Dining Reviews - But Brenda Snagged My Catchy Title, Post #58 (Like A Phoenix)

[disneyjunebug]

FOOTNOTE: Our entire party had steak leftover, and 2 slices of the cake, so all of that went back to our room with us. On our last day, when our party size had dropped and we changed hotels, I ended up having some of the rib-eye, prime rib, filet mignon, and leftover birthday cake for breakfast. I can only offer this disclaimer – The stunts you read about here were performed by, or under the supervision of, professionals. Do not try this at home.

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Now that is my kind of breakfast!!! I don't think even Tonga Toast could beat that!

Awesome reviews! I look forward to reading more!

 

[Robert P]

REVIEW: Cape May Character Breakfast

SUMMARY: Characters without lines, tons-o-food

This was a mid-week breakfast ADR for a party of 7 (5 adults, 2 children) at 8:10 a.m. The location at Beach Club was a primary reason for choosing this meal. It is just so convenient to be able to walk 2 minutes from your room, and be at the restaurant.

We checked in at the podium at 8:05 a.m., and were told it would be just a few minutes, and given yet another beeper thing. This was a true candid camera moment for me, because as I looked around, there was no line behind us, nobody waiting in front of us, and the seating area inside the restaurant was maybe 1/3 full. It was as uncrowded (if that’s a real word) as I have ever seen it. We sat down on the closest wooden bench to the podium, and waited maybe, and I mean MAYBE, 1 minute for it to buzz and bleep. I picked up the beeper, took 2 steps forward, and handed it right back to the lady at the podium. Total time the beeper was out of her possession: less than 2 minutes.

We were led through restaurant, zig-zagged by the buffet, and were seated in what I would call the back of the place. Out of the way, and out of sight of the buffet, but in a non-traffic area, where we could see the characters coming our way in plenty of time to be ready for pictures. Also, we got a round table, which I still believe is so much better to sit at with a large group. So far so good.

I did not catch the name of our server, but he was attentive with the beverages. We had orange juice on the table within a minute, and when the group split to visit the buffet, he had the coffee order on the table before they got back. I can’t say much else about the service. As it got busier in the morning, our dishes weren’t cleared as often, but still, no complaints. Again, he kept the orange juice flowing, which was vital for our group.

FOOD: The food here, in my honest opinion, is not much different than any other buffet we have been to. The fruit was okay, not mind blowing and not bad, just decent. The bacon and sausage were fine, and the egg bake omelet looking thing with cheese was okay. The pre-fab biscuits were edible, and a gravy-ish substance was not without it’s charm. For some strange reason (probably the combination of being out late the previous evening, and the large amounts of alcohol consumption associated with such), I could not get enough of the Mickey head waffles. I mean, maybe I was craving sugar, and that’s what went best with the syrup. I tried rolling one up, not unlike Homer Simpson’s patented ‘moon waffle’, but they just weren't flexible enough. Also, an attempted Mickey head waffle duplex, spackled together with the available whipped butter-esque material, didn’t fare much better when it came time to cut that into bite size pieces. Still, several waffles later, I was in a sugar daze from all of the syrup, and satisfied in the choice of restaurants.

CHARACTERS: The character interaction was great. All of the characters played with the kids, signed autograph books, and posed for pictures. Goofy came by first, maybe 5 minutes after we sat down. Dale came by maybe 10 minutes later. Minnie rounded out our character crew about 30 minutes into breakfast. For the second straight visit, we did not get any contact with Chip. Last visit we were there, we never saw him at all. This time, I think we saw him starting to make the rounds a few minutes before we were leaving, but on the other side of the restaurant. We would have liked to have seen him, but were close to wrapping up, and really not wanting to wait 15 minutes or more while he made his way toward our side of the room. Still not sure where he was during the other hour of our meal though.

WEIRD & UNKNOWN: On the buffet, there was this gray colored slurry, which I believe was in the section marked ‘grits’. It had a gray tint, and looked like no grits I have seen. I think maybe it was gruel, but wasn’t so curious as to risk sampling said item. I wanted to ask one of the food staff, but was afraid I would hear something like:

“This is Krusty Brand Imitation Gruel. Nine out of ten orphans can’t tell the difference’.


