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

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Your review has me really missing Beaches and Cream. The food might not be the most exciting in WDW, but it's really tasty, reasonably priced, and so much fun!

As for your best lunch, my guess would have to be Le Cellier.

 

[Linda67]

Mmmm .... Beaches & Cream
I can only speak for the veggie burgers but they are delicious
DH loved his regular burger as well
Ooh and the No Way Jose is the tops

 

[jmm476]

Thanks for the reminder about lunch at B&C. We might have to swing by there for lunch, I'll tell DH it's to see the Christmas decorations. How is the ambience there? Is it appropriate for a 1 year old that doesn't always like to sit still while we're eating? If there's a lot to look at, we have a better chance of DD behaving herself.

 

[jabead]

Good Morning Everyone! Just a reminder that today we have both CanadianPaco and tallen429 (& family minus one) checking into AKL. Plus of course, GoofySon'sMom is still there for one more night. Sounds like there is going to be a DIS Party at the Animal House tonight!!! Hope they remembered to bring their togas!
(Anyone here old enough to get that joke??? )

Also, after spending the last few days visiting Harry Potter, it's now time for Joh (wilma-bride) and family to visit the Mouse!!! They will be checking into the BCV today!

 

[jabead]

Your review has me really missing Beaches and Cream. The food might not be the most exciting in WDW, but it's really tasty, reasonably priced, and so much fun!

As for your best lunch, my guess would have to be Le Cellier.

Yep, you are correct!

Mmmm .... Beaches & Cream
I can only speak for the veggie burgers but they are delicious
DH loved his regular burger as well
Ooh and the No Way Jose is the tops

Yes, I can't believe it took me so many years to finally try the No Way Jose! I must now seriously question my sanity.

Thanks for the reminder about lunch at B&C. We might have to swing by there for lunch, I'll tell DH it's to see the Christmas decorations. How is the ambience there? Is it appropriate for a 1 year old that doesn't always like to sit still while we're eating? If there's a lot to look at, we have a better chance of DD behaving herself.

I would say B & C has a fun, informal atmosphere.

They do a little celebration whenever someone orders the Kitchen Sink, which seems to be fairly often (twice during the hour that we were there). This was kind of fun to see, even though we weren't the recipients of this huge bowl of deliciousness...

The only negative is that B & C does not take reservations and it's a small place so the wait time for a table can be long during the busier meal times. So I would advise going for an early lunch (at opening time) like we did, as we were seated immediately!

 

[deenbrad]

Good Morning Everyone! Just a reminder that today we have both CanadianPaco and tallen429 (& family minus one) checking into AKL. Plus of course, GoofySon'sMom is still there for one more night. Sounds like there is going to be a DIS Party at the Animal House tonight!!! Hope they remembered to bring their togas!
(Anyone here old enough to get that joke??? )

Also, after spending the last few days visiting Harry Potter, it's now time for Joh (wilma-bride) and family to visit the Mouse!!! They will be checking into the BCV today!

I'm old enough to get the joke but young enough that I wasn't allowed to see the movie!

 

[nanienamou]

Love your favorites posts! That No Way Jose seems fabulous. Since ice cream gives me tummy troubles, I'll have to beg DH to order one (yeah right! I'm sure it will be twisting his arm, lol!) if we make it to B&C so that I can have a little taste.

 

[jmm476]

I would say B & C has a fun, informal atmosphere.

They do a little celebration whenever someone orders the Kitchen Sink, which seems to be fairly often (twice during the hour that we were there). This was kind of fun to see, even though we weren't the recipients of this huge bowl of deliciousness...

The only negative is that B & C does not take reservations and it's a small place so the wait time for a table can be long during the busier meal times. So I would advise going for an early lunch (at opening time) like we did, as we were seated immediately!

Thanks for the pictures. Looks like a good place to take DD

 

[jabead]

OUR FAVORITE DINNER​

There was a bit of a disagreement between me and my daughters regarding our second favorite dinner of the trip...which rarely ever happens.

