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

[oybolshoi]

Oooooohhh...foooood...<drools on keyboard>

Brenda, this last installment was fabulous. Lots of cheese & puns - just how I like it! I've always wanted to eat at Jiko, it looks so delicious, and my DH is a total fire-eater like Jason and he'd love all that spicy stuff. I have to say though, from the papadum to the lentils to the masala sauce, those items sound much more Indian food than African food.

I loved your crickets at the beginning, I almost died when you downgraded Hurricane Hannah's to a Depression (lol!) and absolutely agreed with your idea about adding a nice dollop of goats cheese on top of that steak...deeeelish!

Thanks for reading - glad you enjoyed the review and got a few laughs out of it - that was the idea, but it's hard to tell if the things I find funny translate to paper...uh, internet paper...no, monitor....hmmmmm, netspeak...well, whatever. I think you know what I mean!

It sounds like you and your DH would like Jiko and you are probably right about some of the dishes having more of an Indian flavor to them than African but I'm not an expert (on anything) so I can't say for sure. Either way - it was a great meal!

Love your report as always. Might have to put Jiko on my list to do's

Thanks, Laura! Go for it - Jiko was terrific!

U are freakin' hilarious! Loved the update!!!!

Thanks for reading Kat - glad you liked it! I'm beginning to wonder if I missed my calling in life... not that working in the banking industry is a calling; it's more like a death sentence.

I do so love food reports and yours are the funnest! I'm not at all an adventurous eater, so thanks for letting me know Jiko is not a place I'm likely to enjoy! LOL! I'd like to be adventurous, but I think my unsophisticated taste buds are holding me back.

Thanks so much - glad you're enjoying everything so far! It's taken my hubby more than 10 years to get me to the point I'm at now. When we first met I wouldn't eat much more than tuna fish or mac & cheese. I was even hesitant to try crab... And look at me now ... eating foie gras and hummus and strawberries (but not together... ). Baby steps, my friend, little tiny baby steps.

I recently encountered a recipe calling for "Brick" cheese. Having no idea what that was, I googled it. Apparently, it is a very special Wisconsin cheese and nearly secret. I haunted the aisles of my local grocery store to no avail. Finally, I timidly approached the deli-guy to see if he had any idea how to find it, or what a decent substitute might be.

He had brick cheese! I was so excited! Hey, I'm going to get to try a special cheese! A highly recommended cheese! I arrived home to tell my husband of my triumph. We sampled the cheese with great anticipation. It tasted just like Monterey Jack to us.

Maybe we lack the ability to discern "good" food?

Brick cheese? I thought that was just cheese in the shape of a brick?

You know what? "Good" food is what you enjoy eating. There's no right or wrong to it. I'm sure there are people out there who would be horrified to know that I think a Big Mac is good eats. Not all the time, and surely not healthy, but I love 'em!

It's the same idea with wine. Old school wine drinkers will say "white" with fish and "red" with meat, but Jay and I don't do that. We drink the wines that we really like, regardless of the meal. It's about what's right for you.

More please!

Thanks - I'll try to update later this weekend. I've got a three-day thanks to Veterans Day!

Seeing that cheese plate gave me a flashback to when Rick and I ate there. I had it for dessert and like you so beautifully described, it was pure heaven!

Oh, and I so agree about a nice piece of goat cheese on top of the filet

Deb

Thanks for reading Deb! I think I'm going to make it my mission in life to try the cheese plate at every signature restaurant on property to see who has the best one. The winners so far: Flying Fish, Jiko, and Bistro Paris. The loser so far: Artist Point. The creamy, cheesiest of the crop: Victoria & Albert's.

Ok, that's settled. We have to try Jiko next.
Lionel and I made a plan over our anniversary dinner Tuesday at the Flying Fish that we would try a new Disney restaurant every other month. Although I just showed him the filet, and he said "that looks weird."

And the Grimace photo? Made me snort.

Erica, so glad to see you! I finally got my phone back and all my messages were erased so I can't call you to voice grovel. I think you and Lionel would really enjoy Jiko - let us know what you think after you've tried it.

And I made you snort? Excellent!

That pic of the filet just may convince me to try Jiko next time yum

I'm not a HUGE fan of cheese and would never order a cheese plate per se but the way you describe it makes me want to run out and make myself a cheese plate NOW!!

Thanks for another great installment!

