Victoria & Alberts - Join me in my Dining Scheherazade (Night #3 Sep 17, 2009)

[ehagerty]

Prosciutto Wrapped Gulf Schrimp with Florida Melons and Jamon Iberico

Wine Pairing: Heller Estates Chenin Blanc, Carmel 2007

I never would have thought to puree melon (sweet, smooth), dot with soy (I think - salt offset) and build a small sculpture of shrimp, greens, edible flowers and what looks like (but I don't honestly remember - I don't take notes - if they include it on the menu you take home, you get it here...) a Parmesan crisp.

It is all good.

If I have time when I return from my walk, I'll try to post the next course and bread. I am not nearly as verbose on a work night!!!!

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[ehagerty]

Seared Poached Scallop, Lobster with Coconut Vanilla Scented Goat's Milk Broth and Fava Beans

Wine Pairing: Nambu Bijin "Southern Beauty" Ginginja Junmai Ginjo, Iwate

Another work evening - words are sparse (thank goodness, right!?!). I think if I had read the menu, I probably would have requested a substitute for the goat cheese. For some odd reason, I am not partial the the pungent "tang" of goat cheese. Fortunately, I did NOT do that - and was rewarded for my inadvertent open-mindedness by loving this dish - so much so that it happened to be THE one I raved about to Chef Tom (you will meet him later). Obviously, I can and should rave about ALL the dishes, but this one was the one that can bubbling out of my mouth in the kitchen.....

In fairness to goat cheese everywhere, I have never been disappointed by goat cheese, goat cheese infused dishes or desserts at either V&A or CaliGrill. It is either the quality of the cheese they buy - or the skill in using it - or both.

Should you be fortunate enough to have this as an option, make sure you have some bread to absorb every last foaming drop.....



.

 

[oybolshoi]

And they served it on a seashell plate! Or is that an oyster shell plate? Maybe a clam? It's a shell of some kind, of that I'm sure!!

If that's on the menu come October 18th I think I may order it twice.

Enjoying your review as always ... wonderful timing to get us all excited for our upcoming trips! Looking forward to meeting you at the zoo next week!

Seared Poached Scallop, Lobster with Coconut Vanilla Scented Goat's Milk Broth and Fava Beans

Wine Pairing: Nambu Bijin "Southern Beauty" Ginginja Junmai Ginjo, Iwate

Another work evening - words are sparse (thank goodness, right!?!). I think if I had read the menu, I probably would have requested a substitute for the goat cheese. For some odd reason, I am not partial the the pungent "tang" of goat cheese. Fortunately, I did NOT do that - and was rewarded for my inadvertent open-mindedness by loving this dish - so much so that it happened to be THE one I raved about to Chef Tom (you will meet him later). Obviously, I can and should rave about ALL the dishes, but this one was the one that can bubbling out of my mouth in the kitchen.....

In fairness to goat cheese everywhere, I have never been disappointed by goat cheese, goat cheese infused dishes or desserts at either V&A or CaliGrill. It is either the quality of the cheese they buy - or the skill in using it - or both.

Should you be fortunate enough to have this as an option, make sure you have some bread to absorb every last foaming drop.....



.

 

[ireland_nicole]

ooooh, yes, yes... my favorite WDW restaurant, and a delicious review... this is almost as good as chocolate.- no, wait; this is almost as good as a cheese plate yum.

 

[kabuki]

Seared Poached Scallop, Lobster with Coconut Vanilla Scented Goat's Milk Broth and Fava Beans

Wine Pairing: Nambu Bijin "Southern Beauty" Ginginja Junmai Ginjo, Iwate

Another work evening - words are sparse (thank goodness, right!?!). I think if I had read the menu, I probably would have requested a substitute for the goat cheese. For some odd reason, I am not partial the the pungent "tang" of goat cheese. Fortunately, I did NOT do that - and was rewarded for my inadvertent open-mindedness by loving this dish - so much so that it happened to be THE one I raved about to Chef Tom (you will meet him later). Obviously, I can and should rave about ALL the dishes, but this one was the one that can bubbling out of my mouth in the kitchen.....

In fairness to goat cheese everywhere, I have never been disappointed by goat cheese, goat cheese infused dishes or desserts at either V&A or CaliGrill. It is either the quality of the cheese they buy - or the skill in using it - or both.

Should you be fortunate enough to have this as an option, make sure you have some bread to absorb every last foaming drop.....



.

This looks and sounds amazing! PLEASE .. tell us about the wine!

 

[BriarRosie]

And they served it on a seashell plate! Or is that an oyster shell plate? Maybe a clam? It's a shell of some kind, of that I'm sure!!

[sarc] Gee, Brenda, don't you think they would have used a scallop shell to serve the scallop on? [/sarc] Go ahead. Slap your forehead for the "I could have had a V-8" moment. D'oh!

If that's on the menu come October 18th I think I may order it twice.

