First I Graduated, then We ATE!! Food review with TONS O' PICS!! (COMPLETE 6/12!!)

[John's Mom]

Great review of Narcoossee's! It's on our list for December.

 

[TigerKat]

I must confess I've NEVER been to MainStreet Bakery for breakfast, have to make it a must next trip.

I am so excited about our Narcoossee's ADR and the pic of the surf n turf looks incredible!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Narcoossees looks yummy!

That's weird that the waitress at LTT made such a big deal out of not putting lettuce and stuff on the plate, I mean, that just saves the restaurant money, (only a few cents, but still,) and it doesn't waste food.

 

[DisneyJo]

Narcoossee's just looks delicious, my DH can't wait to have the lobster there in August, the desserts look scrummy too

 

[SunnieRN]

Congratulations on your graduation!!! I have so enjoyed reading your reviews! Wow, you've had some awesome meals and really made me rethink the basic dining plan vs the deluxe dining plan!
Thanks and the pictures are great!

 

[Amyz00]

I did not know that LTT served hamburgers. Is lunch different from dinner? We are going to eat there for dinner and I was told that it is served platter style - sort of a Thanksgiving-like dinner.

 

[Magic Mom]

Your review is wonderful. Thanks for sharing!!!!

 

[CoolDisneyKitten]

When we stayed at the OKW last month we waited over 20 minutes for an Epcot bus...all the other buses were coming in droves EXCEPT Epcot and when it did show 2 buses came...that is too weird!

Main Street Bakery, we love that ham and cheese croissant, it is so oozy cheesy good! DH said the same thing about the chocolate croissant....he is a spoiled one and only likes the ones in France!

Ok the thing with the burger I totally understand where you are coming from as I have a best friend that orders her burgers like this "Just give me a burger, bun and fries, nothing else on the burger or on the plate" If they do put the salady items on the plate she gets ticked and just flicks them off and dries her plate with a napkin (I guess the juice gets the fries soggy?) and heaven help you if the items are actually on the burger, she will send it back and make her cook a new one.....strange but true!

Ham and cheese croissant = so delicious. I want one now. Burger King will never satisfy me again!

I'm exactly the same way about when they put the set up on the plate. What's the big deal? Leave it off. Especially the pickle - I hate that. The juice soaks into the fries and the bun and makes everything taste like pickle. Now if it's on my burger, just lettuce and tomato, I'm *usually* ok with just taking it off and moving on. If there's anything like ketchup or mustard on my burger, then I get it remade.

Great review of Narcoossee's! It's on our list for December.

Narcoossee's was great! You'll love it.

I must confess I've NEVER been to MainStreet Bakery for breakfast, have to make it a must next trip.

I am so excited about our Narcoossee's ADR and the pic of the surf n turf looks incredible!

Definitely make it to the bakery for breakfast. People say it's *super* crowded early, but we got there about 10:45 and there was practically no line. The seating area was fairly crowded, but we didn't have trouble finding a seat. By the time we were about finished eating, it was pretty much clear.

Narcoossee's = fantastic! The surf and turf was amazing.

Narcoossees looks yummy!

That's weird that the waitress at LTT made such a big deal out of not putting lettuce and stuff on the plate, I mean, that just saves the restaurant money, (only a few cents, but still,) and it doesn't waste food.

I know. I was a bit weirded out by it. How hard is it to leave off the setup? Ah well, at least they managed it.

Narcoossee's just looks delicious, my DH can't wait to have the lobster there in August, the desserts look scrummy too

Definitely get dessert! It was the best part of our meal, and some of the best dessert we had all trip.

Congratulations on your graduation!!! I have so enjoyed reading your reviews! Wow, you've had some awesome meals and really made me rethink the basic dining plan vs the deluxe dining plan!
Thanks and the pictures are great!

Thanks! We liked the DxDDP, though at lunch a sit down meal with appetizer, entree and dessert was a *lot* of food and took a lot of time. If we do it again, I'm going to have to plan our ADR times better. Also we kind of didn't count on how much tips were going to cost. You think - "Oh, food's paid for!" forgetting you've gotta pay like $40/meal for the signatures in tips. Otherwise, though, it was great and I think we got our money's worth.

