What would you recommend at Animator's Palate?

[wildflower]

It seems like the dining rooms get mixed reviews on this board. I'm sure peoples' experiences are affected by their own personal preferences and expectations, but I also think ordering the right thing or the wrong thing can make or break your dining experience. I thought I'd ask all of you for your recommendations on what to order (or not order) for dinner at each of the three rotation restaurants, starting with Animator's Palatte. (I'll start a new thread for Triton's and Parrot Cay if this one gets a lot of response.)

To refresh your memories (and make you hungry), here is a quick summary of the dinner menu for Animator's Palate:

Appetizers: Ahi Tuna Tartare, Wild Mushroom Risotto and Porcini Twist, Taleggio Cheese Flatbread, Roma Tomato and Portobello Mushrooms or Polenta Cake

Soups and Salads: "Mulan" Chilled Gazpacho, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, Confetti Tomato Salad, Smoked Salmon and Trout with Goat Cheese Salad

Main Course: Penne Pasta, Spicy Potato and Pea Samosas, Phyllo-Wrapped Salmon Fillet, Fragrant Five-Spiced Fish, Lemon-Thyme Marinated Chicken Breast, Animator's Grilled Veal Chop, Black Bean Chipotle Cakes, Shere Khan's Asian-Marinated Beef Short Ribs

Desserts: Strawberry Sable, Cranberry and Orange Cheesecake, Buckled Warm Apple Crumble, Double-Fudge Chocolate Cake, Ice-Cream Sundae

I can't wait to hear your recommendations!

 

[vvv]

We were on the Magic Western in January and to be honest, I don't remember the menu you have posted. Are you sure it is correct??

The only menu items I recognize are a couple of deserts. I don't remember for sure what my main course was, but it definitely was not one of those listed.

 

[wildflower]

My menu summary is from the most recent menu I could find: April 2009. I know there have been changes to the menus. Maybe they were made after last April? If that's the case, does anyone know where to find updated menus?

 

[CoreyLe]

If you go to Disneys web site you can get the most current menu for each restaurant on each ship. I noticed that they are not the same as the menus listed on this site so I think the Dis ones are out of date.

This is for the Wonder..

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/wonder/dining/

Click on each restaurant and you will see a Menu tab. Click on that for the full menu.

 

[Mich123]

The menu is pretty close...I would recommend the Ahi Tuna app and the Smoked Salmon and Trout salad. The Ahi Tuna was diced, which is was not what I expected, but it was delicious and the small bit of greens served with it on the side were interesting and also very good. I really enjoyed the Salmon and Trout salad...funny thing is, I don't recall the goat cheese.

Two in my family had the Samosas and liked them, but they're more like an app as well. The short ribs weren't on the menu or I would have ordered them. Instead they had a sliced beef tenderloin that I ordered--it was good, but I had to send the first plate back because "medium rare" came out very rare. My friend ordered the phyllo wrapped Salmon and she said it was very good. Two of the kids with us ordered the penne pasta--they thought that the prosciutto topping was odd, it was thickly sliced fried prosciutto--I think they were going for lardons but it didn't quite work.

We tried the Buckled Warm Apple Crumble (very sweet and a little mushy), Double-Fudge Chocolate Cake (this was like a frosted brownie) and a Sugar Free Frozen Lemon Souffle (that wasn't frozen--but was very light). I think there might have been a creme brulee as well that DH and our friend said was more like creme caramel--no crunch. They also offered a sampler dessert platter with three mini desserts.

Hope this helps!

PS: I'd highly recommend Palo...you might want to start a thread for that, too!

 

[kcashner]

The apple crumble is DD's favorite dessert. Ranks right up there with Lava Cake in her book.

It's hard to recommend given that we don't know your likes/dislikes. The salmon is good, but not as good as the maple salmon they used to have. The double chocolate cake is good.

 

[aurorafan65]

dh & I would always make sure we picked different items & taste each others! My oldest ds always ordered whatever the fish dish was so I'm sure he would have had the salmon here, dh is pretty much a beef guy & I choose whatever, I also don't remember the ribs otherwise I would have gotten those!
I know I had the ahi tuna app & dh had the butternut soup - both excellent
Pretty much for dessert I did anything with chocolate in its name & it was always wonderful!
dh is diabetic so he usually had a sugar free dessert & they were always good too

 

[mmouse37]

I love soups and I ALWAYS get the Butternut Squash soup in Animator's....it has been on the menu for awhile (and is on the current one, at least onboard the Wonder as of January).

I also always get the veal chop in Animator's....they used to have a stuffed veal chop but the current one on the menu was pretty good as well.

I am not a big fan of DCL desserts....so I usually get a Mickey Bar...I forget which dining rooms had it but one night there was a coconut ice cream and one night was a cinnamon ice cream, each paired with other things but I asked for the ice cream alone.

MJ

 

[stsomewhere]

mushroom rissoto
butternut squash soup.

 

[atigeg]

I looked at my collection and April 2009 was the last change

the DCL site says:
Although subject to change, dinnertime menu items may include:

and only lists a few items from every category.

 

[wildflower]

If you go to Disneys web site you can get the most current menu for each restaurant on each ship. I noticed that they are not the same as the menus listed on this site so I think the Dis ones are out of date.

This is for the Wonder..

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/wonder/dining/

Click on each restaurant and you will see a Menu tab. Click on that for the full menu.

Thanks! I checked Disney's website and it looks like my menu was current. (The DIS ones are out of date, by the way. I found mine elsewhere.)

Thanks everyone for the recommendations so far. I'll definitely plan on the Creamy Butternut Squash Soup--sounds like it's a favorite, and I love creamy soups. DH is drooling over the Smoked Salmon and Trout Salad. I'll try some of his!

There is a trio available for dessert: Strawberry Sable, Cranberry and Orange Cheesecake, and Double-Fudge Chocolate Cake.

 

[mmouse37]

Thanks! I checked Disney's website and it looks like my menu was current. (The DIS ones are out of date, by the way. I found mine elsewhere.)

Thanks everyone for the recommendations so far. I'll definitely plan on the Creamy Butternut Squash Soup--sounds like it's a favorite, and I love creamy soups. DH is drooling over the Smoked Salmon and Trout Salad. I'll try some of his!

There is a trio available for dessert: Strawberry Sable, Cranberry and Orange Cheesecake, and Double-Fudge Chocolate Cake.

I just updated the DCL FAQ thread with direct links to the DCL menu pages from the DCL site.

MJ

 

[aurorafan65]

I love soups and I ALWAYS get the Butternut Squash soup in Animator's....it has been on the menu for awhile (and is on the current one, at least onboard the Wonder as of January).

I also always get the veal chop in Animator's....they used to have a stuffed veal chop but the current one on the menu was pretty good as well.

I am not a big fan of DCL desserts....so I usually get a Mickey Bar...I forget which dining rooms had it but one night there was a coconut ice cream and one night was a cinnamon ice cream, each paired with other things but I asked for the ice cream alone.

MJ

I think the coconut ice cream was at Parrot Cay - that was really good - we ordered 1 for us to share since we weren't sure what it would taste like!

They offered some sorbets on various nights my youngest son really liked those (he was 10 at the time)