Not Known As Light Eaters - A Deluxe Dining Tale, Updated 8/24 Mama Melrose's

[fantasia73]

For the past five months or so, I have religiously read the dining reviews on this board. They greatly inspired my trip planning, and I hope that my reviews will help others in much the same way.

It has been 5 years (5 long years) since I last embarked on a deluxe dining adventure. On that trip, I vowed that it would be my last time on the dining plan. It was too much food. At one point the friend I was traveling with dissolved into tears and said "I just can't eat anymore." As my title says, my friends, my family, and I are not known as light eaters. We love food. We eat a lot. Luckily, so far it hasn't caught up to us in the weight department. For us to say it was too much food, that was saying a lot. As we planned this trip, we went back and forth about whether or not to do the plan. Calculations were made, preliminary restaurant menu selections tabulated, and everyone agreed that we wanted to try so many things that the deluxe dining plan just made sense. We booked 7 nights at the Boardwalk, Magic Your Way tickets, and deluxe dining packages. With the buy 4 nights, get three free, we thought the deal was pretty darn good.

The Details

Dates: August 5-12, 2009
Resort: Boardwalk Inn (and by the way if you were the family staying in Boardwalk Inn room 3214, yelling at your kids and telling them that if they don't stop you will beat them, probably isn't a great way to make them behave, but I digress).

Cast: Me, your lovable narrator. 35 years old. The master planner of this trip. Have traveled to Disney 10 times since I was 4 years old. Not someone who needs to go to Disney every year, but makes a pilgrimage of sorts every five years. Loves to cook, eat, dine out, and take pictures of food. Favorite Meal - Filet at Jiko

Birthday Girl, my best friend, roommate, and all around heckler. Turned 37 on this trip. Also loves food. Doesn't really cook. Favorite meal - Filet at Jiko.

Dad, my dad, 62. The one person doubled his money on the dining plan. He ate every bite of food on every appetizer, entree, and dessert that he ordered. Not a crumb left behind. Favorite meal - Lobster at Narcoossee's.

Mom, my sweet mother. She came a close second to my dad in the clean plate club. Also loves food. The only person in our group to even come close to tossing her cookies after a meal. Favorite meal - Filet at the California Grill.

The Restaurants:
8/5 Big River Brewery
Flying Fish Cafe
8/6 Kona Cafe
Jiko
8/7 San Angel Inn
Narcoosee's
8/8 Mama Melrose
Sanaa
8/9 Yak and Yeti
Brown Derby
8/10 Wave
Artist's Point
8/11 Les Chefs de France
California Grill
8/12 Room Service - Boardwalk

[amandelba]

Sounds delicious. I'm in.

[PrincessTrisha]

Wow what a great line up. I hope that you enjoyed the plan as much as I did.

If you ever need a travelling partner, let me know. :banana:

[fantasia73]

Food: As I said in my first post, everyone in this group loves food and loves to eat A LOT. Out if all of the meals that we ate on this trip, there was only one restaurant that we all agreed had not so good food. If you looked at my list of restaurants and were able to guess the answer as Mama Melrose, you would be correct. Every other restaurant was at least good, if not excellent. The portions were generous and had we been paying out of pocket for these meals, generally we feel that we would have gotten our money's worth. The lone exception to this was lunch at the San Angel Inn where the price you paid did not cover the portions. We all had different favorites, but universally we all agreed that Disney does food well.

Service: Service was also generally very good. Many servers were friendly and helpful. Not one seemed to be put off by the fact that we were on the dining plan. Most explained how the plan worked, and pointed out favorite dishes to order from the menu. We did find service to overall be a bit slow. The space between courses was generally a little byond what is generally acceptable. For us, it worked great. We loved being able to take the time to have a leisurely meal at dinnertime. We had some spare time to digest in between courses. Most dinners took longer than two hours. This would probably be a disaster for families with small children, but since we had none of those, it worked great. :thumbsup2

Allergies: I have recently developed a food allergy and so this part of the Disney dining experience was new to me. I had had my travel agent mark the allergy down on our reservations, and except for the Kona Cafe and Les Chefs de France, when I arrived at the restaurant the chef was always prepared for me. The chef would come out and personally take my order. If there could be cross-contamination issues, the chef would cook my food separately. Leaving out the exceptions, my allergy was taken seriously and I was treated like royalty. Sometimes, you tell about an allergy, and the restaurant people treat you like "if you can't eat how I cook, don't bother eating at my restaurant." Here it was "How can we make this the safest best possible meal for you."

