A few weeks ago I participated in a thread where I had to admit that, for the most part, I find the food at WDW restaurants to be mediocre in comparison to the cost. In many cases (like the theme restaurants in EPCOT, for example), I think you're generally paying a premium for the fun atmosphere .
Well, we finally found a restaurant that deserves high praise for food/service. Artist Point at WL was really exceptional.
We had priority seating but arrived early -- no problem, we were seated right away by one of those maniacally cheerful Disney CMs. Our server, a good-natured Asian woman named "Pok", was even more delightful. Upon arriving to take our drink orders, she told us about the resort, how it was inspired by Walt's visits to the great national parks out West, the geyser, even the construction of the building itself. This might have been a bit monotonous coming from someone else, but Pok's enthusiasm was infectious.
We decided to skip on wine and both ordered Chopin martinis, mine straight up and my wife's on the rocks. Both were perfect. (Bonus points for bringing the shaker to the table and pouring it out crackling cold for me.) Drink garnishes tell you a lot about the attention to detail at a bar/restaurant.
The lemon peel basking in my drink had that attractive curl to it that can only be acquired by preparing it in advance and drying it for a few hours.
I was also glad to see that the menu was not one of those minor novellas that take an hour to read. One page, maybe only 10 or so different choices of entrees, but all interesting. We both opted for the $49 three course prix fixe Chef's selection. (If you go that route, there are a few choices of soup/salad/entree/dessert so you're not locked into one particular menu.) The salad to start had Fresh Field Greens, Roasted Beets, Hazelnut Gremolata, Echo Mountain Blue Cheese, topped with Blackberry Vinaigrette, and it ranks in the top 3 dinner salads I've ever been served at a restaurant. Visually, it's colorful and attractive, and tasted fantastic. Even Pok noticed how quickly we polished them off.
For the entrees, the staff apparently is instructed to make a big to-do about the fact that this is Alaskan King Salmon season. They even provide a little flyer to read about them. And when they're served, the staff brings your huge chunk out on the cedar plank it roasted on, and it's put on to your plate still sizzling.
I only know that because we saw so many of those orders served around us. We'd had Salmon at our timeshare the night before, and both of us were hungry for beef. My wife ordered the Grilled Beef Tenderloin with celery root mashed potatoes, sauteed Swiss Chard and Dried Cranberry Espresso Sauce. I tasted it, and it was great, but in my opinion didn't come close to my Grilled Buffalo Sirloin Steak - with sweet potato-hazelnut gratin and sweet onion jam. I thought it sounded like it might be a bit too cloying with not one, but two sweet flavors competing with the meat, but it was amazing how the flavors complemented each other without becoming overpowering. And Pok made a point of reminding me that buffalo meat, in comparison to most other choices, is actually quite healthy, which kind of ruined the experience. How can I enjoy the meal if I know it's good for me?
For dessert, again the staff tried to steer us in a particular direction, pointing out that the Artist Point Cobbler - Seasonal berries and housemade black raspberry ice cream -- is the signature dessert. But we couldn't pass up the Coffee Two Ways - Mochaccino bread pudding and vanilla latte creme brulee. This was also very good, albeit a bit rich, considering both are a bit heavy. The creme brulee was well-done, with just the right about of crust burned over the top.
With our drinks and the tip, all of this set us back about $140, which is certainly a significant amount of money, but well worth it considering the quality of the food, presentation, and service.
Now, all of that being said, I'm going to go into slight snob mode, and I fully expect to be flamed about this. As I just said, $140 is a lot of money. The restaurant makes it a point on its literature and when you reserve for PS that they prefer a "business casual" dress-code to befit the atmosphere. I know this is a family vacation resort, and I was actually happy to see so many young children taking part in this wonderful dining experience with their parents, but I'll bet more than half of the diners were still wearing their shorts, sneakers/tube socks/flipflops, and sweaty logo t-shirts that they wore to the parks that afternoon. It didn't affect our enjoyment of our meal or the restaurant in general -- more like hearing a blatantly false note at a concert. It just didn't fit, and we were not the only diners to feel that way. A family of eight across the way was celebrating a grandmother's anniversary, and everyone in their party was dressed nicely -- sundresses, slacks with polo shirts, and everyone had their hair combed, except grandpa who didn't have any. I overheard them casually discussing the fact that they felt oddly overdressed, when in fact their attire perfectly befitted the atmosphere of a truly exceptional restaurant.
All that being said, I don't begrudge the restaurant, the staff, or anyone else, not even the people who were still wearing their sweaty clothes from the afternoon. It's not my place to tell them how to dress or to enjoy their vacation. We simply could not help noticing that many of the diners did not match the atmosphere, and I think it's something I should point out for those who grade up for the "classy quotient" when dining out.