My Honorable Mention Award
would go to...​

​

Though Artist Point has not quite yet displaced Yachtsman Steakhouse as my 2nd Favorite Signature Restaurant, it is a very close 3rd. But sadly, my daughters were not nearly as impressed with Artist Point. Especially DD2, who gave her meal there one of the lowest ratings of our trip. My daughters did however agree on their second best dinner, which I find pretty shocking!


And so with it being 2 against 1, the winner of our overall Second Favorite Dinner award of this trip is...

Recipient of our Honorable Mention Award for Favorite Dinner




Our dinner at California Grill began with this first shared course...

California Grill's Cheese Board
(Cheese Plate #3 of the Trip)
​

The five cheeses were (pictured from left to right): Pleasant Ridge Reserve, MT. TAM, Bijou, Fiore Sardo, and Affinee Blue. I believe that the accompaniments were candied nuts, slices of fig, fruit gelatin (perhaps blackberry?), and our favorite, honeycomb.

For our second course we shared this...

Heirloom Tomato BLT Flatbread
with Marinated Local Tomatoes, Applewood Bacon, Chiffonade Romaine Lettuce, and Lemon Mayonnaise.






Then DD1 chose this for her entree...

Medusa Roll
Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Asparagus, Spicy Mayonnaise, and Yuzu Pepper Sauce





For my entree, I had this...

Crispy Rock Shrimp Salad
with Mandarin Oranges, Red Onions, and a Soy Reduction/Wasabi Cream Dressing




And last but certainly not least, DD2 chose this entree...

Oak-fired Filet of Beef
Served with Zuckerman's Farms Delta Asparagus, Truffled Potatoes, and Teriyaki Barbecue Sauce.
(And now both her and her brother's favorite Disney steak! )







For dessert, DD2 then surprised me by choosing the No Sugar Added option...

Peaches and Cream
Florida Peaches, Olive Oil Cake, Vanilla Panna Cotta and Peach Ice Cream
(No Sugar Added Dessert)





While DD1 and I shared this for dessert...

Valrhona Chocolate Cake
Warm Chocolate Cake with Molten Center, Coffee Bark, and White Coffee Ice Cream
(Decorated in honor of DD's graduation)


And our evening at California Grill ended with this...

​

NEXT UP: Our Overall Favorite Dinner

 

[jabead]

Our Favorite Dinner​

Just as we disagreed regarding our second favorite dinner, I again disagreed with my daughters as to the very best dinner of our trip.

My Favorite Dinner

of this trip was at...​

But for my daughters (and they again were in perfect agreement ), there was a dinner that far outshined all of the others, including my favorite (and their 2nd favorite) dinner at California Grill.

And that Favorite Dinner was at...



May I have a drumroll please?

Recipient of Our Overall Favorite Dinner Award



And so, let us revisit our favorite dinner at Jiko, shall we?

DD1 started by ordering a South African red wine, the Warwick Estate Pinotage, which she very much enjoyed. Sorry, but forgot to take a picture of this.



We did however take a picture of the cocktail which I ordered...

Jiko Sunriser - Parrot Bay coconut rum, Banana liqueur, orange, pineapple and cranberry juices.​

Now our server, Shellie, noticed the sad, longing look on DD2's face when I ordered this sweet, fruity drink and offered to bring her a non-alcoholic version of the Sunriser. DD2 happily accepted this offer and Shellie gained some huge points with her right from the start. The first of many "points" which Shellie would receive from us during this meal.

Shellie would end up being unanimously chosen as our "Best Server of the Trip".

​

Then we had a difference of opinion when choosing our shared appetizer. I really wanted the Inguday Tibs, but the girls objected to this because mushrooms were listed as an ingredient. They proposed that we get our usual. Yes, yet another cheese plate.

