Hungry Are The Damned! 10/15/07-10/25/07 - COMPLETED W/LOTS OF PICS!!!

[wannabprincess]

subscribing

 

[DISNEYDUET]

Jay said the same thing ... "thank goodness it was only a five minute speed walk from the restaurant back to the Beach Club."

Woody "duck walked" to the bathrooms at the International Gateway and then ran to the Beach Club. We do laugh about it now.

 

[Launchpad11B]

Great update. sorry about Jay's "reversal" . We love Le Cellier. You feel the same way about a steak house that I feel about seafood. Growing up in a region with a food specialty spoils you doesn't it? Looking forward to more.

 

[TxMickeyLover]

Hey Brenda! Thanks for the excellent review!

I'm so sorry to hear about Jay. I'm with you. If hubby isn't along for the fun, I'm not having much fun. Especially under these circumstances.

 

[disgrits]

Good stuff, sistah! So sorry for Jay--glad he made it back to the room.

I'm not a duck fan either.....

We're trying LeCellier in June....can't wait.

 

[Iggipolka]

Wow, I have never heard of such a thing! How long did you do this diet?

I did myfoodphone dot com for about 3 months. Yup..that's three months of taking pictures of everything I ate..every single thing got a picture taken first. It became quite habitual after awhile! After I stopped it, it actually felt weird to eat something without taking a picture of it!
Maybe that's why taking pictures of my food at Disney feels totally normal!

Poor Jay. It's so horrible to be sick at DisneyWorld, plus to miss out on the yumminess that is Le Cellier! Serious bummer. Great review though!

 

[BriarRosie]

Friday, October 19th - A Food & Wine Pairing at Le Cellier a/k/a A Passage From the Book of Puke

Allow me to explain a little something ... participating in a F&W pairing at Le Cellier is a goal for just about everyone who likes to attend the Festival's "special" events. Actually nabbing a reservation takes ruthless cunning, nerves of steel, readily available credit card funds, mulitple phone lines, and plain dumb luck.

The other F&W junkies out there can attest to what I am about to tell you ... if there is an event you want to attend during the festival you must call and make your reservations on the very first day that WDW Dining opens up the Festival hotline ... and you must call as soon as the phones open, or your golden moment will have passed like so much fart gas.

Over the years, planning for the festival has become an excruciating game of "guess the release dates and program details." Every year it seems like the booking window gets pushed further and further back ... last year WDW didn't start taking reservations until the first Monday in August and only released special program details one week prior to that. I'm sorry, but for a company that has forced me to make dinner plans six months in advance of my trip, a single week is not nearly enough time to decide among dozens of special programs all with price tags that seem to be increasing exponentially.

Somehow we made our pre-selections for the events we wanted to participate in; I set my alarm for the butt crack of stupid on August 6th and was up early enough to brew some coffee, crank up the computer, and flex my dialing fingers before the 7AM EST/6AM CST phone race began. I started calling about 2 minutes early and then just kept hitting the re-dial button on the cordless phone. I also had my cell phone and Jay's cell phone standing at the ready should we have need of them.

Plain dumb luck shone down on me and I was into the dining cue on my first try faster than you could say "charge it!"

I also lucked out by getting an "old shoe" Cast Member who knew exactly how to book F&W events while wasting as little precious time as possible. First Choice: Le Cellier, 10/19 .....

She shoots... she scores!!!!

Wow, you nailed that scenario. We were posting on the DIS that we were ready to start dialing. I don't like calling CRO at 6am. Bleh. This year, I wasn't so lucky, and I got shut out of your event. I had done it two times previously, and they were goooood.

Within fifteen minutes I had booked all of the events that Jay and I wanted and my credit card was smoking. **Handy F&W tip #647: All special events are pre-paid and non-refundable** I kid you not, I leapt from my chair and capered around the computer room. Not being a particularly graceful person, however, I proceeded to trip over the cat and fall into a bookcase, sending a shower of WWII volumes cascading down around my head. But who cares? We're going to Disney World!! We're going to the F&W Festival!! We got all of our special dining program choices!! We're going to grow large with food!! We're going to have an obscene credit card balance on our next statement!!

