So here we go .... after nearly a month of writing these reviews and 120+ posts later, I've come to my final review. 
I put this off because, like a WDW vacation itself, I almost didn't want the reviews to end. I was having a lot of fun writing them and reading the responses, and like that last full day of your vacation, you try to savor it the most. But, unlike the actual vacation, extending this dining review a bit doesn't cost any more money! So my plan is 
, for those of you who aren't sick and tired of me yet, to follow up this final dining review with two things ... a final rating and/or awards section and my very early, subject-to-change-1,000-times-between-now-and-the-trip pre-trip dining report for September 2012. 
Anyway, back to this dining report. For our final day, which happened to be a Friday, we made an ADR for dinner at ... California Grill!!! Now, here's the sad part ... apparently, every Friday night, the dinnertime Club Level appetizers at Yacht Club includes tuna sashimi and mussels. For those who don't know, I love sushi, and I really like mussels. We didn't have time to enjoy the Yacht Club food tonight, since we just had a long day at Epcot, rushed back to the hotel to take one last late-afternoon dip in Stormalong Bay, and then got ready for dinner. But of course, to torture myself, I decided to stop by the Concierge Lounge on the way to the elevators. Expecting just to see all the same standards that they had put out on most nights (and which I've detailed in previous posts), I was surprised when I walked into the Lounge and saw ....
Not only did I not have time to eat any of it, but I knew I was about to get great sushi at California Grill, and I didn't want to spoil my sushi appetite by devouring some raw fish here. (Too much sushi at one time can be a little too decadent.) So I just stared at the food for a minute, snapped the pictures, and then got dragged by the kids to the elevator. I know, I know ...
, but oh how I would have loved to try some of this!! Oh well, next trip! 
When you arrive at the Contemporary, you check in for your reservation on the second floor of the hotel. A cast member will then escort you by elevator to the restaurant which is located on the 15th floor. Only people with reservations to the restaurant are allowed up to the 15th floor, but if you had reservations at anytime that evening, you may leave and return to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the observation deck.
IMHO, after Victoria & Albert's, California Grill is WDW's best restaurant (NOTE: I have never been to Bistro de Paris, which recently joined the dining plan). That doesn't mean that there weren't other restaurants that I enjoyed dining at as much or even slightly more. We all had a blast at the Cape May Clambake, Ohana and Biergarten. For example, I loved Cape May because I love the seafood, it was our first night and we had the whole trip ahead of us, etc. etc. etc. I love Biergarten because of the nostalgia the food presents for me and the kids love the band and the dancing. But for sheer quality of food and fine dining experience, California Grill is THE place!
And as nice as the restuarant is, like all Disney restaurants I've been to, it is very kid-friendly. There is Mickey-shaped confetti dispersed on your table upon your arrival, they have the same kids' coloring menus and crayons as at the other Disney Signatures, and the kids love the observation deck and just being able to stroll outside for a few minutes between, say, appetizer and entree and chew the scenery.
So as I said, we were seated at our table of strewn Mickey confetti (in all seriousness, this actually feels very elegant .. it's not cheesy or cluttering at all):
For those who don't know, California Grill has a complete menu of cooked, new American bistro cuisine, but also has a number of fantastic sushi items. (In fact, I believe the head sushi chef there is one of only three female master sushi chefs in the world! Very cool.
) Thus, everyone's place setting includes not only the traditional American utensils, but also chopsticks:
To give an example of some of the small little "extras" a restaurant can do to make a meal all the more special, when our server brought out our bread service, he also brought out a dish of goldfish crackers for DS7 and DS4, which they gobbled up and spoiled their appetite!!!
Yes, that is sea salt sprinkled atop the dish of butter.
For her appetizer, DW got the pork belly. She doesn't remember what all of the ingredients are, but she remembers really liking it.
For their appetizer, DS7 and DS4 shared the assorment of fresh fruit:
They ate this all, God bless 'em!
Now, I saved my appetizer for last because this is the dish of the trip for me. The main event of my Disney dining week. The Piece de resistance! The je ne ... je ne s ... je ne sa ... oh, I don't know what!
The tuna three ways!!!!!
First, in the upper left-hand corner of the plate we have the tuna seared slightly on the outside and coated with cajun seasoning:
There is a sweet soy-like sauce to the right that is meant to be used with this particular part of the appetizer.
Next, in the upper right-hand corner of the plate, we have traditional tuna tartare:
The tuna is minced with a perfect amount of mango and green onion, topped with fish roe, and artfully plated above thinly-sliced cucumber.
Finally, in the bottom corner of the plate, we have chunks of raw tuna in a delicate white sauce (I can't really describe the sauce any better, only to say that it was very light, paired itself perfectly with the tuna, and did not in any way overpower the natural flavor of the fish itself). It is topped with seaweed salad and fish roe:
All three versions of the tuna were spectacular. What else can I say about this appetizer? It was the best dish of the trip for me. And a dish that I had ordered before, and therefore, a dish of which I came into the restaurant with very high expectations. Soooooo good!
Part II to be posted momentarily ....
