First a Little Pomp & Circumstance,then a Whole Lot of Disney Dining! COMPLETE

[jabead]

Off topic from your dining report, but since you are from my area, I was wondering where you flew out of and who you used? We used air tran our of BMI last time, but keep going back and forth on who to use this time. Thanks for the heads up on the zeppoli from Olive Garden, looks great!

On our May trip we took Air Tran there but then were on Frontier's inaugural flight into Bloomington, direct flight from Orlando. Frontier seemed fine, only difference was that we didn't get any snacks with our beverages. But I don't mind skipping the peanuts as long as they keep their ticket prices reasonable. I really like direct flights, which Frontier only has 2 or 3 times a week I think, but I guess that's better than nothing. Which is what I was afraid of when Air Tran announced that they were leaving the B/N airport.

 

[jabead]

Oh my! That pizza looks incredible. O.O

Actually I think your homemade food that you've been showing us recently looks even better.

Your Lunch at Via Nappoli looks good! I'm sure my hubby would try the Zeppolis as he used to make them!!

Unfortunately this did not help me decide between Le Cellier and Via Nappoli lol!! I'm actually leaning towards Via Nappoli as I am sure we will get steak a few other places and good Pizza is very hard to come by! Especially where my hubby now lives!

Yes, VN was good but Le Cellier was better and if I had to choose between the two I would always pick Le Cellier. That being said, I can understand your reasoning for leaning toward Via Napoli. I'm not a big fan of LC's steaks, and go there for some of their other entrees like their salmon and their burger. If I were just comparing their steaks to those at some of the Signature restaurants you are going to then I too probably wouldn't mind passing on Le Cellier.

But I really think that either way you can't go wrong, as they are both great restaurants.

Don't feel bad - I've only ever been to Olive Garden twice! I'm pretty sure I liked my food both times (although admittedly it's been years since the second visit!) but in general I'm not a big fan of Italian food because I don't like red sauce (unless it's a pizza).

I'm really hoping to try Via Napoli one day (not on the schedule for our upcoming trip) but neither me nor my DH are huge fans of thin crust pizza so I'm not sure how much it will impress us. Both times I've been in Italy I've eaten as the Romans do and partaken of the paper thin crust but I'm almost ashamed to say I'd rather eat a fluffy pizza from Papa Johns . I do think brick oven pizzas are superior to most though, so VN definitely has that going for it in my eyes.

Hmm...Papa John's. Can't really say I like that pizza but one of my kids loves it!

Subscribing!

Thanks for subscribing, jcchicago!

Cute waiters, pizza and Rosa Regale ....... Now that's what I call a lunch
Oh by the way, there is no branch of Olive Garden in the UK, well actually that's not strictly true.
If you google it there are many restaurants called the Olive Garden over here but they arent part of the chain you know and love; I'm surprised they don't get sued

My daughter was very disappointed to hear the news. I guess NYC it is!

Glad to see that your VN meal would have received a Peter Pan had it not been the 2nd Italian meal of the day - good enough for me!!! That pizza looks - wow! I don't think there is any kind of pizza that I wouldn't eat...they all sound lovely.

You didn't disappoint with dessert. I gotta try those. Unfortunately, Em loves the gelato there so I can only hope that DH will share some zeppoles with me.

Yep, the zeppoles are definitely a sharing kind of dessert!

 

[jabead]

Actually, I love Italian food.

Glad to hear it!

As for Boston, whenever we're there we always find ourselves drawn to seafood or Asian restaurants instead.

Hmm...seafood definitely, but I didn't realize Boston was known for its Asian restaurants???

Now I feeling like driving up to Boston for some Italian food.

After talking about all this Italian food lately, I wish I lived within driving distance of Boston.



And on a different topic...have you started a countdown yet?

HOURS UNTIL DDW is at WDW ​

 

[vettegirl]

Wow forget the pizza, I want to go for the dessert

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Hmm...seafood definitely, but I didn't realize Boston was known for its Asian restaurants???

After talking about all this Italian food lately, I wish I lived within driving distance of Boston.