Summary: This meal was fine for what it was. That is, an overpriced buffet, conveniently located, that keeps everyone well fed, and gives enough time for some individual character interaction. It was helpful that the DDE discount is taken here as well. I still miss 'the best breakfast ever' with Pooh and Friends, in the Wilderness Lodge at Artist Point, but it has been gone for so long I doubt they will ever bring it back. Sigh.
We have done this meal maybe every 2 out of 3 years. If the Beach Club Marketplace keeps raising their prices on croissants and pastries, the $18.99 adult buffet price may soon seem like a bargain.

NEXT UP: Rainforest Cafe (AK)

 

[Belle5]

Thank you for your excellent reviews! I must agree with you about large parties having a much more enjoyable dining experience at a round table! I have a gigantic round kitchen table at home (with a large lazy-susan to boot) and it ensures lots of good conversation among our family of eight, with no one left out!

 

[mom2fivecs]

Enjoying your reviews and looking forward to more.

 

[my3disneygirls]

WEIRD & UNKNOWN: On the buffet, there was this gray colored slurry, which I believe was in the section marked ‘grits’. It had a gray tint, and looked like no grits I have seen. I think maybe it was gruel, but wasn’t so curious as to risk sampling said item. I wanted to ask one of the food staff, but was afraid I would hear something like:

“This is Krusty Brand Imitation Gruel. Nine out of ten orphans can’t tell the difference’.

(AK)

I would love to know how many people actually eat gray gruel at the buffet. I can see if the only other options are Eye of Newt and swamp water soup, then maybe the gray slop would be the better alternative.

 

[cc1075]

Great title - - I to am a great fan of Brenda's. After reading all of her reports she has given me the courage to eat something other than mac n cheese. Thanks for the great report - - Ragland Road is now going on our ADR for March . waiting for your next installment!!

 

[Robert P]

REVIEW: RainForest Café (AK)

SUMMARY: Well, at least it wasn’t raining inside.

This was an unscripted mid-week lunch. Our day at the Animal Kingdom (AK) had been a visit to Waterworld. It was raining. When it wasn’t raining, it was misting. Sometimes is was raining and misting together. When it wasn’t misting or raining, the puddles of water and incidental splattering kept us soaked to the gills. After a few inside attractions around the park, we needed to find a place for lunch. (Moving from dry attraction to dry attraction reminded me of the Poseidon Adventure. Start in dry area, hike or swim through water to next dry area. Repeat every 30 minutes or so. Some of the puddles were pretty deep. Once or twice, I was forced to tie a rope around myself and swim underwater to the other side.) Pooling our collective thoughts, and without Gene Hackman to lead us upward toward the engine room, we decided on the RainForest Café (RFC), which came to mind because: 1 - it’s one of the limited dining options at the AK park, and 2 - because we have had the RFC Safari Club card for several years now, and knew of it’s magical powers…..

We came in through the exit/entrance attached to RFC, weaved through the retail store, and couldn’t get to the elephant (i.e. podium) because of the crowd standing around. Apparently, the constant rain has driven everyone into the nearest cave for dryness, with the mouth of the cave being the waiting area near the podium. My wife made her way to the elephant, and heard the guest in front of her being told it would be a 45 minute wait. After whipping out the RFC Safari Club card (much like the Golden Ticket of Willy Wonka fame), we were given a seating stub and put in line immediately, following the animal tracks towards the aquarium. Much grumbling was heard from the restless natives in the surrounding waiting area jungle, but not sure if it was directed at us or the weather in general. Regardless, we had purchased the Safari Club card probably 6 years ago, and certainly planned to use it. The free (or discounted) appetizers have always been the best economical benefit, but not having to wait in line has often been a lifesaver, especially with children in or near meltdown mode. Within 5 minutes, we were heading toward a table in the back of the restaurant. INTERESTING NOTE (s): 1 - This was the first place we ate where I noticed the low number of wait-staff. There was a 45 minute wait up front at the elephant, but the back area of the restaurant was less than ½ full. I can only suppose that if they had the personnel to staff it, most tables would have been full, and the RFC would be taking people’s money. 2 – Despite the back section (we were near the Atlas statue) being less than ½ full, our party of seven was seated at a (pushed together) table for 6, with an extra chair scooted up on one side. While we were happy to be seated versus standing out front waiting in line, this half empty section had enough room for another table to be added, giving everyone their own space and some extra room for the ponchos. Reminded me a lot of the seating arrangements at the RFC DTD location. Idea: Cramped diners are not happy diners!

