Never been to AP but hardly found the food served @ Citricos "mediocre". Are you kidding me!?
Unfortunately that's my opinion, and I'm entitled to feel that way just as you're entitled to be disappointed in Jiko. Here's a quick run through of my most recent meal there:
-Escabeche Frutti di Mare. I was expected a vibrant mix of seafood, almost like a ceviche. Instead the fish was dry and bland, and there was very little lemon flavor. It didn't taste fresh at all. Like most dishes, it was beautifully presented, but that doesn't make up for terrible flavor.
-Grouper with fregula pasta, clams, shrimp, tomato and saffron sauce and olive oil crostini. The grouper was fine but nothing special - same with the clams and shrimp. The pasta, tomato and saffron sauce combo tasted like it could've come from a can. The crostini was too oily and greasy, making it unpleasant to touch.
-Tropical crème brûlée. Very one-note in flavor, the flavor was strongly citrus and mango. But because of the heaviness of the cream and the boring flavor, this dish wasn't very exciting at all.
And how I feel about the rest of the menu (based on the current allears menu - I'll italicize the dishes I've tried):
-Shrimp appetizer. Not unique to Citricos at all. I've had a variation of this dish at several Mediterranean restaurants (including Spoodles before it closed), and this version isn't that special.
-The gateau of crab, or crab cake. I've had better crabcakes at Legal Seafoods, with lumpier, more flavorful pieces of crab.
-Duck confit. Probably the best appetizer on the menu.
-Arancini. I've gotten similar arancini at Whole Foods, so not very exciting.
-Cheese plate. Many other signatures offer 4 or 5 types of cheese, Citricos only has 3.
-Butternut squash soup with mushroom. My mom had this, and she didn't think the salty mushrooms added much to the soup. Jiko and Hollywood Brown Derby have better squash soup.
-Can't speak for the salads. I will say I had a great tomato and mozzarella dish here over the summer, but Narcoossee's had a better version of it.
-Short rib entree. I think the blood orange demi-glace was too sweet. The greens are greens, and the potato is potato. While the short rib has a good texture, the dish is too heavy and sweet for me.
-Swordfish, currently served with pappardelle pasta, white wine, garlic and oil. Previously, I've had chicken here served with the exact same accompaniments, and I think it's kind of lame that they keep the same side items and simply rotate the protein. Anyway, I had the swordfish and it was good, but it was served with a spring vegetable crêpe that was way too heavy for summer.
-Chicken with mushroom risotto. My mom has had better-cooked chicken at Artist Point, and better risotto at Le Cellier.
-Veal shank. Probably the best entree, from what I've heard.
-Pork two ways. I did really enjoy this entree, but it's not so amazing that I have to go back. Another very heavy plate, which seems to be their specialty.
-Seared tofu with ratatouille. I think Artist Point and Jiko both offer much better vegetarian plates.
-Filet of beef. I had this once and thought it tasted odd. The potatoes were too cheesy for me, and the veal glace was also quite sweet.
-Lemon cheesecake dessert. I preferred Le Cellier's lemon cheesecake, it was lighter and served with more interesting textures (if I recall correctly, Citricos's is served with that giant crunchy thing, it almost looks silly next to the tiny cheesecake).
-Chocolate banana tart. Very good, warm, and chocolatey. Not good enough that I have to go back, as every restaurant has a solid chocolate dessert.
-Berry gratin. A very nice dessert, but very heavy (like most of the menu). And the alcohol flavor dominates the berries.
-Tiramisu. I've never had it, so I won't comment.
-Trio of gelato. Good, but I think the almond gelato was better than the current vanilla. Vanila, chocolate, and raspberry are rather ordinary flavors.
There you have it. I've tried 6 of the current appetizers (including the escabeche), 6 of the current entrees (including the grouper), and 5 of the current desserts (including the crème brûlée), and that's my impression. Nothing was amazing enough that we're desperate to return. A lot of the food at Citricos feels very heavy, which isn't what I expect from a Mediterranean restaurant. But the restaurant is 'inspired' by Mediterranean flavors, and France is included in that description, allowing them to incorporate butters, creams, cheeses, etc. to please the American palate. The background music and decor are pretty convincing, but the food doesn't win me over. I can see the appeal if you're looking for a big piece of meat and/or cheesy potatoes or a well-cooked piece of fish with hit-or-miss sides, but my own experience doesn't make me want to rave about Citricos.
We are doing the DDxDP, so we need to choose a Disney-operated restaurant.
, which restaurant would you choose and why?
I would totally go with Citricos! You won't regret it!
Flying Fish is also AMAZING!!! You will love it.
I do not like crab cakes at all, so if I would have known that I would have never ordered it and really missed out! I can see though why anyone would not like it if you were expecting a crab cake then, because it really isn't like a crab cake at all. It didn't really even taste like something that was cooked to me!
