Disappointed in Le Cellier

[TDC Nala]

They have also made it a 2 dining credit restaurant (I think), so you REALLY have high expectations.

Le Cellier is not currently a 2 credit restaurant at lunch, it's still one credit for lunch.

The switch to 2 credits is supposed to be January 1, 2013.

 

[minnie mum]

When you told them it was overcooked, how did they help you?

We got a filet that was overcooked and horrible. They got it right the second time and it was much much better.

I'm assuming you didn't let them know they made a mistake, it's not in your post. If they made a mistake and you didn't let them know, I'm not quite sure why you're posting this now. You even said your friends was very good, getting unacceptable food is never fun but they would have fixed it.

Sorry, OP, but I have to agree with this. If your steak was overcooked then you just should have told your server and asked for another steak that had been prepared to your liking. If it wasn't salty enough for your taste,then I'm pretty sure that there was a salt shaker on the table.

While our experiences with the filet at LC have always been very good, I know that it is not the most flavourful cut of beef (we prefer ribeye at home), and is disasterous if cooked to a well done state.

As for your risotto, I'm not sure what you were expecting or what exactly was the problem with what you received. It shouldn't be 'crunchy', but neither should it be 'mushy'.

All that being said, and even though we have always had very good meals at LC, I tend to agree that many people seem to have unrealistically high expectations for this restaurant. I have yet to find a DDP restaurant that consistently meets the 'hype' that surrounds it.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

When I order an expensive cut of meat, I expect it to be cooked as requested. Le Cellier has always done a great job in that regard. Did you mention it to the waiter and ask for what you ordered? I certainly would have!

Our typical meal at Le Cellier, each a bowl of cheddar cheese soup, split a NY strip, rare, and split a a creme brulee! In 10 years Le Cellier hasn't let me down yet!

As far as the Risotto, it should be creamy, tender but not soft! Risotto should not be al dente!

 

[TinkerwithDis]

Looks like LC can do no wrong. The OP got a lousy piece of meat and risotto that didnt taste quite right, yet its her fault because she didnt complain and had such high expectations. Tsk tsk.

Why is it hard to believe that LC steaks isnt that as great as some ppl make it seem to be?

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Looks like LC can do no wrong. The OP got a lousy piece of meat and risotto that didnt taste quite right, yet its her fault because she didnt complain and had such high expectations. Tsk tsk.

Why is it hard to believe that LC steaks isnt that as great as some ppl make it seem to be?

Quite the contrary, but how is a chef or a restaurant to make amends or corrections for a poor meal if not told of the situation. Some people choose to accept "inedible cuisine" without bringing it to the attention of the mgmt., some of us do not! And at this point we don't know what the OP did.

Personally, I wouldn't eat hard /uncooked risotto or over cooked meat anywhere, and that includes Le Cellier!! Nor would I pay for it, had I not eaten it and sent it back! All I can comment on are my experiences, all the while totally accepting that the OP clearly had a different experience.

 

[JimmyV]

As far as the Risotto, it should be creamy, tender but not soft! Risotto should not be al dente!

Yes it should.
Here is an excerpt from Lidia Bastianich's Basic Risotto recipe where she explains how to finish the dish:

Stir constantly until the rice mixture is creamy but al dente; this will take 16 to 20 minutes from the time the wine
was added. When in doubt, undercook...
The total amount of stock you use may vary for several reasons: the type of rice you are using, the shape and size of the pan, and the de-
sired texture of the finished risotto which can be quite dense, or soft and runny, depending on your personal taste. If you like a creamier risotto called allonda, or wavelike in Italian stir in a little more stock once the rice is al dente, but do not cook the rice any further. For a denser risotto, keep the rice over the heat and cook until the last addition of stock has been almost entirely absorbed by the rice.

Bringing the rice to the al dente stage and then cooking it no further yields a risotto that is al dente. Some carry over cooking is anticipated, but not so much as to move the rice past the al dente stage. You are looking for al dente. Not crunchy.

