We're bringing DoleWhip back...again! COMPLETE: Sanaa and Yachtsman!

[LittleStinkerbelle]

You're title caught my eye because we're eating at HBD for the first time on our next trip and I just read the whole thread! Loving all your reviews and photos!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I'm really enjoying your reviews.

Thanks for reading - glad you're enjoying the reviews.

I love your reviews, can't wait for more! Is it sad that the first thing I do when I sit down w/ my breakfast in the morning is check for new dining reviews?

Hahaha I don't think there's anything sad about that. I'm not a morning person, but I do the same thing when I wake up - it makes the time between trips go by much faster.

Wow!! That salad and cake look scrumptious!!! I have read that you can get the grapefruit cake elsewhere in HS besides Brown Derby. Does anyone know if this is still true and where to go to get it? Starring Rolls maybe?

I've also heard that you can sometimes order the grapefruit cake at Starring Rolls. Some people have been told no, others yes - I guess it just depends on the day (like ordering Le Cellier's cheddar soup to go).

You're title caught my eye because we're eating at HBD for the first time on our next trip and I just read the whole thread! Loving all your reviews and photos!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy Brown Derby when you try it!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

On our last trip, Citricos really redeemed itself for me and went from worst to first in my signature ranking. This time, it continued to impress us all around.

We were seated once again by a window table with a nice view of the GF courtyard. In addition, my mom received a birthday pin and a personalized menu. I forgot to take a pic once again, but our server offered to let us keep the menu (it's currently somewhere in my mom's room), which was already a step above Narcoossee's. In fact, we were happy that our server at Citricos actually said happy birthday. From a service standpoint, this meal was the polar opposite of our experience at Narcoossee's.

Speaking of the service, Nancy was extremely friendly and attentive. The first thing she brought over was a special amuse bouche to celebrate my mom's birthday - a shrimp salad with lavosh and balsamic. Yum! It tasted as good as it looked - refreshing, crunchy with the lavosh, and almost sweet.

That tiny edible flower is so awesome.

Here's the menu:

The bread at Citricos is wonderful - one is multigrain, the other is olive. The basket is served with butter and a citrus-infused sea salt which adds a bright, zesty flavor.

We loved the bread basket so much - both are a really nice change from sourdough, and we eventually asked for more. Nancy, being as attentive as she was, actually offered to bring us more of the sea salt, since we'd scooped it all up but still had plenty of butter left. That was an awesome moment, and more than I usually expect at a Disney signature.

The extra citrus-infused sea salt:

My mom chose the artisanal greens and peach salad with balsamic-orange blossom honey emulsion, pickled pearl red onions, smoked-spiced almonds, and Valdeon blue choice. My mom thought it was a very good, well-balanced salad, and the peaches weren't too soft and mushy. For her, the almonds were a bit spicy, but she still liked the dish overall.

My choice was the blue crab pavé with capers, meyer lemon, fennel-celery salad, avocado, olive tapenade, and piquillo vinaigrette. I absolutely loved this dish. The sweetness of the crab (which was served in thick, substantial lumps) was wonderful with the salty caper, olive, creamy avocado, and sweet piquillo vinaigrette. No flavor was too overpowering. I've been to some amazing restaurants over the years, and I think this dish could easily be served at a great Spanish restaurant (such as Jose Garces's Amada in Philadelphia).

My mom picked the entree that I had last time - wild king salmon with grilled langoustine, warm baby artichoke, marble potato salad, bacon-sherry vinaigrette, and macerated petite tomatoes. She enjoyed the combination of flavors very much in this dish, especially the sweet langoustine.

For the first time, I tried the braised veal shank with carrot-potato mash, roasted vegetables, and toasted citrus gremolata. It was so good. The veal was literally fall-off-the-bone tender, and it was so flavorful. Even though it was slightly fattier than the veal at California Grill, I thought this was a much tastier dish overall. The mash had a unique sweetness from the carrot, and the vegetables made the dish feel hearty and satisfying. The gremolata added a contrasting crunch.

Here’s the dessert menu.

Before dessert, I had a pear green tea. The fruity, floral flavor was lovely.

My mom’s dessert choice was the granny smith green apple sorbet (no sugar added). This was so much better than the mango sorbet at Narcoossee’s. Citricos’s green apple sorbet had a smooth texture and refreshing flavor, with the sweetness and tartness of an actual granny smith apple. What really made this even better was the addition of apple peel in the sorbet. It added an interesting textural element, and it was nice to see some real pieces of apple. While this dessert is simple, I can say it’s one of the top two no-sugar-added desserts I’ve tasted at Disney World (with the other one being Artist Point’s berry mousse). In addition, it was nice to see a “happy birthday” on the plate.

I ordered the same dessert as last time, the tres leches with wild strawberry and raspberry coulis featuring 8-year balsamic vinegar. Once again, it was perfection. The tres leches was creamy and spongy, and the strawberry/balsamic pairing created the perfect counterpoint of sweetness and tartness. The beautiful chocolate on top was a great finish.

