Here is my review of our most recent dinner there, in Aug. of 2002. We have had this great service every time. Other things not mentioned below - the filet has a tamarind sauce, excellent; Our table was the closest booth to the wine room, and yes you can see the EPCOT fireworks. Also, there are observation platforms outside on that end of the restaurant as well, but very few people were using them. They will bring you almost any bottle on the wine list "by the glass." There is always a fantastic creme brulee on the menu. And finally, the Cooking with Mickey Cookbook has the pork recipe with all the trimmings. We made it once. Very time consuming, but worth it and very much like the original, without the view.
We usually wear sundresses and nice shorts, but have seen evening wear. Also, spotted the red headed doctor from the ER TV show here once (sorry, don't know her name or the character's).
Dinner California Grill
Once again, $6 for valet at the Contemporary. We arrived at 7:45 for our PS for 4 adults. There was a 10 min wait, perfect for viewing a spectacular sunset over the MK from the deck outside! Wow what a meal. I cant describe how nice it is to go back here on each trip and top the meal before. We have never been disappointed here with any aspect of the dining experience! This was no exception. Dinner was a gift from Alans employer, so the price is for the whole table, and Ill try to describe everything. We were seated almost at the furthest table from the entrance. It was a round booth like table with 2 chairs on the outside. We could see the pastry chefs perfectly and the wine room. This part of the restaurant is much quieter. Seeing out the window is a bit difficult, so we walked to the deck at fireworks time. However, there are decks on this end of the room too, and we could see the Chinese theater at MGM as well as Spaceship Earth. Very good location. We started with a sushi platter of 12 items. I believe it was Yoshies deluxe sushi platter. Yum! We had nigiri: octopus, snapper (melt in your mouth!), yellowfin tuna (citrussy!), Ahi tuna, shrimp, and salmon. Also maki: 2 pieces each of California roll, tuna roll (2 kinds of tuna) and shrimp roll. We enjoyed this tremendously!!! Also, our server Eden, was fantastic in recommending the appetizers as well as pairing the wine. She let us taste a couple of whites to go with the sushi. The sushi was superb! Very fresh, tasty and the pieces were large. Not knowing the time, we had also ordered the Triple cheese, triple garlic, sun-dried tomato and oregano flatbread. It had to sit at the table through the fireworks, but they covered the platter for us. We did join the folks on the deck outside to watch the fireworks. Very nice as usual! This time the music seemed better in sync with the show and was loud enough to hear. We returned to the table and enjoyed the flatbread. It was enough for 4 people to have 2 small pieces each. Very rich. Were going all out here, so we ordered more appetizers to share. First, a whole tuna roll (8 pieces) since we liked it so well. Then 2 items of the Sonoma goat cheese ravioli first course. Wow! The broth is rich and mushroomy, and the cheese ravioli very creamy. We finally each (all 4!) ordered the Grilled Pork tenderloin with creamy polenta and cremini mushrooms in zinfandel glaze. I will DIE if they ever remove this from the menu. It is my all time favorite. No wonder it is pictured on their wall of fame by the restrooms and featured in Cooking with Mickey. Im so glad I have the cookbook. Eden was nice enough to help Alan choose this wine, too. She was very helpful in tasting more than one, and didnt squirm when we had trouble finding something we liked. Eden was a great waitress, very friendly. We were visited by the manager at one point to see if everything was ok. Later he asked again on our way out. These people know service! For dessert, we had 1 frangelico and 3 coffees. Also, butterscotch crème brulee (very rich, large portion), chocolate peppermint ice cream in profiteroles with hot fudge and mint sauces (so chocolatey, but minty too. Fantastic). I had orange crepes with a custard filling, raspberry coulis and raspberries and blueberries. The best dessert Ive ever had here!!! I cannot rave about this meal enough. I consider it well priced at $307.93 (Price includes tax, but not tip) for 2 bottles of wine, 1 cordial, 3 coffees, 4 entrees, 2 first course, 2 sushi platters, 4 desserts and 1 flatbread. Easily 5 STARS!!!!!! My hats off to Eden and the rest of the staff. What a memorable evening.
