pennyplanner
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 25, 1999
- Messages
- 1,554
Day 3 Thanksgiving Week Trip
Cast includes me, Disney Nut 48 and teen DSs. Dad stayed home!
We were on the dining plan.
We had a reservation for an early dinner at California Grill. We did not intend to dine and see the fireworks. The CMs working the check-in desk were less than welcoming. I remained hopeful for a wonderful dining experience. And to my pleasure, California Grill delivered. We politely asked for a table on the MK side and although the checkers suggested the wine room, I declined. I didn't think it fair or appropriate to bring teens into what I think of as an adults only area.
We were seated near a wait staff island and were not bothered by it at all. The view was simply magnificent. My kids loved being able to check everything out below!
Onto the food... I can understand why people either love or hate this place. The menu is very different -- unique combinations, exotic ingredients. If you like plain food, this is not the place for you. My boys, adventurous eaters, were somewhat unsure of what to order. They both started with quadruple cheese flatbreads. Absolutely delicious. I had the shrimp and melon soup that was kind of peppery with ham and a cool honeyed yogurt cream garnish. Mmmmmmmmm. Really different, really good.
For dinner, one DS had the beef filet. He was not crazy about the blue cheese potato side dish. I managed to snag a forkful. It was heavenly to me! DS #2 had the house specialty pork tenderloin with goat cheese polenta. Very good and again, I tried the polenta. It was creamy and flavorful. My own dish was a curious mix of ingredients. It was tile fish with a piperade sauce (a pepper mixture as explained by our waitress). The dish included small lamb sausage and crispy rock shrimp with a side of mashed potatoes. Everything was very, very good and yet an odd combo. I'm not sure how the ingredients were actually meant to compliment each other.
Dessert was the crowning glory! DS # 1 had a special of a buttery, flaky crusted apple tart that I think came a la mode. I'm sure he would have liked to lick the plate! DS # 2 chose a variation of one of the desserts. It was the warm Valrhona cake with vanilla instead of the listed peanut butter ice cream. Molten chocolate filling...need I say more? I had the mango creamsicle that was just light and softy sweet to the palate. A perfect ending to a dinner. It included toasted meringue and sweet cream. Honestly, it was heaven on a plate.
Our server was just wonderful. Friendly, informative and appropriately attentive. We asked, she explained. No high handed attitude like we found at the check-in desk, just really polished service. There was a black tie affair going on at the bar area. When we mentioned we felt slightly underdressed, our server laughed and said, "No, that crowd is overdressed." She explained that they were attending a hospital charity event downstairs following their cocktail hour in the restaurant. It immediately put us at ease. My boys went and checked out the viewing area outside while we waited for dessert. They raved about the view and we all checked it out after we finished dinner. This restaurant was a comfortable fit for my older kids and I was relieved. I was the one who really wanted to go there. It was a special evening and I was wishing my DH could have been there with us!
Dinner, Service and Ambiance:
A
We'd return in a hearbeat! I had a couple of glasses of wine and left a generous additional tip for the whole meal to our deserving server.
Next up: Toy Story Pizza Planet
Cast includes me, Disney Nut 48 and teen DSs. Dad stayed home!
We were on the dining plan.
We had a reservation for an early dinner at California Grill. We did not intend to dine and see the fireworks. The CMs working the check-in desk were less than welcoming. I remained hopeful for a wonderful dining experience. And to my pleasure, California Grill delivered. We politely asked for a table on the MK side and although the checkers suggested the wine room, I declined. I didn't think it fair or appropriate to bring teens into what I think of as an adults only area.
We were seated near a wait staff island and were not bothered by it at all. The view was simply magnificent. My kids loved being able to check everything out below!
Onto the food... I can understand why people either love or hate this place. The menu is very different -- unique combinations, exotic ingredients. If you like plain food, this is not the place for you. My boys, adventurous eaters, were somewhat unsure of what to order. They both started with quadruple cheese flatbreads. Absolutely delicious. I had the shrimp and melon soup that was kind of peppery with ham and a cool honeyed yogurt cream garnish. Mmmmmmmmm. Really different, really good.
For dinner, one DS had the beef filet. He was not crazy about the blue cheese potato side dish. I managed to snag a forkful. It was heavenly to me! DS #2 had the house specialty pork tenderloin with goat cheese polenta. Very good and again, I tried the polenta. It was creamy and flavorful. My own dish was a curious mix of ingredients. It was tile fish with a piperade sauce (a pepper mixture as explained by our waitress). The dish included small lamb sausage and crispy rock shrimp with a side of mashed potatoes. Everything was very, very good and yet an odd combo. I'm not sure how the ingredients were actually meant to compliment each other.
Dessert was the crowning glory! DS # 1 had a special of a buttery, flaky crusted apple tart that I think came a la mode. I'm sure he would have liked to lick the plate! DS # 2 chose a variation of one of the desserts. It was the warm Valrhona cake with vanilla instead of the listed peanut butter ice cream. Molten chocolate filling...need I say more? I had the mango creamsicle that was just light and softy sweet to the palate. A perfect ending to a dinner. It included toasted meringue and sweet cream. Honestly, it was heaven on a plate.
Our server was just wonderful. Friendly, informative and appropriately attentive. We asked, she explained. No high handed attitude like we found at the check-in desk, just really polished service. There was a black tie affair going on at the bar area. When we mentioned we felt slightly underdressed, our server laughed and said, "No, that crowd is overdressed." She explained that they were attending a hospital charity event downstairs following their cocktail hour in the restaurant. It immediately put us at ease. My boys went and checked out the viewing area outside while we waited for dessert. They raved about the view and we all checked it out after we finished dinner. This restaurant was a comfortable fit for my older kids and I was relieved. I was the one who really wanted to go there. It was a special evening and I was wishing my DH could have been there with us!
Dinner, Service and Ambiance:
A
We'd return in a hearbeat! I had a couple of glasses of wine and left a generous additional tip for the whole meal to our deserving server.
Next up: Toy Story Pizza Planet
) that the wine room is more quiet and intimate. It always struck me as more of an adults only atmosphere.