Our waiter was Joseph, and he seemed to be attending to 4 large tables, maybe more. It took him probably 5 minutes to address our table, but once he had delivered items to the other tables, the service was fine. Not bad, not great, but fine. Our party ordered:

Kids menu – pepperoni pizza. It was edible, but not memorable.

Kids menu - mini hot dogs. Cute, and were eaten, what else can you say.

The five adults ordered:

RFC Burger – cooked properly, served on good bread, but not outstanding. Still, better than a park burger from counter service.

Blue Mountain Chicken (sandwich) – looked very good, but chicken was a bit dry. Not sure if the chicken was pre-cooked or not. Still, it was tasty.

Rainforest Quesadilla (2 people) – I have always been neutral on these, because it is served on pita bread (instead of tortillas), which is simply too much bread for me, and non-traditional to boot, as quesadillas go. One person liked theirs just fine, the other ate about ½, and picked out the filling. Said the same thing ‘ too bready’. But the filling was good.

Safari Soup – a misleading name. The ingredients make it sound like a hearty veggie soup, but in reality, it was more similar to a light minestrone. Tasty, but not what was expected, from the menu description. Still, it was all eaten by meal’s end.

Awesome Appetizer Adventure – this was mine. I like the variety in this sampler, and I knew what I was getting. The chimi-cha-cha reminds me of a southwestern eggroll, the coastal calamari is tasty and has a light breading, and the big blue crab delight is one of the few baked dips that I like (probably because of the cream cheese base). The final item, caribe chicken tenders, is just chicken strips with dried roasted shaved coconut sprinkled across the top. That is my least favorite part of the platter. And, I remain confused on why they bring out a side plate of corn tortilla chips with this thing, as there is not enough pico de gallo for more than a few. Seems like a waste of excess chips to me.

Throw in sodas (at 2.89 a pop), one beer, and a margarilla (that was mine as well, and I must have one every trip to RFC), then figure the Safari Club discount, and we came out just under $100. A gratuity of 18% was added to the bill (don’t know if this if that’s because of party size or Safari Club card usage), and the total was $118.

During our meal, the table beside us ordered no less than 3 of the dreaded flashing cube drinks. The warning they give in the pre-show area of Mission Space, about not looking left or right, seemed to apply. Every time I glanced in that direction, I feared a Japanese Anime seizure would be in my immediate future. I was half expecting Dieter from Sprockets to walk up and invite us to a rave. Really, if you are prone to motion sickness (one member of our party was), just one of those flashers can be ‘unsettling’. Three of them, and you have your own disco room.

Summary:

Good – Safari Club card got us in line immediately. Free appetizer also.

Bad - Table was too small for party size, and it was while the place was still half empty in our section. Cramped diners are not happy diners!

Ugly – Nothing really. Maybe the loud thunderstorm racket that the gorillas kick up, causing small children who have never seen this to scream their bloody head off, but that’s all part of the atmosphere (the gorillas, not the screaming children).

We were looking for a dry place to eat. We ended up at the ‘fun place to eat and shop’. We were also looking for what I would call comfort food, and ended up eating in the comfort of a fake dry cave. Everyting worked out well. I know that the RainForest Café gets hammered on a lot of the WDW boards. But the menu is diverse, the food decent, and the prices not outrageous for WDW in general. When we first started going to WDW in late 90’s, we felt the food was much better than it is today, and we enjoyed the RFC immensely. The food has slipped somewhat, probably to ease preparation, but it remains a safe bet. The Safari Club card is well worth it, for not waiting in long lines, and the free (or discounted) appetizers. The AK location is almost always less crowded than the DTD location, and much less hectic feeling, without all of the nearby DTD shoppers and bystanders in the area.