Kids: As a party made up entirely of adults, we knew there would times that kids would impede upon our dining experiences, this is Disneyworld not Delmonico in Vegas. There was only one time that I really wished I could tell the parents off. At Jiko, a 2 year old was out eating dinner at 8:00 at night. She was tired and cranky. She threw her sippy cup at us repeatedly, and screamed like her toenails were being ripped from her toes. The parents were obviously at the end of their ropes, the kid needed to be in bed, and I quickly tired of handing the cup to the parents. Everywhere else, kids were uniformly better behaved than I would have been at their ages. Those two hour meals that seemed long to me must have been torture for the kids, yet they sat still, played with toys that the parents brought for them, and out matured some of their parents!

[fantasia73]

Wow what a great line up. I hope that you enjoyed the plan as much as I did.

The planning was almost as fun as the trip! Well . . . not really, because the trip exceeded my expectations, but it was fun to plan!:woohoo:

[fantasia73]

We arrived at the Boardwalk at 2:00 and had planned to walk to France in EPCOT to get some crepes and Grey Goose slushies, but it started pouring soon after we checked in, so on the spur of the moment decided to head to the Brewery. We had all been then before. We were gearing up for dinner at the Flying Fish, so we paid OOP, and just split some sandwiches.

The girls ordered the Blackened Mahi Mahi Sandwich - Spicy seared filet on a freshly baked roll with leaf lettuce, sliced tomato and chipotle mayo. Served with Kettle chips. The sandwich was way better than what we were expecting. The fish was thick and the quality was quite good (not fishy at all). The chipotile mayo was tasty, but the sandwich could have used a little more of it. The chips were good, nothing special.

The parents ordered the Honey Dijon Chicken Sandwich - Grilled chicken breast basted in Honey Dijon mustard and topped with smoked bacon strips and Swiss cheese. Served with Kettle chips. They liked it, but that was all they would give me.

For beer, I had the Wowzer's Wheat. If you like Blue Moon or other wheat beers, you will enjoy this. It wasn't the most flavorful that I have ever had, but it was certainly good enough. Good enough that I ordered a second one. :laughing: At $5.50, it wasn't badly priced.

My dad had the beer flight, and his comment was "outstanding." Unfortunately, that is about as much as he ever gave me. Funny how just about everything was "outstanding" that he ate all week. ::yes::

The birthday girl had the Southern Flyer Light Lager. She thought that the emphasis was a little too much on the light. More like a Bud Light than a Sam Adams Light, if you know what I mean.

Overall, we had a decent first meal at Disney. None of us really expected much, so we were pleasantly surprised. If you like beer, this isn't a bad place to go to, especially if you want to escape the crowds of EPCOT at lunchtime. It's just a quick walk via the International Gateway.

[disneygirlinnj]

i'm in! i'm loving all of these deluxe reviews lately :) I'm starting to get worried that we're going to have WAY too much food since we're not really doing signature restaurants but..oh well :)

[butiflfeet]

I can't wait to read more of your reviews!

[fantasia73]

Before continuing on with my reviews, I thought I would give our impressions of the Deluxe Dining Plan.

We really enjoyed being on the plan and felt that it was a great value for us. I didn't keep track of the $s saved, but I do know that we came out ahead. We used every single one of our snack and meal credits. We approached the plan knowing it was going to be A LOT of food. So, we tried to stick to lighter foods (such as fish, sorbets, salads, etc.) This approach seemed to work well. We were always hungry for our next meal, and never made ourselves feel sick (expect for my mother one night at Artist's Point). We used our snack credits on breakfast items from the Boardwalk Bakery, smartly purchased the night before, so we could have a quick breakfast before leaving for the parks. We also generally had some sort of snack mid-morning - either a Mickey Bar or a frozen drink. :thumbsup2 We did make coffee in our room the night before as well, because we can't stand Disney's coffee, and iced coffee sounded a lot better than hot coffee in that heat! Returning from the parks, we would fill up our refillable mugs with soda. It was irritating that you had to bring the mugs in to show proof that you had them, only to be given soda in a separate paper cup.

The part I liked best about being on the dining plan was not having to worry about what I was ordering. If I felt like a $15 cheese course, I could have it, and not think how much that really is for four tiny portions of cheese. We got to try so many different things with four of us being on the plan.:cool1:

Would I go deluxe again? I'm not sure. There were quite a few things we missed committing to a 2 hour meal every night. We would have liked to have gone to the parks after the sun had gone down and it was cooler. We missed Illuminations and Fantasmic. Also, sometimes we just didn't feel like ordering three courses, but it seemed such a waste not to. We definitely think you can eat reasonably at Disney without the plan. It just depends on what kind of deal Disney offers us. :cool2:

[disneyfav4ever]

Can't wait to read your reviews!

