Emmysdaddy Joins the Damsels to Dine, Even with Princesses: Em started PDR see link

[SAT887]

Love the coffee at Kona. 2 years ago a sweet CM who understood our desperate need for a "real" cup of coffee gave us a Kona coffee on the house. It might have been 90+ degrees out but it was great! Reviews look great!

 

[francis6306]

I want to try the Tonga Toast soooooo badly!!!! I saw that Rainforest Cafe at AK serves it, which is making the lack of a TH ressie okay right now. I'm a big fan of french toast, so that is right up my alley! Although I have a question that maybe someone here can answer. Okay, it's NOT ME!!! But I have a friend that doesn't like bananas and wonders if you can get the tonga toast without the banana filling?

 

[debrapagliasotti]

Kona...NOM, NOM, NOM!!

 

[Linda67]

Ooh I really like the idea of ordering the pancakes without the macadamia nuts inside (I know what you mean about it getting a "bit too much" after a while) and having the nut butter and pineapple on top

Just like your bum strawberry at the dessert party, I had a bum serving of Tonga Toast at Kona last time we were there but I would live to give it another try

Right, I'm off to have my breakfast now and as much as I love oatmeal, it isn't going to seem quite the same after reading this review!!

 

[mom2of2]

I want to try the Tonga Toast soooooo badly!!!! I saw that Rainforest Cafe at AK serves it, which is making the lack of a TH ressie okay right now. I'm a big fan of french toast, so that is right up my alley! Although I have a question that maybe someone here can answer. Okay, it's NOT ME!!! But I have a friend that doesn't like bananas and wonders if you can get the tonga toast without the banana filling?

Yes, you can get Tonga toast without banannas

 

[AvasMommy526]

Great review!! I'm so excited for Kona, my parents will be joining us for that breakfast and I have informed them..... DM to get Pankcakes, DD to get the big Kahuna and DH to get Samoan, and I get TT, I need to try a little of everything!!
I agree with you, calling the cooks idiots is not very Disney like nor professional, we've had employees who just can't handle correcting mistakes, I think some people get flustered and just blurt things out lol! I'm glad your meal was good and you had a Dismeet! And that picture of your daughter is very pretty

 

[emmysmommy]

I'm glad you all enjoyed your Kona breakfasts! I'm still undecided between Tonga Toast and Pancakes!! (Even those blueberry ones looked really good!!!)

We will have to see what the mood strikes us for that day! (I've heard rumors of Pumpkin Pancakes for fall!! Those might become an option as well!!)

Oh my gosh - If they offer pumpkin pancakes I may have to return in the fall. I get the Trader Joes pumpkin pancake mix around this time of the year and make them with maple butter and pecans - yum!

Yep, 1 point for your effort with the pancakes and another point for your Dis meet with pic...bringing your total to 22
Good job!

Thanks for the freebie point Barb! Totally undeserved but appreciated! Funny but I have no idea how I'm doing since I don't see anyone else with points so I'm feeling extra special with my DR!!!

Now you have Dismeet #9 revealed.

I loved your Kona breakfast and love your task list. That kind of things adds a nice cohesion to a DR.

Thanks NOP! (Borrowed that term from Jabead - hope you don't mind!) The List of 18 was not only fun but challenged me to try some new things and expand my horizons!

I second your opinion about the Wishes Dessert Party. Great view, so-so desserts. Miniature desserts don't seem that hard to make so I'm not sure why Disney couldn't make this a better event.

The pineapple macadamia nut pancakes are my favorites too. And I like mine just like you do, a plain pancake with the topping. I usually order the Big Kahuna because the rest of my family doesn't mind to finish off my meat and potatoes and I can eat the smaller pancake portion on that platter.

Didn't know you could easily substitute fruit or eggs for the meat sides. Thanks for the tip, Brenda!

Hi Rachel! After several times of getting the macadamia pancakes I had read here about someone just getting the toppings on regular pancakes! Thanks DisBoards for the hint!! And the funny thing is that I LOVE macadamia nuts but they just got to be too much and I think the last time they were too toasted because they were not so good.

