A Post Open-Heart Surgery/Anniversary Dining Report!!! FINISHED! (and we are FULL!)

Stringbean, back at the helm! :upsidedow

Goofy's Candy Company was probably the most anticipated stop of our trip. Seriously, I'm not sure that one treat has had so much buildup. Ever.

More backstory:

So this past winter, spring, and summer was a fairly stressful onslaught of doctors visits, medical tests, and that crinkly examining room table paper. (Nothing says you're in a doctors office more than sitting on crinkly paper.) These tests usually involved a lot of lying still while my heart and thyroid (yes, it decided to join the fray at one point) were being photographed and listened to in various forms.

During these tests, I would sometimes play Disney music in my head (Illuminations, Splash Mountain, Wishes, etc), but more often I would play games, usually "What Treat From Goofy's Candy Company Would I Get Today?"

You would be surprised how distracting this can be. Seriously.

"Marshmallows, dipped in dark chocolate, with Oreo crumbs, drizzled in white chocolate."

"3 pretzel rods (I would pick this option particularly during longer tests), one with white chocolate, mini M&M's, drizzled in caramel (this was still an option a few months ago); one with milk chocolate, Oreo crumbs, and dark chocolate drizzle; and one with dark chocolate, coconut, and caramel drizzle."

Et cetera.

Wingnut would even start to ask me what I would choose that day. It became a game of sweet, sugary distraction, whose brainstorming would pay off on our eventual trip.

And now that day had arrived. We entered Goofy's, first playing with the fun mirrors.



Wingnut and I then began making the treat choices together.



(Also, hi, my name is Sara :wave:)



Rice Krispy Treat. Milk Chocolate Dip.



Mini M&M's.



White Chocolate Drizzle.

So how was it???

It tasted like sweet, sweet victory. :yay:
 
Wow I am loving these reviews so far. Especially the Goofy's Candy Co ones hehheeh. I called DS over for him to look and it and we can't wait to order our treats. Can't wait to read more.
Also wanted to say, I am happy to hear that your are recovering so nicely from your surgery.
 
I went into hibernation a little over the weekend, and I'm just now getting caught up on your latest reviews.

1) Sorry you guys had a bad meal at Tangerine Cafe. I haven't gotten to it in my review yet, but we enjoyed our meal there. It wasn't any better than any Middle Eastern food we've had near home, but it was tasty. I did notice I sort-of unfriendly malaise with the people working there, though. When I asked the woman taking my order what the dessert choices were, she dryly said "baklava." We didn't ask for any substitutions in our meals, so maybe that would've resulted in disaster, who knows. It isn't the warmest of restaurants, you are right about that.

2) It looks like we really did sit at the same table at RR! Too funny! I really wanted to get the mixed grill with all that meat, but I wasn't hungry enough. If we ever make it back someday, I'll do it!

3) Sooooo regretting not hitting up Goofy's Candy Co. when we were in DTD! Everyone keeps posting about the tasty make-your-own treats, and yours looks especially delicious! Now we just have to go next time...although I'm bummed they don't take snack credits anymore.
 
Love your update on Goofy Candy, I apprecaite the background...I can relate with all the doctors and test (it was 7 years of trying to get pregant and all the test and procedures...I tell myself only if we have a child...I can't wait to that the precious child to Disney and all the things I can show...7 years of test and doctors and all the ups and downs)
 


I am so pleased that your treat at Goofy's lived up to all the anticipation :cool1:
 
Wow I am loving these reviews so far. Especially the Goofy's Candy Co ones hehheeh. I called DS over for him to look and it and we can't wait to order our treats. Can't wait to read more.
Also wanted to say, I am happy to hear that your are recovering so nicely from your surgery.

Welcome, thank you very much!!! Making the treats (well, selecting the little boxes on the piece of paper) is definitely a lot of fun!! :goodvibes

I went into hibernation a little over the weekend, and I'm just now getting caught up on your latest reviews.

1) Sorry you guys had a bad meal at Tangerine Cafe. I haven't gotten to it in my review yet, but we enjoyed our meal there. It wasn't any better than any Middle Eastern food we've had near home, but it was tasty. I did notice I sort-of unfriendly malaise with the people working there, though. When I asked the woman taking my order what the dessert choices were, she dryly said "baklava." We didn't ask for any substitutions in our meals, so maybe that would've resulted in disaster, who knows. It isn't the warmest of restaurants, you are right about that.

