Dining Reviews Sep 2008 & Feb 2009 Update 8/13 - Complete!

[2xcited2sleep]

I'm so glad your solo trip worked out! I'm looking forward to the reviews!!

 

[Lady V]

I am in-so glad you did actually go--sounds like fun!

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I'm here too. I'm a sucker for good food photos.

I have to say I would have been disappointed with those sliders too. We have had some that look a lot better at Ruby Tuesdays

Carry on

 

[racetrack18kb]

I've done the basic DDP and thought that was alot of food. I couldn't even imagine the deluxe plan for my family. But I am interested in your reviews of alot of these restaurants. I'd like to eventually try them all.

I think the banana foster cheesecake looked like it would have been better without as much bananas fosters sauce on it. I could eat a whole cheesecake plain if I really wanted to (and calories didn't count)

 

[swimchick1984]

I'm looking forward to you reviews. I subscribed to the thread and then I decided that I was going to say I was excited for you reviews.

 

[Nohal]

Count me in! Looking forward to your reviews.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I loveeee bananas foster. When I went to Vegas I stayed at the Bellagio and they have a bananas foster waffle. I ate one EVERY day. I can't wait to hear the rest!

That waffle sounds really good.

I'm so glad your solo trip worked out! I'm looking forward to the reviews!!

I'm glad it worked out too.

I am in-so glad you did actually go--sounds like fun!

It was tons of fun.

I'm here too. I'm a sucker for good food photos.

I have to say I would have been disappointed with those sliders too. We have had some that look a lot better at Ruby Tuesdays

Carry on

They were kind of dissapointing. I know it was just an appetizer, and the portion size was adequate for an appetizer, but it was over priced, especially when you compare it to other restaurants. What really got me though is it says it comes with fries on the menu, but it doesn't, it comes with chips.

I've done the basic DDP and thought that was alot of food. I couldn't even imagine the deluxe plan for my family. But I am interested in your reviews of alot of these restaurants. I'd like to eventually try them all.

I think the banana foster cheesecake looked like it would have been better without as much bananas fosters sauce on it. I could eat a whole cheesecake plain if I really wanted to (and calories didn't count)

I agree, it was a lot of sauce.

The deluxe dining plan is insane. Some days weren't too bad, but there were a few days when I just didn't feel like eating, but I also felt really sick about halfway through my vacation, with a sore throat, but I'll talk about that more when I get to those meals.

I did really enjoy being able to eat at all the signature restaurants and not worry about the cost at all. Except even with the meal paid for, with a drink and tip I still was spending almost $30 for a couple meals out of pocket.

I'm looking forward to you reviews. I subscribed to the thread and then I decided that I was going to say I was excited for you reviews.

I hope you enjoy them.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Count me in! Looking forward to your reviews.

Welcome.

I am working on the California Grill review now, and hope to have it up today. I would've probably gotten it up yesterday, but instead I uploaded all of my food pictures to Photobucket instead.

Maybe I'll even get the Cinderella's Royal Table review up too, but I do want to get started on my trip report before I get to far into my dining reviews, otherwise I will pay no attention to my trip report, and too much to my dining reviews.

 

[MickeyNicki]

I cannot wait for your Cali Grill review, we are going there for the first time next month and I am so excited!

 

[disneydreamin247]

That waffle sounds really good.

It was so good that I didn't mind paying $15 bucks a pop....which came to $90 for the whole trip just on waffles. If you ever go to Vegas definitely stop in to try one....and the souffle crepe. Yummo!

 

[WDisneyWforMe]

So happy to stumble upon your reviews just as you are starting!! I've wanted to try several of the restaurants you are going to be reviewing and so really looking forward to what you have to say!

Also I have to say you are my hero , I've been contemplating a solo trip now for about 5 years and keep putting it off as the idea of dining alone has always made me a bit concerned but if you could do the deluxe dining I think I could certainly give it a try. Thanks so much for sharing your tip with us!

Diane

 

[disneyfav4ever]

After a nice break back at Pop I got ready for my first dinner, which was at California Grill. After getting ready, I took the bus to Magic Kingdom and then transfered to the monorail to get to the Contemporary.

I arrived early, at around 5:30 for my 6:10 ADR, (I would arrive early for most of my ADRs as the days went by, and was only late to two of my meals.) They were however having some problems with the computers at check-in, and there was quite a line behind me waiting to check in once the problem was resolved. I was taken up to the fifteenth floor at 5:50, and was seated a few minutes later, ahead of my ADR time.

This was the second time I was having dinner at California Grill, and I was very much looking foward to it after such wonderful food and service the first time, which had been back in 2006. I was seated towards the back windows, at I believe the same table I had last time, and had I sat in the chair instead of the booth, I would've had a view of Spaceship Earth while I ate, but I prefer booths, as I find them more comfortable.

My server this evening was Dawn, and she was lovely, she went over what I was entitled to on the plan, and what counted as an appetizer.

I was served sourdough bread, with dipping oil and butter.

The bread was good, but I'm not a huge fan of sourdough, so I only had one little piece.

I had a choice of a flatbread, a sushi item except for the deluxe platter or the snake in the grass, of an item from the first course menu for my appetizer. I'd had a flatbread the last time I had eaten at California Grill, so I knew I wanted to try something else, and I wasn't in the mood for sushi, (which I have to be in the mood for to enjoy,) so I looked at the first course offerings.

The only first course that really stood out to me was a new item, which was the sauteed Maine lobster and shrimp cakes, so I ordered them.

