A solo DDP with a bottle of Antacid - Bula Grill....COMPLETED!!!!!!!

[smile4stamps]

Me too...I am eager to know whats on offer this year (compared to 2 years ago). I imagine that most dishes would be similar....

I recently read one of your reports (from 2009) and noticed your hubby's name.....my brother has the same name....growing up it was an unusual name, so it always stands out!

I think there will be some similarities and some new items! I've read several reviews from 2011 and then yours from previous and there were a bunch of things that looked different!

Thanks for reading my review! I unfortunately when I finished it did not have the detail that yours does! I basically just had the pictures and no memories of what anything was lol. I think growing up my husbands name was not very popular but then it took off for awhile... not sure if its still popular or not. My husband was actually named after his uncle!

 

[HolidayRose]

I would love to read your Universal reviews. Thanks for including them

 

[raniroo]

My last morning in Disney and I decided to have a last breakfast at Olivia's Cafe before heading over to Universal for a few days.

I was sad to say goodbye, but I knew that I would be coming 'home' again in the next few years.

Traditional Eggs Benedict - Two Poached Eggs with Canadian Bacon on an English Muffin with Key Lime Hollandaise

I love poached eggs, but they have to be cooked perfectly, with a ooey, gooey, runny yolk...unfortunately these were not runny, stil soft, but not runny....The key lime hollandaise was tasty but the sauce was a little to thick. The dish was tasty enough, just a little disappointing....

I was reading a Patricia Cornwall book during breakfast and one of the CM's started talking to be about how she loved her....and that she had just finished one of her books (that I hadn't read). We chatted about books for a while and just as I was settling everything, she came over and passed me the hardcover book and told me she was giving it to me.....to enjoy it...she had no use for it.

How very generous she was.. WOW, thank you....what a wonderful parting gift

Even though I was sad about leaving Disney, there was a spring in my step as I was to spend a few days over at Universal Studios..

it was time to get the taxi.....

 

[raniroo]

New Hotel, new theme park, new food!

I was eager....I walked off breakfast ages ago...taking in the new sites of Universal Studios. It was a fun morning....

but I needed sustenance...

I tried my luck at Lombards Seafood Grille and after a 15 minutes wait I was seated in the cool, air conditioned restaurant. Even I was finding it hot outside!

I so couldn't decide what I wanted....even after researching the menus before hand....so I ended up with.......

Spinach Artichoke Dip - 3 cheeses blended with spinach and artichokes, served warm with fresh tortilla chips

Ooey, gooey goodness. Loved this and exactly what I needed today...


Fried Shrimp & Fish – golden fried fish and shrimp. Served with crispy french fries, Lombard's signature vegetable slaw and cocktail sauce

Hot, crispy and fresh but I was soooooo full It must of been all the cheeseness from my entree (appetiser!)

 

[raniroo]

I'm enjoying your reviews, Roo! Yes, please include your Universal meals! Thanks!

Happy that you are enjoying them...will definitely post universal food

Great reviews, especially the F&W reviews. We're planning to hit the F&W Festival for the first time next year, and your reviews are making me even more anxious for it. I think I just stared at that tuna dish from Japan for about five minutes!

I am dreaming of that tuna sensation dish...I can't wait to have it again, so fresh and yummy!

I think there will be some similarities and some new items! I've read several reviews from 2011 and then yours from previous and there were a bunch of things that looked different!

Thanks for reading my review! I unfortunately when I finished it did not have the detail that yours does! I basically just had the pictures and no memories of what anything was lol. I think growing up my husbands name was not very popular but then it took off for awhile... not sure if its still popular or not. My husband was actually named after his uncle!

I am eager to know what is on the menu for this year's F&W....I am impatient

My brother was named after his great-grandfather. Again, it wasn't popular but now its quiet common and a uni-sex name

I would love to read your Universal reviews. Thanks for including them

Universal food porn coming up very shortly

 

[raniroo]

This was the one place at Universal that I was VERY eager to try. We have nothing equivalent here in Oz (nor Dubai) and I was very excited about trying this place.

I was seated at the bar as they were extremely busy and as I was on my own I assume they didn't want to waste a whole table on me....but that is okay, I was more than happy to sit at the bar. You get chatty with others that are sitting there too.

I had been drooling over the menu for months and I knew exactly what I was going to eat....but I needed a cold cocktail first...for the life of me I don't know what the name of it was but I do remember it was good...if anybody is good at figuring it out let me know! UPDATED...FOUND A PHOTO OF THE COCKTAIL MENU WITH THE SPECIAL HALLOWEEN COCKTAIL ON IT!The Menu

Cocktail - Midnight Mandarin Sweet Tea

Absolut Mandarin with sweet tea infused Seagrams Vodka. Yummy and refreshing and very quite potent!

Hush Puppies - Shrimp, Mahi Mahi and golden corn deep fried with a Remoulade dipping sauce

Absolutely, hands down the most delicious crispy bites I have had in a long time...I am in love! I want to learn to make these myself...addictive!