Enjoying your review as always ... wonderful timing to get us all excited for our upcoming trips! Looking forward to meeting you at the zoo next week!

Oh I am definitely going to order that if it's on the menu. And take her advice and keep some bread handy to sop up the sauce!

 

[Rip]

I have thoroughly enjoyed your threads on this. I surprised my wife just this past Saturday (10/3) based partially on your reviews. We were lucky enough to get the Chef's menu in the dining room, which - for our first time - was absolutely perfect. 10 courses in a very romantic setting.

I look forward to the rest of the meal.

 

[oybolshoi]

Color me stupid, but as a relatively recent convert to scallop eating I had no idea that they were of the shell. Don't ask me where I thought they came from (other than the ocean) but I didn't know they were shelled. Just because I love food doesn't mean I actually know anything about it.

 

[ehagerty]

The Chef's Table? Indescribable. For someone like you, a must do. DH and I did it the year after we did the dining room. It is a different experience...I wouldn't say romantic or serene. Not the same feeling as the dining room for sure. But as a culinary experience, phenomenal. The service of course is superb. And more relaxed. Really a great, fun night. Getting to talk directly with the chef was awesome. It was personal and informative all at the same time. You must do it and report back like this!!!

More than happy to comtemplate - haven't quite crossed the threshold of "It's OK to spend this much money on myself." Getting there, though!

I'm so looking forward to enjoying another one of your reviews!

Thanks!

ehagerty, i think i love you. you seem as utterly obsessed with food as i am. and with great photos to boot. i look forward to reading more of your posts!

uh.... love you, too?? I do enjoy food. And taking pictures. And sharing them.

And they served it on a seashell plate! Or is that an oyster shell plate? Maybe a clam? It's a shell of some kind, of that I'm sure!!
If that's on the menu come October 18th I think I may order it twice.
Enjoying your review as always ... wonderful timing to get us all excited for our upcoming trips! Looking forward to meeting you at the zoo next week!

Maybe you can request the scallop dish? Let them know ahead of time that, if the ingredients are available, you would like it? And yes, see you a week from today. Many of you!!

This looks and sounds amazing! PLEASE .. tell us about the wine!

Truthfully, I have not connected my palate to my memory. I recreate my commentary from the menu and pictures - have not taken any notes. What I can do is request Israel to forward any wine notes he has (he included them on the menu last time....). Stay tuned - we'll see what we can do.

[sarc] Gee, Brenda, don't you think they would have used a scallop shell to serve the scallop on? [/sarc] Go ahead. Slap your forehead for the "I could have had a V-8" moment. D'oh!
Oh I am definitely going to order that if it's on the menu. And take her advice and keep some bread handy to sop up the sauce!

Thank you for verifying the shell association. I've seen pictures of shells like that before, and may have surmised the logic of presenting scallops on scallops shells, but as oybolshoi notes further down, my love of food does not automatically translate into knowledge of food. We learn as we go.

I have thoroughly enjoyed your threads on this. I surprised my wife just this past Saturday (10/3) based partially on your reviews. We were lucky enough to get the Chef's menu in the dining room, which - for our first time - was absolutely perfect. 10 courses in a very romantic setting. I look forward to the rest of the meal.

Anything you want to tell us, we want the hear!!

 

[MariDisney]

Wait. You went AGAIN? Not really fair, but I'm in.

 

[ehagerty]

Not that they are mutually exclusive from a scheduling point of view - but from "best value for the dollar" or "best overall food experience for the dollar" I have heard other posters say the same thing..... from allearsnet Food and Wine Festival Review

"The Party for the Senses: I think it's still a lot of fun, but if the price goes any higher than $135, I don't think I'd be interested. The option of paying an additional $75 to be guaranteed a seat in the Wine View Lounge is nice, but it makes the total $210 plus tax. That's an awful lot of money for what's basically a glorified cocktail party. In fact, my family has opted to bypass the Party for the Senses this year and instead will be splurging on an evening at Victoria and Albert's, which probaby cost us about the same amount. I'll be interested to hear if other die-hard Food and Wine Festival-goers do something similar."​

 

[ehagerty]

I wish I knew more about bread, so that I could describe it well. For now, let's just say it is commensurate with the meal - flavorful without being intrusive or overpowering, rich without being heavy, moist without being damp - perhaps the highest compliment I can think of is that it complemented and transitioned the dishes without overly drawing attention to itself, adding another essential thread to the tapestry.....



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[disneyfav4ever]

I really want to try and eat there next year, your pictures are great!

 

[ehagerty]

Roasted Poulet Rouge with Salsify, Swiss Chard and Carmelinni Beans

Wine Pairing: Apollo-Falter Spatburgunder Rheinhessen 2007​

Presented with a bell jar covering.... (which threw off my focus, so it goes)

without the covering

close-ups

Must break for lunch and head out for corporate pow-wow - followed by Sabres game - followed by checking back in here to see how y'all are doing. Trying to get this done before leaving on Sunday! Only half way there!!


