7 days of Deluxe Dining...full reviews with lots of pics!!! UPDATED w/ link to TR!
- Thread starter lemondog
- Start date
Wednesday, July 23rd ~ Tambu Lounge and Citricos
After our day of shopping and pigging out on ice cream, we planned on coming back and letting the twins and daddy swim while I rested in the room with Superstar. But it started pouring, so we all just decided to rest. Tonight was date night and our first 2-credit meal so I did not want to miss out!
But first, we had to drop off the rugrats at the Neverland Club. By now Superstar had basically 4 doses of antibiotic and was feeling much better. Luckily our room was literally only a few steps from the Neverland Club, so we dashed over in the rain and dropped them off. They spotted the rack of SUPER deluxe princess dress up clothes and they were off without so much as a goodbye.
So where does every good parent go when kid-free at Disney? TO THE BAR!!!! We still had almost an hour until our 7:15 reservations at Citricos so we decided to stop in at Tambu Lounge.
Mr. Picky is a purist. His normal beverage of choice is Jack Daniels on the rocks, but I convinced him to branch out since this was vacation, so he decided to have a regular frozen margarita. Woooo.
It was...well...a margarita. Nothing special. He was happy, though.
For me, vacation means fruity beverages that cost an arm and a leg and come with a little umbrella. And being the pineapple lover that I am, there really was only one choice for me...the Lapu Lapu!!!
I now know why they charge $15 for this puppy. It's the equivalent of 3 drinks in one. Have you ever had a Hurricane in New Orleans? This is similar. Starts off so strong it about burns out your tongue. Slowly gets better and better, until by the end it tastes like Koolaid and you are slurping with abandon. And by the time you finish, you are 3 sheets to the wind. Yes folks, ONE of these babies and I was really feeling it. But I couldn't just stop with the drink. Ooooh no, I had to actually take my straw and dig out as much pineapple pulp as I could. I finally ended up with a bunch of yummy pulp at the bottom of my pineapple, so I actually turned that sucker up and tried to drink out the pulp using my straw as a "pusher" to get the pulp down into my mouth. Mr. Picky said I looked like some kind of addict trying to get a fix.
Hey, what can I say? I love pineapple!!!
Well after that, I weaved my way to the monorail and it was just one stop to the Grand Floridian and our dinner at Citricos. The restaurant was pretty busy, and it took about 15 minutes to be seated. We had a very nice server, and I decided to continue my celebrations with another libation...the Blue Glowtini.
YUMMMMMMM!!!! This was absolutely amazing! I loved the sugar rim. And you get to keep the glowing cube, which I convinced the kids was fairy magic from Tinkerbell. They loved it!
On to the food!
First, our server brought out some bread. A multi-grain, which was excellent, and an olive bread, which was very salty but still very good.
For appetizer I had the Arancini - Crispy Risotto with Italian Sausage, Quaitro Formaggi, and White Truffle Aioli.
Just the memory of this dish has me salivating. It was THAT GOOD!!!! Amazingly delicious. Not at all what I expected but I would order this again in a nanosecond.
Mr. Picky opted for the Buffalo Mozzarella Salad - Roasted Tomatoes, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 8 Year aged Balsamic Vinegar, and Micro Basil
He cleaned his plate and practically licked up the oil and vinegar. I tried a bite and it was delicious! Very clean and light, perfect for summer.
On to entrees. I had the Grilled Swordfish Provencal - Orzo Pasta, Grape Tomatoes, Saffron-Tomato Broth, and Clams
This was nice, but didn't blow me away. The broth and pasta was a little salty, and the fish itself could have been seasoned a little more.
Mr. Picky had, what else....the steak! Kansas City Giardiniere - Oak-Grilled Filet of Beef with House-cured Vegetables, Quattro Formaggi Crushed Potatoes and Veal Glacé
This was the real disappointment of the evening. The steak was completely bland. It had no flavor. Literally. It was basically a hunk of meat. He did enjoy the potatoes, but again they were nothing special.
For dessert we chose Warm Chocolate Banana Tart with vanilla ice cream and caramelized bananas, and Lemon Cheese Cake with fresh raspberry sauce.
The presentation for both these desserts was beautiful. But the Lemon Cheesecake won hands down. The tart was kind of dry, but the cheesecake was just right, and it was nice and light. Perfect for summer.
All in all, Citricos was okay, but we would not do it again. The only standouts were the appetizers. There are just too many other 2-credit places to try.