I got the Big Kahuna the first time and only ate the pancakes and some of the french toast but if there were any takers for the rest of the items, they weren't sitting at my table!!

Great review of Kona! I have not eaten breakfast there, but man those pancakes look good. I can't wait to hear what you thought of Tonys!!

Lori you should consider putting Kona on your breakfast list some day!! Here's a preview of Tony's for you... it was the better experience between the 2 times that we have dined there.

Love the coffee at Kona. 2 years ago a sweet CM who understood our desperate need for a "real" cup of coffee gave us a Kona coffee on the house. It might have been 90+ degrees out but it was great! Reviews look great!

That was very nice of them to offer the complimentary coffee. Heck, I understand the craving regardless of what the thermometer says!!

I want to try the Tonga Toast soooooo badly!!!! I saw that Rainforest Cafe at AK serves it, which is making the lack of a TH ressie okay right now. I'm a big fan of french toast, so that is right up my alley! Although I have a question that maybe someone here can answer. Okay, it's NOT ME!!! But I have a friend that doesn't like bananas and wonders if you can get the tonga toast without the banana filling?

Hi Christen! Hmmm... not sure I have heard of the Tonga toast without the bananas. But now that I see mom2of2's comment - apparently you can. That's good news!!! Oh, and I've had the french toast before and it was fine - nothing special but ok.

Kona...NOM, NOM, NOM!!

EXACTLY!! You know it Debra!

Ooh I really like the idea of ordering the pancakes without the macadamia nuts inside (I know what you mean about it getting a "bit too much" after a while) and having the nut butter and pineapple on top

Just like your bum strawberry at the dessert party, I had a bum serving of Tonga Toast at Kona last time we were there but I would live to give it another try

Right, I'm off to have my breakfast now and as much as I love oatmeal, it isn't going to seem quite the same after reading this review!!

See, we are two brave souls willing to try something a second time. I'll have another chocolate strawberry and you can have the TT again!

I need to PM you and touch base for the 27th.. I've eaten at a few more places at D-land that may be contenders for our meet up. I have some ideas but as much as I plan ahead of time for WDW trips, I'm a lazy slug when it comes to D-land since we don't ever have a plan!

Have a lovely day!

Yes, you can get Tonga toast without banannas

Thanks so much mom2of2 for helping out. That's good to know!

Great review!! I'm so excited for Kona, my parents will be joining us for that breakfast and I have informed them..... DM to get Pankcakes, DD to get the big Kahuna and DH to get Samoan, and I get TT, I need to try a little of everything!!
I agree with you, calling the cooks idiots is not very Disney like nor professional, we've had employees who just can't handle correcting mistakes, I think some people get flustered and just blurt things out lol! I'm glad your meal was good and you had a Dismeet! And that picture of your daughter is very pretty

You are soooo funny!!! You have already assigned breakfasts. Sounds like an excellent plan!

Thanks for the compliment for the photo!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Great idea getting the pineapple-macadamia topping with regular pancakes! This review is making me miss Kona Cafe so much.

 

[basketlacey]

Thanks! Are you packed and ready to go? You leave in 3 days - how exciting!! Are you staying at YC? If so, Captain's Grille is right there!!

We ended up at Captain's Grill for dinner! More to come on that when I do my dining review! Live reporting was harder than I thought it would be since I preferred using my camera rather than a phone.

Yeah, don't run out and switch anything for this - especially Chefs de France! (One of my favorites of the trip coming up.) Yes, Em has ONLY had the pot roast at LTT as well and between the two, LTT is the clear winner. Bigger chunks of veggies and a better gravy. You will probably already be enjoying F&W by the time I get to LTT but I can assure you, you are not going wrong with chosing that over 50s.

I second this! I had pot roast both places and LTT was the hands down winner!

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Your breakfast at Kona looks delish! We only ever seem to make it to character breakfasts at the stage we're at with DD right now but the non-character options sure look great too!!

