Follow me to the Boardwalk! 10/23 - 11/7 UPDATED 4/13 BEACHES & CREAM

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Though I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to eat at ESPN if I weren't staying nearby, that cucumber salad is the my absolute favorite!
 
So this was the first time that I'd set foot inside the Disney World ESPN Club, despite having walked by it a million times. I've seen photos of their nachos and they look delicious, so I might need to return there sometime when I'm staying at the Boardwalk.
We've eaten at the ESPN several times and have shared the nachos a few times. The nachos are pretty good and I can call it a meal. I think DH will sometimes order something else to go with it. They take TiW, AP's and Disney Visa discounts, which is nice. And there is a nice view of Crescent Lake from the window tables. It is a nice place to go when you don't have reservations. :)
 
I'm sorry but I have to agree that for $83 that lunch was underwhelming! I can't believe there wasn't any meat or seafood in there at all not to mention nothing about that dessert sounded good at all! Good thing you had lots of other yummy meals on your trip!
 
Playing catch-up, but think I'm all up to speed now.

I was there when the special area set up for Annual Passholders opened at 11:00, so was able to get my 3rd stamp and collect my 20th Anniversary port wine glass...

What a nice touch and a great souvenir.



The two meats were prosciutto (my favorite of this course) and dry salami. The cheese was Parmigiano Reggano with just a drizzle of honey, which is always good. This was paired with a very good pinot grigio wine.
Yum, yum, yum. This looks divine. I'm a sucker for cheese and charcuterie and when that includes my beloved prosciutto all the better.



This was Lobster Ravioli with Truffle Butter and was incredible...one of the best pastas I've had in my entire life! :cloud9:
That looks and sounds absolutely amazing!!!! Too bad they didn't do it again. Maybe in 2016 ; )

And my favorite of the this trio, Pheasant Breast with a Pomegranate Glaze...


Love Disney food, but its rare that they branch out from a protein perspective. Pheasant seems a very inspired choice.

For me, this year's lunch was not quite as fantastic as the one I attended in 2014, however it was still an exceptional dining experience. Though it didn't work out quite as well for me, generally speaking I applaud their decision to serve a trio of items for each course this year. Also, the service was again wonderful, the food was very good, the wine pours were fairly generous, and like last year my tablemates were all friendly so overall I felt that the Italian Regional lunch was well-worth its $94 (plus tax) price. This luncheon is definitely on my wish list of F & W special events to attend next year! :thumbsup2
Sorry it wasn't as good as your previous trip, but it looks amazing to me. And I can't believe the price tag. What a deal!

When I told my kids that I was at a Dennis DeYoung concert their reply was of course, "Who is Dennis DeYoung?" :laughing: So in case you are like my kids and weren't alive during the 1970's - early '80's, Dennis DeYoung is one of the founding members of the band STYX. He was their lead vocalist and keyboardist, as well as the writer of many of their most popular songs. Still not ringing any bells? :scratchin
I'll admit I didn't recognize the name either, but then you said STYX and the 80's and domo arigato mr. roboto is now stuck in my head ; )


Classic Margarita - 100% Agave silver Tequila with orange liqueur and lime mix, served on the rocks with a salt rim
Looks like a perfect margarita to me.



This had the same tasty mayo-chipotle sauce as the steak taco, plus the fish was much better than the steak so I enjoyed this one.
Sorry the chicken and steak were a disappointment, but this looks delicious. Love a good fried fish taco.

ut with enjoying only 2 of the 4 (and paying $26 with no TIW discount available for them), I would have to say that I'll probably be trying something else the next time around. Perhaps the Carnitas Yucatecas entree since I really enjoyed the pork in my taco, if it is still on the menu when I return. But then again, I think I actually prefer San Angel Inn, plus they accept Tables in Wonderland. :thumbsup2
I've always wondered why they didn't take TiW. I thought both san angel and la hacienda were owned by the same company, so one taking it and the other not just seems odd.

he pizza was delicious and the pinot grigio wine paired well with it. While I've enjoyed the pizza at Via Napoli at least a dozen times, I'd never before had their margherita pizza. Now that I know how good it is I might consider ordering it whenever I do return to Via Napoli.
It's definitely the mark of a good pizza when the margarita stands up so well. Of course I'm biased for all things via napoli pizza, but it really is amazing.