So which did we get???​

Inguday Tibs in Brik
Mushrooms, spinach, and cheese in crispy Tunisian filo with apples and curry vinaigrette




-and-

Artisanal Cheese Selection
Five tasting portions of cheese from around the world with accompaniments (Cheese Plate #6 and 7 of this trip)



Yep, we got both! ​

This cheese plate was an all-around success (well, except for the blue cheese which only I liked). We all rated it as "Excellent" and the "Best Cheese Plate" of the trip! Our other appetizer though was the biggest surprise of the meal. Now it wasn't really a surprise that I loved these, but the fact that the girls also loved them (despite the mushrooms ) is evidence that these were truly amazing. I would describe them as being similar to Spanakopita, but even better.



Now I was somewhat worried going into this meal that DD2 would not be able to find an entree on the menu to suit her, shall we say, "limited" tastes. Well, she didn't find an entree, but she did see a wood-fired flatbread that sounded good and ended up very much enjoying.

African-spice Fire-roasted Chicken Flatbread
with Four Cheeses, Bacon, Arugula, Peppadew, and Zough
(According to DDW, "zough" is a chili paste originating in North Africa or the Middle East and is popular in countries like Tunisia and Yemen)





DD1 and I both ordered this entree...

Braised Beef Short Rib with a Cabernet-Blood Orange Sauce
Served Butter-whipped Potatoes, Pearl Onions and Baby Carrots.​

And here it is, the one downfall of this meal for me and the reason I felt it wasn't quite worthy of receiving top honors. So yes, my short rib was fatty, as short ribs are prone to being. And as such, I really didn't care for it. However, DD1's short rib was again perfectly lean, yet still tender and delicious...just as it was when she had this on our trip last year. And just like last year, it was "Her Favorite Entree of the Trip".



Although my daughters decided they were too full to have dessert, Shellie, being the wonderful server that she was, brought DD1 these in honor of her graduation...

Card of Congratulations signed by all the Jiko staff
(Very nice, but didn't taste good )



-and-

Complimentary Portion of the Chocolate and Tea Safari
Vanilla Rooibos-Tanzanian Chocolate Cake decorated with Mickey sprinkles and served with three spoons.
​

Oh, and also this plate of Complimetary Chocolate-Pistachio Cookies for us all...
​

And that concludes not only our Favorite Dinner of this trip, but also...

OUR OVERALL FAVORITE MEAL
​

LAST UP: The Grand Finale???

 

[jabead]

I'm old enough to get the joke but young enough that I wasn't allowed to see the movie!

Oh, me too, of course!

Love your favorites posts! That No Way Jose seems fabulous. Since ice cream gives me tummy troubles, I'll have to beg DH to order one (yeah right! I'm sure it will be twisting his arm, lol!) if we make it to B&C so that I can have a little taste.

I bet that your DH will be eternally grateful to you for "making him" order the No Way Jose!

Thanks for the pictures. Looks like a good place to take DD

I'm very glad to be of help!

 

[jabead]

And just a small BRENDA (emmysmommy) UPDATE: Brenda ran into DisneyMomFanatic (Karla) yesterday. Though sadly she forgot to take a picture with her phone, she did take a pic with Karla so we will have another non-food picture to look forward to seeing in her Dining Report.

 

[jecskc]

With only 3 reviews left in my Dining Report, I’m already beginning to feel the “End of Dining Report, No WDW Trip Being Planned in the Near Future” blues. But it just so happens that my “at the office” boss (who also happens to be my DH ) happens to be out of our office all day today, so what’s that saying...while the cat’s away, the mouse will play??? So anyway in an attempt to cheer myself up (and perhaps also a stalling tactic ), I did a little bit of investigation and discovered that out of the more than 60 people who have posted on my Dining Report thread, nearly 2/3 of you are planning to visit Disney World before the end of this year. That means I have potentially 40 or so Dining Reports to look forward to in the near future!!!

So on the behalf of those of us in the 1/3 group, I am going to attempt to make a list of Disney Dining Report poster’s with upcoming trips so that we can live (and eat & drink) vicariously through you.


AUGUST

iloveeeyore & MainStreetFireman – and family recently returned from WDW and have started their Dining Report. iloveeeyore's DR.

mamaboogie - Shari, Simon and daughters Sarah and Kate have just returned from their 3 week vacation at Disney World. Shari has started her DR!