And on a different topic...have you started a countdown yet?

HOURS UNTIL DDW is at WDW ​

I don't know if Boston is known for its Asian restaurants, but we've had very good sushi there. Given the city's proximity to the ocean, I like to assume it's really fresh. We honestly should go to Boston more often - it used to be one of our favorite places to go, but recently I've spent much more time making the trip between NY and Philly.

If all goes according to plan, we should be at WDW in 23 hours!

 

[jabead]

BACKGROUND: Narcoossee’s and the Jabead family go way back. Well, if you consider 2006 way back, that is. It was that year that we experienced our first Epcot Food & Wine Festival and it was also the first time that DD1 got to spend her actual birthday at Disney World. We celebrated her 17th birthday at several restaurants on that trip, but she got to choose only one nice restaurant. And after looking over the menus of several Signature restaurants, she chose California Grill. But guess what? California Grill had no availability during the 5 nights we were going to be there. The Dining Reservation CM though suggested that Narcoossee’s might be a very good alternative and so Narcoossee’s it was.

DD1's 17th Birthday Celebration at Narcoossee's - Nov. 2006
Doesn’t DS look excited to be celebrating his sister’s birthday?



Another pic of the birthday girl with her cake.

This first experience at Narcoossee’s was pretty much an all-around success. I think that we all had the filet, except for DD2 who I think got the chicken. The food was very good, the service was very good; it was a solid, “Peter Pan”. When we returned to WDW the next year at this same time, we decided to try California Grill for our one Signature dinner and as you may recall, that didn’t go nearly as well. So the next time when we were deciding on our one Signature dinner, we returned to Narcoossee’s. We were on the Deluxe Dining Plan this time, so DD1 was allowed to get one of her favorite foods….

Steamed Whole Maine Lobster with Baked Sherry-Cheddar Orecchiette Pasta and Delta Asparagus
(This was actually from her next visit to Narcoossee’s in May 2011, as I was not allowed to take pictures of our food on our March 2010 trip. )​

After having the Whole Lobster entrée, DD1 was from that time on hooked on Narcoossee’s. As for the rest of us, we ordered a variety of entrees including the Filet Mignon, Surf and Turf (which is what I had), and Chicken Breast, and all were very good. So our second experience was again a success and Narcoossee’s joined our list of family favorites.

Now for my next two visits to Narcoossee’s , we were again on the Deluxe Dining Plan. As a result , I succumbed to the pressure of wanting to maximize the value received and therefore again ordered the most expensive entrée on the menu...

Surf & Turf - Medallions of Filet Mignon, Lobster Tail, Duchess Potatoes and Broccolini - Nov. 2010
​

This second time having the Surf & Turf, I would say it was just a “Wendy” rather than a “Peter Pan” like last time. The filet was overcooked, the lobster tail was good, and the duchess potatoes were just okay.

Surf & Turf - Medallions of Filet Mignon with Béarnaise Sauce, Lobster Tail, Duchess Potatoes, and Wax Beans - May 2011
​

And then the third time, the filet was again overcooked, the lobster was just okay, and the potatoes were a total waste of plate space. I would have to give it a “Mr. Smee” this time, and that might be a little too generous.


However, though my entrée progressively got worse with each visit, the various appetizers that we tried were good and then there was dessert, which for me is definitely the highlight of any visit to Narcoossee’s. Because when it comes to Disney desserts , this one stands above most others…

Almond-Crusted Cheesecake with lambert cherry sauce (the Anniversary version) – Nov. 2010

Almond-Crusted Cheesecake (the Birthday version) – May 2011​

The cheesecake alone is wonderfully sweet and creamy, but then when you cover it in delicious, crunchy almonds and add a dollop of cherry sauce and whipped cream…well it’s dessert perfection.