Yes, credit card shock! At least I didn't have to look at the cost of two people attending events! I lucked out with someone at CRO who knew what she was doing, except she insisted on doing the lengthy spiels. I wish we can voluntarily ask they give the spiels AFTER the bookings if they must give them.

Flash forward two-and-a-half months, and the day of our Le Cellier pairing has arrived! We had breakfast at the Kona and then played around in Downtown Disney for a bit before heading back to the hotel to clean up for our 3:30 event. It was while we were at Downtown Disney that I noticed something seemed to be a little off with my man. He said he thought the heat was getting to him, so when we got back to the villa I encouraged him to take a nap while I went for a swim in the bathtub. The weather all week had been growing more and more oppressive...hot, humid and thick, so I wasn't surprised that he was starting to feel it.

And as bad as Jason may have felt, he still tried to tough it out because he knew just how much I was looking forward to this pairing and he also knew that the reservation was non-refundable. I'm not sure at the 11th hour if we could have convinced WDW that we deserved a refund due to illness, short of Jay blowing chunks on the restaurant manager.

Enough about that ... for now.

Aww, poor Jason.

Would you believe me if I told you that Jason and I have never eaten at Le Cellier? We may be the only two people on the DIS who haven't tried it, but the fact of the matter is that we have a hard time going to steakhouses on vacation because we live in the Midwest where cow is king and it's un-American not to eat three times your body weight in red meat on an annual basis.

Well, I am going to have revoke your Midwesterner Beefeater's Card until you can both sit through a meal there.

If we were gnomes, Jay and I would live here...

If that was the Burrow, the Weasley's would chase you out of that garden, too! (Sorry, I had Harry Potter on the brain.)

The inside of the restaurant is really cool, resembling the basement or re-furbished dungeon of a castle that I've never actually visited. There was a sizeable crowd gathered near the check-in desk, so I parked Jay against a wall and went poking around for a moment or two. During F&W pairing events the restuarants are still open for business, which is one reason that event availability is so limited.

Have a seat with 30 of your closest as yet unknown friends

That's always been a drawback at this event. The long table. When I did the event last time, I was lucky enough to be seated in the middle, right across from the winery representative. I don't think those seated at the ends of the table could hear as well as we could in the middle section.

I must give a shout out to a young lady who was waiting to be seated with the rest of the crowd for this event. I had come back from my exploratory mission to check on Jay when this young woman suddenly said, "Are you Brenda and Jay?"

She had me at a disadvantage because I didn't know who she was, but she turned out to be Yearbook50, who we were supposed to meet up with the following day at Party for the Senseless. We didn't get much of a chance to talk before they started seating people ... by party. Thank you Epcot, for listening to this old Crohn's complaint about seating arrangements last year!!

It turned out that Miss Yearbook50 was supposed to have taken part in Le Cellier's pairing one week prior to this one. Due to nasty weather and no fault of her own, she missed the event by hours. The manager at Le Cellier showed wonderful compassion and professionalism by adding her into the event on the 19th - no mean feat because it was completely sold out on the first day that they started taking reservations in August.

I'm so glad that we had the chance to meet Meli that afternoon because we totally missed each other the following night. D'OH! She's a lovely person and if you see her around the DIS or the blog give her a shout out because she's also a newlywed!!

Woohoo! It's the ubiquitous Meli! Congrats to that newlywed!
I got the full skinny the week before, but I don't think I mentioned what happened to her in my trip report! So it's a tag team effort! At least I have a photo of her posted in case anyone wanted to see Meli.

Jay and I were seated near the end of the table closest to the fireplace. At most of these events there is a place setting with a program / menu so that guests have an idea of what's coming during the event as well as a keepsake for afterwards.

Programs! Get yer programs!!!

I wasn't smart enough to take a picture of the inside ... probably because I thought Jay would scan it once we got home. But he didn't and I forgot to ask him to and now here we are ...

