Magic Happens, and Then You EAT: Our Gluttonous *Year of the Dragon* COMPLETE!!

[MainStreetFireman]

Originally Posted by MrsB1228

We've never stopped for drinks at the Tambu Lounge, but from your description, it sounds like a lovely place to enjoy an adult beverage.

...we had never scheduled time to visit Tambu. Iloveeeyore always ordered her Lapu Lapu at Ohana, and the kids were just a bit too young to leave in the room. But now that we've done it, we will definitely go more often. Great vibe, great drinks, great people!

It had been too long since my last Tiki Bar experience (Trader Vic's at the Plaza Hotel in NYC). I will not miss Tambu again!

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

The lapu lapu i on the top of my list to try this fall.

[iloveeeyore]

Originally Posted by MrsB1228

Mmm, love, love, LOVE LTT!! You got two of our favourite entrees there (pilgrim's feast and the pot roast) and my mouth was watering looking at your wonderful pictures. I usually go for the toffee cake for dessert but your review of the johnny appleseed cake is seriously tempting me to deviate from the norm ... decisions, decisions!

We've never stopped for drinks at the Tambu Lounge, but from your description, it sounds like a lovely place to enjoy an adult beverage.

Thanks for the update!

Yes, that pilgrim's feast and that pot roast were great! We WILL order those again. And I suggest that at least one person in your party try the appleseed's cake, so you can at least taste it and compare.

Tambu Lounge is now on top 5 to-do list when in WDW. It goes on our family's must do list from now on. If you sit in the right spot, you get a clear view of the castle, too!

Originally Posted by MainStreetFireman

...we had never scheduled time to visit Tambu. Iloveeeyore always ordered her Lapu Lapu at Ohana, and the kids were just a bit too young to leave in the room. But now that we've done it, we will definitely go more often. Great vibe, great drinks, great people!

It had been too long since my last Tiki Bar experience (Trader Vic's at the Plaza Hotel in NYC). I will not miss Tambu again!

I had never been to Trader Vic's, so I think Tambu is my FIRST tiki bar ever. Now that I've tried it, I love the Poly even more. Want to go back right now!!

Originally Posted by NoOrdinaryPrincess

The lapu lapu i on the top of my list to try this fall.

Bring a spork so you can enjoy it with more yummy pineapple pulp! There are so many other wonderful drinks at Tambu, too! Keep an open mind...

[iloveeeyore]

We took the monorail over to the GF and walk straight to the reception area for Citricos. We arrived pretty far in advance of our 8pm ADR, but we were seated pretty quickly. We had just enough time between checking in and being seated to check out the V&A menu. We really want to dine there some time!!

Tonight was Citricos night though, and we were super-excited to try it for the first time!

Our server was Tammy and she was lovely to us and was working quite hard that night with a very big party at another table. We wouldn't have known it, because she was very attentive and mostly efficient. She explained that the kitchen was a little backed up and we might have a delay, but we didn't notice any lag in service. We were enjoying our peaceful time in the beautiful atmosphere, so we wouldn't have cared anyway.

The bread was a hearty olive bread with a solid crust (I think maybe salted?) and nice and soft on the inside, served slightly warm with delicious salted butter:

It was soooo good! It was the second-best bread of the trip, and I could have made a meal on this bread alone! As it was, I'm pretty sure we asked for at least one more round of this!

For my appetizer, I ordered the Sauteed Shrimp:

with lemon, white wine, tomatoes and feta cheese. This was absolutely delicious, the shrimp plump and cooked to perfection (I think there were 3 large ones in there). The broth was so perfect and I had to soak some more of that olive bread in there. I could have had a bigger portion of this for an entree! I had a glass of white wine with this, it was either the suggested pairing on the menu or recommended by Tammy. Our receipt says 390 Boutar and it was very very good with this dish, light and crisp.

Hercules ordered the Arancini:

Another winner! This arancini was very different from that offered at Via Napoli. The VN one was delcious in its own right, but this dish was cororful and multi-layered and rich and out-of-this-world delicious! We all loved it!

Aladdin decided to go with something light, so he ordered the Yellow Tomato Gazpacho:

With smoked rocked shrimp, tomato and cucmber salsa, piquillo coulis and 25-year sherry viniagrette-lime ice! Wow! bursting with fresh and delicious flavors. The lime ice added an interesting texture and tang to the sweet tomato and spicy coulis. So refreshing! I think some extra bread found its way to get dunked in there, too!

For Belle, the Artisan Cheese Trio:

This was good, and she loved it, but in retrospect, it was the weakest cheese plate of the week. First, it was only 3 cheeses, and second, it was the only one with the accompaniments served atop the cheese. We would have preferred them on the side to allow a more personalized experience.

For my main course, I went with the Oak-grilled Filet of Beef:

Perfect! It was like butter in my mouth, the sauce was rich and flavorful without overpowering the meat, and those potatos were so good! I would have like a few more pepadews, but I certainly didn't need them. I had a glass of red wine with this course, on the receipt it just says "Red Wine 3." I don't know for sure, but it was probably either a pinot noir or a cabernet, as these are my 2 favorite reds.

