That sounds like a whole like of eating boys!!
And as for the Goofy Create your Own treat challenge..that is one i would love to be in!

Hey Pigletfan, we'd love to have you in on it! You get yourself to the shop and the treat is on us!

[Locodanny]

For those of you keeping track at home, we're now less than 24 hours away from the start of our delicious dining destination!

Stay tuned for excitement when we return on the 15th (the only reason we aren't doing a live report is because we don't want to fork over the 10 bucks a day for internet... what a waste!).

Fresh new cameras are ready to click and flash away for the next 9 days. WOOHOO!!!!!

And for those interested, I'll be tweet-ing throughout the trip, as well. You can check me out at www.twitter.com/langedan

See you in a week and a half!

[Flossbolna]

Have a wonderful trip!! :goodvibes

[MrsWendyLady]

Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy!

I can't wait for this! Please tell me y'all consume - ahem adult beverages cough -too!?!?!

Safe travels, have a WONDERFUL time - and two adults (we are a couple) who haven't been to the world yet are anxiously waiting your reviews...I, too just LOVE the idea of all that wonderful food, already paid for, just waiting for the tasting...

And our Blenheim's name is Lulu!

:tinker: some pixie dust for you!

[MuppetGuySF]

Have a wonderful trip!! :goodvibes

Thanks!!!!

Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy!

I can't wait for this! Please tell me y'all consume - ahem adult beverages cough -too!?!?!

Safe travels, have a WONDERFUL time - and two adults (we are a couple) who haven't been to the world yet are anxiously waiting your reviews...I, too just LOVE the idea of all that wonderful food, already paid for, just waiting for the tasting...

And our Blenheim's name is Lulu!

:tinker: some pixie dust for you!

Actually, we're just two boys, but I tend to exaggerate too when I'm really excited! :rotfl2:

All that wonderful food indeed...and, OH YEAH...bring on the "adult beverages"!!!!

Lulu...awww, how cute! My tri-color is named Satchel. He's pretty bummed about not coming along, but he's staying with his grandparents and he ALWAYS has a great time there.

And, by the way, thanks for the dust!

[MuppetGuySF]

So, yes, I'm not in denial about how much weight I'm gonna gain on this Deluxe Dining Extravaganza...and yes, with that much food, it ain't just a plan, it's an EXTRAVGANZA (isn't that a wonderful word!). So anyway, I thought I would track just how much fatter I'm gonna get eating this much food, or see, in fact, if all the walking that everyone says I'll be doing will make a real difference.

So I'm reporting my weigh-in just as I'm hopping in the car for the airport. Bathroom scale reads 242.5.

Any thoughts where I'll be when I return?

See ya then!

Evinrude

[DonaldTDuck]

So, yes, I'm not in denial about how much weight I'm gonna gain on this Deluxe Dining Extravaganza...and yes, with that much food, it ain't just a plan, it's an EXTRAVGANZA (isn't that a wonderful word!). So anyway, I thought I would track just how much fatter I'm gonna get eating this much food, or see, in fact, if all the walking that everyone says I'll be doing will make a real difference.

So I'm reporting my weigh-in just as I'm hopping in the car for the airport. Bathroom scale reads 242.5.

Any thoughts where I'll be when I return?

See ya then!

Evinrude
I'll guess 242.5 ehrn youi return, but after you've been home a week 250. At least that's been this Big Guy's experience. I get used to eating that mucdh and when the walking stops, the pounds pile on.

[Locodanny]

In the spirit of hearing from both of us on this trip, I too have "weighed in."

Current Weight: 195.6 lbs

The goal is to come back lighter (haha! Yeah right!)... we'll see how I do. Off to the airport in an hour or so...

[tink1957]

I'm so in for this one, it sounds like a hoot, with lots of wonderful food along the way.

Hope you two have a great trip.pixiedust:

[dbenlee]

Evinrude and Langbein I look forward to reading this dining report. I enjoy reading dining and trip reports from the male perspective. My DW always laughs about it, but we seem to get more information pertinent to our styles and taste from these reviews. Have a great time!!

[BriarRosie]

Have fun storming the castle... :goodvibes

[medicgirl911]

I can't believe I hadn't seen this before~~~And I just signed up for twitter so I can follow along!! :goodvibes As for the weight gain issue....I kinda agree with the previous poster and think the weight gain will come after you get back!:lmao: But as a safe bet I am going to guess 2 pounds each!! Enjoy your trip!!:goodvibes

[cathy0124]

I'm gonna say 5 ea.. Have fun! We'll be waiting for you :surfweb:

Cathy

[A&A'sGrammy]

I also agree, you will probably come home close to your current weight. If you keep up some major walking after you come home, you might not gain any at all. It's the inactivity that does it. :sad2: Especially after the hundreds of miles you walk around the world!

I'm looking forward to reading your review from both perspectives. I know it will be a riot! Have a GREAT trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup2

[JJ&JHsmom]

I'll say about 8 lbs, speaking from my own experience.:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Can't wait for your reviews!!!

[omghidanielle]

This sounds pretty incredible.

[disneygirlinnj]

I'm going with 5 lbs each as well :) Have fun guys!

[camtheriot]

I can't wait to hear the reviews!

I'm subbing popcorn::

[GoofySon'sMom]

Hope it's a great trip! Cannot wait for the reviews ... this one sounds like fun! My guess is about 5 pounds each as well!

[relcx4]

Subbing to hear the reviews. You guys sound like a blast! Hope you have/had fun...

[MichaelaMouse]

Subscribing. Can't wait for the reviews!!:goodvibes

[natsiswdw]

I too can't wait to hear how your trip went!!!

[gardengirl628]

Looking forward to your reviews!

[muppetmom]

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner..... My favorite Muppet is Kermit. We have a long standing tradition of watching "The Muppet Christmas Carol" on Christmas Eve. After we get home from church Christmas Eve, we all change into Pajamas, make a huge plate of christmas cookies and gather around the TV for the muppets. Now that my kids are older I keep waiting for them to want to do something different....but so far they love the tradition and the muppets as much as me! What's your favorite?

I hope you all are having a fabulous time. We are going in August with the DxDP so I am interested to see if you think it is too much food.

[yakkin' yeti]

Hope you had fun!

[kabuki]

Sorry today is your last day at the mouse but I can't wait for your reviews!:banana:

[cclovesdis]

I can't wait for your reviews. Hope you enjoyed your trip.

[Locodanny]

Well... we're back! An awesome 9 days, tons of food, lots of pictures of said food. We stuck with the mantra of "order and eat everything we're allotted" and while it was a lot, it was definitely manageable. We'll get more into that as we go with the reviews. Stay tuned...!

[butiflfeet]

You're back! Bring on the reviews!

[Cind]

can't wait!!

[MickeyNicki]

WELCOME HOME...hope you had fun, now get to posting :lmao::rotfl::rotfl2:

[soulmates]

I LOVE me some food reports!! We're huge FOODIES here!! My father is a self taught chef, so I was raised on a variety of foods. I loved your choices, can't wait to hear how it all turned out. Wishing you'd visited The Wave,as we're going to try it this Aug!

Welcome home guys!;)

[kabuki]

:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::b anana:
Can't wait!

[Stormhawk]

tons of food, lots of pictures of said food. We stuck with the mantra of "order and eat everything we're allotted" :worship:

Really enjoyed the Tweets, can't wait for the reviews. Especially since we try to follow the above rules in August. Oh and please share your insights into the 'beverage' situation :rolleyes1

[MrsSpratt]

Welcome home!