I’m happy to say that our dinner at Citricos was wonderful in every way. Excellent food, excellent service, touches that went far beyond our expectations, we were just in heaven. Like most Disney restaurants, not every meal here has been perfect. But it’s back on track for us, and when Citricos is on track, it truly delivers. By the way, as we walked out of the restaurant, almost everyone – hosts, servers, chef, manager – said happy birthday. Like I said, the complete opposite of Narcoossee’s. Citricos stood out for all the right reasons, and while I think we’re leaving it out next time (because of timing), I still can’t recommend Citricos enough.

One last thing - I absolutely loved this picture in the GF lobby near Citricos. The small touches in Disney resorts are just so cool!

 

[auntfrannie]

Loving your reviews! Citrico's is one of my favorites. Always excellent food & service!

Looking at the menu, it looks like they dropped the Gateau of Crab which was one of my favorites. I'm going to have to try the Blue Crab Pave next time!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Loving your reviews! Citrico's is one of my favorites. Always excellent food & service!

Looking at the menu, it looks like they dropped the Gateau of Crab which was one of my favorites. I'm going to have to try the Blue Crab Pave next time!

Glad that you also enjoy Citricos so much! And yes, the gateau of crab is off the menu for now. Personally I liked this better than the gateau of crab, but there's always a chance that they'll bring it back.

 

[cdtommie]

Donald, great Citricos review! I had the veal shank back in May...the salmon dish looks awesome...I'll be all over this if it's on the menu next time we visit.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Donald, great Citricos review! I had the veal shank back in May...the salmon dish looks awesome...I'll be all over this if it's on the menu next time we visit.

I highly recommend that salmon dish if it's still on the menu - we both liked it slightly better than Artist Point's cedar plank salmon!

 

[TigerKat]

I also enjoyed the blue crab pave better than the gateau. My DH & I love that veal shank, can't wait to show him your pics, they're amazing!!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I also enjoyed the blue crab pave better than the gateau. My DH & I love that veal shank, can't wait to show him your pics, they're amazing!!

I'm glad that you also enjoyed the crab pavé and the veal shank! And thanks for complimenting the pictures - I do what I can with a point-and-shoot camera.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Just catching up, Love your pictures especially the WL sunrise.
sorry for the bad server at Narcoossee's (I have always loved Narcoossee's and had wonderful meals but last time we were there we did not get a great server). Last December we went to Citricos and had one of the best meal.
My son and I went to Brown Derby Tuesday and I loved the Cobb salad.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Just catching up, Love your pictures especially the WL sunrise.
sorry for the bad server at Narcoossee's (I have always loved Narcoossee's and had wonderful meals but last time we were there we did not get a great server). Last December we went to Citricos and had one of the best meal.
My son and I went to Brown Derby Tuesday and I loved the Cobb salad.

Thanks for reading!

Sorry that your last server at Narcoossee's wasn't great either - it really seems that Disney restaurants are inconsistent overall. Even among the signatures, I can't think of a single one where all the reviews are completely positive or negative. Happy to hear that Citricos and Brown Derby had some enjoyable dishes.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

During my Epcot day, I eventually made my way into the Morocco Pavilion.

The architecture here is richly detailed.

The reason why I wanted to come here was to finally try Tangierine Cafe, a quick service location that many people rave about.

Here's the menu:

Some of the menu items here are unique from traditional counter service offerings. My choice was the lamb schwarma platter with hummus, tabouleh, and a tangierine couscous salad with fresh Moroccan bread.

I sat at a nice "indoor" booth:

The couscous salad was sweet from the raisins, the lamb went well with the yogurt-based sauce, the tabouleh had a great flavor from the parsley and lemon, and the bread was great for scooping up some of the ingredients (such as hummus) on the plate. Plus, it was a really filling portion.
Overall, I can see why people love Tangierine Cafe - it's now up there with Sunshine Seasons as one of my favorite Epcot CS locations.

 

[razzzbere]

Absolutely loving your dining reviews! Gorgeous pics as well, thank YOU!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Absolutely loving your dining reviews! Gorgeous pics as well, thank YOU!

Thanks for reading, and I'm happy that you like the pics!

 

[kecmouse]

You have fantastic shots! It makes me excited when I see all these pictures for dining, because I then think about what I would like to order. That is so cool you found a place to view wishes I only heard that you could see it from the parking lot.

 

[janabananas]

Thank you again for your informational reviews. I really like the fact that you take your time to explain, instead of just saying thumbs up or thumbs down. And of course the pics are worth a thousand words.

Again looking for a meal, and I think you won me over with Tangierine Cafe. DBF and I love middle eastern foods. We are looking for a QS place for our EPCOT day lunch. None of the other QS appeal to me like this does!!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

You have fantastic shots! It makes me excited when I see all these pictures for dining, because I then think about what I would like to order. That is so cool you found a place to view wishes I only heard that you could see it from the parking lot.

It was really awesome seeing Wishes clearly from WL. Of course, there was no music to go along with it, but sometimes the show is even more magical when you're just taking in the visuals.