[fantasia73]

Tradition states that we start every trip with a visit to the Flying Fish Cafe. We enjoy the atmosphere, the varied menu, and always feel like it's a great way to kick off our trip. Staying at the Boardwalk, it was an easy walk to the restaurant. Our reservation was at 7:20, we arrived a few minutes early, and were promptly sat at our reservation time. As we were being sat, the hostess asked a steady stream of questions, and was very friendly. We were sat amongst quiet tables filled with adults, so we were pleased. The hostess noted the food allergy and told us the chef would be right out to talk to us.

-------Note: I took some food pics on this trip that I will post to go along with my report. I felt like enough people post every single bite of food that they have, I would keep it simple and just post what I think is the prettiest food!

The chef did come out and take my order personally to make sure he had full control of what I was eating. Everything I ordered was okay, but he did deliver each course to me personally. It was very special to me, because I felt 100% safe that I would not be ending up in the emergency room! That's a good feeling.:yay:

For a beverage, I split a bottle of chenin blanc with the birthday girl. It arrived to the table not quite cold enough, but after sitting on the cold stone, subsequent glasses were okay.

For my first course, I had Chilled Wild Caught Gulf Gulf Shrimp "Cocktail" - Frisee, Shaved Radishes, Spiced Hearts of Palm, Creamy Verde Sauce, Chive-infused Oil - $16.00

http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt51/sap115/Disney003.jpg

I really enjoyed this course. Since they were Gulf shrimp, they were a little fishier tasting than the ocean shrimp that most people are used to (at least New Englanders). I enjoyed that flavor, but others at my table thought that was too much fish taste. The sauce was very nice and clean tasting. I finished every bite.

The birthday girl had Fresh Mozzarella di Bufala Heirloom and Marinated Tiny Tomatoes - Served with Radicchio, Aged Balsamico Syrup, Fresh Basil, Loire Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil. She loved it! The mozzarella was very creamy and rich tasting. I had a bite and had to agree.

For an entree, I had the swordfish special. I didn't take a picture and I don't have a description from the menu, but in my notes, I wrote "YUM!" I remember saying that it was the best swordfish I had ever had in Florida. It was a very thick piece of meat that was cooked perfectly. The sauce was Asian inspired and perfectly complemented the fish. I loved this dish!

The birthday girl had the signature Signature Flying Fish Cafe Potato-wrapped Red Snapper - Served with Cream Leek Fondue, Veal Glace and Red Wine Butter Sauce. She did like, but didn't love it. She really liked the fish and the crispiness of the potato, but did not love the sauce.

The parents had Oak-Grilled Main Diver Scallops - Served with Artichoke, Opal Basil and Mascarpone-laced Risotto di Carnarolli, Clamshell Mushroom, Crispy Capers, Artichokes and Pancetta. They loved it, but it was very rich and both had a hard time finishing their generous portions. Who would have thought that Mascarpone risotto would be filling?:rolleyes2:

For dessert, with my allergies, I was allowed to have the strawberry napoleon. It wasn't anything special, but it was good.

The birthday girl had white chocolate creme brulee. This was a hit all around the table. Everybody loved it.

http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt51/sap115/Disney004.jpg

The parents both had the trio of sorbets since they were so full from the risotto! They liked them just fine. Dad's comment was "outstanding."

We really enjoyed this meal and thought it was a great way to start our trip. The service was friendly, but quite slow. They were not in rush to get us out of there. It took us 2 1/2 hours to finish this meal. We noticed that our waiter had a lot of tables. We were wondering if there were any cutbacks affecting the amount of servers at any given meal?

[sctigger]

Sounds yummy can't wait to read more.

[MHSweb79]

I'm going in a month (yay!) and I don't have a single ADR for any of your retaurants. But I wanted to join because I notice you are from "Providence" too. (Actually, I live a few miles north in the Blackstone Valley).

[medicgirl911]

Can't wait to read more about it! I am curious tho as to what your allergy is??

[Pooh&OurHunny]

I can't wait to read more... enjoying your review

[fantasia73]

Can't wait to read more about it! I am curious tho as to what your allergy is??

Oops forgot that detail. Coconut and coconut oil.

[fantasia73]

Our first full day in the Magic Kingdom was full of fun. The crowds were light and we dashed through ride after ride with little to no wait. We picked up a few fast passes throughout the day to us during the afternoon, but we set a record for us for the most rides ridden before lunch. Our fateful mistake was riding Splash Mountain before leaving the park to get to lunch. We were towards the back of our log, but the water cannons were on at the base of the drop and soaked us all. It felt good, but we kind of felt bad that we would be walking into lunch looking less than pretty!:laughing:

The Kona Cafe is located inside the Polynesian. We jumped on the local monorail from the Magic Kingdom with plenty of time to spare before our reservation. Unfortunately, the monorail stops seemed extra long and we arrived about 15 minutes late. Even with our lateness, we were seated immediately. After being seated, that's when the promptness ended. The rest of the service was very slow. It seemed like forever until we ordered our drinks and double forever before they were brought out to us. We were very thirsty after running through the magic Kingdom for the previous 4 hours! We all had Diet Coke to drink. We would have loved a cocktail, but alcohol plus 95 degree weather wouldn't have equaled anything good.