Well, we finally found a restaurant that deserves high praise for food/service. Artist Point at WL was really exceptional.
We had priority seating but arrived early -- no problem, we were seated right away by one of those maniacally cheerful Disney CMs. Our server, a good-natured Asian woman named "Pok", was even more delightful. Upon arriving to take our drink orders, she told us about the resort, how it was inspired by Walt's visits to the great national parks out West, the geyser, even the construction of the building itself. This might have been a bit monotonous coming from someone else, but Pok's enthusiasm was infectious.
We decided to skip on wine and both ordered Chopin martinis, mine straight up and my wife's on the rocks. Both were perfect. (Bonus points for bringing the shaker to the table and pouring it out crackling cold for me.) Drink garnishes tell you a lot about the attention to detail at a bar/restaurant.
The lemon peel basking in my drink had that attractive curl to it that can only be acquired by preparing it in advance and drying it for a few hours.
I was also glad to see that the menu was not one of those minor novellas that take an hour to read. One page, maybe only 10 or so different choices of entrees, but all interesting. We both opted for the $49 three course prix fixe Chef's selection. (If you go that route, there are a few choices of soup/salad/entree/dessert so you're not locked into one particular menu.) The salad to start had Fresh Field Greens, Roasted Beets, Hazelnut Gremolata, Echo Mountain Blue Cheese, topped with Blackberry Vinaigrette, and it ranks in the top 3 dinner salads I've ever been served at a restaurant. Visually, it's colorful and attractive, and tasted fantastic. Even Pok noticed how quickly we polished them off.
For the entrees, the staff apparently is instructed to make a big to-do about the fact that this is Alaskan King Salmon season. They even provide a little flyer to read about them. And when they're served, the staff brings your huge chunk out on the cedar plank it roasted on, and it's put on to your plate still sizzling.
I only know that because we saw so many of those orders served around us. We'd had Salmon at our timeshare the night before, and both of us were hungry for beef. My wife ordered the Grilled Beef Tenderloin with celery root mashed potatoes, sauteed Swiss Chard and Dried Cranberry Espresso Sauce. I tasted it, and it was great, but in my opinion didn't come close to my Grilled Buffalo Sirloin Steak - with sweet potato-hazelnut gratin and sweet onion jam. I thought it sounded like it might be a bit too cloying with not one, but two sweet flavors competing with the meat, but it was amazing how the flavors complemented each other without becoming overpowering. And Pok made a point of reminding me that buffalo meat, in comparison to most other choices, is actually quite healthy, which kind of ruined the experience. How can I enjoy the meal if I know it's good for me?
For dessert, again the staff tried to steer us in a particular direction, pointing out that the Artist Point Cobbler - Seasonal berries and housemade black raspberry ice cream -- is the signature dessert. But we couldn't pass up the Coffee Two Ways - Mochaccino bread pudding and vanilla latte creme brulee. This was also very good, albeit a bit rich, considering both are a bit heavy. The creme brulee was well-done, with just the right about of crust burned over the top.
With our drinks and the tip, all of this set us back about $140, which is certainly a significant amount of money, but well worth it considering the quality of the food, presentation, and service.
Now, all of that being said, I'm going to go into slight snob mode, and I fully expect to be flamed about this. As I just said, $140 is a lot of money. The restaurant makes it a point on its literature and when you reserve for PS that they prefer a "business casual" dress-code to befit the atmosphere. I know this is a family vacation resort, and I was actually happy to see so many young children taking part in this wonderful dining experience with their parents, but I'll bet more than half of the diners were still wearing their shorts, sneakers/tube socks/flipflops, and sweaty logo t-shirts that they wore to the parks that afternoon. It didn't affect our enjoyment of our meal or the restaurant in general -- more like hearing a blatantly false note at a concert. It just didn't fit, and we were not the only diners to feel that way. A family of eight across the way was celebrating a grandmother's anniversary, and everyone in their party was dressed nicely -- sundresses, slacks with polo shirts, and everyone had their hair combed, except grandpa who didn't have any. I overheard them casually discussing the fact that they felt oddly overdressed, when in fact their attire perfectly befitted the atmosphere of a truly exceptional restaurant.
All that being said, I don't begrudge the restaurant, the staff, or anyone else, not even the people who were still wearing their sweaty clothes from the afternoon. It's not my place to tell them how to dress or to enjoy their vacation. We simply could not help noticing that many of the diners did not match the atmosphere, and I think it's something I should point out for those who grade up for the "classy quotient" when dining out.
