Sweet 16 celebrated with Mickey & Pals-9 days of TiW dining: Completed 6/14

[Pinkgirl]

I love the look of the Tonga Toast, just wish I could fit Kona into our plan

 

[Linda67]

Oh what a wonderful breakfast - such a great way to start the day
I am going to have to give the Tonga Toast another try one of these days as I am convinced the piece I had wasn't properly prepared
Keep the reviews coming - they're great

 

[emmysmommy]

Gosh guys, the pressure is on.... I didn't think anyone would read this. I will now have to behave myself!

Fantastic birthday celebrations...
Thanks again..

I agree! thanks!

Wow my stomach is growling readying your Kona breakfast reviews, looks great girls

It really was THAT good!

I too am a big fan of Kona's pineapple macadamia nut pancakes. YUM!!! They are definitely "a taste of heaven". Unfortunately, my DDs aren't really breakfast eaters but I hope to get them to three breakfasts during our 10 day trip next month. Kona Cafe is at the top of the list along with two new ones for us, Wolfgang Puck Express (at DTD) and Kouzzina. I see you went to Kouzzina for breakfast later in your trip, so am really looking forward to that review.

Yes, Kouzzina is good. I would love to try the breakfast pizza or the cornflake french toast at WPE. You'll have to come back and write a review and share!

Kona Cafe is my favorite restaurant! Thank you for sharing your reviews!

You are very welcome. Thanks for reading.

Your breakfast just got me so hungry. I had wanted to try Kona on my last visit but unfortunately we wound up cancelling it. It will definitely be a must do on our next trip.

There is always next time! They have so many good choices at Kona!

We are new Kona fans. Our past experiences had been dinners and weren't good ones. This last trip we went for breakfast and I discovered my newest WDW addiction...The Samoan breakfast is insanely good, especially when paired with a Wasabi Mary!

Sounds like a great addiction to have... gotta tell you, there may be no hope for you!

Hi! So glad you're doing another set of reviews!

I love Kona for breakfast too! Though I've only managed to get there once for it.

Thank you! I'm a huge fan of Kona! It helps that we never stay too far away from the Poly.

My DD and I went to Kona during our trip in January and we had the same things that you did! My DD loved the tonga toast, me...not as much as the Macadamia Nut Pineapple Pancakes! I learned here on the board that if you order the Big Kahuna you will get regular pancakes with the pineapple on top but you can only get the macadamia nut pancake batter if you actually order the Macadamia Nut Pineapple Pancakes. Good to know because I love them! I've also had wonderful service all of the times I've been there. I think that Kona breakfast might have to be our new tradition too.

Well, we certainly have good taste in common! I ordered the Big Kahuna our first trip and I immediately focused on the pancakes. Now I just order those since they are so sinfully delicious!

We love Kona, both for breakfast (Tonga Toast) and dinner (Teriyaki Steak)

Ooooo - I love teriaki steak. Hmmmm may need to arrange for a dinner at Kona sometime.

Dh and I can't wait to eat breakfast at Kona in October.

Lucky you, you only have 6 months to wait!

Great start looking forward to more!

Thank you cupcake!

Joining in! Kona is my absolute fav breakfast! I really love the Tonga Toast, but I think you may have just swayed me into trying those pancakes. They look amazing!

Great reviews and pics so far! Looking forward to reading more about your trip

You MUST try them... they are really a taste of heaven! Thank you for joining in.

I love the look of the Tonga Toast, just wish I could fit Kona into our plan

Awww.. maybe some day. There really are so many great breakfast options (in my opinion) so it just means more trips need to be planned to get them all rotated in!

Oh what a wonderful breakfast - such a great way to start the day
I am going to have to give the Tonga Toast another try one of these days as I am convinced the piece I had wasn't properly prepared
Keep the reviews coming - they're great

Definitely a great way to start the day! I'm personally not such a fan of the tonga toast - it is a bit too sweet for me. (No hate mail please!) If you had a defective piece that may have not given it a chance to be a superstar in your dining line up. I think it is a great idea to make a combo with tonga toast and the macadamia nut pancakes. Not a whole slice of the toast but maybe a 1/2 serving of each... just a thought.

 

[emmysmommy]

This was our 3rd time eating at Chefs de France so it definitely is on our must do list. We had a 1:30ADR.

We checked in a few mintutes before 1:30 and sat for a short while before our name was called. They were turning away all walk-ups at that time. As in the past, we were seated in the front dining room next to the window where they have a row of tables for two. You have a good view of the French chair acrobat dude at this table. (I still wonder if that guy has ever fallen?? I see a workers' comp claim waiting to happen with him!)

Marion was our server. She was nice and friendly, if a bit reserved and shy. At least I didn’t have to worry about her giving me her phone #! (reference this link for my review the last time we ate at Chefs de France when Francoise gave me his phone # on our dining receipt! Interesting story!)