Up next....Kona Cafe breakfast
After our day of shopping and pigging out on ice cream, we planned on coming back and letting the twins and daddy swim while I rested in the room with Superstar. But it started pouring, so we all just decided to rest. Tonight was date night and our first 2-credit meal so I did not want to miss out!
But first, we had to drop off the rugrats at the Neverland Club. By now Superstar had basically 4 doses of antibiotic and was feeling much better. Luckily our room was literally only a few steps from the Neverland Club, so we dashed over in the rain and dropped them off. They spotted the rack of SUPER deluxe princess dress up clothes and they were off without so much as a goodbye.
So where does every good parent go when kid-free at Disney? TO THE BAR!!!! We still had almost an hour until our 7:15 reservations at Citricos so we decided to stop in at Tambu Lounge.
Mr. Picky is a purist. His normal beverage of choice is Jack Daniels on the rocks, but I convinced him to branch out since this was vacation, so he decided to have a regular frozen margarita. Woooo.
It was...well...a margarita. Nothing special. He was happy, though.
For me, vacation means fruity beverages that cost an arm and a leg and come with a little umbrella. And being the pineapple lover that I am, there really was only one choice for me...the Lapu Lapu!!!
I now know why they charge $15 for this puppy. It's the equivalent of 3 drinks in one. Have you ever had a Hurricane in New Orleans? This is similar. Starts off so strong it about burns out your tongue. Slowly gets better and better, until by the end it tastes like Koolaid and you are slurping with abandon. And by the time you finish, you are 3 sheets to the wind. Yes folks, ONE of these babies and I was really feeling it. But I couldn't just stop with the drink. Ooooh no, I had to actually take my straw and dig out as much pineapple pulp as I could. I finally ended up with a bunch of yummy pulp at the bottom of my pineapple, so I actually turned that sucker up and tried to drink out the pulp using my straw as a "pusher" to get the pulp down into my mouth. Mr. Picky said I looked like some kind of addict trying to get a fix.
Hey, what can I say? I love pineapple!!!Well after that, I weaved my way to the monorail and it was just one stop to the Grand Floridian and our dinner at Citricos. The restaurant was pretty busy, and it took about 15 minutes to be seated. We had a very nice server, and I decided to continue my celebrations with another libation...the Blue Glowtini.
YUMMMMMMM!!!! This was absolutely amazing! I loved the sugar rim. And you get to keep the glowing cube, which I convinced the kids was fairy magic from Tinkerbell. They loved it!
On to the food!
First, our server brought out some bread. A multi-grain, which was excellent, and an olive bread, which was very salty but still very good.
For appetizer I had the Arancini - Crispy Risotto with Italian Sausage, Quaitro Formaggi, and White Truffle Aioli.
Just the memory of this dish has me salivating. It was THAT GOOD!!!! Amazingly delicious. Not at all what I expected but I would order this again in a nanosecond.
Mr. Picky opted for the Buffalo Mozzarella Salad - Roasted Tomatoes, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 8 Year aged Balsamic Vinegar, and Micro Basil
He cleaned his plate and practically licked up the oil and vinegar. I tried a bite and it was delicious! Very clean and light, perfect for summer.
On to entrees. I had the Grilled Swordfish Provencal - Orzo Pasta, Grape Tomatoes, Saffron-Tomato Broth, and Clams
This was nice, but didn't blow me away. The broth and pasta was a little salty, and the fish itself could have been seasoned a little more.
Mr. Picky had, what else....the steak! Kansas City Giardiniere - Oak-Grilled Filet of Beef with House-cured Vegetables, Quattro Formaggi Crushed Potatoes and Veal Glacé
This was the real disappointment of the evening. The steak was completely bland. It had no flavor. Literally. It was basically a hunk of meat. He did enjoy the potatoes, but again they were nothing special.
For dessert we chose Warm Chocolate Banana Tart with vanilla ice cream and caramelized bananas, and Lemon Cheese Cake with fresh raspberry sauce.
The presentation for both these desserts was beautiful. But the Lemon Cheesecake won hands down. The tart was kind of dry, but the cheesecake was just right, and it was nice and light. Perfect for summer.
All in all, Citricos was okay, but we would not do it again. The only standouts were the appetizers. There are just too many other 2-credit places to try.