I did not know that LTT served hamburgers. Is lunch different from dinner? We are going to eat there for dinner and I was told that it is served platter style - sort of a Thanksgiving-like dinner.

Lunch is very different from dinner. There are no characters, and they have a menu. They have pot roast, burgers, pasta, sandwiches, a turkey dinner plate... we love lunch here! Dinner is like you described, and includes Goofy and some of the other characters in Colonial garb.

Your review is wonderful. Thanks for sharing!!!!

Thanks for reading! Glad you're enjoying it.

 

[DisneyJo]

Can I ask a question, at the Narcoossee's meal was the steak in the surf and turf a similar size to the steak on its own? I was just thinking if DH and I should both get surf and turf and then he can eat my lobster too as the steak looked similar sizes. Hope that makes sense

 

[suzimar57]

loved seeing the photos at narcoosees - especially that almond crusted cheesecake! that's my all time favorite!!!

 

[SunnieRN]

Thanks! We liked the DxDDP, though at lunch a sit down meal with appetizer, entree and dessert was a *lot* of food and took a lot of time. If we do it again, I'm going to have to plan our ADR times better. Also we kind of didn't count on how much tips were going to cost. You think - "Oh, food's paid for!" forgetting you've gotta pay like $40/meal for the signatures in tips. Otherwise, though, it was great and I think we got our money's worth.



Thank you and great points! I keep going back and forth. But since I am not sure when I am going yet I have time to decide still. My thought is to schedule a late breakfast/early lunch and then schedule a dinner after we leave the parks (as we will have a toddler and baby with us.)
We do want to do Hoop De Doo and a lot of character meals for the kids, so I am thinking this would make everything financially possible!!

 

[honeybee30]

Isn't Narcoossee's a pretty restaurant? And the surf-n-turf....yumm!

 

[Amyz00]

Thanks for the info on LTT. I like the idea that it isn't the same throughout the day! We are looking forward to the dinner, Goofy, and the gang. I can't believe that they aren't yelling "Hear ye, hear ye." From what I have heard, they have done that forever. We were looking forward to some colonial garb!

 

[natesmommy]

subbing, love the reviews!!

 

[natesmommy]

Wow, the chocolate cake looks yummy!!

 

[MissK]

Oh wow, amazing reviews of all the places I am thinking of trying! Subbing, dying to hear about the California Grill

 

[CoolDisneyKitten]

Can I ask a question, at the Narcoossee's meal was the steak in the surf and turf a similar size to the steak on its own? I was just thinking if DH and I should both get surf and turf and then he can eat my lobster too as the steak looked similar sizes. Hope that makes sense

If I remember correctly the steak with the surf and turf was 6oz, while the steak alone was 8oz. The lobster tail was something like 4oz. I'm pretty sure about the steak, a little fuzzy about the lobster tail. I think you'd be fine splitting it, though!

loved seeing the photos at narcoosees - especially that almond crusted cheesecake! that's my all time favorite!!!

My mom really loved it! At Thanksgiving once my sister made a cherry cake to which she added an entire bottle of almond extract - ever since then I haven't really been able to eat almond flavored things. I'm sure I would've liked it if it hadn't been for my sister!

Thank you and great points! I keep going back and forth. But since I am not sure when I am going yet I have time to decide still. My thought is to schedule a late breakfast/early lunch and then schedule a dinner after we leave the parks (as we will have a toddler and baby with us.)
We do want to do Hoop De Doo and a lot of character meals for the kids, so I am thinking this would make everything financially possible!!

If you want to do dinner shows and/or signature restaurants, I think the DxDDP is a good choice. I think if we do it again, we'll definite go a more late breakfast/early dinner route. That way we aren't so stuffed during the hottest part of the day.

Isn't Narcoossee's a pretty restaurant? And the surf-n-turf....yumm!

We really enjoyed Narcoossee's! We'll definitely be back. Mmm, surf n turf...

Thanks for the info on LTT. I like the idea that it isn't the same throughout the day! We are looking forward to the dinner, Goofy, and the gang. I can't believe that they aren't yelling "Hear ye, hear ye." From what I have heard, they have done that forever. We were looking forward to some colonial garb!