Hi Cass! Hope this post means you're feeling better. The filet is wonderful so you should definitely try it if you get a chance. And I know it's early in the morning but I wish I was eating that cheese plate right now.

Thanks for reading!

 

[cc1075]

I have read all of your food reviews - and yes, you should be writing for a living!! I quote you all of the time - - the laughs about eating are to much!! I am a horrible eater - I always say - think of feeding a seven year old - and you have my menu, peanut butter, mac and cheese, tuna - but, I will eat crab and lots of it - just don't mix it with anything else - and Oh, don't let my food touch!!

But I am so proud - - last night we went to a friends for dinner - - my first reaction was yuk!! - - Vegetables all mixed up and stir fried - double yuk - - but then your little voice came in my head - and I thought, why not, if Brenda can do it, so can I!! They were wonderful - you may have opened a whole new chapter in my life - - - - - I not only ate them - but had seconds!!

Thanks for your food reports - - - no more "Grimace" for me when it comes to food - - promise, I will at least try things now - thanks to you!!

cc

PS - my friends and family are very grateful to you!! I have been a real pain, especially in restaurants!

 

[oybolshoi]

Great reviews, as always. Though I must be careful--the constant drooling combined with the hysterical laughter tends to cause uncontrollable choking.

Thanks for reading, but don't hurt yourself!

I've been wondering whether the DDP appeals to real foodies, such as you and your disgustingly photogenic dh. (Seriously--does he take a bad picture? I'm hoping his gastronomic distress on this trip at least led to some pictures of him looking more like, well, my family, on our best day.)

We considered adding the dining plan on this trip, but we still would have had to have paid out of pocket for dinner at Kimonos and Bistro Paris as well as afternoon tea. And with all the signature restuarants that we originally had ADRs at, we wouldn't have had enough credits to cover them all, anyway. Throw all the CS credis into the mix, and we would have just wasted money on food we didn't eat, instead of just paying for the food we did eat. Does that make sense? Of course, it helped that we bought annual passes last year and were able to take advantage of the Disney Dining Experience card - that got us a 20% discount on every meal we had, including a discount on booze. You can't beat that if you're us, unless it's free!

As for camera's love affair with Jay ... I know, I know. He never takes a bad picture - it drives me crazy because I rarely take a good picture. I could have snapped a shot of him tossing his cookies and he'd still look better than I do in 95% of the pictures that get taken. I comfort myself with the thought that at least one of us will always look good in a shot of the two of us.

And I'm not sure if we really qualify as foodies - we don't really know much about food, we just like to eat it!

What about the new deluxe DDP? It looks to me like your Jiko dinner probably ran around $100 with tax (excluding the alcohol). I don't know what else you ate that day (besides Toblerone, and your liquid lunch), but the deluxe DDP would have included another meal (either CS or TS) and 4 snacks (and, of course, the refillable mugs) for $40 more. Financially, probably not a bad deal, but then again, you do have to use all those credits to see the savings. And, if you eat all those snacks, it would probably just kill your buzz anyway.

I don't know anything about the Deluxe plan, but it sounds like too much food to me. I'd rather have one really good meal than a whole bunch of filler ... well, usually that's true. Considering how much I ended up eating on this trip I probably could have made a good dent in those credits.

More great adventures in dining!!!

Hurricane Hannah's has been downgraded!!!

Hi Sheryl, thanks for coming back to read while you guys are so busy. I was thinking about you when I wrote that comment about downgrading Hannah - glad you liked it!

I totally agree with you about the homogenization of WDW bar drinks!!! Are they trying to discourage us lushes from drinking? Don't they mark up liquour like 2000% & make huge profits on them? Thank goodness Jiko continues to spread the joy of great dining!

We'll be back there in February & we'll have to do 2 appetizers because my DH continues to rave about the Taste of Africa, 11 months after dining there. But I will have to try that cheese! Maybe we can share the filet. Brwaaa aaahhh! No way I'm gonna let my sweet DH of many many years touch my Jiko filet!!!

I could understand the changes if Disney were charging less, but they're taking away all the good stuff and charging more. It makes us drink less - we were at the pool for 8 out of 10 days on our trip and only had a drink from Hannah's that one time. And that's because the five mixed drink choices on the menu didn't appeal to us and we don't like drinking beer while at the pool. So instead of spending more on drinks we spent less - how does Disney make money on that?