And so that brings us to the planning of this trip. DD1 of course wanted to dine at Narcoossee’s and it was her graduation trip so I somewhat reluctantly made the reservation. But then in looking at the most recent menus (at that time) on the internet, I found an entrée that had been on the menu for years I believe, in various versions…

Crab-crusted Mahi-Mahi (photo courtesy of the internet)
​

With the idea of having this entrée, plus having my beloved cheesecake again, I was actually looking forward to our…

Dinner at Narcoossee’s

I will finish Part I with a picture of our appetizer…

Crispy Calamari – with pepperoncini-olive relish and tomato coulis
​

We had actually had this here at least twice before, and again it was delicious. DD1 and I both agreed it was much better than Il Mulino’s calamari and she said that it also trumped the calamari at Kouzzina.


And so with that tasty appetizer, I will leave you for now. I am going to be busy today with moving DD2 back to college , but hopefully tomorrow I will be able to get Part II written and posted so please stay tuned.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Well I'm pretty sure you didn't get the crab-crusted fish, since I think it's been absent from the menu for a large chunk of this year.

Ironically, the surf and turf has been getting better reviews this year. Thanks to some various changes to the dish (the lobster tail is now from a cold water lobster; the potato side dish is a boniato mash; and the sauce is now a summery herb salsa verde), I think the surf and turf sounds better than ever. I wonder if you tried the new version, and if so, what you thought of it.

I hope moving your DD back goes well!

 

[jedijill]

My last dinner at Narcoosee's was with Tom Cruise on Valentine's Day. (Well, I was 2 seats away from him and Katie, Suri, Conner, and Katie's parents!)

I miss that cheesecake! It's stuff that dreams are made of.

Jill in CO

 

[Tracerr00]

Glad to hear it was a good start to the meal!! I can't wait to hear how the rest of it went.

Good luck with the move!

 

[jabead]

Well I'm pretty sure you didn't get the crab-crusted fish, since I think it's been absent from the menu for a large chunk of this year.

Actually the crab-crusted mahi mahi is still listed on the allearsnet menu. Of course, it is dated March 2012 though.

My last dinner at Narcoosee's was with Tom Cruise on Valentine's Day. (Well, I was 2 seats away from him and Katie, Suri, Conner, and Katie's parents!) Jill in CO

Wow, Tom & Katie! So did you notice any signs of marital *******??? I guess you got to witness their last Valentine's Day together. So was there any paparazzi around taking pictures for TMZ?

And on a different topic...I hope you don't mind that I have included your Disney cruise on my Upcoming Trip List. Are you planning to do a Dining Report of your cruise food? I hope so. Also, are you spending any time at WDW before or after, that I can add to your trip info?

 

[jedijill]

Wow, Tom & Katie! So did you notice any signs of marital *******??? I guess you got to witness their last Valentine's Day together. So was there any paparazzi around taking pictures for TMZ?

And on a different topic...I hope you don't mind that I have included your Disney cruise on my Upcoming Trip List. Are you planning to do a Dining Report of your cruise food? I hope so. Also, are you spending any time at WDW before or after, that I can add to your trip info?

Ah, everyone looked happy that night...Suri is really a pretty little girl. I ran into Katie and Suri in the ladies' room and Katie told me I had cute shoes. Pretty sure she didn't know I bought them at Famous Footwear.

Well, I hadn't planned to do a report but I may be persuaded. I'm coming down a day early with ressies at CG and Kona the next morning and then coming back for a night after the cruise. Have ADR for Tea at GF and Artist Point. I will be back at WDW for F&W and to celebrate my friend's 50th. Maybe I will do a double report. Feel free to add my info!

Jill in CO

 

[jabead]

I hope moving your DD back goes well!

Glad to hear it was a good start to the meal!! I can't wait to hear how the rest of it went.

Good luck with the move!

Before proceeding with the writing of Part II of my Narcoossee's review, I'd like to share with you all the "happenings" of our day yesterday, DD2's "move back to college" day.

And so here it goes...



