My head cold is catching up with me, but here's the first set of reviews. If you get confused, or jumbled or have any questions, please feel free to drop me a note and I'll try to untangle.
Enjoy
-Andrew
8/3
Beaches & Cream for Lunch (btwn Y/BC)
H- Cheeseburger w/ fries, Root beer
A- Cheeseburger w/ fruit, iced tea
H/A Peanut butter sundae w/ chocolate ice cream and toppings
$30.39
Surprisingly good burgers, or maybe we were just extra hungry and the atmosphere was fun. We sat at the counter. The service was a bit slow, but we were definitely in no rush to savor our day. I think this was the first time I had heard a cast member yelling- it was one of the grill cooks calling out to the waiters to pick up their orders.
The sundae was a great cap to the meal. Our main server as well as another counter worker spoke at length to us about our upcoming wedding. There was a table behind us of women who seemed to be celebrating a bride, but they left shortly after we ordered. Next to us at the counter was a couple who were planning their own wedding for later in November.
Portobello Yacht Club for Dinner (DTD)
H/A Funghi Arrostiti con Polenta - wood-roasted Portobello mushroom sliced thin with warm creamy soft polenta and Gorgonzola cheese (split)
H/A Quattro Formaggio - White pizza with sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, provolone, parmigiano and fontina cheeses I think there was actually some gorgonzola on it this time (split)
H/A Panna water & vino di frutti
H- crème brulee
A- cappuccino gelato
H/A complimentary glass of champagne
$62.13
As always, this was a great meal that was relatively inexpensive. The Funghi has changed since our last visit, with more of an emphasis on the Gorgonzola cheese and a more poultry-esque sauce. Still good. The pizza seemed to have Gorgonzola in it as well, with visible blue veins. This was a tad too much bleu cheese after the appetizer, but still quite tasty. Heathers crème brulee was a recent addition to the dessert menu and is by far her fave at this restaurant. The cappuccino gelato has only just been brought back and tho Ive heard its changed, couldnt say a bad thing about it. It did, however, turn my lips tongue and teeth dark brown. The sign of a great dessert! The complimentary champagne was a very thoughtful touch.
8/4
Quick B'fast at GF Concierge
Cinderella's Royal Table for Lunch (MK)
H/A Crabcakes (split)
H/A Major Domo's Favorite Pie - tender slices of prime rib of beef simmered in rich cabernet sauce with red skinned mashed potatoes, crowning a light pastry
H/A Walnut apple bread pudding w/ walnut ice cream
H/A Jesters punch
$68.74
We had not eaten at this restaurant for lunch to date. Service was a bit slow, but our waitress was very considerate and made many special mentions of our pending wedding, going so far as to provide us with a royal proclamation of our special day. The crab cakes were very tasty and we ate them pretty quickly. One had a tartar sauce and the other had a tomato based sauce. I preferred the latter and Heather preferred former so it worked out well. Our pies were excellent, although Heather picked off the red peppers. I could have done without the zucchini as I like my beef pies plain, but they didnt offend at all. We were stuffed by the time the Walnut apple bread came around, but found it to be a likely lighter choice than anything else.
'Ohana for wedding rehearsal dinner (Poly)- yes its spelled **Ohana**, cuz they arent Irish!
Stir Fried Vegetables
Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Shrimp and Vegetable Wonton
Honey Coriander Chicken Wings
Vegetarian Stir Fried Rice
Grilled Tiger Shrimp
Marianated Sirloin Steak
Mesquite Seasoned Turkey Breast
Barbeque Pork Loin
Dipping Sauces: Fruit, Peanut and Bar-B-Que
Pineapple w/ caramel sauce
H- Lapu Lapu drink in a pineapple
A- pina colada
Price unkown because it was handled by my parents
Good choice for a rehearsal dinner, due to the family-atmosphere and the entertainment. However, we would not pick this place to eat again by ourselves. We found the meat a tad dry, although others in the wedding party raved about the turkey, claiming it the best they had ever had. I did like the shrimp and sirloin had an excellent flavor. Heather preferred the fried rice and wontons, not enjoying the shrimp as they were unpeeled and sometimes had the shell burned into the flesh.. The chicken wings were a fave of mine, as well. We skipped the offered desserts and just went with the pineapple chunks and caramel dipping sauce, which disappeared in seconds. Heather had the lapu lapu in a pineapple and I had their version of a pina colada, which we both agreed was the better choice for taste, if not quite as festive. We arrived around 8:15pm, were seated closer to 8:30pm and got to see the 10pm fireworks. The coconut races and hula hoping werent a terrible distraction. The singer did coerce us into having a dance to her ukulele and we got traditional Hawaiian marriage garland. Nice touch and not horrendously embarrassing.