NEXT UP: The much anticipated Il Mulino review

 

[wilma-bride]

Really enjoying your reviews - despite the lack of pictures, they are extremely entertaining. Like the sound of the Safari card for RFC - how do you get one?

 

[Robert P]

Really enjoying your reviews - despite the lack of pictures, they are extremely entertaining. Like the sound of the Safari card for RFC - how do you get one?

Thank you wilma-bride.

There is a story behind my lack of pictures, but I won't bore you with it. My intention was to have pictures though. Didn't work out that way. I may FAQ the whole picture thing later on in the reviews.

When we joined Safari Club, we found a telephone # (via this site I believe???) for their corporate office, called it, and did it over the phone via c/c (we wanted that Safari Club card prior to our visit). Most recently, people have still been buying it at the RFC when they go there. That seems to be the most common way they are obtained. Not sure if the tel. # is even an option anymore, b/c we did it so long ago (over 5 years for sure, maybe over 6). I suggest seraching the restaurant forum for the most current answer.

It has come in very handy over the years!

 

[D&R love Disney]

Robert I'm really enjoying your reviews. I had the same problem at YSH with the cheese plate. It was very good but besides the cheddar and goat cheese I didn't know what was on the plate. I asked the waiter after the fact and he told me what they were but I forget now LOL.

 

[whogirl'smom]

Your RFC review was so funny! The Poseidon Adven. references were a hoot! Actually of our two trips to AK, I preferred the rainy day; at least it was cooler. Your writing is so entertaining you don't need pics!

 

[Robert P]

REVIEW: Il Mulino (located at the Swan)

SUMMARY: Palio who??

I’m jumping out of order for this one, because there seems to be more interest in a review of Il Mulino than anywhere else we tried this trip. But, this review gets the back-story as to how we ended up there.

Many years ago, in a land far far away, there was an expensive Italian restaurant located in the Swan hotel. It was called Palio. It took us several WDW visits before we finally tried it, because we thought that the menu looked terribly overpriced. Eventually, we caved in, ate there, and found that it was very good, and only somewhat overpriced. We liked it a lot. Then, as fate would have it, a wicked witch cast a spell over Palio, and it was closed. There was much sadness in the kingdom.
Fast forward to present day. There is again, an expensive Italian restaurant located in the Swan hotel. It is called Il Mulino New York Trattoria. But instead of sitting by and waiting many visits to try it, we decided a meal would be in order sooner, rather than later. But, there was no room on our calendar this trip. So, how did we end up there??

The morning of our last full day at WDW, we got an offer to go out for dinner, just my wife and I, while someone watched the girls. We had an existing ADR for all of us, but cancelled that, and started looking at our options for a ‘quiet and/or romantic’ dinner. That last day started at EPCOT in the a.m., and migrated to DTD for ice cream. From there, I brought the girls back to the hotel while everyone else did some shopping. On the way back from DTD, I detoured through the Swan hotel, so the girls could run around on the playground for a few minutes, and burn off some of the Ghirardelli infused energy they had just acquired. Boarded a WDW bus at Marketplace, and got off the bus at the temporary Swan entrance (main entrance being refurbed, ditto for the Dolphin, so we came in through what I would call the convention center entrance). Once I found my way through the maze of hallways, outwitted the Minotaur, and answered a riddle from the Cattatafish, I finally found the restaurant. The huge doors marking the entrance were closed, as expected for mid-afternoon, but the menu was posted in glass display cases outside the entrance. “SCORE !!”. But, to add to the mysteriousness of this new destination, the glass on the display cases had an ‘antique’ look to it, making it look like it had a light coat of early morning frost on it. Now, I’ve got 20/20 vision (maybe better), and I am standing beside these huge wooden doors, squinting like Mr. Magoo, trying to make out the selections. Every 2 or 3 words, I would cross vision paths with another frosty squiggle, and would have to shift to one side or another to find a clear spot, and continue reading. I wasted a good 5 minutes trying to re-focus my vision enough to determine that the prices listed for their pizza was indeed $16, as it appeared. Regardless, I figured this could be a possibility for our evening (but I wasn’t ordering a pizza, that’s for sure).
Obligatory Simpsons quote or paraphrase for this report “They make a pizza pie here, with the topping of your choice.”
Rob’s own quote “Holy Smokes! I am not paying $16 for no pizza”.

