- Joined
- Aug 7, 2000
- Messages
- 24,422
I’m just back from the World, 12/6-12/10. This trip was just me and my Mom, no kids. We did mostly our old favorites, but mixed it up a bit. I should also note, I started off this trip, pretty sick and on lots of cold/cough meds. I hadn’t eaten much for days before we left so I was ready for some eating! I’m not sure how much I actually tasted of my food, but I think I got a good idea.
CA GRILL- This was dinner our fist night. While I have been here twice before, DM never has been and she was so excited to try it out. This was my worst day for being sick, which was a real bummer because it was the nicest meal we had planned. DM kept telling me we could cancel, but I couldn’t have her miss this experience…especially after waiting 180 days for it!
We arrived probably about 20-30 minutes early for our 7:40 ADR. We checked in and said we were willing to wait for a window seat. After being brought upstairs, we found a family at the lounge leaving so we grabbed their table. By the time the table was cleaned off and we gave the waitress our drink order, our pager was going off. The host came to us and told us we could wait for our drinks, settle up, then go see him….and he has a great table waiting for us.
With in a few minutes we were all set and went back up to meet him. He brought us to the table which was a right at the window with an awesome view of the Castle. We couldn’t have asked for a better table.
Our waiter came and gave us the specials and took our appetizer order. We shared the hearts of romaine salad (minus the anchovies), which they brought out on 2 plates, and the triple cheese flat bread. The salad was very good, and the flat bread was excellent. I really enjoy the mixed flavors of the sun dried tomatoes and pesto, mixed with the cheeses.
For our meals we both got the filet, 1 medium rare and 1 rare. Both were cooked to perfection and literally melted in our mouths. The Terryaki sauce was mostly on 1 side of the filet and on the plate. I did miss the mashed potatoes that used to come with it. Instead there was a sort of cubed potatoes mixed with vegetable. I was filling up and not sure how Id like that so I skipped it, but DM liked it.
For dessert, we shared the Banana Butterscotch Buzz. I was completely full by this point, but I had told DM about how good this was and she forced me to share it with her.
OMG! This is so good. Its so different. It includes bananas, a plantain, an almost frozen custard, butterscotch sauce…and I’m not sure what else, but it is really delicious. Unfortunately, by that point, its hard to eat anything.
I also wanted to mention the service here was excellent. We even got a visit at our table from the manager (or someone official looking) checking to see how things were and if we needed anything.
Overall DM was very impressed by this meal and I was so glad I fought through it and didn’t cancel. To top it off we finished just about 9:15, perfect timing to go out and watch the fireworks. We could have stayed at the table to watch, but I think its nicer outside. While I’ve seen Wishes from there, I had never seen Holiday Wishes, so that was a nice experience.
ESPN- You may have read my post on the main board already so you know what you are in for here. I’ll give a little more detail now though.
This was a late lunch for us on Friday, our Epcot day. We strolled out to the BW about 2:00. We were able to walk right into the bar side and get seats right at the bar. We started off with a drink (they always make them great here), then ordered our food.
DM got the Rueben Sandwich with fries and I had what I get every time we go there…my favorite nachos anywhere. Well, I was in for a big surprise. Part of what made the nachos so great is the loads of gooey cheese. That is no longer there. Instead there is a processed cheese sauce, like what you get a sports stadiums.
I always avoid nachos that have that instead of real cheese, so this was a big disappointment. They were still edible, but I certainly wont crave these at home, like I did the others. And I wont make a point to get over to ESPN for them again. 
On the other hand DM thought the Rueben was excellent.
Service here was your typical bar service…good, no problems, but nothing spectacular.
YAK & YETI (COUNTER SERVICE)- We arrived here around 11:40 on Saturday. The lines weren’t too long at all and there was plenty of seating available. I was able to get a table for 2 in the shade. This was one thing I can see being a problem in the hot summer months. While there are some umbrellas at tables, there were many that were right out in the sun.
DM did the ordering while I got the seats(there were plenty of empty tables). It took so long I wasn’t sure if she got lost or couldn't find me, but once she finally made it back I found out the person ordering on the other side of the register had an issue with the credits left on the dining plan so they had to call a manager and fix that before she got waited on. It really took quite a while, close to ½ hour I would estimate.
The food was worth the wait though. This was nice for something different for us. DM got the sweet & sour pork which she thought was great. I tried the sauce and liked that, but I don’t eat pork, so I didn’t try that. I got the crispy chicken(with broccoli & carrots). This I liked, however, I was expecting more like a sesame chicken type of thing with a lot of sauce. This chicken was dry. I made up for it with some duck sauce, but I would have liked a little more flavor to the chicken itself. It was still very good, just a bit dry/bland.
