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

[TigerKat]

I'd suggest Blue Zoo & JIKO!

 

[Robert P]

I'd suggest Blue Zoo & JIKO!

LOVE LOVE LOVE your reviews! Thank you.. Now I have to add Il Mulino to my list!

I am going to say Jiko is a must to do. Great service, food and wine! Have Fun in April and will look for your reviews!

I've been looking everywhere for this thread ... thanks for bringing it back (my own fault for not subscribing ... ).

I suggest ...

Bistro Paris
Narcoosee's
Jiko

Or a full blown knock yer socks off dinenr at V&A!!!

Thank you all for the quick replies.

Okay, the leading suggestion right now seems to be for Jiko. I may have to talk the wife into that one, because of the "exotic-ness" of the menu. I think it came up as an option for our last trip, and was voted down because of aforementioned "exotic-ness", and wanting to save that restaurant until we were staying at AKL (for planning and convenience sake).

BlueZoo, well, I have always been a strong supporter and fan, but on our last visit, it had seemed to have slipped a little. And, they had somehow changed the drink recipe for the Kirkland, which previously was made with rock-candy syrup, Tanqueray Ten, and mint. Last visit, it was no better than a standard collins, with sweet & sour mix, and a less than impressive gin taste. Disappointing, especially when you have a hankerin' for a particular adult beverage. So anyway, last trip, it got bumped for Il Mulino. Still, it is a viable option for April.

Bistro de Paris - thinking about it, but they don't take ADR's until 30 days out, so I have more time to make a decision there.

Does anyone else have any suggestions to throw out there?

 

[kabuki]

BlueZoo, well, I have always been a strong supporter and fan, but on our last visit, it had seemed to have slipped a little. And, they had somehow changed the drink recipe for the Kirkland, which previously was made with rock-candy syrup, Tanqueray Ten, and mint. Last visit, it was no better than a standard collins, with sweet & sour mix, and a less than impressive gin taste. Disappointing, especially when you have a hankerin' for a particular adult beverage. So anyway, last trip, it got bumped for Il Mulino. Still, it is a viable option for April.

THE KIRKLAND CHANGED! My POOR HUSBAND IS CRYING BEHIND ME READING THIS! That is a shame! We love the drinks at Blue Zoo and we have gone as far a trying to recreate this at home. Our glass of wine will be at half mast this evening!

 

[TigerKat]

Never been myself but how about Shula's?

 

[oybolshoi]

Have you ever tried Narcoosee's? We tried it for the first time in October and thought it was quite good. I think Flying Fish is a little better, but this was still a nice, new experience and the view of the Seven Seas Lagoon is just lovely from tableside.

 

[Robert P]

Never been myself but how about Shula's?

TigerKat,
Shula's is a good choice as well.
I believe that Shula's has the best steak (tied with Yachtsman) on property. The beef selections are great, and the chocolate souffle is just out of this world for dessert.

If memory serves me, we have eaten there 4 times so far. 3 times the service was very good, maybe even excellent. The other time, well, I'll just say that one server (of the pair, as they work in pairs or teams) was terrible, and it impacted our experience. That, coupled with the fact that I feel sorry for the giant lobster they parade around on the beef selection cart during the whole evening, has prompted me to explore other options. The result was that we have since tried Flying Fish and the Yachtsman for the first time. With the Yachtsman taking the DDE card, and the Shula's side items ALL being al a carte, the one thing that would drive me to Shula's in the near future would be a quest for the big 32 ounce prime rib.
I will probably pick BlueZoo over Shula's, if I am going to dine at the Dolphin.
And, we have found it much easier to get into BlueZoo on short notice, as Shula's seems to be the 'place to eat' for S/D convention attendee's.

