Hey guys!! I'm going to try to finish Day 1 today...it's just pretty much dinner at Citricos...aka the most amazing dinner on all of Disney property!
So my mom and I headed back to POFQ to relax a bit in between Tea at the GF and dinner. We were TIRED! When we got back our luggage was waiting for us so we quickly unpacked and got comfortable. After watching some tv and changing into a sundress, we headed back out to the bus stop and immediately caught a bus to MK directly there. Still no stops at POR...score!
At the MK, I saw that the boat was just pulling up so we quickly headed over there and jumped on. The sun was just starting to set and we got some beautiful views of the GF.
Was Tweeting back and forth with Ekkirt, who was also down in the World...and obviously we were complaining about how hot it was!
Tweet Update, 6:04 PM Sep 26th: @Ekkirt just boarding a boat at mk to the gf...omg its hot! Make this heat wave go away!
Headed upstairs and checked in and were told it would be a few minutes. I think that's when I sent this next tweet...
Tweet Update, 6:24 PM Sep 26th: And I'm sorry I know I might get flamed...but can we enforce the dress code at signature places just a little bit?
While we were waiting we saw them seat two tables where the guests were completely not dressed per the dress code. I know Disney is lenient with this because they are mainly a theme park but still. I personally think it takes away from the meal. And is it that hard to change out of your $1.99 Old Navy flip flops and NY Giants teeshirt? I'm not the best dresser but there's a time and place for every outfit. Ok just my two cents... lol
As we were walking towards our table, two of the chefs looked up and both said Happy Birthday as I walked by. The head chef (the one standing on the outside of the kitchen to make sure things go out correctly) also wished me a happy bday. We were seated right next to the open kitchen, against the dividing wall. At first I was disappointed because I was hoping for a window seat but now I'm glad we sat where we did. I loved watching the chefs prepare all of the food. And we also got a little attention from the chefs since we were so close. When we were seated I noticed that my menu was personalized specifically to me and across the top of the menu it said "Happy 29th Birthday Jennifer!" Cute touch and we were allowed to take the menu home. Stephanie was our server and she was great throughout the whole meal.
To start off, I ordered a glass of Kings Estate Pinot Noir (From Oregon) and it was perfect. It has officially become my favorite wine EVER and I need to find out where it's sold in NJ. I went to their website and see that you can order it online so if all else fails, I'll do that. But seriously...amazing wine.
Our server then came to take our orders and answered any questions we had.
A few minutes later, compliments of the chef, she brought out this amuse-bouche...Moroccan couscous with squid, oysters, and another seafood.
Now I think I mentioned this earlier but...we're NOT seafood people. Mom eats shrimp, sole, and flounder. I eat NOTHING that swam. Just don't like it. So when this came out we were kind of a bind. I took one for the team though and sucked it up and figured I could just eat the couscous.
Well? That couscous was delicious. Perfectly cooked, not mushy or crunchy, and had a nice mild seasoned flavor. Didn't taste the seafood at all. Then I got adventurous and a piece of the seafood. I really couldn't tell you what the heck it was I tried but it wasn't half bad. It was a small piece of 'meat' and I mixed it in with the couscous. I finished up my plate (leaving the rest of the seafood) and then decided that we couldn't just send back my mom's without a few bites taken out either so I ate her couscous as well. Mom's not adventurous...wouldn't even touch it.
Our appetizers then arrived....
Mom chose the Salad of Romaine Lettuce - Fresh Hearts of Palm, Maytag Blue Cheese, and Late Harvest Riesling Vinaigrette $9.00
Not included in the description were marinated roasted peppers. Mom loved this and ate every last bite. I tried a bite and ate all the peppers and it was a delicious salad! The dressing was light and slightly sweet due to the riesling. Perfect proportion of salad/dressing. It was also a perfect size.
I decided on the Arancini Crispy Risotto - Italian Sausage, Quaitro Formaggi, and White Truffle Aioli $10.00
I know Arancini to be Sicilian rice balls...filled with parmesan cheese, mozzarella, ground meat, and tomato sauce. These were a GREAT take on them. Definitely different than typical arancini but wow. I could have made a complete meal out of these if they doubled it. I wanted to take a photo of these cut in half but I couldn't put my fork down, sorry! The greens they were plated on were drizzled with a balsamic glaze and it made them even better. They weren't greasy at all, and had a perfect combination of ingredients. Not sure exactly which four cheeses were included but nothing was overpowering. The head chef stopped by to ask how things were and I should have asked. I think I was just too enthralled in what I was eating, my brain wasn't working. I tried to slowly savor them...didn't do so well though. Went perfect with the wine.