What? You don't take the menu home with you? How do you think I could possibly describe everything I did on my larded and loaded tour? Sheesh. You sound like an amateur.

It was about this time that I noticed Jay was ... glistening. The restaurant was cold, dark, and cave-like and he was sweating like the room temperature was 150 degrees. I knew we were headed for trouble and I asked him if he wanted to leave, but he shook his head and sipped some water. Sometimes he's too tough for his own good.

Holy crap, that can't be good. Wait, I sense some sentimentality coming...

I must now give another shout out to several people who were seated near us at the table. But first I have to apologize because I've forgotten every single one of their names ... D'OH! They were some of the nicest people, many of whom were veterans of F&W events who were able to give me some great advice. It also turns out that a few of those same people actually have read some of my stuff here at the DIS which I was flattered and humbled by, to say the least. This may sound dumb, but I never really expected to meet anyone face-to-face who had invested time in reading my silliness here. As someone who really enjoys writing this stuff, it was extremely gratifying and humbling to hear from people who've found the reviews and trip reports entertaining and even useful. The DIS-community has helped me rediscover something that I thought I'd lost forever (no, not my appetite you silly people!) and I will always be grateful for that. And I know I've said this before, but I think it bears repeating: the fact that you take the time to read these reviews means a lot to me... I know I have chronic diarrheal keyboard-itis and wading through my threads can be a chore, but you're here and you're reading and you think it's worth spending at least a little of your time on and I appreciate that more than you will probably ever know.

Thank you.

**End self indulgent love-fest**

Egad! Did you just say you had keyboard diarrhea ??? Is there an Immodium for that? Other than that, I feel the love. Kumbaya.

At most of these events, the restaurant manager or someone along those lines will welcome everyone to the establishment, give a brief overview of the pairings that will be served, and introduce the guest winery representative. The featured winery for our tasting was Chateau Ste. Michelle, which was founded in 1934. According to propoganda provided us at Le Cellier, it is Washington State's oldest and most acclaimed winery.

For our first course we were served Duck Two Ways with Apple Gastrique and Slaw. The wine pairing was Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, 2005.

Let this be a lesson to all WDW ducks...

I am not a fan of duck and I never order it, but the duckstick was pretty darn tasty. Leaner than a chicken drumstick and with much darker meat, I thought this actually had a good flavor. The apple gastrique reminded me of a very light balsamic and I even liked the slaw, although for some reason the vinegar struck me as much stronger than it needed to be. The second piece of duck was pate' and I have already figured out that I don't like cold, pressed liver regardless of which animal it's been harvested from.

Duckstick? I think that looks like confit. I think you need more time in front of Iron Chef. Again, I would have gladly taken the blob of liver, too. Mmm, liver blob. I make it sound appetizing.

Yummy and smooth

Ahhh, Chardonnay ... still one of my favorite wines as long as it's not too bitter. The tasting notes indicate that this wine is a soft, creamy Chardonnay with hints of apricot, papaya, and lemon zest accented by subtle oak nuances. All I can tell you is that the color was gorgeous, the aroma was light and fruity, and the taste was smooth and clean. I find that many Chardonnays are too harsh for my tastes - either they are bitter or they taste like oak. This was lovely and I would buy a bottle right now if there were room in our wine rack.

Funny you should mention that. I was ready to take a photo of the bottle of Chateau St. Michelle Indian Wells 2005 I bought at Costco. When I read that you had this winery, it made me want to open it. But I didn't.

The second course was Fresh Horseradish Crusted Prime NY Strip, Dauphinoise Potato with Mushroom Ragout. The wine paired with this course was Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah, Columbia Valley, 2003.

Next time less 'shrooms and more meat and taters, precious...

Where do I start? The meat was very good ... melt-in-your-mouth tender and very flavorful with just a bit of a kick thanks to the horseradish. There were two different sauces on the plate that I remember nothing about, and the potatoes were totally ruined by all that mushroom-ey stuff. I can perhaps be forgiven for not being as attentive to this dish as I normally would be, but just as a plate of food was placed before him, Jay went procol harem on me and turned a whiter shade of pale.