For an appetizer, My dad and I split the Sticky Wings - Glazed Chicken Wings with a tangy mustard drizzle and toasted sesame seeds. I did like them, but I didn't think they were as good as other people have made them out to be. The sauce could have been more flavorful. The birthday girl had Pot Stickers - Wok seared duck dumplings with a creamy ginger-soy sauce. She raved over these and considering how fast she ate them, I wasn't able to get a sample! My mother had the Kona Salad - Mixed greens, Maytag blue cheese, fresh fruit, red onions, and smoked almonds with a citrus vinaigrette. There was plenty of blue cheese and we all got to sample it. Maytag blue cheese sure is good.

For entrees, we all ordered the same thing. Fish Tacos - Seared Tilapia with Tomato Salsa and Mango Mayonnaise. I don't have a picture because we all devoured these. They were awesome. The taco shell wasn't like something from the grocery store. It was more flaky and obviously homemade. The sauces were also good. Everyone wished we had time to go back her for lunch on another day to get these tacos again.

For dessert, my parents and I all ordered the Chocolate Fondue with Tropical Fruit and House-made Cookies. It was really good. I ate all of the fruit and gave my cookies to my parents, since there was coconut in them. I would have like to have some banana slices to dip, but that's just being picky!

The birthday girl had White Chocolate Cheesecake Cheesecake with a hint of White Chocolate, Strawberry Coulis, and Whipped Cream. She picked it because it was the smallest dessert, but this ended up being her most favorite dessert on the whole trip. I did manage to grab a bite before it was gone and it really was delicious. The cheesecakes on this trip never disappointed! They were always delicious. :thumbsup2
Here's a picture of the cheesecake.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt51/sap115/Disney012.jpg


Everyone agreed that this was a great lunch. All of the food was very good. We would all love to try the Kona Cafe for dinner next time. The service was very slow, but we enjoyed a break from the heat of the park. Other tables seemed to be served faster than we were, so it may just have been that we were stuck with a SLOW server. She was nice enough, but she seemed to move slower than molasses.

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thanks for the update. We never went to Kona Cafe and was wondering if its worth it to leave MK and have lunch there but your food review makes it worthwhile. Cant wait to read more.

[disneygirlinnj]

Mmmmm i love those pot stickers at Kona! :)

[MissMichelle]

I would DIE if I had a coconut and coconut oil allergy! Coconut is my favorite flavor in the whole world.

Loved your review of Flying Fish...We will be trying it for the first time in September...Its my birthday meal ;)

[eventamy]

Great Reviews! We are putting Flying Fish on our ADR list for next February. We also had slow service at Kona this year, wonder if it's a trend.

[Ms. Heimlich]

We had a GREAT meal at Kona in 2007 and a TERRIBLE one in 2009.

We ate dinner there and it was AWFUL. The food was COLD and the service was sooooo slow. I will have much more detail in my review but suffice to say we won't be back. Ever.

I am glad to read that you had a good experience there.

[helloconnie]

I'm In!

Are you by chance tracking to see if you come out ahead on the DDDP?

[disneybound31]

Great reviews!

[MickeyNicki]

Your lunch at Kona sounds wonderful, love fish tacos and I am mad at DH for not taking me there this past Sunday (we had a lousy lunch at WCC instead). I am going to add Kona as our departure lunch in Dec!

[fantasia73]

Are you by chance tracking to see if you come out ahead on the DDDP?

We didn't keep track while we were there, and now our receipts are scattered about. We did finish the plan and used all our snacks. I would say we came out ahead just by looking at what we ordered, but I can't be sure.

Your lunch at Kona sounds wonderful, love fish tacos and I am mad at DH for not taking me there this past Sunday (we had a lousy lunch at WCC instead). I am going to add Kona as our departure lunch in Dec!

We walked by the WCC and were real glad we didn't eat there!

[fantasia73]

This was the meal that I was looking forward to the most on this trip. On our previous trip, we had eaten at Boma and enjoyed the food, but Jiko was in a different class!

We arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge a little early so we would have the chance to show my parents around. It was sprinkling ever so slightly, so I let my parents take the umbrella out to look at the animals. They never came back. We had to hunt them down. They were talking to a cast member about the animals and having a good time. Don't worry about me, mom.:lmao: The rain had stopped so we watched some zebras and long-antlered things (I forget the names) roaming around.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt51/sap115/Disney026.jpg

As we walked to Jiko, we noticed lots of people noisily waiting for Boma, but as we approached Jiko, we felt like we were leaving a storm and going into the calm! We had to wait a few minutes for some people monopolizing the host and hostess. They were trying to decide whether or not to wait for a table, since they didn't have an ADR. The host should have asked them to step aside, while he helped me, but it was a small thing.

We were sat at a table by the windows. It was really pretty. My parents couldn't believe that we always got amazing tables. I don't know if it was just dumb luck, but I was always impressed with the tables we were given. There was one BIG problem with this table and it was sitting in a high chair right next to us. I don't know if it was a boy or girl, but this two year old was not happy to be dining at Jiko. :sad2: We weren't happy the kid was there either. Like I said in my introduction, this was the only time we were sat near a kid like this. It screamed and cried. Everytime it picked up its sippy cup, it hurled it across the room. Sometimes towards us and sometimes towards its parents. The parents were rolling their eyes like "I can't believe this is happening." The right thing would have been to leave or take turns taking the baby out. There was a restaurant full of people trying to enjoy their meals and the shrieks really didn't add to the atmosphere. :mad:

That being said, this was one of my favorite meals. Our waiter was very nice and helpful. He really went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed. The chef came over and went over the menu with me. If I remember correctly, there were a few things that were off limits for me, but after I told him what I planned to order, he said I was all set.

For beverages, the ladies split a bottle of sauvignon blanc that was recommended by our waiter. I believe it was Paul Cluver. It was very good. My father had an African beer of some sort and said it was, "outstanding."

My appetizer was Duck Confit Salad with Poached Pear, Dabo Croutons, Mustard-shallot Vinaigrette, and Goat Cheese. I didn't love it, but it was okay. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the duck seemed very salty. I picked around the duck and stuck to everything else. My father had Jiko Summer Salad with Romaine and Bibb Lettuce, Peaches, and Peach Vinaigrette. This was one dish that he talked about all week. Besides his lobster at Narcoossee's, this was his favorite. I didn't try any, because he ate the whole thing! My mother had Cucumber, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad with Rocket, Cottage Cheese, and Watermelon Vinaigrette. She did like it, but that's about all I got out of her on that one. The birthday girl had Crispy “Savanna” Rolls with Sweet Corn, Bitter Greens, Goat Cheese and Curry Vinaigrette. She did like them, but commented that she didn't expect quite so much corn. there was corn literally pouring out from these things!

Now, onto my favorite entree of the trip. Oak-grilled Filet Mignon with Macaroni & Cheese and Red Wine Sauce. The birthday girl and I both ordered this. For some reason, we've both had a lot of steaks cooked out recently. I've been to the Capital Grill, Ruth's Chris, and Craftsteak all within the last couple of months. This steak was the best out of any of them. it was perfectly cooked medium/rare, melted in your mouth, and was complemented nicely by the sauce. In fact as I was leaving the restaurant, I told the people at the exit that it was the best steak I had had in a long time. They may have thought I was babbling crazily, but it was that good. No picture, because a picture would not do it justice. I don't remember the mac and cheese served with it, but it doesn't matter. Just go order that filet!

My mother ordered Grilled Swordfish with Crisp Mealie Pap, Asparagus, and
Tomato-Pancetta Vinaigrette. She did enjoy it, but I think she was secretly jealous that she didn't order the steak! :cool1: I just remember making fun of her because of the pap. My father ordered some kind of shrimp dish. I don't remember now exactly what it was. He loved it though.

We were all stuffed when dessert time rolled around, but we managed! :lmao: My mother and I had House-made Lemon Curd
with Pomegranate and Blueberry Compote, White Chocolate Biscotti,
and Sour Cream Ice Cream. I loved the lemon curd, but I am particularly crazy about lemon. If you're not a lemon fan, it's probably not for you. I was too full to eat the ice cream or the compote, but my mother said it was tasty when you mixed all of the flavors together.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt51/sap115/Disney029.jpg

My father had Kenyan Coffee and Koeksisters - Kenyan Coffee Ice Cream with Spiced Doughnuts. He loved the warm donuts and they sure did look good. I really love donuts. The presentation for this dish was cute too.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt51/sap115/Disney028.jpg

The birthday girl was the only one who really didn't like her dessert. She had Pistachio Crème Brûlée with a Chocolate-layered bottom. She was expecting more of a pistachio flavor, but what she said she tasted most was the chocolate. Also, the sugar on top had been caramelized too soon, so it was soggy instead of crisp.

When we left, we were all very full and very happy. I will definitely keep this restaurant on my list for the next trip. It would just be hard to order something other than that steak!