Overall this meal was not really worth the $83 price (plus tax) for me, especially since it was void of any meat or seafood.
Definitely not. Especially in light of the Tutto meal being just $10 more.




My DH liked that he was given a choice of french fries or a cucumber salad for his side. He chose the salad and really enjoyed it. The pulled pork wasn't the best but he said it was fine and did the job of filling him up when he was very hungry, having not eaten anything since he'd had breakfast that morning at home before heading to the airport.
After a day of traveling I'm sure this did hit the spot. Looks delicious, best pulled pork or not
 


I've done ESPN club before but it has been a while. It's nice typical sports bar food but nothing special.
 
You really need to try the ESPN Nachos. They are our favorites.

Planning our late October rewritten next year, and were hoping for a Fulton ' s wine dinner. Since they will be closed, I just might try Tutti Gusto. Looks fabulous.
 
I just recently discovered I love pulled pork and coleslaw together and I never liked cole slaw before :confused3:thumbsup2
I just made it this weekend. If you cover a pork loin with root beer, regular or diet, and cook it in the slow cooker all day, drain and shred and put on barbueque sauce...YUM!
That $83 lunch, did not look worth it and the dessert...it just looked strange. :confused:
 


Though I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to eat at ESPN if I weren't staying nearby, that cucumber salad is the my absolute favorite!

It's always difficult to get my husband to critique his food (usually I just get a "it's fine" :rolleyes:) but he made a point of saying how good the cucumber salad was here. This leads me to believe that it was quite good. :laughing:



We've eaten at the ESPN several times and have shared the nachos a few times. The nachos are pretty good and I can call it a meal. I think DH will sometimes order something else to go with it. They take TiW, AP's and Disney Visa discounts, which is nice. And there is a nice view of Crescent Lake from the window tables. It is a nice place to go when you don't have reservations. :)

When I return to try those nachos, I'll try to remember to ask for a table by the window as that view sounds nice! And thanks for mentioning that they take TIW at ESPN. I forgot to mention in my review that we did get the 20% discount on the sandwich and beer, which was nice. :thumbsup2




I'm sorry but I have to agree that for $83 that lunch was underwhelming! I can't believe there wasn't any meat or seafood in there at all not to mention nothing about that dessert sounded good at all! Good thing you had lots of other yummy meals on your trip!

Perhaps if I hadn't had such a great meal at Tutto Gusto the day before (and an even better one the previous year), my expectations would not have been so high for this meal. But with my previous experiences, I'm afraid that the Via Napoli lunch was a bit of a let down. :worried:




Playing catch-up, but think I'm all up to speed now.

Glad to have you back Kari! :goodvibes



I've done ESPN club before but it has been a while. It's nice typical sports bar food but nothing special.

Yes I agree. With so many restaurant choices at WDW, ESPN doesn't seem to have a lot of appeal unless you are wanting to catch a game on their big screen TVs. However, since I like to stay at the Boardwalk it's conveniently located so ESPN is now on my radar as a possible place for a bite to eat without an ADR. :thumbsup2




You really need to try the ESPN Nachos. They are our favorites.

Planning our late October rewritten next year, and were hoping for a Fulton ' s wine dinner. Since they will be closed, I just might try Tutti Gusto. Looks fabulous.

Glad to hear you will be there again in late October. Maybe I'll join you at ESPN sometime for some nachos. ;) Oh, and I would definitely recommend the Tutto Gusto lunch for you and Mike. I think you would enjoy it! Perhaps we can coordinate our schedule and go on the same day. :thumbsup2



I just recently discovered I love pulled pork and coleslaw together and I never liked cole slaw before :confused3:thumbsup2
I just made it this weekend. If you cover a pork loin with root beer, regular or diet, and cook it in the slow cooker all day, drain and shred and put on barbueque sauce...YUM!
That $83 lunch, did not look worth it and the dessert...it just looked strange. :confused:

Though I'm not a big pulled pork fan, my DH certainly is and your's sounds really good. I might have to make it for him sometime. Do you make your own BBQ sauce or use bottled? If bottled, what kind do you like to use?
 
