Dining Reviews-One Thread-with Pics

[JERSEYDISFAN]

It's taken a little time to pull things together after our side trip to WDW on 5/7-5/11 but here is dining review #1. I'm just going to report the dining experiences on this board. Hopefullly, I'll get around to posting the trip details on the trip report boards a little later.

Staying at the YC resort was a first and we were very pleasantly surprised to be given a complimentary concierge upgrade at check-in. Must have been a little pixie dust involved since our CM at check-in was Allison and my middle name is also Allison.

I've seen a number of negative reports on the concierge offerings and service, however, we found them to be great. CMs were extremely helpful and the food and drink offerings were very good. This initial review will limit itself to the Concierge offerings, restaurants will follow later in this same thread.

The Concierge Lounge food offerings change throughout the day:

06:30 AM - 07:00 AM Coffee (never made this one, assume it's just that)

07:00 AM - 10:30 AM Donuts (trays and trays), bagels, croissants, muffins, sweet breads, cereals (hot and cold), juices, bowls of fresh fruit, coffee and tea.

11:30 AM - 04:00 PM Pretzels, goldfish crackers, nuts, large cookies, bagged popcorn, fresh fruit, iced tea, lemonade, coffee, soda.

05:00 PM - 07:00PM A Hot appetizer (changed daily), soup du jour, olive/relish platter, several types of hummus, flat breads. The beverage service changes to wine, soda, coffee and tea. For the children there is a platter of PBJ sandwiches topped with a pile of gummy worms.

08:00 PM - 10:00 PM Pettit fours, miniature cream puffs and cannolis, brownies, cookies. Beverage service changes to cordials.

The Concierge Lounge is designed with the beverages available in the entryway (somehow I never got photos of the AM offerings, guess that shows where my interest lies):

Around the corner is the food service buffet. This is the evening offering. First the appetizer and soup end:

And next, the side dish (relishes, hummus and breads) end:

Off to the side were the ever present PBJ sandwiches and gummy worms:

And now we get to the good part, eating. First evening we snacked on New England Clam Chowder (a tad over salted), barbequed pork ribs, olives, peppers, cheeses and flat bread:

The second evening's offerings had us noshing on chicken vegetable soup (very good), spinich and cheese dip, pico de gallo, marinated mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes, olives, peppers, cold asparagus and flat bread.

Food offerings were plentiful and replaced frequently. At no time, while we were there, was the lounge overcrowded. Tables were always available. There is a small table and chairs set before a TV monitor showing Disney cartoons for the children. We also did serious damage to their lemonade supply. Temps during the mid-day were in the low 90's and we took PM breaks to rehydrate and rest.

NEXT REVIEW: Todd English's Blue Zoo or, "Mr. Disney nailed it!"

 

[OurDogCisco]

Looks yummy.... I love concierge services (although I've never used it at Disney)... Can't wait to see the rest of review.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Great review. Can't wait for the review of Blue Zoo.

 

[tinkerbeth]

Oh my LAWD.. I would really like to stay concierge after seeing that. I'd never leave the resort.

That settles it...as soon as the baby is old enough (or should we go early and take her with??) DH and I are having a no - kids (depending on above...) and no parks (well maybe just a little) AKL Concierge vacation where we just eat in the lounge and BOMA and swim in the pool and sleep. Guess we better wait until the baby is big enough to leave with my parents, thinking about the sleep bit.

AWESOME pics! Can't wait to read more. And a free upgrade - I'm totally jealous.

Thanks again!

Beth

 

[JERSEYDISFAN]

On to Todd English's Blue Zoo! Before we left for FL, we had read Mr. Disney's review of the Zoo (do a search for it on this board) and we knew we had to give it a try, especially the Teppan Seared Sea Scallops and Braised Beef Shortrib appetizer.

The Blue Zoo is a seafood restaurant located in the Dolphin Hotel, a Starwood property with some Disney privileges. Charging the meal to your Disney room key is NOT one of them. We could have walked from the YC to the Dolphin, however, a Friendship was just pulling into the dock and we decided to take it instead.

The Dolphin is a beautiful hotel and photos don't do it justice. Arriving by water was the beginning of our evening adventure:

You begin to get a hint of what awaits you upon entering the restaurant. The signage and decor is done in hues of blue and metal and glass:

Behind the bar a school of silver fish swirl up and around giving you the feeling of fish in motion. The chandeliers consist of suspended glass globes, illuminated from below, seeming like bubbles rising in water:

But the real star of the show was our server. Her name is Rachael and she was a real find. Fully knowledgible about the menu and ready with suggestions, all of which were on the mark. If you go, ask for Rachael. Her service is as pleasing as her smile:

Since we both wanted seafood that night we decided on white wine, however, we didn't feel like a bottle. So, we ordered, by the glass, a sparkling Italian wine - Moscato - at what appeared to be $14 a glass (hey, it's Disney, live a little). When it arrived, to our surprize, it was actually two splits so we had a bottle anyway. It's a light, sparkling wine with a slightly sweet finish and went well with everything we had.