 

[gwynne]

Quite the contrary dear friend, but how is a chef or a restaurant to make amends or corrections for a poor meal if not told of the situation. Some people choose to accept "inedible cuisine" without bringing it to the attention of the mgmt., some of us do not! And at this point we don't know what the OP did.

Agree! Restaurants and chefs aren't mind readers. I always try to remedy a problem at the time it happens or as soon as possible. I generally have very good luck with this. Whether it's an airline, hotel or restaurant I am much happier when I take care of the occasion problem immediately rather than venting later.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Yes it should.
Here is an excerpt from Lidia Bastianich's Basic Risotto recipe where she explains how to finish the dish:
.

Kuddos to Lidia, whom I've met by the way in NY w/ her daughter.... but having eaten risotto in Italy several times, and their rice is different than ours, it should be firm, but al dente, here is crunchy rice!

My risotto is creamy and firm, not soft.

Hard rice is not pleasant to eat............

 

[JimmyV]

.... but having eaten risotto in Italy several times, and their rice is different than ours, it should be firm, but al dente, here is crunchy rice!

Getting imported Arborio or Carnaroli rice from Italy is pretty easy these days, so you can start with rice that is the same as theirs. But I agree that if you aren't starting with the proper rice, achieving non-crunchy, al dente risotto is difficult.

 

[fla4fun]

I am sorry you were disappointed in your meal. To be honest, I've never had a steak at Le Cellier. I love the pork chop with mac and cheese, or sometimes I order the chipotle sausage and polenta app with a side of the mac and cheese (in case you can't tell, I love a good mac and cheese). In fact, the only ADR I have booked for my December trip is a Le Cellier lunch just so I can get one last pork chop before the lunch goes signature. BTW - I've never seen salt or pepper on the tables at Le Cellier.

However, any restaurant can have an off day, and I had one at Le Cellier a couple years back. I had two lunch ADR's booked, one week apart on the same day of the week, same time of day. You would expect the meals to be fairly similar. They were total opposite ends of the spectrum. One meal was absolutely perfect - great service, perfectly prepared food, etc. The other meal was horrible - the food was overcooked and cold, the server took forever to appear to take my order, and I didn't see them again until I got the check (another server delivered my food, no one checked to see if I needed a drink refill or if the food was OK). If I had only had one experience or the other, I would have said Le Cellier was either perfectly fantastic or absolutely horrible. But having both experiences in the same vacation (the good one first) I knew it wasn't always bad and I've only had good meals there since.

I have had risotto many times, and it has never, ever been "crunchy".

 

[charmedlife3517]

Sorry to have offended some ppl but i have a right to my opinion regardless of whether i sent the meal back or not. As i stated in my post, my sisters strip was good and the soup was amazing. I just don't get the hype over the mushroom filet. As far as it being overcooked, I didn't send it back bc it wasn't that big of a deal to me however i would think a steak house that will soon be a signature should know how to cook a steak. The main problem i had was that the steak had no flavor and just was not good. There is not much LC could do about that as it was a matter of taste for me. I also stated that i never had risotto so i don't know what its suppose to taste like. I never said it was crunchy so I'm not sure where that came from. Maybe the risotto was cooked right. I have no idea as i have nothing to compare it to. The purpose of my post was to see if I'm the only one who thinks the filet is over-rated. It was not intended as a rant or a complaint or to offend the many LC fans.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Sorry to have offended some ppl but i have a right to my opinion regardless of whether i sent the meal back or not. As i stated in my post, my sisters strip was good and the soup was amazing. I just don't get the hype over the mushroom filet. As far as it being overcooked, I didn't send it back bc it wasn't that big of a deal to me however i would think a steak house that will soon be a signature should know how to cook a steak. The main problem i had was that the steak had no flavor and just was not good. There is not much LC could do about that as it was a matter of taste for me. I also stated that i never had risotto so i don't know what its suppose to taste like. I never said it was crunchy so I'm not sure where that came from. Maybe the risotto was cooked right. I have no idea as i have nothing to compare it to. The purpose of my post was to see if I'm the only one who thinks the filet is over-rated. It was not intended as a rant or a complaint or to offend the many LC fans.