So not only did my husband fly in for the weekend to attend the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic, but so did our DIS friends, Niki (Niki Andiokno) and her DH. We were happy to meet up with them for dinner on Thursday evening at the Swan's...






This was a first for my DH and I'd only dined there once before, back in May 2012. I found that first meal to be just okay, nothing which warranted a return visit on my next trip...or my next four trips after that. ;) But since Il Mulino focuses on the cuisine from the Abruzzo region of Italy (which is dear to my heart, as my Italian grandparents were from that area :goodvibes), I felt like I needed to give this restaurant another chance. And since I knew that Niki and her DH were fans of Il Mulino, I thought this would be the perfect time to return.



The restaurant's interior seemed exactly as I remembered it, with wood floors and contemporary furnishings...




We were seated at a table for 4 and presented with their menu, which was quite large...













We were also presented with this bread basket...



This had at least two breads, a sun dried tomato focaccia and thick slices of Italian bread. Both of these were very good.



Next came a complimentary plate of antipasti...




On this plate was some roasted eggplant caponata topped with grated parmesan along with thin slices of salami. Again both very good.



Now for our appetizers. My husband and I were not all that hungry, as I had had a big lunch and he had a very late lunch. Therefore we wanted something light, so chose to share the...


Prosciutto & Melone - Aged Prosciutto and Seasonal Melon - $11.00

Whenever I've had this previously it always consisted of prosciutto (Italian dry-cured ham) and sliced cantaloupe, so I was a little surprised when this was delivered to our table. Not only was the melon served in small balls, but there was also honeydew melon and even a few blackberries thrown into the mix. While the prosciutto was very good, the melon was just okay. I'm not really a big fan of honeydew (I prefer the slightly sweeter cantaloupe, especially with the salty prosciutto), so would have rather had all cantaloupe.



So I would say that Niki and her DH chose the better appetizer...



Calamari Fritti - Lightly fried calamari served with a spicy marinara sauce - $15.00


This was exactly how I like my calamari...much better than the soggy, tomato sauce soaked calamari that I had at Narcoossee's. :thumbsup2



Now on to our entrees, starting with Niki's choice...



I'm not sure but I believe this was Rigatoni con Funghi (Rigatoni pasta with wild mushrooms, spicy cherry peppers, garlic and truffle oil). I think this was a 1/2 order, but I'm hoping that Niki will remember and jump in here to confirm this and that it was the Rigatoni dish.


Here is her DH's entree...




Again I'm guessing on this, but I believe it was the Costolette di Maiale (Pork Chop with cherry vinegar peppers and mushroom sauce). I believe that they both enjoyed their entrees, but hopefully Niki will join in and tell you more.



As for my husband and me, we were both happy that Il Mulino allows 1/2 orders of their pasta dishes since neither of us were very hungry. So my husband enjoyed a 1/2 order of the...


Tortellini alla Panna - Meat Tortellini and peas in a cream sauce
(1/2 order - $15.00, or a Full order would have been $23.00)



While I had a half order of the...


Manicotti - Baked pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinach with a tomato basil sauce
(1/2 order - $12.00, or a Full order would have been $24.00)


I found it interesting that a 1/2 order of the manicotti was half the full price of $24, while on the less expensive tortellini the price was only reduced by $8 for a half order. :confused3 Regardless though, both of these were very good and quite enough to fill us up. While we probably could have shared one full-size entree and saved a few dollars, it was nice to try both of these pasta dishes. My preference though was the manicotti. :thumbsup2


We were too full, but Niki and her DH had been traveling all day so had room for dessert...




Tartufo - Italian Gelato encased in chocolate and served with a large dollop each of whipped cream and zabaglione (a mousse-like Italian dessert that is usually made with whipped egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine)


Here's a look inside at the gelato (which I think was hazelnut or maybe almond flavored :confused3) and the macerated cherry in the center...




I had just a taste of this and it was very good! :thumbsup2


Oh, and a meal at Il Mulino is not complete without a complimentary glass of limoncello...