We got a late start of course (because that's just how the jabead family rolls ), but finally (and barely, I might add ) we got all of DD2's stuff packed into her car and our mini-van. And yes, the girl has that much stuff!!! My DH teased her that he used to return to college ever year on his motorcycle. Anyway, we (DH and I in van, DD and her brother in car) were on the road for less than a half hour when we discovered that they had just closed a road (on our usual route) that morning for a construction project and we were forced to take an alternate route which was miles out of the way. Then of course it started pouring down rain. But with our current drought conditions, we were actually happy about this. And it was also a lucky thing because we then noticed that DD's car had one headlight out when she had to turn her lights on during the rain. So anyway, the Student Housing Rental office was closing at 5:00 so we really had to step on it to make it in time. But we made it through their door at about 4:45. Of course, they were all getting ready to go home, so looked at us like we were, "a wad of gum stuck to their new shoes". Someone finally decided that they could do their job and spend the 5 minutes with us that it took to explain all the rules etc. and get our checking account information so they could "rob us blind every month". So with her keys in hand and a detour stop at the NAPA Auto Parts store for a new headlight, we finally made it to her house to start unloading. Let me first tell you though that when she leased this 7 bdrm house along with some friends last Spring, she was told (but not in writing) that her room would include a full-size bed, dresser, and a desk. And so walking into her bedroom with her first load of stuff, we immediately see that there is only a bed in the room. We call the number we were given to contact with any problems, only to be told that they never provide desks and the dressers are on order but they had no idea when they would be arriving. So as soon as the stuff was unloaded, it was off to Walmart in search of a desk. About $150 later , she was the proud owner of a desk (partially made of cardboard ) and a folding chair. But of course, what took about 15 minutes to pick out and purchase took DH more than 3 hours to nail/screw together! Yes, there were 22 steps!!! Anyway, while he and DS were working on that little project, DD and I decided to start making her bed with all the very nice Full-size bedding we had purchased on sale for her over the summer. Well, guess what??? The Full-size bed was actually a Queen! So if you haven't guessed yet, it was back to Walmart for some "cheap" bedding at a "not so cheap" price.

And so finally at 10:45 last night we were ready for our teary-eyed goodbyes. My tears were because I will dearly miss my daughter, as I have so enjoyed having her around again this summer. As for my DD's tears, I highly suspect they were tears of joy to finally be getting rid of us.


Okay, thanks for letting me rant just a little. I'll try to get to Part II tonight.

 

[jabead]

Well, I hadn't planned to do a report but I may be persuaded. I'm coming down a day early with ressies at CG and Kona the next morning and then coming back for a night after the cruise. Have ADR for Tea at GF and Artist Point. I will be back at WDW for F&W and to celebrate my friend's 50th. Maybe I will do a double report. Feel free to add my info!

Jill in CO

Just wanted to double check your dates before I update your info. Does your cruise depart on Oct. 6? I'm not too good at ticker math so I thought I would check with you first. Also do you know your dates yet for your F & W/bday celebration trip? Oh, and I hope you do do a double report along with a report on your cruise food. That would be awesome!

 

[jedijill]

Just wanted to double check your dates before I update your info. Does your cruise depart on Oct. 6? I'm not too good at ticker math so I thought I would check with you first. Also do you know your dates yet for your F & W/bday celebration trip? Oh, and I hope you do do a double report along with a report on your cruise food. That would be awesome!

Cruise trip is Oct 5-14 (cruise is 10/6-10/13 Eastern!) in which I will be at Palo and Remy! Hopefully can get in on a Remy lunch too.

F&W/Birthday trip is 11/2-12...lots of deminars booked and lots of good ADR's.

I will write a report now that you asked so nicely.

Jill in CO

 

[jabead]

Cruise trip is Oct 5-14 (cruise is 10/6-10/13 Eastern!) in which I will be at Palo and Remy! Hopefully can get in on a Remy lunch too.

F&W/Birthday trip is 11/2-12...lots of deminars booked and lots of good ADR's.

I will write a report now that you asked so nicely.

Jill in CO

Thanks Jill! Excited to hear you are going to lots of deminars. DH and I went to 3 or 4 during our Anniversary trip in Nov. 2010 and I really enjoyed them, but didn't go to any last year because DS was with us. This year I won't get to go to the F&W Fest, so I'll be anxious to hear about your experiences there. Also, according to your dates, you could possibly see my favorite F & W band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, which is again closing out the Festival this year. Are you by chance a BBVD fan?