Very good point. Totally agree. for a place becoming a signature soon they better make some improvements. Very inconsistent place. Their prices are ridiculous for the quality they serve. No way is this place on par with the other signatures.

You are not alone in this OP, trust me.

Sent from my Galaxy SII using DISBoards App

 

[michellejed]

I have been to LC once, 2007 with my DD and her BF, we just happen to be looking for a dinner reservation that day and LC came up with one. The girls said lets try it.

I never tried it before because the menu just didn't grab me.

I was unimpressed with the whole thing, food was just O.K. and sitting in a dark room with a server who was unavailable most of the time just didn't say I want to return.

There are too many other places to try or repeat that we did like.

Just cross it off your list of have tried and move on

 

[ChimneysweepGeorge]

Part of the problem comes from (and there is no nice way to say this), people, as a whole, have no idea what good food is supposed to taste like. The Disney Parks are open to everyone and when you look at what everyone likes to eat, on average, it's crap. I've never seen an Olive Garden nor a Cracker Barrel where people weren't standing outside waiting for a table. I always try to keep that in mind when looking at general opinion on restaurants at Disney.

Further take into account that most people don't eat steak often and being one of the big MANLY foods, there is a lot of bad information and machismo surrounding steak and that makes it even harder to learn what makes a good one...I guess what I'm saying is that a great many people wouldn't be able to tell a good steak from a half camouflaged bad steak.
And! Disney knows this.

Given the location, I wouldn't expect a quality much above a mediocre chain no matter what anyone told me. Unless of course I knew they had an understanding of what makes a great steak.

 

[FireDancer]

I never understood the hype of Le Cellier. I've had better meals for a fraction of the price at small, locally owned places. There are places at Disney I go out of my way to eat at because while the prices are inflated the meal is either unique or good. Le Cellier is neither in my opinion. Same goes for Teppan Edo. I have a much better Teppan-yaki restaurant 3 miles from my house that costs half as much. Why the heck would I pay for inferiority at Disney.

Just my opinion.

 

[TDC Nala]

I've enjoyed everything I eat at Le Cellier but I don't order steak. I don't like what they did to the mussels, they used to be the best at WDW.

 

[lunaemica]

We have been to LeCellier many times and though the steak can be average or great the bread sticks and soup are always WONDERFUL!

 

[rwdavis2]

I would rarely if ever make a reservation at a place who's claim to fame is steak. It's pretty easy to make a good one at home so I look for place that cooks things I can't.

Although a filet is very tender it is usually very lean which can mean less flavor.

 

[Robbi]

The first time we tried Le Cellier, we were disappointed. I think because there's no way it could live up to the hype. The next few times though we enjoyed it tremendously. Sorry you did not enjoy it.

 

[rwdavis2]

Part of the problem comes from (and there is no nice way to say this), people, as a whole, have no idea what good food is supposed to taste like. The Disney Parks are open to everyone and when you look at what everyone likes to eat, on average, it's crap. I've never seen an Olive Garden nor a Cracker Barrel where people weren't standing outside waiting for a table. I always try to keep that in mind when looking at general opinion on restaurants at Disney.

Further take into account that most people don't eat steak often and being one of the big MANLY foods, there is a lot of bad information and machismo surrounding steak and that makes it even harder to learn what makes a good one...I guess what I'm saying is that a great many people wouldn't be able to tell a good steak from a half camouflaged bad steak.
And! Disney knows this.

Given the location, I wouldn't expect a quality much above a mediocre chain no matter what anyone told me. Unless of course I knew they had an understanding of what makes a great steak.

George, you nailed my thinking on Disney food and peoples' opinions of it. We go in about 10 days and have 1 ADR, California grill. Part for the food, the other the great view of the fireworks. I don't go to WDW for the food.

Most people rave about the food at chain restaurants which, IMHO, is usually pure crap if you order anything beyond a simple hamburger.