Following Mr. Disney's lead, DW had the Teppan Seared Sea Scallops and Braised Beef Shortrib appetizer while I had my usual 1/2 doz oysters. They have at least six types of oysters every night and rather than guess I asked Rachael to bring me two each of her favorites. They were all winners. DW raved over her appetizer, needless to say I saw none of it. Unfortunately, we both were so anxious I forgot to take pictures.

Regaining our culinary composure DW ordered a second appetizer as her entree - Garlic Roasted Shrimp with creamy polenta and fennel butter. Another home run:

My entree was from the "Simply Fish" category - grilled snapper with a warm crabmeat, dijon mustard and chive sauce. Accompanied by softened mashed potatoes and braised hearts of palm. Also delicious:

Sorry, no desserts. All in all a great meal with great service. Total bill came to $130 for two.

STAY TUNED: NEXT REVIEW - THE YACHTSMAN STEAK HOUSE.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

More, More, More!!!

I'm not very patient when it comes to food reviews and pictures. Just out of intrest where else can we expect reviews from?

 

[JERSEYDISFAN]

Thanks for the comment disneyfav4ever. I hope to have the Yachtsman Steak House review up on line by this evening.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I'm looking forward to it!!!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

great thread! keep em comin!

 

[poohluvrs]

super reviews! hope there's more!

 

[babby]

Can't wait for Yachtman's!!!! We are eating there in two weeks!!! Come on, let's have it!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jenrose66]

Thanks for posting. I'm enjoying your reviews. Looking forward to your take on Yachtsmen's. It's one of my favorite restaurants.

 

[DisneyJen]

Yo Jerseydisfan ... Great review! I look forward to the next installment

 

[swankybeth]

Great review, looking forward to more. I love reviews w/pictures.

 

[lorli]

Love reviews with pictures Thanks.

 

[ufgator]

Thanks for the great reviews and pictures so far!

 

[JERSEYDISFAN]

OK Disney Dining Fans. Here's the final review (short stay). Kinda feels like your last day in the World writing this final review. Anyway, here we are at the Yachtsman Steak House. Ever notice how the signage kind of gives away the decor of the restaurant. Like the sign, the furnishings are all light wood:

First order of business was the libations. That night we felt like cocktails and decided to forego our usual favorites and try the specialities of the house. DW (not a martini drinker) decided to try a rum-based "Bananas Foster Martini" and I had a Hamakase (really not sure I remember the name correctly). DW gave the martini a WOW and practically licked the glass clean. I got a taste and it was SMOOTH. Two thumbs up! Mine was a vodka style tequila sunrise, OK but not spectacular:

Normally, one does not review the bread basket, however, this one was exceptional. Onion topped dinner rolls and rustic bread rolls accompanied by a small ramekin of roasted garlic cloves. YUM. The only thing I would have liked was a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on the garlic (and yes, those are my big fingers sneaking in to grab a roll as soon as the photo is taken):

Which brings us to the "confusion" of the evening. I love lobster bisque, and fully planned to have it that evening. Anthony, our server, highly recommended the Ahi Tuna Tartare and I changed my mind and ordered the tuna. When Anthony brought the tuna he also brought me a bowl of the lobster bisque, "compliments of the house" - that's the mark of a class act in a restaurant. A word of explanation is in order here. I'm now salivating over two great appetizers and so, of course, I forget to take pictures - until DW and I have done some serious damage to both. Therefore, my apologies for the next two photos.

First the Ahi Tuna Tartare with an olive tapenade and mache salad drizzed with basil oil on top and a "softened" egg beneath - delicious combination:

Next, the half consumed lobster bisque. This soup was light and delicious with full satisfying flavor (not like those heavy, pasty too long on the warming table concoctions some restaurants pass off as bisque). It was served with a dollop of creme fraiche, finished with brandy and contained a generous amount of small, tender pieces of lobster in the bottom . It was, without a doubt, the BEST lobster bisque I have ever had. Having made that over the top assessment, I hope we didn't just hit an exceptional "bisque" night:

Moving on to entrees. DW was in a prime rib mood and ordered hers medium. It came with a Savory Garlic Bread Pudding (outstanding) and a thyme-garlic au jus:

I was in the mood for a NY Strip, medium-rare, which was served with a delicious potato gratin and a peppercorn sauce. If I could have made one adjustment it would have been to "hold" the peppercorn sauce and smother the steak with a large portion of those great caramelized onions you see to right of the steak:

OK, I admit to being a bit of a mushroom adict. Therefore, we had to have the side dish of Sauteed Mushroom Caps smothered with sherry and cabernet wine sauce. It certainly did not disappoint us:

Another great meal in WDW. We went away happy and sated and the bill, with tip, also ran about $130 (we seem to be in a rut here).


That's it for this trip boys and girls. Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company, M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E - hope to see you real soon!

 

[Kaycee]

I really enjoyed your dining reviews. We don't hear a lot about concierge offerings here on the restaurant board, so your pics and review of the YC concierge lounge was a nice treat. I also enjoyed your pics and review of Blue Zoo and YSH. Thanks!

 

[John's Mom]

I've really enjoyed your reviews and pictures.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Thanks!!! Blue Zoo looks excellent, as does the concierge offerings which I rarely get to see and hear about.