Oh, I'm detecting nuttiness, all right! 3D Dessert Discovery (11/2) - Complete

[mama03]

Too bad Paradiso didn't do it for ya, that happens to be our first dinner on our trip. I knew we would only get apps and drinks though. SS about your credit card fraud, it does seem weird that allot of people have trouble with their cards when at Disney. Don't people know you are at a happy place!!! BTW, I have decided that we must go over to Kona and try the Duck potstickers. I looked up the menu and it says pork, are these on certain days? thanks keep posting the pics!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Love the live reviews! How disappointing that you had two bummer meals! I hope it gets better for you!

Thanks for reading along. I like the live reviews too as it keeps me on top of it rather than dragging it out & then it feels like a chore.

Those Mickey's Philharmagic FPs were popping out left and right while we were there! Interesting, though we never did make it on Peter Pan - why is the wait time always so long for that ride?

Yeah, Paradiso 37 looks just eh. Though I would have been fine with ice cream for lunch

I have no idea why Peter Pan always has an insane wait! I mean I enjoy it but I won't wait more than 10 minutes for it.

We should have just gone for ice cream for lunch but oh well.

Too bad Paradiso didn't do it for ya, that happens to be our first dinner on our trip. I knew we would only get apps and drinks though. SS about your credit card fraud, it does seem weird that allot of people have trouble with their cards when at Disney. Don't people know you are at a happy place!!! BTW, I have decided that we must go over to Kona and try the Duck potstickers. I looked up the menu and it says pork, are these on certain days? thanks keep posting the pics!

Their drinks were rather good. And the appetizer I had was ok but if you go in for the drinks you should be all set.

Actually the credit card that was stolen, while it is a Disney Visa it wasn't what we were using for this trip. I work in a very very poor town & do use my card while eating lunch and gas and such. So it either got stolen through something there or something online that we purchased. It happens though - we know better than to travel with only 1 credit card as you never know what happens.

I could be wrong about the Duck. The first time I had them they were duck but maybe through all the dining changes and sourcing issues it was changed. The taste of them hasn't changed though.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Food & Wine Booths​

Around 5pm, we headed back into EPCOT World Showcase. We had dinner plans with a friend of mine from middle/high school & his fiance since they both work at Disney but that wasn't until later in the evening.

Our first stop was Ireland.

We had the cheese platter, lava cake, & honey meade wine. We both loved it all! That lava cake is really heaven on earth. I could do without the brown bread & butter with the cheese though.

Our next stop was Canada

My husband really enjoyed his Moosehead Beer. I loved my ice wine!

Next up was the Desserts

We split the trio between us. I let my husband have the white chocolate mousse as I had it back in July at the TIW event & he devoured it quickly! I enjoyed the lemon chiffon cake. The tres leche was alright, not our favorite though.

Next up was Mexico
Here we split up - my husband wanted Churros but the booths don't have them this year so he headed to the counter service place to pick those up & a beer.

He really liked his beer but I don't know what type he got & he's currently asleep in bed. I don't think he would want me to wake him up to ask. He was disappointed in the churros though. It said they tasted old and stale.

I went to the booth & got the Shrimp Taco & Strawberry Lime Margarita.

Loved them both! I could see myself eating more of those shrimp tacos.

Last up on our F&W booth tour for the day, was China

We had the Black Pepper Shrimp, Potstickers, and Happy Lychee juice.

I loved the shrimp again this year! The noodles were good too but I didn't eat much of them as I did have dinner in 2 hours to tend to. The potstickers were ok - you could tell they weren't fresh. The happy lychee was amazing once it was stirred. Love that stuff!

At this point, my friend called saying he was arriving & we met up with him as we waited for his fiance to arrive too.

 

[librarygeek]

All the F&W stuff looks so good! That lava cake - ! I want some

 

[Linda67]

Mmm - Shrimp Taco and Strawberry Lime Margarita; happy memories

We were thinking of trying Paradiso 37 this trip but your review makes me think it's not so great

Perhaps we should just drop by for drinks and appertisers

 

[Dis_Yoda]

All the F&W stuff looks so good! That lava cake - ! I want some

It was so good! I love that Lava cake! I need to make sure I get another one before the trip is over!