 

[jedijill]

Thanks Jill! Excited to hear you are going to lots of deminars. DH and I went to 3 or 4 during our Anniversary trip in Nov. 2010 and I really enjoyed them, but didn't go to any last year because DS was with us. This year I won't get to go to the F&W Fest, so I'll be anxious to hear about your experiences there. Also, according to your dates, you could possibly see my favorite F & W band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, which is again closing out the Festival this year. Are you by chance a BBVD fan?

OMG, LOVE LOVE LOVE BBVD!!!! I'm actually staying an extra day to see them. Plus I just found out they are performing a free concert in Denver after the Tour of Colorado bike race is over in a couple of weeks...I'm so there!

Jill in CO

 

[jabead]

NOTE: If you have a trip to WDW planned in the next six months and might be doing a Dining Report, please make sure I have you on my Upcoming Trip List.


ANOTHER NOTE: In lieu of a menu pic (which I forgot to take), I have added the prices to my previous review of Via Napoli, since I just now found my receipt. In case anyone is interested (as some of the prices are actually higher than what is listed on the allears menu dated May 2012), here is the link to the Via Napoli review.

Dinner at Narcoossee’s - Part II​

I’m going to back up a bit from where I left off in Part I, and start instead from the beginning. We arrived at Narcoossee’s after taking a bus from the Boardwalk to Magic Kingdom and then the small boat, which comes into the dock right beside the restaurant.

We arrived at the podium on time for our 7:20 reservation and I politely requested a table by the window, adding that we were in no rush. I had hoped to make our reservation for a little later (at around 8:00), in order to be there to watch the 10:00 fireworks, but was unable to do so. We have previously found that it generally takes 2 hours or more (including wait time to be seated) to have a 3-course meal at Narcoossee’s. But much to my surprise, instead of the usual 20 minute or more wait for a window table, we were seated in about 5 minutes.


We began our meal by ordering an appetizer for DD1 and I to share (DD2 stuck to just eating the sourdough bread from our bread basket)…

Crispy Calamari - with pepperoncini-olive relish and tomato coulis
​

As I said before, this was again excellent. The best calamari I’ve had in recent memory!


Next I will show you a picture of the menu we were presented, so that you can see for yourself my entrée dilemma.

Oops, wrong side! Let's flip that over, shall we?

Narcoossee’s Menu as of May 24, 2012
​

As you may recall, I had previously decided to order the Crab-crusted mahi-mahi entrée, which is currently still listed on the allears menu. But as you can see, the Crab-crusted mahi mahi (or crab-crusted fish of any kind) is nowhere to be found on this menu. So now what would I order???


But before I tell you that, let’s first start with DD2’s entrée choice. You might remember that on her two previous visits to Narcoossee’s she had gotten the chicken entrée. Well, this time she got this…

Pan-roasted All-Natural “Poulet Rouge Fermiere” Chicken Breast with Boniato Mashed Potatoes (in place of the White Cheddar-Peppadew Grit Cake), Braised Berkshire Pork Belly, Baby Fennel, Spring Carrots, Grilled Ice Onion, and Whole Grain Mustard Jus.
(Whew…that was a long one! )

​

Yes, like mother, like daughter…she too is a creature of habit. Anyway, she wasn’t crazy about the mustard-flavored gravy but otherwise thought this dish was a solid good “Wendy”.



Next up was DD1, who I was 99.99% positive would order the Whole Maine Lobster. But then as we were looking over the menu, she tells me that since she hadn’t yet had a good steak on this trip (only the “Okay” rated Artist Point “hand-me-down” steak from her sister ) she was going to order the Surf & Turf. Now given my recent history with this entrée, I believed that this would definitely not be worth its price of $68.00.