Now on to the entrees....
Mom, the picky eater? Didn't see anything on the entree section that she wanted. I knew this was a possibility here so I suggested the shrimp appetizer to her. We asked the server and she mentioned that people ask for that as an entree all the time and they actually put the whole thing over angel hair to make it a meal.
Sauteed Shrimp - Lemon, White Wine, Tomatoes, and Feta Cheese $28.00
Another winner for mom. She really enjoyed this but it was a HUGE portion. She ate almost all of the shrimp and every piece of feta. A few huge bites of angel hair and she was full. I sucked it up for the review and tried everything but the shrimp. The sauce was light and lemony, with a hint of wine. Not too heavy...and the dish wasn't oily at all.
I chose the Filet Sicilian - Oak grilled filet of beef with sweet vidalia onions and banana peppers, quattro formaggi crushed potatoes, and veal glace de vinade $41.00
The filet was a little different this time than what I've been reading on old menus. I was torn between the short ribs and the filet and I'm glad I chose this. The veal glace, banana peppers, and potatoes are what sold me. I could have cut the filet with my fork. I love food with a little kick and the banana peppers gave just a hint of heat. The potatoes and veal glace were fabulous. I really dont even know what other adjectives to use on this meal anymore!
Towards the end of our entrees I was seriously getting full. Like ridiculously full. I sadly had to leave the last few bites of my meal or else I would have exploded.
Our server came by and reminded us there was dessert! EEK!!
Mom ordered the Gelato Trio $8.00... the flavors of the day were raspberry, almond, and coffee. I sadly forgot to take a photo!! Mom really liked the raspberry, said it was nice and light. But she was too full to try any other flavors. I tried the coffee and it was delicious, surprise surprise. The poor almond I think went untouched.
I had the most scrumptious dessert... Warm Chocolate Banana Tart - vanilla ice cream and caramelized bananas $9.00
Wow...that's about all I can say. PLUS I was horribly nauseous full and I still thought this was amazing. I was actually MAD at myself for being so full and not being able to enjoy this. It reminded me of a flourless cake a bit, with caramelized bananas in it. Wish I could write more about it! The head chef stopped by again when he saw I wasn't eating much of the dessert to make sure it was ok. We actually brought the dessert back to the room but were SO full the whole week we never even touched it.
After dessert we asked for the check and quickly paid. I totally forgot to use TIW on the wine but oh well. And again, as we left, every CM we saw wished me a happy birthday.
Here's the breakdown:
Pinot Noir - $13.00
Amuse-bouche - compliments of the chef
Romaine Salad - $9.00
Arancini - $10.00
Shrimp Entree - $28.00
Beef - $41.00
Gelato - $8.00
Choc Tort - $9.00
Total - $125.67
OOP - $13 plus tip
Would I eat here again? I'm already counting down the days. I squeezed it in during my solo trip because I loved it so much. Already planning out what I'm going to order. haha!
After leaving the GF, we quickly made our way back to POFQ. When we got back to the hotel, I went to Sassagoula Food Court quickly to pick up mom a banana for the morning when she wakes up. Idiot me assumed we'd eat all our snacks so I paid OOP for it. $1.06...not worth using a snack credit if you eat all your snacks! Quickly passed out. Big day tomorrow at the MK!!!
Oh and of course, I had to gush on twitter...
Tweet Update, 8:52 PM Sep 26th: Citricos by far my new fave restaurant here. Every single bite was amazing, fab service, atmosphere...wow. Heading to rest up for tom!
Oh and...
Tweet Update, 9:13 PM Sep 26th: And this heat is making me want to hibernate in alaska. I lack photo motivation when its this hot
It really was... if it was a little cooler I would have been in a better picture taking mood. Looking through my photos now I realize I didn't take a bunch of photos in spots I wanted to. I'll have to make a list next time!
There was only once or twice where we just missed the bus (saw it pulling away) and had to wait about 15 mins. Very happy with the transport! 
You and your mom (and the other ladies) will love it!
. We had a great time anyway. I'm not sure if you read in my report or not that we had to cut our trip short by one day? Dallas and I both came down with the Swine Flu 
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I've never been disappointed by a GF restaurant. I love the GFC for breakfast, haven't eaten there for dinner yet!
