Missoutandabout
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2010
- Messages
- 2,038
We just got back from 6 days of eating whenever and whatever we wanted. There was a mix of good, mediocre and outstanding both in the food and drink categories. Only wish I had more pictures, lots of rain made me keep the camera/phone tucked away.
1st Day - Magic Kingdom, Port Orleans' The Riverside Mill, Earl of Sandwich, Scat Cat's at Port Orleans' French Quarter
Magic Kingdom: Our brunch eats included a Halloween cupcake for the kiddo, ham and cheese sandwich to share and a cinnamon roll from Main Street Bakery. I'm usually not a cinnamon roll sort of person and we probably got a dud but it confirms I'm still not a cinnamon roll sorta person; I found the roll to be dry and in desparate need of extra icing. The kiddo devoured the cupcake so I can't attest to its deliciousness, looked moist though. The ham sandwich was fine. Later on, we shared a barbeque chicken flatbread from Pinocchio's Village Haus -- bit on the greasy side but crisp, not bad at all. I enjoyed my very first Dole Whip Float! Not sure why I'd never tried one before but it was refreshing and a welcome treat in the heat.
Riverside Mill: I had the carved turkey, mixed veg with mash slathered in gravy. Not fabulous but not horrible; I'd probably not order it again. The hubs had a nice looking grilled Cajun chicken sandwich. It was quite large compared to what you'd get in the parks and pretty decent. Kiddo had a plate of mac and cheese -- not much to say about that. (Just glad it wasn't my dinner!)
Earl of Sandwich: This was our first time here. Kiddo had a quite tasty looking grilled cheese (which I was secretly hoping she'd not finish, ah well.) Hubs and I shared a Hawaiian BBQ grilled sandwich, which has: Grilled Chicken, Roasted Ham, Aged Swiss, Fresh Pineapple & Hawaiian BBQ Sauce. Good stuff. We'd definitely go back again.
Scat Cat's - POFQ: Wow. We found ourselves a winner. If you enjoy a strong adult beverage, please go pay Mark the Bartender at Scat Cat's a visit. Our first round was a couple of hurricanes and our second was a gin and cranberry for me and an Abita Purple Haze for the hubs. Mark is a pro and definitely knows his stuff.
Day 2 - Sassagoula Floatworks - POFQ, Bluezoo at the Dolphin.
Sassagoula Floatworks: Brunch consisted of shared beignets and a chicken po' boy. Beignets were good, though I wouldn't call them authentic in the style of Cafe Du Monde. Still yummy though. The po' boy was nice: chewy French roll, remoulade and lots of lettuce. I can't even recall if we had any lunch that day!
Bluezoo: Best meal at Disney, hands down. My lovely and helpful RC friend, Ginny, informed me about a special dining promotion which Bluezoo takes part in during the month of September called Magical Dining (http://www.visitorlando.com/magicaldining/). They have a reduced price menu with 3 courses for $30. Considering just one entree at Bluezoo is over $30, this is a tremendous deal. Our wonderfully knowledgeable and friendly waitress Karen started us off with complimentary champagne to celebrate our anniversary -- that's what I call an excellent beginning! For appetizers, we both ordered the Low Country Jumbo Shrimp (with white cheddar hominy, okra and smoked bacon butter):
For dinner, the hubs had the Airline Chicken (with Farro Verde and Seasonal Organic Veggies) and I had the Simply Fish (with "Silky Mash", hearts of palm and a warm crab Dijon vinagrette). Both were outstanding and cooked well -- my fish was perfect, skin nice and crisp and the inside not even slightly overdone. Wish I'd snapped pics of these dishes... I was too excited about drinking our cocktails:
The Serenity is Square One cucumber vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, muddled fresh strawberries, basil and rosemary, splash of fresh lime juice, pineapple juice and rock candy syrup.
The Backporch Lemonade is Fresh Lemon Juice, Troy and Sons Moonshine and Ginger Syrup served in a spice rimmed Mason jar.
Desserts were the Lemon Meringue Pavlova (lemon curd, cassis agar, crumble, vanilla lemon peel ice cream, lemon vanilla sauce, mini lemon macaroon):
and the Warm Chocolate Raspberry Molten Cake (filled with chocolate cream pudding, raspberry sauce, raspberry ice cream):
I'm not sure how we even finished these!
Everything was seriously delicious. Counts in the top ten of best meals we've had. I'd highly recommend checking out Bluezoo if you're looking for an upscale meal and wanting to get away from the standard fare of Disney.
Day 3 - Hollywood Studios, ESPN - Boardwalk and The Crew's Cup Lounge - YC
Hollywood Studios: After 3 rounds on Star Tours ... it was a total discovery for me. Real Coffee Discovery! Woop, WOOP! I popped into the Writer's Stop since I heard they have these gorgeous filled Carrot Cake Cookies and I discovered they also do REAL COFFEE! Hallelujah! Two double espressos later and we were good for the rest of the day. The Carrot Cake Cookie is scrumptious -- moist and full of cream cheese frosting. Yummmm.