Mmm - Shrimp Taco and Strawberry Lime Margarita; happy memories

We were thinking of trying Paradiso 37 this trip but your review makes me think it's not so great

Perhaps we should just drop by for drinks and appertisers

I loved that taco. I hope they bring it back next year too!

I'm sure their appetizers and burgers are ok. They do have 37 Tequila Types but I think I rather get Tequila from the Ditch.

 

[minniebeth]

Your review of Paradiso 37 drew me in~ nice reviews!
DD14 and I ate a Paradiso 37 a few weeks ago, it was her choice. We were there on a Friday night and the atmosphere and vibe was really fun. That's what we loved best about it! It was a fun dinner overall, but the food for us wasn't a highlight either. The drinks were great, like you said, and we did have the burrito. The bbq sauce is what didn't do it for us as well. We did however, like the rice and beans. I would go there again only for appetizers and the fun atmosphere, but not before I tried some other places.
Thanks for your review, you don't see too many from Paradiso 37~

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Le Cellier​

For dinner with our friends, we had planned dinner at Le Cellier at 8:25pm. As we were just sitting around and talking in the World Showcase anyway, we decided to check in over an hour early & the host said there was no way we could get in before our reservation time. We didn't care as we would be doing the same thing either checked in and not checked in. After about 35 minutes we were called for our table, despite it being before 8:00PM.

We had one of the better tables in Le Cellier. It was in the corner in a booth so we didn't feel extremely crowded with the too close tables that usually is a problem there.

Our server was a little slow but she came and introduced herself.

I ordered the martini flight while my husband was more practical & had a sprite.

The berry was gross but the chocolate & glowtini were awesome.

For my appetizer, I actually ordered a side of poutine as I wanted to try it but knew it be too much to have appetizer, a side and an entree.

I loved this. The red wine reduction really made it with the cheese.

My husband went with the caesar salad.

He was not impressed. The dressing tasted like water.

For his entree he went with the Bone In Rib Eye

He liked the portions that didn't have a ton of fat. Unfortunately there was a lot of fat in in piece. He wished he had gone with my entree.

I went with the Mushroom Filet

Amazing!

We liked our meal enough but I dont think we are going to rush back. Our server was a bit slow and my husband wasn't really happy with his half of the meal but he loved my portion.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Your review of Paradiso 37 drew me in~ nice reviews!
DD14 and I ate a Paradiso 37 a few weeks ago, it was her choice. We were there on a Friday night and the atmosphere and vibe was really fun. That's what we loved best about it! It was a fun dinner overall, but the food for us wasn't a highlight either. The drinks were great, like you said, and we did have the burrito. The bbq sauce is what didn't do it for us as well. We did however, like the rice and beans. I would go there again only for appetizers and the fun atmosphere, but not before I tried some other places.
Thanks for your review, you don't see too many from Paradiso 37~

Thanks for reading along! I could see eating there at night would be a totally different atmosphere. It was completely different and dead in the day time. I do wonder why the put bbq sauce on that burrito it just doesn't match up well for me.

 

[janeapplemeadow]

Ah.. Le Cellier, I know what you mean about not being in a rush to return. I finally snagged a coveted reservation and was really excited to eat there. I loved the bread but thought the rest of the meal was lacking. Lots of salt in all the dishes (and I use salt on my food). I felt really cramped at the table and the service was lacking. For the amount of money I spent, I could have done better at any other signature dining location. There are much better places to eat.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Starring Rolls​

We woke up a little late and headed over to Hollywood Studios. As we missed park opening, we passed on Toy Story Mania.

Around 10:30am, we were hungry but didn't want something huge as we had the Food & Beer pairing at 2pm we wanted to be hungry for.

I went for the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcake.

I liked it but I found the icing to be really thick and rich. I was able to eat most of the cake with a little of the icing but then had to call it quits! Most of the icing hit the trash.