That looks really good, but oh, Jay...I can almost see the green under the tan.

Blood? Ewwww, I hate that...

The tasting notes for this wine say that it has exotic spice aromas and rich flavors of ripe plum and berry. It has a complex, full mouth-feel balanced by soft tannins for a supple finish. Hey, whatever they want to say say is fine by me, because as far as I'm concerned that's a headache in a glass if I ever saw one.

Ahem. Spotlight, please!

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled mushrooms yearning to be freely eaten,
The wretched refuse of your tannin-filled glasses of full bodied red wine.
Send these, the homeless olives, too, toss 'em to me.
I lift my glass beside the restaurant door."

Hmm, I wonder if I should have posted that to your blog? :

I can't even offer you Jay's opinion because by this time he'd bolted from the table and disappeared into the restroom.

Jay popped back out and told me he was leaving and in no way was I to come with him. I was to stay and enjoy the rest of the event.

Enjoy?

Without my hubba?

There's no joy in Mudville or Stinktown or Gastroland without the hubba.

Aww, Jay took one for the team.

But I stuck it out through the final course, which was a Plum Tarte Tatin with Cardomom Ice Cream and Caramel Spice Sauce. The wine pairing was Horse Heaven Late Harvest Chenin Blanc, 2005.

It's full of plummy goodness

I liked the ice cream a lot and I liked that funny looking wing-shaped cookie a lot, too. I didn't like the tart, or tarte, or tatin ... I didn't like that at all. Plums just don't do it for me. I couldn't help but think how much Jay would have enjoyed this dessert on a different day, and how much he would have enjoyed finishing mine, too.

Mmmmm....it's good!

The wine tasting notes for this indicate that it is a complex wine with aromas and flavors of honeydew, lime, and orange marmalade. The palate is enhanced with sweet fruit and natural acidity with a smooth finish.

Hmm, plums don't really do it for me, but hey, it looked pretty. That's something, right?

Call me uncouth, but I guzzled this really quickly, gathered up my stuff, bade a hasty farewell to our neighbors and pretty much ran all the way back to the Beach Club to check on my lovey. Bless his heart he was already in bed half asleep. He said he managed to make it back to the room before experiencing a full reversal of fortune - one good thing about being at the Beach Club is its proximity to Epcot. I tremble to think about what might have happened if Jay had had to wait on a bus or the monorail before getting back to the room.

So, in rather hasty conclusion I would say that the jury is out on the pairing at Le Cellier only because neither one of us were able to experience the food or wine the way we had planned. I think the service and presentation and creativity were exceptional. The food was good, just not so much to my taste. Jay and I are both looking forward to a Le Cellier do-over in 2009 as long as the stars fall into alignment for us one more time.

Thanks for reading!!

I'm picturing you knocking back the wine and making a mad dash out of there. Not a fun end to a meal. You do need a do over! I've been where Jay was, twice in fact. I had that overheated feeling followed by the "get out of my way!" result. I'll blame the funky goo at breakfast, though.

And it was hot that day. That couldn't have done any good for him.

 

[BabyPiglet]

Really great reviews. Although I'm sorry to hear about your DH, hopefully he'll feel better next time you guys go to Le Cellier.

Keep the reviews comin', I really enjoy reading them.

 

[Tink rules]

Well Brenda... from how fast it came on... it sounds as if Jay had a case of food poisoning... Not fun at all!!!

Hope you get to do more tastings next time you go... and I'll pray to the Gods and make sure the planets are aligned when you make the call next time!!!

 

[WDW Fan]

So sorry that Jay wasn't feeling well. I'm sure it was hard for you to enjoy the food knowing that he was feeling so sickly! I hope he felt better by the next day. Great review of the food and wine though

 

[jakenjess]

Hi Brenda,

I'm so sorry Jay got sick! Hopefully he was on the mend quickly.