We both also got an order of fried rice. What we didn’t realize beforehand was both our meals came with a good amount of white rice…and the orders of fried rice were huge. Lesson learned, we could have split a fried rice or even skipped that all together. Lucky we like rice because we had a ton.
MAMA MELROSE- We had dinner here Saturday night when went to MGM to see the lights. This has been one of our favorites for years and we have made many visits here. Our ADR was booked for 7:00 and we arrived just a few minutes before. After about a 5-10 minute wait we were seated way up the back against the wall. While I usually think of this as a busy restaurant, since we were dining late (the park closed at 8:00), things really quieted down during the course of our meal and it turned out to be a quiet relaxing meal.
My biggest surprise here was the portion size. I have previously reported on these boards that the sizes have seemed to get smaller over the years…well, this visit proved me wrong. With the thought of such small portions in my mind we really over ordered.
We started out with a drink each. This is another place the mixed drinks always seem to be well made.
For food we started sharing a Caesar Salad and a Pepperoni Flatbread (minus the peppers and onions). The past few times we have gotten the salad its been a few pieces of lettuce on a strangely shaped plate. Since we were sharing they said they split it for us and we each got about a full sized salad. I was almost wondering where it was the end of the night, maybe they had a lot of lettuce left over and were just trying to get rid of it.
I don’t know, but it was much more than usual. While I’m usually a purist and go for just cheese pizza, I really enjoy the pepperoni here. The pepperoni is sliced the long way and it just has a great flavor.
For our entrees we both love the penne alla vodka here and we couldn’t not get that. The sauce has a great flavor and I really enjoy the chunks of pancetta in it. Mine did seem a little more oniony that usual, which was only a problem because I was meeting friends for drinks after dinner and I didn’t want to stink.
Again, the plates of this were very good size. We could have easily shared 1, especially after those 2 apps, but again, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs (luckily)
Service here was very good. Overall another great meal!
KONA CAFÉ- Sunday night DM was doing MVMCP and I was meeting up with friends at Jellyrolls so we decided to have a sit down lunch instead of dinner this day. While I had originally planned for ESPN this day, about 2 weeks before the trip, I realized this was actually a Sunday and getting in would be next to impossible. I was able to book an ADR for this meal on very short notice and I wanted the latest lunch available. We got 2:35 which worked out perfect!
We arrived about 2:10 so we started with a drink at the Tambu Lounge. DM got a Cosmopolitan and I had a Tradewinds. While this is no longer on the menu, I was able to get the bartender to make me one. These are good.
We finished up right about 2:33 and hopped over to the Kona Café to check in. We cut it close. After a short 5-10 minute wait we were seated. This was another meal where the restaurant was emptying out while we at as they were clearing out the lunch crowd, getting ready for dinner.
Ironically both DM and I were craving hamburgers (yes we had just about finished up a trip to WDW with no burgers, LOL!), however neither of us could bring ourselves to order a burger at Kona Café. I figured I can get a burger at home anytime I feel like it, this is my only shot for Kona Café food for at least the next 7 months.
It was a given we would start off with Sticky Wings. Those are just about a requirement when dining here. They did not disappoint.
DM had the new stir fried Asian noodles. I think a better name for this would be sweet & sour chicken with noodles as that is what it was more like. DM really enjoyed this. I tried the sauce and thought that was very good.
I got the Polynesian plate lunch. I thought this was great! All 3 options come with macaroni salad and sticky rice. I have always loved the sticky rice here. The macaroni was good, but very spicy. I had a little but again, was filling up so I didn’t eat too much of that. I chose the Teriyaki Fried Steak with spicy tomato salsa. To be honest, I didn’t see anything that I would think of as tomato salsa, but that’s what the menu says. The steak was so different, I loved it. There were 3 pieces, breaded, and as the name says, was fried. It almost reminded me of the consistency and size of a veal cutlet. I was so glad I went with this option as it was different and delicious!
Again here service was very good and we really enjoyed ourselves.
PICABUS-We had breakfast here on our departure day. Being right in the Dolphin where we were staying was convenient. DM had the omlette meal which she enjoyed. When ordering she was given all the options of what she could have in it and there were quite a few. It was very large and also came with potatoes and toast. I also enjoyed my bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on ciabatta bread. This too was very large and had potatoes on the side. I had had this before and it did not disappoint this time! Neither of us finished our meals, but we wanted to.
I should also add we got a 10% discount by showing a AAA card at check out.
Snacks between the 2 of us included Mickey bar, Cannoli and Bellini from the stand in Italy in Epcot, Margaritas in Mexico, Grand Marnier Slushie in France, French Toast Loaf from the Bake Shop, and drinks at the Tune Inn Lounge. All get 2 thumbs up! I also had drinks in buckets at a stand in PI. The only disappointment here was they changed this menu and didnt have the drink I used to really enjoy, Blue Paradise. I had something close to it, a Jessica something or other, however that had peach in it, which Im not thrilled about.
