A week of Disney dining in photos COMPLETE May 2

[rjrcstan]

Following...going in month and am taking notes!

 

[liamsaunt]

Here's the final installment on the Flower and Garden booths.

Florida Fresh. The guys tried the Carne Guisada with Black Bean Cake and Cilantro Lime Sour Cream



They did not have much to say about this, but they finished it so it could not have been bad

The kids sampled the Key Lime Tart with Toasted Meringue



The loved this. I thought the custard was too sweet (I prefer a really tart key lime pie), but the pastry crust was excellent.

Next up, Fleur de Lys. We sampled the Tart a la Tomate Provencale: Provencal Tomato Tart with Sautéed Onions, Fresh Thyme, and Rosemary on a Flaky Pastry Crust



Consensus was that this was just OK. It was a little bland and greasy. I think i felt the same way about last year's version of this dish.

Meanwhile, the kids were devouring the Macaron au Chocolat en Sucette: Large Chocolate Macaron Lollipop




I snagged a bite and much preferred last year's version with the raspberry macaron and chocolate filling. Not that this one was bad, it was just extremely chocolatey.

My sister and I enjoyed our own desert of La Vie en Rose Frozen Slush: Grey Goose Vodka L'Orange, St. Germain Liqueur, White and Red Cranberry Juice



I can see why this is so popular! It was very refreshing. I wish I had gotten to this earlier in the trip because I would have gone back for another one!

Next up was Cider House. The guys tried the Pear Cider-brined Shredded Corned Beef with Cabbage, Pears, and Branston Dressing



This rated a solid "meh" with them. It went unfinished. Meanwhile, my sister and I attempted to share the House Made Potato and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with Smoked Salmon Tartare



This got a big "meh" from us as well! The biscuit was heavy and the smoked salmon was not the quality that I am used to. I'll admit to being a bit of a fish snob, and I saw lots of other people seemingly enjoying it, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. This also went unfinished.

My niece and nephew tried the Freshly Baked Lemon Scone with Creme Fraiche and Mixed Berries



Another "meh!" Cider House was a bit of a bust for us.

Finally, we stopped at Northern Bloom, where we ate the Seared Scallops with French Green Beans, Butter Potatoes, Brown-Butter Vinaigrette, and Applewood-Smoked Bacon



The scallops and green beans were nicely cooked, but the sauce was a bit greasy. That did not stop us from eating it!

The kids tried the Griddled Maple Pound Cake with Warm Peach Compote and Sweet Corn Gelato



The enjoyed the gelato and the peaches but said the cake was too dense and they also thought that popcorn on dessert is weird

And that concludes the tour of the Flower and Garden Festival! There's lots more food to come. Next up: Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen.

 

[liamsaunt]

Skipper Canteen

Our first full day in the parks was at Magic Kingdom, and I planned a late lunch for us at Skipper Canteen. We were kept waiting for about 15 minutes past our ADR time, which was fine, but I was surprised when we were brought in to see that the restaurant was mostly empty. It stayed that way through our entire meal. No walk ups were being accepted (and many people asked while we were waiting for our table), so I assume it was a staffing issue. Anyway, on to the food.

I was happy to see that you could get beer or wine with your meal, though (shockingly for my group) none of us took advantage. This trip was mostly fueled by vast amounts of unsweetened ice tea haha.

My husband was not hungry enough for a full entree, so he ordered the Jungle Falls Salad: Skipper Bill's Hearty Mixed Greens, Seasonal Squash, Green Apples, Preserved Lemons, and Spiced Walnuts tossed with an Apple Cider Vinaigrette, and the Falls Family Falafel: A secret recipe of Chickpeas, Garlic, Onions, Lemon Juice, and Herbs served with White Bean Dip and Tomato-Cucumber Salad. These were $9/each



He really enjoyed the salad, said it was crisp and refreshing. The falafel was good but not as good as what he can get at home. He was satisfied.

Two members of our group ordered the Tastes Like Chicken Because it is (sauce on the side): Crispy-fried Chicken with Citrus and Ginger-scented Rice, Chili Glaze, and Seasonal Vegetables ($24)



I tasted a bite of this and thought it was awfully salty, but both people who ordered it finished it.

