A short DxDP experiment starring Artist Point x2! COMPLETE: AP, Wave, and a Surprise!

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Last time (aka about 3 weeks ago), we enjoyed our meals at various signatures, including California Grill, Flying Fish Cafe, Brown Derby, and Narcoossee's. However, Artist Point topped them all and remained our favorite signature restaurant.

Fast forward about 2 weeks later, and we spotted a Disney Parks Blog entry about the arrival of Copper River king salmon at Artist Point. The salmon is only available for about 3 weeks of the year, so since we're big fans of AP and salmon, it seemed like enough of a reason to plan an impromptu WDW trip (that's what air miles and last-minute annual passholder rates are for!). Instead of paying for meals OOP, we decided to add the deluxe dining plan, so we could test it out on a short trip before deciding if we wanted it for our longer stays. Of course, Artist Point was our first dinner of the trip.

We arrived around 5:30 and were seated at the same window table as our previous meal there. It didn't take us long to pick what we wanted to order - we both went with the cedar-plank Copper River salmon, but we definitely wanted to have appetizers.

The sourdough bread, butter, and black sea salt was delicious as always.

The dungeness crab salad with cucumber mint sorbet, watermelon radish, and yuzu vinaigrette was also great again. It's such a light and refreshing appetizer, with the sorbet having a ton of flavor. The black sea salt on the plate provided an excellent contrast to the sweetness and minty flavor of the dish.

I decided to try a different appetizer this time: the spring pea risotto with crispy Snake River Farms pork belly, radish salad, and goat cheese crisp. I was nervous that this dish would be overly heavy, but I was wrong. It was so good! The risotto had a peppery flavor, and the creaminess was excellent with the crispy pork belly. The pork belly texture was perfect - normally I don't eat the fat portion because it feels slimy or congealed, but this didn't taste like that at all. It was such a delicious appetizer, and surprisingly beautiful for a bowl of risotto. Plus, the portion was perfect.

After our appetizers, we were very excited to receive the cedar-plank salmon, with confit artichokes, petit zucchini, baby carrots, and bacon-egg vinaigrette. The dish was very similar to the last time I had it, although this time there was slightly less bacon flavor (which I didn't mind because it put more spotlight on the salmon). Everything tasted great together - I love the combination of salty artichoke, sweet carrot, zucchini, salmon, and bacon-egg vinaigrette (the concept of a breakfast vinaigrette is just so cool to me).

I almost forgot to mention - Artist Point has added some sides to their menu again (glazed heirloom carrots, three cheese mac, and corn soufflé with tomato marmalade), and the sides were included on the DxDP! We tried the carrots and the corn soufflé. The carrots were nice because they weren't too sweet - they had a very herby flavor, and the coloring was just beautiful.

But the corn soufflé was our favorite of the two sides. It was so light and fluffy, and the tomato marmalade on top was the perfect accompaniment. It was sweet and tangy, almost like barbecue sauce.

Finally, it was time for dessert. Despite not liking it very much on our previous meal, we both decided to order the Artist Point cobbler.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I think the Artist Point Cobbler deserves a post on its own. It's the signature dessert at Artist Point, and it's gone through many changes over the years.

The first time I had it, the bowl was full of fresh berries, and the cobbler itself had more of a scone-like texture. It was studded with blueberries. We loved this dish.

Last summer, I ordered the cobbler as usual. To my horror, it had changed completely.

Gone were the fresh berries or scone-like base. Instead was a rather ordinary, gooey berry filling covered with a heavy crust. The flavors were more muddled - whether the berries were fresh or canned, I couldn't have even noticed because it just seemed like pie filling in the middle. It was extremely disappointing, and I haven't seen any positive feedback about this incarnation of the cobbler. I stayed away from the cobbler until this past week. I had heard it had changed again, but I didn't know if that was for better or worse.

Here is the Artist Point Cobbler, as it was two nights ago.