Em and I decided to split parts of the prix fixe menu from which she was going to order. She wanted the quiche served with mixed green salad, I wanted the French onion soup, and we both wanted the crème brulee.
I ordered the bacon/onion/crème fraiche flatbread (a la flame alsacienne) for my main. I asked that both be brought out together but the soup arrived well in advance of the flatbread when Em was served her quiche. Oh well. In the meantime, we enjoyed the warm baguette that is served with the foil wrapped pats of butter.

Baguette:

Quiche with mixed green salad:

Bacon flatbread:

French onion soup:

The flatbread was nice and light – very thin and crispy – which I LOVED. It is a favorite of mine and I look forward to it next time we visit. One dilemma I faced was do you eat this thing with your hands like a pizza? Or civilized with a knife and fork? I started eating it with my hands but then became self- conscious that the servers were mocking the American woman who was eating like a pig! I have to tell you, it is really hard to eat flatbread with a knife and fork since it crumbles apart. So….in the end I may have looked more refined but half of the flatbread was a crumbly mess on my plate!


One other observation about this restaurant and people’s tastes in general. I was absolutely fascinated with the number of people that were ordering the escargot. It is served in a little dish that resembles a painter’s palette from which they spear the little critters with a “snail fork” and actually put them in their mouth! I was compelled to watch a lady dig in and eat those suckers. I’m sorry but I can’t get past what they were before they landed in the kitchen. Blech! (My apologies to all of you snail lovers!)

While I was awed by the snail eaters, a chorus of French waiters came over with a flaming crème brulee and sang a French version of Happy Birthday to Emily. At least I hope it was a birthday song and not some raunchy French tune that just sounds friendly.

Close up of creme brulee:

Lucky for me, Emily didn’t eat all of her crème brulee (surprisingly, I had said no thanks to dessert) so I was able to finish it for her. I love crème brulee!
With our Tables in Wonderland discount of $7.99 our bill was $41.25.

And yes, for our return trip in August we already have a lunch ADR at Chefs de France. This time DH will be coming along so we are sure to get some more variety for our food photos/reviews.

Next Up: California Grill dinner

Have a great day!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Great review of Chefs...I love lunch! The flatbread is one of my faves and I would just pick that sucker up and eat it like the pizza it is!

 

[vettegirl]

Glad to hear you guys had a nice lunch there. We will be dining there for our first meal in a few weeks for lunch. I am hoping to catch little Remy!

 

[dixonsontour]

I recognised you from your last reviews - nice to see you again - enjoying your reviews

 

[maiziezoe]

Yay! You're back! As always, love your reviews!

 

[klacey1]

Subscribing!!

 

[Linda67]

We've never tried Chefs but I see so many great reviews

I must try it one of these days

 

[wilma-bride]

Wow, that flatbread looked awesome. Normally, when I have seen pictures of it in the past, it looks overcooked (burned) and dry. That looked beautiful. Sounds like a wonderful meal.

 

[emmysmommy]

Great review of Chefs...I love lunch! The flatbread is one of my faves and I would just pick that sucker up and eat it like the pizza it is!

I love the lunch menu as well. Yep, next time I'm going in with my hands and leaving the flatware behind!

Glad to hear you guys had a nice lunch there. We will be dining there for our first meal in a few weeks for lunch. I am hoping to catch little Remy!

That reminds me.... we didn't see Remy this time but I think it was because we were there on a Sunday when he doesn't make his rounds. He is an entertaining bit to the experience.

I recognised you from your last reviews - nice to see you again - enjoying your reviews

So my disguise of gaining weight didn't work?? Thanks for reading along!

Yay! You're back! As always, love your reviews!

Why thank you and thanks for coming back for more.

Subscribing!!

Thanks. The next issue will be out soon!

We've never tried Chefs but I see so many great reviews

I must try it one of these days

I only tried it originally because of some great reviews and of course photos and we continue to go back....so yeah, try it sometime.

Wow, that flatbread looked awesome. Normally, when I have seen pictures of it in the past, it looks overcooked (burned) and dry. That looked beautiful. Sounds like a wonderful meal.

It was lovely. And it is so light that if paired with soup or a salad it makes for a perfect lunch.

 

[emmysmommy]

Just a short interlude before I get to Cali Grill.....

Following lunch we were touring WS and we stopped in Karamell Kuche. I've been in there before but never actually tried any of their goodies.

Em wanted a chocolate and once I saw her choice I couldn't resist.

Some of their offerings:

We selected these - dark chocolate caramel with sea salt for Em and milk chocolate caramel with sea salt for me:

We saved them for later and when I finally took a bite I have to say that I wasn't a huge fan. I loved the salted chocolate but I'm not a caramel lover. It takes too much work to pry caramel off of my molars!!

I think next time I will try something a little lighter on the caramel.....