My brother in law and I both ordered The Perkins Thai Noodles: Chicken, Tofu, Seasonal Vegetables, and Rice Noodles tossed in a Spicy Soy-Chili-Garlic Sauce. ($22)



This had a kick to it! It was fine for me, but my BIL said it was at the limit of what he finds enjoyable for a spice limit. He still managed to finish it I would have preferred more vegetable and less noodles, but dug out enough veggies to be satisfied.

My sister had the Curried Vegetable Crew Stew: Seasonal Vegetables in a House-made Curry Sauce served with Coconut Rice ($18). The stew had cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, green beans, and butternut squash. This also came with naan which was not in the menu description. She really enjoyed the flavor but said it could have been warmer. Unfortunately the photo came out blurry so you will have to imagine it. It looked really tasty to me and I'll probably get this dish if we go back.

Finally, my nephew had the A Lot at Stake Salad: Grilled Steak, Romaine Lettuce, Spring Mix, Pickled Jalapeños, Red Onion, Queso Fresco, and Pumpkin Seeds tossed with Chimichurri Vinaigrette ($18)



(you can catch a glimpse of the Curried Vegetable Crew Stew in the background)

He loved this and devoured it. We were all too full for dessert. Overall, we rated this an enjoyable meal. It was quiet in the restaurant and it was nice to get out of the sun for a couple of hours.

Next up: Dinner at the California Grill

 

[samsteele]

Yum! Your pics are incredible

We were kept waiting for about 15 minutes past our ADR time, which was fine, but I was surprised when we were brought in to see that the restaurant was mostly empty. It stayed that way through our entire meal. No walk ups were being accepted (and many people asked while we were waiting for our table), so I assume it was a staffing issue.

I found the same thing the last two times I have been to Skippers. Don't know if they haven't figured out the staffing or what's up. Sad to see the podium turn away so many guests. Guess the secret is out that it's a great place for great food.

 

[TinkTank01]

Really enjoying your reviews and pictures! Following along!

 

[jsmla]

I'm really enjoying all of the pictures-you have me all excited for Flower and Garden. Thanks so much for taking the time!

 

[SweetSerenity]

Great photos! Can't wait to read more.

 

[speeb]

I was only planning ONE TS meal for next month (PPO Garden Grill), but then I read your Skipper Canteen review and remembered home much I loved it on our last trip. Sigh. Reservation made.

 

[Shelleyfs]

It all looks so delicious! You take amazing pictures!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

What great photos! Enjoying your reviews

 

[ChipDale]

Thanks for the reviews and the pictures. I really shouldn't be viewing this when I'm hungry. We are considering trying the Skipper Canteen so thanks especially for the great pictures and descriptions!

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Thanks for getting me back on the DIS! Can’t wait to go back a read a little later.

 

[liamsaunt]

California Grill

We had a 5:10 ADR for California Grill. We arrived on time and were immediately escorted upstairs. The woman at the podium said they would text us when our table was ready. I'd say we waited about 30 seconds before getting the text We were seated at a lovely window-side table near the exit to the observation deck. We started with drinks



There were seven of us, so I could not fit everyone's in the photo. Mine is the drink in the center, a blueberry martini of some kind. I did not take notes and the cocktail menu is different online than it was in the restaurant.

The group decided to share all of the flatbreads as a starter. This one is the Poached Pear: Red Wine-poached Asian Pear, Olli Prosciutto, Red Onion Jam, Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan, Meyer Lemon, Arugula, fresh Cracked Pepper ($17)



i thought it was fine. My niece and sister really liked it.

This is the artichoke and truffle: White Soubise, Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan, Artichokes, Truffle, Black Garlic ($17)



It may not look like much, but it was incredible! All of the adults were swooning over this one. The teens would not touch it. I've tried (unsuccessfully) to recreate it at home.

Finally, we have the pepperoni: House-made Pepperoni, Tomato Conserva, Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Basil-Oregano Pistou ($16)



The pepperoni is made in-house. I don't eat beef or pork (except for bacon haha) but my pepperoni pizza loving nephew thought this was pretty fantastic. The other guys enjoyed it too.