8/5
The gents had b'fast at Chef Mickey's (Contemporary) while the gals had light b'fast at the GF Concierge
Eggs, grits, fruit, sausage, bacon, breakfast pizza, hash browns, bfast casserole, juice, coffee
$58.85
This was a guys-only meal since we spent the night away from our gals (8/5 was the wedding date). Bleary-eyed and raggedy, we trundled off to Chef Mickeys for a 7am priority seating. We checked in and had just started to eat when the characters started coming out. Mickey, Pluto, Chip, Dale and Minnie all came by the table to pose and prance. Goofy stayed out in the lobby, so we didnt actually get to see him. The food was pretty standard breakfast fare with eggs, sausage, bacon, cereal, grits, fruit etc. There was a breakfast pizza that had peanut butter, jelly, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Youd better believe I had a slice. The only negative thing about the breakfast was the regular freak-out that the wait staff held. Every so often, they would blow on whistles, pump up the music and goad us into swinging our napkins around in the air. Then the characters take this as a sign to go nuts and the whole place turns into a quasi-lord of the Flies scene. Great for kids, bad for adults whove had only 3 hours of sleep at best.
Lunch was a combination of our wedding cake/champagne and the GF Garden View tea service (GF)
H- Buckingham Palace - Our traditional tea sandwiches, scones and jam tarts and an assortment of pastries on request w/ Earl Grey - Four types of tea infused with Oil of Bergamot and a touch of citrus flavoring.
A- duck liver en croute, country pate, potted crab crostini and marinated fresh berries, served with a cumberland sauce. Then a fresh baked scone served with fresh Devonshire creamw/ Garden View Bouquet - A unique mixture created by Harney and Sons exclusively for the Garden View Lounge. Glass of Sandeman's Founders Reserve Port
$229.90
If we had it to do over again, wed skip this. Not only did it kinda interfere with our cake cutting reception, but it was overkill on the food since we had dinner that evening at V&A. Our server was nice, but he forgot forks for the Prince Edward teas and spilled something which, luckily, didnt land on our wedding outfits. The Cumberland sauce on the berries soaked all the remaining plated foods. The tea itself was good, but I did not like the duck liver en croute, and Im a big fan of duck liver. The crab crostini was acceptable, as was the country pate. Heather found her sandwiches to be dry and the bread a little too firm. Truth be told, weve had some gorgeous teas in London and we must have been spoiled by them. This did not live up to our expectations. The presentation was also lacking. At the teas weve been to in London, they serve three plates on a three-tiered service, so that you get all of your courses at one time, but with sandwiches on the bottom, scones in the middle, and pastries on top. The Garden View Lounge served the courses one at a time, on regular plates, so it lacked that interesting touch.
Dinner was in the Private Dining room at Victoria and Albert's (GF)
Amuse bouche of eggplant mousse in a cucumber sandwich with Fairy tale cuvee toast
Roasted Chioga Beet Salad with Walnuts, Cucumbers, and Mache, Sherry Cucumber Vinaigrette
Smoked Buffalo with Heirloom Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm and Balsamic
Yellowtail Snapper Almondine over French Beans and Yellow Wax Beans
Muscovy Duck Breast with Root Vegetables, Peaches, Foie Gras, and Applewood Bacon Vinaigrette
Free Range Chicken Consomme
Tomato Mascarpone Cream
Alaskan Sable over German Butterball Potatoes and Brentwood Corn
Poussin Oscar with Lump Crab, Italian Cous Cous, Red Rice and Sauce Bernaise
Grilled Prime Filet over Cauliflower-Potato Puree and Cabernet Jus
Jamison Farm Lamb with Wild Mushroom Cannelloni , Truffle Emulsion
Taleggio, Passendale and Great Hill Blue with Burgundy Poached Pear and glass of port
Terrine of Sorbet with Seasonal Fruits and glass of framboise
Pyramid of Tanzani Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries
Warm Pineapple in a Crepe Purse
Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Souffle
Caramelized Banana Gateau
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
Grand Marnier Souffle
White wine was ZD Chardonnay
Red wine was a Pinot Noir from Joseph Brouhin
Price need not be mentioned.