I cannot wait for your fabulous reviews!

Was Satchel super excited to see you? What treats did the dog get?

Lulu's Mama (Formerly MrsWendyLady)

[disneygirlinnj]

welcome back! you tweeted when you were down there and I didn't know!? eeek! haha just kidding...can't wait to hear all about the crazy food antics!

[DonaldTDuck]

OK first things first. Have you weighed in yet? :lmao:
I wanna know the best appetizer, best dessert, and of course, best ahem, adult beverage. And try not to bust the jealous vein I have in my forehead. Oops, too late.

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

I've got here just in time. Looking forward to the reviews and the pics.:goodvibes

[BriarRosie]

I'm on the same page as Mr. Duck.

Have you weighed in yet?? Inquiring minds want to know. Then we can ogle the food porn. :banana:

[nerdboyrockstar]

I so need to do a dining trip like this. :laughing: Can't wait for more.

[Illuminations_Rocks]

popcorn:: can't wait for you to start!

[Miss_Mouse]

Can't wait for the reviews (and the hilarity) to commence!

[danalee]

Cant Wait! :goodvibes

[MickeyNicki]

Calling all DUDES..where are you DUDES?

Aint it just like a man to promise something and then make us ladies wait! :lmao:

[TigerKat]

Calling all DUDES..where are you DUDES?

Aint it just like a man to promise something and then make us ladies wait! :lmao:

:lmao:

[luckytobeme88]

I have read all 7 pages already. When is the "show" starting?? I have lots of ones on hand:rolleyes1

[onelilspark]

Calling all DUDES..where are you DUDES?

Aint it just like a man to promise something and then make us ladies wait! :lmao:

:rotfl2:

[disneygirlinnj]

buehler? buehler?

[phill369]

I'm hoping for the review to start this weekend! I leave on Monday, and I'd love a little taste of this review before I leave! :)

[sebzmom]

popcorn::

[Deffenm]

Ok guys, where are you? The intro was great but where is the rest? We need food porn! I don't get to go this year and have to get my fix by all of your wonderful trip reporters.

[Sandy321]

Maybe the office workers got revenge for their practical joke of alarms for their adr times... :rotfl:

I hate when I get sucked into threads and there are no updates!!! ;) ;)


:surfweb:

[MrsSpratt]

Waiting, oh-so-patiently-waiting...

I'm terrified the trip was SO horrendous you can't write about it -

or so fabulous it makes you to sad to try to write -

But PLEASE! For our sake!

The ever lovin' Mrs Spratt.

[mobes_jk]

popcorn::

[BigTex71]

I am eagerly awaiting also. My trip is in August and I was hoping to read some of these reviews because we are going to some of the same places.

:3dglasses

[Timon]

I'm onboard too :cool1: Can't wait for the reviews to start rolling in :goodvibes

[PrincessTigerLily]

Oh dear, is this turning out to be a cruel cruel practical joke?? I am waiting with bated breath for your reviews, WHERE ARE YOU?????

[Big Daddy Incredible]

I haven't seen natives this restless since my last trip on the Jungle Cruise.:eek:

I'm a big guy myself and I have been looking forward to your manly reviews. C'mon guys - let's see those pics and hear the reviews. Nobody likes a tease.

[A&A'sGrammy]

I'm hoping for a REALLY good excuse why you would get a whole bunch of people SO excited for a great review and then disappear.
Where are you? :confused3

[ibouncetoo]

They've been home TEN DAYS....hope nothing is wrong!

..

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Can't wait to read your food reviews...please post soon

[Locodanny]

Wow! It's nice to be missed! :thumbsup2 MAJOR apologies for the delay. Both Evinrude and I have been busy catching up on our lives post-Disney and are slowly but surely starting to get around to writing out reviews.

Unfortunately, this post is almost a cruel joke - I have nothing yet to offer. But I PROMISE it's coming soon. I promise!

[MrsSpratt]

HOPE AT LAST!

Thanks for letting us know it is on:goodvibes the way....no pressure or anything....:rotfl2:

And very happy you are home safe!

Mrs Spratt

[TigerKat]

Wow! It's nice to be missed! :thumbsup2 MAJOR apologies for the delay. Both Evinrude and I have been busy catching up on our lives post-Disney and are slowly but surely starting to get around to writing out reviews.

Unfortunately, this post is almost a cruel joke - I have nothing yet to offer. But I PROMISE it's coming soon. I promise!

Glad you guys made it home safely.:goodvibes

[KatMark]

Calling all DUDES..where are you DUDES?

Aint it just like a man to promise something and then make us ladies wait! :lmao:

:rotfl2::rotfl::rotfl2:

[Ciciwoowoo]

Signing up to hear things from a Man's (or Men's) point of view! :goodvibes

[mermaid&cinderella]

I can't wait to read your review! We go back in september and are eating at alot of teh same places!

[BriarRosie]

Yay, they're alive! :banana:

As you boys can see, the natives are restless!

[maiziezoe]

popcorn::

[MuppetGuySF]

Let the Reviews Begin!!!

So, our first meal was at Yak & Yeti. My flight got in at 6:15 AM and I had arrived at Animal Kingdom for rope drop. (BTW, I had done online check-in, and when I arrived at AKL around 7 AM, our room was ready which was awesome!!!) Langbein's flight wasn't arriving until 11-something, so we decided to make a later lunch ADR just to make sure he had enough time to arrive. So our reservation was at 2 PM, but Langbein got there in plenty of time (enough time for us to take our first trip into Everest, thanks to a clever Fast Pass system Evinrude devised that morning), and we were hungry, so we showed up at 1:28 PM and checked in outside. I explained we had a reservation, the woman up front gave us a little card with our name on it and told us to bring it inside. In a matter of minutes (to be specific: 3) the hostess was taking us to our seat. She told us we were going to the Green Room. She said that was a good thing because it had the best air-conditioning. Fantastic! Woohoo! Our server was Nicole from Queens, NY and she was awesome. She came over and explained the Deluxe Dining Plan to us (it was, after all, our first meal on the plan...but definitely wouldn't be the last time we heard this explanation) and explained how it worked. She quickly brought us a couple of diet cokes (vital in the always-humid Animal Kingdom). We examined the menu for a bit and then when she returned we asked a few questions and ordered.