Our final thoughts were we ate very good on this trip and had some great experiences. Although a couple disappointments were thrown in, they certainly didnt ruin the trip. Any questions, just ask!
CA GRILL- This was dinner our fist night. While I have been here twice before, DM never has been and she was so excited to try it out. This was my worst day for being sick, which was a real bummer because it was the nicest meal we had planned. DM kept telling me we could cancel, but I couldn’t have her miss this experience…especially after waiting 180 days for it!
We arrived probably about 20-30 minutes early for our 7:40 ADR. We checked in and said we were willing to wait for a window seat. After being brought upstairs, we found a family at the lounge leaving so we grabbed their table. By the time the table was cleaned off and we gave the waitress our drink order, our pager was going off. The host came to us and told us we could wait for our drinks, settle up, then go see him….and he has a great table waiting for us.
With in a few minutes we were all set and went back up to meet him. He brought us to the table which was a right at the window with an awesome view of the Castle. We couldn’t have asked for a better table.
Our waiter came and gave us the specials and took our appetizer order. We shared the hearts of romaine salad (minus the anchovies), which they brought out on 2 plates, and the triple cheese flat bread. The salad was very good, and the flat bread was excellent. I really enjoy the mixed flavors of the sun dried tomatoes and pesto, mixed with the cheeses.
For our meals we both got the filet, 1 medium rare and 1 rare. Both were cooked to perfection and literally melted in our mouths. The Terryaki sauce was mostly on 1 side of the filet and on the plate. I did miss the mashed potatoes that used to come with it. Instead there was a sort of cubed potatoes mixed with vegetable. I was filling up and not sure how Id like that so I skipped it, but DM liked it.
For dessert, we shared the Banana Butterscotch Buzz. I was completely full by this point, but I had told DM about how good this was and she forced me to share it with her.
OMG! This is so good. Its so different. It includes bananas, a plantain, an almost frozen custard, butterscotch sauce…and I’m not sure what else, but it is really delicious. Unfortunately, by that point, its hard to eat anything. I also wanted to mention the service here was excellent. We even got a visit at our table from the manager (or someone official looking) checking to see how things were and if we needed anything.
Overall DM was very impressed by this meal and I was so glad I fought through it and didn’t cancel. To top it off we finished just about 9:15, perfect timing to go out and watch the fireworks. We could have stayed at the table to watch, but I think its nicer outside. While I’ve seen Wishes from there, I had never seen Holiday Wishes, so that was a nice experience.
ESPN- You may have read my post on the main board already so you know what you are in for here. I’ll give a little more detail now though.
This was a late lunch for us on Friday, our Epcot day. We strolled out to the BW about 2:00. We were able to walk right into the bar side and get seats right at the bar. We started off with a drink (they always make them great here), then ordered our food.
DM got the Rueben Sandwich with fries and I had what I get every time we go there…my favorite nachos anywhere. Well, I was in for a big surprise. Part of what made the nachos so great is the loads of gooey cheese. That is no longer there. Instead there is a processed cheese sauce, like what you get a sports stadiums.
I always avoid nachos that have that instead of real cheese, so this was a big disappointment. They were still edible, but I certainly wont crave these at home, like I did the others. And I wont make a point to get over to ESPN for them again. On the other hand DM thought the Rueben was excellent.
Service here was your typical bar service…good, no problems, but nothing spectacular.
YAK & YETI (COUNTER SERVICE)- We arrived here around 11:40 on Saturday. The lines weren’t too long at all and there was plenty of seating available. I was able to get a table for 2 in the shade. This was one thing I can see being a problem in the hot summer months. While there are some umbrellas at tables, there were many that were right out in the sun.
DM did the ordering while I got the seats(there were plenty of empty tables). It took so long I wasn’t sure if she got lost or couldn't find me, but once she finally made it back I found out the person ordering on the other side of the register had an issue with the credits left on the dining plan so they had to call a manager and fix that before she got waited on. It really took quite a while, close to ½ hour I would estimate.
The food was worth the wait though. This was nice for something different for us. DM got the sweet & sour pork which she thought was great. I tried the sauce and liked that, but I don’t eat pork, so I didn’t try that. I got the crispy chicken(with broccoli & carrots). This I liked, however, I was expecting more like a sesame chicken type of thing with a lot of sauce. This chicken was dry. I made up for it with some duck sauce, but I would have liked a little more flavor to the chicken itself. It was still very good, just a bit dry/bland.
We both also got an order of fried rice. What we didn’t realize beforehand was both our meals came with a good amount of white rice…and the orders of fried rice were huge. Lesson learned, we could have split a fried rice or even skipped that all together. Lucky we like rice because we had a ton.