I'm really surprised you had never been to Le Cellier before. I think we've had lunch once and dinner twice, and it's always been wonderful. Your pictures look SO good! It's a shame Jay didn't really get to enjoy it and that you were rushing through at the end. Hopefully you'll get back there soon.

Looking forward to more!

 

[LiteBrite]

Friday, October 19th - A Food & Wine Pairing at Le Cellier a/k/a A Passage From the Book of Puke



Flash forward two-and-a-half months, and the day of our Le Cellier pairing has arrived! We had breakfast at the Kona and then played around in Downtown Disney for a bit before heading back to the hotel to clean up for our 3:30 event. It was while we were at Downtown Disney that I noticed something seemed to be a little off with my man. He said he thought the heat was getting to him, so when we got back to the villa I encouraged him to take a nap while I went for a swim in the bathtub. The weather all week had been growing more and more oppressive...hot, humid and thick, so I wasn't surprised that he was starting to feel it.

Cue ominous music here... (the Bach d minor toccata and fugue will do nicely, thank you)

I must now give another shout out to several people who were seated near us at the table. But first I have to apologize because I've forgotten every single one of their names ... D'OH! They were some of the nicest people, many of whom were veterans of F&W events who were able to give me some great advice. It also turns out that a few of those same people actually have read some of my stuff here at the DIS which I was flattered and humbled by, to say the least. This may sound dumb, but I never really expected to meet anyone face-to-face who had invested time in reading my silliness here. As someone who really enjoys writing this stuff, it was extremely gratifying and humbling to hear from people who've found the reviews and trip reports entertaining and even useful. The DIS-community has helped me rediscover something that I thought I'd lost forever (no, not my appetite you silly people!) and I will always be grateful for that. And I know I've said this before, but I think it bears repeating: the fact that you take the time to read these reviews means a lot to me... I know I have chronic diarrheal keyboard-itis and wading through my threads can be a chore, but you're here and you're reading and you think it's worth spending at least a little of your time on and I appreciate that more than you will probably ever know.

Thank you.

Aw, Brenda - I'm so glad you got some face time and some real life type appreciation from some of your many readers - we think you're the bee's knee's, da bomb, AND Handsome Pete's pjs. In other words, we lahve you, we luff you, we lurve you, our Brenda.

Ahhh, Chardonnay ... still one of my favorite wines as long as it's not too bitter. The tasting notes indicate that this wine is a soft, creamy Chardonnay with hints of apricot, papaya, and lemon zest accented by subtle oak nuances. All I can tell you is that the color was gorgeous, the aroma was light and fruity, and the taste was smooth and clean. I find that many Chardonnays are too harsh for my tastes - either they are bitter or they taste like oak. This was lovely and I would buy a bottle right now if there were room in our wine rack.

That description is making me want to try some! I have had the same type of experiences with Chardonnays (too harsh), but I'm a bit of a wine wienie. Maybe this one would be gentle enough for little old me.

The second course was Fresh Horseradish Crusted Prime NY Strip, Dauphinoise Potato with Mushroom Ragout. The wine paired with this course was Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah, Columbia Valley, 2003.

Next time less 'shrooms and more meat and taters, precious...

Where do I start? The meat was very good ... melt-in-your-mouth tender and very flavorful with just a bit of a kick thanks to the horseradish. There were two different sauces on the plate that I remember nothing about, and the potatoes were totally ruined by all that mushroom-ey stuff. I can perhaps be forgiven for not being as attentive to this dish as I normally would be, but just as a plate of food was placed before him, Jay went procol harem on me and turned a whiter shade of pale.

The food - mmm, beefy goodness indeed. Too bad about the taters, though, precious. At least they weren't something rrrrraw and wrrrrrriggling!

Poor Jay - Oh, I feel terrible for him.