For an appetizer, Langbein ordered the Pork Pot Stickers, seared.
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0013-1.jpg
Potstickers were awesome. Delicious, juicy, full of pork-y goodness. I couldn't have asked for a better first bite of Dis-food. My only complaint: there were only five! Evinrude and I shared (as we did throughout the trip) by trying each other's dishes, and this was one that I was sad to give up even just one 'sticker. But fair is fair, right? He gets a potsticker, I get a lettuce cup. And we all come out happier on the other side...
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0017-1.jpg

I got the lettuce cups. I had asked Nicole if she thought they were good, and she told me that if I liked 'em at PF Changs I'd like these. I do, so I ordered them.
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0015-1.jpg
I actually thought they tasted nothing like the lettuce wraps at PF Changs. The lettuce wraps at PF Changs are a little sweet, with like a plum sauce. These were very, very savory. I liked them a lot...I wouldn't quite say I LOVED them, but I did really like them. I especially liked that there was a lot to assemble. Gotta love having a reason to play with your food. There was carrots, sprouts, sauce, cilantro (which I didn't have because I can't stand cilantro), the chicken mix, and the lettuce. I really enjoyed creating each wrap. Like a sculptor, creating a fine work of art. Well, actually it was nothing like that...more like throwing a bunch of food in lettuce, but I thought the sculpting reference gave the review some panache. I think if I went back I would try a different appetizer, but they were good. And by the way, my over-elation in this picture is not really a great representation of how I felt about the lettuce wraps. I mean, I liked them, but, c'mon, it looks like I just won the lotto...they weren't THAT good. (And, not for nothing, but the way my shirt is, I look strangely lumpy...I'm really not so lumpy...oh, vanity...)
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0016-1.jpg

For entrees, Langbein ordered the Steak & Shrimp w/jasmine rice, stir fried veggies and a chili plum dipping sauce.
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0018-1.jpg
This was a fairly quality entree. The steak was cooked to a nice medium-rare, as I ordered it, and the veggies were crisp and tasty. A few complaints: the shrimp were soggy. Sure, fried shrimp are amazing... even when soggy. But the potential for amazing beyond belief was there, and the sogginess totally brought the quality down. The white rice was totally unnecessary.(I thought the way the beef was wrapped around the rice was very cool...definitely earned some presentation points.) I didn't even touch it (as you can see).
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0020-1.jpg
The plum sauce was fine, but not really necessary, either - the steak was already pretty flavorful.

I had the Baby Back Ribs. It was described as Slow-roasted ribs, hoisin BBQ sauce, chicken fried rice and sweet chili slaw. I'm not a slaw fan, so Nicole was happy to substitute stir fried veggies for the sweet chili slaw.
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0019-1.jpg
I really LOVED the ribs. They were delicious; great flavor. The meat was falling off the bone and they were not fatty. The rice was just average, but I borrowed some of Langbein's chili plum sauce and poured it on the rice and Ta-Da! the rice was awesome. I, as you can see, did a MUCH better job cleaning my plate. :yay:
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0021-1.jpg

For dessert we both ordered the fried wontons (skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons, vanilla ice cream, honey vanilla drizzle)
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0022-1.jpg
This was good, but way too sweet. There was just too much cream cheese, and the honey vanilla drizzle added to the sweetness. I'm not one to leave leftovers on dessert, but I definitely left some over here. The fresh pineapple was the best part! Probably wouldn't order this again. HUGE portion, like everything else at every other restaurant - easily enough to share if we hadn't been on "the plan."

Too sweet? Is there really such a thing?!?!? I really loved this dish. This is mine. Doesn't it look better than Langbein's? :rotfl2:
http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0023-1.jpg
I don't usually love warm cream cheese in anything, but this was just amazing. It was very rich, but I was a trooper and finished the whole thing. I would DEFINITELY order that again. The portion is really quite generous as you can see. This is a little bit of a recurring theme of our dining experience. As appetizers and desserts go, around the World, the portions seem to be designed to be shared. Nice big portions. Not that I'm complaining...I'm really not!

The service overall was excellent. Lots and lots of refills on the soda (very important!), but this also proved to be true consistently throughout our trip. Our server was really nice and very affable. I would definitely eat at Yak & Yeti again. (BTW, the only time it rained on our trip was while we were eating at Yak & Yeti. The rain had stopped by the time we got out.)

I also think the service was pretty excellent. Nicole was friendly and helpful. Sodas were always brimming with bubbly goodness. I was VERY full by the end of this meal, and beginning to question whether we'd be able to live up to our promised "if we can order it, we will... and eat it!" mantra that we had posted on the boards before we left. The first few days were a bit rough for me, as you'll read in coming posts, but I persevered... and came out stronger (and heavier) on the other side!

Evinrude mentioned the rain during this meal. I was bummed that this was the only rain we'd see the whole trip. Don't get me wrong - I wasn't looking forward to daily thunderstorms, as was predicted, but I love me some afternoon sunshowers. And nothing like a few quick bolts of lightning and some thunder. Puts you right in that Florida mood. (I, for one, hate rain....anywhere....and was quite thrilled we avoided it!) Instead we just got hot, sticky, humid weather all week (thank goodness for baby powder...ok, maybe a little TMI, but whatever) - rain would have been some nice reprieves from it! But that's neither here nor there. We're here for the food... and there's a LOT more coming!

[iluvpluto27]

Really enjoyed your first review. We're big fans of the deluxe plan, and will be eating at some of the same restaurants as you, on our September trip.

[disneygirlinnj]

I love it already! I can't wait to get back to Yak & Yeti, we loved it! And I keep saying I have to get something other than the ribs but now after the review...I'm craving them again. They were so good!

The potstickers were also fabulous but I think I want to try the lettuce cups next time. The fried green beans are a MUST for me. I also found the wontons too sweet and only ate the pineapple! Maybe I'll try the mango pie next time...hmmmm!

Great start so far guys!

[MickeyNicki]

All I can say is IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT! Awesome review and great pictures!

I had the ribs and they were to die for,cannot wait to go back and get more of these yummy pork products!

[TigerKat]

Great start, wishing I could squeeze Y&Y into our October plans!:upsidedow

[ljcrochet]

Great review! Can't wait to read the rest.

[livinlife25]

Great review! Thanks for updating your title!! I had quit checking back :)

[kabuki]

Love your reviews so far!
Also happy to see that you got in early -like we do and the online check in
was a great help. After a long flight it would be great if we had the same luck and our room was ready!

Can't wait for more!:cool1:

[disneymom2twins]

Thanks for taking the time to review for us! Looking forward to more!

[kimgof]

Great start to reviews I've been looking forward to reading! That steak wrapped around the rice looked delicious. Lettuce wraps are my favorite too.
Can't wait to read more!popcorn::

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Amazing dinning report;)...I can't wait to read more:surfweb:. Thanks for sharing:thumbsup2

[KatMark]

Great start! Yak & Yeti was our second favorite meal of our trip this past September and can't wait to go back.

[MA pigletfan]

YAY you have begun!! Great start!
Question: did you notice the counter service Yak N yeti area having a similar menu..i am thinking those pot stickers would be quite yummy to try!

[disneygirlinnj]

YAY you have begun!! Great start!
Question: did you notice the counter service Yak N yeti area having a similar menu..i am thinking those pot stickers would be quite yummy to try!

I have heard that the menus are similar...but the food at the counter service is VERY hit or miss. I haven't tried it but I hear a lot of the food tastes like it's been sitting out on the counter for awhile :confused3

[MrsSpratt]

That looked yummy! And sounded yummy! YAY, MEN!

BTW (OT) Evinrude - there is a swarm (gaggle?) of dragonflies that fly over my patio every morning eating mosquitos and being the best looking hardest working bugs I've ever seen. It makes me think of you! :goodvibes

Mrs. Spratt

[onelilspark]

:yay: finally!! Great review! Can't wait for more!

[torsie24]

Great first review guys!!!!

Can't wait for more! :)

[KateB]

Glad to see that you are back and sharing your food! hehe Loved the YAY when we went last August and can't wait to go again in December. :lovestruc

Sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for more food reviews!:woohoo:

[Stormhawk]

:thumbsup2


Fully worthy of 'two snaps and around the world'! Yak & Yeti is our lunch at AK, but now I have to pick between two pretty awesome looking entrees :scratchin

[jeminni]

great yak&Yeti review. :goodvibes

now you have me wondering if I should cancel Tusker House and try there. ;)

[BriarRosie]

I haven't been to Yak and Yeti yet, but I eventually will get to it. One trip or another. But as I kept reading, I thought, "I'd definitely want to share part of their food."

