We came
this close to canceling our dinner reservation at Palo because we were having so much boozie fun in Skyline. And then we remembered that we'd end up being charged for dinner whether we showed or not. And then we realized that we both needed a decent meal after a day's worth of drinking and quick service food.
But first, let me show you what happens when you take a self portrait after having too many cocktails in one afternoon.
What the heck was this all about?
Like the drink Novak made for Jay, the reason behind this picture remains shrouded in mystery. Maybe we were thinking about the main dining room menu; maybe we finally tried one of those Mickey-head shaped crackers included in our
castaway club backpack (they were soooooo nasty); or maybe we were thinking about having to go back to work and pay our vacation bill.
Regardless, it was obvious that we needed some serious food to restore our equilibrium.
We were seated immediately after we checked in and were given a lovely window table in which we could watch ourselves and the rest of the dining room enjoy their meals. Our server was Gabi, who had taken such wonderful care of us at our brunch on Sunday. Without missing a beat he delivered the restaurant's cold antipasti plate which included prosciutto, bresaola, parmigiano reggiano, marinated olives, sun dried tomatoes, and artichokes. We both enjoyed this and thought it was the perfect size for two people to share.
Antipasti Platter
Prior to placing an order for the quantities of food we were going to inhale, Jay and I decided that a good bottle of wine was just the thing to put the exclamation mark on our day. Dear friends of ours have recently introduced us to the joys of Amarone, a dry Italian red wine, and we selected a bottle for dinner and toasted to them. Thank you Chelsi & Jason, for never steering us wrong when it comes to wine!
It's delicious!
We started the official meal with three appetizers: tuna carpaccio with lemon oil dressing; calamari with cherry pepper dipping sauce; and mozzarella and plum tomatoes.
I loved the tuna carpaccio - it was beautifully sliced and slightly sweet; the tangy lemon oil dressing provided a perfect compliment. Jason enjoyed the calamari on his own because I don't care for it - he said it was really well prepared and the pepper dipping sauce was both flavorful and full of heat. We decided to order Palo's version of the buffalo mozzarella salad because we thought they would probably have some really amazing cheese and we were not disappointed. The presentation alone was stunning but the taste really blew us away - it was just fantastic and so much easier to eat than the typical serving method that we see here in the armpit of the Midwest.
Tuna Carpaccio
Squid and Sauce
First it's a tomato flower ...
And now it's a mound of cheesy goodness!
We then moved into our pasta course and ordered two versions of ravioli: lobster and mascarpone and chianti braised beef. These were both really tasty ravioli options, but we should only have ordered one instead of going with two. The lobster and mascarpone ravioli was served with a light burro bianco sauce and the flavors were incredible but it was a really rich dish. The chianti braised beef ravioli was served with a red wine sauce and even included some rogue vegetables - while not rich in the manner of the lobster ravioli, this was still a very hearty, filling pasta dish that tasted so good neither one of us could stop eating it.
Chianti Beef Braised Ravioli
Lobster & Mascarpone Ravioli
Before the main course was presented, Gabi offered us a palate cleanser. This was a limoncello sorbet with a handful of frozen blueberries - it was delicious and refreshing.
Intermezzo!
A funny thing happened while we were waiting for our "dinner" to arrive. The table next to us was having a good time, as well they should. But they were a little loud and when you've been blessed with sonar-like hearing to make up for being half-blind you sometimes overhear things you're probably not meant to. Someone at this table was celebrating a birthday. Good for them! Congratulations! Happiest you-were-born-on-this-day-several-decades-ago to you!
Apparently the staff at Palo wanted to help them mark the occasion and presented the birthday girl with a Happy Birthday "NAME" plate, only her name was spelled incorrectly. Now in my world, no matter how tipsy you are, you hold the giggles and thank your server because that's the polite thing to do when presented with a thoughtful gesture from someone who doesn't owe you squat. But these people not only laughed while their server was still at the table, they went to great lengths to point out that the birthday girl's name was spelled wrong on the plate. And then they asked for a new plate with the correct spelling.
As someone who's not only been on the receiving end of a misspelled free dessert offering but who now sports a nickname as a direct result of said dessert error, I'm here to tell you that the gracious thing to do is just say "thank you." Once your server is gone, laugh yourselves silly; take some pictures to remember the moment; show your friends at home and see if someone bestows a nickname on you. But don't humiliate your serving staff over something this inconsequential.