Wow, what can I say! The sensory overload makes for a very difficult recap. Unfortunately, the heat and excitement caught up with Heather and she had to excuse herself to change into less constricting clothes. In spite of this, the rest of the wedding party had just a fabulous meal. The only negative note for me was that I found the tomato mascarpone cream soup a bit too salty. Luckily, my side of the family consumes about a pound of salt a day so it was right on for them.
We LOVED having the private room at V&As. Besides being a beautiful space, it was nice being in our own room. Both our families were a little quiet at first, intimidated by the luxuriousness, but then really got into it. By the time dessert came around, people were walking around the table taking a taste from everyones plate, and I dont think we could have been that relaxed if wed been out in the main dining room. Our Victoria, Erma, was GREAT she was funny, and played along with my dad who has a very unusual sense of humor. Manuel, the maitre d that night, was great he took care of every little thing. And our guests all loved the coffee that brewed up instead of down.
All of our guests were absolutely blown away by the food, which is saying a lot, since my brother-in-law Lee has cooked in some really nice restaurants, and others have been in the restaurant industry, so theyre quite discerning when it comes to food. The desserts really floored them; they loved the design silkscreened onto the chocolate mousse pyramid, and Lee (the professional cook) couldnt stop raving about the crème brulee.
Each course seemed to surpass the previous with a very wide range of flavors. Some were light, such as the Alaskan Sable whereas others were much richer and complex, such as the duck breast w/ foie gras. Albert picked two excellent wines, as listed above which were serendipitously on the less expensive end paired very nicely with the range of foods everyone had ordered. Im not a fan of chardonnays, but the ZD was one of my favorite wines to date. All in all, a stunning repast that no one who attended will forget.
Enjoy
-Andrew
8/3
Beaches & Cream for Lunch (btwn Y/BC)
H- Cheeseburger w/ fries, Root beer
A- Cheeseburger w/ fruit, iced tea
H/A Peanut butter sundae w/ chocolate ice cream and toppings
$30.39
Surprisingly good burgers, or maybe we were just extra hungry and the atmosphere was fun. We sat at the counter. The service was a bit slow, but we were definitely in no rush to savor our day. I think this was the first time I had heard a cast member yelling- it was one of the grill cooks calling out to the waiters to pick up their orders.
The sundae was a great cap to the meal. Our main server as well as another counter worker spoke at length to us about our upcoming wedding. There was a table behind us of women who seemed to be celebrating a bride, but they left shortly after we ordered. Next to us at the counter was a couple who were planning their own wedding for later in November.
Portobello Yacht Club for Dinner (DTD)
H/A Funghi Arrostiti con Polenta - wood-roasted Portobello mushroom sliced thin with warm creamy soft polenta and Gorgonzola cheese (split)
H/A Quattro Formaggio - White pizza with sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, provolone, parmigiano and fontina cheeses I think there was actually some gorgonzola on it this time (split)
H/A Panna water & vino di frutti
H- crème brulee
A- cappuccino gelato
H/A complimentary glass of champagne
$62.13
As always, this was a great meal that was relatively inexpensive. The Funghi has changed since our last visit, with more of an emphasis on the Gorgonzola cheese and a more poultry-esque sauce. Still good. The pizza seemed to have Gorgonzola in it as well, with visible blue veins. This was a tad too much bleu cheese after the appetizer, but still quite tasty. Heathers crème brulee was a recent addition to the dessert menu and is by far her fave at this restaurant. The cappuccino gelato has only just been brought back and tho Ive heard its changed, couldnt say a bad thing about it. It did, however, turn my lips tongue and teeth dark brown. The sign of a great dessert! The complimentary champagne was a very thoughtful touch.