Pot stickers? Check. Bring 'em on.

Lettuce wraps? Check. Those were the biggest honkin' cups o' lettuce I've seen anywhere. I've never seen any restaurant bring a full head of lettuce! :laughing: I could make a meal of those two items alone. (I've actually made a meal of lettuce wraps, so it's not outside the realm of possibility!)

Skirt steak. Check. :love: Plenty to go around, I see.

Ribs. Check. Pork. Is there anything it can't do? So yes, I was vicariously sharing the food. Thanks, guys! :thumbsup2

The dessert looked just "ok" to me. I probably would want to have tasted it, but not go nuts over it. If it were chocolate, I'd probably have fought for it. Nobody messes with my chocolate. ;)

Great review!

[sebzmom]

Yay :cool1: Love the reviews, but now I am starving!

[cclovesdis]

Awesome start! Can't wait for more!

[gigi1313]

i'm so in!! thanks for the great y&y review... looking forward to the rest! :)

[maiziezoe]

Let the Reviews Begin!!!

Gotta love having a reason to play with your food. There was carrots, sprouts, sauce, cilantro (which I didn't have because I can't stand cilantro), the chicken mix, and the lettuce. [/COLOR]

Oh my gosh... someone else in the world who doesn't like cilantro. I thought I was in a group of my own. I think it tastes like grass... trying to be spicy. Yuk!

Great Review!!

[disneyfav4ever]

Loved your review of Yak and Yeti. Actually between the two meals I had there I sampled four of the five items you did, (all except the pot stickers,) and I think you reviews were pretty much right on.

[disneygirlinnj]

Oh my gosh... someone else in the world who doesn't like cilantro. I thought I was in a group of my own. I think it tastes like grass... trying to be spicy. Yuk!

Great Review!!

add me to the 'I Hate Cilantro' club!! I can deal with it in small doses but blehhh!

[Flossbolna]

add me to the 'I Hate Cilantro' club!! I can deal with it in small doses but blehhh!

Another member of that club! I just can't eat it.

Also, I wanted to say that I am really enjoying your style for the reviews, it's very entertaining! I am looking forward to many more meals!

[disneyfav4ever]

Oh my gosh... someone else in the world who doesn't like cilantro. I thought I was in a group of my own. I think it tastes like grass... trying to be spicy. Yuk!

Great Review!!I don't really like it either. If a recipe calls for it, I just subsitute parsley. Plus I don't like the smell.

[MrsSpratt]

Another Cilantro hater checking in...it just is over-powering!

Did you know that it is related to mint? Can't really stand that, either -

Oh, Evinrude!

See what your fans have been reduced to?

[Golf4food]

Nice line up.. Looking forward to the rest.

Love the penguin avatar, MuppetGuy. But then, who wouldn't? Penguins are awesome. Everybody loves penguins.

[MuppetGuySF]

Really enjoyed your first review. We're big fans of the deluxe plan, and will be eating at some of the same restaurants as you, on our September trip.

After this trip I am also a big fan of the deluxe plan, for a lot of different reasons, but more of that later.

I love it already! I can't wait to get back to Yak & Yeti, we loved it! And I keep saying I have to get something other than the ribs but now after the review...I'm craving them again. They were so good!

The potstickers were also fabulous but I think I want to try the lettuce cups next time. The fried green beans are a MUST for me. I also found the wontons too sweet and only ate the pineapple! Maybe I'll try the mango pie next time...hmmmm!

Great start so far guys!

MMM....the fried green beans were a close second choice for me. I'll have to try 'em next time!

All I can say is IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT! Awesome review and great pictures!

I had the ribs and they were to die for,cannot wait to go back and get more of these yummy pork products!

I hear ya about those ribs...wow, they were just the best.

Love your reviews so far!
Also happy to see that you got in early -like we do and the online check in
was a great help. After a long flight it would be great if we had the same luck and our room was ready!

Can't wait for more!:cool1:

Yes, it was the best. Look there's no guarantee I guess, but I've read on the boards of others who checked in online being able to check-in early. Good luck with that!

YAY you have begun!! Great start!
Question: did you notice the counter service Yak N yeti area having a similar menu..i am thinking those pot stickers would be quite yummy to try!

Sorry, Pigletfan, didn't check out the counter service.

That looked yummy! And sounded yummy! YAY, MEN!

BTW (OT) Evinrude - there is a swarm (gaggle?) of dragonflies that fly over my patio every morning eating mosquitos and being the best looking hardest working bugs I've ever seen. It makes me think of you! :goodvibes

Mrs. Spratt

What a beautiful sight that must be...all those dragonflies! Thanks for thinking of me, Mrs. S.

I haven't been to Yak and Yeti yet, but I eventually will get to it. One trip or another. But as I kept reading, I thought, "I'd definitely want to share part of their food."

Pot stickers? Check. Bring 'em on.

Lettuce wraps? Check. Those were the biggest honkin' cups o' lettuce I've seen anywhere. I've never seen any restaurant bring a full head of lettuce! :laughing: I could make a meal of those two items alone. (I've actually made a meal of lettuce wraps, so it's not outside the realm of possibility!)

Skirt steak. Check. :love: Plenty to go around, I see.

Ribs. Check. Pork. Is there anything it can't do? So yes, I was vicariously sharing the food. Thanks, guys! :thumbsup2

The dessert looked just "ok" to me. I probably would want to have tasted it, but not go nuts over it. If it were chocolate, I'd probably have fought for it. Nobody messes with my chocolate. ;)

Great review!

Hey Briar! Glad you liked the review. I guess the dessert isn't for everyone, but I did think it was super yummy.

Oh my gosh... someone else in the world who doesn't like cilantro. I thought I was in a group of my own. I think it tastes like grass... trying to be spicy. Yuk!

Great Review!!

add me to the 'I Hate Cilantro' club!! I can deal with it in small doses but blehhh!

Another member of that club! I just can't eat it.

Also, I wanted to say that I am really enjoying your style for the reviews, it's very entertaining! I am looking forward to many more meals!

I don't really like it either. If a recipe calls for it, I just subsitute parsley. Plus I don't like the smell.

Another Cilantro hater checking in...it just is over-powering!

Did you know that it is related to mint? Can't really stand that, either -

Oh, Evinrude!

See what your fans have been reduced to?

Clearly, we all might just need our own board. Cilantro Hating Disney Fans. It's so good to know I'm not alone, 'cause they're using it in all sorts of things these days!

Nice line up.. Looking forward to the rest.

Love the penguin avatar, MuppetGuy. But then, who wouldn't? Penguins are awesome. Everybody loves penguins.

I am a big penguin fan, and collector. There are penguins ALL over at my place. But when they're muppet penguins...I mean really, what more could you ask for?

Stay tuned...review of Jiko is on its way!

[Sandy321]

Oh my gosh... someone else in the world who doesn't like cilantro. I thought I was in a group of my own. I think it tastes like grass... trying to be spicy. Yuk!

Great Review!!