Up next....Kona Cafe breakfast
iluvpluto27
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,418
Wow great updates. I really like Citricos so sorry your entrees were duds. That crispy risotto sounds really good though, I might try that on our next visit.
Thursday, July 24th ~ Kona Cafe breakfast
We had 7:30 ADRs for Kona Cafe. Made it right on time and were seated promptly. The place was practically empty and I can't imagine you would have had any problems getting a walk-up table.
Our meal came with juice, coffee or soda. Or any combination of the 3. So I had coffee (30% Kona, 70% Colombian) and Diet Coke. You can also order a press pot of 100% Kona coffee but it is not included on the DDP. Mr. Picky, Grumpy and Superstar all ordered OJ, and Bashful had white milk.
Grumpy and Bashful both opted for the Mickey Waffles off the kids' menu.
I thought they would actually be shaped like Mickey heads, but instead they had 3 pancakes (one big, two small) arranged to look like Mickey. Fine by us! The meal comes with bacon or sausage...although they usually prefer sausage it was just too spicy for them so I went with bacon. These were yummy pancakes and made the girls happy. And when the girls are happy (especially Grumpy), EVERYONE is happy!
Superstar decided on Minnie's French Toast, also from the kid's menu.
I chose fruit for her side because she will actually eat melon, unlike the other 2. She liked this...it was basically one piece of bread coated in egg and cooked, served with syrup and butter. She liked it, and that's what counts!
Mr. Picky got the Ham and Cheese Omelet, minus the ham.
This meal came with a biscuit, but he wanted toast so they added it for no charge. It also came with potatoes and a pineapple wedge, which I quickly snarfed. He was happy, but it was a LOT of food! Even he could not finish it all.
I, being the sugar lover that I am, knew exactly what I was getting...Tonga Toast!
Amazing, as always! I remember eating this on my last trip to WDW way back in 1993, and the memory stays with me to this day. It is THAT good! Even better, it comes with strawberry sauce on the side.
That's the strawberry sauce in front, syrup in the back, butter to the left, and ketchup for Mr. Picky's potatoes on the right.
If you are going to try the Tonga Toast, make SURE you like sugar and lots of it! It is liberally coated with a layer of the white stuff. Add syrup or strawberry sauce and you've got a sugar double whammy. I can't believe I didn't end up in some kind of diabetic coma after eating this. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's on my must-do list now for every visit to WDW!
Thumbs up for everyone with this meal! Yummy, and fast. We were done in about 45 minutes and on our way to DHS for rope drop.
Up next...Sci-Fi Dine In lunch
We had 7:30 ADRs for Kona Cafe. Made it right on time and were seated promptly. The place was practically empty and I can't imagine you would have had any problems getting a walk-up table.
Our meal came with juice, coffee or soda. Or any combination of the 3. So I had coffee (30% Kona, 70% Colombian) and Diet Coke. You can also order a press pot of 100% Kona coffee but it is not included on the DDP. Mr. Picky, Grumpy and Superstar all ordered OJ, and Bashful had white milk.
Grumpy and Bashful both opted for the Mickey Waffles off the kids' menu.
I thought they would actually be shaped like Mickey heads, but instead they had 3 pancakes (one big, two small) arranged to look like Mickey. Fine by us! The meal comes with bacon or sausage...although they usually prefer sausage it was just too spicy for them so I went with bacon. These were yummy pancakes and made the girls happy. And when the girls are happy (especially Grumpy), EVERYONE is happy!
Superstar decided on Minnie's French Toast, also from the kid's menu.
I chose fruit for her side because she will actually eat melon, unlike the other 2. She liked this...it was basically one piece of bread coated in egg and cooked, served with syrup and butter. She liked it, and that's what counts!
Mr. Picky got the Ham and Cheese Omelet, minus the ham.
This meal came with a biscuit, but he wanted toast so they added it for no charge. It also came with potatoes and a pineapple wedge, which I quickly snarfed. He was happy, but it was a LOT of food! Even he could not finish it all.
I, being the sugar lover that I am, knew exactly what I was getting...Tonga Toast!
Amazing, as always! I remember eating this on my last trip to WDW way back in 1993, and the memory stays with me to this day. It is THAT good! Even better, it comes with strawberry sauce on the side.
That's the strawberry sauce in front, syrup in the back, butter to the left, and ketchup for Mr. Picky's potatoes on the right.