[iluvpluto27]

Really enjoying your reviews. We love Jiko and the coffee and donuts dessert is right up my DH's alley, no doubt he'll be giving that a try on our next visit.

[Flossbolna]

Thanks for the great reviews! I really like the look of the coffee desert at Jiko!!!

[D&R love Disney]

Great reviews, looking forward to reading more!

[fantasia73]

Today was our EPCOT day. Staying at the Boardwalk, we took the boat over to the International Gateway. As a complete aside, beware of the crazy people running to get to Soarin' first thing in the morning. People were literally sprinting, dragging their kids, and pushing their way to get past you. It was a little dangerous! I did enjoy Soarin', but I don't think it's worth all that fuss. Maybe my expectations were too high . . .

After a hot morning, we made it to Mexico just in time for layered margaritas. If we had waited any longer, we might have all fainted from the heat! This is one of our must-dos when we make a trip to EPCOT. It sure did hit the spot on a hot day! We also saw that they have a slightly more expensive blue margarita made with Patron Tequila. I'll have to try that next trip.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt51/sap115/Disney033.jpg

We spent some time in the Mexican Pavillion. We went on the ride. Looked at the overpriced gift shop. Then made it to the restaurant a few minutes prior to our ADR. We were sat immediately. I love the atmosphere of this restaurant. It is beautiful and in the darkness, it feels calm and relaxing. We also managed to forget how hot it was outside.

The service inside the theme parks at lunch was among the quickest we had on the entire trip. We weren't rushed, but the time between courses didn't lag. Our waitress was named Lupita and she was very sweet. She took good care of us, and appreciated our attempts to speak Spanish to her.

I didn't take any pictures in here because I didn't think the pictures would come out without a flash, and I thought it would be rude to use a flash inside such a dark restaurant.

We enjoyed all of our food here. I have to say that this was one restaurant that we found to be extremely overpriced. Tacos for $14? Seriously. We would not dine here OOP, but on the Dining Plan, it was good enough to merit one meal credit!:thumbsup2 Where we live, there are not many good Mexican restaurants. Wait, no, there are no good Mexican restaurants. So for us this was a treat. If you have access at home to good Mexican food, this would probably not be as special to you.

To drink, we all ordered Diet Coke with lime. They brought out a nice plate filled with lime slices. We would have enjoyed a margarita with our food, but I have a bad memory of leaving the San Angel Inn and not remembering how I got back to the Yacht Club.:confused:

For appetizers, everyone either had the shrimp cocktail or the crab tostadas. The shrimp cocktail was very good and had lots of big shrimp. The shrimp was mixed with the sauce, so for some people this might be a negative. I like it, because every shrimp had plenty of sauce on it. It was a tiny bit spicy. The tostadas were also very good. They were flat fried tortillas with crab on top and a tasty sauce. You didn't get a very big portion, but it was a nice light option.

For entree, my mother and I had the Ensalada Mexicana with grilled shrimp. It was a refreshing salad with segments of orange, big slices of jicama, and toasted sunflower seeds. The dressing was very light. It was a delicious salad, but I can't say that would have paid $18.99 for it.

The birthday girl and my father had the enchiladas with rice and refried beans. They both really liked their entire plate full of food. For some reason, the birthday girl especially liked the beans.

When it came time for dessert, we were full, but again we persevered! :banana: I had a white chocolate mousse served in a fried tortilla cup. The birthday girl did not order dessert, but asked for an extra spoon to try some of mine. She agreed that this mousse was worth overextending one's stomach. It was real good. My mother had the flan and said it was delicious. I don't know how you could make a bad flan, but so be it. My father had the bread pudding. I am not a bread pudding fan, but my father cannot help but order it if it's on a menu. If you guessed that he said it was "outstanding", you win.

We all left very full, but not sick. Although, the birthday girl and I did have to sit through the Universe of energy before we used our next round of Fast Passes for Soarin'.

[fantasia73]

We arrived with about 1/2 hour to spare before our reservation remembering that self parking was a hassle at this resort. I checked in at the guard gate and he directed me to the self parking lot which across the street from the resort. I love the lobby of this hotel so we spent some talking walking around.

We were a few minutes early for our ADR but I checked in anyway. I asked for a window table and the hostess said it would be a 30 minute wait. We were hoping to still be there for Wishes, so we agreed to wait. No sooner had we gotten settled outside, that our buzzer went off and our table was ready. We had a beautiful view of the Contemporary. I'm not sure why I was so worried about not taking enough time with our meal to see the fireworks. As usual, this was a 2 1/2 hour meal.