After much internal debate, Herc decided on the Madeira-braised Short Rib:

He was so glad he chose this dish! Served with trofie pasta, wild mushroom ragout and white truffle creme fraiche, this dish really knocked it out of the park, and Hercules licked that plate clean. He had considered swapping the trofie pasta for the Quattro Formaggi mashed potatoes that came with the beef, but he was glad he kept the dish in its intended form. Anyway, he had the opportunity to taste the potatoes off my plate; he enjoyed them, too, but the trofie pasta with the rick creme fraiche really matched perfectly with the short rib.

Aladdin decided on the Braised Veal Shank (well, to be honest, I told him he was getting the Veal):

This was served with carrot-potato mash, roasted vegetables and toasted citrus gremolata. The veal was succulent and fall-off-the-bone tender, but the overall dish was kind of blah. Compared to the other savory, rich and flavorful dishes on our table, this was just bland, I'm sorry to say. It needed something spicy or salty or tangy to take it to the next level. It wasn't bad, it just didn't stand up to the rest of the meal. Uninspiring. Aladdin didn't complain because he is angel, but I know how he is when he loves a dish, and it was obvious that he didn't love this. You would think that by now we would know that we shouldn't order the "signature" dishes or the hyped-up dishes at the signature restaurants. They have disappointed us so far.

Aladdin also had a glass of wine, I think with his entree, which was a 649 JeanLuc Rhon. He loved it!

Belle has been on a trend toward the vegetarian lately, so it wasn't surprising when she ordered the veggie entree, which was Seared Tofu:

She thoroughly enjoyed this and ate every bite. I tasted it and thought it was excellent, tastier at $28 than the veal at $53. It was served with zucchini and eggplant ratatouie, roasted mushrooms, peas and sundried tomato puree.

There was not a shadow of a doubt as to what I would order for dessert, the Warm Chocolate-Banana Torte:

This tasted as delicious as it was presented! It was rich and sinful and delicious, with just the right balance of chocolate and banana. Aladdin had already listened to me about the entree and he wasn't gonna miss out on a great dessert for himself, so he ordered this too, which was a good choice!

Hercules debated a while on this course, also, and ultimately decided on the Tropical Fruit Creme Brulee:

Now we all love tropical fruit and we all love creme brulee, but together they are just...weird. He didn't hate this dessert but he wasn't crazy about it, either. It was probably his least favorite creme brulee ever. I took a taste, and then another, trying to decide how to appropriately describe it, and all I can say is that I just don't think tropical fruit belongs flavoring creme brulee. We're glad we tried it though, it sounded intriguing. The creme and fruit on top was very good, and we were so full from our incredibly satisfying dinner that a "meh" dessert on the table didn't bother us!

Belle chose the Lemon-scented Cheesecake:

She loved it and licked the plate clean! I tasted it and while I thought it was very good, I was glad I stuck with the torte.

Our overall impression of Citricos:

5/5!

The atmosphere, service and food were all outstanding. We weren't crazy about the veal, but this is more a matter of personal preference in the preparation of the dish. Even though it didn't suit our particular taste, we can't say anything negative about the quality and freshness of the ingredients or the artistic presentation of the dish. It was perfectly described on the menu, there were no surprise inclusions or deletions of ingredients. For another family, this could well be the perfect dish. I would highly recommend a meal at Citricos to anyone and I look forward to our return in the future!

The "total" for this meal came to $372.55 including the tax, tip and 3 glasses of wine. We paid 8 TS credits off our dining plan, and our OOP expense was $94.62, which included the tip of $60 and our bar bill for $34.62 for the 3 glasses of wine and the tax on them. We thought that for the amount and quality of the food we enjoyed, this would have still been a nice value if we had paid OOP for this meal (perpective: we are from NY), and we would happily return to Citricos either on or off the dining plan.

Up next...another day at Epcot!

[jedijill]

Looking forward to hearing the rest of your Citrico's review. I've had some great meals there but my last visit was a bust...mostly due to bad service.

You MUST go to V&A. Fantastic!

Jill in CO

[iloveeeyore]

Originally Posted by jedijill

Looking forward to hearing the rest of your Citrico's review. I've had some great meals there but my last visit was a bust...mostly due to bad service.

You MUST go to V&A. Fantastic!

Jill in CO

Hope you enjoy the rest. I totally understand how bad service can detract from an otherwise enjoyable experience! We had one like that this trip, too, and we RARELY notice bad service, because we normally enjoy lingering anyway. I am always vigilant about paying attention to the service when I'm doing a dining review, because I want to be candid and honest so others know what to expect.

We would LOVE to try V&A. The only thing preventing it so far is Aladdin doesn't want to pack a jacket for vacation. I get it, but if I can persuade him to read enough reviews here, he might be convinced!