If you are going to try the Tonga Toast, make SURE you like sugar and lots of it! It is liberally coated with a layer of the white stuff. Add syrup or strawberry sauce and you've got a sugar double whammy. I can't believe I didn't end up in some kind of diabetic coma after eating this. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's on my must-do list now for every visit to WDW!
Thumbs up for everyone with this meal!
Yummy, and fast. We were done in about 45 minutes and on our way to DHS for rope drop.Up next...Sci-Fi Dine In lunch
devonsmommy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 917
I think we are long lost sisters...I too am a diet coke addict, and at any one time have 3 different kinds of ice cream in my freezer!
Paparazzimama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2007
- Messages
- 794
I LOVE how you are rolling right along with your reviews! 
And, next time you opt for a 2 table-service credit date night, I strongly suggest Narcoossee's!!!! It's our fave!
And, next time you opt for a 2 table-service credit date night, I strongly suggest Narcoossee's!!!! It's our fave!
devonsmommy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 917
Our server said only the regular coffee (which was quite good btw) was on the DDP. The press pot was extra...I can't remember. Maybe $6 or so??? If your DH is a major coffee lover then it would probably be worth the cost.
Thursday, July 24th ~ Sci-Fi Dine In Lunch
We had 12:15 ADRs for Sci-Fi. I just loved the thought of the atmosphere here, and thought the kids would like it too. After spending the morning touring DHS we were ready for a break and some AIR CONDITIONING!!!
We checked in right at 12:15 and were seated within 10 minutes. They asked us what kind of table we wanted, and we opted for the traditional car with booth bench seats. It should be noted that they WERE taking walk-ups for the regular table cars and picnic tables in back, with maybe a 15 minute wait. So there is hope for those who couldn't snag a ressie!
We were led to a car in the front row with 3 benches, each seating 2. This posed a distinct problem for our family of 5. It always works out that Grumpy hangs with daddy, and Bashful and Superstar hang with mommy. Except only 2 could really fit comfortably on a bench, so I convinced Bashful and Supertar to sit up front by themselves. (Mr. Picky and Grumpy took the middle, and I sat alone in the back.)
First up were drinks. This is one of the few places where milkshakes are included on the DDP, so Mr. Picky opted for a vanilla shake. I had Diet Coke (shocked aren't you), and we decided to splurge and get the girls Pirate's Punch. Only on vacation would parents be suckered into paying $6.50 for a cup of Minute Maid raspberry lemonade with a glowing Tinkerbell on top.
This drink is not included in the dining plan, but it was so dark inside the restaurant this seemed like a perfect place to enjoy it. And the girls are big Tink fans, so they were SUPER excited! And we actually got our money's worth. The cups are reusable, and they took the Tink's EVERYWHERE with them for the rest of the week, saving us from having to buy glowy things at Wishes the next night.
Anyway, on with the review.
For appy, I got the Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Fantabulous!!!! Of course, once Bashful got a whiff of the cheese she quickly made her way back to my bench and started chowing. Superstar was soon to follow, so I found myself smushed into the side of the car while my kids ate my appetizer. How did that happen??? Oh well...the few bites I did get to enjoy were delicious! The dip was warm and gooey, with plenty of cheese and yummy flavor. The chips were light and very crispy, just the way I like them.
Mr. Picky chose Crispy Onion Rings for his appetizer.
I didn't try these but he said they were very good and seemed fresh, which is a big plus in his book.
Our meals arrived soon enough. The twins had the same thing...Mac & Cheese with tomato soup.
This tomato soup was nowhere NEAR as good as what we had at Earl of Sandwich, so the kids weren't too interested. A couple of bites and that was it. They loved the mac and cheese, as usual.
Superstar chose a hot dog and tomato soup. Hers came with fries.
She also more or less avoided the soup, but ate her hot dog and picked at the fries.
Mr. Picky and I both had the Angus Chuck Burger with cheddar cheese.
Mine came with fries, which were fine. Mr. Picky ordered Cucumber Melon Salad for his side...
Ick! None of us liked this. I would have expected some sweetness from the melon, but it was just like a big bowl of bland cucumber with a little salt thrown on. Too bad, because this would have a great option for the summer. The burger was quite tasty, though. Cooked just right and it hit the spot. It's kind of hard to mess up a burger, though.
Dessert was last. The girls all had ice cream sundaes.
This was your standard kids sundae - vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, mickey sprinkles and a cherry. They loved it!
I also had the Hot Fudge Sundae.
