Disney Dining Deluxe Doesn't Do Us In -- a week in heaven with photos

[bleeps]

Great review so far! Can't wait to hear more!

Thanks! Do ask questions, if you have any!

 

[bleeps]

I think its great that your son is so adventurous in his eating! My son is more of a standard fare type (he's 12) and trying to get him to try something new is like pulling teeth!

We all honestly believe that WDW had in hand in getting DS to branch out. When he was under 10 and on the child's dining plan, he'd get pretty burned out on hot dogs, or chicken nuggets, for basically every meal. We'd end up sharing our meals with him, or just having him order off the adult menu (cms were very good about figuring out just how flexible they could be with the child credits, and we didn't worry about what it was going to take to give him a decent meal).

Anyway, he was really looking forward to being an 'adult' on the plan -- this was his second trip as an adult (or, person over 10!). We gave him lots of opportunities to help plan the trip and look at menus ahead of time, and we would always encourage him to talk with our cm if he had questions or wanted to amend a meal in some way ("could I please have that with the sauce on the side, or would it be possible to get a different side with that?"). We also find that the World Showcase restaurants are great for getting him to branch out -- the cuisine isn't SO authentic to the countries that it won't appeal to an American audience, and he feels very grown up to be able to say, "I love Moroccan food!" -- things like that.

I think many kids can put "toes in the water" by trying parents' meals and being encouraged to try something new. Our motto is that you never know if you in fact have found your favorite food yet if you haven't tried everything!

 

[bleeps]

Really enjoying your reviews and your pics are great. It sounds like you were at Disney the same time I was, every day with the heat index 100 degrees. Nothing like the MA weather we have been having now.

Too funny! We were there 8/12 to 8/19/2009. Ahead of time, we thought we knew what hot and humid was all about, and we thought we may as well be hot and uncomfortable at WDW than at home (and DH's birthday was 8/17). Whoa! It's a whole 'nuther ballgame in FL!! We'll never go during the summer again -- we'll go back to our Oct/Nov/Dec timeframe -- when it starts to get cold up here but it's still lovely down there.

Great leaf season for us, though, don't you think?

Glad you're enjoying the reviews!

 

[bleeps]

Two lunches at Yak & Yeti

We'd been to Yak & Yeti on our previous trip; DH loved it so much that he was adamant about going twice this trip (and given that the guy was turning 50, I figured he had the right to insist!). We had lunch here on his birthday and a few days beforehand; I'm not sure what the odds were, but we were seated at the same table both times!!

First visit, here were the appetizers:
I had the pork pot stickers and DS shared them with me; these are a huge step above the pot stickers we get from our local Chinese restaurant. The wonton skins are very thin and delicate, the meat is incredibly tasty, and I love the soy/lime dipping sauce

DH had the fried green beans because he'd tasted the ones I'd ordered last year and had been dreaming about them ever since -- these did not disappoint!

Second visit, though, was even better!
I had the seared ahi tuna, which was served cold -- the flavor and texture just could not have been more perfect on a hot day. This will be what I will dream about until we get back there next year!

DH had the Lettuce Cups - minced chicken breast, chopped vegetables, maple tamarind sauce, crisp lettuce cups; this is what he had ordered last year and he did enjoy it (his dream would be that one person orders the fried green beans, one person orders lettuce cups -- he'll have to see if DS will get in on that action with him since I know I'm gettin' the tuna!)

DS got his own order of the pot stickers and he did a pretty decent job on them all by himself!

First visit, the entrees:
I had the Mandarin Chicken Salad - chilled chicken, romaine and iceburg lettuce, Mandarin oranges, almonds, sesame seeds, rice noodles and plum dressing. I wanted something light, but was a little disappointed -- the quality of the chicken wasn't great -- it was a little dry -- but I did enjoy the rest of the salad part.