ESPN, Boardwalk: If you can stand being in a sports bar, it's worth a visit. Good hot wings and a nice drink. The service has always been good here as well.
The Crew's Cup Lounge, Yacht Club: This was our first time stopping in at the Crew's Cup. Glad we did. They have a decent menu for a lounge, especially good considering it's attached to the Yachtsmen Steakhouse next door. We had some nice cocktails, shared a clam chowder and a club sandwich.
Day 4 - Cape May Cafe Breakfast Buffet at the Beach Club and MNSSHP
Cape May Breakfast: This was our 3rd time eating at Cape May for breakfast... not because we love it, but because we stay at the Beach Club, we'd never hear the end of it after walking by it to get to the pool. The kiddo loves Minnie. The food wasn't spectacular and they seem to have removed some of the items from the buffet. I'm hoping this is the last year it's a mandatory -- we just don't dig the chaos.
MNSSHP: Candy and junk, not much else worth mentioning!
Day 5 - Epcot - My Favourite with Rose & Crown for dinner and Beaches & Cream, Beach Club
La Cantina for lunch: Even though this is a counter service, we found this much preferred to the over-priced food and poor service we experienced at San Angel Inn last year. We'll have to try La Hacienda next time.
Epcot Musings:
This was the first year I didn't have a Grey Goose or Grand Marnier Slushie! *GASP* But let me tell you what I had instead...
Two drinks you should try which aren't the famed Slushies from the France Pavilion...
The Kiosk in Morocco: Two years in a row these guys have poured a strong, delicious drink. We had a colada and a margarita with enough booze to start a small engine.
Looking for a refreshing change of pace adult bevvie? Over in the U.S. Pavilion, which we admittedly never stopped in before, you can get a frozen Jim Beam Red Stag Lemonade. Wasn't bad at all, especially if you like black cherry flavouring.
Rose & Crown: Snake-bite, cider topped with lager. My favourite pint back in the real U.K. and my favourite here. They serve Strongbow cider which I'd highly suggest trying after a long day walking around Epcot. With the Snakebite, it tones down the cider's sweetness some. Hubs had a straight cider. I had the pork rack served with mash and apple -- the meat was excellent, not overcooked and the mash was decent. The hubs had the Slow-Cooked Chicken Curry; it wasn't bad either but it was lacking in depth of flavour -- needed a bit of heat and more spice.
Beaches & Cream: No Way Jose, shared between the ol' man and myself. Ah, glorious peanut butter and ice cream. Nothing more to be said other than go there and get one, you won't be disappointed. Herlina, our waitress two years in a row, is stupendous.
Day 6 - Fresh Market at the Dolphin, Hollywood Studios, Home Again Jiggety Jog
Fresh Market: This is our second year going to Fresh for breakfast. You really need to check this place out. We're not really buffet people but Fresh is far above any of the other Disney breakfast buffets we've tried (Cape May, 'Ohana and even Boma). It's in a different league, seriously. No paper-thin bacon here. Eggs made to order, Texas-toast style French toast, pancakes and waffles also made to order. Carved ham. Three different pressed juice blends: including a carrot, beet and a kiwi variety. Fruit galore. Pastries and muffins. Garlicky roasted potatoes with onions. And -- above all else -- you get a carafe of actual, "real-deal Holyfield", honest-to-goodness COFFEE! Starbucks, at that. Go to Fresh for breakfast, you won't be disappointed.
Hollywood Studios: At risk of sounding like a total lush, let me mention another place to get an drink from a heavy-handed bartender: High Octane Refreshments in HS. Had two Hurricanes which were approximately 80% booze. Wowza.
Starring Rolls: I'm so glad we went back to HS on our last day since I missed out on Starring Rolls earlier in the week. Red Velvet Cupcake and the Peanut Butter Chocolate cupcake are absolutely, totally heavenly. The ham sandwich is not to be missed either.
Stand Outs and Ol' Stand-bys from This Trip:
Thanks for reading.
Now, I'm sitting here hungry and wishing I was back at Disney right this very moment! 
1st Day - Magic Kingdom, Port Orleans' The Riverside Mill, Earl of Sandwich, Scat Cat's at Port Orleans' French Quarter
Magic Kingdom: Our brunch eats included a Halloween cupcake for the kiddo, ham and cheese sandwich to share and a cinnamon roll from Main Street Bakery. I'm usually not a cinnamon roll sort of person and we probably got a dud but it confirms I'm still not a cinnamon roll sorta person; I found the roll to be dry and in desparate need of extra icing. The kiddo devoured the cupcake so I can't attest to its deliciousness, looked moist though. The ham sandwich was fine. Later on, we shared a barbeque chicken flatbread from Pinocchio's Village Haus -- bit on the greasy side but crisp, not bad at all. I enjoyed my very first Dole Whip Float! Not sure why I'd never tried one before but it was refreshing and a welcome treat in the heat.