2) It looks like we really did sit at the same table at RR! Too funny! I really wanted to get the mixed grill with all that meat, but I wasn't hungry enough. If we ever make it back someday, I'll do it!

3) Sooooo regretting not hitting up Goofy's Candy Co. when we were in DTD! Everyone keeps posting about the tasty make-your-own treats, and yours looks especially delicious! Now we just have to go next time...although I'm bummed they don't take snack credits anymore.

I'm glad you guys had a better experience at Tangeriene Cafe!! Yes, dessert "choice" there is a bit of a misnomer hahaha. At the counter we did substitute one for a bottle of water, which didn't exactly happen :laughing:

Goofy's is SO worth the trip. They also do have pre-made treats in a bunch of different configurations, and I believe some of those count as snack credits. I also like getting the marshmallows, because they come skewered on a Mickey straw. Bonus souvenir!! :yay:

Love your update on Goofy Candy, I apprecaite the background...I can relate with all the doctors and test (it was 7 years of trying to get pregant and all the test and procedures...I tell myself only if we have a child...I can't wait to that the precious child to Disney and all the things I can show...7 years of test and doctors and all the ups and downs)

Things like Disney World (even just the thought of it) really do help get through the difficult times, don't they? Best wishes to you and your family! :hug:

I am so pleased that your treat at Goofy's lived up to all the anticipation :cool1:

:laughing: So was I! How could it not, really though? Massive treat caked in chocolate, candy, and more chocolate...how could it be better? :thumbsup2
 
Stringbean asked me to write this dining review and I jumped at the chance. This was one of my more anticipated breakfasts as I had been eyeing the steak and eggs for quite some time. And, due to food allergies (although the chef said he could make the dish without cinnamon, but I think it was my overly enthusiastic attitude towards the steak and eggs) Stringbean had to abandon her original idea of the citrus pancakes and follow my culinary footsteps….

We arrived at the Grand Floridian a few minutes early in order to take a gander at the giant, meta-gingerbread house (which I call “meta” on account that they make smaller ginger bread houses within it.) It is quite impressive and I wholeheartedly suggest taking a trek to see it if you are at Disney during the holidays.



The restaurant continues the Victorian theme of the hotel, the wait staff is also in period garb, and the restaurant has a bit of a bed-and-breakfast feel to it. I started off with a frozen coffee (and by the thoroughly elated look on my face you can tell that it was delicious) and an orange juice (who is poking his head out in the bottom left corner of the pic. Sorry OJ, no real face time for you.)



Stringbean had a hot cocoa, something that became a daily breakfast ritual for her, as well as another glass of OJ. She enjoyed her hot cocoa, but says it wasn’t quite as good as the one from Kona café. She felt that “it was missing that extra chocolatey drizzle oomph.” She was offered marshmallows or whipped cream. She opted for the latter.



Now on to the meat and potatoes…. and eggs… and herb cream sauce. This was like no other steak and eggs I have ever had. Atop this mountain of delights we have twin filet mignons topped with a tomato relish, sitting on a spinach and sausage frittata, nestled amongst potatoes.



Above is Stringbean's plate, with the herb cream sauce on the side. Below is the dish as it normally arrives.



The twin filets were perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. The frittata was a great accompaniment, not overstuffed with oversized fillings, and the potatoes went well with the herb cream sauce. In my opinion, this was the best breakfast of the trip and among my top 3 breakfasts of all time (that’s right, I keep tabs on my top breakfasts for future reference.)

To directly quote Stringbean



“…it was a bit different than what I normally choose for breakfast, but I was glad I got it. I know if I hadn't gotten it and Wingnut had, I would have been looking at his plate all jealous the whole time.” (HA. I would have inspired breakfast envy.:woohoo:) She goes on to say “I thought it was good, the sauce was really good with everything. I liked the eggs a lot, and having steak with breakfast was a vacation-y treat.”

There is only one way to sum up breakfast here.