Shrimpers Heaven - Coconut shrimp, chilly shrimp, fried shrimp, tempura shrimp, fries and of course dipping sauce

A couple of angles to show all four shrimp delights. I love me some shrimp (or I should say prawns) and these were great. I loved the coconut shrimp and the fried shrimp. The dipping sauces where tangy Asian, Zesty Coctail and Cajun Marmalade....yummy

Awesome dinner, awesome company in the form of bar eaters and drinkers and bar staff.....I know I will be eating here again before I leave.....

 

[Linda67]

Wow, Bubba Gumps looks delicious

 

[raniroo]

After a morning in Islands of Adventure and discovering the delights Harry Potter World I was getting a little peckish and I was seeking comfort food. The 3 broomsticks was jammed packed so I got out of Hogsmeade and headed over to Circus McGurkus.

Just want I needed........

Fabulous Fried Chicken Platter - with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Corn on the Cob & a Buttermilk Biscuit

This was awesome. The chicken was hot, fresh and crispy and very tasty and the potato and gravy was delicious and comforting...however, my band decides to give me major issues....after 2 weeks of eating so much food I am not surprised, but why today of all days?

So I only managed a few bites of it before I had to leave it......

 

[raniroo]

It was hot and I needed a break, so I headed over to CityWalk to see what was on offer. I decided on Jimmy Buffet's was a happening place.

Plonking myself on the verandah with a great view of everyone walking by, I ordered myself a plain ole' margarita....hey I was in Margaritaville!

Margarita

Refreshing, limey, salted rim...the perfect margarita!

Now, I was going to have a full meal here during my stay, but I just knew that today was just not going to happen, so I opted to met myself halfway


Crab, Shrimp and Mushroom Dip

Jumbo lump blue crab meat, gulf shrimp and mushrooms simmered in a Cajun cream sauce and Served with toasted garlic bread.

This was delicious and a perfect size for me. Although once the cheese starts to cool down it got a bit harder to chew....solidified cheese is always harder to digest!

Awesome tunes, awesome atmosphere!

 

[raniroo]

After some chill out down time in the room and it was later into the night...my band was starting to come around and I was feeling a little peckish...I was also very tired, which probably wasn't helping my hunger....i tend to get 'hungry' when I am tired.

So I mosied on downstairs to have some sushi. I sat at the bar and watched the sushi chefs prepare the dishes. They always amaze me with their knife skills!

The menu was enticing and I finally settled on what I was going to have....it was a tough choice!

How do you always start a Japanese meal? With Miso of course!

Miso Soup

As far as miso soup goes, this was good. I just prefer mine a little hotter (temperature wise)


Seaweed Salad with Sesame Dressing

I love seaweed salad, especially when they get the sesame dressing ratio perfect. This salad was well balanced and chilled.

Volcano Roll

Tuna, Salmon, crabstick, shrimp, asparagus, cream cheese and avocado with conch, masago & spicy mayo with eel sauce on top.

This was a great sushi bite, however a huge serving for me…far to much rice I am afraid and I ended up picking out the seafood and eating that with the sauce.

 

[raniroo]

Another day in Islands of Adventure. I was having so much fun!

When the hunger pangs started I thought I would give the chicken another go.

Fabulous Fried Chicken Platter with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Corn on the Cob & a Buttermilk Biscuit

Yes I realise that it is the same photo from yesterday! I cannot seem to find another angle of it?

Just as delicious, just as cripsy, just as tasty....yet I still had trouble with it!!! Alas, it is not to be....

 

[raniroo]

From my previous post on Bubba Gumps you may remember how much in love with this place I was...I had to try it out again.

Tonight, I headed over to Halloween Horror Nights. Let me tell you that it scared the pants off me!

Us Aussies don't really celebrate Halloween. It's only in recent years that we have started having halloween parties etc....but in no way is it anything big like The States. This was my first HHH and perhaps my last....Honestly, going alone probably didn't help. I had 'fun' but I just don't think my nerves could take it (and I thought I was no scaredy cat!).

Anyway, after a few hours the crowds (and the nerves) got to me, so I wandered over to CityWalk for a late night dinner.

Once again, I was sitting at the bar and I enjoyed it more this time. Just lots of people to chat to and enjoy the evening.

So what did I have this time?

Cocktail

Why did I not write down the names of these drinks...very tasty.

Shrimper's Net Catch

Peel N Eat shrimp steamed in beer. I think I had it with garlic spice (or it could have been the cajun), actually I think it was a bit of both..

I had a feast of prawns that were incredibly tasty and I ate every single one! I even was sucking the goodness of the sauce off the shells. Definitely want to eat here again!

 

[raniroo]

A change of park today. When researching Universal eats...I was tossed between doing restaurants and counter service, particularly after 2 weeks of feasting in Disney. I decided that I would do a mix again, but ended up doing restaurants as I thought I could at least get better options at a restaurants....turns out I didn't eat "healthy" but the quality was bloody good!