Instead of quoting all the "hate clubbers" (of cilantro) let this one represent...

didya know...

didya know that Julia Child did not like Cilantro? I thought I was a freak of nature - wondering why everyone praised cilantro, and to me, the stuff taste like soap - I seriously felt that somehow people were scrubbing this stuff! I HATED it - - it smells so AWESOME!! yet, it taste like soap!!

anyone know what I mean? Julia did... ;)

[tlynk]

I grew up in Northern CA too, so I'm a Disneyland person as well. I will be going to WDW for the 2nd time this year (which is not common), and as soon as I get back I'm going to book my next trip to Disneyland! It has been two years too long! Thanks for your food reviews. When I think of WDW I think of awesome dining.:)

[MuppetGuySF]

Jiko - the Cooking Place... or the Spilling Place... or the Chatting Place... or the Disappearing Place. Regardless - the Pretty Awesome Place!

Our long first day was starting to come to a close. We spent the afternoon exploring Animal Kingdom - from Dinosaur to the Nemo show - and decided around 5 or 6 that we were exhausted, so we headed back to the hotel. A quick sidebar about the Animal Kingdom Lodge: it's beautiful! I'm sad to admit that I didn't ever really explore the place - all those afternoons later in the trip that we "headed back early" turned into Langbein passed out in the room while Evinrude explored. Oh well! :confused3


But back to Jiko. Our reservation was for 8:50 and we arrived right on time. We were asked to wait in the very-small bar area while our table was prepared, and in under 5 minutes we were brought to our table. The table was nice - right on the window overlooking the walkway to the pool. The restaurant itself was fairly empty (to make a sweeping generalization, the two credit restaurants we went too were never full) - probably less than 10 tables full. I guess that's a typical Sunday night during that time of year? We had imagined that because it's vacation, it would be full every night. Our waitress (who shall remain nameless, (geez, Langbein, you make it sound like Voldemort was our server) for reasons you'll see as you keep reading) came over, introduced herself, and was incredibly friendly. She brought us our delicious diet cokes fairly quickly and had some tasty bread, as well.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0027.jpg

I'm not sure what the different types of bread were... but they were good! The butter that came with it (was it macadamia butter?) (I'm pretty sure that it wasn't macadamia...but maybe...I AM sure that it was SOME kind of special butter) took it to the next level. YUM!

Our waitress came back, we asked a few questions, and it was off on that great adventure called ordering. Evinrude started with the mussels.

The menu called it: Prince Edward Island Mussels with White Wine Cream, Roasted Garlic, Dill and Cinnamon Raisin Baguette

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0032.jpg


The mussels were a little bit of a detour for me. I've had mussels before, but it's definitely not a go-to dish for me. But, Voldemort suggested them saying they were amazing, so I gave them a shot. And she wasn't kidding! Maybe the best appetizer of the trip...wowza! The mussels were cooked perfectly, but it was really the white wine cream sauce that was to DIE for. In fact, after I finished the mussels, I had our server bring me a spoon, and I finished the sauce like it was soup. I know, I know...how uncouth am I?!?!? I would hands down order this dish again. It was rich in flavors, the baguette croutons were really good. Just a super dish, and yet again, a HUGE portion. Yum!
I tried the mussels and thought they were AMAZING! DELICIOUS!

I ordered the barbecue chicken flatbread.

Barbecue Chicken Flatbread - Served with grilled onion, apple, African barbecue sauce, and four cheeses

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0030.jpg

I thought the flatbread was pretty delicious. It was a huge serving - once again - but I managed to get it all down. The apple provided a nice crisp refreshing aftertaste to the barbecue chicken and cheese combination. I'd order this again. I'd probably order the mussels that Evinrude got first, though! I tried the flat bread and just thought it was fine. Didn't knock my socks off.

Oh - I should mention that I asked our waitress to help pair some wines to my courses. I don't remember the pairings, but here's a picture of the glass she brought with my appetizer. She was pretty good at these pairings - she admitted that in her spare time she was a sommelier. I really enjoyed my wines!

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0028.jpg

The comment earlier about not naming her comes a little bit from my not being able to remember the pairings. We asked, near the end of the meal, if she'd bring us a copy of the menu for us to take with us. She was happy to do so, and said she'd write the pairings on it so we remembered. She disappeared for about 20 minutes, came back without a menu, and said she'd be back in a minute with it. Another long absence went by and again she came back without a menu to help another table. At that point, we gave up, told her it was fine, not a big deal, and got up to leave. As we walked out, we easily asked the hostess for a menu and she happily obliged - just sans pairings. To be fair to the waitress, she did tell us several times throughout the meal that she was a terrible waitress. In general, we thought she was fantastic, so we kept saying that we didn't believe her. Maybe she was being honest! :rotfl2:

Evinrude got a cocktail with his appetizer.



http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0029.jpg

It was basically a cosmo, but it had some name like "Wandering through a South African Village on a moderately warm summer night". It was delish.

Evinrude ordered the roasted Lamb loin. It's described as Roasted Lamb Loin with Herbed Couscous, Figs, Sun-dried Cherries, and Red Curry Sauce.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0033.jpg

I thought this dish was really delicious. The lamb was cooked perfectly and was very flavorful, and not gamey like I can sometimes find lamb to be. It was very tender and I really enjoyed every bite. I especially loved the couscous. I have become a big fan of fruit in things like salads and rice lately, and this was just perfect. The sweetness of the figs and cherries with the savory lamb and couscous was just a great pairing. The red curry sauce was very unobtrusive. I am NOT at all a curry fan, but somehow this was not offensive. As you can probably tell, I didn't eat much of it, but I don't think it was the highlight of the dish. The lamb and couscous was perfect just as it was. I would definitely recommend this dish without reservation.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0035.jpg


I ordered the short ribs, described as Barbecue Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Yukon Gold Potato Salad and Onion-Garlic Sauce. I substituted the potato salad out for the Goat Cheese Mashed Potatotes.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0034.jpg

I'm going to start with those goat cheese mashed potatoes. They were out of this world DELICIOUS! If I could have mashed potatoes that tasted like that every day... I would change my diet to include ONLY mashed potatoes. Mmm... I'm craving them now, just writing about them and looking at the picture. The short ribs, on the other hand, were not as good. They tasted fine, but were really fatty and difficult to cut. Not my favorite dish. I didn't finish them.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0037.jpg

Another waitress story: she brought out my second pairing, along with one to go with Evinrude's main course. As she was getting read to pour, she completed dropped a bottle of wine and almost the entire bottle spilled on the floor by our table. She didn't seem fazed, cleaned it up, and brought out a new bottle.

On to the desserts. By this time I was pretty full. A full three course lunch, along with this large dinner was having its effect on my stomach and I debated (for only a second) whether a dessert was in my future. Have no fear... it was!

Evinrude ordered the Pistachio Creme Brulee - With a Chocolate Layered Bottom.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0038.jpg

OK, this was seriously yummy. I usually never quite understand the big to-do with Creme Bulee, but let me tell you this was just delicious...seriously delicious!!! You can see how excited I was to try it. I ate part of it without taking a pic, and then tried to reposition the biscotti to hide the missing portion. hee hee! The creme was just perfectly flavored, and having the chocolate on the bottom was just awesome. Even if you don't normally love Creme Brulee per se, I would highly recommend this dish. It was light but delectable!

I also ordered some AMAZING vanilla tea. If you've never had vanilla tea before I highly recommend giving it a shot. It's yummy and flavorful, but not too rich. A nice companion to the Creme Brulee.


I decided to try something different than my norm (and hopefully lighter) and went with the House-Made Meyer Lemon Curd - Served with pomegranate and blueberry compote, white chocolate biscotti, and sour cream ice cream.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0040.jpg

(If you're playing food detective, you'll not that Langbein ALSO couldn't keep himself from trying his dessert pre-pic...see the dirty spoon? see it?) This curd dish was pretty good. I'm not a huge lemon fan, but really wanted something light, and this was it. I didn't make it through the whole thing (I told you - I was REALLY full!), but it was a nice refreshing way to end my meal. A bit too sweet for my taste, but overall pretty good.