DonaldDoleWhip – DDW is back and has started his reviews!!! DDW's DR

wilma-bride – Joh, Gary, and son, Daniel, are now at WDW and staying at the BC Villas. Joh's PTR

emmysmommy – Brenda, Michael, and daughter, Emily, have been at WDW since 8/18. They are now staying at Bay Lake Towers (TPV for their last 5 nights) until the end of their trip on 8/30. Check my DR for updates on Brenda's progress with the 18 item list I gave her. Brenda's PTR

GoofySon’sMom – the Goofy Son and his mom arrived at AKL on 8/23 (Dad will be joining them on 8/24). After their first 2 nights there, they will be transferring to CSR for the next 8 nights, and then their last night (9/2) will be at AS Movies. GoofySon'sMom's PDR - Flying Fish Chef's Table was just added to their dining plans! (Need to see lots of pics from that dinner)

DisneyMomFanatic - Karla and her family are staying in one of the new Finding Nemo Suites at AOA from 8/23 - 8/31. (Be sure to take some pics of that suite for us, ok?)

CanadianPaco – is at WDW now and staying at AKL!

tallen429 - and family (minus one) is currently there and doing a split stay at AKL - CL and VWL from 8/24 - 31.

Tracerr00 – Tracy, her daughter, Eilee, and the sausage will be visiting WDW from 8/27 – 9/1 and staying in one of the new Royal Guest Rooms at POR (Pics please, Tracy), in addition to CSR and their last night at the Boardwalk Inn. Tracy's PDR

emmebear - will be celebrating her birthday at the World over the Labor Day weekend, from 8/31 - 9/3. And she was lucky enough to snag a pre-park opening 8:05 breakfast reservation at CRT! emmebear's PDR


SEPTEMBER

SweetSpot - will be there sometime in September???

Linda 67 - Linda and her DH won't be visiting WDW, but will be getting their "Kicks on Route 66" beginning on Sept. 1. We are hoping that she will do a Trip Report on another section of the boards...and I might just be making a cameo appearance in it ???

pumba21 - will be there around Sept. 5???

hotcarib - will also be there around Sept. 5???

jecskc - and family will at Disney World from 9/7 - 9/14 and staying at the WLV. Here is their Dining Schedule.

doitforlove - Jenn and her DBF will be at WDW celebrating 3 years together. They will be staying at POP from 9/7 - 9/17. Jenn's PDR

BlovesC - B & C will be celebrating C's birthday at WDW beginning sometime around Sept. 9??? And staying at the BC, of course!

LockShockBarrel - Alyssa is taking her first solo trip to the World from 9/10 - 9/13. She will be staying at POP and will trying the Deluxe Dining Plan for the first time!

dischef - Megan (a fellow Central-Illinoisan) and family will be at Disney World and staying at CBR from 9/14 - 9/21.

TheNewMrsB - Mrs. B and her DH will be celebrating their 4th Anniversary at the World and staying at the Polynesian beginning around Sept. 17???

sushicandy - Rosey and her DH will be enjoying their belated Honeymoon at WDW and staying at POFQ from 9/21 - 9/28. Rosey's PDR

vettegirl - Lori and her friend, Sue, will be there from 9/25 - 10/1 and staying at CSR. Here is Lori's PTR.

Smiling Chesire Cat- Rachel and son, Chase, will be returning to Disney World in September. They are tentatively scheduled to be at POR from 9/25 - 9/30. Her husband, Brian, may also join them if his work schedule allows for it.

MiaBella05 - and her DH will be celebrating their 5th Anniversary at WDW around Sept. 26???

teacherjmc - will also be there sometime around Sept. 29??? And staying at CSR.

OCTOBER

basketlacey - and family will be at the Beach Club from 10/2 - 10/8. She will maybe be doing her first ever Dining Report???