It’s all in the facial expression. :teeth:
 


I really loved my breakfast at the Grand Floridian too. I had a skillet thing, but your steak and eggs look amazing, as does the frozen coffee. Only sad thing is that next year, only one beverage is going to be served at breakfast on the dxdp. I'll have to bring my own coffee in the plastic mug so I can have OJ with my breakfast too.
You guys have such great pictures too.:goodvibes
 
We are not going to Disney until Feb. 2012 but I love reading all your reviews and will be putting raglan road and goofy,s on our list. Thanks for all the great reviews:thumbsup2
 
Thinking of switching from Chef Mickey's to GF Cafe for one of our breakfasts. Now your review is making me lean even more towards that decision!
 
Hello guys. This is one of the best dining reviews I've ever read on the boards. I'm going to have to try Jiko now for the duck dish. Your descriptions are out of this world! Can't wait to read more. Happy New Year!
 
I really loved my breakfast at the Grand Floridian too. I had a skillet thing, but your steak and eggs look amazing, as does the frozen coffee. Only sad thing is that next year, only one beverage is going to be served at breakfast on the dxdp. I'll have to bring my own coffee in the plastic mug so I can have OJ with my breakfast too.
You guys have such great pictures too.:goodvibes

Welcome, thank you!! That's disappointing about the one beverage now, I enjoyed having hot cocoa along with my necessary citrus :laughing:. Planning ahead will be definitely necessary!

Yum, that looks delish! Steak and eggs is my favorite breakfast!

It was!! I'd never had it before (which is strange, I love both components!), and loved it! :goodvibes

We are not going to Disney until Feb. 2012 but I love reading all your reviews and will be putting raglan road and goofy,s on our list. Thanks for all the great reviews:thumbsup2

Welcome, thank you!! They are definitely fun choices to add to your list! While you're in Downtown Disney visiting them, don't forget to swing by Ghirardelli for a free sample of chocolate! :thumbsup2

Thinking of switching from Chef Mickey's to GF Cafe for one of our breakfasts. Now your review is making me lean even more towards that decision!

I ate at Chef Mickeys a few years ago, honestly I wasn't really wowed. You do get to meet the big-name characters, but the food is pretty meh, and the atmosphere is chaotic. Grand Floridian Cafe was a much better choice for us, it's really tasty food, and a nice and quiet place to start the morning (also we don't have much interest in meeting characters).

Hello guys. This is one of the best dining reviews I've ever read on the boards. I'm going to have to try Jiko now for the duck dish. Your descriptions are out of this world! Can't wait to read more. Happy New Year!

Hi, welcome! Thank you so much!! And Happy New Year to you too! :goodvibes

Jiko truly was fantastic, I know Wingnut will whole-heartedy recommend the duck, but everything we had was great, and the other menu choices looked wonderful too!
 
Great reviews y'all!! I can't decide which of your writing styles I prefer as they're both fantastic ~ keep 'em coming please!! :)
 
Great reviews y'all!! I can't decide which of your writing styles I prefer as they're both fantastic ~ keep 'em coming please!! :)

Welcome, thank you so much!! We both really enjoy writing the reviews, it's fun to keep reminding yourself of great vacation food! Glad you are enjoying them! :goodvibes
 
Does anyone else experience this? I'm starting to get all sad that our reviews are practically half-over...it feels just like that "vacation's half-over" realization. But we still haven't gone on Soarin'! We still haven't gotten a squishee from France! (Don't worry, we will...).

I was looking through my pics from our previous trip (December 2009), and realized that almost all of them are pretty relevant still. (Also, these were uploaded when I was using my other computer with Photoshop on it, so they're a bit prettier.)

(And no, this isn't an attempt to keep that vacation feeling around for an extra day or two. Nope. Just doing my duties as a food scavenger and reporter :thumbsup2.)

Flashing back now...pixiedust:



My first experience with the Napoleons. Love promptly ensued. :love:



Wingnut and I went on this trip with my parents. We weren't just stocking up on Napoleon-y goodness. (Although that WOULD have been a good idea...ah hindsight...)



We were celebrating my mom's birthday on this trip, and this was the celebration surprise from Boma. From left to right, from the best of my recall, we've got a fruit jelly, an apple pastry, a macaron (side note: Are these really going to be the new pastry trend? They seem to lack the same frosting-y whimsy of a cupcake.), and a truffle.