[MickeyNicki]

Loved your review of Citricos, we have been there three trips in a row and each time it was out of this world....so glad I booked it for my Oct trip!

[disnut1149]

Originally Posted by MickeyNicki

Loved your review of Citricos, we have been there three trips in a row and each time it was out of this world....so glad I booked it for my Oct trip!

Can't wait for your trip and your reviews!!! Also, thanks to the OP for your reviews!! They're really great.

[smile4stamps]

What a wonderful Citrico's review! I had the veal in '09 but I remember it being goof but not much else! We are booked again in October so can't wait!

[auntfrannie]

Citrico's is one place I try to hit on each visit. It's always been great! Great food, great service and a relaxing atmosphere.

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Citricos- one of my favorites.

The steak looks so good. I've got to put that on my to-try list.

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

This is one of the best citricos reviews I've seen.

[jsrj21]

Great review of Citrico's. We've never been.... With the exception of two trips since the dining plan and "free" dining offers, we've been mostly counter service people. We always make time for our faves like O'hana, Biergarten, and Boma. We have been talking about purchasing the dining plan on our next trip though - there are too many restaurants that we'd like to try and haven't in years past.

The food at Citrico's looked great!!!! Great job!

[MainStreetFireman]

Since returning home, iloveeeyore has had a string of "4 in a row" shifts that, largely, cover the vacations of the other nurses on her floor. That, combined with lots of activity for both DKs, has kept her off the boards.

You can rest assured that she cannot wait to steal away some time to update her dining report. I know that I can't wait to read it as a remembrance of the phenomenal trip that it was.

Keep the faith. She'll be back soon!

[iloveeeyore]

Originally Posted by MickeyNicki

Loved your review of Citricos, we have been there three trips in a row and each time it was out of this world....so glad I booked it for my Oct trip!

Thank you so much! We would return without hesitation...and just not choose the veal next time, unless there were a vastly different preparation. Can't wait to read your Oct. reviews!

Originally Posted by disnut1149

Can't wait for your trip and your reviews!!! Also, thanks to the OP for your reviews!! They're really great.

You're welcome and thanks for reading. And I'm with you, I can't wait for Nicki's reviews!

Originally Posted by smile4stamps

What a wonderful Citrico's review! I had the veal in '09 but I remember it being goof but not much else! We are booked again in October so can't wait!

Yeah, the most memorable thing about the veal was...it wasn't very memorable! I can't wait for your October reviews, either. I feel like I'm the only one NOT going to the world in October!

Originally Posted by auntfrannie

Citrico's is one place I try to hit on each visit. It's always been great! Great food, great service and a relaxing atmosphere.

We loved it too, and can't really believe it took us so many trips to try it. I doubt we will repeat it every trip, it's not our VERY favorite signature (keep reading this report to find out what is ), but we will definitely return at some point.

Originally Posted by Smiling Cheshire Cat

Citricos- one of my favorites.

The steak looks so good. I've got to put that on my to-try list.

The steak was special! So was the short rib! I'd have a hard time deciding between those two dishes next time!

Originally Posted by NoOrdinaryPrincess

This is one of the best citricos reviews I've seen.

Thank you! It was a truly outstanding experience for us. I'm sorry the photos are dark. It didn't feel right using the flash in there.

Originally Posted by jsrj21

Great review of Citrico's. We've never been.... With the exception of two trips since the dining plan and "free" dining offers, we've been mostly counter service people. We always make time for our faves like O'hana, Biergarten, and Boma. We have been talking about purchasing the dining plan on our next trip though - there are too many restaurants that we'd like to try and haven't in years past.

The food at Citrico's looked great!!!! Great job!

The three you listed as your faves are some of our top pics, as well (stay tuned for more reviews on 2 of those 3). We love the restaurants in Disney and have always done at least one TS per day, on every single trip. The counter-service there is terrific, too, and we actually missed some of our favorites this time, like Captain Cook's and Columbia Harbour House. The problem with the regular dining plan for us is that we like to mix in some signatures and we enjoy appetizers with most of our TS experiences, so the regular DDP requires a little supplementing for us. It works with some diligent attention and planning, and number crunching to figure out what's best to use credits for and what's best to pay for OOP.

We had a great experience with Tables in Wonderland 2 years ago, it gave us a lot of flexibility and we still saved quite a bit...but that was for a longer trip. We usually aren't there enough days in a year to justify the cost. I'm kicking myself that we didn't do V&A that trip! It's still on my bucket list.

I'm glad you liked the Citricos review. Stick with me!

Originally Posted by MainStreetFireman

Since returning home, iloveeeyore has had a string of "4 in a row" shifts that, largely, cover the vacations of the other nurses on her floor. That, combined with lots of activity for both DKs, has kept her off the boards.

You can rest assured that she cannot wait to steal away some time to update her dining report. I know that I can't wait to read it as a remembrance of the phenomenal trip that it was.

Keep the faith. She'll be back soon!

Thanks for your support, Hub! I hope to get a few more up in the next few days...before my class starts!