Yummmmm. You can't really go wrong when you mix together vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and cherry!
Mr. Picky chose the Warm Apple & Pecan Crisp
He said it was really good. I don't know how I missed out on trying this, because I love cooked apples in anything! That's okay...my sundae really hit the spot!
We all LOVED Sci-Fi! The food was good, and the atmosphere was even better! Sitting in the air-conditioned darkness was so nice after being out in the hot sunshine. Mr. Picky and I really got a kick out of the old movie clips, and even the girls enjoyed it, especially when they showed Tom & Jerry clips. We also could not get over how QUIET this restaurant is, compared to all the loud chaos found at Disney. This will definitely be a must-do again for lunch the next time we are in DHS.
Up next...Hollywood Brown Derby dinner
We had 12:15 ADRs for Sci-Fi. I just loved the thought of the atmosphere here, and thought the kids would like it too. After spending the morning touring DHS we were ready for a break and some AIR CONDITIONING!!!
We checked in right at 12:15 and were seated within 10 minutes. They asked us what kind of table we wanted, and we opted for the traditional car with booth bench seats. It should be noted that they WERE taking walk-ups for the regular table cars and picnic tables in back, with maybe a 15 minute wait. So there is hope for those who couldn't snag a ressie!
We were led to a car in the front row with 3 benches, each seating 2. This posed a distinct problem for our family of 5. It always works out that Grumpy hangs with daddy, and Bashful and Superstar hang with mommy. Except only 2 could really fit comfortably on a bench, so I convinced Bashful and Supertar to sit up front by themselves. (Mr. Picky and Grumpy took the middle, and I sat alone in the back.)
First up were drinks. This is one of the few places where milkshakes are included on the DDP, so Mr. Picky opted for a vanilla shake. I had Diet Coke (shocked aren't you), and we decided to splurge and get the girls Pirate's Punch. Only on vacation would parents be suckered into paying $6.50 for a cup of Minute Maid raspberry lemonade with a glowing Tinkerbell on top.
This drink is not included in the dining plan, but it was so dark inside the restaurant this seemed like a perfect place to enjoy it. And the girls are big Tink fans, so they were SUPER excited! And we actually got our money's worth. The cups are reusable, and they took the Tink's EVERYWHERE with them for the rest of the week, saving us from having to buy glowy things at Wishes the next night.
Anyway, on with the review.
For appy, I got the Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Fantabulous!!!! Of course, once Bashful got a whiff of the cheese she quickly made her way back to my bench and started chowing. Superstar was soon to follow, so I found myself smushed into the side of the car while my kids ate my appetizer. How did that happen??? Oh well...the few bites I did get to enjoy were delicious! The dip was warm and gooey, with plenty of cheese and yummy flavor. The chips were light and very crispy, just the way I like them.
Mr. Picky chose Crispy Onion Rings for his appetizer.
I didn't try these but he said they were very good and seemed fresh, which is a big plus in his book.
Our meals arrived soon enough. The twins had the same thing...Mac & Cheese with tomato soup.
This tomato soup was nowhere NEAR as good as what we had at Earl of Sandwich, so the kids weren't too interested. A couple of bites and that was it. They loved the mac and cheese, as usual.
Superstar chose a hot dog and tomato soup. Hers came with fries.
She also more or less avoided the soup, but ate her hot dog and picked at the fries.
Mr. Picky and I both had the Angus Chuck Burger with cheddar cheese.
Mine came with fries, which were fine. Mr. Picky ordered Cucumber Melon Salad for his side...
Ick! None of us liked this. I would have expected some sweetness from the melon, but it was just like a big bowl of bland cucumber with a little salt thrown on. Too bad, because this would have a great option for the summer. The burger was quite tasty, though. Cooked just right and it hit the spot. It's kind of hard to mess up a burger, though.
Dessert was last. The girls all had ice cream sundaes.
This was your standard kids sundae - vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, mickey sprinkles and a cherry. They loved it!
I also had the Hot Fudge Sundae.
Yummmmm. You can't really go wrong when you mix together vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and cherry!
Mr. Picky chose the Warm Apple & Pecan Crisp
He said it was really good. I don't know how I missed out on trying this, because I love cooked apples in anything! That's okay...my sundae really hit the spot!