I was greated and seated in the cool restaurant in the middle of one of the rooms. Nothing was grabbing me off the entree menu so I opted for two appetisers...but firstly the bread board came out....oh my.

Breadboard

I don't normally eat bread now that that I have a band, but I couldn't help nibbling at this...but I had to be careful. I also loved the shape of the cutting board!


Scotch Eggs

Hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, dusted with bread crumbs and fried. Served warm with apple beet salad and mustard sauce.

These little bites were lovely. However, because traditionally they are served cold the sausage mince wrapped around them was a little dry (for my band). Tasty thought, and it certainly took me back to when I was living in Ireland!


Shrimp Scargo

Shrimp broiled in a garlic-herb butter and white wine, then smothered in provolone cheese. Oh yeah baby! There is something about ooey gooey cheese and shrimp dips.... this was amazing!

Overall, this was a lovely meal, but the service was a little slow. But for a break from the crowds and the weather, this is a nice place to sit. Washed down with a cold beer would be great.....(but I didn't do that this time)

 

[raniroo]

After another full day in the park, I was starting to get very tired....perhaps it was the heat, being on my feet and lots of food consumption that the past 3 weeks were catching up on me (I was in Chicago for 5 days before going to Disney). I was going to eat at Pat O'Briens and stay for a bit to listen to the piano man. But as waves of tiredness swept over me, I opted for a quick dinner there and headed off.

I still go to listen to the piano man while I was eating.

Crawfish Nachos

Fresh Tortilla Chips Covered with New Orleans Crawfish Etouffee and Topped with Melted Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream

Again, its the ooey-gooey factor that wins every time. There is something very comforting about cheesy goo on top of tortilla chips....throw in crawfish and well I was sold! Unfortunately these did not live up to the expectation. Yes the crawfish was tasty but there just wasn't enough ooey gooeyness ontop....so they were a little dry...

 

[Lynn57]

Just found your trip report and have spent most of my evening drooling over it! Thanks for sharing all your reviews and pictures!!!

 

[raniroo]

Just found your trip report and have spent most of my evening drooling over it! Thanks for sharing all your reviews and pictures!!!

I am glad you found it...even though its an "old" trip it's making me excited about my next trip in October.....(and there will be a bigger and better review and photos!)

 

[Linda67]

I'm really enjoying reading about your Universal eats

Bubba Gumps and Jimmy Buffet's are both faves of mine

 

[raniroo]

I spent my last full day in Islands of Adventure. Taking advantage of the early park opening for on-site guests, I headed straight to The Forbidden Journey, to get a ride in before it got crazy.

Then I wandered around Honeydukes and got myself some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans (to take home) and a Chocolate Frog. Somewhere along the line I seemed to have lost some photos

Then I decided to have a Pumpkin Juice and Butterbeer

Pumpkin Juice and Butterbeer

The Pumpkin Juice wasn’t anything to rave about….but the butterbeer…OMG! It was freakin’ awesome! Creaming soda base with a creamy float….I ended up having two one in a normal plastic cup and one in a beer mug (as a souvenior)....It could drink that straight from the barrel………

 

[raniroo]

I can honestly tell you that I don't know what I ate today (apart from the Pumpkin Juice and Butterbeer). I have a vague recollection of eating a Cornish Pastie at The Three Broomsticks (but can't explain not having a photo)....what was wrong with!!!! My last full day and I fail on a food photo....oops!

Anyway, I will make it all up over tonights dinner. I was tossing up between the two Emeril's restaurants and this one won, perhaps because it was in the same hotel

Arriving to a very busy restaurant, I was seated at the bar overlooking the kitchen. Exactly where a foodie wants to be in my opinion. I was also seated next to a lovely couple who were quite happy chit chatting about travel and food.

The waitress took my order and the feasting began.

Prawn Crackers

Nibbling on these with my cocktail was a great way to ease into dinner.

Pineapple Acai Drop

Lemon drop with pineapple vodka and amazon acai. Devine!

Polynesian kicked up Crab Cake, with Mango Habanero Butter Sauce and caramelised pineapple compote

This was a great crab cake. Hot, crispy and the pineapple compote was lovely with it.

Tender Sake Short Ribs, caramelised onion mash potatoes, hoisin-honey infused veal jus

As far as ribs go, these were pretty tasty and tender. I loved teh caramelised onion mash. This was a big portion and I couldn't eat it all, knowing that I wanted dessert for a change!

Crispy Guava & Sweet Cream Cheese Dumplings with Mango and Lilikoi Sauces

Wow, these were surprisingly good. When they came out, the presentation was so nice I didn't want to ruin it! But I dug in and they were gorgeous! Definitely a perfect dish to end the meal.

The whole meal blended together, each dish complimenting the other including the cocktail.

I loved watching what was happening in the kitchen too.

 

[GoBirds]

Thanks so much for the Universal reviews. We definitely want to tie in a few days at Universal during a future WDW trip, and these reviews are very helpful!