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[dizneykid]

I just want to say that you take the most beautiful photos. I have seen many of your reviews. Thank you.

Everything looks so wonderful. I would love to go back!

P.S. - Your hubby is so handsome.

 

[Mrsjvb]

you know I regret immensely NOT taking picss of our trip to V&A on the 30th..

All I can say is Israel was terrific as a sommalier ESPECIALLY since he chose the Heller Chenin Blanc( one of our FAVORITE Monterey Cty wineries of all time..and they are certified organic and have been seen on White House menus that's how good they are) for your appetizer. the Bottle he chose for us went perfectly with both our main courses( we opted to not do the pairing this time).

and I wholeheartedly agree with your interpretations of the amuse buche.. I dislike tomatoes for the most part and every one of these was amazing.. especially the Octopus( which I adore).

as for the Pastry Chef.. yeah he was this close to being kidnapped... the orange date bread he gave us to take home almost didn't get shared with my husband....

maybe this is incentive to do my own review.....Must hunt down the menus....

 

[BriarRosie]

Color me stupid, but as a relatively recent convert to scallop eating I had no idea that they were of the shell. Don't ask me where I thought they came from (other than the ocean) but I didn't know they were shelled. Just because I love food doesn't mean I actually know anything about it.

Thank you for verifying the shell association. I've seen pictures of shells like that before, and may have surmised the logic of presenting scallops on scallops shells, but as oybolshoi notes further down, my love of food does not automatically translate into knowledge of food. We learn as we go.

I tease because I love. Mostly everything I've learned about food I got from the Food Network. I didn't know what aioli was, once upon a time.

Not that they are mutually exclusive from a scheduling point of view - but from "best value for the dollar" or "best overall food experience for the dollar" I have heard other posters say the same thing..... from allearsnet Food and Wine Festival Review

"The Party for the Senses: I think it's still a lot of fun, but if the price goes any higher than $135, I don't think I'd be interested. The option of paying an additional $75 to be guaranteed a seat in the Wine View Lounge is nice, but it makes the total $210 plus tax. That's an awful lot of money for what's basically a glorified cocktail party. In fact, my family has opted to bypass the Party for the Senses this year and instead will be splurging on an evening at Victoria and Albert's, which probaby cost us about the same amount. I'll be interested to hear if other die-hard Food and Wine Festival-goers do something similar."​

Funny that you quoted this. I didn't schedule PFTS this year partly because I thought last year's was oversold and overcrowded, and didn't look forward to doing that this year. I booked V&A directly as a result of that decision, too! But now that I'm hearing that the parties are not crowded, similar to years past, I had a momentary regret. But then I quickly changed my mind because I know my V&A dinner will be fabulous.

Loved the bell jar presentation of the chicken!

 

[Rip]

Anything you want to tell us, we want the hear!!

That's very kind. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos, but we were seated just after we arrived - about 10 minutes early, and offered drinks. We told them we'd be doing the wine pairing, and they brought a glass of champagne to start. We were asked if there were any particular dislikes before the chef started cooking, and we said no. He told us to expect 9-10 courses, and that he wouldn't know what the next course would be until it was ready, that the chef would make it up as he went. We told him that as far as we were concerned, he should prepare what he wanted us to eat, we'll try anything.

The Amuse Bouche was exactly the same as yours. He served me sesame crusted big-eye tuna with tat soi salad and tamari honey foam next. My wife was served smoked colorado buffalo with fennel, olives and artichokes in a sherry vinaigrette.

Next course was a "cold smoked" lobster (with the flashy fog effect) with apple-curry vinaigrette and radishes.

Next was diver scallops with corn and bamboo rice ragout, monterey abalone with toasted capers and meyer lemon creme, and white king salmon with asparagus, crab and sauce bearnaise.

For the next course I was served duck 3 ways - breast, sausage, and confit with salsify and cherry sauce. My wife had poulet rouge with mushroom-truffle ragout, english peas, and yellow chanterelles.

Next up was pork tenderloin and belly with baby beets, sherry bacon vinaigrette, and 100 yr balsalmic.

Somewhere around here we took a break and walked around the hotel for a bit.

Next was australian kobe tenderloin and japanese wagyu strip loin, followed by the cheese course.

The "pre-dessert" course (yes, she called it that) was blackberry sorbet, vanilla creme brulee and a carmelized banana gateau. Finally dessert - chocolate pyramid, kona chocolate souffle and peruvian chocolate ice cream in a puff pastry.

We left there and grabbed a burger at McDonald's on the way home.

OK, I lied, we barely could move after all of that, but it didn't seem like 3.5 hours had gone by. It was bar none the best meal we've ever had, and we plan to return next year.



Sorry for hijacking your thread, but you asked.

 

[Unca_Scrooge]

My wife and I both thought that was the best thing we ever tasted in our lives. Assuming this is the same as what we had back in September.

 

[jeminni]

Beautiful pictures and reviews