8/4
Quick B'fast at GF Concierge
Cinderella's Royal Table for Lunch (MK)
H/A Crabcakes (split)
H/A Major Domo's Favorite Pie - tender slices of prime rib of beef simmered in rich cabernet sauce with red skinned mashed potatoes, crowning a light pastry
H/A Walnut apple bread pudding w/ walnut ice cream
H/A Jesters punch
$68.74
We had not eaten at this restaurant for lunch to date. Service was a bit slow, but our waitress was very considerate and made many special mentions of our pending wedding, going so far as to provide us with a royal proclamation of our special day. The crab cakes were very tasty and we ate them pretty quickly. One had a tartar sauce and the other had a tomato based sauce. I preferred the latter and Heather preferred former so it worked out well. Our pies were excellent, although Heather picked off the red peppers. I could have done without the zucchini as I like my beef pies plain, but they didnt offend at all. We were stuffed by the time the Walnut apple bread came around, but found it to be a likely lighter choice than anything else.
'Ohana for wedding rehearsal dinner (Poly)- yes its spelled **Ohana**, cuz they arent Irish!
Stir Fried Vegetables
Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Shrimp and Vegetable Wonton
Honey Coriander Chicken Wings
Vegetarian Stir Fried Rice
Grilled Tiger Shrimp
Marianated Sirloin Steak
Mesquite Seasoned Turkey Breast
Barbeque Pork Loin
Dipping Sauces: Fruit, Peanut and Bar-B-Que
Pineapple w/ caramel sauce
H- Lapu Lapu drink in a pineapple
A- pina colada
Price unkown because it was handled by my parents
Good choice for a rehearsal dinner, due to the family-atmosphere and the entertainment. However, we would not pick this place to eat again by ourselves. We found the meat a tad dry, although others in the wedding party raved about the turkey, claiming it the best they had ever had. I did like the shrimp and sirloin had an excellent flavor. Heather preferred the fried rice and wontons, not enjoying the shrimp as they were unpeeled and sometimes had the shell burned into the flesh.. The chicken wings were a fave of mine, as well. We skipped the offered desserts and just went with the pineapple chunks and caramel dipping sauce, which disappeared in seconds. Heather had the lapu lapu in a pineapple and I had their version of a pina colada, which we both agreed was the better choice for taste, if not quite as festive. We arrived around 8:15pm, were seated closer to 8:30pm and got to see the 10pm fireworks. The coconut races and hula hoping werent a terrible distraction. The singer did coerce us into having a dance to her ukulele and we got traditional Hawaiian marriage garland. Nice touch and not horrendously embarrassing.
8/5
The gents had b'fast at Chef Mickey's (Contemporary) while the gals had light b'fast at the GF Concierge
Eggs, grits, fruit, sausage, bacon, breakfast pizza, hash browns, bfast casserole, juice, coffee
$58.85
This was a guys-only meal since we spent the night away from our gals (8/5 was the wedding date). Bleary-eyed and raggedy, we trundled off to Chef Mickeys for a 7am priority seating. We checked in and had just started to eat when the characters started coming out. Mickey, Pluto, Chip, Dale and Minnie all came by the table to pose and prance. Goofy stayed out in the lobby, so we didnt actually get to see him. The food was pretty standard breakfast fare with eggs, sausage, bacon, cereal, grits, fruit etc. There was a breakfast pizza that had peanut butter, jelly, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Youd better believe I had a slice. The only negative thing about the breakfast was the regular freak-out that the wait staff held. Every so often, they would blow on whistles, pump up the music and goad us into swinging our napkins around in the air. Then the characters take this as a sign to go nuts and the whole place turns into a quasi-lord of the Flies scene. Great for kids, bad for adults whove had only 3 hours of sleep at best.
Lunch was a combination of our wedding cake/champagne and the GF Garden View tea service (GF)
H- Buckingham Palace - Our traditional tea sandwiches, scones and jam tarts and an assortment of pastries on request w/ Earl Grey - Four types of tea infused with Oil of Bergamot and a touch of citrus flavoring.