These were two small cakes, which were very good. They were just a tad spicy, and had a nice Thai flavor. They came with a Vietnamese melon relish, with mint and lime, and the whole dish worked very well together.

For my entree I had a personal delima between the oak-fired filet and the roasted lamb tenderloin. Since I knew I'd probably have a filet in a few days when I ate at Yachtsman Steakhouse, I decided on the lamb.

The lamb was wonderful, it was cooked perfectly to my liking, and was very tender, except it was a little salty. Though quite a few items I had seemed to be a little overly salty, that seems to be my one complaint about a lot of the food. It wasn't too salty though that I wasn't able to enjoy it, just over salty enough to make me think it was a tad on the salty side.

The lamb came with eggplant two ways, one of which was an eggplant puree, which was very nice, but again a little too salty, and the other were roasted baby eggplant wedges, which were good too, but the stems had been left on the end. There were also roasted rosemary potato wedges, which were good, but also a little too salty, cloves of roasted garlic, and currant tomatoes. I had no idea what currant tomatoes were when I ordered this dish, but they turned out to be small marble-sized tomatoes that were very sweet, and very good.

Overall I really liked this dish, though like I said, it was a little salty, but it was still very good, and I'd eat it again.

For dessert I had originally thought of ordering the peachy keen dessert, and I wish I had gotten that. Instead I ordered the "original," which was butterscotch creme brulee.

The creme brulee was very nice, and would have been more then enough by itself, but it came with two small cakes, one of which was a banana walnut, the other was a chocolate-banana cake. They were good but a little overkill after the meal I'd had, and with the very rich creme brulee I just thought it was little much.

I finished eating at about 7:40. Wishes was scheduled for 8:00 so I decided to go out to the balcony to watch before heading back to Pop. A perfect way to end the evening!

 

[Alice In Tinkerland]

to see a solo dining TS food report.

I have done a few solo trips and have only eaten a couple of TS solo but I love good food and just have to get over the fear of eating TS by myself. I feel like I miss something on my solo trips when I only eat CS.

I am off to read your TR now.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

YUM! Looks delicious. And what a nice bonus to get to see Wishes! I believe you said you were a veteran solo tripper; I have my first one coming up in a few weeks. Can I ask if you ever felt/feel uncomfortable dining alone at TS and specifically at Cali Grill? Is there a bar area at CG that you could eat at? Sorry for so many questions. Thanks again for sharing your reviews. I'm really looking forward to the rest!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I cannot wait for your Cali Grill review, we are going there for the first time next month and I am so excited!

Just posted it, I hope you enjoy it.

It was so good that I didn't mind paying $15 bucks a pop....which came to $90 for the whole trip just on waffles. If you ever go to Vegas definitely stop in to try one....and the souffle crepe. Yummo!

That's an expensive waffle!

So happy to stumble upon your reviews just as you are starting!! I've wanted to try several of the restaurants you are going to be reviewing and so really looking forward to what you have to say!

Also I have to say you are my hero , I've been contemplating a solo trip now for about 5 years and keep putting it off as the idea of dining alone has always made me a bit concerned but if you could do the deluxe dining I think I could certainly give it a try. Thanks so much for sharing your tip with us!

I love going solo. I get a lot of comments about it, but they don't bother me. I do get some looks in restaurants, especially when I get out my camera and start taking pictures of my food, but that, like the comments, doesn't bother me either. At one restaurant I was actually asked if I was a critic!

I did see other solo diners at some of the restaurants as well, at Jiko, Coral Reef, the Wave, and Le Cellier, that I remember.

 

[disneydreamin247]

I LOVE the Cali Grill review. I hope to eat there on our next trip.

 

[MousekaMaddi]

very nice, we look forward to more.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

to see a solo dining TS food report.

I have done a few solo trips and have only eaten a couple of TS solo but I love good food and just have to get over the fear of eating TS by myself. I feel like I miss something on my solo trips when I only eat CS.

I am off to read your TR now.

Honestly I find it more troublesome to do CS solo then TS. Because with CS you need to stand in line, then carry around a tray as well as any bags you may have, and then try to find a table, which if you eat at busy times is impossible to do, since there's a lot of table saving going on.

YUM! Looks delicious. And what a nice bonus to get to see Wishes! I believe you said you were a veteran solo tripper; I have my first one coming up in a few weeks. Can I ask if you ever felt/feel uncomfortable dining alone at TS and specifically at Cali Grill? Is there a bar area at CG that you could eat at? Sorry for so many questions. Thanks again for sharing your reviews. I'm really looking forward to the rest!

This was my fourth time in Disney solo, and I don't feel uncomfortable at all dining solo. CA Grill does have a bar area, as does Flying Fish, Wolfgang Puck, and Jiko. The only thing I don't feel great about dining solo is the buffets and character meals, and that is because at the buffets I don't like getting up to go get my food, and leaving the table empty, and I feel like I have to take my purse up with me, because I worry about it getting stolen or something. And at the character meals I always worry no one will take my picture for me, but someone always does.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I LOVE the Cali Grill review. I hope to eat there on our next trip.

You should, it's a great meal. Both times I've really enjoyed my food.

very nice, we look forward to more.

There are still twenty-eight reviews to come! Cinderella's Royal Table is next, and should be up either this afternoon, or sometime tomorrow.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Thank you so much for the Cali Grill, I hope they have that little lobster/crab cake when we go in a few days.