Riverside Mill: I had the carved turkey, mixed veg with mash slathered in gravy. Not fabulous but not horrible; I'd probably not order it again. The hubs had a nice looking grilled Cajun chicken sandwich. It was quite large compared to what you'd get in the parks and pretty decent. Kiddo had a plate of mac and cheese -- not much to say about that. (Just glad it wasn't my dinner!)
Earl of Sandwich: This was our first time here. Kiddo had a quite tasty looking grilled cheese (which I was secretly hoping she'd not finish, ah well.) Hubs and I shared a Hawaiian BBQ grilled sandwich, which has: Grilled Chicken, Roasted Ham, Aged Swiss, Fresh Pineapple & Hawaiian BBQ Sauce. Good stuff. We'd definitely go back again.
Scat Cat's - POFQ: Wow. We found ourselves a winner. If you enjoy a strong adult beverage, please go pay Mark the Bartender at Scat Cat's a visit. Our first round was a couple of hurricanes and our second was a gin and cranberry for me and an Abita Purple Haze for the hubs. Mark is a pro and definitely knows his stuff.
Day 2 - Sassagoula Floatworks - POFQ, Bluezoo at the Dolphin.
Sassagoula Floatworks: Brunch consisted of shared beignets and a chicken po' boy. Beignets were good, though I wouldn't call them authentic in the style of Cafe Du Monde. Still yummy though. The po' boy was nice: chewy French roll, remoulade and lots of lettuce. I can't even recall if we had any lunch that day!
Bluezoo: Best meal at Disney, hands down. My lovely and helpful RC friend, Ginny, informed me about a special dining promotion which Bluezoo takes part in during the month of September called Magical Dining (http://www.visitorlando.com/magicaldining/). They have a reduced price menu with 3 courses for $30. Considering just one entree at Bluezoo is over $30, this is a tremendous deal. Our wonderfully knowledgeable and friendly waitress Karen started us off with complimentary champagne to celebrate our anniversary -- that's what I call an excellent beginning! For appetizers, we both ordered the Low Country Jumbo Shrimp (with white cheddar hominy, okra and smoked bacon butter):
For dinner, the hubs had the Airline Chicken (with Farro Verde and Seasonal Organic Veggies) and I had the Simply Fish (with "Silky Mash", hearts of palm and a warm crab Dijon vinagrette). Both were outstanding and cooked well -- my fish was perfect, skin nice and crisp and the inside not even slightly overdone. Wish I'd snapped pics of these dishes... I was too excited about drinking our cocktails:
The Serenity is Square One cucumber vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, muddled fresh strawberries, basil and rosemary, splash of fresh lime juice, pineapple juice and rock candy syrup.
The Backporch Lemonade is Fresh Lemon Juice, Troy and Sons Moonshine and Ginger Syrup served in a spice rimmed Mason jar.
Desserts were the Lemon Meringue Pavlova (lemon curd, cassis agar, crumble, vanilla lemon peel ice cream, lemon vanilla sauce, mini lemon macaroon):
and the Warm Chocolate Raspberry Molten Cake (filled with chocolate cream pudding, raspberry sauce, raspberry ice cream):
I'm not sure how we even finished these!
Everything was seriously delicious. Counts in the top ten of best meals we've had. I'd highly recommend checking out Bluezoo if you're looking for an upscale meal and wanting to get away from the standard fare of Disney.
Day 3 - Hollywood Studios, ESPN - Boardwalk and The Crew's Cup Lounge - YC
Hollywood Studios: After 3 rounds on Star Tours ... it was a total discovery for me. Real Coffee Discovery! Woop, WOOP! I popped into the Writer's Stop since I heard they have these gorgeous filled Carrot Cake Cookies and I discovered they also do REAL COFFEE! Hallelujah! Two double espressos later and we were good for the rest of the day. The Carrot Cake Cookie is scrumptious -- moist and full of cream cheese frosting. Yummmm.
ESPN, Boardwalk: If you can stand being in a sports bar, it's worth a visit. Good hot wings and a nice drink. The service has always been good here as well.
The Crew's Cup Lounge, Yacht Club: This was our first time stopping in at the Crew's Cup. Glad we did. They have a decent menu for a lounge, especially good considering it's attached to the Yachtsmen Steakhouse next door. We had some nice cocktails, shared a clam chowder and a club sandwich.
