A Foodie's Honeymoon - Better Late than Never DR - Hollywood Brown Derby 10/23

[sushi candy]

Tuna Three Ways *(app)

Tuna was served tataki, poke, and tartare. It was also served with a cube of sushi rice. I am a huge fan of Tuna and this app made me deliriously happy. The app was excellent and beautiful to behold. The poke, akin to sashimi but with more seasoning, and the tartare were my favorite. Of course the tataki was also quite good. I really, really loved this dish. There was nothing left on the plate after I was done. It may be my favorite app during my trip.

Rating:

*
Bacon Cheeseburger Flatbread (app)
DH loved this! He said it was excellent.

Dragon Roll (Entree)

So California Grill is known for its sushi and makes the best sushi in WDW? I totally see it now. This roll was just delicious. As a sushi connoisseur, I was impressed. The tuna, crab, scallops and the filling itself was just delicious. The ratio of filling to sushi rice was perfect! I really loved this. My only little bit of criticism is the bell peppers and this is purely from personal preference. I found the bell peppers didn't really blend or mesh with the rest of the filling flavourwise. The avocado blends in because it tends to be provide creaminess with its understated flavour and the cucumber tends to be very much in the shadow and just adds texture. The bell peppers add a strong taste in contrast to the simple subtlety of the filling. The subtlety is there for a reason- to complement and enhance the spiciness and excitement of the sauce it is served with. Again, this is just personal preference since I do love the entree as a whole.

Rating:

Heather's Cookie Selection (Dessert)
I tasted everything on the platter and was only intrigued by the chili cupcake. Everything tasted okay and kind of standard.

Rating:

Overall, California Grill turned out to be a mixed bag for us. DH loved his app but hated everything else. He didn't really care for this restaurant. I, on the other hand, really enjoyed the sushi offered and found CG to be one of my favorites. From my standpoint, California Grill gets a solid 4. If the dessert blew me away, then it would have had a perfect score. I will definitely be back to get my sushi fix!

Rating:

 

[pattiken]

Just caught up..great reviews and nice pics

 

[vettegirl]

I am in total agreement that the sushi there is super good! Expensive but good

 

[emmysmommy]

So glad that Cali Grill didn't disappoint!! The appetizer sushi portions are huge so they can almost be a meal. Your observation with the bell pepper in the Dragon Roll makes sense - green peppers do have a flavor that can permeate the dish so should be used wisely. Sorry your DH didn't enjoy the food as much.

 

[Tracerr00]

I really wish I was a sushi eater because it looks and sounds fabulous!! You really do an excellent job of describing your meals. I'm happy that you loved it and that it rated the best appetizer! CG actually won the best dessert of the trip for me with the molten chocolate cake (but I'm not hard to please when it comes to dessert!) so sorry to hear that yours was just meh.

As for LTT's crab appetizer - what a bummer to start off your meal with a Queen of Hearts!! Not good. But at least you ended it with an Alice. I really need to try that!

 

[jecskc]

I just love how you can deliver a excellent review. All of your descriptions and photos. I can never get past "we ate here .... it was good." I am really enjoying your commentary and I am secretly jealous I can't wax poetically over Disney food quite like you can .....

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Sorry that DH didn't enjoy most of his food at CG, and that you didn't love the dessert. But sticking to sushi was a great choice - the tuna three ways is actually my favorite dish at Cali Grill! If only I actually stuck to what I know (the tuna) instead of trying new things - my meals there would probably be more enjoyable.

 

[sushi candy]

I am in total agreement that the sushi there is super good! Expensive but good

Have you been to Kimonos? I am now curious to see how CG measures against Kimonos.

So glad that Cali Grill didn't disappoint!! The appetizer sushi portions are huge so they can almost be a meal. Your observation with the bell pepper in the Dragon Roll makes sense - green peppers do have a flavor that can permeate the dish so should be used wisely. Sorry your DH didn't enjoy the food as much.

I am going to really sweet talk him into going back to CG the next we go. He did love the view when we went to the balcony to see Hallow Wishes. That was just incredible,

I really wish I was a sushi eater because it looks and sounds fabulous!! You really do an excellent job of describing your meals. I'm happy that you loved it and that it rated the best appetizer! CG actually won the best dessert of the trip for me with the molten chocolate cake (but I'm not hard to please when it comes to dessert!) so sorry to hear that yours was just meh.

As for LTT's crab appetizer - what a bummer to start off your meal with a Queen of Hearts!! Not good. But at least you ended it with an Alice. I really need to try that!

Thank you so much, Tracy! DH had the molten cake and he didn't care for it. I really hope I can convince DH to go back the next time we visit.