In general, we really enjoyed Jiko. It wasn't the best meal of the trip, at least for me, but definitely was "up there" as a good one. The food, overall, was very tasty, and the service was fairly good (with the exception of the end disappearing acts). By the time we left, there were only one or two other tables left, so it felt like we were closing the place. I don't remember exact times, but I seem to remember that we finished our desserts by 10:30ish, but didn't end up actually walking out until well after 11. That's a long time for a waitress to disappear! Despite that, I really liked our waitress... and I'm not one to usually let something like that slide. She was personable and friendly, and that's what did it for me. And hey - we were on vacation... no rush, right?

I thought this was a great meal. And I really enjoyed the restaurant; the decor is really attractive. In retrospect, and you may think this is odd, I didn't love the ambience mainly because the place was practically empty. I mean I like a quiet meal and all, but part of what's fun about eating out, in particular at WDW, is being part of an experience. I love people watching and tray watching....seeing what other people are eating which we just didn't experience. Granted we were eating really late, but by halfway through our meal there was only like 3 or 4 other tables occupied. Just felt odd and a little deserted. I dunno, just my gut reaction.

I forgot that we were going to post financial info so here goes: Our total bill (not counting booze and tip) came to: 127.74 (this of course was all covered under the dining plan - 2 credits). Our alcohol plus tax was 53.53 and our tip was 34, so our total OOP was 87.53.

Another exciting day was coming up tomorrow, as we went to bed dreaming about the rope drop at Epcot just a few hours away...

[MuppetGuySF]

I forgot to post our bill total at YAY so:

Our meal total (covered by DDP) was 92.92. Our only OOP was $20 for tip.

[BriarRosie]

Very nice Jiko review! I really enjoyed Voldemort as your server. :laughing:

I haven't been there in a while (other than the wine dinner I went to in October), but I have been perfectly happy making a meal from a couple of appetizers.

And I didn't chime in on cilantro. For me, it works best used sparingly. I put it in my guacamole, but in such a small dose that those who hate cilantro don't object to it. And I'm not a big fan of "curry", either. I think it depends on how heavy handed the seasonings are.

[M-J's Mommy]

Maybe it's because I'm born and raised so. cal., but I LOVE cilantro. I could eat it by it's self and I have. Yum.

[PaulaSB12]

11 pages and only 2 food reviews guys you are torturing us!!!!!!!!!!! More please!

:cloud9:

[disneygirlinnj]

i've been dying to try jiko! and i LOVE lamb so that meal looks absolutely stunning :) great review!

[torsie24]

Great update! :)

I love your writing style guys, really makes me laugh. :)

[davinakb]

Jiko looked great, always one of my favorite places to visit. Looking forward to going back.

[MrsSpratt]

Fabulous!

[MiaBella05]

popcorn:: joining in popcorn::

[MuppetGuySF]

Maybe it's because I'm born and raised so. cal., but I LOVE cilantro. I could eat it by it's self and I have. Yum.

And this is really important because I do not, by any means, have any intention of wiping out the cilantro industry with my comments. So you go on girl!! Get down with you bad cilantro-loving self. You keeping eating bunches of cilantro and you may single-handedly keep the cilantro folks in business.

11 pages and only 2 food reviews guys you are torturing us!!!!!!!!!!! More please!

:cloud9:

Paula, I am sorry we're slow to post. We really are churning 'em out as fast as possible. The good news (for me) is I just bought my first home and I move in a week and a half, so I'm busy with final paperwork and lots of packing. The bad news (for y'all) is that I do have to focus on this move. Thanks for your patience.

i've been dying to try jiko! and i LOVE lamb so that meal looks absolutely stunning :) great review!

DG, you totally need to try it. It's a great restaurant and the lamb was super yummy. Thanks for your feedback!

Great update! :)

I love your writing style guys, really makes me laugh. :)

I'm so glad, Torsie. We'll keep doing our best to keep a smile on your face.

Fabulous!

Just like you, Mrs. S!

popcorn:: joining in popcorn::

Welcome MiaBella!

STAY TUNED EVERYONE. Tutto Italia will be up tomorrow!!!

[MuppetGuySF]

Tutto Italia - More Thrills and Spills

So, yes, the next day we were at Epcot, first in line at our turnstile. And we were there at the rope for rope drop. We highly recommend this experience. Yes, you have to get up early, and yes, you have to wait around a bit, but it was totally worth it. So worth it that we ended up doing it again several times on the trip. Almost every day, actually...!
Here's Epcot empty, as we stood at the turnstiles waiting:


http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0041.jpg

So we didn't have a ADR for breakfast that morning, so after getting FP for Soarin' and hitting Test Track, and I think Mission: Space, we headed back over to the Land Pavilion and grabbed a bit to eat at Sunshine Seasons. We used some snack credits to get a little breakfast. To be perfectly honest, when looking at my options for breakfast using snack credits, I was kinda disappointed. Nothing really jumped out at me. Agreed! Lame options, pretty much everywhere we went. So eventually, I just decided to have a cinnamon roll:

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0042.jpg

It was...well...a cinnamon roll. Nothin' to write home about. It was fine. I guess it hit the spot. Just nothing special.

Langbein had a chocolate croissant.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0043.jpg

Like Evinrude's cinnamon roll, my croissant was.... a croissant. It was fine. It had chocolate in it. It gave me some sustenance while we were waiting for lunch.

Then off to more Epcot fun until lunch at Tutto Italia.

We arrived at Tutto Italia right on time, and the reception area was EMPTY. Totally empty. We checked in with the hostesses (there were two of them) and they said it would be just a couple of minutes....which felt pretty odd, since there was no one there and there were two of them checking people in. So the four of us just kinda stood around looking at each other. I might even go so far as to call it... awk-weird. The worst kind of awkward, because it's weird, too! Finally, a gentleman showed up and we were shown to our seat. We had a lovely table in the back corner by the window. Our server was named Fernando...a handsome Italian fellow who was very friendly. Really excellent service here...well, with one big hitch. You'll see.

We were brought a lovely assortment of breads with olive oil and some olives. Neither of us are olive fans, though we do enjoy its oil :). All of the bread was really excellent. YUM. Nice and fresh assortment here - great start!


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For an appetizer I had the Prosciutto di Parma, served with melon:

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0046.jpg

OK, so as you can see when it arrived I was like, "This prosciutto looks amazing. But that's the melon? Really? A melon rose in the middle of the plate? I mean c'mon the prosciutto is the expensive part. They could spring for more melon?!?!?" That was until I had a piece of prosciutto and discovered that below all that lovely italian ham was a beautiful arrangment of beautifully sliced melon. Yes...below the prosciutto the plate is covered in melon. Whew! So this was really good. I mean it was really, really tasty. I find an appetizer like this lite and refreshing, so if that's your thing, I highly recommend it.

Langbein had the eggplant parmigiana:

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0045.jpg

The eggplant was delish. A fairly typical eggplant parmigiana dish, but well executed, like everything at Tutto Italia. Nicely golden fried eggplant, fresh sauce, and fresh cheese. A true italian specialty!

I should mention that all the while the refills of Diet Coke were flowing big time. LOVE THAT! But more on that later...