Day 4 - Cape May Cafe Breakfast Buffet at the Beach Club and MNSSHP
Cape May Breakfast: This was our 3rd time eating at Cape May for breakfast... not because we love it, but because we stay at the Beach Club, we'd never hear the end of it after walking by it to get to the pool. The kiddo loves Minnie. The food wasn't spectacular and they seem to have removed some of the items from the buffet. I'm hoping this is the last year it's a mandatory -- we just don't dig the chaos.
MNSSHP: Candy and junk, not much else worth mentioning!
Day 5 - Epcot - My Favourite with Rose & Crown for dinner and Beaches & Cream, Beach Club
La Cantina for lunch: Even though this is a counter service, we found this much preferred to the over-priced food and poor service we experienced at San Angel Inn last year. We'll have to try La Hacienda next time.
Epcot Musings:
This was the first year I didn't have a Grey Goose or Grand Marnier Slushie! *GASP* But let me tell you what I had instead...
Two drinks you should try which aren't the famed Slushies from the France Pavilion...
The Kiosk in Morocco: Two years in a row these guys have poured a strong, delicious drink. We had a colada and a margarita with enough booze to start a small engine.
Looking for a refreshing change of pace adult bevvie? Over in the U.S. Pavilion, which we admittedly never stopped in before, you can get a frozen Jim Beam Red Stag Lemonade. Wasn't bad at all, especially if you like black cherry flavouring.
Rose & Crown: Snake-bite, cider topped with lager. My favourite pint back in the real U.K. and my favourite here. They serve Strongbow cider which I'd highly suggest trying after a long day walking around Epcot. With the Snakebite, it tones down the cider's sweetness some. Hubs had a straight cider. I had the pork rack served with mash and apple -- the meat was excellent, not overcooked and the mash was decent. The hubs had the Slow-Cooked Chicken Curry; it wasn't bad either but it was lacking in depth of flavour -- needed a bit of heat and more spice.
Beaches & Cream: No Way Jose, shared between the ol' man and myself. Ah, glorious peanut butter and ice cream. Nothing more to be said other than go there and get one, you won't be disappointed. Herlina, our waitress two years in a row, is stupendous.
Day 6 - Fresh Market at the Dolphin, Hollywood Studios, Home Again Jiggety Jog
Fresh Market: This is our second year going to Fresh for breakfast. You really need to check this place out. We're not really buffet people but Fresh is far above any of the other Disney breakfast buffets we've tried (Cape May, 'Ohana and even Boma). It's in a different league, seriously. No paper-thin bacon here. Eggs made to order, Texas-toast style French toast, pancakes and waffles also made to order. Carved ham. Three different pressed juice blends: including a carrot, beet and a kiwi variety. Fruit galore. Pastries and muffins. Garlicky roasted potatoes with onions. And -- above all else -- you get a carafe of actual, "real-deal Holyfield", honest-to-goodness COFFEE! Starbucks, at that. Go to Fresh for breakfast, you won't be disappointed.
Hollywood Studios: At risk of sounding like a total lush, let me mention another place to get an drink from a heavy-handed bartender: High Octane Refreshments in HS. Had two Hurricanes which were approximately 80% booze. Wowza.
Starring Rolls: I'm so glad we went back to HS on our last day since I missed out on Starring Rolls earlier in the week. Red Velvet Cupcake and the Peanut Butter Chocolate cupcake are absolutely, totally heavenly. The ham sandwich is not to be missed either.
Stand Outs and Ol' Stand-bys from This Trip:
- Bluezoo, Bluezoo, BLUEZOO! Did I mention Bluezoo?
- Jalapeno Cheese Stuffed Pretzels
- Dole Whip Floats (from Aloha Isle in MK)
- Beaches & Cream's No Way Jose
- Morocco Kiosk Drinks!
- Rose & Crown Cider
- Fresh Breakfast Buffet
- Scat Cat's
- Starring Rolls: Cupcakes, oh my!
- The Writer's Stop: Fabulous REAL Coffee and Carrot Cake Cookies
Thanks for reading.
Now, I'm sitting here hungry and wishing I was back at Disney right this very moment! 
I'm writing myself a note for the next trip: Mandatory Drink at SAB. How dare I not have a Sunken Treasure?! 
Great review, one of the Pediatricians I work with HIGHLYrecommends Blue Zoo...over Yachtsman even... I've never tried the Cinnamon roll either, I love them but I'm a Cinnabon girl...and they don't appear as good....since the girls will be touring the world with me next trip...and I'm the designated adult 
we'll definitely do a cupcake tour 
(What's even better about them is the hubs didn't care for it -- which means more for me! 
)
We will be hitting DHS for Osbourne lights 
I suggested a split stay with BC/WL....HRH refused....
....not my first attempt at a split stay for only 3 night trip 