I just love how you can deliver a excellent review. All of your descriptions and photos. I can never get past "we ate here .... it was good." I am really enjoying your commentary and I am secretly jealous I can't wax poetically over Disney food quite like you can .....

Thank you so much. Your words means a lot to me. I try my best to take good pics even if it ends up resulting in odd stares, lol. Sometimes I can spend up to five minutes just positioning my plates to get the right angles. I am lucky DH knows my quirks and doesn't bat an eyelash anymore.

Sorry that DH didn't enjoy most of his food at CG, and that you didn't love the dessert. But sticking to sushi was a great choice - the tuna three ways is actually my favorite dish at Cali Grill! If only I actually stuck to what I know (the tuna) instead of trying new things - my meals there would probably be more enjoyable.

I have the same urge to try something new. It is a constant battle to pick something you know you love versus trying something new. I tried to pick both on this trip and I have to say, the try something new option seems to be backfiring more than stick with what you love, lol.

 

[sushi candy]

Cape May Buffet*

Both the buffet selection and the atmosphere are an improvement over 1900 Park Fare. The restaurant is smaller and thus, less noisy. The buffet offered more fruit and veggie options. I also love how good the smoked salmon is here. *The service was excellent and the character made their rounds in record time. I understand it is because Cape May is a smaller restaurant. I really loved this buffet and I will definitely be back.

 

[sushi candy]

Grandpa's Crab Cakes *(app)

Crispy onions...check! Lots of blue crab...check! This app scores a solid four on my charts. The crispiness of the onions just complement the tenderness of the crab cake. I love that the portion is perfect- just one small crab cake drowning in delicious crispy onions. The seasoning on the onions and the crab cake was great. The only reason it didn't get a full Alice is because of the sauce. If this had an inspired sauce, it would be just perfect.

Rating:

*
Beer Battered Onion Rings (app)
The beer batter is super strong in this. DH thought it was ok. As for me, please add a dipping sauce to this!

Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken (Entree)

It didn't have the Colonel's secret 11 spices but it was decent. The skin was crispy and the portions were huge. *I was there was more seasoning in either the meat itself (maybe in the brining process) or the skin. If this happened, then it can stand on its own with little gravy. I believe I had three pieces of chicken on my plate: a wing, a drumstick, and the breast. The chicken gravy was good and I wish they had more. The greens were wilted and not to my taste. It scored a solid 3 on the scale.

Rating:

Dad's Brownie Sundae *(Dessert)

The huge portions of brownie were very cakey. My personal preference for brownies tend to lean towards the fudgey side. The presentation was certainly lovely. The ice cream and whipped cream was standard. It was a very pret dessert and quite heavy. Unfortunately, it didn't really appeal to me because there wasn't anything special about the brownies themselves or the ice cream. It was good but nothing stood out?

Rating:

Overall, the 50s Prime Time Cafe scores excellent on theming and has solid cuisine. I didn't find anything too special- the crab cake came very close. everything was basically standard quality food.

Rating:

 

[Tracerr00]

Your Cape May breakfast sounds great! I love asparagus so that's really appealing to me right now. (It must be time for me to go to lunch right now because everything looks fabulous!). I do believe our meal at 50s PT would also rate a 3/5. It wasn't terrible, it wasn't amazing but I'd go there again. We had a lot of fun when we went. My niece (who is in her 20s) was being a total brat on that trip and the server called her a tattletale which really brought the restaurant up a few notches in my book!

 

[butiflfeet]

I am amazed you managed to take beautiful and appetizing pictures of buffet food! Cape May looks really good!

 

[sushi candy]

Your Cape May breakfast sounds great! I love asparagus so that's really appealing to me right now. (It must be time for me to go to lunch right now because everything looks fabulous!). I do believe our meal at 50s PT would also rate a 3/5. It wasn't terrible, it wasn't amazing but I'd go there again. We had a lot of fun when we went. My niece (who is in her 20s) was being a total brat on that trip and the server called her a tattletale which really brought the restaurant up a few notches in my book!

Tracy, you and I share a love for asparagus! I just can't get enough of it. I love that your niece got called out for her behavior, lol. XD

I am amazed you managed to take beautiful and appetizing pictures of buffet food! Cape May looks really good!

Thank you so much! It was one of my missions before this trip to make sure my buffet plates would be up to snuff. I am glad I have succeeded.

 

[sushi candy]

Buffalo Popcorn Chicken *(app)

The buffalo popcorn chicken was served with celery and blue cheese dressing. Unfortunately, I found the chicken to be way too salty. I couldn't eat much of it. I ended eating the celery with the dressing.*

Rating:

Smoked Turkey Sandwich (Entree)

Best applewood smoked bacon I have tasted during the trip! The turkey sandwich was generous in the meat department and is a solid sandwich. I wish there was more avocado mayo since I love avocado! The cucumber salad as my side was also tasty- sweet, sour, and crunchy.