DS had ribs, which is what he'd ordered last year, and they were still as tender and delicious as he remembered

DH had the seared miso salmon and absolutely loved it

Second visit entrees:
Learning from last visit, this time I went for the crispy mahi mahi, and it was sensational. The portion size was just right, and the fish was cooked perfectly.

DS had stir-fried beef with broccoli and rice, and he said he's going to have a hard time deciding between this and the ribs on our next visit -- the beef was very tender and tasty

DH had his beloved salmon again and enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

For desserts, both times DS was too full from his meal to order dessert, and both times DH and I each ordered the mango, lemon, and raspberry sorbet trio. These are unbelievably refreshing -- just the right thing to set you up before heading back out into the heat!

We all love AK and easily visit two or three times during the course of a week's vacation. The themes of each area are so incredibly well thought-out, we totally enjoy all the opportunities to see and interact with animals (if you've never seen the Flights of Wonder show, please do make the effort!) and of course EE. It always makes me a little sad to hear people say negative things about this park; I mean, certainly to each his own, but this is one that is SO rewarding if you're willing to slow down and give it a chance to work its charms on you.

Anyway, back to the food wrap ups! I'll just do one overall rating:

Food: A
With the exception of the chicken salad, everything was terrific (and the rest of that salad really was very good). I know what to order next time!
Service: B
No complaints -- the cms did a good job for us, but nothing to write home about.
Atmosphere: A
We do like the theme in here, and we feel the layout does a good job of getting a lot of people in to the place without making you feel like you're crammed in -- lots of separate areas for seating.
Value: First meal was $87, second was $138

 

[bleeps]

Royal Anandapur Tea Company

OK -- so I told you how much our family loves AK. PART of the reason has become visits to the Royal Anandapur Tea Company even though -- gasp! -- it does not take dining plan credits!!

On two mornings, we hit AK at rope drop, rode EE (well, I have ridden it, but I'm not a rollercoaster-first-thing-in-the-morning kind of person so it was really DS and DH), and then stopped here for our breakfast.

Um, we all kinda live for the frozen cappucinos:

I don't want to know how many calories they are, I don't want to consider whether or not a good parent allows her child to drink cappucinos for breakfast, I just know that these are a highlight of our trips.

And since calories and good parenting have already been thrown to the wind, why not add in a cinnamon roll?

Oh yeah, baby.

Again, we feel that AK rewards those who are willing to slow down and get off the beaten track. Even though the August crowds were unlike anything we'd ever experienced before, both times we had no problem walking a little ways away from the Tea Company shack and finding quiet, peaceful, otherwise empty places to sit and enjoy our "breakfasts."

 

[Lynn5700]

I'll tell you -- that mac and cheese was outstanding! It includes some shaved truffle bits (very intense, rich mushrooms, essentially) and is rich and creamy beyond belief. We wouldn't have ordered it if we'd been paying attention and realized that the steaks came with potatoes, but we did all enjoy having some of the mac!

Ooh so which are better? The potatoes or mac, lol!! We're going here on our next trip and I want to get that steak.


I cannot wait to try Yak & Yeti!!!!!! We are going there for lunch for the first time.

 

[bleeps]

Ooh so which are better? The potatoes or mac, lol!! We're going here on our next trip and I want to get that steak.


I cannot wait to try Yak & Yeti!!!!!! We are going there for lunch for the first time.

Gosh -- I'd say that the specialness of the mac makes it better than the mashed potatoes, BUT with as rich as the meat is, I may have regretted ONLY having the mac alongside (just so much rich, intense flavor going on). How many in your group? You may want to just get one side of the mac and share it around; that would be my recommendation. And the steaks really are fabulous.

Hope you enjoy Yak & Yeti as much as we always do!

 

[bleeps]

great reviews!! i hope to do the DxDP next time we go. this upcoming trip will be our third on the DDP

I do recommend the deluxe plan. As I mentioned, it gives you total flexibility -- 3 meal credits a day to use however you wish, and it is nice as a treat on vacation to have the appetizer and dessert options.