My husband had the Chocolate Chip Muffin

He liked it! It seemed fresh & he finished the entire thing.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Karamell-Küche​

After we finished up with Hollywood Studios, we took the boat over to EPCOT. We had a little over an hour before our pairing so we decided to save the world in Norway with Kim Possible. It was alright - it wasn't as fun as our one in France as this one pretty much kept us in 1 area of Norway.

As we walked to Italy, the sweet sweet smell of Karamell-Kuche hit me. I knew what we needed to buy!

My husband selected for his treat - Chocolate Covered Apple

As of right now, he hasn't tried it. Its sitting in our fridge in the room.

I selected 2 different items
Small Bag of Caramel Corn

It had just been made so it was still warm. I ate a couple pieces shortly after and loved it & I'll munch on it in the room over the next few days.

My second item was the Caramel w/ Marshmallow Cream

I had that this evening before dinner & loved it. Caramel and Marshmallows two of my favorite treats!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Ah.. Le Cellier, I know what you mean about not being in a rush to return. I finally snagged a coveted reservation and was really excited to eat there. I loved the bread but thought the rest of the meal was lacking. Lots of salt in all the dishes (and I use salt on my food). I felt really cramped at the table and the service was lacking. For the amount of money I spent, I could have done better at any other signature dining location. There are much better places to eat.

When I ate there back in July - I had the same complaint about the salt. It was a bit much. This time the salt was perfect for my dish. The chef keeps putting more of an asian twist to the menu (they now have steamed pork buns?!?)

Yeah, its actually was our most expensive meal this trip even without dessert (unless you count the signature dinner I'm going to on Thursday evening) For that money, I enjoyed Shula's a lot more.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Italy Food & Beer Tasting​

I will preface this with saying, I am not a beer lover. I much rather drink a glass of wine or sip some liquor. But as I make my husband do wine events, I figure I can do a beer event since he would enjoy it.

We were led in and seated a few minutes before the event was to start. It seemed as if a few people didn't end up showing up after they waited a bit & we soon began.

The menu!

Centerpiece in the room

Host discussing the festivals and talking to us about beer.

As soon as we were seated, the first beer was poured.

Moretti Lager

It was drinkable to me and I actually ended up with my glass refilled a few times (and my husband a few more than me!)

It was paired with

Arancini

I know the Arancini at VN sometimes get mixed reviews - but either they really stepped it up a notch for this pairing or the chef was having a good day. I loved it!

Our next beer was

Menabrea Ambrata

I wasn't a fan of the beer but my husband really enjoyed it.

This was paired with the Pizza

It was actually 3 different kinds of pizza on 1 plate. Part of it was the artichoke w/ truffle oil, their basic margherita, and the parma & melon.

I was surprised by how much I liked the artichoke pizza. I wasn't a huge fan of the parma & melon portion so I ended up taking the melon off to finish eating it. The margherita was nice but I have had that before.

Our 3rd beer was the

Moretti "La Rossa"

This was undrinkable to me but my husband enjoyed it. I would trust his opinion more.

It was paired with

Lamb Chop w/ a Mint & Tomato Risotto

That risotto was definitely among some of the best risottos I've had in my life. The lamb was eh - the piece I got was very very fatty.

Our final beer

Menabrea "1846"

I like this one a lot too!

It was paired with

Chocolate corn meal cake & lemon zest custard pastry.

Loved the dessert!

All the beer bottles!

Before each course, the host would talk about the beer & the food. You could pretty much get all the refills you wanted of the beers. Paced really well too!

I thought this was a wonderful deal for the cost & would do it again.

 

[cbg1027]

Glad to hear they stepped things up on the Italy Beer Pairing meal. I don't like beer much either, but the food looks good enough to warrant me considering the event if they do it again next year.

I'm 'moving in down the street' from you tomorrow!

 

[librarygeek]

Ooh, Martini flight! That sounds excellent! I have to say that the ceasar salad definitely looks a little sad. The meat looks great though. One reason why I'm not 100% sold on Le Cellier is because there seem to be so many mushroom based dishes, and I don't like mushrooms. I could order some of the dishes without them, but I worry that if they're important to the dish it just won't taste all that great. I think I may try it though, probably for lunch so I don't have to pay the dinner prices!