We all ordered cocktails. My dad a martini with olives and my mom a raspberry mojito. The birthday girl ordered a Blue Floridian:
Sauza Gold Tequila, Blue Curacao , Lime Juice and Sweet-and-Sour. It came with a glow cube and she was pleased at the drink's appearance and flavor.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt51/sap115/Disney039.jpg

I had a blackberry mojito which I really enjoyed. I make mojitos all the time, so it wasn't quite as good as my own, but it was tasty. I love this picture of it.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt51/sap115/Disney041.jpg

Our waiter was a real character and I'm sorry that I forgot to write down his name, but he was a riot. I was traveling with a splinted finger from a sweet-potato-fry cooking injury, so the waiter went into all kinds of stories about going to London and breaking his hand playing football. He kept the meal moving, but I think his talking made it last a little longer.

For an appetizer, I had the cheese plate. There was a nice selection of cheese. Humboldt Fog, Cashel Blue, and Tête De Moine. I love cheese, so this was great. The only things I didn't care for were the golden raisins.
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My dad had the Green Goddess Salad Romaine, Cucumber, Hearts of Palm, Tarragon, Tomatoes, and Avocado Dressing. He did really like it, but ate too much before I could get a picture. I thought it was pretty. My mother had Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella Balsamic Vinegar, Basil Cream,
Watercress, and Micro Basil. I had a bite of the Mozzarella and it was delicious. I know, just what I needed: more cheese! The birthday girl had the Crab Cakes Southern Slaw and Cajun Rémoulade Sauce. This was her favorite appetizer of the trip and it did look good. I wish she had let me have a bite!!

For entrees, my father and I got the Steamed Whole Maine Lobster Drawn Butter, Potato Gratin, and Asparagus. I thought all of the meat was very tender and flavorful, including the tail. It could all be cut with just a fork. The only parts I couldn't pick out were the knuckles (since I had on my splint), but I certainly didn't need to eat them. I was too full to eat all of the potatoes that came on the side, but they were tasty. My father talked about this lobster for days! He thought it was so good and couldn't believe the dining plan included it.
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The birthday girl ordered Pan Seared Scallops Baby Summer Vegetables, Proscuitto, Parmesan, and Chimichurri. This was a first for her to have her scallops accompanied by Chimichurri sauce, but she LOVED the combination. She wants to try to recreate this dish at home. She said the scallops really went with these flavors, and she never would have guessed that they would go so well. My mother ordered Grilled Filet Mignon Potato Gratin, Romano Beans, and Choron Sauce. She was still jealous of our filets at Jiko, so she wanted steak in the worst way. She did really enjoy this filet.

Sometime while we were waiting for our entrees, an order was put in for some sparkling wine. I believe it was Domaine Ste. Michelle. It was easy drinking, very light.

By the time dessert rolled around, we were all REALLY stuffed. We lingered over the dessert menu and decided to just order three desserts and split them amongst all of us. The birthday girl had Key Lime Creme Brulee. Ironically, she didn't care for it, but my mother loved it. So my mother ate the entire thing. The birthday girl said the texture was off and she didn't taste a lot of lime. My mother had no such complaints! My father ordered the gelato sampler. I don't remember which flavors were included, but he enjoyed every one. I think he gave a few spoonfuls out to the others.

But as for me, I ordered Almond-crusted Cheesecake - Inspired by the Year of a Million Dreams and served with Lambert cherry sauce. Not only was this dish beautifully presented, it also had amazing flavor. I was stuffed, but I managed to eat most of the cheesecake with the cherries. A few bites were shared around the table. Everyone agreed this was a delicious. If it was on the menu of every restaurant, I would have ordered it every night! Sooo creamy and flavorful. I hate Rachel Ray, but it made me say "Yum-O.":cool1:

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We left the restaurant with 5 minutes to spare before Wishes started. We stood out on the deck and enjoyed the show. It was a beautiful night and our expectations were exceeded again!


Stay tuned for the one meal that we actually hated! Mama Melrose!

[MickeyNicki]

Thank you so much for the Narcoossee's review...I just added it in for our Oct trip and we plan on getting the green goddess salad, tomato mozz salad, DH wants the surf and turf and I will get the scallops!

[DLo]

wow, you have had some awesome meals. thanks for taking the time to review and post pics.

We ate at Kona for lunch last year . I loved the fish tacos. I had the choc. fondue for dessert - yum.

Jiko and Narco. look awesome. we have never made it to a signature restuarant. I think we are going to have to up the budget for next years trip!!!

[Flossbolna]

Narcoosee' sounds wonderful. It was never on my list of restaurants, but my sister who will travel to WDW for her first time with me on my next trip really fell in love with it and the more I read about it the more I get excited about eating there! :goodvibes

[fantasia73]

This was supposed to be our only day at the Hollywood Studios (or as we still call it MGM). We did end up spending an additional morning there, but at this time, we didn't know that would happen. We opted for Mama Melrose's because we wouldn't have to leave the park to eat there. I have eaten at Mama Melrose's two times in the past and always enjoyed the food. We close to a section of Rhode Island called Federal Hill that has awesome Italian food, and in the past this wasn't quite as good, but it did the job.