The first time we used the dining plan (back when there was only one type offered), I really agonized over 'getting our money's worth.' I had spreadsheets and prices and just tortured myself over how we were going to use those credits.

Now, we just pick the places where we want to eat and use the credits anyway we choose. I do believe that WDW restaurant prices now are geared toward the use of the plans -- I cannot imagine going down there without the plan and having to pay every meal OOP at those rates.

I haven't mentioned the snack credits -- we used ours for bottles of water, dole whips, popcorn, mickey bars -- whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. And we STILL had 17 credits left on our last day! We just went to the resort gift shop and stocked up on little bags of pretzels, nuts, chocolate bars, and then I used those things in DS' lunch box after we got back. It was a nice way to kind of extend the experience for him.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[MrsSpratt]

I am loving your reviews - detailed, well written, and you go to places I'm interested in trying!

I think it is wonderful that your son isn't a "chicken nuggets only" kind of guy - good parenting going on there! (I love the phrase, "you don't know your favorite food unless you've tried them all....") While I think it is great you credit Disney with helping to broaden his horizons, I suspect Momma and Daddy might have a thing or two to do with it as well....

You have a lovely family - and Happy 50th DH!

Best,

Mrs. Spratt

 

[MrsSpratt]

I forgot to ask - have you considered taking your son to V&A's?

 

[Sandy321]

I really enjoy the detail and all the pictures - I really feel as if I was "back there" with you all!!

ITA with your assesment of Yachtsman - I cant wait till its our turn to return!!

Did you have wine with your meal here? We also usually go with a recomendation from our servers... and it was the only place we ate that we didnt feel that "rush" that you describe -

Thanks for sharing!

 

[bleeps]

I am loving your reviews - detailed, well written, and you go to places I'm interested in trying!

I think it is wonderful that your son isn't a "chicken nuggets only" kind of guy - good parenting going on there! (I love the phrase, "you don't know your favorite food unless you've tried them all....") While I think it is great you credit Disney with helping to broaden his horizons, I suspect Momma and Daddy might have a thing or two to do with it as well....

You have a lovely family - and Happy 50th DH!

Best,

Mrs. Spratt

I forgot to ask - have you considered taking your son to V&A's?

How very kind of you! Makes it that much more fun to do these reviews with this kind of sweet encouragement!

Funny you mention V&As -- we are seriously considering it for our next trip. We'd love to swing the chef's table, although that might not be realistic. The major thing that's held us back? DH balks at the idea of having to bring a jacket along for the trip ("'cause then you've also got to go with the dress shoes, and shirt, and everything..."). We don't mind the 'business casual' kind of attire for the signatures. I'm working on him to do just deal with it -- have you been? I feel that it is in our futures at some point!

 

[bleeps]

I really enjoy the detail and all the pictures - I really feel as if I was "back there" with you all!!

ITA with your assesment of Yachtsman - I cant wait till its our turn to return!!

Did you have wine with your meal here? We also usually go with a recomendation from our servers... and it was the only place we ate that we didnt feel that "rush" that you describe -

Thanks for sharing!

I wish I had written down the wines we had -- we did always have a glass of wine with our evening meals and at Yachtsman's I know the cm made a terrific recommendation.... I'll tell you -- from remembering to take the photos, to writing down what we ate, to recording the price it would have been had we paid OOP -- I just can't seem to *quite* get it all together to also include details on the wines. Next time, I hope!!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

How very kind of you! Makes it that much more fun to do these reviews with this kind of sweet encouragement!

Funny you mention V&As -- we are seriously considering it for our next trip. We'd love to swing the chef's table, although that might not be realistic. The major thing that's held us back? DH balks at the idea of having to bring a jacket along for the trip ("'cause then you've also got to go with the dress shoes, and shirt, and everything..."). We don't mind the 'business casual' kind of attire for the signatures. I'm working on him to do just deal with it -- have you been? I feel that it is in our futures at some point!