A- duck liver en croute, country pate, potted crab crostini and marinated fresh berries, served with a cumberland sauce. Then a fresh baked scone served with fresh Devonshire creamw/ Garden View Bouquet - A unique mixture created by Harney and Sons exclusively for the Garden View Lounge. Glass of Sandeman's Founders Reserve Port
$229.90
If we had it to do over again, wed skip this. Not only did it kinda interfere with our cake cutting reception, but it was overkill on the food since we had dinner that evening at V&A. Our server was nice, but he forgot forks for the Prince Edward teas and spilled something which, luckily, didnt land on our wedding outfits. The Cumberland sauce on the berries soaked all the remaining plated foods. The tea itself was good, but I did not like the duck liver en croute, and Im a big fan of duck liver. The crab crostini was acceptable, as was the country pate. Heather found her sandwiches to be dry and the bread a little too firm. Truth be told, weve had some gorgeous teas in London and we must have been spoiled by them. This did not live up to our expectations. The presentation was also lacking. At the teas weve been to in London, they serve three plates on a three-tiered service, so that you get all of your courses at one time, but with sandwiches on the bottom, scones in the middle, and pastries on top. The Garden View Lounge served the courses one at a time, on regular plates, so it lacked that interesting touch.
Dinner was in the Private Dining room at Victoria and Albert's (GF)
Amuse bouche of eggplant mousse in a cucumber sandwich with Fairy tale cuvee toast
Roasted Chioga Beet Salad with Walnuts, Cucumbers, and Mache, Sherry Cucumber Vinaigrette
Smoked Buffalo with Heirloom Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm and Balsamic
Yellowtail Snapper Almondine over French Beans and Yellow Wax Beans
Muscovy Duck Breast with Root Vegetables, Peaches, Foie Gras, and Applewood Bacon Vinaigrette
Free Range Chicken Consomme
Tomato Mascarpone Cream
Alaskan Sable over German Butterball Potatoes and Brentwood Corn
Poussin Oscar with Lump Crab, Italian Cous Cous, Red Rice and Sauce Bernaise
Grilled Prime Filet over Cauliflower-Potato Puree and Cabernet Jus
Jamison Farm Lamb with Wild Mushroom Cannelloni , Truffle Emulsion
Taleggio, Passendale and Great Hill Blue with Burgundy Poached Pear and glass of port
Terrine of Sorbet with Seasonal Fruits and glass of framboise
Pyramid of Tanzani Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries
Warm Pineapple in a Crepe Purse
Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Souffle
Caramelized Banana Gateau
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
Grand Marnier Souffle
White wine was ZD Chardonnay
Red wine was a Pinot Noir from Joseph Brouhin
Price need not be mentioned.
Wow, what can I say! The sensory overload makes for a very difficult recap. Unfortunately, the heat and excitement caught up with Heather and she had to excuse herself to change into less constricting clothes. In spite of this, the rest of the wedding party had just a fabulous meal. The only negative note for me was that I found the tomato mascarpone cream soup a bit too salty. Luckily, my side of the family consumes about a pound of salt a day so it was right on for them.
We LOVED having the private room at V&As. Besides being a beautiful space, it was nice being in our own room. Both our families were a little quiet at first, intimidated by the luxuriousness, but then really got into it. By the time dessert came around, people were walking around the table taking a taste from everyones plate, and I dont think we could have been that relaxed if wed been out in the main dining room. Our Victoria, Erma, was GREAT she was funny, and played along with my dad who has a very unusual sense of humor. Manuel, the maitre d that night, was great he took care of every little thing. And our guests all loved the coffee that brewed up instead of down.
All of our guests were absolutely blown away by the food, which is saying a lot, since my brother-in-law Lee has cooked in some really nice restaurants, and others have been in the restaurant industry, so theyre quite discerning when it comes to food. The desserts really floored them; they loved the design silkscreened onto the chocolate mousse pyramid, and Lee (the professional cook) couldnt stop raving about the crème brulee.
Each course seemed to surpass the previous with a very wide range of flavors. Some were light, such as the Alaskan Sable whereas others were much richer and complex, such as the duck breast w/ foie gras. Albert picked two excellent wines, as listed above which were serendipitously on the less expensive end paired very nicely with the range of foods everyone had ordered. Im not a fan of chardonnays, but the ZD was one of my favorite wines to date. All in all, a stunning repast that no one who attended will forget.
Krissy