We checked in and were told that it would be a few minutes wait. There were plenty of tables open, but it did take about 10 minutes before we were seated at one of them. Our waitress came to the table and refused to take our order, even for drinks, until the chef came to the table to talk to me. We were all planning to order Diet Coke, so it seemed silly, but we waited. And waited. And waited. When he finally came out, he said to watch out for the bar drinks that contained coconut and some sorbet that had coconut on top. Hmmm . . . I could still order Diet Coke! :confused3

I have to say the restaurant was nice and cool and we enjoyed the atmosphere. About 50% of the tables were full, with the other people dining outside at Pizza Planet. Seriously, it would take a lot to get to me to eat outside in that Florida heat!!!

Our appetizers were actually quite good. My mother and I both had Mozzarella and Tomatoes - Served with marinated sweet onions, balsamic drizzle, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh sweet basil. Except for the gross onions, we really enjoyed this course. The tomatoes were delicious and the mozzarella creamy and good. The birthday girl had the Bruschetta - Marinated tomatoes served with Crostini. She loved that as well. I had a piece of it to go with my salad and it was very enjoyable. My father ordered the Antipasto for 2, and was surprised that the waitress said he could get it by himself. It came as a platter with fresh Italian Ham, cheeses, and assorted olives, peppers, and asparagus. Except for the gross asparagus that was slimy and bitter, my father enjoyed every last bite of this huge portion. We all had a bite of the Italian Ham and it was real good.

At this point, we were all saying how smart we were to eat there. And then the entrees arrived . . . I had Eggplant Napoleon - Layers of eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes. Let's just say that it was inedible. The eggplant was not the normal color of eggplant. It was a dark shade of brown and tasted awful. I took one bite and left the rest there. The fresh tomatoes were fresh and the mozzarella was good, but that was what I had had for an appetizer. My mother and the birthday girl each had a Grilled Chicken Flatbread - Made with sun-dried tomato pesto, Pancetta, Asiago cheese, and fresh chives. Apparently, they took the term "Flat bread" literally because this thing had literally no flavor. You might as well have been eating the place mat. They both wanted me to taste it just to verify that it was tasteless, and it was. My father had the Oven-baked Chicken alla Parmigiana - Served over spaghetti. He will pretty much eat anything, but he barely took ten bites of this. I didn't get what was so bad about it, except that he thought the sauce tasted like ketchup with a little oregano added. Not good. I specifically remember loving especially the flat breads the last time I ate here.

This was probably the first time that we were actually hungry at dessert time! Usually our entrees were so good that we want to order the smallest dessert possible. Here, it was the opposite. For dessert, I had Tiramisu - Layers of Ladyfingers soaked in coffee and topped with whipped mascarpone cheese. It was okay. Not great, but I did eat the whole thing. The whipped mascarpone was pretty darn good. The birthday girl had Honey-Hazelnut & Ricotta Cheesecake - Honey-hazelnut and ricotta cheesecake. She did like it, but didn't think it was anything special. It looked good. My parents both had Spumoni Gelato. They were served huge dishes of it. It had to be 3 scoops worth. They liked it and both managed to eat the whole serving.

This was the single disappointing meal of our trip. Eating about 13 meals in the World, and only having one that was disappointing is nothing short of amazing. Eating out around our house, there are a lot worse odds than that. I would have thought Mama Melrose's was just having an off day, but I've read several less than stellar reviews recently. Maybe eating outside at Pizza Planet wasn't a bad thing after all . . .

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Great updates, Sorry to hear about Jiko (I have a young child and if have acted in anyway we would have left b/c I want to enjoy our dinner and I want others to enjoy too), But I have a young son who loves to eat out so he learned in an early stage how to behave (I'm not saying he is perfect but we try to be considerate to him and others). We love Narcoosee's, the first time we went there my husband got the Maine Lobster and I got the surf and turf (I love my turf but my lobster was not great...when I asked they said its a frozen tail lobster and the whole Maine lobster is the fresh one) so I love the Maine Lobster so much and upset I did not get it in the first place my husband reserved Narcoossee's the next night so I can enjoy the Maine Lobster. Then our last night, I wanted it again so we had room service (private dinning from Narcoosee's deliver it to our room plus I knew my son was feeling rundown and it was not fair for him to sit that long so he went to sleep and my husband and I got Narcoosee's meal for our last night at Disney). Enjoying your reviews and can't wait to read more.popcorn::