The Chef's Table is wonderful! Granted a lot of money but worth it. When my husband & I went it was about $550 for my wine pairing + the meals for the both of us. But - the regular sit down table was $430 for the two of us for the wine pairing and the upgrades we got.

In fact I'm calling at 7am on Tuesday to try for the Chef's Table for our next trip. Hopefully we can get it one of the days we are there.

V&A has become a must do for us almost every trip. Of my last 10 trips, there are only 2 times we haven't gone and once it was b/c like your husband my husband (well b/f at the time) hated the idea of a jacket and the other was a short weekend trip this July that was planned last minute. My parents first took me when I was still a child (although they dont allow anyone younger than 10 nowadays) and I'm thankful I had parents that made me open my horizons for what I eat. I'm a little shocked at how much my husband's palettes have changed over the past few years as I've made him try new things as he didn't grow up eating anything 'fancy'

Once he tries it - I'm sure he wont mind having to have a jacket in the suitcase for the next time. They do have jackets you can borrow and sweaters for the ladies in case you get chilly also.

 

[bleeps]

Jiko

Ah, we love this place! This was our second time having dinner here, and we loved it just as much as the first time.

Our cm was Ron, and he was utterly amazing. Kind, thoughtful, there when you needed him but not hovering. Probably the most nicely paced/unrushed meal we had, but again I recognize that it's more a matter of how booked a place is than the talents of the cm. Ron was also more than willing to make wine recommendations, and we were so thrilled with what we ordered.

We've noticed over the years that the restaurants, esp. in the parks, have really been homogenized. It used to be that places like Sci-Fi had their own printed napkins -- little touches like that. Now, I would rather have prices held in line as much as possible rather than custom napkins, but I guess I would have to say overall that we've also noticed menu items being repeated over and over and a streamlining that seems to be driven by the 'bean counters' and not the people (who must be there somewhere, right?) who really care about the guest experience.

I say all this because Jiko is such a welcomed respite. Now -- you may laugh and point out that we ordered things with the same names that we've ordered before on this trip. But trust me when I say that Jiko really is different, and wonderful, and worth the trek all the way over to AKL!

DS offered to have me take his picture eating the bread, since I didn't get to photograph the basket before he and DH dug in! I promise that we did apply sunscreen, liberally, every day -- but you can see DS was a bit rosy cheeked by this point of the vacation!

He (DS) did order a cheese plate for appetizers, and he's ordered that before, but this one was so delightful that it also merited a photo of the card that identified the cheeses:

(Yachtsman's also provided a card to identify all the cheeses. A funny side note about DS and his love of cheese: he recently went out to dinner as the guest of another family, and I was so surprised when he said that he ordered Chicken Parmesan -- only because he'd never had it before. "What prompted you to try something new," I asked? "Well," he said, "it sounded as though it had cheese in it so I figured it HAD to be good!")

My appetizer was the cream of cauliflower soup, and I kid you not when I say this *could* just be the best soup I've ever had in my entire life

I've been trying to recreate it at home, but so far have failed to capture the complexity of flavor. Don't be afraid to try this if it's on the menu and you don't normally like cauliflower -- both DS and DH tried it and absolutely loved it and they are not cauliflower guys.

DH had the Taste of Africa -- Dips with Assorted Breads and House-made Naan. I ordered this last time and he'd wished it had been his, so here was his chance. These are all very flavorful and fun to eat as well.

For entrees, DS and I both had the filet mignon with mac and cheese:

Now, again you may be laughing at me and pointing out that it sounds exactly like our dinner at Yachtsman's. All I can tell you is that the preparation here really is different -- that the two meals were both outstanding and that the did NOT taste exactly the same. The red wine sauce on this is just heavenly -- even DS loves it -- and the way the beef is subtly spiced/flavored makes this it's own very special event.
DH had Grilled Swordfish - with Crisp Mealie Pap, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Cilantro-red Curry Sauce and ate every. last. bite. I'm not quite sure how to describe the mealie pap; sure it doesn't sound too tasty, but it was a finely ground corn meal patty and set off the fish perfectly.