Hope you have a great dinner at Jiko. Jason is still talking about the Taste of Africa, too. He thought it was one of the best appetizers he had on the entire trip (not that he had many, but he got a few in before things went viral). If you get the cheese plate be sure to let us know what you think - I thought it was outstanding!

Brenda, we were told by one of the bartenders (gee I think we spent more time in bars than on rides...this is why I only seem to contribute to this board stuff about booze) that the new beverage head came from TGI Fridays and he came up with the standardization idea...I guess they are trying to turn WDW into a TGI Fridays resort.

Hey there Tom! Booze contributors are always welcome here!

That's a really depressing comment - WDW is large enough and profitable enough to be diverse. I liked being able to try different stuff every time I went somewhere new. And I can't stand TGI Fridays ... if that's what Disney is going for I'm going to rename them Crabby O'Mondays.

Okay, I had thought I might TRY to start a TR tonight but after reading this I just plain give up the ghost. I know when I am outwrote. I know my stuff when it comes to writing as I read a lot, a whole lot. This is enthralling, entertaining and altogether educational as well.

oybolshoi, that silence at the beginning was in awe of the fact that you spelled both words correctly and used them in the right context. I know cause I looked them up.

Wow - thanks for the compliment. If I ever get published I'm going to offer you a job as my press release coordinator!

I'm not sure which two words you're referring to (although unctuous is probably one of them), but I would have to cut off my hands if I used a word in the wrong context. I'm a big reader, too, and I've got some editing experience behind me (waaaaay behind me) so if I made that kind of mistake I'd never forgive myself.

And don't stop writing a TR on my account ... I'd love to read your stuff.

I am afraid that the standardization is not only confined to the adult beverages but to the food menus as well. I hope that the deluded person in charge who thought this up is soon banished to the depths of Universal and forced to subsist upon a diet of frozen Stouffer's mac and cheese forever!! I cannot imagine that any real chef would prefer to serve such standard excrement either. (I have found that if you use high faluting language the (shhhh) censors do not catch it.

We noticed that some of the restaurant menus have really been pared down. Aside from canceling our ADR at Rose & Crown because Jay still wasn't feeling well, we did so because their posted dinner menu had so few items on it. What happened there? The barley / lamb soup was gone, the Guinness beef stew was gone, the meat pie sampler was gone ... sheeeesh, if I want fish and chips I'll go see Harry next door; I'm looking for something a little more interesting in the R&C dining room.

Jiko's might not have served authentic African food but it does appear as if they are many, many steps above your average McD's so that is a very good thing. A bed of sweet potato puree might have been a tad bit better than mac and cheese though. Would fit a Chinese restaurant a bit better??

If you liked the cheese tray might I suggest you try out the one at Rose & Crown? I quite enjoyed it and plan to eat it for a meal on our next trip. I am all about the appetizers. Seems that is often where the most orignal (and fattening) foods are found on the menu. I like my cheese strong enough to leave marks on the dish.

I loved the pic of you guys standing in your room. I see you cropped the picture to hide your 'deformity'.

More, I want more!!!

Please?? Pretty please??

SG/Linda

Jiko was excellent, and your idea about the sweet potatoes is a great one. I think that could be quite tasty (especially with goat cheese melting on top of the filet).

I've had the cheese plate before at R&C - the first time I tried it was about 5 years ago and I really liked it. By last year it seemed like it had been pared down a bit and was mostly really stong bleu cheese variants and I do not like bleu cheese. Next time you're there, if you order it, be sure to take notes so you can come back and tell us what it's like.

Glad you liked the pic! I'm trying to avoid too many comments about that missing leg this time around.

Thanks again for reading!

Ooooooooooooooo, Brenda, you are the Cheesiest!!!

I wanted sooooooooo much to go to Jiko when we go in 7 DAYS!!!! But even as much as you are an unadventuristic eater, my DH is worse. I guess you could say he is the epitome of a CPA -- very focused. No sauces shall touch his food.... No foods that he can't identify within 5 seconds..... If he could line up his veggies into columns like debits and assets, he considers that a great meal! So we are playing it safe.

Hi June! WDW for you in less than a week! How exciting! Too bad about Jiko - maybe you can work on the DH for another trip and try it then. Your description of his dining habits had me in stitches ...