For my entree I had the Casarecci.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0047.jpg

It was the Casarecci pasta with a light tomato sauce, sweet Italian sausage and pecorino romano cheese on top. I really liked this dish. It was just perfectly seasoned. I loved the saltiness of the cheese with the sweet sausage. The pasta was cooked perfectly. I seriously loved this. So much so I could have had it twice. That's right TWICE. Now, wait, wait...it's coming....
I tried the Casarecci and it was fantastic. Evinrude's description is right on the money - I wished I had ordered it myself (though I enjoyed my dish, too... read on!)

Langbein had the chicken cutlet milanese with baby arugula salad and heirloom tomatoes

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0048.jpg

This milanese was A+. Nicely pounded, freshly fried in a tasty breadcrumb mixture. The salad on top was fresh and crisp and delicious. The only problem? This thing was HUGE. I'm talking entire plate of just one piece of chicken huge. And the salad was piled on high. Can you imagine eating two of these things? Me neither (read on!). I really enjoyed the taste - it would have been better with a little of Evinrude's pasta thrown on top, though :rotfl2

So remember how I said there was a hitch? So then, remember how I said the free refills were flowing? Remember how I said I could have had my dish twice? Well, after we were about half done with our entrees, the refills ended up flowing all over our food, our table, and us. Yes, this was our second table service in a row with some major spillage. The difference was this time the server's assistant, a really sweet gal, brought a tray of refills and water and proceeded to spill it all over our table, all over our entrees and of course it was dripping off of the table...into my bag. Woo-hoo!!! So, of course, really this wasn't that big of a deal. I mean it wasn't like she did it on purpose. And after all, she's only human. But Fernando was NOT pleased. From what we could see, it seemed like she was getting in trouble with him and with the manager. She came back to clean up some more and we kept assuring her not to worry about it, but nothing we could say would put her at ease. She was totally mortified. Beyond mortified - it almost seemed like it was a "last straw" type of situation, where something like this might have happened before, and this was going to be that final thing that got her sent back to Italy or something. We really didn't care about it happening... it's vacation! Of course, Fernando brought us brand new entrees. Well, by now, we had already at least half-finished our dish and then we got to start all over again. It was still yummy for me the second time around. Me too! Just another huge serving, so I barely made it through a quarter of this one. Felt bad wasting food... The manager came over also, and we assured him that everything was fine. (Not for nothing though, he didn't offer us anything for the inconvenience. I mean on the DxDP I don't know what he could have offered, but...well, whatever.) We also found it funny that pretty much everyone we encountered at Tutto Italia was Italian... and then the manager comes over with his nametag saying he's from Duluth, Minnesota (or somewhere equally "American"). Just made us laugh.

A side note about our waitress (that may come up in a post about a few days from now, if I forget that I already said it here): We went on the Backstage Magic tour, spending 7 hours wandering the backstage areas of Disney (hardly wandering, but we'll go into that more later). At one point we were in the building that all of the Epcot cast members changed, took breaks, etc. It was the morning, and lots of cast members were heading into the park to get to their assigned locations. As we're standing listening to our tour guides, who should bump into me but our lovely klutz of a waitress from Tutto Italia! I laughed and said hello, she seemed mortified and just kept running - probably not even putting two and two together and realizing I was the customer whose table she spilled on just a few days earlier. Evinrude didn't believe me when I told him this story (he was in the bathroom or something when this happened), but I swear it's true!

Here are the second versions of our main courses.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0049.jpghttp://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0050.jpg

For dessert I had the Chocolate Torta, a chocolate and hazelnut torte with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. I don't love super rich chocolate desserts, so I asked Fernando if it was very rich. He said yes. So I said I thought would have the fruit tart. He talked me out of it and said I should get the torta, so I did. Well, P.S., it's not rich. Maybe a language miscommunication. Anyway, I really liked this dessert. It was rather light, just enough chocolate to hit the spot, beautifully balanced with the whipped cream and the hazelnut mousse.

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0054.jpg

Langbein had the Mocha Tiramisu

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss347/muppetguysf/IMG_0053.jpg

The tiramisu was pretty tasty. Light and fresh and yum! Not much to say about it, except order it!

All in all, I was really pleased with my meal here. It was not the most adventurous meal, but still excellent quality. No, it wasn't especially original, but what they did, they did really well. I would definitely eat here again (though I might put my poncho on next time) and might even order that pasta dish again.

I was also pretty pleased with this meal. Fresh and delicious through and through. Great service (even with the mishap) and pleasant atmosphere. Felt slightly removed from the World because it's set so far back from the showcase walkway... so it was nice and quiet. This is the one restaurant I'd been to at Epcot before (many times), and it lived up to what I remembered!

Before tip, the cost came to $104.37, all covered by DxDP. Our tip was 19.60 OOP.

Next up...Le Cellier for dinner!

[disneygirlinnj]

So glad you guys loved Tutto again! We're eating there twice when we go. Hmm...I really shouldnt read these before I have breakfast...i'm starving!

[kimgof]

Loved your review of Tutto. Can't wait to try it in August. Those desserts both looked amazing!:thumbsup2

[MickeyNicki]

Awesome review and pics of Tutto! Dh had the pasta dish with the sausage back in Oct and it was incredible, I wished I had ordered it too!

I cannot wait to eat there again, the best food!

[LIBLULA]

Great food reviews!!!! Can't wait to eat at Tutto Italia this September!!
Bring on the reviews!!!!:banana::banana:

[TillyMarigold]

For dessert I had the Chocolate Torta, a chocolate and hazelnut torte with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. I don't love super rich chocolate desserts, so I asked Fernando if it was very rich. He said yes. So I said I thought would have the fruit tart. He talked me out of it and said I should get the torta, so I did. Well, P.S., it's not rich. Maybe a language miscommunication. Anyway, I really liked this dessert. It was rather light, just enough chocolate to hit the spot, beautifully balanced with the whipped cream and the hazelnut mousse.

I don't speak Italian, but in Spanish when you say a food is rico (literally 'rich' in the money sense) that means it's delicious. (I don't know if there's a real translation for "rich" in the food sense in Spanish ... I think you'd have to say "very sweet" or "very heavy" or whatever.) So maybe Italian is the same way and he thought you were asking if it was any good, so that's why he said yes!

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thanks for the updating. Love reading your detail reviews and thanks for including pictures. Sorry about your mishaps...thank goodness you did not let it bother your vacation. Can't wait to read more.

[tlynk]

Thanks for your Tutto Italia review. That is my first dinner ADR at WDW. :)

[BriarRosie]

Between this review and MickeyNicki's review, I'm really jonesing for some Tutto Italia pasta. I felt bad about the spillage mishap, but then you somehow became Hobbits with Second Lunch. :laughing:

And FWIW, what's wrong with cinnamon rolls and chocolate croissants? Those are food groups unto themselves. Breakfast of champions. :cloud9:

[piglet75]

Too funny...when we were at Tutto this past May for dinner, our waitress spilled a margarita all over my DH. Like you, we were pretty unconcerned, but she seemed SO mortified. Unfortunately for us there was no food on the table at the time, though, so no double-dipping for us! I love Tutto, though, so if there's anywhere that I'd "try" to force down seconds, it would be there!

[disneygirlinnj]

was the eggplant parm on the appetizer menu? it's HUGE! I could make a meal of just that!

[janloz]

Great reviews. We loved Tutto for lunch on our trip in Dec 08 and plan to try them for dinner next year.