And so I proposed to her a compromise, whereby she would get this…

Two-Pound Steamed Whole Maine Lobster – served with Baked Sherry-Cheddar Orecchiette Gratin and Broccolini
(BTW, I had to take a pic of this with my IPhone, as DD2 refused to take one because she thought it looked too gross! )



And I then ordered this…

Grilled Filet Mignon with a Red Wine Reduction and served with Boniato Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus (instead of the Risotto, because DD1 really wanted these two sides that were normally served with the Surf & Turf).​

And so we ended up sharing our two entrees, creating our own version of Surf & Turf. The Whole Lobster we both agreed was “Very Good” once again. As for the Filet, we gave it just a good “Wendy”. I think DD1’s rating was because she preferred the lobster over the steak. As for me, I had already had two great filets on this trip at Bistro de Paris and Yachtsman Steakhouse and this one just didn’t seem to measure up. And though the mashed potatoes were good, they were not nearly as good as either the ones at Bistro or YSH.



That just leaves our desserts, which I will leave for Part III, coming soon!

 

[jabead]

Dinner at Narcoossee’s - The Sweet & Magical Finale



Okay, so moving on to our desserts now. DD1 thought she was too full to eat any dessert so she decided to drink her dessert.

Godiva Chocolate Martini -Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, Stoli Vanil Vodka, Frangelico, and White Crème de Cacao



She liked this, however wished she would have gotten the other Specialty Martini that was listed on the menu, Mudslide Martini with Baileys Irish Cream, Stoli Vanil Vodka, Kahlúa, and Half & Half.



As for me, I of course had to have this for dessert…

Almond-crusted Cheesecake finished with Lambert Cherry Sauce


This was again heavenly and I happily got to have this whole dessert all to myself because neither of the girls like almonds.



And that just leaves DD2, who had this for dessert…

Strawberry “Shortcake” with Chantilly Cream and Strawberry Sauce


Although DD2 liked this, she wasn’t overly excited about it.



The overall rating of our last dinner was:

Very Good





And so we finished our dinner at 9:00, one hour before we would be able to see this…

Magic Kingdom Fireworks (picture taken from Narcoossee’s deck in May 2011)


But we decided to do something we hadn’t done for a few years…watch the fireworks from inside the park!
(Most of the remaining pics were taken with my IPhone so they aren’t the best quality, but hopefully you will “get the picture”.)


While waiting for the boat at the Grand Floridian dock, we got to see the 9:15 performance of this…

Electrical Water Pageant



We then arrived at Magic Kingdom in time to see a presentation of "The Magic, The Memories, and You!", which is the first time we had ever seen it.

This was followed soon after by…



"WISHES"

Then much of the crowd cleared out and we were treated to a second performance of...


“The Magic, The Memories, and You!”

I loved this picture of Walt that was projected onto the castle.



I must admit that I was “wowed” by this!!! I had no idea how good this light/music show is!
I’m so glad that we finished dinner earlier than expected and therefore went into the park to see the fireworks.


As an added bonus there was then a second parade that evening and we were able to get front row seats on the curb to watch it.



Main Street Electrical Parade

DD1’s Favorite “Tinkerbell”

And I’ll finish this up with one more picture of the lovely...


Cinderella’s castle

​

NEXT UP: Our final meal

 

[emmysmommy]

You did it again!!!! After seeing that filet I looked at our schedule to see if I could bump something in favor of Narcoosees but I just don't have anything that I want to give up! I want it ALL! So my mind is made up..... I must book another WDW trip to experience some of the wonderful restaurants you have dined at this trip such as Narcoosees, Bistro de Paris, and Jiko. Oh, and Flying Fish is out there as well.

The mom in me wanted to hug you when you left your DD at college but then I had to laugh at your wonderful sense of humor for the parting emotions!!

I'm trying to get caught up with everyones reviews but the risk is what I experienced when reading your Narcoosees Part II - I'll want to move more ADRs around!!!

Looking forward to your dessert choices!

 

[jabead]

Wow forget the pizza, I want to go for the dessert

I have to agree with you, Lori. While the pizza is good, I could easily skip it and just have the zeppole next time. You know, I'm pretty sure that the word "zeppole" is Italian for "really yummy doughnut holes".