I put this off because, like a WDW vacation itself, I almost didn't want the reviews to end. I was having a lot of fun writing them and reading the responses, and like that last full day of your vacation, you try to savor it the most. But, unlike the actual vacation, extending this dining review a bit doesn't cost any more money! So my plan is , for those of you who aren't sick and tired of me yet, to follow up this final dining review with two things ... a final rating and/or awards section and my very early, subject-to-change-1,000-times-between-now-and-the-trip pre-trip dining report for September 2012. Anyway, back to this dining report. For our final day, which happened to be a Friday, we made an ADR for dinner at ... California Grill!!! Now, here's the sad part ... apparently, every Friday night, the dinnertime Club Level appetizers at Yacht Club includes tuna sashimi and mussels. For those who don't know, I love sushi, and I really like mussels. We didn't have time to enjoy the Yacht Club food tonight, since we just had a long day at Epcot, rushed back to the hotel to take one last late-afternoon dip in Stormalong Bay, and then got ready for dinner. But of course, to torture myself, I decided to stop by the Concierge Lounge on the way to the elevators. Expecting just to see all the same standards that they had put out on most nights (and which I've detailed in previous posts), I was surprised when I walked into the Lounge and saw ....
Not only did I not have time to eat any of it, but I knew I was about to get great sushi at California Grill, and I didn't want to spoil my sushi appetite by devouring some raw fish here. (Too much sushi at one time can be a little too decadent.) So I just stared at the food for a minute, snapped the pictures, and then got dragged by the kids to the elevator. I know, I know ...
, but oh how I would have loved to try some of this!! Oh well, next trip! When you arrive at the Contemporary, you check in for your reservation on the second floor of the hotel. A cast member will then escort you by elevator to the restaurant which is located on the 15th floor. Only people with reservations to the restaurant are allowed up to the 15th floor, but if you had reservations at anytime that evening, you may leave and return to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the observation deck.
IMHO, after Victoria & Albert's, California Grill is WDW's best restaurant (NOTE: I have never been to Bistro de Paris, which recently joined the dining plan). That doesn't mean that there weren't other restaurants that I enjoyed dining at as much or even slightly more. We all had a blast at the Cape May Clambake, Ohana and Biergarten. For example, I loved Cape May because I love the seafood, it was our first night and we had the whole trip ahead of us, etc. etc. etc. I love Biergarten because of the nostalgia the food presents for me and the kids love the band and the dancing. But for sheer quality of food and fine dining experience, California Grill is THE place!
And as nice as the restuarant is, like all Disney restaurants I've been to, it is very kid-friendly. There is Mickey-shaped confetti dispersed on your table upon your arrival, they have the same kids' coloring menus and crayons as at the other Disney Signatures, and the kids love the observation deck and just being able to stroll outside for a few minutes between, say, appetizer and entree and chew the scenery.
So as I said, we were seated at our table of strewn Mickey confetti (in all seriousness, this actually feels very elegant .. it's not cheesy or cluttering at all):
For those who don't know, California Grill has a complete menu of cooked, new American bistro cuisine, but also has a number of fantastic sushi items. (In fact, I believe the head sushi chef there is one of only three female master sushi chefs in the world! Very cool.
) Thus, everyone's place setting includes not only the traditional American utensils, but also chopsticks:
To give an example of some of the small little "extras" a restaurant can do to make a meal all the more special, when our server brought out our bread service, he also brought out a dish of goldfish crackers for DS7 and DS4, which they gobbled up and spoiled their appetite!!!
Yes, that is sea salt sprinkled atop the dish of butter.
For her appetizer, DW got the pork belly. She doesn't remember what all of the ingredients are, but she remembers really liking it.
For their appetizer, DS7 and DS4 shared the assorment of fresh fruit:
They ate this all, God bless 'em!
Now, I saved my appetizer for last because this is the dish of the trip for me. The main event of my Disney dining week. The Piece de resistance! The je ne ... je ne s ... je ne sa ... oh, I don't know what!
The tuna three ways!!!!!
First, in the upper left-hand corner of the plate we have the tuna seared slightly on the outside and coated with cajun seasoning:
There is a sweet soy-like sauce to the right that is meant to be used with this particular part of the appetizer.
Next, in the upper right-hand corner of the plate, we have traditional tuna tartare:
The tuna is minced with a perfect amount of mango and green onion, topped with fish roe, and artfully plated above thinly-sliced cucumber.
Finally, in the bottom corner of the plate, we have chunks of raw tuna in a delicate white sauce (I can't really describe the sauce any better, only to say that it was very light, paired itself perfectly with the tuna, and did not in any way overpower the natural flavor of the fish itself). It is topped with seaweed salad and fish roe:
All three versions of the tuna were spectacular. What else can I say about this appetizer? It was the best dish of the trip for me. And a dish that I had ordered before, and therefore, a dish of which I came into the restaurant with very high expectations. Soooooo good!
Part II to be posted momentarily ....
and I knew I wanted to try it again ASAP!!! So I ordered the bananas and caramel dessert:
confused: sorry), the wasabi and ginger were marshmallow, and the dipping sauce in the center was melted chocolate. Very clever!