We all LOVED Sci-Fi! The food was good, and the atmosphere was even better! Sitting in the air-conditioned darkness was so nice after being out in the hot sunshine. Mr. Picky and I really got a kick out of the old movie clips, and even the girls enjoyed it, especially when they showed Tom & Jerry clips. We also could not get over how QUIET this restaurant is, compared to all the loud chaos found at Disney. This will definitely be a must-do again for lunch the next time we are in DHS.
Up next...Hollywood Brown Derby dinner
meggybear17
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2007
- Messages
- 305
great reviews! we are eating at many of the same places in January. Your girls are just adorable!
Awesome reviews... thank you again and again for sharing
just curious, since you were on deluxe, as we will be in sept... did you leave any credits unused?
We had 3 unused meal credits, and 1 unused snack credit. However, I did have to buy 20 snacks our last morning in the hotel gift shop.
jenelope
In my house, I *am* the kid! (also, the mom, the d
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2000
- Messages
- 827
That is a classic reaction!
I am really loving this review. I'm pondering the DxDDp for the trip after next just so I can try new places. I see that some of the stuff that was allowed on the DDP last fall is no longer included (Kona press pot, Pirate's Punch).
Thursday, July 24th ~ Hollywood Brown Derby dinner
I had been hesitant to book this because it was a 2-credit meal, but we wanted to do a sit-down dinner and none of the other places appealed to us. So Brown Derby it was!
I had inquired about doing a Fantasmic package, but the latest ADR I could get was 4:50, which was too early considering we had just eaten at Sci-Fi for lunch. So I skipped that and booked a 6:30 ADR.
We arrived at 6:25 and were seated within 5 minutes. The restaurant was about 3/4 full, so I wonder if they were taking walk ups. We had a lovely server named Lynn. First we ordered drinks. For the kids it was the usual -- white milk, apple juice and Sprite. I don't even need to say what I ordered. DH needed a drink, so he got a Jack Daniels on the rocks.
First, Lynn brought us a basket of warm crusty rolls with butter. They really hit the spot!
Appetizers were first. Superstar is a big fan of carrots and celery with dip, and even though she had a terrible experience at Coral Reef the other night with the awful dressing, she decided to give it a go again.
This time the dressing was thick, creamy and delicious! Superstar ate all the celery and most of the carrots.
Grumpy normally likes carrots and dip, but tonight she was in the mood for Chicken Noodle Soup. Bashful had the same.
There was a lot of onion and celery in this (and not a lot of chicken or noodles, which were macaroni noodles) so Bashful was having nothing to do with it. She attempted to pick out the noodles but that became so frustrating she gave up and just chowed on the bread. Grumpy, OTOH, loved it! Well, she loved the broth, I should say. When she was done she had a bowl full of veggies and noodles with no broth.
Mr. Picky ordered the Cobb Salad.
The menu calls it a Cobb Salad for 2, but they made him a salad for 1 since I was not interested (I hate blue cheese and am not fond of bacon in my salad). He said it was fantastic! Heavy on the blue cheese, which is just the way he likes it.
I chose the Blue Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Potato Crust, savoy cabbage slaw, dijon mustard and remoulade sauces.
Lynn recommended this and I am so glad she did. It was FABULOUS! The crust was nice and crispy, it was full of crab, and the sauce was delicious. I usually try and eat only half an appetizer to save room for dessert, but I ate the WHOLE DARN THING!
Entrees were up next. Superstar ordered the Grilled Cheese with brown sugar apples.
This was your typical grilled cheese. I liked that it was on wheat bread, and the sugar was a nice touch on the apples. Superstar loved it.
Grumpy had a hankering for some fish, so she chose the Tempura Grouper Strips with steamed broccoli and dipping sauce.
She loved the fish and the dipping sauce. Broccoli is her absolute favorite vegetable, but it has to be cooked until soft. This was a little too crisp for her tastes, so she wouldn't eat it.
Bashful is where the problems came in. Silly mama forgot to check the menus and make SURE there was macaroni and cheese. Well...there wasn't. I could tell things were heading south...Bashful was halfway out of her chair slumped to the ground, lip trembling and I could see her mind working fast, deciding when would be the most opportune time to start screaming. So explained the situation to Lynn, who spoke with the chef. God bless them...they threw together some cooked macaroni noodles with melted American cheese mixed in.
They actually apologized that was the best they could do, meanwhile I am bowing at their feet for making Bashful happy. And you know what...she LOVED it! She ate almost the whole bowl, and it was a BIG bowl. There was definitely some pixie dust in the air that night.