NOTE: I was beginning to wonder if this was a mafia run establishment, because they sure don’t seem to want you to find out anything about the place. Huge wooden doors keep you from seeing inside, frosted glass obscures the menu, and the display case bottom was elevated to almost 5 feet high off the floor. I was concerned that after dessert and coffee, I may have to deliver a package to New Jersey.

After a consultation with my wife via cell phone, we decided to try it. That evening, we handed off the girls for a few hours, and were at the podium at 6:30 p.m. sharp. With the large wooden doors now open, we could see that we really like the layout of this restaurant. The check-in podium is located inside the restaurant, just past the bar, which runs along the right side of the large entrance hallway. This layout we don’t often see, as at many restaurants you have to queue up at the podium, even if you just want to sit at the bar for drinks.
We walked up to the podium, and were seated immediately. No pager, no ‘stand over there’, just straight to the table. Excellent.

Our waiters were Daniel and his serving partner, whose name escapes me. It is sad that I didn’t make a note of his name, because the service was just plain excellent. I would rate the service we received here as the second best for this trip, just slightly behind Flying Fish. It was superb. Not intrusive at all, but perfectly attentive. After being seated and perusing the menu, we had almost decided to start with the Insaccati Misti – “A Platter of Italian Delights”, for two. But, when Daniel brought out a very small complimentary sampling of sliced meat and a bit of roasted eggplant, garlic, and parsley puree, we decided that a huge appetizer platter might be too much for us. FYI – the roasted eggplant spread was absolutely excellent, and perfect to start the meal. Instead of the platter for two, we backed off and split one appetizer, the Parmigiano Reggiano. This came with 5 sizeable chunks of a crisp parmigiano reggiano, and was wonderful (if you like aged parmesan). There was more cheese (quantity) here than on the cheese plate I had at the Yachtsman earlier in the week.
SIDE NOTE: For some crazy reason, possibly related to visiting ‘the mouse’, I went cheese crazy this trip. This was my third cheese plate this trip, and it did not disappoint.

For entrees, my wife decided on the Spaghetti Ai Frutti Di Mare – which was spaghetti with baby shrimp, clams, mussels, scungilli and calamari (rings and tentacles), in your choice of two sauces (she chose the garlic white wine sauce). The spaghetti was excellent, and the sauce pulled the various seafood flavors of the dish together, without overpowering them with garlic. It was light, and the seafood was cooked perfectly, not tough at all.

I opted for the Pollo Fra Diavolo, which was described as boneless chicken with sausage in a spicy red sauce. The chicken was lightly breaded, which helped it pick up the flavor of the sauce. The sausages were not greasy, had a good flavor by themselves, and were cooked in small sections. The spicy red sauce was nice, and I would wager that the spice was red cayenne pepper flakes, as the sauce had the typical ‘build up’ heat that I associate with cayenne pepper. That is, the more you eat, the hotter it gets, and it seems hottest when you stop eating for a bit. When I notice that pattern, it is usually some incarnation of cayenne pepper. The few remaining bits of parmesan from the appetizer, I broke them apart, and added them as chunks to the sauce. Overall, it was one of the best spicy red sauce dishes I have tried anywhere. Delicious, nicely balancing the heat and the flavor of the main ingredients.

Though totally stuffed, we were still thinking of dessert, and my wife asked about the Torta Di Formaggio – Italian Style Cheesecake. She was so glad she asked! Their Italian Style label means it’s based with ricotta, not cream cheese. I like ricotta, the wife doesn’t. So, we decided to not make total pigs of ourselves, and we split an order of tiramisu. This was a light and fluffy creation, and came with a touch of both marscapone cream and zabaglione. It was as good or better than the Bailey’s Irish Crème Pot (think of that as an Irish tiramisu) that used to be available at Raglan Road. As more traditional tiramisu goes, we agreed that this was the best one ever. An absolutely perfect dessert.