And yes, we all somehow managed to go with dessert!
I had the pistachio creme brulee. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but the fact is that it was fantastic, but I just wish there were less of it. What I mean is that I was so full from the amazing dinner that there was no way I could even come close to doing justice to this -- I would have been fine with half the amount. Maybe I just need to have dessert first?

DS had the Kenyan coffee ice cream. He's a big coffee ice cream guy, and declared this the best he'd ever had. I was amazed that the bits of ground coffee in it didn't phase him -- he said he loved the texture:

And DH went with the apple turnover -- they had a fancier name for it, but DH said that you could call it whatever you like but that he'd walk a mile over hot coals to have it again:

Another top-notch experience! The meal, plus the before- and after-dinner strolls around the resort, keep this a must-do.
Food: A++
Service: A++
Atmosphere: A
Value: $209

 

[bleeps]

The Chef's Table is wonderful! Granted a lot of money but worth it. When my husband & I went it was about $550 for my wine pairing + the meals for the both of us. But - the regular sit down table was $430 for the two of us for the wine pairing and the upgrades we got.

In fact I'm calling at 7am on Tuesday to try for the Chef's Table for our next trip. Hopefully we can get it one of the days we are there.

V&A has become a must do for us almost every trip.

I'm a little shocked at how much my husband's palettes have changed over the past few years as I've made him try new things as he didn't grow up eating anything 'fancy'

Once he tries it - I'm sure he wont mind having to have a jacket in the suitcase for the next time.

Thanks for the recommendation -- we're just plain going for it next year!

I had to laugh about your husband's change in tastes -- I went through the exact same thing with my DH. He was raised in a very plain meat and potatoes family -- nothing 'fancy' and everything kind of cooked to death. When we were first together, I'd ask him things like, "do you like roasted asparagus?" or "do you like creme brulee?" and he'd say "no -- no thanks!" It took me a while to figure out that the RIGHT question to ask was, "have you ever had ...." -- because he'd just automatically say no to things he hadn't had before!

Now he's Mr. Foodie, and loves to try new things. He's also willing to view a meal as an experience, and is willing to pay for it. Not that we splurge all the time, but he's willing to have special experiences (his poor brother is still stuck in the mode he was raised on, and even though he earns a fortune he's scandalized by the thought of spending more than about $50 on dinner for two!).

I love being able to share on these boards and connect with like-minded souls

 

[mcrabeck]

Enjoying your pictures and reviews- thanks for sharing!

 

[catsaneda]

I absolutely love your reviews! And I love how adventurous your son is in eating and how sophistocated his tastes are. My daughter was the same way...she is 25 now and has the most adventurous pallette of anyone I know. I think Disney has played a huge part in developing it.

 

[bleeps]

Coral Reef

This was our 6th visit to Coral Reef -- lunch here is always a must for us (I say that a lot, don't I?). Aside from the food, we really feel recharged by the dark, cool, quiet atmosphere. If you don't take some real opportunities to get out of the sun sometimes when you're at WDW, you don't realize how much the exposure just wears you out.

Anyway, this was the first time we were seated right next to the aquarium -- we're usually in the first row of the second 'tier.' We'd always been just fine with our tables before, but we admitted that it was pretty special to be right next to the tank. But as you may have read elsewhere, the one downside to a tank-side table is that there are parents who will instruct their kids to push right into you to get up to the tank. I don't get it -- there isn't room, you are clearly getting in the way of the people seated there, and you truly can see the whole tank from further back.