CatNipRules - Michelle, Mike, and son, Chris will be at WDW and staying at POFQ from 10/5 - 10/12. Michelle's PTR

gardengirl628 - Dana is planning a "Spooky" vacation (to begin around Oct. 6???), which includes some time at WDW plus a 3 day cruise on the Disney Dream.

jedijill - Jill will be setting sail on a 7 night Eastern cruise on the Fantasy from 10/6 - 10/13. She will also be spending one night before and after the cruise at WDW. During that time she will be dining at California Grill and Artist Point for dinner, as well as Kona Cafe for breakfast, and the GVL for Tea...all of these are on my favorites list.

smile4stamps - Paula and Hunter will be taking their trip to WDW from 10/12 - 10/26 and of course, "It's ALL about the FOOD"! They are staying at CSR from 10/12 - 10/19 and then at VWL for the rest of their trip. Paula's PTR Their trip "Grand (Floridian) Finale" will be dinner at Victoria & Albert's Chefs Table. (Pictures are an absolute must!)

nanienamou - Stephanie and her DH will be celebrating 15 years together by taking a trip to Disney World from 10/16 - 10-28. They will be staying at the Dolphin. Stephanie's PDR

TigerKat - will be at the World sometime around Oct. 17??? And staying at my current favorite Disney Resort, the Boardwalk!

MickeyNicki - Nicki and Todd will be at WDW from 10/18 - 10/28 to celebrate her birthday. Nicki has confirmed that she will in fact be doing a Live Dining Report again and will start it a few days prior to her trip.

nessz79 - is taking a 2nd trip to WDW and this time bringing the whole family, including the in-laws! Arriving sometime around Oct. 18???

CupcakeLisa - Lisa will be Honeymooning with her new hubby at OKW beginning around Oct. 19??? And I bet she will be having some of those delicious Disney World cupcakes!

BlovesC - B & C are back to the World around Oct. 21, this time celebrating their 2nd Anniversary and staying at POFQ.

dixonsontour - will be there and staying at OKW sometime around Oct. 22???

ksack - will be arriving at WDW sometime around Oct.24??? Coming from the Frozen Tundra to thaw out in the warm Florida sun.

emmebear - is at WDW again from 10/25 - 10/28 and this time is staying in AOA's Little Mermaid Section. (Room/resort pics, please?)

chocolateMinnie - will be at Disney World sometime around Oct. 27??? And staying at the Beach Club.


NOVEMBER

Krissalee - Krissy and Craig will be celebrating their 14th Anniversary at the World sometime in early November??? And will be staying at the BWV.

rachel09985 - Rachel along with her BF Corey and BFF Emily will be visiting WDW from 11/1 - 11/6. She is super-excited to be staying at the new AOA Resort in the Little Mermaid section! Rachel's PTR

jedijill - Jill will be returning to WDW along with a friend from 11/2 - 11/12 for the Food & Wine Festival and to celebrate her friend's 50th birthday.

Roma - is there for a week, 11/8 - 11/15, to celebrate 1 year of Marriage!

AeroKU - my neighbor from just up the road (Bloomington, IL) will be visiting the World sometime around Nov. 11???

jecskc - and family will be checking into the SSR sometime around Nov. 20???

mommyof3princess27 - Erin, her DH, Jim, her 3 daughters and pretty much everyone else she is related to are going to Disney World! They will staying in a Royal Guest room at POR from 11/25 - 12/2 and dining at BOG on their first night. Sounds like it will be a fun family reunion! Here is Erin's PDR.

DsnyMama - Amber will be at the AK Villas and CSR from 11/26 - 12/5, along with her kids, Ava and Levi. This time she's leaving her hubby home, but taking Grammy Suzanne along. This will be Grammy's first-ever trip to WDW and she is very excited to try all the delicious food there. Suzanne has apparently been drooling over it for 59 years now...boy, that's a lot of drool! Hope you have a fantastically delicious 1st trip!!! Amber's PTR and PDR

ILikeWaffles - Jess will be introducing her husband, Pete, to the magic of Disney World. They will be staying in a Royal Guest room at POR from 11/28 - 12/7. Jess was able to snag a dinner reservation at Be Our Guest on the 29th. Can't wait to see that review! Jess has started her PDR.

deenbrad - Denise & Brad and son will be at WDW from 11/29 - 12/5 and staying at POR. They are celebrating both Denise's birthday and DS's. And hopefully this time will not be making any trips to the ER.

emmebear - will be back to the World sometime in November for the AP Preview of the new Fantasyland!