Call me uncouth, but I guzzled this really quickly, gathered up my stuff, bade a hasty farewell to our neighbors and pretty much ran all the way back to the Beach Club to check on my lovey. Bless his heart he was already in bed half asleep. He said he managed to make it back to the room before experiencing a full reversal of fortune - one good thing about being at the Beach Club is its proximity to Epcot. I tremble to think about what might have happened if Jay had had to wait on a bus or the monorail before getting back to the room.

Whew! Finally he can puke in peace! I'm so glad he made it back to the room, poor poor guy.

So, in rather hasty conclusion I would say that the jury is out on the pairing at Le Cellier only because neither one of us were able to experience the food or wine the way we had planned. I think the service and presentation and creativity were exceptional. The food was good, just not so much to my taste. Jay and I are both looking forward to a Le Cellier do-over in 2009 as long as the stars fall into alignment for us one more time.

Thanks for reading!!

Please do give LC another stab, and next time hopefully Jay can pass on the men's room there altogether, since he now must have some baaad memories associated with that little room. Next time we have to get the food and health stars all in proper alignment so you guys can have a happier memory from there.

 

[arieljasmine]

Poor Jay Being sick on vacation is the worst. We had only our first visit to Le Cellier in October and loved it, I hope you will get to visit again.

Laur's

 

[Briarmom]

I have a barf phobia. I hope all the barfing stops soon and the eating starts again. The two do not pair well.

 

[dizneykid]

I'm also one who has never been to LeCellier yet. Just never seems to work out.

Love your reviews. Looking forward to Party for the Senseless.

 

[pperfectmom]

Brenda-I'm loving the reviews! I would love to take an adults only trip with my DH someday during the Food & Wine Fest. I'm hoping for such an event within the next couple of years. Until then, I'll have to live vicariously through your reports.*sigh* Sorry your dear hubby got sick on you. That was very unfortunate and reminds me of a time when my DH barfed all over the Sierra Nevada Mountains during a wine tasting marathon. Wait a minute....that was ALL his fault so no comparison. Not only did he get sick, but he was so toasted beforehand that we ended up with a case of Silverado zinfandel for $75. And there was most definately a reason it was so cheap. It took years of suffering to make our way through that case.

 

[DisneyLaura]

Would you believe me if I told you that Jason and I have never eaten at Le Cellier? We may be the only two people on the DIS who haven't tried it

Brenda - I have never been there either. Next time maybe, we still have small children that do not do good in a restaurant at times

If we were gnomes, Jay and I would live here...

Is there a small house next door that I can move into, of course there is me and the three kids but we can all fit

Brenda I love your reviews and TR. This one had me laughing out loud more than once. You are a wonderful writer, I think you should change your profession. Tell Jay sorry to hear that he wasn't feeling all that well and what a trooper for staying as long as he did. My DH would have stayed at the hotel and not even have gone. My DH got food poisoning on our honeymoon, yes I tell you we were in Haiwaii. Not fun going to the beach by yourself, on your honeymoon, with your newly married DH barfing in the room. I feel you sista I do.

Laura

 

[sunny04]

You know, everytime I read one of your updates, I want to paste wonderfully creative and clever responses. But when I look down, I see that there are already TWO PAGES of responses since your post. I just can't come up with anything good that late in the game. So....um....good post.

 

[Tink rules]

You know, everytime I read one of your updates, I want to paste wonderfully creative and clever responses. But when I look down, I see that there are already TWO PAGES of responses since your post. I just can't come up with anything good that late in the game. So....um....good post.

Oh respond away!!! How do you think we all learned to let our inner wittiness out!!! (and it makes Brenda feel really good too!!!)

 

[maxiesmom]

Your poor Jay!!! I feel so bad that he was sick, and that neither of you could enjoy your meal. It was nice of him to tell you to stay, but how could you? I don't think he would have, if the shoe had been on the other foot, so to speak. Hopefully you guys will luck out again next year and get all the special event ressies that you and your smoking cc can handle.

Btw I think that garden is a smashing place for a gnome colony. As long as you were the kind of gnome that comes to life and can eat their own body weight in nummies, that would be wonderful!