Mr. Picky ordered....drumroll please.....the steak!
I can't remember the kind of steak it was, because it's not on the menu at Allears. But the filet was not an option...this may be a strip? Anyway, it came with potatoes, cremini mushrooms and some kind of sauce. Mr. Picky is deathly allergic to mushrooms, and since the sauce and potatoes had been prepped along with the mushrooms, they gave him a freshly cut potato, and no sauce. But the dish was STILL amazing! They seasoned the potatoes nicely, the steak was so tender and delicious, you really didn't need the sauce. Although I am sure it would have been even more amazing prepared with all the accompaniments.
And I had the Hijiki Crusted Ahi Tuna seared "rare" with sesame long beans, pickled diakon, soy and wasabi sauces.
I had some delicious things throughout my stay, but when I bit into this, I truly felt I had died and gone to heaven! The tuna was cooked perfectly, and the sauce was UNBELIEVABLE!!!! It definitely contained soy and wasabi, 2 of my favorites (as sushi is my absolute favorite food, other than ice cream). I ate every last little morsel of this and sopped up the sauce as well. AMAZING!
Dessert was last! All 3 girls chose the Hidden Treasure.
This is a layer of Oreo crumbles and gummy worms, topped with a scoop of ice cream and a homemade (yes, it was really homemade) Toll House cookie. Definitely a step up from the normal kid's sundae, as you would expect from a 2-credit restaurant. The girls LOVED them!
Mr. Picky opted for the Flourless Chocolate Cake with port wine chocolate sauce, fresh berries, and sweetened creme fraiche.
Helloooooooo. Have I died? Because this tastes like heaven! It was so rich and decadent, but Mr. Picky only allowed me one tiny taste so he could snarf it up himself. Fine! Two can play at that game.
I chose the famous Grapefruit Cake.
Light, creamy, delicious....in a word, SUPERB! I did allow Mr. Picky one tiny bite in return, and he agreed it was just as good as the chocolate cake, just completely different. This is the perfect dish for summer...light, airy and a great end to a heavy meal. Two MASSIVE thumbs up from us!
All in all, we absolutely loved Brown Derby. This was the BEST meal of our trip, bar none! Every single thing we ate, both children and adults, we loved (well, only Bashful would like a bowl full of noodles with melted fake cheese, but I digress). We have absolutely zero complaints about the service or the food. It was simply divine and a wonderful experience!
Up next...Ohana breakfast
I had been hesitant to book this because it was a 2-credit meal, but we wanted to do a sit-down dinner and none of the other places appealed to us. So Brown Derby it was!
I had inquired about doing a Fantasmic package, but the latest ADR I could get was 4:50, which was too early considering we had just eaten at Sci-Fi for lunch. So I skipped that and booked a 6:30 ADR.
We arrived at 6:25 and were seated within 5 minutes. The restaurant was about 3/4 full, so I wonder if they were taking walk ups. We had a lovely server named Lynn. First we ordered drinks. For the kids it was the usual -- white milk, apple juice and Sprite. I don't even need to say what I ordered. DH needed a drink, so he got a Jack Daniels on the rocks.
First, Lynn brought us a basket of warm crusty rolls with butter. They really hit the spot!
Appetizers were first. Superstar is a big fan of carrots and celery with dip, and even though she had a terrible experience at Coral Reef the other night with the awful dressing, she decided to give it a go again.
This time the dressing was thick, creamy and delicious! Superstar ate all the celery and most of the carrots.
Grumpy normally likes carrots and dip, but tonight she was in the mood for Chicken Noodle Soup. Bashful had the same.
There was a lot of onion and celery in this (and not a lot of chicken or noodles, which were macaroni noodles) so Bashful was having nothing to do with it. She attempted to pick out the noodles but that became so frustrating she gave up and just chowed on the bread. Grumpy, OTOH, loved it! Well, she loved the broth, I should say. When she was done she had a bowl full of veggies and noodles with no broth.
Mr. Picky ordered the Cobb Salad.
The menu calls it a Cobb Salad for 2, but they made him a salad for 1 since I was not interested (I hate blue cheese and am not fond of bacon in my salad). He said it was fantastic! Heavy on the blue cheese, which is just the way he likes it.
I chose the Blue Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Potato Crust, savoy cabbage slaw, dijon mustard and remoulade sauces.
