Dining Reviews for Mar. 25-Apr. 1

[laura74]

I thought I'd share my thoughts on some of our dining experiences. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures so just imagine how delicious everything was. So while I'm not competition for the likes of Oybolshoi or MickeyNicki ( I lurked, I admit it) I thought I'd put my two cents in anyway.

I was traveling with my husband and 7 year old daughter and another family with a 7 year old son. I won't bother reviewing the kids' meals because they only ate the usual pizza/chicken nuggets/pbj stuff.

Some of the restaurants we visited:
The Wave (Dinner)
Roaring Fork (Breakfast, Lunch)
Flame Tree Barbecue (Lunch)
Coral Reef (Dinner)
Back Lot Express (Lunch)
San Angel Inn (Dinner)
Teppan Edo (Dinner)
Whispering Canyon Cafe (Dinner, Breakfast)
Columbia Harbour House (Lunch)
Ohana (Dinner)
Raglan Road (Dinner)

We didn't have a lot of variety for lunch as we had a more relaxed pace this year and mostly ate lunch at the resort.

The Wave (dinner)

First of all, this restaurant hasn't caught on yet with non-DIS board readers. And that's a good thing, right? Our table of six was seated right away at 6:45 and the place never seemed packed. The service was great. They didn't rush us at all. The atmosphere is very chic and a nice respite from the parks.

A warm basket of multigrain bread is brought to the table with fresh unsalted butter topped with sea salt. I loved the taste of the sea salt on the butter and I thought it was an elegant presentation. In fact, all the entrees are very artfully arranged on modern white plates. Also, take note of the unusual salt and pepper shakers when you visit.

I had the pork tenderloin. The online menu says it comes with pineapple rice, wilted greens and black bean sauce. They've changed the menu and it now is a spice rubbed tenderloin (African flavor with cinnamon like at Boma) with roasted vegetables (squash, fingerling potatoes). This was excellent, very tender pork and the vegetables were seasoned and cooked perfectly.

My husband had the filet mignon and it was as tender as the best filet we've had at California Grill or Le Cellier. The online menu says it comes with fingerling potatoes but I seem to remember mashed. See? I should have taken pictures.

My friend had the sustainable fish of the evening. I can't remember what the fish was but it was absolutely delicious. The fish was perfectly cooked and the cilantro chutney was too die for. So fresh.

My other friend had the Linguini with rock shrimp and clams and enjoyed it very much. I had a bit of the linguini and we all thought it tasted homemade.

Make sure you save room for dessert! The samplers are so much fun! Two of us got the Creamy Indulgence with cheesecake with raspberry coulis, coconut panna cotta with passion fruit drizzle and chocolate passion fruit mousse with pecan olive brittle. I especially liked the chocolate mousse with brittle. It was rich and creamy and the brittle the right amount of salt and crunch to offset the rich chocolate. I also enjoyed the cheesecake. My husband thought the panna cotta was best and ate most of it.

Two of us got the no sugar added assortment which I don't see listed. I don't remember all of the desserts but I do remember that one of them was a very good creme brulee. We all decided that they may not have added sugar but that didn't stop them from adding BUTTER! Oh well. It's vacation, right?

I think this was my favorite restaurant of the trip. They have a fairly limited menu but everything is well thought out and expertly prepared.

More to come...

 

[KKB]

Love your detailed report! (and prefer no pics sometimes...easier to navigate). Am seriously considering the Wave for our next trip. Is it 1TS credit? How did the kids like it?

 

[MickeyNicki]

AWESOME reviews! We had the pork and filet at the Wave and we died and went to heaven! I cannot wait to hear the rest of your reviews!

 

[natalielongstaff]

you went to some fab places, looking forward to hearing more

 

[laura74]

Love your detailed report! (and prefer no pics sometimes...easier to navigate). Am seriously considering the Wave for our next trip. Is it 1TS credit? How did the kids like it?

Yes, it's one TS but we thought it rivaled a two TS restaurant. I think the kids had chicken or pizza. They were fine with the kids menu activities. They also liked the lighted walkway into the restuarant. Also, you may want to time your reservation so that you can take advantage of watching wishes from the 4th floor observation deck. It wasn't anywhere near as crowded as the deck on California Grill and I thought the view was almost as nice. You can also bring drinks out there which we did one night. Just ask the bartender to give you a plastic cup.

 

[laura74]

AWESOME reviews! We had the pork and filet at the Wave and we died and went to heaven! I cannot wait to hear the rest of your reviews!

'

Nicki, I just want to tell you how much I enjoyed your reviews. I don't know how you had the energy to post them on vacation! It was really fun to wait for the next day's restaurants. I should have posted how much I enjoyed them but I tend to lurk more than post.

 

[wilma-bride]

Photos or not, a great start to your reviews - the Wave sounds fabulous

 

[laura74]

Roaring Fork (Breakfast, Lunch)

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge so we visited this place numerous times. It's smaller than the food courts at the moderate resorts but I thought it was much less crowded and we always found a seat whereas at Port Orleans we wandered around quite a bit before we found a spot to settle down.