I'm not a fan of limoncello, so my DH enjoyed two glasses! ;)


So overall my second dinner at Il Mulino was more successful than the first. The food and service were good and the company was great. I will likely return sometime so that I can try some of their meat or seafood entrees, as there were several that caught my eye.

ETA: I forgot to mention that Il Mulino accepts Tables in Wonderland for a 20% discount. :thumbsup2

Next up: Breakfast at Captain's Grille
 
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Looks like Il Mulino was a good place for dinner! I have never eaten at any place at the Swan or Dolphin except for Picabu.
 
Hey Barb. I am so jealous of your photography skills finally give my love for Il Mulino its due.
The Calimari is the best here. Crunchy on the outside, a few peppers and zucchini were thrown into the mix. Everything was so crisp. The calimari itself was very tender and not chewy.

I did have the Rigatoni Con Funghi half order, and I didn't finish it all. The half portions are large. It is very odd that your DH wasn't charged exactly half. I have ordered half orders of Linguini Frutti de Mar and special risotto as well, and have always only paid one half of the full price. Wierd.

I loved my Rigatoni, but I always have a bit of plate envy for Mike ' s pork chop. It looks great in your photo, and tasted great as well. Not as good as the Dentice when it was still on the menu, but one of the best pork chops we have had at a restaurant. And the Tartufo was Hazelnut, covered in dark chocolate. The cherry in the middle is pure heaven.

Thanks for meeting us for dinner. Meeting up with you was a great way to start our vacation. I am glad you tried this place again, as we always love the food.
 
Now that calamari looked great! All the pasta dishes looked good too. Love the idea of the half order.
With the pulled pork I use bottled sauce, usually Sweet Baby Ray's or Bullseye :thumbsup2
 
Looks like Il Mulino was a good place for dinner! I have never eaten at any place at the Swan or Dolphin except for Picabu.

I've been to several of the restaurants at the Swan & Dolphin but never been to their quick service restaurant, Picabu. How was it?



Hey Barb. I am so jealous of your photography skills finally give my love for Il Mulino its due.
The Calimari is the best here. Crunchy on the outside, a few peppers and zucchini were thrown into the mix. Everything was so crisp. The calimari itself was very tender and not chewy.

I did have the Rigatoni Con Funghi half order, and I didn't finish it all. The half portions are large. It is very odd that your DH wasn't charged exactly half. I have ordered half orders of Linguini Frutti de Mar and special risotto as well, and have always only paid one half of the full price. Wierd.

I loved my Rigatoni, but I always have a bit of plate envy for Mike ' s pork chop. It looks great in your photo, and tasted great as well. Not as good as the Dentice when it was still on the menu, but one of the best pork chops we have had at a restaurant. And the Tartufo was Hazelnut, covered in dark chocolate. The cherry in the middle is pure heaven.

Thanks for meeting us for dinner. Meeting up with you was a great way to start our vacation. I am glad you tried this place again, as we always love the food.

Hi Niki! :wave2: Thanks for jumping in to confirm some things and fill in some gaps on our Il Mulino dinner. Please stay tuned because our Captain's Grille breakfast is coming up next. :thumbsup2



Wow, the pasta looks amazing!!! This isn't on the dining plan, is it? :oops:

No, sorry but none of the Swan & Dolphin restaurants are on the Disney Dining Plan. :sad2:




Now that calamari looked great! All the pasta dishes looked good too. Love the idea of the half order.
With the pulled pork I use bottled sauce, usually Sweet Baby Ray's or Bullseye :thumbsup2

Oh, I've never had Bulleye but I do like Sweet Baby Ray's so I might give that a try sometime. Thanks! :thumbsup2


Great read! Thanks for sharing your trip!

Thanks for reading! :goodvibes
 
On the morning of Friday, October 30th, my husband and I walked over to the Yacht Club to have breakfast with Niki (Niki Andiokno) and her DH at...




Despite this being my second time having breakfast at Captain's Grille on this trip, I again forgot to take a photo of the menu. :sad2: I blame it on the great company that I had both times. ;) So anyway, here is the A la Carte menu photo that I took during my breakfast at Captain's Grille in May 2015...