From the outside, I couldn't tell much. The fresh berries were back, and the ice cream was raspberry once again, but I was still curious about the cobbler itself. So I looked closer and cut into it:

Success! The texture of this cobbler was much closer to the one I had first tried a few years ago. Lighter, scone-like, and with warm blueberries that I could actually taste. Another thing that makes this dessert amazing is that the cobbler was very warm, while the berries on top started out very cold. So initially, the berries were fresh and cool. But as time went on, the berries began to cook as they made contact with the cobbler. I thought it was really cool that the flavors seemed to change as I kept eating it - I don't know if this is intentional or not, but I definitely loved it. The black raspberry ice cream on top was cold, creamy, and delicious and provided even more berry flavor as it melted on top of the warm cobbler.

We also ordered some tea along with our dessert - health and well-being green, and mountain berry (flavored with saskatoon berries). Both teas were very good, but I very much enjoyed the mountain berry tea that seems to fit Artist Point's theme so well.

The meal was excellent from start to finish, with the news about the berry cobbler really providing the perfect end to the meal. Everything we ordered was covered by the DxDP, and our meal came to $187 before tip. That's $46.75 per credit, which I think is a pretty good value for a signature restaurant. Overall, Artist Point always makes us happy whether we're paying OOP or using credits there, and it was once again one of the highlights of our trip.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

This was a short trip, but there's still more to come, including:

Roaring Fork waffles
Coral Reef lunch
Le Cellier lunch
Fun with snack credits
Artist Point (again)
The Wave lunch

 

[irongirlof12]

I can't wait to try AP in October, I love salmon and the cobbler sounds and looks delish...already know what I am having!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

AP was our favorite meal last trip ... actually probably of any meal we have ever eaten at WDW! Cannot wait to go back this year!

Thanks so much for the review. Looking forward to the rest!

 

[Linda67]

Wonderful review and photos of AP

I tried the regular salmon as couple of weeks ago and it was delicious, I wish I could try the Copper River variety.

I also had the cobbler and loved it but I hadn't had it before so can't compare

Looking forward to the rest of your reviews

 

[MickeyNicki]

I have never wanted to eat at AP more than I do right this second! So glad I have it on the agenda for Oct

 

[Dancind]

Love that you made a trip for the salmon. We would do that too, but we are just too far away.

AP is on our list every time, too. We love the selections of Washington state wines.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I can't wait to try AP in October, I love salmon and the cobbler sounds and looks delish...already know what I am having!

I have never wanted to eat at AP more than I do right this second! So glad I have it on the agenda for Oct

I hope the menu at AP doesn't change too much by October! I love how Artist Point really keeps things seasonal, but sometimes it's really sad to see certain dishes go off the menu at signatures. Hope you both have great meals at Artist Point in a few months!

And I'm glad to hear that so many people on the boards love Artist Point. Sometimes I feel like Artist Point is the neglected signature - I've never seen it busy (except during free dining in summer 2008), and I don't see it mentioned often on the boards.

Coral Reef review is coming up!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Artist Point wasn't the first meal of the trip. However, I wanted to start things off on a positive note. Earlier that day, I had lunch at Coral Reef. I wasn't very impressed when I came here last August, but it is an excellent value on the DDP, and I knew I would order different dishes this time. The strip steak seems to get decent feedback, so I knew I would go with that.

I arrived about 20 minutes before my ADR time, and I waited for 18 minutes to be seated at an awesome table next to the tank. Right away, a stingray sat down and stared at me for the first half of my meal (the same thing happened in jabead's review! I guess that stingray really wants to be part of our world).

I ordered a water and a minute maid light pomegranate lemonade to drink (I don't usually get soft drinks, but on the DDP I don't mind). I really like that drink, and the service was friendly and efficient. Soon, the rolls arrived, and they were warm unlike last time. I considered this to be a good start to the meal.