Neither my sister, my niece, nor I wanted a full entree. My sister and I got the same thing: Caesar salad: Caesar Dressing, Coppa Secca, Roasted Tomatoes, Black Pepper Puppodum ($16)



My niece ate all of my coppa This was tasty but very large. My sister and I should have split one rather than getting our own.

We also had a bowl of the brown butter parsnip soup: Alto Mayo Coffee Gastrique, Nueske's Bacon Gremolata, Espelette Pepper Oil ($14)



This was so delicious! Very rich though. My husband helped me finish it. He's willing to sacrifice like that.

My niece went for another appetizer for her entree, the Rotisserie smoked beef short rib: Cracked Hominy Grits, Green Mango Kimchi, Blood Orange Oil, Citrus-Chili Barbecue ($17)



She's a big short rib fan and thought this was pretty fantastic.

My nephew just wanted a cheese plate for dinner because he had eaten most of the pepperoni flatbread and was planning on getting dessert (hey, it's vacation)



I don't remember what the cheeses were but he ate them all ($21)

Other entrees ordered included the scallops



This one is not on the online menu so I'm not sure what the sides are. I think it was $46. It was devoured.

The oak-fired filet of beef: Potato-Rutabaga Gratin, Leek-Brussels Sprouts-Manchego Cheese Fondue, Tamarind-Barbecue Sauce ($49)



This was my husband's and he enjoyed it very much. The steak was perfectly cooked medium rare. He also mentioned that in the past when he has ordered this, sometimes the barbecue sauce overwhelmed the meat but this time he thought it was nicely balanced.

The final entree ordered was a swordfish (again, not on the online menu), that came with trumpet mushrooms, crispy kale, and polenta. I think it was $46. Devoured!



We took a break before dessert to enjoy the sunset



Only the teens had room for dessert (shocker). They chose the Pear Frangipane Tart: Pear Butter, Crème Fraîche Ice Cream, Vanilla Bean Shortbread, Brown Butter Crumble, Brandy-poached Pear Spheres ($14)



and the House-made churros: Spiced Chocolate Ganache, Caramelized Puffed Rice Clusters, Horchata Ice Cream ($13)



This was a great meal, with lovely service, delicious food, and some really nice wines by the glass for the adults. We were not rushed at all. I cannot tell you how much the final bill was because I misplaced all of our receipts (maybe on purpose haha!). I can say that we bought the Tables in Wonderland card and broke even on that early in our trip!

After dessert we had about 30 minutes before the fireworks were going to start, so we decided to pay the bill and go out to the observation deck so they could seat another group. They cleared and reset the table right away, but never actually seated anyone there before we left after the fireworks. I guess they assume the first seating is staying at their table through the fireworks? Anyway, here are some bonus Happily Ever After fireworks pictures from the observation deck.






Next up: Mamma Melrose's.

 

[pepperandchips]

Wow another fabulous review! What did you take your gorgeous photos with?

The cocktails look amazing, inspired me to go make myself a "sangria" in fact

This is the artichoke and truffle: White Soubise, Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan, Artichokes, Truffle, Black Garlic ($17)

Okay this looks and sounds like my beloved Carciofi pizza from Via Napoli! I may have to make time for California Grill on my next visit and hope that this is still on the menu.

It may not look like much, but it was incredible! All of the adults were swooning over this one. The teens would not touch it. I've tried (unsuccessfully) to recreate it at home.

If you figure out how, please share the recipe! Maybe I don't need to know...

Only the teens had room for dessert (shocker). They chose the Pear Frangipane Tart: Pear Butter, Crème Fraîche Ice Cream, Vanilla Bean Shortbread, Brown Butter Crumble, Brandy-poached Pear Spheres ($14)

OMG I NEED THIS DESSERT IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW I am on a diet so of course this is off limits but I can't imagine how heavenly this would be. I need all the almond desserts!

 

[Lisa F]

This review makes me sad I can't eat all the things at CA Grill! Everything looks so good. Agree the photography is amazing. I'm just lucky if it's in focus and not too dark, lol. Can't wait to hear about mama melrose.

 

[TigerKat]

Stunning pics as usual! You've gotten me really excited for our upcoming ADR at CG, everything looks amazing.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Awesome photos once again! I would have been perfectly happy with those flatbreads and a salad at CA Grill, but everything looked wonderful!