It's tacky.
And it's rude.
These folks talked like they were oozing money from every orifice - if they really were as well-heeled as they were trying to sound, all I can say is money doesn't buy a lot of things, including good manners and gratitude.
Soon after receiving a new and improved birthday plate they settled their bill and departed, for which Jay and I were eternally grateful.
Anyway, back to the food ... I ordered the beef tenderloin which was resting in a small puddle of red wine sauce and topped with melted gorgonzola cheese. It was amazingly good; the beef was prepared just the way I'd requested and the wine sauce and cheese made for a decadent flavor combination, but it was very rich and I'm ashamed to admit that I was unable to finish it.
Jason ordered the special, which was lamb (I think). It was a gorgeous presentation and he said it was delicious. I wish I could give you something better than that, but this dinner took place about a month ago and Jay said he's having a hard enough time remembering last night's meal.
Beef tenderloin
Lamb Chops?
Before I go any further, I must explain a little something. There was a couple on this cruise who are friends of friends and we've been "just missing" each other at WDW for the last few years. When we found out that the four of us were booked on the same cruise there was much rejoicing in Stinktown. Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to spend as much time with them as we would have liked because they were sailing with a fairly large group but we had fun with them when we did hook up! As a token of regard, we sent a package over to them in Remy that evening and as an even kinder return, they sent us some amazing port to enjoy with dessert. They sent us so much port that we decided, in turn, to share some of it with Wendy and her mum, who were also dining in Palo that evening. All four of us agreed that it was the perfect way to finish off our meals and a really lovely treat.
We have been fortunate during our years cruising
DCL to meet some truly warm and generous people and this trip was no exception - many thanks to Lori and Rick and here's hoping we meet up again soon, whether it's in bourbon country or on another cruise!
Beautiful, lovely port; it only needs cheese to attain perfection!
I drink your port; I drink it all up!!!!
We shocked a few years off of Gabi's serving life when it came time to order dessert because we didn't want the chocolate souffle. I know, it's like
Disney Cruise Line sacrilege not to order that souffle, but as I have mentioned previously, my sweet tooth is diminishing as my age increases and Jason wanted to try something different after three cruises with nothing but souffle for dessert at Palo.
I'm pretty sure that he ordered tiramisu - the presentation was fun, especially the cookie shaped like a spoon. Just for kicks, he tried to eat his dessert with that spoon, but it didn't really work out very well.
First dessert - tiramisu?
I don't think this is a good idea.
I have no idea what I ordered for dessert but it was very colorful and was garnished with a fun chocolate hypnotic spiral.
Mystery dessert
You are getting verrrrry sleeeeeeepy!
And then Gabi brought us a third dessert - zabaglione - which is something I have always wanted try. It's a light egg custard dessert, flavored with wine or liqueur, and usually served with fresh fruit. It was wonderful, and actually should have been the dessert I ordered because it was light and sweet without being either heavy or cloying. In a word: YUM!
Zabaglione
Once again, we managed to be the last couple to leave an adults-only restaurant on the Fantasy for the third time in five days. The staff was great and didn't pressure us to get out until we were ready, so we took our time enjoying our desserts and our port and our last "no-pressure" evening of the cruise. I find it hard to relax on the final night of a cruise just because everything has to be packed up and organized in such a short period of time, so having a dinner like this on the night before the final cruise night was a lovely treat.
The meal was fantastic and the service everything we've come to expect from our past experiences at Palo. It's a lovely alternative to the main dining rooms and the food is excellent - if you haven't had an opportunity to dine at Palo, I'd like to urge you to give it a try because it's a wonderful treat. Our hope is that you enjoy it as much as we do!
We really need to cruise/WDW together!
Loved how you and Jay were out there playing mini golf with the strong winds stirring up!
They're just trying to keep people safe because we all know if they didn't take precautions and something happened, those same passengers would have been complaining that they didn't look out for their safety.
I love how you enjoy your breakfast room service. It just sounds so relaxing. Pete and I never took advantage of it on any of the cruises we've taken but I will definitely try it when we go on our next cruise in May! That mixology seminar seemed like a lot of fun! You and Jay could have probably taught that seminar!
Can't wait for the next update.
It feels like you just started writing this TR! You need to go on another cruise only longer next time!
