Dining recommendations for a non-Disney Foodie

[AnOtHeRdIsNeYfReAk]

I'm so excited! I finally convinced my boyfriend to take a disney trip with me. He has been there once before when he was young, but it really isn't his type of thing. I'm currently trying to decide on our ADR'S. He is a total foodie, whether it be great burgers, beer, wine, or the more unusual fare. I'm having a really hard time trying to figure out which restaurants to choose. Here's what i have so far:
Dinner at Artist Point
Dinner at Jiko
Dinner at Victoria and Albert (if our budget allows)
Lunch at Beaches and Cream (mainly because I heard that the burgers are great)
So I have 2 questions for you guys. 1) Where can I find restaurant reviews?- Not the link on the page above, but an actual site that has reviews organized by restaurant. I'm hoping that will help in the decision process and 2) Any recommendations???

 

[jcc0621]

Of what you listed I have only been to Artist Pointe and give it . If DBF is adventerous he will like the Buffalo. I am not a fish person but the Cedar Plank SAlmon gets RAVE reviews and the mushroom soup is FABULOUS! Enjoy your trip.
Janet

 

[gokenin]

have been to all three of the resturants that you have listed and all are fantastic dining experiences, here are some places that have reviews but am not sure the links will work but these are the addresses 1)http://allearsnet.com/reviewpost/ 2)http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/asp/dd.aspx?step=1&locID=WDW

 

[engle]

for V&A and Jiko. Loved them both. So did DH. We are big foodies like your BF...anything goes!!! We also liked Boma (I know it is near Jiko but the food isn't really similar...it is a great buffet!), Raglan Road and Earl of Sandwich.

Just a hint too for going with someone not too keen on the Disney thing...focus on the adult fun and the relaxation part of vacation!! We did this last trip and had the best time ever...do Pleasure Island, do the BIG rides at all the parks, have drinks around the world at Epcot...

Have a BLAST!!!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

You picked great restaurants for a foodie! We LOVE AP, Jiko and we just dined at V&A's for the first time. Do you have/are you eligible for the DDE card? You can get 20% off drinks and food at all 4 of those restaurants...you will pretty much pay for the DDE just by using it at V&A's alone!

When are you going? If you are going in Oct/beginning of Nov, you can experience the F&W Fest. I bet he would LOVE Party For The Senses! That is held every Saturday night in Epcot during the F&W Fest.

Also, DH and I just went to WDW for our 10 year anniversary without DD, and we did the Segue Tour at Epcot. Look into that...it was a blast and you must be over 16 to take part in it.

 

[Harambe]

He would probably enjoy bluezoo over at the Dolphin.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

He would probably enjoy bluezoo over at the Dolphin.

I can no longer recommend BZ. I was there the beginning of this month and posted a review on the review board. It seems I am not the only former BZ lover who is now disappointed. I don't know what went wrong!

 

[daisy112878]

Check out allearsnet.com for reviews.

We love Citricos. It's the one restaurant that we feel could definitely fit into our restaurant scene here in midtown atlanta. I had a great lamb dish while dh had a fish dish. The apps were good and the desserts were good as well.

 

[Christine]

Give Citricos a try. We have NEVER been disappointed there. Also, I love Artist Point. The ADRs you have so far are great!

 

[BCV23]

You have three great dinner choices already. Some other places that serve excellent food are California Grill, Citricos, Narcoossee's and Kona Cafe. Kona is more moderately priced and has a casual atmosphere but the food is excellent. Yachtsman's Stekahouse has good steak although it is rathr expensive for the quality these days.

In the parks, Brown Derby and Mama Melrose are excellent for lunch. Dinner can be a bit hectic because of the Fantasmic dinner packages. At Epcot, we love Chefs de France for lunch and Le Bistro is supposed to be excellent for dinner although we haven't tried it for years. Bill Sears has a great review with pictures on the Review Board right now.

 

[tintine1]

Kona Cafe at the Poly is awesome. The food is great and seeing the Poly and walking around is a must.

 

[ga9497]

From my DH the chef, here are his favorites

Jiko
Flying Fish
Citricos
Victoria and Alberts
Artist Point
Chefs de France - have always had great meals here, actually prefer it over Bistro de Paris

I enjoyed California Grill but he hasn't been there yet
Blue Zoo was just ok for us. The food was good but not outstanding, plus the service left a lot to be desired

 

[Harambe]

I can no longer recommend BZ. I was there the beginning of this month and posted a review on the review board. It seems I am not the only former BZ lover who is now disappointed. I don't know what went wrong!

Oh no! That's sad to hear. Todd English is a Boston boy who does well up here. I'm surprised he's letting bluezoo go down hill.

Sorry, OP, disregard my suggestion! LOL!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Oh no! That's sad to hear. Todd English is a Boston boy who does well up here. I'm surprised he's letting bluezoo go down hill.

Sorry, OP, disregard my suggestion! LOL!

Well, I am a big believer (and I know you are, too) that everyone has to try things for themselves. Plus, I would LOVE to think I just caught them on a bad night (although at those prices, there should not be ANY "bad nights" LOL.)

We LOVED BZ and used to rave about it to everyone. I had noticed it was getting a few bad reviews lately, but I shrugged them off. We dined there on our anniversary weekend (along with V&A's and FF, which were both awesome) and were so disappointed. I mean, so much so that I can't foresee us going there again...there are just too many great places to eat at WDW, I don't want to take chances on having another meal of "eh" service and "eh" food.

If you have a chance to try it, Harambe, please do. I would love to hear your opinion.

 

[Cruz Family]

You will LOVE Jiko by far our favorite!!!!
Many people like Boma a lot. It was a little too exotic for our taste but if you are more daring I think it would be a great choice. We also love Cali Grill, the view alone is worth the money. Something fun like 50's PT Cafe or Sci fi would give you a place to eat in MGM and both have great atmosphere.
Good Luck!