These came from the little stand/hut in Mexico that looked like it stuck around from the Food and Wine Festival that used to be pretty much the first thing you saw after the bridge coming from Future World. That one. Actually, very good. However, I'm not sure that the stand is still there, so this one is probably pretty unhelpful. But it was still tasty.



Carrot Cake Cookie from the Writer's Stop in DHS. We actually didn't visit this little coffee shop during our most recent trip, so let me just sing my praises of here for one moment. If you've never stopped (ha) by, it is a small-ish place that sells coffee and pastries, along with books, and has a few cozy chairs as well. It's an incredibly pleasant place to pause for a few minutes and easily forget you're in a theme park (but then the little DDP snack credit icons around the pastries snap you back to reality). The Writer's Stop doesn't have the same ginormous cupcakes that Starring Rolls does (I could be wrong), but they do have a bunch of sweet treats, including this rich and cakey cookie.



A nice alternative to Beaches and Cream during the busier hours is The Fountain at the Dolphin (ground floor, to the left of the elevators). They have a selection of menu items and frozen confections to suit pretty much any palette (yes, even us lactose intolerant). Above is Wingnut's Coco Loco shake.



And here is my sundae, made with yummy raspberry sorbet. And mini M&M's. Gotta have those.



I believe Wingnut had mentioned that we had been to Raglan Road before. Here is the Keen Eye for the Shepard's Pie that he had ordered. (He really enjoyed this.)



I had gotten the Fish and Chips, a nice-sized portion of the classic dish. (I actually enjoyed the Fish and Chips at Yorkshire County Fish Shop in Epcot a teensy bit more, but both were very good.)



(I am now realizing that these pictures are a bit out of order. Whoops.)

Alright, so we had seen pictures of the Dalkey Duo on the Dis, and thought that it looked good. We also totally thought that the dish was comprised solely of the 6 little sausages that you see speared on the forks, so we ordered two for the table.

What we didn't realize is that they come accompanied by a little bowl of little sausages. Both of them! Our table was a forest of little deep-fried sausages. So we in actuality had the Dalkey Quartet this evening, which was a touch too many Dalkeys for us. Very good, but not a light appetizer. :laughing:



This was another moment during this trip that I fell in love. This year, the bread had come as little individual rolls (same taste), and that wonderful fantastic dipping sauce. I wish I had some now. (It would be really convenient to be on that Food Network show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". Upon saying that previous sentence, a plate of bread and dipping sauce would have just been put in my hands :rotfl:)



Not there anymore, but while we were there they had a Parisian Cosmo slush in addition to the Grey Goose and Grand Marnier in France. A bit tart for my taste, but that certainly doesn't mean that I didn't drink (and finish) it. :rolleyes1



(Actually, this will be useful for backstory in an upcoming review)

Ooooh this chocolate crepe was so good. And the artistic chocolate decorations the CM created while it was cooking added much charm and whimsy to this snack.



Oh funnel cake. How I love you. This particular one is from Sleepy Hollow in MK, and let me assure you, it is wonderful. A must-do treat that we inexplicably did not do on our trip. :sad2:



Breakfast at Kouzzina. Either my dad or Wingnut had this French Toast.



Oh ok, this is what Wingnut had (I'd know that arm anywhere :hug:). Dad had the French Toast. This is the Classic Golden Waffle with Whipped Marscapone Cheese. He also had the chicken sausage with this. I remember Wingnut really enjoying this.



Mom and I both had the Stacked Kouzinna Breakfast, which we both liked a lot (spoiler alert: This dish may make a future appearance in these reviews). It was a great and different breakfast than the usual WDW offerings.

So that concludes the little snippet into our previous dining adventures! Kona Cafe lunch to come soon, when I am able to get feedback from Wingnut as well!
 
Thanks for the update on Grand Floridain Cafe, we always had great meals there. I miss not staying at GF b/c we love the just walking to the restuarant (even w/o ADR we always got a sit anytime). Thanks for the wonderful pictures.
 
Thanks for the update on Grand Floridain Cafe, we always had great meals there. I miss not staying at GF b/c we love the just walking to the restuarant (even w/o ADR we always got a sit anytime). Thanks for the wonderful pictures.