Breakfast
There is a limited menu for breakfast but what they do have is fairly good. One morning I had the oatmeal with toppings. Toppings include fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, granola and brown sugar. The oatmeal was a good consistency, not too thick or thin and it was piping hot. It hit the spot. They have a small assortment of bagels, muffins and danish. We split a breakfast platter one morning. The scrambled eggs were cooked nicely but nothing spectacular. My husband said the pancakes were good as well. They also offer a yogurt parfait that looked pretty.

Lunch
I LOVED the grilled chicken salad. I had it for lunch four times. I know I should have tried for variety but I sometimes get this weird reaction to wheat where I break out in hives and wouldn't you know it would hit right before the trip. So no cake, cookies and bread for me.

Anyway, the chicken salad had very crisp, cold lettuce, and the grilled chicken was moist and in perfect bite size pieces. They cut up granny smith apples in a petite dice so you never get so much on one fork as to overpower the rest of the salad. Also, there is Tillamook (whatever that is) Cheddar (shredded), walnuts and apple vinaigrette dressing. It was a very refreshing entree on a hot day. I wish I had one now...not that it's hot here in NJ.

My husband had the roast beef and blue cheese sandwich several times and loved it. I watched them make it once. They spread buttermilk chive spread on a roll, top with blue cheese and grilled red onion and arugula and then a pile of roast beef. He also loved the pasta salad that went with it.

He had the turkey and brie sandwich one day and while he thought it was good he went back to the roast beef the next lunch.

For dessert they have those wonderful magic cookie bars as well as chocolate chip and sugar cookies. They had an assortment of ice cream bars and a soft serve machines as well.

 

[laura74]

Coral Reef (Dinner)

I, like many of you, wasn't expecting much from this. I'd read so many mixed reviews that I figured we'd be going just for the atmosphere. And it was a beautiful place. We had a table with a great view of the tanks. I had no idea how detailed the mosaic waves were around the tables. Very pretty place.

Luckily, Coral Reef is more than a pretty place. We thought the food and service was excellent. We started out with bread and a balsamic and oil dip. I believe some of us had specialty drinks. The strawberry basil lemonade was enjoyed and the celebration cocktail with the glow cube was deemed tasty but weak.

I had the Mahi Mahi for my entree. The fish was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. I thought the pineapple chutney was good but could have used more heat, not a lot, just a clean bite of jalapeno.

My husband had the sirloin and thought it was the tastiest, if not the most tender, steak of the trip. He tends to order a lot of steak when on the dining plan because it's the most expensive and he feels he's getting his money's worth. I tried it and it did have a very good flavor.

One friend had the catfish which she liked, though not as well as the fish at the Wave. I like the spice rub on it. I think my fish would have tasted better with it. The grits were also tasty.

I can't remember the other entree. I think he had pasta again. I don't remember any complaints from him though.

For dessert, my husband had the chocolate wave. You might be interested to know that it wasn't served with the brandied cherries. They serve raspberries now. I had a bite and it was rich and delicious.

I had the butterscotch creme brulee and it was wonderful. Nice crunch to the top, just a hint of butterscotch, nothing too overwhelming to detract from the lightness of the custard.

My friend had the sorbet but I think she was suffering from dessert envy.

So there you go...a positive review for Coral Reef.

 

[laura74]

Flame Tree Barbecue (lunch)

I found this to be a bit disappointing. My husband had the ribs which he thought were ok. If he hadn't been very hungry he probably wouldn't have finished them. I had a bite of the baked beans which I normally love but I found these to be too sweet.

I had the barbecue chicken salad. The greens were fresh enough but not crisp and cold like the lettuce at Roaring Fork. The chicken was almost too soft and the pieces were cut too long and thin. I had hoped for more of a barbecue flavor. There wasn't much else to the salad besides a couple of grape tomatoes. The online menu says that this comes in a toasted garlic shell but in reality you get a little triangle wedge of garlic cracker. I think I ate half before giving up.

For dessert they had the usual cup o'cake and key lime pie. My seven-year-old said the cake was good but she always says chocolate cake is good.

 

[laura74]

Back Lot Express (Lunch)

I've always been in the Not Enough Good CS Places in DHS camp and after visiting Back Lot Express I still am.

The food was ok but I find the place a bit depressing. I know it's supposed to be like that but can't they come up with another concept for CS than a studio cafeteria?

My husband had the grilled vegetable sandwich which he said was fine but he really raved about the black bean salad.

I had the southwest salad and I can't remember if it was good or bad so let's just say it wasn't good enough to be memorable.

I think I gave my cup o'cake to the seven-year-old.

 

[laura74]

San Angel Inn (Dinner)

My husband requested this place and since we were celebrating his birthday all week how could I say no? Anyway, how bad could it be? All the chips you can eat and margaritas...

The main reason for wanting to eat here was to soak up some atmosphere. Unfortunately we were seated away from the atmosphere. And my back was to the atmosphere. I was close to the chips and salsa though.