To start, I ordered the crispy fried shrimp with a jicama slaw and spiced remoulade. The shrimp tasted like fried shrimp, and the jicama slaw was crispy but didn't taste very fresh. The remoulade was tasty and sweet, but I don't really remember what it tasted like. To be honest, I was far more captivated by the sharks, turtles, and schools of fish swimming around than I was by any of the food.

My entree was the grilled New York strip steak with horseradish smashed potatoes and asparagus. I don't know why I ordered this because I don't love strip steak, but it was pretty fatty. I hate fatty meat, and there were times when I had to pull fat out of my mouth because I couldn't make myself swallow it. The potatoes were okay, but some bites tasted a lot like horseradish (which I like) while others had little flavor. The asparagus was good.

For dessert, I went with the chocolate wave, which I've had before. It was better this time because of the cool raspberry gelato (it wasn't part of the dish last time). But this dessert doesn't really compare to California Grill's valrhona chocolate cake.

My meal at Coral Reef was $58.22 excluding tip, which is an excellent value for 1 credit on the DxDP. However, I would say the food was okay (less than good). I'm glad I didn't pay nearly $60 OOP for that food, and I can honestly say I've had better food at Applebee's. This is by no means an insult to Applebee's, as I've actually enjoyed sizzling steaks and desserts there in the past. Applebee's isn't honestly that bad, but sadly Coral Reef is no longer that good. I still remember how much I loved my meal there about 11 years ago, and I keep hoping that the food will improve. But next time, I'll skip Coral Reef and go inside the pavilion to watch the fish for free.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

The following day, I had lunch at Le Cellier. My last lunch experience here was not good, mainly because of the prime rib sandwich and lunch poutine. This time, however, I knew I would order differently. I feel very lucky to have gotten this ADR in the first place, as the availability only appeared on Saturday night (2 days in advance, as this lunch was on Monday).

Between my blah experience at Coral Reef and amazing meal at Artist Point, I was worried that Le Cellier wouldn't be able to deliver. The reviews here seem to be getting worse and worse, which is never an encouraging sign, but I was excited for this meal anyway.

To drink, I chose the strawberry milkshake. It was good, but the texture was icy instead of creamy. Still, I liked the taste.

The bread was very warm and tasty. I enjoy all three equally - multigrain, pretzel, and sourdough.

My appetizer was the roasted duck meatballs with a caramelized onion tartlet and a cherry gastrique. This was really, really good. The meatballs were very moist on the inside, with the crispy pastry, tart cherry flavor, and fresh herbs on top really making it a great appetizer. This is better than some signature appetizers I've had.

For my entree, I chose the signature mushroom filet mignon with wild mushroom risotto and white truffle-herb butter sauce. Wow - this really blew Coral Reef's steak out of the water. I ordered it medium-well, and my friendly server recommended that the steak be butterflied so it wouldn't overly char. It was a good recommendation, and the steak was cooked to my liking without any chewy, fatty, or burnt parts. The risotto wasn't too salty for me (despite being a common complaint on the boards), but it was creamy and tasted great with the mushrooms. Finally, the truffle sauce was delicious - I love the taste of truffle and wish it were used at more restaurants. Plus, the portion was really generous.

I don't know why, but I ordered the bumbleberry cobbler with oatmeal streusel and cheesecake ice cream for dessert. It was a good dessert. The cheesecake ice cream had a nice tangy flavor and melted on top of the cobbler, and I actually liked the oatmeal streusel as a crispy alternative to crust. But the fruit flavor (which included apple, pear, blackberry, and more) was a bit muddled. Bottom line - I would have enjoyed this dish more if I hadn't ordered Artist Point's berry cobbler the night before, but I still liked it.