MAMA MELROSE- We had dinner here Saturday night when went to MGM to see the lights. This has been one of our favorites for years and we have made many visits here. Our ADR was booked for 7:00 and we arrived just a few minutes before. After about a 5-10 minute wait we were seated way up the back against the wall. While I usually think of this as a busy restaurant, since we were dining late (the park closed at 8:00), things really quieted down during the course of our meal and it turned out to be a quiet relaxing meal.
My biggest surprise here was the portion size. I have previously reported on these boards that the sizes have seemed to get smaller over the years…well, this visit proved me wrong. With the thought of such small portions in my mind we really over ordered.
We started out with a drink each. This is another place the mixed drinks always seem to be well made.
For food we started sharing a Caesar Salad and a Pepperoni Flatbread (minus the peppers and onions). The past few times we have gotten the salad its been a few pieces of lettuce on a strangely shaped plate. Since we were sharing they said they split it for us and we each got about a full sized salad. I was almost wondering where it was the end of the night, maybe they had a lot of lettuce left over and were just trying to get rid of it.
I don’t know, but it was much more than usual. While I’m usually a purist and go for just cheese pizza, I really enjoy the pepperoni here. The pepperoni is sliced the long way and it just has a great flavor. For our entrees we both love the penne alla vodka here and we couldn’t not get that. The sauce has a great flavor and I really enjoy the chunks of pancetta in it. Mine did seem a little more oniony that usual, which was only a problem because I was meeting friends for drinks after dinner and I didn’t want to stink.
Again, the plates of this were very good size. We could have easily shared 1, especially after those 2 apps, but again, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs (luckily)
Service here was very good. Overall another great meal!
KONA CAFÉ- Sunday night DM was doing MVMCP and I was meeting up with friends at Jellyrolls so we decided to have a sit down lunch instead of dinner this day. While I had originally planned for ESPN this day, about 2 weeks before the trip, I realized this was actually a Sunday and getting in would be next to impossible. I was able to book an ADR for this meal on very short notice and I wanted the latest lunch available. We got 2:35 which worked out perfect!
We arrived about 2:10 so we started with a drink at the Tambu Lounge. DM got a Cosmopolitan and I had a Tradewinds. While this is no longer on the menu, I was able to get the bartender to make me one. These are good.
We finished up right about 2:33 and hopped over to the Kona Café to check in. We cut it close. After a short 5-10 minute wait we were seated. This was another meal where the restaurant was emptying out while we at as they were clearing out the lunch crowd, getting ready for dinner.
Ironically both DM and I were craving hamburgers (yes we had just about finished up a trip to WDW with no burgers, LOL!), however neither of us could bring ourselves to order a burger at Kona Café. I figured I can get a burger at home anytime I feel like it, this is my only shot for Kona Café food for at least the next 7 months.
It was a given we would start off with Sticky Wings. Those are just about a requirement when dining here. They did not disappoint.
DM had the new stir fried Asian noodles. I think a better name for this would be sweet & sour chicken with noodles as that is what it was more like. DM really enjoyed this. I tried the sauce and thought that was very good.
I got the Polynesian plate lunch. I thought this was great! All 3 options come with macaroni salad and sticky rice. I have always loved the sticky rice here. The macaroni was good, but very spicy. I had a little but again, was filling up so I didn’t eat too much of that. I chose the Teriyaki Fried Steak with spicy tomato salsa. To be honest, I didn’t see anything that I would think of as tomato salsa, but that’s what the menu says. The steak was so different, I loved it. There were 3 pieces, breaded, and as the name says, was fried. It almost reminded me of the consistency and size of a veal cutlet. I was so glad I went with this option as it was different and delicious!
Again here service was very good and we really enjoyed ourselves.
PICABUS-We had breakfast here on our departure day. Being right in the Dolphin where we were staying was convenient. DM had the omlette meal which she enjoyed. When ordering she was given all the options of what she could have in it and there were quite a few. It was very large and also came with potatoes and toast. I also enjoyed my bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on ciabatta bread. This too was very large and had potatoes on the side. I had had this before and it did not disappoint this time! Neither of us finished our meals, but we wanted to.
I should also add we got a 10% discount by showing a AAA card at check out.
Snacks between the 2 of us included Mickey bar, Cannoli and Bellini from the stand in Italy in Epcot, Margaritas in Mexico, Grand Marnier Slushie in France, French Toast Loaf from the Bake Shop, and drinks at the Tune Inn Lounge. All get 2 thumbs up! I also had drinks in buckets at a stand in PI. The only disappointment here was they changed this menu and didnt have the drink I used to really enjoy, Blue Paradise. I had something close to it, a Jessica something or other, however that had peach in it, which Im not thrilled about.
Our final thoughts were we ate very good on this trip and had some great experiences. Although a couple disappointments were thrown in, they certainly didnt ruin the trip. Any questions, just ask!