The servers/hosts still wear the colonial outfits, they just don't do the "hear ye" anymore. They might still do it at dinner, though I don't know why they'd change it at one and not the other. It was funny, though - Mike was wearing a shirt that said, "I'm Goofy. What's your excuse?" When he sat us, our host said, "I don't have an excuse." Mike looked blank for a sec, then just burst out laughing. LTT is so great.

subbing, love the reviews!!

Thanks for reading!

Oh wow, amazing reviews of all the places I am thinking of trying! Subbing, dying to hear about the California Grill

Thanks! And I'm finally back to write about it...

 

[CoolDisneyKitten]

After a brief sabatical from Disney Dining writing, I'm back! Our last full day at Disney meant a return to Epcot, preceded by a late breakfast at Cape May Cafe.

Ah, hum. Well. Mike and I were a bit grumpy for some reason. I don't know. I think Mike was bugged a bit by the whole "character meal" concept. "Why do these people in costumes keep interrupting my breakfast!?" Anyway, this wasn't the *smoothest* meal we had all trip, but the food was tasty...

My plate...

Biscuit and gravy, eggs, omellette du jour, breakfast pizza, sausage link, breakfast potatoes, piece of bacon, and a bear claw - not pictured, a banana. The bear claw was the only pastry I could find with cream cheese in it, and it was a little skimpy on the filling - still, wasn't too sweet and I enjoyed it. The eggs were very good. I'm really picky about eggs; these weren't runny, so that was good. The biscuit and gravy was decent, the omellette was a bit too shroomy, the breakfast pizza wasn't anything special. I went back and got some grits and a Mickey waffle, both good. I love the grits at Cape May!

Mike's plate...

Biscuit, breakfast pizza, sausage, bacon, Mickey waffle, plain croissant, chocolate croissant. He said the biscuit needed clotted cream - I think he doesn't understand the concept of "biscuit" vs. "scone." *sigh* He ate everything on his plate and seemed ok with it, but he didn't say much. Like I said, sorta grumpy. He didn't go back for more because, if you remember from my Boma post, he doesn't at buffets.

Mom's plate...

Yogurt with granola, eggs, bacon. My mom isn't a big breakfast eater, in case you can't tell. She really enjoyed her yogurt and granola, though.

Mom and Mike with Minnie...

Hey, he's smiling! The food at Cape May is always good, and the character interaction was fantastic - we saw all the characters 3+ times. I think Mike and I were just a little worn out at this point, so maybe scheduling it a bit earlier in the trip would've been better!

After breakfast we walked over to Epcot and wandered around World Showcase. Mike and I were hot and tired (and still grumpy), but Mom was flyin around in her ECV takin pics and buying slushy drinks in China... like this one...

I stole this pic from Mrs. Heimlich. I hope she doesn't mind. It's a mango green tea slushy. I had a sip and perked up, so I asked Mom to zip back and get me a strawberry one. While she was doing that, Mike and I went to Italy and got some chocolate gelato. Mom returned with my strawberry thingie and lemme say... wow. Sweet. Wow. It was much better after it had melted some and the sweetness didn't turn my mouth inside out.

We meandered very slowly down toward France for a stop at one of our favorite spots - the bakery!

I really was slow gettin a pic this time. The decimated cream puff at the top is Mike's. It normally has a huge pile of piped cream and another bit of pastry on top. The chocolate cake is Mom's. The strawberry tart is mine. Mike got chocolate milk (to make up for getting a chocolate-free pastry), and I got 2% white milk. Delicious! The strawberry tart was lighter (and smaller) than the Napoleon. I'm craving one now.

We went back to OKW after that and munched on leftovers and Cheetos until time for our 9:45 California Grill ADR.

 

[CoolDisneyKitten]

I made our California Grill ADR about a week before we left for our trip, so I counted myself lucky to get one at all. 9:45 was the last time she had for the day I wanted, and she had nothing at all for the night before. I took 9:45 and was content. Wishes was at 9, so I wanted to get there early enough to watch it from the deck... but alas, we didn't make it. Oh well.

We got upstairs at about 9:30 and waited. A bit. We finally managed to snag a table in the bar area, and about 2 seconds after we sat down our pager went off. Them's the breaks. We got a great table, though, right by the window with a view of the lake and castle and all. Lovely table pixie dust!

