Last one. Trust me on this: CHECK OUT RAGLAN ROAD!
It is now, officially, our favorite Downtown Disney eatery. For starters, the place is HUGE, but feels cozy. How'd they do that? And, be jabbers, 'tis Irish through and through. Dark woods, raucous atmosphere. Fun, fun!
We split an appetizer of Dalkey Duo. What a neat presentation... little sausages speared on forks, with the handles of the forks imbedded in a wooden base, and some extra sausages, with a mustard sauce for dipping. They were crusty and just loaded with flavor.
For entrees: DD had mussels. The saffron and leek broth had that yellowish saffron tinge, and was all over the plate (talk about "good soppin'" with a piece of bread!) And the mussels were very tender; I've had mussels that you could barely chew. These were deelish. DW had shepherds' pie. You'd recognize this in a heartbeat - layered with potatoes, ground beef, and cheese. I think it was the unusual spiciness of the beef that made this one work - I couldn't identify the spice, and forgot to ask what it was. But it made a humble dish into something special. My dish was the clear winner - Kevin's Kudos! The menu said "oven roasted bacon loin" - but it was much like Canadian bacon, thinly sliced and fanned out sort of like a boat propeller. It was perched on a pile of nice, thick mashed potatoes, all upon a single steamed cabbage leaf. It was a hefty serving; the bacon itself was wonderfully salty and smoky, and those potatoes had never seen the inside of a package!
I guess my dessert was the ringer. Accuse me of hyperbole, but I can't recall a better dessert, for my tastes. I love bread pudding, and this was bread pudding elevated into something miraculous. It came in a little "pot" (hard to describe) with two different little tureens of sauce - a butterscotch and a vanilla. Our server said we were to dig a little hole in the bread pudding, and pour our choice of sauces in the hole and let it get all "gooshy" (my term.) Well, people, it was just warm and runny and decadant and rich, and I could've eaten a washtub full of this stuff.
Combine this with the great live Irish music and dancing, and you've got a great evening in store. I can't recommend this one too highly.
One last thought: As stated earlier, the
DDP worked fine for us on a shorter trip. But, if we were to be at WDW for a longer visit, I wouldn't use it - I'd try for other discounts - the DDE, Annual Pass, or DVC discounts. Or we'd just be more selective. The plan worked without a hitch for us, and the servers we had were well-versed enough with its ins-and-outs to keep us on track. It does keep you from being spontaneous with table service meals, but as an anal planner, it worked beautifully for me.
That's it, that's all.