 

[ksromack]

I don't think I've ever seen a bad review of Kona for breakfast. I cannot wait for 12/11 so I can get me some of that goodness I can taste the french press coffee right now and that tonga toast.....yum!

Dh and I talked about this breakfast months ago (with me getting the tonga toast and him getting the big kahuna) and I had him read your review with me. He goes, "I'm getting the tonga toast, right"? Um, no....you're getting the big kahuna so I can get a taste of those pancakes. Or, heck, I don't care WHO gets the tonga toast as long as I get a bite of two of it

 

[emmysmommy]

Great idea getting the pineapple-macadamia topping with regular pancakes! This review is making me miss Kona Cafe so much.

Those pancakes may not be as good as the bananas foster french toast at Boma but you'll have to put it on your "one day" list!! You had lunch or dinner at Kona recently and had soup right? That is on my list - try another meal at Kona other than breakfast! (Although I'm not giving up breakfast there unless something drastically changed with their menu.)

We ended up at Captain's Grill for dinner! More to come on that when I do my dining review! Live reporting was harder than I thought it would be since I preferred using my camera rather than a phone.

I second this! I had pot roast both places and LTT was the hands down winner!

Ohhh... I'll have to tune in! I know what you mean about the live reporting photo thing. My camera phone doesn't even have a flash so my photos are not that great.

I've not had the 50's pot roast but I did have LTT and thought it was great! Glad you agreed with Em!!!

Your breakfast at Kona looks delish! We only ever seem to make it to character breakfasts at the stage we're at with DD right now but the non-character options sure look great too!!

Hi there! Characters are cool and it makes for some great photo ops of your DD! I am partial to several character breakfasts like Akershus, 'Ohana, and 1900 PF.

I don't think I've ever seen a bad review of Kona for breakfast. I cannot wait for 12/11 so I can get me some of that goodness I can taste the french press coffee right now and that tonga toast.....yum!

Dh and I talked about this breakfast months ago (with me getting the tonga toast and him getting the big kahuna) and I had him read your review with me. He goes, "I'm getting the tonga toast, right"? Um, no....you're getting the big kahuna so I can get a taste of those pancakes. Or, heck, I don't care WHO gets the tonga toast as long as I get a bite of two of it

Sounds like someone may have to arm wrestle for the tonga toast!! I'm sure you will not be disappointed.

 

[emmysmommy]

Tony's Town Square - Lunch​

This was our 2nd time to dine at Tony’s, the first was dinner in April 2011. Dinner wasn’t anything exciting or memorable so I didn’t hold high expectations for our lunch at Tony’s. We had booked this ADR since we would be in MK and figured we would appreciate a nice break from the heat mid-day. If you are thinking that you will be dining at an authentic Italian restaurant just know that it is themed based upon Tony's Italian eatery in the movie where Lady and Tramp share spaghetti and meatballs. Cute but definitely not authenic.

We checked in for our 1pm ADR and while we were waiting to be seated I took the opportunity to take a few photos in the lobby area. I love the Lady & The Tramp theming – these adorable pooches were everywhere!

We were seated at a lovely table by the Lady & The Tramp fountain. Our server was Mark and he was among the best of our trip – even among Signature restaurants. He never allowed our glasses to become empty and always seemed to provide exactly what we needed at the appropriate time without hovering or being intrusive.

As for the food…. There were many items on the menu that appealed to me but I kept it simple and chose the white pizza otherwise known as the Bianca flatbread. Em went with the spaghetti with marinara sauce while Michael was not hungry and simply ordered the caprese salad. No rolls were served for lunch.

Spaghetti with Marinara sauce served with a Crostini: $16.99​

Tomato & Mozzarella Salad; tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and a Balsamic dressing served with Crostini: $7.49

Bianca Flatbread; fresh mozzarella, garlic, and basil: $11.99

I wasn’t expecting much out of my entrée choice; however, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the flatbread. It exceeded my expectation of a dry tasteless mass produced flatbread. This was very flavorful with plenty of garlic and a touch of fresh basil. The cheese was plentiful and delicious. Overall, I was very pleased with my choice.