 

[Robert P]

THE KIRKLAND CHANGED! My POOR HUSBAND IS CRYING BEHIND ME READING THIS! That is a shame! We love the drinks at Blue Zoo and we have gone as far a trying to recreate this at home. Our glass of wine will be at half mast this evening!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news kabuki, but -
Oh yeah, it changed big time. First 2 visits, it was sweet, smooth, and minty. I went so far as to attempt to crack the recipe at home. The key is fresh mint, simple syrup with some sour mix, and Tanqueray Ten, which is Oh So Smooth (insert drooling emoticon here)....
Last visit, the first sip was like sucking on a lemon, with a pine tree aftertaste for a chaser. It was almost pure sour mix, some unknown house gin, and the mint leaves appeared to be dried, if that is even possible. I didn't mind the crazy prices for a signature drink like the Kirkland, but not the same price for a glorified Collins. I drank it, but did not order a second (or third). Hopefully, it was an off night or a new bartender, but that is the last one I ordered there. Unless I can sit at the bar and watch it being prepared, I can't be sure how the next one will turn out.

 

[whogirl'smom]

We really enjoyed Narcoosee's on our last trip. I will say that I think the filet would possibly be better without whatever reduction they put on it, but it was still good. We had a table by the window and it was just beautiful looking out over the lagoon. Service was very attentive and I think the YOAMD almond cheesecake was my favorite dessert of the whole week! (And we were on DDP.... we ate a lot of desserts...) It was a farily long meal, if that makes any difference to you--I think we were there about 2 1/2 hours BUT part of that was b/c I had ordered DD a slipper dessert and they had to look for it for about 15 minutes, and then we ordered our regular desserts. It was a nice, relaxed meal and we would have stayed to watch Wishes if DD hadn't been falling asleep at the table.

Any of the choices you're looking at will be good, I'm sure, and we'll really enjoy your review of wherever you choose!

 

[oybolshoi]

Mr. Scorpio,

I apologize for stuttering ... I didn't realize that when I suggested Narcoosee's in a separate post that I'd already mentioned it once before. I don't know how I managed to miss my own post five slots above my second post but I guess I must really want you try the big N.

Aside from that, what are your thoughts on California Grill? Jay and I really enjoyed our second try there when we ate in the wine room. It was much more quiet and relaxing and we've always enjoyed the food. It's certainly less exotic than Jiko, that's for sure; although I do think their menu has nice variety.

Have you ever been to Citricos? That's next on our list of signature restaurants when we get back to WDW next year - they make it hard to schedule dinner though when they're closed on Monday and Tuesday evenings (unless that's changed).

Anyway, just wanted to apologize for the brain fart and tell you once again how much I enjoyed reading your reviews. And by the way, to the best of my knowledge Jason never takes a bad picture. I've looked for evidence going back to his formative photographic years and it's just not there.

 

[WDW Fan]

I was going to suggest the two that Brenda just suggested! California Grill is always a sure bet and the view is spectacular! We've also enjoyed a couple meals at Citricos in the GF! They're both signature restaurants with great ambiance and service! I just read your entire dining review and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

 

[Robert P]

Mr. Scorpio,

I apologize for stuttering ... I didn't realize that when I suggested Narcoosee's in a separate post that I'd already mentioned it once before. I don't know how I managed to miss my own post five slots above my second post but I guess I must really want you try the big N.

Aside from that, what are your thoughts on California Grill? Jay and I really enjoyed our second try there when we ate in the wine room. It was much more quiet and relaxing and we've always enjoyed the food. It's certainly less exotic than Jiko, that's for sure; although I do think their menu has nice variety.

Have you ever been to Citricos? That's next on our list of signature restaurants when we get back to WDW next year - they make it hard to schedule dinner though when they're closed on Monday and Tuesday evenings (unless that's changed).

Anyway, just wanted to apologize for the brain fart and tell you once again how much I enjoyed reading your reviews. And by the way, to the best of my knowledge Jason never takes a bad picture. I've looked for evidence going back to his formative photographic years and it's just not there.

