"A Private Affair"

[WebmasterDoc]

An offering to guests at HH is a dining event called "A Private Affair".

It offers a unique dining experience in the comfort of a Grand Villa where a resort chef will prepare a meal for you (and guests). There is a selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts as well as wine pairings for each course. You may choose to assist with the preparation (even with shopping for the ingredients, if desired) or just watch the preparation develope before you.

We had the opportunity to enjoy this last evening with Chef Gordon. All meals are typical of "low country" style cooking and ingredients and recipes are provided at the conclusion of the evening.

Our selections were Daufuskie Island Crab Cakes- with Devil's Elbow Dressing. Served with Chardonnay. Barbequed Shrimp and Pork Tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes and spinach. Served with White Zinfandel. Dessert was Chocolate Mousse Brownie topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. Served with Merlot.

The dinner was a delightful experience, the GV candlelight atmosphere was superb and the evening flew by- serving as a nice diversion for the events of the day.

Cost is $40 per person- minimum of $120 (for 1 or 2). This experience is limited to one group per evening and does require an advance reservation (NOT a PS, but an actual reservation!)

We're already planning for our next trip.

[Granny]

A full-course prepared meal in the comfort of a Grand Villa for $40 a head....sounds like a great value.

Thank you for continuing your updates of your trip.

[chris1gill]

Definitely sounds like a nice experience! Thanks for the info!!

[ZerasPride]

Doc - I've been waiting for your review! The meal sounds wonderful. Can you tell me how the menu is selected? Are you given choices to pick from? Do you have to do the wine pairings? DH and I are not alcohol drinkers. How far in advance do you think we'd have to make a reservation? Sorry I have so many questions but we'll be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary during our visit in November and this sounds like a great option.

Lisa

[tinkandme]

Sounds Great!

I am happy to hear you had a brief time to be happy yesterday.
Is this only offered at HH, do you think they would ever offer this at any of the home resorts in WDW?

Thank You,
TinkandMe

[prplcrzy]

Doc,

That does sound wild. Can you design your own meal or just pick from a menu and the chef will prepare that?

[dianeschlicht]

Sounds great!:)

Too bad we can't make such a reservation for dinner in ANY villa at ANY DVC resort. I'd go for it!:)

[Fenceman]

HH also offers a cooking class hosted by Chef Gordon called "Cooking with Matilda". I believe it was an hour and the chef creates different dishes that are sampled by all that atttend. We went to the class with a "Low Country Crab Theme". Wine was served and there is a cost but it was well worth it.

[WebmasterDoc]

There is a menu selection which you may choose from (or make suggestions if desired). Gordon is a delight to work with and is quite creative.

The wine pairings are included, but if you prefer other options, they will be available. One of our group chose not to try the pairings and had a nice non-alcoholic selection.

I would suggest contacting the resort in advance to reserve the program- it is certainly on an as available basis. Call 1-843-341-4151 and ask to speak to the Recreation Dept. I would even provide an email address and you can discuss the menu with Gordon by email.

We made our reservation in July for this trip, but I don't know if that much advance was needed. Everyone is given a bulletin about the program at check-in.

HH is the only DVC resort which offers this program- that I'm aware of. Gordon is the orginator of the program and does a wonderful job. Obviously, it is an extremely limited program.

We just returned from "Cooking With Matilda" also hosted by Chef Gordon and today was "cooking with crab". Again, recipes were provided for all of the selections....and a good time was had by all. (Matilda was the name of the cook for the previous residents of Longview Island- where the resort is located.) Cost of this program was $12 for members ($15 for other guests).

Enjoy!

[VMS]

Do you need to be in a GV in order to do this?:earsboy: :earsgirl: :earsboy: :earsboy: :earsgirl:

[WebmasterDoc]

No, the program is open to all guests (as available). It is presented in the GV used as a model by the sales staff.

They are considering other options once the resort is sold out and the GV isn't used as a model any longer. One possibility is the Surfman's Station at the Beach House- which already has a fully equipped kitchen.

For those unable to access the GV (it is NOT wheel chair friendly, as it is on the 2nd (and 3rd) floor) other options are available- including preparing the meal in the guest's own room.

[sweetp0618]

Doc--I couldn't agree with you more! We've done "A Private Affair" with Chef Gordon twice and totally loved it both times. We had a different menu each time, both were awesome--as is Gordon!

I would recommend this to anyone staying at DVC-HH. It is truly the best dining experience on the Island.

sweetp0618@aol.com

[Aaron]

Doc,

Do you know if there are any provisions for young kids? For example, I have a 5-yr old and 3-yr old that will be with us in October. I don't mind paying the $120.00, but not sure I'd want to pay $160, as the two together aren't going to come close to eating what the adults will.

Planning to call for more info tomorrow - Hoping they will let me work it out with Gordon by email ahead of time.

Thanks.

[WebmasterDoc]

Do you know if there are any provisions for young kids?

I don't have information about any children's pricing. That would be a good question. I'll see what I can find out. I'm sure a call to the resort would get an answer.

Part of the fun of the evening is participating in the preparation, if desired. Gordon is great about sharing his chef experience and will allow guests to don apron and cap if interested. It is not really a restaurant or catered type meal- it is a very comfortable, yet elegant adventure.