Le Cellier lunch really impressed me this time. My meal was $52.89 before gratuity, so it wasn't as good a value as Coral Reef. However, I would take this food anytime over what I had there. Now I understand the hype surrounding Le Cellier a bit more, as this is definitely some of the best food that 1 credit can get you. Also, Le Cellier is now my favorite in-park restaurant (Hollywood Brown Derby is very close behind). I'm very happy to put my negative lunch experience in the past, and I look forward to returning here (for both lunch and dinner) in August.

 

[Euphoria027]

Glad you liked Le Cellier! I had the filet and the bumbleberry cobbler in January. I agree that the fruit flavor in the cobbler is a little muddled, but I loved that ice cream.

I'm loving your reviews! I'm definitely going to try Artist Point next time I go to WDW.

 

[Linda67]

Thanks for the LC review, everything looks great

It seem lunch is the way to go now that have switched to 2 credits for dinner.

Your steak sounds a lot better than the one that DH had a couple of weeks ago. He could hardly get his knife through it

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Glad you liked Le Cellier! I had the filet and the bumbleberry cobbler in January. I agree that the fruit flavor in the cobbler is a little muddled, but I loved that ice cream.

I'm loving your reviews! I'm definitely going to try Artist Point next time I go to WDW.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy Artist Point soon! It really has proven itself to be a standout meal for us.

And next time I go to Le Cellier, I'll order one of their more unique desserts (to avoid the need for such a direct comparison). The chocolate whiskey cake and maple crème brûlée sound pretty good!

Thanks for the LC review, everything looks great

It seem lunch is the way to go now that have switched to 2 credits for dinner.

Your steak sounds a lot better than the one that DH had a couple of weeks ago. He could hardly get his knife through it

In terms of what you get for the money, I have to admit that lunch is more worth it now, especially with credits. I thought the mushroom filet was really good, and I doubt I would even notice much of a difference at dinner time. But it's a shame that your husband's steak was so terrible. LC seems to be inconsistent in terms of feedback (my lunch there in January wasn't a positive one), so I hope they can really work it the problems soon!

 

[butiflfeet]

I can't wait to go back to Artist Point now! Too bad I have to wait for October to get here first!

We had a similar thought about Coral Reef from our last trip. The food was alright, just not worth what the price was. I'm really glad I was on the dining plan and didn't have to pay nearly as much for it as we would have if we were not on the dining plan!

 

[Tracerr00]

Your reviews make me wish that my taste in food was a little more daring!! You make things sound amazing! I'm kind of a wuss about trying new things so I have been holding off on trying the DxDP I will agree that the filet at Le Cellier is fabulous though. It's my favorite restaurant inside the park as well. I love your review style and I can't wait to read more!

 

[VrBchJ]

I agree 100% with your review of AP and Coral Reef. Artist Point is almost always good and Coral Reef is almost always bad. I've given up on it. It's a shame because the room is so interesting and distinct from any other WDW restaurant.

 

[Belle5]

I love AP! Your recent reviews have reminded me just how much I have loved our dinners there. I wish we would have dined there instead of Jiko earlier this year...

I adore the AP cobbler. I despised (with all my being) the bumbleberry cobbler at Le Cellier! I was not able to even choke two bites down.

Anyway, thanks for your reviews. I can't believe you were able to go back already! Well...yes I can. I went twice last on my AP that just expired. One year we went three or four times on an AP...

 

[mefordis]

LOVE your reviews and LOVE the pictures!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Since we were staying at Wilderness Lodge, I was really looking forward to trying some of the interesting waffles at Roaring Fork. They all look delicious!

Roaring Fork at Wilderness Lodge has amazing Mickey waffles!

The wilderness waffles had candied pecans and maple butter. These tasted like traditional waffles with a crunchy twist from the pecans.

The strawberry-orange waffles had strawberry slices and orange-infused whipped cream. This was my favorite - relatively light, fruity, and delicious!

-strawberries and orange-infused whipped cream

The bananas foster waffles were also great. Very much like a dessert.

I didn't even try the bacon because I only cared about the waffles, so I guess the bacon is just a nice bonus.