 

[starousse]

Wonderful pictures. After seeing these, I'm going to give Cali Grill another shot. We had a terrible experience a couple of years ago and said we wouldn't return.

 

[liamsaunt]

Wow another fabulous review! What did you take your gorgeous photos with?

Thank you! My camera is a Canon 60D.

 

[liamsaunt]

Mamma Melrose's

So, I have not been to Mamma Melrose's in forever. In fact, the last time I ate there was the first trip to Disney I took with my then-boyfriend, now husband of 21 years! So it's been a long time. The only thing I remembered about it was that it was the first place I ever ate bread dipped in olive oil (hey, it was a long time ago!). We usually go to Brown Derby on our Studios days, but the past couple of trips found it disappointing, so wanted to branch out. In general I find the food at Studios to be not so great, so my expectations were low going in. We started with drinks



An assortment of margaritas from the standard Disney cocktail menu. All pretty average, but that's what we were expecting.

We once again decided to share some flatbreads to start. This is the Carne d'Italia flatbread: with Pepperoni, House-made Sausage, Pancetta, and spicy Marinara Sauce ($17)



I did not try it, but those who did seemed to enjoy it. The crust looked good.

Next up we have the margarita flatbread: Fresh Vine-ripened Tomatoes, Mozzarella, House-made Marinara Sauce, fresh Basil, and drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($15)



Just your standard tomato-cheese pizza. I thought the tomato sauce plus sliced tomatoes was a bit of overkill. Just one or the other would have been better.

Finally, we chose the mushroom flatbread: Roasted Cremini and Button Mushrooms with a Roasted Vidalia Onion Spread topped with a Fontina and Asiago Cheese finished with Balsamic Reduction and fresh Herbs ($15)



I LOVE anything mushroom so enjoyed this. Cheese, mushrooms, bread--it's all good to me!

For entrees, nothing really stood out to me, so my sister and I decided to share an order of the wood-grilled chicken and penne pasta: with House-made Four-Cheese Sauce garnished with Pecorino Romano Cheese and Parsley ($20)



Look at this sad pasta. This was not good. The sauce was incredibly bland. No amount of salt and pepper could save this sauce. I only ate enough to justify my glass of wine My brother in law ordered this and was also disappointed.

Others were more pleased with their selections. My nephew ordered the chicken parmesan: Breaded Chicken Breast with Marinara Sauce topped with Melted Mozzarella over Spaghetti ($23)



When I asked him for his opinion he said "much better than the chicken parm at college, much worse than the chicken parm you make." My nephew, he's a smart young man ;-) I'd say he ate about 2/3rds of this.

My niece went with the Charred strip steak: Four-Cheese Macaroni with Pancetta, Aged Balsamic-Shallot Butter, and Chianti Wine Reduction ($33)



The sauce on the steak makes it look burned but it was not, the steak was actually perfectly cooked medium rare. She ate the entire thing. The pasta went uneaten as she hates pasta (??).

Our friend ordered the saltimbocca: Pork Tenderloin topped with Prosciutto, Sage, Fontina Cheese, Tuscan Mashed Potatoes, Broccolini, and Lemon Caper Sauce ($28)



He did not say much about it but finished it, so it must have been pretty good.

I don't have a picture, but my husband, sister and I all shared a mixed greens salad: with fresh Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Artichoke Hearts, Feta Cheese, and Red Wine-Oregano Vinaigrette ($10). That was the favorite part of the meal for all of us. The salad was generous and the vinaigrette was tasty. If i come back here i think I will just get one of these salads for my meal.

The kids ordered dessert. Tiramisu: Layers of Mascarpone and Espresso soaked Lady Fingers topped with Cocoa Powder and Whipped Cream ($8)



and a dessert sampler: Miniature versions of Mama’s favorite Desserts Valencia Blood Orange Cake, Lemon Cheesecake topped with Passion Fruit Pearls, and Tiramisù ($6.50)



Both were finished but neither were raved over.

Overall I was not too pleased with this meal. I won't be rushing back. Maybe in another 25 years I just don't have good luck with the food at Studios. The only place we have not tried is 50's Prime Time Cafe, so maybe that will be where we eat on our next Studios day.

Up next: Satu'li Canteen, various snacks and quick service stops, and a big meal at Jiko.