Emily’s spaghetti was neither outstanding nor disappointing – just your average I-got-what-I-paid-for-but-nothing-more dish. The sauce to noodles ratio was heavy on the sauce side. She actually said that she would order this again so it goes to show that this couldn’t be that bad.

The tomato & mozzarella salad was fresh and delicious according to Michael. He didn’t eat the crostini so no opinion to offer regarding that.

When thoughts started to turn to dessert, I was thinking I would pass until I saw the dessert menu. Is that a crème brulee that I see on the menu? They have a pistachio version of this delicious dessert. Michael and I decided to split that while Em decided to try the chocolate gelato.

Pistachio Crème Brulee: $5.99

Chocolate Gelato: $4.49

The pistachio crème brulee was served with fresh slices of strawberry nestled into a pistachio brittle basket. One bite of this lovely creation and I wished that I wasn’t in such a sharing mood! The brulee itself has pistachio paste in the recipe so it has a very nice pistachio flavor. I had plowed through the brulee part of the dessert and wanted more of something so I started in on the pistachio brittle cup. Oh my gosh! The texture was chewy while the flavors were the perfect blend of sweet and salty! This was the one of the better desserts of our trip. Just so anyone who dines with me in the future knows…. I’m not sharing this with anyone next time!

Oh, and Em’s chocolate gelato was pretty good if you asked the kid.

The total cost of our meal was $52.25 with the TiW discount of $10.13.

Up Next: Teppan Edo
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[DonaldDoleWhip]

Wow! I'm so glad to see that Tony's wasn't awful! From the great service to the pistachio crème brûlée, it sounds like you had a solid meal with some memorably positive aspects. In spite of all the negativity surrounding it, Tony's has gotten quite a few positive reviews recently, so maybe I need to finally try it.

And yep, at Kona Cafe I recently had a sweet potato & lemongrass soup (along with pork belly lettuce wraps) for lunch. Both dishes have since been removed from the menu, but I'd still be happy to return for lunch or dinner again.

 

[Jersette]

Is the tide turning at Tony's? It seems like I've been reading more good reports lately. Your whole meal looks pretty good to me--especially that pistachio brulee!!

I've been trying to decide on a TS restaurant for one of our MK days that will make everybody happy. This may fit the bill...my DD and her BF would like the food just fine, and I can enjoy decor from one of my favorite movies (and dessert!).

Love reading your reviews!

 

[smile4stamps]

The reviews of Tony's have been getting a little better it seems!!

Your flatbread does look good. (I LOVE basil!!!)

 

[Tracerr00]

I was out of town for a few days and I was happy to see two new reviews upon my return! Kona is hands down my breakfast favorite. Eilee does the TT and I do the Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes just like you and Em. You can't go wrong with either of those! And I'm so glad to see Tony's get some positive reviews. I think I'll actually need to give it a shot. I'm pretty easy to please anyway and I think there are plenty of items on the menu that I'd like. The only table service place I've been to in MK is CRT so I must change this!

That's a lovely picture of Emily by the way!

 

[Linda67]

Yet another great Tony's review. It seems like this is a restaurant on the up

One thing that seems really consistent in the reviews I've read recently is that the service is great

Sounds like you had a very enjoyable lunch Brenda

 

[wilma-bride]

I'm here, I'm here, have you missed me Sorry I've been a stranger to these reviews lately - real life appears to have socked me in the jaw and I just haven't had enough time to DIS

The food at Tony's looked pretty good, particularly the white pizza - since I abhor tomatoes, that would be the perfect option for me. Just one question, though, was that basil on the top - or bay-zil

 

[nanienamou]

Loving your Kona review and your Tony review, too. We have both scheduled. I want to try the Samoan at Kona and DH requested Tony's especially for Lady and Tramp. Glad it was good, and I'm planning on getting that creme brûlée for sure!