Now beyond stuffed, we had to decline any coffee, just to be able to waddle back to our room.
With a soda, water, and no wine (which in retrospect we probably should have had), the total bill was just under $82. The excellent service garnered a tip above 25%, and our total damage came out to just under $105. Not a cheap meal for two by any means, but not unreasonable for WDW prices. Totally delicious, and with top-notch service.

Summary: We missed the old Palio. We now adore Il Mulino. This meal, in essence, took the place of our BlueZoo annual visit for this year, and may hold that spot for next year as well. If the signature restaurants at the Swan and Dolphin offered any type of discount at all, eating here could become a habit. Extensive menu. Excellent food. Excellent service. Great atmosphere and layout. One of our best meals ever.


NEXT UP: Flying Fish

 

[D&R love Disney]

Great review, I was thinking of adding Il Mulino to our next trip and I think you just pursuaded me LOL!

 

[Poppinsme]

Great review!
If we had anymore room for an ADR on this trip I would try this restaurant.
UMMMMM cheeeeeeese.

 

[whogirl'smom]

Great review! I can't even look at tentacles!

 

[John's Mom]

Thanks for your great review! We'll have to try Il Mulino on our next trip.

 

[Robert P]

REVIEW: Flying Fish

SUMMARY: Best service of the trip, going the extra mile

This also was a mid-week dinner ADR for a party of 5 (3 adults, 2 children) at the somewhat early hour of 6:00 p.m. Rainy weather had long been cleared out, and it was a nice day. Originally, on my first pass at our schedule for this trip, this was had been an ‘adults night out’, which required us to plan an early dinner with the girls. As they often do, plans changed in the weeks leading up to this trip (in Rob-speak, that means the Jellyrolls schedule finally came out, and we were going to go there Friday instead). I attempted to change our ADR to later in the evening, but there was nothing available for a party of 5 until after 8:10, which would throw off the bedtime schedule for the girls.

We walked over from the YC/BC area, and checked in at the podium at 5:55 p.m., and were told it would be just a few minutes. No pager this time (FINALLY), but then again, we were standing inside the front doors, so it would be hard to miss them calling for our party. We could see that the restaurant was less than a third full. My bewilderment continues, where I find it strange that even with an ADR, and a relatively empty restaurant, we usually wait to be seated. It seemed to be a pattern for this entire trip, though it was no big deal. So anyway, we dawdled around for maybe 5 minutes, and were seated by a hostess. We were placed at a large round table, near a column. It was the same table we had when we were all here last year. (Shameless plug here for round tables - I firmly believe that round tables are vastly superior to rectangular tables, when dining with a large group. In this case, even with our party size reduced to only the 5 of us, it was a noticeably nicer arrangement.)

Our server was Theresa, and we had the best service of the entire trip. A brief background aside to set the stage: On our visit here in 2006, the kid’s menu fish of the day was salmon, and our youngest daughter (the adventurous eater) had declared it the best fish ever! This year, when we talked about our plans for the week, she was very excited about going back to the ‘Flying Fishes place’ and getting the salmon again. We told her several times that they may not have the same things on the menu, but her enthusiasm could not be contained. So, we were hoping, against the odds, that the salmon would once again be offered on the kid’s menu.

Theresa went over the specials of the day, and sure enough, the kid’s menu fish of the day was snapper. Not a bad choice by any means, but it just wasn’t the salmon. There was no melt down or fit thrown, but the obvious disappointment permeated the table. When Theresa asked about it, we explained that the salmon from last year was all that she had talked about this trip (which food-wise was true), so it would take us few minutes to decide on something else. Theresa scurried off, giving us our time to cover the other items. Within a minute, she came back out with a big smile on her face. She had talked to the chef, and as he wasn’t too busy at the moment, he would make a kid’s menu portion for salmon for us. To see a 5 year old glowing with an astonished smile on her face, which moments before was a face of total disappointment, was just magical. First of all, Theresa didn’t have to even make the inquiry. And then, the chef certainly didn’t have to take the time to prepare a kids menu portion of salmon. But they did, and it really made our night. As silly as it may seem, of all the magical moments we had this trip, this was probably the best one of the bunch. Pixie dust all around.

