Alice and the Hatter - A Free-For-all and a Gluten Free Taste of Wonderland!

[alicehatter]

Why, Hello There!

"We're all Mad Here," as the Cheshire Cat might say. I'm Amanda, and my husband (who will be commenting off and on) is Jeremy.

How do you do?

We've had quite a few tumbles into Disney World during our three years of marriage, trying to go and see and do as often as possible! We're both major foodies, and I wasn't about to let a little allergy get in the way of all the amazing flavors in the World!

I've written a dining review in the past, but I was Vegan at the time...now, I'm only gluten free and can literally Taste my way through Wonderland!

Here's a picture of us at Jeremy's 30th birthday party - it was a surprise costumed event!




I can't wait to begin,
To have all of you chime in,
Let's continue this Enchanted Conversation!

[gardengirl628]

Count me in!!!

[nickymaria]

Love your intro, can't wait to read the rest!!

[alicehatter]

Originally Posted by gardengirl628

Count me in!!!

Originally Posted by nickymaria

Love your intro, can't wait to read the rest!!

Oh, I'm so glad you are both interested!

[wilma-bride]

I'm in for this one - that is a great photo of the two of you, by the way

[alicehatter]

Originally Posted by wilma-bride

I'm in for this one - that is a great photo of the two of you, by the way

Thank you so much! We had a blast at that party - would you believe Jeremy has an entire closet dedicated to costumes? Truly mad

[alicehatter]

We arrived at the Beach Club by way of Magical Express, and took in our surroundings a bit before heading to our lunch reservation in Epcot. We have always stayed at Boardwalk in the past, but wanted to branch out (albeit slightly) this time around - for experience sake, if nothing else. Now that we've done it, I can honestly say I much prefer the Boardwalk! But the Beach Club was still a fantastic location and had a nice ambiance, which adds to just about anything!

With that bit of background information out of the way, I will get on to the good stuff - food!



Isn't Canada simply charming? There was little doubt that we would be eating at Le Cellier during this trip. Neither of us had ever been, and we wanted to try something new (do you sense a theme? The entire holiday was centered on trying things we have never done in Disney before!). Now that Le Cellier is Signature for dinnertime dining, we opted to really start the vacation off with a bang and go to a steak house for our arrival day lunch. Luckily, we were quite famished by the time bags were hoisted to our room, and airplane clothing was changed to park attire.



After our pupils focused on the dim surroundings of the cavernous space, we found the restaurant to be absolutely lovely. It seems to be one of the best themed restaurants in Disney, quite simply because it really has the feel of a steak house to it - almost identical to the Nashville Ruth's Cris, in fact (That's where our home is, in case you were wondering at that random tidbit of information).



My Mad Hatter was simply dying of thirst, and decided to quench it by ordering a Strawberry Smoothie.

We looked over the menu, and as both of us were very hungry (but neither could make up our mind) we decided to try a few different things and share. I think I'm correct in assuming that most couples who love food do the exact same! After talking with the chef about my gluten issues, we settled on our selections. Please allow me to apologize in advance for any blurry photos in this particular instance - it was very dark and my camera failed to cooperate!

For appetizers, Jeremy went with the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, not only because everyone surrounding our table had ordered it, but also because he had heard me talk about how much everyone on the DisBoards raves about it! Understandably, this was accompanied by a Pretzel Bread Stick.



I chose to go with the Tomato Stack. The waitress highly recommended it, and I figured with all the food to come, this would be a nice intro to the meal. And it was - fantastic! The vinaigrette and and copious amounts of Blue Cheese made it heavenly.



After we had greedily gobbled up this start to our feast (with the Mad Hatter sopping up every remaining drop of the soup with his bread), our entree orders were placed.

There really wasn't much debate over which menu items to select. It was understood that one of us would be ordering the Le Cellier Mushroom Filet. Can you guess who that gorgeous steak was placed in front of? Jeremy - that's correct. Since you seem to be so good at guessing games, perhaps you could tell me Why a Raven is Like a Writing Desk?



He also ordered the Baked Mac and Cheese, and gobbled it up, as well. Sadly, this was something I couldn't partake of!



Even before our arrival, I had wanted to get the Salmon. After pouring over reviews of Le Cellier, this seemed to be an undervalued item that gets overlooked. With my goal of trying new things, I figured it seemed a good option. Let me also say that when we went, this dish was presented as a sandwich and served with Fries and Cole Slaw, as you can see from the photo. Looking over current menus, it seems this may have changed. Nonetheless, the Salmon is still DIVINE. And I didn't even eat it in sandwich form, so I feel I can safely say this is a good pick! The odd photo you see consists of the Salmon Filet and a gluten free bun. I really enjoy the gluten free products at Disney, and this was no exception. The fries - of course - were excellent, but it was the sauce that really stole the show. Doesn't sauce always make anything THAT MUCH BETTER?



It was with very full stomachs that we bravely conquered the dessert menu. Le Cellier didn't have that many gluten free options for me, but then again, I wasn't in the mood to eat too much, knowing that the World Showcase awaited me, and with that came Karamell Kuche!!

Jeremy ordered the Maple Creme Brulee, namely because it was their signature dessert item. He's a fan of anything that resembles pudding, and of course Creme Brulee is something he orders at times. He liked the Maple flavor, but I'm not sure he could say he LOVED it.



I was stuck with the Seasonal Sorbet, but this turned out to be amazing! I know the picture is no indication at all, but it was infused with Champagne and was absolutely delicious, refreshing, and just right.



In all, everything was absolutely delightful and we will certainly be back. I don't think it will warrant a Signature visit for us, although I can see why some people would want to. The dinner menu is different during the evening hours, and much more specialized with gourmet options and a wider variety of appetizers, entrees and sides.