DECEMBER

Destructsean - My "Abruzzo" cousin and his amazing bride will be Honeymooning at WDW from 12/2 - 12/14 and are staying at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort. Sean and Christina are getting married on December 1st! Sean's PTR and now also his PDR!

MickeyNicki - Nicki and Todd will be going back to WDW for some Holiday Cheer from 12/6 - 12/9. Though her review won't be "Live" this time, I'm sure it will still be great because they are meeting up with KatMark, her DH, their DS, and his DGF...which means 3 x more food than usual!

jmm476 - will be at Disney World from 12/8 - 12/14 and staying at Pop Century.

ses1230 - is planning to have "Very Merry" time while staying at Saratoga Springs, beginning sometime around Dec. 8???


JANUARY 2013

livinlife25 - will be livin' the life at WDW along with her dh, ds, sister, and mother from 1/5 - 1/11. They will be staying for 2 nights at AKL, then 4 nights at WL.

DannyDisneyFreak - Dan and his two children and GF, Cathleen, will be taking their first ever cruise on the Disney Dream from 1/6 - 1/10 followed by 4 nights at WDW. Dan's PTR

butiflfeet - will be using those lovely feet to run in the Disney Half-Marathon sometime around Jan. 11th???


FEBRUARY

MickeyNicki - Nicki and Todd are back to WDW from 2/15 -2/18, perhaps for some Valentine's romance?


Okay, that’s all I have so far for the rest of 2012, plus January and February 2013. If I have missed anyone, have any mistakes (my math skills aren't what they used to be ), or if you have any information you would like to add/change then please let me know.

I LOVE this list !!!

Sadly we had to cancel our ADR's and downgrade to QSDP for September, but I still plan to do a dining report.

Yes, we are checking in Nov. 20 to SSR. Unless one of our wait list resorts come through. Then it will either be BLT or BWV.

 

[jabead]

I LOVE this list !!!

Sadly we had to cancel our ADR's and downgrade to QSDP for September, but I still plan to do a dining report.

Yes, we are checking in Nov. 20 to SSR. Unless one of our wait list resorts come through. Then it will either be BLT or BWV.

Thanks, Susan! And sorry to hear that you had to cancel your ADRs, but the counter service food at Disney can also be very good so I'm glad you are still planning to do a Dining Report!

Oh, and I'll remove the ??? for your Nov. trip start date. Do you know yet how long that trip will be?

 

[jecskc]

Thanks, Susan! And sorry to hear that you had to cancel your ADRs, but the counter service food at Disney can also be very good so I'm glad you are still planning to do a Dining Report!

Oh, and I'll remove the ??? for your Nov. trip start date. Do you know yet how long that trip will be?

Of course. We are staying 5 nights, checking out on the 26th.

 

[jabead]

You may recall that GoofySon'sMom is transferring to the CSR today. This just in from her...

"What to do when your room isn't ready? Have a beverage of course! Beautiful here at Coronado!"

A Delicious Strawberry Margarita!​

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

That looks like a fun start to the CSR leg of the trip!

I'm still trying to guess what the favorite dinner was. It has to be between Yachtsman and Jiko (since they both earned a few Tinks), but I think Yachtsman is more likely. Hmmm

 

[Linda67]

Woo hoo a photo of a Margarita

 

[jabead]

Woo hoo a photo of a Margarita

The Master has taught her students well.

 

[jabead]

That looks like a fun start to the CSR leg of the trip!

I'm still trying to guess what the favorite dinner was. It has to be between Yachtsman and Jiko (since they both earned a few Tinks), but I think Yachtsman is more likely. Hmmm

You almost had it right! Here it is: OUR FAVORITE DINNER