That part of the order decided, we proceeded with our ordering. Our other daughter ordered the snapper from the kid’s menu. I ordered my pre-dinner drink here, one dirty martini, and I also was captivated by the Artisanal Cheese Plate, which I ordered for myself, but knowing the table would be sharing it to some extent. This was chronologically my second cheese motif appetizer of the trip, but it’s the third one in this series of reviews. I don’t know what has possessed me to suddenly try all of this cheese, but this trip may go down in family history as marking the emergence of Rob’s Cheese Period (sounds fancy, but it’s not to be confused with my admiration of Picasso’s Blue Period, which I feel was by far his most creative time). It (the cheese plate) was wonderful, and gets it’s own section below (don’t worry, I’ll paraphrase and contract the detailed and wonderfully descriptive cheese menu they provided):

Degustation of Flying Fish Artisanal Cheeses
Five Tasting Portions and Accompaniments:
Honey Comb, Raisins on the Vine, Mostarta Di Cremona
$15.00

Coulommiers – a Brie family cheese from the “land of Brie”, just east of Paris. Considered by some to be the predecessor of Brie. Buttery color, well-developed rind, it has soft mushroomy flavors and a hint of almonds.
My take: an excellent Brie-ish cheese, with a thicker-than-Brie texture, but I didn’t catch any of the mushroomy flavors mentioned in the description.
OBSERVATION: From a reader’s viewpoint, it may sound more appealing if you read it as ‘soft, mushroomy’ flavors rather than ‘soft mushroomy’ flavors. The use of the comma there could make a huge difference….

Robbiola Ciabot – Italian classic, name derived from the ripening of this cheese in little houses of stone called a Ciabot. A mixture of cow and sheep’s milk, with a short ripening period, on straw, for 30 days. When fresh, the cheese is white with a taste of milk and hay. When more ripened, the color is yellow, creamier, and has a more intense sheep’s milk flavor.
My take: Delicious. I must have had the more ripened option, because the sheep’s milk was the dominant taste. Still, very good, and I usually don’t care much for sheep’s milk cheeses. Maybe I like the taste of hay? What does hay taste like, anyway?

Shelburne Two-year Cheddar – From the former Vanderbilt Estate outside Burlington, Vermont. Made from fresh, raw milk of the Brown Swiss Cows. Sharp but not peppery, full of flavor, with a pleasant lingering finish.
My take: A white/yellow color, with perfect flavor, crisp taste, but not too sharp (as some cheddars can be, even though maybe not listed as such). I love this cheese!! I am looking for this locally now, but having very little luck finding it.
Mea Culpa: In my previous Yachtsman Steakhouse review, I thought this Shelburne Farms Cheddar was served there. Note: Yelling begins here - SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE DINER ISN’T INFORMED, OR PROVIDED THE MENU FOR REFERENCE, AFTER DELIVERING A MULTI-ITEM ARTISANAL CHEESE PLATE!!! Yelling stops now. “Urge to kill……..fading……….”
Lesson learned here: If you don’t give the diner (that’s me) back the cheese menu, or give any description at all upon cheese plate delivery, and said diner (that’s still me) has had drinks before, during, and after dinner (which I did)….said diner may not have the best recollection of various detailed items.

Mad Props Again - Our server here at Flying Fish, Theresa, went back and got the cheese menu for my reference, without my asking, just before bringing out the plate. Then, she positioned the plate, upon delivery, to match the order of the cheese listing. Perfect service, and excellent anticipation of the diner’s needs.

Back to the cheese:

Clochette – Soft, smooth raw goat’s milk cheese. Aged 3 weeks, and the flavor intensifies with age. Young Clochette has a white rind and a semi-firm center with a mild flavor.
My take: A nice cheese, the least memorable of the plate, but very still good.

