We went to check in at
Le Cellier, and were about 15 minutes early. I had checked in much earlier at all previous dining reservations (not with the intention to be seated earlier, but to just let the restaurant know we were there.) No problem, right? Wrong. We were told to leave and come back in five minutes. Really? Gah, lets not let the initial awkwardness with the hostess sway my opinion, it was time to eat.
We spent a few minutes enjoying the beautiful area around the entrance of the restaurant..
ohhh...ahhh...
And after being allowed to check in, we made our way down to the main doors.
We were seated relatively shortly afterwards. Our first impressions? Not spectacular. This place was cramped, to say the least. I usually dont listen to reviews of places that are loved and hated, and decide to form my own opinions, but here is a criticism that rings true. Our table for two could have accommodated just me easily, and I without a place to even lay a bag, I felt very crowded, right from the get go.
also, this place is DARK. Let me go ahead and apologize for the quality of my pictures here, because it was next to impossible to get good shots in this lighting.
We took some time to review the menu, and Christina just wasnt thrilled (why a girl who LOVES steak didnt just get the fliet, is beyond me..) I knew what I wanted before we stepped foot in the place, so we placed or order and waited. First, out came the
bread basket.
This place does bread right. The pretzel breadstick? Divine. The other bread was grainy and warm, and it was all very, very tasty. It went perfectly with the
beer cheese soup we both received as an appetizer.
Im almost tempted to tell you that coming here just to dip that glorious bread into that glorious soup is worth it. ALMOST. Its ridiculously delicious though.
Christina was having trouble deciding what she wanted to eat, and finally settled on two things. She ordered the side order portion of the
baked macaroni and cheese:
And also the
Spicy Chicken and Chipotle Sausage - with Roasted Corn Polenta and Sweet Onion Jam
While she didnt really care for the chicken sausage, she absolutely HATED the mac and cheese, and I cant fault her. It was..off. The cheese they used was a funky variation of the standard, and it was just an odd taste that didnt couple with what one would think of when ordering macaroni and cheese. Trust me, for Christina not to eat ANYTHING with cheese in it, let alone mac and cheese, is bewildering. She ended up taking it to go, hoping shed develop a taste for it later, but it just ended up in the garbage.
The Chicken sausage, I thought, was pretty good. She wasnt thrilled. She ate most of it, but didnt really enjoy too much. She isnt a fan of sweeter food (which we noticed that most of the meals on the menu incorporated a sweet element) so she was kinda let down. The polenta though, in my opinion, was awesome. Much recommended.
I, on the other hand, wasnt playing games. I wanted steak, and steak I would have. I ordered the
Wild Mushroom Filet Mignon
Now, let me preface this with the fact that I DID share this with Christina, being the loving, chivalrous husband that I am. That being said, each bite of this meal was perfection in food form. It was one of the best steaks Ive ever eaten. Cooked to a glorious medium rare, and served on a bed of delicious risotto, this was great. Christina agreed, and we both think this was the real stand out of the meal.
We finished up and decided to split an order of the
Maple Creme Brulee
This is good. Real good. Im a sucker for a good creme brulee, and this delivered.
Finishing up, Ill sadly say this: This meal just wasnt worth it. I really, really wanted it to be. I wanted to disagree with the nay sayers, as I so often do, but unfortunately, Im going to side with those that dont understand the signature status of this restaurant. The Filet was delicious, the desert was tasty, but the ambiance and seating left far too much to be desired, and nothing really blew our socks off. Compared to other signatures (California Grill, which I reviewed, and Jiko, which is coming,) it just wasnt up to snuff.
I suppose thats why after we left and began to explore the worlds, we felt the need to stop at
Boulangerie Pâtisserie, and order the famous
Napoleon.
Holy POOP! This thing was too much for words. Perfect blend of creamy and crispy, the filling was light, sweet, and exactly what we needed to perk us up after feeling a little underwhelmed after Le Cellier.
Well, that and a trip to
Tutto Gusto for some RIDICULOUSLY overpriced wine.
To be honest, I dont recall the types of wine we both got. I ordered a sweet red, and Christina ordered a sparkling something or other. They were tasty, but at around $10-12 a glass, they were NOT worth the few sips they provided. Bummer. At least walking around the Italy portion of Epcot is always a really nice treat.
We finished up our day at Epcot (trust me, it wasnt our last...forshadowwwwinnngg) and we headed back to the hotel. After a trip to the grocery store, we found a trusty restaurant that weve grown to love here in the Philadelphia area. We ate off site that night. Next up, a quick dinner review of
Tijuana Flats.
I could not agree MORE with what you said about that sushi. I'll admit it, I never really had "GOOD" sushi before dining there but honestly, I dream of that Spicy Kazan Roll. Your description is dead on (love that spicy stuff inside) and I am now drooling again... great. 
That's a great photo of the two of you. 
I really miss their sushi now!
Cant wait to hear the rest.....