I wanted to go to California Grill this trip for 2 reasons. 1, we'd tried it before, and while it was ok, we hadn't *loved* it, so I wanted to give it another go. 2, I wanted to try the sushi, my first sushi. So in the spirit of number 2, I ordered the California Roll (telling our server I was going to pay OOP for it).

I ate one before Mike took the pic, so I put the chopsticks on to hide the missing one! I ordered this because the crab in it is cooked, and I figured that's the only way I could get my mom to try it. I knew I'd never get Mike to try sushi, cooked or not. Plus it has avocado, and my mom loves avocado. Anyway, Mom and I both really loved it. Mom piled a bunch of wasabi on her first bite and regretted it, but after that things went more smoothly. Delicious. Definitely going to be trying more sushi offerings from now on.

For my regular appetizer, I got the oak-fired asparagus...

With manchego cheese and serrano ham...

Grilled asparagus is one of my all-time favorite foods, so it's like someone custom designed this dish for me. I absolutely loved it! The asparagus was all charred and delicious, the cheese was crispy and bubbly, wonderful flavor from the ham... fantastic! I was in heaven.

Mike got the marinated beef tenderloin flatbread...

with parmesan, balsamic reduction, and lemon oil. Mom and I both had a bite of this, and it was *fantastic!!* Mike said it was his favorite appetizer of the trip. It was a really wonderful combination of flavors and textures. I could seriously go back to California Grill just for appetizers and desserts.

Mom got corn bisque with bacon foam...

I can't think of foam without thinking of that guy on Top Chef with the anime hair. Marcelle? What was his name?? He was always making foams and pissing the judges off. Anyway. Fantastic soup. Really robust corn flavor, and a nice touch of bacon from the foam.

For my entree I got the grilled pork tenderloin with goat cheese polenta...

I ordered this dish because of reviews here on the DIS of the polenta. You guys don't lie. Wow. This dish was SO GOOD. It was the best dish of the trip, definitely. The polenta was fantastic, but the pork was amazing, too! Wonderful grill flavor, with a delicious glaze on it. Yum. Delicious. I gave Mom a bite of the polenta and she loved it. I gave Mike a bite of both, and he made this wide-eyed face and was like, "That's good!" It was the most enthusiasm I'd seen him express over a dish the whole trip.

Mom and Mike both got the filet...

It was served over a grit cake (Mike's first grits!) with a sauce that... I can't remember. It was a little sweet, and the cake was a bit spicy. It was a great combo. My mom liked this steak the best of the trip, because she really loved the sauce. Mike was still voting Yachtsman #1 because he loved the Yachtsman's sauce. I was too enraptured by my pork-and-polenta masterpiece to care *too* much.

For dessert I had the "strawberry vacherin"

It's described as pistachio cake with buttermilk ice cream, strawberry sorbet and crispy meringue. Sooo delicious! I wish the buttermilk ice cream had been less melted, because there was such a small amount of it. The pistachio cake was incredibly light, and I wasn't overwhelmed by a pistachio flavor like I was with the creme brulee at Jiko. I really loved this dessert!

Mike got the "chocolate temptation"

It's described as chocolate pyramid with chocolate gelato, berry compote (which he got on the side, of course), and chocolate hazelnut crunch. He must've really enjoyed it, because he didn't say a word the whole time he was eating it, and he didn't offer anyone else a bite!

Mom ordered Apple and Almond Bread Pudding...

She liked it, except the top part (not in the custard) was a bit dry, she said. She ate all the bottom, custardy bit, but left the top sticky up part. She was pretty full anyway.

In a side note, when we got our check our server had included the sushi as part of the dining plan. I tried to include it as part of the total (ie, tip plus sushi), but when she brought back the final check to sign, she'd just put the tip on, not the sushi. I don't know how that works - maybe because we didn't get the included coffee (which once again we weren't told about)? But we got $17 sushi for free!

Overall: We really loved California Grill this time. Once again the waiting situation there is nuts. I mean, geez, people, they're just fireworks - there's no need to camp out for an hour to see them! Other than that, great experience!!

 

[iluvpluto27]

Great update. I love california grill and I'm dreaming about that polenta now, it really is delicious.