Lynn recommended this and I am so glad she did. It was FABULOUS! The crust was nice and crispy, it was full of crab, and the sauce was delicious. I usually try and eat only half an appetizer to save room for dessert, but I ate the WHOLE DARN THING!
Entrees were up next. Superstar ordered the Grilled Cheese with brown sugar apples.
This was your typical grilled cheese. I liked that it was on wheat bread, and the sugar was a nice touch on the apples. Superstar loved it.
Grumpy had a hankering for some fish, so she chose the Tempura Grouper Strips with steamed broccoli and dipping sauce.
She loved the fish and the dipping sauce. Broccoli is her absolute favorite vegetable, but it has to be cooked until soft. This was a little too crisp for her tastes, so she wouldn't eat it.
Bashful is where the problems came in. Silly mama forgot to check the menus and make SURE there was macaroni and cheese. Well...there wasn't. I could tell things were heading south...Bashful was halfway out of her chair slumped to the ground, lip trembling and I could see her mind working fast, deciding when would be the most opportune time to start screaming. So explained the situation to Lynn, who spoke with the chef. God bless them...they threw together some cooked macaroni noodles with melted American cheese mixed in.
They actually apologized that was the best they could do, meanwhile I am bowing at their feet for making Bashful happy.
And you know what...she LOVED it! She ate almost the whole bowl, and it was a BIG bowl. There was definitely some pixie dust in the air that night.Mr. Picky ordered....drumroll please.....the steak!
I can't remember the kind of steak it was, because it's not on the menu at Allears. But the filet was not an option...this may be a strip? Anyway, it came with potatoes, cremini mushrooms and some kind of sauce. Mr. Picky is deathly allergic to mushrooms, and since the sauce and potatoes had been prepped along with the mushrooms, they gave him a freshly cut potato, and no sauce. But the dish was STILL amazing! They seasoned the potatoes nicely, the steak was so tender and delicious, you really didn't need the sauce. Although I am sure it would have been even more amazing prepared with all the accompaniments.
And I had the Hijiki Crusted Ahi Tuna seared "rare" with sesame long beans, pickled diakon, soy and wasabi sauces.
I had some delicious things throughout my stay, but when I bit into this, I truly felt I had died and gone to heaven! The tuna was cooked perfectly, and the sauce was UNBELIEVABLE!!!! It definitely contained soy and wasabi, 2 of my favorites (as sushi is my absolute favorite food, other than ice cream). I ate every last little morsel of this and sopped up the sauce as well. AMAZING!
Dessert was last! All 3 girls chose the Hidden Treasure.
This is a layer of Oreo crumbles and gummy worms, topped with a scoop of ice cream and a homemade (yes, it was really homemade) Toll House cookie. Definitely a step up from the normal kid's sundae, as you would expect from a 2-credit restaurant. The girls LOVED them!
Mr. Picky opted for the Flourless Chocolate Cake with port wine chocolate sauce, fresh berries, and sweetened creme fraiche.
Helloooooooo. Have I died? Because this tastes like heaven! It was so rich and decadent, but Mr. Picky only allowed me one tiny taste so he could snarf it up himself. Fine! Two can play at that game.
I chose the famous Grapefruit Cake.
Light, creamy, delicious....in a word, SUPERB! I did allow Mr. Picky one tiny bite in return, and he agreed it was just as good as the chocolate cake, just completely different. This is the perfect dish for summer...light, airy and a great end to a heavy meal. Two MASSIVE thumbs up from us!
All in all, we absolutely loved Brown Derby. This was the BEST meal of our trip, bar none! Every single thing we ate, both children and adults, we loved (well, only Bashful would like a bowl full of noodles with melted fake cheese, but I digress). We have absolutely zero complaints about the service or the food. It was simply divine and a wonderful experience!
Up next...Ohana breakfast
disneyfav4ever
No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2005
- Messages
- 15,113
Brown Derby is one of my favorites too. I can't wait until I get a chance to eat there again.
I can't wait until I get a chance to eat there again.
2xcited2sleep
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2008
- Messages
- 11,198
YUM-O!!!
Great reviews, as always. Sorry to hear DD was sick but glad she recovered quickly!
Now why is it no matter what time of day I read one of your reviews I wind up hungry?!?
Great reviews, as always. Sorry to hear DD was sick but glad she recovered quickly!
Now why is it no matter what time of day I read one of your reviews I wind up hungry?!?
rentayenta
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
- Messages
- 27,424
Great reviews!!!!-
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