If you like, stick around for a sticky sweet review of some of Karamell Kuche's caramel treats!

[disfencer]

Originally Posted by alicehatter

Isn't Canada simply charming?

What a gorgeous picture, I love the composition!

The salmon looks delicious. I'm so glad to see a review of the salmon--the fish options tend to get overlooked at Disney, but they're my favorite.

Also, hello neighbor, from Knoxville! I have a lot of friends in Nashville, and I go over there fairly often. I think I like it more than Knoxville, haha.

[Linda67]

What a great way to start your vacation
Looks like you had a lovely lunch at LC
Looking forward to reading along!

[ClareH37]

i'm in - loving your review so far

i'm also staying at the BC next trip but usually stay at the BWI, i'm also gluten free - spooky lol

[Chelley00]

Looking forward to following along since we are planning our first trip since I was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, including gluten. I actually read your last report since I'm egg and dairy free.

Not sure if you knew but blue cheese is not gluten free. It depends on your sensitivity to it but they grow the mold on bread and it contaminates the cheese.

[alicehatter]

Originally Posted by Linda67

What a great way to start your vacation
Looks like you had a lovely lunch at LC
Looking forward to reading along!

Thanks! Yes Le Cellier was certainly a good way to dive into Disney!

Originally Posted by ClareH37

i'm in - loving your review so far

i'm also staying at the BC next trip but usually stay at the BWI, i'm also gluten free - spooky lol

Ok, yes that's very weird! I know you'll have a good time and get to eat many amazing things you usually aren't able to Would love to hear what you think of Beach Club compared with Boardwalk!

Originally Posted by Chelley00

Looking forward to following along since we are planning our first trip since I was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, including gluten. I actually read your last report since I'm egg and dairy free.

Not sure if you knew but blue cheese is not gluten free. It depends on your sensitivity to it but they grow the mold on bread and it contaminates the cheese.

Thank you so much for telling me this - the chef mentioned that SOME Blue Cheese has it, but that he wasn't really concerned about it. And I haven't really experienced any symptoms, although I also don't eat that type of cheese very often

When is your first trip??

[chocolateMinnie]

two great reviews - love both Le Cellier and Karamel Kuche - could eat their salted caramel now

[alicehatter]

I had originally been hesitant about booking a signature restaurant on the day of our arrival - mainly because we were eating a later lunch at Le Cellier and I was unsure if we would even be hungry. Would it be a waste of two credits? I kept wondering this to myself, especially after eating caramel popcorn!

But making the reservations for 7:40pm allowed us plenty of time to wander around Epcot, ride a few rides, and completely unpack and get all dolled up for dinner at the Boardwalk. Perhaps one of our favorite things about staying at the Epcot area resorts is the ability to dine at so many wonderful places without the need for bus transportation!



We walked the short distance to Flying Fish Cafe, pausing for a moment to watch a boardwalk magician perform tricks for the crowd. After putting our name in, we were soon led toward the back of the restaurant.





Aren't the murals that line the walls of this restaurant delightful? The scenes depict by-gone circus days, while the clean lines of the rest of the restaurant make it elegant and not over-crowded.

Our server for the evening, a wonderfully friendly lady, arrived as if by magic and asked for our cocktail order. Jeremy ordered his customary Gin and Tonic, while I opted for a Cosmopolitan…VERY light on the cranberry.





One thing I noted while waiting on our drinks was that surrounding us were quite a few families with smaller children, despite the fact that the meal came with a signature price tag. Everyone was so well-behaved!

When our beverages were placed in front of us, we ordered appetizers. Of course the waitress was aware that I would be dining gluten free, and had called the chef over to the table in advance. He walked me through my MANY options, and we placed our first order.

Luckily, I was able to have more than one appetizer on the menu, so Jeremy and I put our heads together and chose two for sharing. By this point I was actually getting hungry again!



The Lobster Summer Roll was served in a thin rice wrapper, which was stuffed with vegetables and - of course - lobster. It came with the most delicious Sweet Chili dipping sauce!



The Tuna Tartare was certainly as delicious as it looked. It was tempura-fried in a gluten free batter, and served with Wasabi Foam and a Sweet-and-Spicy sauce. Quite a treat, and good enough as a small entree if someone didn't want a large meal.

But for us, entrees would be soon to come. With small alterations, I was able to order almost anything on the menu, which was a wonderful change!



The Hatter was simply mad about tuna this particular evening, decided to go with the Citrus, Sesame, and Szechuan Pepper-crusted Yellowfin Tuna, which came with bok choy, carrots, snap peas, and mushrooms in a delicious asian broth. He loved every little bit of it!



I ordered the Signature Flying Fish Cafe Potato-wrapped Red Snapper. The chef altered the potato ever-so-slightly. It was absolutely delicious. Underneath was a cheesy Leek Fondue with a Veal Glaze, Red Wine and Cassis Butter Reduction. Heaven! I would say that this restaurant does one of the best jobs accommodating special diets - and that's quite an award to toss out at Disney World!

But the meal was yet to be over, and a final test had to be issued - Desserts. One thing is certain, however. If looks were the judge, Jeremy's certainly took home a prize!



The Carmelized Banana Napolean, came enveloped in phyllo, and was accompanied by banana mousse, creme caramel, and bitter chocolate. He ate it in its entirety, and most likely would have done the same with a serving twice as big - it was just that tasty for him.



Once again, sorbet was offered to me - and once again, it was divine! The Season Sorbet came in a trio of Coconut, Strawberry and Cherry Coulis. It was just enough after all that other food.

Flying Fish proved to be icing on the cake of our first day in Disney. We will not hesitate to dine here again - probably multiple times! We were one very happy couple as we hopped, skipped, and jumped back to our resort.

[dolfinjuls]

Am loving your pictures and reviews! You too are so cute!