Rating:

Overall, like the 50s Prime Time Cafe, The Scifi Dine In Theatre scores excellent on theming. I found the food to be okay. The applewood bacon in my turkey sandwich was spectacular though. We didn't order dessert either. It was a long day and I know our appetites were compromised. I think I will need to go back and do a fair assessment next time.

Rating:

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

That turkey sandwich looks really good - not too guilt-inducing. And even though the food at Prime Time and Sci-Fi didn't wow, at least you got to experience their unique atmospheres.

 

[sushi candy]

That turkey sandwich looks really good - not too guilt-inducing. And even though the food at Prime Time and Sci-Fi didn't wow, at least you got to experience their unique atmospheres.

The theming in the two restaurants were excellent. I think it was all about the theming experience for those two.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

The theming in the two restaurants were excellent. I think it was all about the theming experience for those two.

I agree that these restaurants are more about the theming that the food. But for the most part we have had solid meals. Not great, but good. Seems like yours followed suit.

 

[sushi candy]

I agree that these restaurants are more about the theming that the food. But for the most part we have had solid meals. Not great, but good. Seems like yours followed suit.

I treat it like a character meal. Not there for the food but for the experience?

 

[sushi candy]

Hand cut Salt and Vinegar Fries *(app)

This app was fantastic and so simple! I found simplicity to be the ongoing theme for the rest of the dishes. Every plate is prepared so that it's ingredients shone. This appetizer was no exception. It was fries but it tasted a bit like sweet potato. I managed to inhale most of it even though it was DH's app.

Rating:

Blue Crab Lump Cake with Lemon Mayonnaise (app)

Remember how much I wanted a crab cake that tasted fully of crab? This app totally delivers on that! The crab cake is made of 100% fresh blue crab meat and when paired with the heavenly lemon mayonnaise, it was heaven. The crab cake was tender, juicy and just sang. The main ingredient shone completely in this excellent app.

Rating:

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Orzo Salad (Entree)
So DH doesn't really like chicken but he inhaled this sandwich. He said it was really good. He again complemented the way the entree was prepared- the ingredients spoke for themselves.

New England Style Lobster Sliders (Entree)

Chunks of fresh lobster? Check. Served creatively in a buttery brioche buns? Check. The portion and presentation of this entree was fabulous. It just tasted wonderful and the portion was excellent. The chunks of lobster were fresh and perfectly cooked. Again, I found the food preparation emphasized the flavor of the fresh, main ingredients. I am so impressed with the quality and tastiness of the food.**

Rating:

Rice Cream (Dessert)
DH had this and it is lactose-free. He said it was tasty. Other than Victoria and Albert, he has declared Captain's Grille to be his favorite restaurant during the trip. Sous chef Allen Shelton was just wonderful and amazing. Here is a pic of DH with the wonderful chef!

Braeburn Apple Buckle with Toasted Almond Streusel and Yogurt Gelato (Dessert)

I like apple crumble but it isn't my favorite dessert. This, however, was the best apple dessert I have ever had. It was crispy, sweet, and just perfect. The apples aren't below the surface of the tart. Instead the apples were near the bottom of the pastry. I believe this made a huge difference in its texture and taste. The apples were crisp, warm, and melty. This dessert was pure heaven. Since it contained milk, DH couldn't have any. I did give him three spoonfuls and it made him cry. He is a huge fan of apple desserts and it was the best apple crumble he has had by far.

Rating:

Overall, the Captain's Grille turned out to be one of the stellar standouts of our trip. The food is incredible in its simplicity. The main ingredients shone naked in their glory without any complications or extra spices. Chef Allen Shelton was awesome and larger than life.
It was a fabulous experience and I totally recommend this restaurant as a hidden gem.

Rating:

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Yay! I'm so happy that you enjoyed Captain's Grille so much! I think it's such a solid choice, and it's a must-do for me when we're staying in the Epcot area. The atmosphere is quiet and understated, with a subtle nautical theme that works perfectly at the Yacht Club. As for the food, I've really enjoyed it for both breakfast and lunch!

The salt and vinegar fries sound great. The crab cake also looks wonderful - I love crab cakes that contain lots of crab and as little breading as possible, so that looks great. I had the lobster roll before they turned it into sliders, and I was impressed by how authentic it was (chunks of lobster; not too much mayo and filler; buttery roll; etc). The sliders look just as good. And the apple buckle looks fantastic! I recently saw it on CG's menu and that dessert stood out to me. It's so exciting to see a rave review (and gorgeous picture) of it already.