I think this picture shows that there really is NOT room between your seat and the seat behind you at the next table, but people insist on having their kids squeeze in just the same. We are not 'make a fuss' people -- we generally do our best to just look the other way and not let things get to us -- but I did finally say to one child, loudly enough for his mom to hear, "honey, I'm glad you've had fun looking at the fish, but my boy is so squeezed in now that he can't eat his lunch -- you really need to go back to your table now." I said it nicely and mom hurrumphed and went back to the table....

But, as I say, that wasn't going to spoil our lunch!
DS had the Seared Sea Scallops - served with a cauliflower foam with black truffle vinaigrette. He enjoyed the scallops and didn't do a whole lot of damage to the rest of the things on his plate; overall he said he would order this again.

I had the shrimp and lobster cake, and I didn't care for it. I felt that the cakes were pretty rubbery.

Ds had the mixed greens salad. He enjoyed it, but was disappointed that they've taken the straight shrimp cocktail off the menu because he'd really been looking forward to that.

For entrees, I was fortunate that my meal more than made up for the disappointment of the appetizer. I had Grilled Mahi Mahi - topped with a spicy pineapple chutney over cashew-jasmine rice finished with a coconut rum beurre blanc, with bok choy (that's the green and white "lettuce-looking" item on the plate) and I can honestly say this was one of the best entrees of the trip for me. I ate every last bite, which I don't usually do no matter how much I'm enjoying the meal!

DS had his beloved Blackened Catfish, served over pepper jack cheese grits, with tomato marmalade, and basil oil, that he'd had last year:

And DH went with the Lobster Ravioli - with tomatoes, olives, capers, and shaved parmegiano-reggiano cheese. He gave it two thumbs up.

Dessert were the chocolate wave for me and DS (although he ordered his without the raspberries -- no problem). This is your basic molten-center chocolate cake, well executed except for one thing. See the green sugar Mickey head on the left? I wish the cm had warned us -- these things are beyond hard-as-rock (or at least ours were), and completely inedible.

DH went with butterscotch creme brulee and thoroughly enjoyed it, although we were both sad that the mango sorbet that we had devoured last trip was no longer on the menu.

Food: A-
(just skip right over those rubbery seafood cakes and you'll be fine)
Service: C
CM here wasn't great. Her nametag showed that her hometown was a small town near where we live so we mentioned it -- just nicely, without indicating that we'd be stopping by to spend the holidays with her or anything -- and she just totally blew us off. She wasn't new to the waitress scene, she wasn't so rushed that she just couldn't cope (in which case we wouldn't even have said anything). She just acted as though she couldn't care less. She also served our desserts without clearing the table first -- again, fine if it seems like you're just learning but it came across as sloppy on her part. We are very easy-going people and by no means did she ruin the meal for us, and while we will definitely eat here again we will hope we don't get her next time.
Atmosphere: A
Love it in here, as I've said. Even the kids crawling over us didn't make a dent in how much we like being here.
Value: $132

 

[bleeps]

Citricos.

Ah, Citricos. We had a really hard time deciding on this ADR. We normally do California Grill and Artist's Point, but this time we wanted to branch out a little bit and we wanted to try something at Grand Floridian.

The room, and the table, were lovely.

DS was wearing a clean, crisp white t-shirt (not an undershirt -- much heavier/nicer) and chinos. DH and I also had crisp chinos; DH had a nice polo shirt on and I had a nice blouse. I mention what we were wearing because this is the first and only time that we all kind of felt as though we were being looked down on. Now, we're hypersensitive -- I'll admit that -- and maybe something about sharing the same waiting area with V&A's and seeing all those folks dressed to the nines made us feel shabby? And there certainly were others in Citricos much less "dressed" than we were. But it got us off on a slightly uncomfortable foot.

I started with the goat cheese/truffle salad and found it lovely; for some reason, I'm not a great salad-maker myself -- I make salads, but I don't get too creative with them (I'd like to think that my energy goes in to the main dish!). So it's a real treat to have these beautiful, carefully thought-out salads.