And speaking of my two most recent visits to Captain's Grille, both times I passed up the chance to try the breakfast buffet and instead ordered from their A la Carte menu. In May 2015 I enjoyed the Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes. After that visit there were two other a la carte entrees that I wanted to try, plus after taking photos of the buffet I felt that it too was calling my name. So on my first CG breakfast of this trip I chose the Citrus-scented French Toast, which I was a bit disappointed with. It fell quite short of my favorite WDW french toast, the Maple Vanilla French Toast that is served at the Grand Floridian Cafe. But now I was torn between trying the Lobster Omelet from the A la Carte menu or heading to the buffet.


As if she could read my mind, Niki made my decision much easier by ordering the...


Lobster Omelet with Butter-poached lobster, asparagus, and chive cream, served with savory hash browns


So not only did I get to see, photograph, and hear Niki's critique of the lobster omelet but I got to have my own omelet too... :thumbsup2




You see when our server came to the table to take our orders she explained that if we opted to go with the buffet we could also get a made-to-order omelet from the kitchen. Although lobster and asparagus were not among the choices for ingredients, there were still plenty of other meats and vegetables available...most of which I got. :laughing: So I was quite pleased with my ham, cheddar cheese, green pepper, mushrooms, etc. omelet. I was also happy with the many great choices which we found at the buffet. I took a few photos of these offerings but if you'd like to see more then check out my review from my May 2015 visit to Captain's Grille. Here's the
LINK


On this morning though there were Cinnamon Rolls...





Apple Danish...

]



Croissants...





Bread Pudding...




Baked Tomato Gratin...




Seasoned Potato Wedges...




Slices of crispy bacon...





Mini-frittatas made with egg whites, spinach, and onion, topped with diced tomato...





Yellow and White Cheddar CheeseMini-frittatas...





And of course, Mickey Waffles...



Plus many other options that I didn't photograph.


So here were my choices from the buffet...




In addition to some of the items which I photographed at the buffet, I also had a sausage link and a french toast slice. Everything was very good, but my favorite was still the made-to-order omelet. :thumbsup2


In a separate bowl I also enjoyed some of their fresh fruit, including red grapes, watermelon, pineapple, oranges, and cantaloupe...





Oh, and FYI, both my husband and Niki's also chose the buffet and they seemed quite content! :thumbsup2


So overall I enjoyed the breakfast buffet at Captain's Grille and look forward to returning whenever I'm staying in the Epcot Resort area. The cost for the buffet was $21.99 (before the TIW 20% discount), which I thought was a good value in terms of Disney food prices. The tailored omelet accompanied by hash browns and a biscuit from the A la Carte menu would have been $11.49 so for a little more $10 you also get your choice of many fresh fruits, pastries, breakfast meats, etc., etc. Oh, and don't forget the MICKEY WAFFLES!! That's a pretty good deal in my (pocket) book. ;)


Next up: Dinner at the Rose & Crown
 
I've been to several of the restaurants at the Swan & Dolphin but never been to their quick service restaurant, Picabu. How was it?
It was ok nothing special. I don't remember what I got there it was in 2012.

Looks like Captains Grille was good for breakfast that's another one I've never done.
 
So great to see a review of the buffet at Captains Grill. We have breakfast planned there on our Epcot day in March and are looking forward to it. I had hoped for Cape May but was ruled out of a character breakfast by my three teenagers. Oh well, I will still get a very yummy breakfast!
 
We will be taking a short, four night trip to the Beach Club starting on Saturday and we are looking forward to breakfast at Captain's Grille. Maybe I'll try an omelet with the buffet. It looks good. :)
 
So not only did my husband fly in for the weekend to attend the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic, but so did our DIS friends, Niki (Niki Andiokno) and her DH. We were happy to meet up with them for dinner on Thursday evening at the Swan's...

Uh oh.. Your report looks like it might be starting to get expensive for me! Have wanted to try the S/D Food & Wine Classic for the last two years and always passed... Is 2016 the year for me? Hmm...

Man, Il Mulino looks amazing! My mom and sister went there once without me and said it was just ok... But I'm starting to question their judgment.. :laughing:
 
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