[Aaron]

Doc,

I just got off the phone with the recreation dept. This could be one of those "depends on who you talk to" instances, but I was told:

* There was no need to make reservations in advance as the program never fills up - just call down to recreation when I get there.

* The lady I spoke with did not have an answer to my question about young children

* I was unsuccesful in attempting to get an email address for advance planning

Just thought I'd pass this along since my experience is different from yours. Not sure how I will proceed at this point - perhaps just wait till I get there and make a decision then.

[KMarie]

We will be are going to HH soon, and based on Doc's posting here, have decided to try A Private Affair. I called the resort direct, and spoke to Rhonda in the Recreation Department to make a reservation. She was extremely nice and helpful. She took my reservation, and home phone number and said Chef Gordon would be calling me to discuss the menu. She also said the chef was not available for A Private Affair on Wednesdays.

That's my experience so far!

:)

[Firefighter Mickey]

I just talked to Gordon about our dinner on the 29th of December; here's some sample menu's he sent - remember, these are only a starting point and he can accomodate most anything - yum, yum!!!

Appetizer Selection

Mixed Field Greens with Mushroom and Camembert Crostini
Recommended: Sauvignon Blanc
Alternative: Pinot Grigio

Or

Quesadillas with Smoked Oysters, Havarti and Roasted Red Peppers
Recommended: Champagne
Alternative: Sauvignon Blanc

Or

Daufuskie Island Crab Cakes with Devil's Elbow Dressing
Recommended: Chardonnay
Alternative: Sauvignon Blanc


Entrée Selection

Grilled Salmon with Mushrooms, Sweet Onions and Pinot Noir Sauce
Glazed, Parslied Carrots
Wild Rice Pilaf
Recommended: Pinot Noir
Alternative: Zinfandel

Or

Lowcountry Barbecued Shrimp and Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Horseradish Whipped Potatoes
Sautéed Spinach with Garlic Chips
Recommended: Zinfandel
Alternative: Pinot Grigio

Or

Grilled, Marinated Tenderloin of Beef with
Red Wine and Shallot Reduction
Lady's Island Peas
Double Baked Sweet Potato Wedges
Recommended: Sauvignon Blanc
Alternative: Chardonnay



Dessert Selection


Chocolate Mousse Brownie with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream
Recommended: Merlot
Alternative: Muscat

Or

Georgia Peach and Banana Bread Pudding
Recommended: Riesling
Alternative: Sauternes

Or

Classic Cherries Jubilee with Vanilla Ice Cream
Recommended: Champagne
Alternative: Riesling

[WebmasterDoc]

From personal experience, I can recommend the crab cakes, barbucued shrimp/pork tenderloin and mousse brownie with the suggested wine pairings. That was our menu last week!

Gordon is also open to suggestion for other options. He really enjoys presenting typical "low-country" dishes and has recipes from other local chefs.

Enjoy!

[Mom-to-3]

Oooh, I love Muscat and Sauterne. It's very sweet, strong dessert wine.

I'm not much a red wine drinker, much to the chagrin of my France-visiting father.

[KMarie]

I have spoken with Chef Gordon about our upcoming Private Affair, and the info I was given about his unavailablity on Wednesdays is NOT accurate. So, please disregard that part of my previous post.

[WebmasterDoc]

I just recevived the following information from Chef Gordon at Hilton Head:

"I don't have a specific children's menu or pricing guide, but kids are always welcome, of course. I usually charge half price for the older kids who will be eating. For the very young, there is no charge, but they are still welcome! I have had parents bring along videos to keep the children occupied while the adults eat (a great way to save on the cost of a baby-sitter). I have also had parents bring along Happy Meals or pizza for their tiny children whom they didn't think would like the grown up
food.

As for the advanced reservations, they are definitely necessary! As you know, space is extremely limited. I can't imagine why any CM would have told somebody otherwise, but I will certainly make sure that everyone who answers the phones at Disney receives an updated copy of the "A Private Affair" information sheet, which not only includes the topics above, but will also
have my personal email address so that future Guests may contact me directly."

Enjoy!

[KMarie]

Doc,
Is tipping the chef an appropriate thing to do for "A Private Affair?"

Thanks in advance for the advice :)

[WebmasterDoc]

Good question! The CM's in general at HH won't typically accept a gratuity. The shuttle drivers are quite polite and quick to turn down a tip.

When I went to pay for the evening on my room charge- Gordon filled out the charge slip and carried the charges down to total- leaving no place to add a tip. I didn't take time then to argue it with him, but the same thing happened when we took his "Cooking with Matilda" class the next day. The same process occurred for each participant.

While I felt a gratuity was well deserved, I assume that it's not expected.

Enjoy!

[Aaron]

Thanks to Doc, I now have all my questions answered, and my reservation booked. Chef Gordon has been (as I've grown to expect from Disney) very responsive / flexible / helpful in getting things setup for our trip.

Thanks again to Doc for giving us the information and helping me work through the problems I was having.

[geh]

Will this dinner be available in the future (6 months from now), or is it a special, off season thing that HH is doing? We'll be there at the end of March, and this might be something we'd be interested in. Thanks!

[WebmasterDoc]

It is a regular, year round activity at the HH resort. Obviously, it is limited in availability so advance planning is recommended.

I don't know if there is anyone besides Chef Gordon who is qualified to offer the program, so there logically may be times when he is unavailable (vacations, days off) to offer the program.

Good Luck!