The beer pairing looks like fun, though like you I'm not much of a beer drinker. I'd much prefer to do the above with wine

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Glad to hear they stepped things up on the Italy Beer Pairing meal. I don't like beer much either, but the food looks good enough to warrant me considering the event if they do it again next year.

I'm 'moving in down the street' from you tomorrow!

The food was definitely good. I think they heard the feedback from the first one & improved upon it.

Yay for you arriving today - maybe you'll end up near me.

Ooh, Martini flight! That sounds excellent! I have to say that the ceasar salad definitely looks a little sad. The meat looks great though. One reason why I'm not 100% sold on Le Cellier is because there seem to be so many mushroom based dishes, and I don't like mushrooms. I could order some of the dishes without them, but I worry that if they're important to the dish it just won't taste all that great. I think I may try it though, probably for lunch so I don't have to pay the dinner prices!

The beer pairing looks like fun, though like you I'm not much of a beer drinker. I'd much prefer to do the above with wine

It was good fort he most part.

I really don't like mushrooms but I'm able to pick around them enough that I dont mind. Lunch prices are a lot easier to stomach.

They do have Food & Wine Pairings at Tutto Italia at least. Hopefully I can convince my husband to go to one of those next year - at least I got him at the Dessert & Wine.

 

[st4rrab0vemybed]

Great review so far, and I'm loving all the pictures! The Italian beer/food pairing looked like a lot of fun, and quite delish! I wasn't aware of those other brands of Italian beers before (only knew of peroni.) Thanks for the updates!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Great review so far, and I'm loving all the pictures! The Italian beer/food pairing looked like a lot of fun, and quite delish! I wasn't aware of those other brands of Italian beers before (only knew of peroni.) Thanks for the updates!

Glad you are enjoying my review. The beer & food was very fun. I think I would do it again next year. Glad you got to learn of some different italian beers.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Fulton's​

After our pairing, we took the bus back to the resort. It made us happy to be in the building we were in as it was literally steps away from the bus stop!

We hung out in the room for a bit & debated on just getting room service or heading out to Downtown Disney. After looking at the lack of options on that room service menu, we decided we should just go and get Downtown Disney out of our way for the shopping we wanted to accomplish.

At the World of Disney Store - I saw these wonderful food related items:

We didn't buy them but we were able to pick up my new ipad case and then go through the rest of the shops. I love the new spice section in the Pantry! I need to head back there sometime and stock up.

We were hungry again by the time of our reservation at 8:10pm. We checked in and in minutes were taken upstairs towards the front of the boat.

Our server was extremely friendly & brought us our dip.

I really love that stuff!

He then went over the menu and some various options.

When he came back with the bread, we made our selections.

I was disappointed in that their bread had changed. It used to be this wonderful sourdough or white bread now it just tastes bland. Oh well, don't need to fill up on bread anyway!

My husband went with the New England Clam Chowder

He loves this stuff! He likes how its close enough to the stuff he grew up with in MA. (Living where we do in Georgia means we get very little good seafood)

It was my turn to get a Caesar Salad

There was great! I love their dressing.

For entrees, my husband really didn't give it much thought. He knew he wanted crab legs but as he wasn't starving he didn't want to spend the money on the King Crab so he went for the Snow Crab Legs

He loves them! Didn't really touch the potatoes but when you have that much crab, who cares about potatoes?

I had a hard time decided what I wanted, I kinda wanted the filet but I figured I might get that at California Grill tonight & I did have it at Le Cellier the day before. I ended up picking popcorn shrimp as I've been on a shrimp kick for a while.

Loved them! So much better than those rock shrimp from Kona.

Somehow my husband still wanted dessert but wanted to get back to the hotel so he got a slice of cheesecake to go. He loved it when he had it later that night.

Our server was on top of things & really was in a great mood which put us in a great mood. Can't wait to go back next trip.