DH and I were on our own again this evening, and anxious to try Le Cellier. Such a polarizing place! Seems like it was the darling of Epcot for so long and now theres all this backlash. Long story short, we liked it and will definitely return next time.
First off, the Cast Members in Canada are just engaging. By and large, I found them to be so easy-going and friendly and just fun. Patrick was our server and he fit that mold perfectly.
We ordered a bottle of wine (Canadian, of course), and then they brought the bread. Of course, I had heard about pretzel bread and all the hype. I had thought to myself, How good can it be? I mean, I like pretzels and I like bread, but whats the big deal? Well, I still cant really explain what the big deal is, but the stuff is really good. I dont know why its such a novelty that the stuff feels like bread and tastes (and I mean DEAD-ON) like a pretzel, but it is kind of intriguing. It shouldnt be, but it is. Whatever. Really good stuff. Thumbs up for pretzel bread. The other two breads were ok. I love bread in any form, really, but they paled in comparison to the pretzel bread.
So, I ordered THE soup, and DH ordered the mussels. I knew the soup had bacon in it, and I chose to ignore that. I mean, it is THE soup. It was good. If I had never heard any hype about it, I probably would be more enthusiastic. Its fairly thick, golden in color, with bits of bacon all through it. It probably tastes more of bacon than of cheese smoky and comforting. Its GOOD cheese soup. REALLY good with pretzel bread. Its just not turnip-apple puree good.
Ha! I did really enjoy the soup. I would probably order it again.
DH adored the mussels. He agreed that they were better than the ones at HBD. I think that is probably because there was bacon in the dish. The menu description says, served chowder style with applewood smoked bacon and potatoes. You could probably cook my shoes chowder style with applewood smoked bacon and potatoes and theyd turn out tasty you know?
For his entrée, he had the Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon - with Baby Bella wild mushroom risotto, white truffle and herb butter sauce, topped with fried parsnips. Yes, the fried parsnips were delicious. He loved this meal. He loudly recommended it to anyone within earshot of us. The comment was something like, This Kansas City boy has never had a finer steak. Its funny because he had a hard time deciding on his entrée. He initially gravitated toward the signature filet, but I warned him against it since Ive read so many reviews from dismayed guests who were heartsick that their filet was smothered in barbecue sauce. So, moral of the story, if youre avoiding Le Cellier because youre fearful of that barbecue-y filet, rest easy, there are other dishes that might strike your fancy.
I had the Heirloom Squash Ravioli - topped with roasted chanterelle mushrooms and finished with brown butter and smoked paprika oil. That description is from the menu. I dont recall it being mushroom-y at all. There was also some shaved cheese a good sharp asiago-esque white cheese. The dish was big and beautiful and tasty. It was not a knock-out though, because I found it kind of hard to get all the flavors in one bite. So, depending on what I got onto my fork, the bite was either really tasty or just ok. Halfway through it, my husband asked me what I thought of it, and I was too confused to give an answer. I was still deciding, I think. Or maybe it was the wine
The ravioli were large and filled with a fairly mild winter squash puree. The brown butter was pretty darn subtle. A bite of squash-y pasta with a bite of the sharp cheese was really good, but I think maybe there wasnt enough of the cheese. I LOVE the idea of winter squash ravioli, and I also LOVE that Le Cellier has such an interesting vegetarian item on their menu. I just didnt LOVE the dish, but I thought it was pretty good.
Unfortunately, we had no room for dessert.
For me, this place was an experience, not just a restaurant. It was the whole thing that I loved: the cast members, the setting (the light fixtures were cool!), the wine, the bread -- the whole thing. Well definitely return.
Oh, before I forget, yes, the tables are close together. That wasn't a big deal for us. At one point, the lady at the table next to us began to tear into her husband about whether he was sick, "What's wrong with you? You never eat anything anymore. It's not just me that says it - it's everyone! Tell me what's going on with you!" He pretty much ignored her.
Kind of random. They ended up being nice though. The other couple next to us were celebrating their anniversary. The hubby cracked us up telling us how emasculated he felt because of the frou-frou green drink his wife made him order (probably to maximize the dining plan
). They were funny. At another time, sitting so close to folks could have cramped my style. Not so that night, for whatever reason. Truthfully, though, the tables are QUITE close together.
I dont know if I have a fun fact for this one, except to say that Im told that the mussels here ROCK. I know everyone knows about THE soup, pretzel bread, the steaks, but I dont know if the Canadian mussel dish has the reputation it probably deserves.
Day three: Kona, Big River Grille and Spoodles