Echo Mountain Blue Cheese – from Oregon, this cheese is only released on a limited basis. Gets its unique flavor from blending raw goat and cow’s milk. Aged at least 18 months, this cheese is smooth, crisp, and has a subtle goat’s milk flavor on the finish.
My take: I am usually scared of any blue cheeses, just because they look so strange. This one was excellent, especially when eaten with some of the raw honeycomb. A little strong on the initial bite, it mellowed out quickly, and was almost addictive when eaten with the honeycomb.
OBSERVATION: I briefly contemplated the intended meaning of ‘from blending raw goat and cow’s milk’ stated above. I hope they meant to say ‘raw goat milk and cow’s milk’. I think option B would be a lot better than option A.

END CHEESE SECTION HERE:

A truly exceptional cheese plate, best of the entire trip. Ordering it will be added to my list for future visits to Flying Fish, despite the fact that the items change frequently.


Now, on to the entrees, which were consumed along with a surprisingly decent Greg Norman Shiraz. (Note: I say ‘surprisingly’ because I am not a Shiraz fan at all. This one was not my choice for the meal, but it turns out it wasn’t bad. All but 2 (this makes 3) of the shiraz wines I have tried in the past have elicited from me the same Ralph Wiggum response, “It tastes like burning”.)

The adults ordered three different items:

Salmon – a fair sized potion of salmon, cooked perfectly. Not the most adventurous thing offered on the menu, but very good nonetheless.

Scallops – the only disappointment of the entire meal. The taste and preparation were excellent as usual, but what the menu described as two very large scallops came out as 3 scallops (2 medium, and 1 small). Taste was great, but value was not. Price was $36 for 3 scallops, average size of which was about the same as a round McNugget. Just not worth the price, for the volume of scallops on the plate.

Potato-Wrapped Red Snapper – This was my selection, and I must say I am somewhat biased, as I adore this dish. The creamy leak fondue, that part I can take it or leave it, and this time the leaks seemed to be more noticeable (in size and taste) than I remember. But the red wine butter sauce is to die for. And those aren’t even the main components of this dish. The potato wrapped snapper was crispy potato on the outside, perfectly flaky snapper on the inside. When I was done, there were no food particles left in the bowl. I still haven’t figured out exactly how they keep the red wine butter sauce from ‘breaking’. If anyone has the recipe, or anything very close, please PM me.

The remaining magic for this meal came when, and again it was a surprise, the chef came walking out of the kitchen with Theresa, to personally check on how the salmon was for our youngest daughter. He was cordial, and inquired about how the food was for all of us, but spoke directly to her about her salmon. He said he wanted to make sure that she liked her salmon, and seemed very pleased that she had requested it. Her eyes lit up when he was talking to her about how she liked her meal. For the chef of one of the best restaurants on property to take time to come out of the kitchen, and specifically check on the meal for a 5 year old child, was the magical icing on the cake for this trip. Our daughter is still talking about the visit from the chef, just as much she does about the other major events of the trip.

We skipped dessert because a visit was already planned to the candy store next door, for some take-back-to-the-room candy for the girls. The total bill for this meal came to just under $160, after the DDE discount. As the service was exceptional, a much-warranted tip of more than 25% brought the entire bill to just over the $200 range.

Summary: We have only been trying the Flying Fish a few years now, really only since we started buying the DDE card. The prices aren’t cheap, but the discount makes it much less painful on the pocketbook. Service and atmosphere are great, and especially the service this visit. Right now, the Flying Fish has notched itself a firm spot on our ‘must do’ places to eat each trip.

NEXT UP: Wolfgang Puck Cafe

 

[TigerKat]

We've only been to FF once and LOVED it!! We'll be making our second trip back in a few weeks and I can't wait for the potato wrapped snapper again.

The chef and waitress truly went out of their way to make your DD a very happy little girl. That would have been a very memorable moment for me as well.

 

[OKWMom]

That was a very touching story. I agree that it was very kind of the chef to come out and make your daughter's evening that way. We've been to FF only once, but now I'll think of your experience the next time we return.

My husband and I also loved the snapper. I wasn't crazy about the leek fondue, but I agree with your review, the red wine butter sauce was amazing.

 

[LouDisney]

Thanks for the review of Il Mulino, we are eating there in December.