DS had, so surprising, the cheese plate:

When it first arrived he just sat there for a while, until I asked him what was wrong. "Aren't I going to get the card to tell me what's what on these cheeses?" he asked -- not in a snotty way, but just in kind of a plaintive way. No card forthcoming. It was his least favorite cheese plate of the week and he didn't feel that the bread was a good accompaniment to the cheese. He really didn't care for the brown coffee-aged cheese on the right, and he thought the ricotta on the left was an odd choice for a cheese plate. I agreed with him.

DH had sauteed shrimp. They were tasty, but he thought the presentation was a little lacking (and he's not the kind of guy who goes around talking about 'presentation' very often).

For entrees, I had the salmon -- with Lemon Risotto with English Peas and Lemon Thyme broth. It was fine, but I kept thinking about the $33 for this vs. the $20 for the mahi mahi at Coral Reef, and feeling that the chefs at Coral Reef had done so much more superb a job. This was not what I thought I'd be thinking at a signature restaurant. Don't get me wrong -- this salmon was fine -- it just wasn't anything very special. DS shared quite a bit of it with me -- he loves salmon.

DS had Berkshire Pork Two Ways - Chermoula Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Braised Pork Belly with Creamy Polenta, Swiss Chard, Caramelized Vidalia Onions, and California Peaches. He is a huge pork fan, but this just didn't do a whole lot for him. To be honest, it is entirely possible at this point that we were all a little off balance by our experience, and that we might have enjoyed everything more if the whole meal had started off better for us. He did a fair job on the pork, and as I said he had quite a bit of my salmon so he certainly didn't go hungry.

DH had sea bass, and he did absolutely enjoy it:

Dessert for me and DH were the trio of gelato -- we each ordered our own. They were tasty, and we know that gelato is a soft ice cream, but these were almost liquid. They tasted fine, but they were more like dessert soups than gelato.

DS didn't order dessert. I think that it was a combination of being pretty "fooded-out" by this point in the trip, and his overall disappointment with the meal/experience. Also, unlike other cm's we'd had, this one didn't make any effort to try to help DS find something he'd like -- and I am confident that there probably would have been something he'd have tried if the cm had made an effort.

Speaking, then, of the service. Ahem. So I was a waitress, back in my own olden days, so I am very, very understanding, appreciative, and tolerant of restaurant servers. I know how hard the job is. OK. And then there's the whole signature dining thing. I do think it is reasonable to expect superior service at these places. The guy we had was just, so.... obsequious, while at the same time kind of looking down his nose at us. Weird and contradictory, I know -- but it was as though he was going to make up for the fact that he somehow thought we didn't belong there by going overboard in the "and how may I be of service to you?" thing. He made us feel pretty uncomfortable, he made no effort to engage us or work with us on our choices (and didn't even comment on the stuff that went back barely touched, where in a fine restaurant it is usual to expect that if you don't eat much of what you were served that the waiter will ask you if there was a problem and try to fix it). [edited to add that in retrospect, it was unfair for me to say that dishes 'went back untouched' because that wasn't really the case -- DS and I just left a bit more than we usually would but that was more the sides than the mains. I think I wanted the cm to read my mind, and of course that's not reasonable nor fair on my part.]

So I know that there are people who go to Citricos and have wonderful experiences -- for us, it just wasn't our night. We don't think we'll go back, at least not for a while. We'll try Narcoosses, maybe, or we'll go back to California Grill.

Food: B-/C+
Service: D
Atmosphere: A (we did love looking out over the courtyard and watching the comings and goings at GF)
Value: $203
[I should have noted this sooner: for "value," I am giving you the amount that was for the meal that was included on the dining plan -- this represents the value of the plan. We paid OOP for wine, and sometimes for a side dish or something like that, and those OOP costs and tips are not reflected in this amount.]