Dearest Plankton-ite,
No problems about the double mention for the big N. I figured you really, REALLY wanted me to consider that.
Narcoosee's and Citricos have been on the short list for the past few trips, but always got voted off the ADR island during the final cut. At one point, once my plans for world domination came to fruition, I had hoped to stay at the GF, and dine solely at the monorail resort restaurants. To date, that has not happened. But, I am adding them both to the consideration list for this coming trip.

California Grill - This is like so weird, because we were talking about that place just this week. And we thought we were the only ones who preferred the wine room. That view at sunset, off the 'back' of the Contemporary, is better than a sharp stick in the eye. And certainly better than the scorched corneas we received when we sat in the main room on our second trip. You never really know just how much you appreciate 'not' having scorched corneas, until you get them toasted by the welding torch brightness of a sunset at CG . And the quietness of the wine room pairs nicely with the laid back setting. We will probably not put CG on the short list for this coming trip, unless we intend to have that meal with a Wishes viewing from the deck. As planning for our evening adventures is going to depend somewhat on the Jellyrolls schedule, which won't be available til a week or two before we leave, I don't know if I can plan on a fireworks viewing night on such very late notice.

So right now, the short list of nominees for April stands at:
Jiko
Bistro de Paris
Flying Fish
Narcoosee's
Citricos
BlueZoo
Il Mulino (locked in already)

 

[Robert P]

This should be the final follow up.....

It is done and done!!

Our next trip meals are decided. There was some hand-to-hand combat required, and a game of rock/paper/scissors, but the decisions have finally been made. Many thanks to those who came forward with their suggestions. I will of course start a new thread for these next reviews, but in the mean time, the line-up for April is (in no particular order):

Bistro de Paris
Flying Fish
Yachtsman Steakhouse
Crystal Palace
Il Mulino

one mystery breakfast (either Spoodles, Fresh, or really, a mystery).

That leaves us with maybe one lunch opening left, and we are probably going to try Rainforest Cafe again. I need to revisit my take on RFC, and with the help of several Margarillas, I think I can maintain my objectivity (if not my balance).

Again, my thanks to those who read along with this first set of reviews, and many thanks to those of you who had comments and input for the April line-up.

Robert P

 

[TigerKat]

I need to revisit my take on RFC, and with the help of several Margarillas, I think I can maintain my objectivity (if not my balance).

Looks like a great line-up to me! Looking forward to reading all about them.

 

[Robert P]

TigerKat,
If any of the winners are unable to fulfill their duties or obligations, the first alternate will fill in for them. In this case, the first alternate on the list is BlueZoo. We haven't been back in a while, so we figured that would be a great fill-in, if needed.

Now, I just have to remember to pack the camera this time.......

 

[TigerKat]

TigerKat,
If any of the winners are unable to fulfill their duties or obligations, the first alternate will fill in for them. In this case, the first alternate on the list is BlueZoo. We haven't been back in a while, so we figured that would be a great fill-in, if needed.

Now, I just have to remember to pack the camera this time.......

Please don't forget the camera!!!!!!

We just started planning a 6 day trip for sometime during Food & Wine festival, my ticker may be changing soon.....we're doing "all new" places this time. So far I'm planning a Party for the Senses, Narcoossee's, Bistro De Paris, Il Mulino and Raglan Road for dinner. Lunches at The Plaza, Yak & Yeti, Sci-Fi and Mexican (CS) in EPCOT. I just love the planning part.

 

[oybolshoi]

I am so excited to read that you will be trying Bistro! Don't forget your camera ... whatever you do!

Looking forward to reading your new set of reviews next month; the line-up sounds delectable.

 

[Robert P]

Bistro was the last ADR we made. Your review was a big reason for adding it to the list, and if it is half as good as it looked in your pictures, we'll be very happy.
Yes, the camera has been moved to the top of the packing list. Since neither of us take a good picture (unlike some people.. ..), I'll have to work harder to focus in on the food (which is really what people want to see from me anyway).