Thanks! It was our first time going there, but everyone's reviews always looked so good, we had to give it a try. I'd definitely love to try it for lunch too! :goodvibes

had to double check that GF was breakfast not lunch LOL. Like the look of Kouzzinas for breakfast too.

:laughing: Nope, just a very hearty breakfast!! Kouzzina has a great breakfast as well, both are nice relaxing places before hitting the parks. :thumbsup2
 
After our delicious breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe, Wingnut and I made our way back to the Magic Kingdom for another morning of our favorites (Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Philharmagic, etc.). Around 11 or so, we found ourselves back in the vicinity of the castle, discussing lunch. We had our ADR for Kona Cafe at 12, but were still interested in trying to get into one of the places that had turned us away earlier in the week at Epcot (Chefs de France, Via Napoli, Tutta Italia) because of no walk-ups.

I tried calling Disney Dining, but unfortunately they were going through system updates, and were unable to help me book reservations. Winging it didn't seem like a good plan, considering it was already fast approaching the lunch hour.

"To Kona?"

"To Kona. Oooh, a Photopass!"

(The second person may or may not have been me...:rolleyes1)



(The Photopass photographer was absolutely thrilled to be able to use the prop mistletoe she had brought along that day :goodvibes.)

Making our way back down the middle of Main Street USA, we arrived at the boat launch for the Polynesian. We meandered around the area for a few minutes, debating if we were actually in the right place while boats pulled up to docks all around us. Then, as we were about to move on to other forms of transportation, someone came into line behind us. This was reassuring, but it was even more reassuring when a boat pulled up soon after. We were on our way! :woohoo:



Upon entering the Polynesian, we came across two CM's playing a giant game of Jenga.



We stayed and watched for a few minutes, but missed the conclusion of the game, as it was time for food!

When we were seated at Kona, I advised our waiter about my food allergies (which include ginger). He said he would send the chef over, which happened in many of the restaurants we visited.

Wingnut and I originally were considering the sticky wings for two, but were not able to because of the chicken marinade. Okay. He chose the duck potstickers instead. I was thinking about just skipping the appetizer, when he suggested the crab cakes I had looked at before. The chef said he could make them allergy-free. Okay.



Wingnut's potstickers. He says that they were good, tasty, and that they were a good portion size.



My crab cakes were unfortunately not very enjoyable. They had a very mushy and soft texture, but did have a few sizable bits of crab. I couldn't get past the texture (a bit like chicken salad, for comparison), and hid most of my portion underneath the sauce and under other garnishes (as I was pretty sure these had been made allergen-free for me and didn't want to be rude).

For his main course, Wingnut chose the Miso-Glazed Mahi-Mahi.



Wingnut: "I didn't care for this at all. The Mahi Mahi had no flavor, and the combination of it with the macadamia nuts added nothing. The plantains underneath the fish were as hard as rocks. I didn't order well on my entree, unfortunately."

Scanning the options on the menu that would be least likely to include ginger, I chose the Barbecue Pork Tacos.



These were okay, the puffy fried taco was interesting. The pork was a bit oily, I had a puddle of it on my plate very quickly. The little salad on the side wasn't bad. I liked the inclusion of the pears, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was allergic to something in there (could have just been a coincidence, my lips were beginning to tingle when I ate it :confused:), so I didn't have much of it.

Dessert has to turn things around, right?

Of course right. :thumbsup2



Wingnut chose the Chocolate Fondue, which he called "the highlight of the meal. The fondue was good chocolate, and the plate included good fruit to dip with, along with lace cookies and macaroons which were also pretty good." His favorite item on the plate was the strawberries.





I decided on the Banana Chocolate Creme Brulee (second picture included to show the chocolate bottom of the dish). This was pretty good, definitely not the best creme brulee ever (Which Wingnut would refer you to the Amarula Creme Brulee at Jiko, if asked :thumbsup2). The bruleed banana was a nice accompaniment.

Despite having to deal with an allergy to a pretty prevalent ingredient here, the staff was very kind and professional, and truly did their best to accommodate us. However, it was a bit of a disappointing meal (even without the food allergies in consideration). I also noticed that the meal was a bit slow-paced (possibly due to the allergies, but the other diners around us were taking around the same amount of time), especially for a lunch.

Ah well, time to move along for more food!! :yay:
 

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