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

I must have that chicken cutlet milanese salad. Thanks for the pic!

[Locodanny]

was the eggplant parm on the appetizer menu? it's HUGE! I could make a meal of just that!

It is an appetizer, yes. It wasn't as big as it looks in the picture - it was just the right size for an appetizer. As a main course, I'd have wanted more!

[jeminni]

That eggplant and chicken cutlet both look delicious. I cant wait til our ADR there in September. :goodvibes


You didnt take any pictures of the menu by any chance did you?

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I'm late to your review but have thoroughly enjoyed reading your dining adventures so far. Its nice to hear a good review of Yak & Yeti as I was beginning to think we should avoid that place at all costs. I'm salivating over your Tutto dishes. I love their eggplant. Wish I had some in front of me right now.

[sebzmom]

popcorn:: Great reviews!

[MrsSpratt]

When I lived in LA, the Metropolitan Church in West Hollywood had a HUGE banner saying, "God thinks you're FAAAbulous!" Consequently, when I think something is REALLy great, I say it is fabulous with 3 A's!

Y'all are FAAAbulous!

(And thanks for the compliment....:blush:)

[pezaddict231]

Great Review! We LOVED Tutto, thought it was the best Epcot restaurant we'd been too. I had the prosciutto di parma too and it was awesome! We also both had the chicken cutlet milanese, that pasta looked awesome but it was so hot that day I needed something light. I couldn't believe how huge it was and that it was only 1 piece of chicken! I thought for sure it was at least two! I can't imagine trying to eat two serving of lunches there!

[MrsSpratt]

Once their was a a cool *ss dude
And his name was Eveinrude
He was so far from mainstream
it took a guy named Leinbein
to make sure EV was subdued.

[MA pigletfan]

mmmmmmmmmm Tutto!!! i am debating this for our oct. trip..just because it seems we are only eating in the world showcase! lol! but this review made me HUNGRY for it..

[catsaneda]

Hey Guys...been missing your reviews. Hope everything is OK.:confused3

[Pinky166]

I am well and truly late for the party but I'm here now! :banana:

Great reviews so far, can't wait to hear your review of Le cellier, I hope you had the Mushroom Filet. :cloud9:

I know this is a dining review but could you let me know your thoughts on the Backstage Magic Tour, I have booked this for September so am interested in what you thought of it?

[MrsSpratt]

I hope it is something wonderful keeping you from the reviews - but I MISS Y'ALL!

Mrs. Spratt

[jenelope]

Three days in, and you've eaten at three of the restaurants I'm considering for the solo portion of my trip. I'm sold! Well, on your dining review, anyway. I'm still pondering the whether I really want to do Deluxe for those three days when I have seven more days afterward. Days which include Le Cellier and California Grill, I might add. (Isn't there a smiley with an empty pockets animation?) Anyway, if this trend continues, I may be booking Deluxe and damn the consequences!

And between me, you and Julia Child, cilantro taste like Ivory soap. Pleh! DO NOT WANT!!

[darkeraven]

I don't speak Italian, but in Spanish when you say a food is rico (literally 'rich' in the money sense) that means it's delicious. (I don't know if there's a real translation for "rich" in the food sense in Spanish ... I think you'd have to say "very sweet" or "very heavy" or whatever.) So maybe Italian is the same way and he thought you were asking if it was any good, so that's why he said yes!

Pesante means heavy in Italian.

[Cruz Family]

Great reviews so far....looking forward to the rest. We (being, me, DH, 2 DS's, and my Grandmother) are all major foodies (except my grandmother) and doing the DDPX for 9 nights at the end of August. We are going to many of the same places you did (most of which we have already been) and I love seeing what you guys liked and didn't like. I am so checking out those mussels at Jiko!!!!:thumbsup2 So hurry up and get them done before I leave......kidding, kind of, well not really. Anyway thanks for sharing, I can't wait for more!
~Melissa

[M & E love WDW]

Just found your review and thought I had missed it and would be sitting here reading it from start to finish. Guess real life is getting in the way. :sad2:

Congrats on the new home. That is a big step.

Love the reviews and love the humor. Dh and I will be enjoying DDP for the first time in just over 2 months. I toyed with the idea of going deluxe but really doubt we could eat all that food. Cheers to you guys for managing all you've eaten so far. Looking forward to more.

[Beauty & the Best]

Even though I'm only going to a few of the restaurants in your review (hopefully the good ones!) on my upcoming trip, I'm having a lot of fun reading the entire thing.

I had not the best day today (my childhood dog died :( if you can believe it) but your Jiko review where you called the waitress Voldemort put a smile on my face....I couldn't help but laugh at that one ;)

Thanks and keep it up, you are two funny guys!

[mefordis]

We're waiting for more. Bueller? Bueller?

[flyingcat2003]

Just found this trip report. I love it! I'm in.

[flyingcat2003]

I have a quick question? Can you have a two table service credit everyday on the DDP and have a one credit table service everyday as well?

[BriarRosie]

I have a quick question? Can you have a two table service credit everyday on the DDP and have a one credit table service everyday as well?

I believe when you're on the Deluxe DDP, you can split up the TS credits like that, as they are basically pooled into a group like the basic DDP credits are.
If I was doing the Deluxe plan like these guys are, I'd probably opt for a TS breakfast and a 2 TS dinner, because I think 3 TS credits is way too much food.

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Loving your reviews..hope you come back soon with the rest:)

[RubySlippers]

I officially give up on this one:sad2: it is too bad because it started out as a great review. :sad1:

Ruby

[flyingcat2003]

:headache:

[AnninIowa]

Great start! Only men could put away this much food, LOL! Very fun to read!! :thumbsup2

[Duke&Tree]

We also found it funny that pretty much everyone we encountered at Tutto Italia was Italian... and then the manager comes over with his nametag saying he's from Duluth, Minnesota (or somewhere equally "American"). Just made us laugh.

We are lovin' your report! Duluth is our "neck of the woods"...love it!!
:rotfl2:

[lakelandcallsme]

hope your move has gone well. love the revue!! so far.

[plasfam04]

Um...we are two guys, so of course there'll be porn...OOOOHHHH, you mean food porn (hee hee hee)...totally. Lots and lots of pics.

Ok... I'm a little late tuning in but thought this was hysterical! Ok... back to reading! :lmao:

[Whitewater]

Subscribing. I have faith :)


Whitewater

[Whitewater]

double post! sorry, I didn't know you couldn't subscribe from a quick reply. :confused3

My bad! :worship:

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Hope your move is going well..we'll all be waiting for you

[LMO429]

:goodvibes awesome report

[Sandy321]

double post! sorry, I didn't know you couldn't subscribe from a quick reply. :confused3

My bad! :worship:

no worries -

and fyi - you can just click on the thread tools (up in the right hand corner - just below the page lists - - click and there you will find a choice to "subscribe to this thread) so you dont even have to post to subscribe! :goodvibes

[disneyquilter]

I am so in!!! You guys are crackin me up ;)

Waiting for more...popcorn::

[Angelrose]

OK Is there EVER going to be more? Here we are on page 15. Guess I will be patient a little longer.

[PixieDustandEeyore]

OK Is there EVER going to be more? Here we are on page 15. Guess I will be patient a little longer.

The original poster said they were preparing to move to a new house etc. So thats probably why the delay:)

[DLo]

Awesome reviews. i am trying to figure out why it took me so long to find you! looking forward to more.