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

What a great review! I have a toddler, and I really hope she wants to go to Disney with me when she is 16

 

[emmysmommy]

What a great review! I have a toddler, and I really hope she wants to go to Disney with me when she is 16

Awwww... enjoy the early years with your DD! I do feel blessed that my DD wishes to spend time with me for our girl trips - it won't last forever so I enjoy it while it lasts.

Thanks for reading.

 

[emmysmommy]

We had a 9:10pm ADR that was made to coincide with 10pm Wishes.

We arrived on the 2nd floor of the CR where there was a short line for check-in. After being given a pager we were escorted to the elevator to ascend to the 15th floor at the top of the Contemporary Resort. We had about a 10 minute wait before our pager went off. While we were waiting, a lady complimented me on my shoes! That is a sure way for two women to strike up a conversation!

Our pager went off and we were escorted to the perfect table for two next to the windows with a view of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom – score!

Saad was our server and he did a great job making menu suggestions and checking in with us to ensure we had all of our needs met. We started with a basket of sourdough bread that is served with a cup of butter sprinkled with sea salt. I think I’ve learned by now to take it easy on the bread because it is such a distraction from why I’m really there! But… it was soft and warm and that buttered salt made it oh so yummy!

For starters, we both ordered the Plant City Strawberry Salad which is described as follows; artisanal greens, almonds, drunken goat cheese (really, how does that work?), and Brachetto dressing which has an asterisk on the menu for which I can’t find what that means. My guess would be that it is symbolizes “super delicious!” It also had some sliced cashews that you can’t see in my photo – they were a real treat in the salad. In fact, I ate Em’s cashews as well since she didn’t prefer them.

Right when the lights went down in the restaurant for the Wishes fireworks, our salads were delivered. Since we had window seats we just stayed inside to watch the show. I have to say that I rather liked not going outside into the chilly wind to watch the show!

Back to the food….The salad was so fresh and delicious. I loved the tang of the dressing and the sweetness of the strawberries that were julienned. I wouldn’t have minded if they added even more drunken goat cheese….make it another round for those goats!

As for our entrée choices….Last time we dined here Emily ordered the pork tenderloin and she shared a bite or two with me. Ever since then I have been dreaming of that delicious pork with creamy goat cheese polenta and Zinfandel glaze. It was good… but it didn’t live up to the great anticipation of amazingness. The glaze was certainly on the salty side and there was a little too much sage for the garnish – for my taste. However, the pork was cooked to perfection and so tender and delicious. It was way too much food and since both of us didn’t finish our entrée, I think we would share one in the future. I actually ate one pork medallion, felt guilty for paying so much for a few bites and then ate another ½ of a medallion.

When the dessert menu was presented, a little voice inside my head said “don’t do it.” However, the glutton in me said just one little dessert won’t hurt. It is really hard to appreciate and enjoy dessert when you are so full! I ordered the Bananas and Caramel which is squares of phyllo dough layered with bananas, mascarpone mousse, and caramelized banana. It was very good and I ate the entire dessert. Ugh! That little voice was now saying, “I told you so!”

Since we were celebrating Em’s birthday, Saad brought out a big slice of layered Chocolate cake complete with a candle and chocolate birthday greeting. The only problem, if you want to call it that, was that she had already ordered the Valrhona Chocolate dessert. Saad boxed up the layered chocolate cake and solved that “problem.”

One interesting occurrence at our dinner was a family with two small children at the table next to us. They must have been seated close to 9:45 and one of the kids fell asleep at the dinner table. No problem. But they had ordered a meal for him and he didn’t wake up to eat it. So the parents complained that the food was cold by the time the kid woke up 45 minutes later. Really?? They asked the waiter if he would bring the kid something else from the kitchen and the waiter told them – are you kidding? Actually, I wish he had. He was nice and said that the kitchen was now closed but I think someone was able to get him a PB&J from somewhere. Talk about service! I know, I know…. Such gossip but I couldn’t resist. (What if they are on the Disboards?? )

This was our 3rd time dining at Cali Grill and definitely our best experience thus far. We already have our ADR booked for our return trip in August!
The total bill was $134.15 with the $26 TiW discount and without extra gratuity. Definitely a meal worthy of the expense in my opinion.

Restaurant photo:

Up Next: The Wave breakfast

 

[wilma-bride]

A lovely dinner at Cali Grill. I am impressed that you managed the three courses (well, sort of). I never can manage 3 and usually forego an appetiser because I love dessert so much.

 

[Linda67]

Firstly thanks so much for all the wonderful pictures of Karamel Kuche, I was literally browsing the display cabinets saying "ooh, shall I have one of those or one of those?"

I actually would have gone for the salted caramel as well

Looks like you had a wonderful dinner at CG, I love the photos of you and DD, you both look very glam

Looking forward to reading more

 

[dixonsontour]

What a lovely meal to enjoy with your daughter - love the pics of you both all dressed up for the meal.

 

[TigerKat]

You and your DD looked so lovely!! Glad you enjoyed your evening at CG. As for the sleeping child and the request for another hot meal, well......