Thank you again for your informational reviews. I really like the fact that you take your time to explain, instead of just saying thumbs up or thumbs down. And of course the pics are worth a thousand words.

Again looking for a meal, and I think you won me over with Tangierine Cafe. DBF and I love middle eastern foods. We are looking for a QS place for our EPCOT day lunch. None of the other QS appeal to me like this does!!

Glad that you like my review style. I've noticed that a lot of the time, two people could order the exact same dish, one could love it, and the other might hate it. That's why I try to describe the flavors, since my "great" might be disgusting to someone else, and vice versa.

And it definitely sounds like Tangierine Cafe would be a great option for you. It's definitely not a place for burgers and pizza

 

[cbg1027]

Ooooh Citricos looks sooo good again!
Did Nancy have blonde hair and a Minnesota/Wisconsin type accent? I've had her before and she brought my grandmother and I out extra salt too!

Wow, we must both have really good taste. And how impressive that you actually made the grapefruit cake at home! I've only made a few Disney recipes at home (and they're all incredibly simple, such as 1900 Park Fare's strawberry soup).

Yes, that's it, we both have great taste.

So far the Grapefruit Cake is the only Disney recipe I've made at home. Most of the things I want to make are quite involved so I never get around to it.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Ooooh Citricos looks sooo good again!
Did Nancy have blonde hair and a Minnesota/Wisconsin type accent? I've had her before and she brought my grandmother and I out extra salt too!

Yes, that's it, we both have great taste.

So far the Grapefruit Cake is the only Disney recipe I've made at home. Most of the things I want to make are quite involved so I never get around to it.

Yep, that sounds like Nancy! She was great (and the salt thing is just ingenious - who wouldn't want more of that salt? ).

I wish I could cook more Disney recipes at home, but you're right - I've looked in quite a few Disney recipe books, and many recipes are more complex and time consuming than I would've imagined. I guess that's why we just have to savor every moment (and dish) when we're actually at WDW.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

This trip was one of the few times we took advantage of the DxDP. That means a lot of snacks, and I definitely wanted to take advantage of them. I'm not a big fan of the snacks that you can find everywhere, such as danishes, chips, pretzels, popcorn, and Mickey pops. I tried to find some more exclusive items. The snack attack began at Epcot, after a ride on Soarin'.

Sunshine Seasons has one of my favorite snack credits, but it's only available for breakfast. After reading about it on these boards, I knew I had to try it...

The croissant berry bread pudding!

Like Raglan Road's bread pudding, it was warm, soft, and buttery. The berries added a tart and juicy contrast. IMO, this has to be one of the best snacks at WDW.

This next item wasn't a snack credit, but it looked good so I got it anyway: spicy tuna roll at Sunshine Seasons. It wasn't as spicy as I was expecting, so I used some of the wasabi and pickled ginger to kick it up.

Within an hour, the snack attack had migrated to World Showcase. Being on the DxDP made me appreciate World Showcase's food offerings much more than ever before. First stop...Norway.

After a ride on Maelstrom, I went to Kringla and checked out the offerings. Never being a huge fan of school bread, I chose the rice cream with strawberry sauce. I've had this before, and I still love it. It's so creamy but the texture isn't boring because of the rice grains. The strawberry sauce was sweet and tart, and the combination was as delicious as ever.

I also got a bottle of Voss Norwegian water.

The seating at Kringla is outside. My table had a great lagoon view.

China was next, and the Joy of Tea stand has plenty of snacks.

I chose a refreshing iced mango green tea. More sweet than I prefer, but a great drink for summer.

I also tried the strawberry red bean ice cream. The flavor was good, like strawberry ice cream with a savory finish. However, the texture was a bit hard (even after giving it some time to melt), and I gave up on this after a few pathetic scoops.

On to Germany, for my first experience with Karamell-Küche.

My choice was a chocolate and caramel-covered strawberry. The strawberry was crisp and fresh, and the chewy caramel provided a nice twist.

Japan was next, where I went to the new kaki gori stand.

I chose to get half melon, half strawberry. The melon half was better, IMO, because the strawberry side was too sweet. I have to say, shaved ice used to be one of my favorite snacks at WDW (back when it was available at more places, such as Scuttle's Landing and by Indiana Jones). But the texture of this was quite hard and crunchy, and a lot of the syrup went straight to the bottom. Not my favorite snack.

The last stop on the snack attack was France, where I got a sugar crêpe from the crêpe stand. At $4.25 including tax, this would've been a great value for a snack credit. But the server must've hit the wrong button because it was charged to my room, and I didn't feel like complaining about it. Oh well, that just meant one more snack to use elsewhere. As expected, I loved this - simple, sweet, and slightly buttery.

That's it for Epcot's snacks...for now. There's more to come, but that's only after we moved to Boardwalk. All I can say is if you're on the Deluxe Dining Plan, you have to spend some time in Epcot. It's like the snacks are sitting there, just waiting for you to find them!