Three of us ordered the Filete Motuleno. I thought this was good but the spoiled steak eater said it couldn't compare to his previous two steaks. I liked the roasted peppers with the meat. My other friend had the Chicken Mole which she didn't care for. I had it three years ago and remember enjoying it.

One funny thing during this dinner. One of the men had to use the facilities. When he came back he said that he was told that there wasn't a working restroom in Mexico and he had to travel to Norway. My daughter decided precisely when the entrees arrived that she needed to go to Norway. So we made a super speedy cross country trip and when we arrived back panting we found out that it was only the men that needed to travel. There was a working ladies room in the building. At least I burned off some of the calories from the chips.

 

[skellingtonfreak]

Great job so far! Can't wait to read the rest of the kick-butt line-up.

 

[frdeb1999]

Great reviews so far. Have to agree on Coral Reef....we absolutely loved it and honestly were'nt expecting much.

 

[Busymom85]

Thanks for the review. The wave sounds good. I'll have to look into that.

 

[Krissalee]

Enjoying your reviews and looking forward to the rest!

 

[ProudMommyof2]

Great reviews!! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[laura74]

Teppan Edo (Dinner)

I was excited to try this restaurant and see what what was doing at the top of those steep stairs. My daughter was also excited because all year she had been talking about buying a kimono at Epcot and now she got to wear her brand new pink kimono to dinner.

In case anyone's wondering each hibachi table seats 8 people. They seat the kids on the end so that they're furthest from the hot grill.

We all started with a blue drink with an umbrella on it. I wish I could remember the name because it was delicious and tasted like pineapple. And it was blue! With an umbrella! Is anyone else curious about how hot those drink trays get when they set them down on that hot 500 degree grill?

One nice thing about visiting here when you're on the basic dining plan is that it feels like you're having appetizers since the food is served in stages.

Our chef was very skilled and it was fun watching him slice the vegetables and shrimp so quickly. The kids especially enjoyed the onion volcano.

First we were served the noodles and vegetables. These were piping hot and delicious. I added some of the ginger sauce for more seasoning.

We all had steak and shrimp and the shrimp were served first. These were yummy and went well with all the sauces (mustard, ginger and garlic). He then served the steak which was cooked a perfect medium rare and was both flavorful and tender. The steak went very well with the mustard sauce. I highly recommend this entree.

Almost everybody ordered the ginger cake for dessert. I gave mine to my daughter but did have a bite and it was nice. Not the most exciting dessert but they serve so much food for dinner that nobody had much room anyway.

This place is very popular and I saw a lot of people get turned away when we arrived for our 6:30 reservation. When we left at about 8:00 there were still a lot of people waiting to be seated.

 

[laura74]

Whispering Canyon (Dinner, Breakfast)

I've read very mixed reviews about this restaurant but wanted to try it since we were staying at that resort. I thought all the shenanigans sounded like fun and if we didn't enjoy the food we'd still have a good time. We had walked past several times during our stay and seen grown men riding on hobby horses and kids parading around the restaurant and were curious about what they might do to us.

After a short wait we were seated at our table and placed our drink order. On his return to our table our server gave us our drinks and threw napkins and straws at us. My daughter thought that was so funny.

My husband and I both ordered the skillet. First we were given salad and cornbread. The salad was a bit boring but fresh. I think the dressing could have used a bit more acidity.

We were given the skillet which consists of brisket, chicken, pulled pork, ribs, corn, baked beans and mashed potatoes. Talk about comfort food! Oh and we did remember to order ketchup and received about 20 bottles which we then delivered to the next table to request it about 3 minutes later.

We both thought the chicken was delicious. It was so moist and tender and had a really nice smoked flavor. The pulled pork was also delicious. The ribs and brisket were fine but no where near as good as the rest. I also enjoyed the mashed potatoes and the baked beans. The beans were smoky and sweet rather than just sweet like those at Flame Tree Barbecue.

I had the s'more cheesecake for dessert which was basically plain cheesecake with chocolate and marshmallows on top. Good but nothing exciting. My husband had a milkshake which he thought was very good and some kind of weird fruit and gelatin thing. The server warned him that it was different and it was! I can't remember the name but don't order it!

We had breakfast here on our last day.

Our server Pippi (who grew up near Disney) was a real sweetheart and told us that she loves her job and has been there for 3 years. She said they get a lot of turnover because people can't handle all the antics. I guess it must be difficult to serve tables and be an actor.

My husband had the barbecue eggs benedict. This is like the regular version except instead of Canadian bacon they serve beef brisket. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the sauce was neither too runny nor too thick.

I had the western omelet which was huge. I think I ate half but it was very good. I thought the potatoes with onion served with both dishes were undercooked and would have been better if they were crispy on the outside.

My daughter had the pancakes which I didn't try but they looked and smelled amazing. They give two huge pancakes in the kid's portion. Probably enough to share for little kids.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Whispering Canyon (Breakfast)

My husband had the barbecue eggs benedict. This is like the regular version except instead of Canadian bacon they serve beef brisket. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the sauce was neither too runny nor too thick.

Ooh I need to get there for breakfast, I would LOVE this!