And in 7 years, 5 months, 10 days, 22 hours and 33 minutes when I retire from tormenting middle school students with periodic tables and beakers, I have the great dream of opening a Wine, Cheese and Specialty Dessert store, with selections from near and far and even from Wisconsin! Of course, my Jay will only be 12, so I think I shall get to torment Middle Schoolers at least 6 more years past the magic "30 years" number.....

That is an awesome idea - Jay and I have talked about trying to do something like that out here, but we're not sure if the market would really support it. Our area is still pretty much defined as: wheel o'cheese with a knife impaled in the middle washed down with a keg o'beer.

Congrats on nearing the 30-year teaching milestone - that's a terrific accomplishment.

Seriously, I hated cheese as a child and LOVE it as an adult. My DH thinks it is so funny that I hunt up local cheeses everytime we travel. (I'm secretly hiding a champagne white cheddar from New York right now to eat Christmas Eve that we picked up while "Wining" around the Finger Lakes this last summer.) Of course, he prefers cheese that comes flat with a wrapper around it made from "American" cows......

Keep the reviews coming!!

Yum ... champagne cheddar. My cheese tastes have grown up over the years, too. I never used to like anything other than American or Swiss ... and now some of my favorites include feta and goat - love that creamy texture paired with the tangy taste.

Thanks again for reading and have a great trip. Are you planning on posting reviews upon your return to the real world?

Ah, TGI McScratchy's Goodtime Foodrinkery.... I believe I hired that same guy to improve things at the Chum Bucket.... boy was that a disaster

Poor Plankton ... I forgot about that failed business venture. Maybe you should write to Disney and tell them why this decision of theirs is not so good.

Next they need to sell all the restaurants to the Blandy Franchising company so they can 'standardize' all the menus into the same swill.... heck, they could make even the Chum burger look tasty

Perish the thought!

You know, you almost sound "friendly" tonight. Have you recovered from your post-cruise depression or are you up to something?

 

[oybolshoi]

I have read all of your food reviews - and yes, you should be writing for a living!! I quote you all of the time - - the laughs about eating are to much!! I am a horrible eater - I always say - think of feeding a seven year old - and you have my menu, peanut butter, mac and cheese, tuna - but, I will eat crab and lots of it - just don't mix it with anything else - and Oh, don't let my food touch!!

But I am so proud - - last night we went to a friends for dinner - - my first reaction was yuk!! - - Vegetables all mixed up and stir fried - double yuk - - but then your little voice came in my head - and I thought, why not, if Brenda can do it, so can I!! They were wonderful - you may have opened a whole new chapter in my life - - - - - I not only ate them - but had seconds!!

Thanks for your food reports - - - no more "Grimace" for me when it comes to food - - promise, I will at least try things now - thanks to you!!

cc

PS - my friends and family are very grateful to you!! I have been a real pain, especially in restaurants!

Thanks for the kind words.

And good for you for trying something new - it's not easy when you're a picky eater, is it? Jay always tells me to at least try a taste, and then if I don't like it that's fine but at least then I have a reason for disliking something. I usually will take a taste of everything he orders and sometimes I do find new things that I end up liking such as scallops! I couldn't believe how tasty scallops were when I took a bite of one of his a few years back. And now ... I've reached the point that I've actually ordered them for myself!

Small steps, that's the way. And it's OK if you don't like something after you try it - you can't like everything!

BTW - your menu is similar to mine! Four of my all-time favorites: peanut butter, tuna, mac & cheese, and crab!

Thanks again for reading!

 

[TDC Nala]

I hate the standardization in the food and beverage area. HATE it. But I guess they're making lots of money off it because it's being expanded.

And now they want 6 bucks for a beer at PI (I think that's only if you order one of the Sam Adams seasonals but I don't like Bud or Miller or that stuff. I was thrilled they had Sam's seasonals but not if they're going to charge six bucks for it. One more dollar and you can get a whole six pack at home. Or a mixed drink at AC. Although some of the mixed drinks are going for 10 bucks now).

Okay, I'm done.

 

[mcarthur205]

Hi CarolAnn! You know, at this rate you're going to spend your entire anniversary trip at WDW restaurant hopping - I'm jealous, can we come too? And that vanilla bean mousse with the strawberries was excellent!

Reviews coming up for Crystal Palace and Casey's.

Mmmmmm, sounds like the perfect vacation! And if you're in WDW at the beginning of April 2009 feel free to join us for our 25th anniversary, we're going to CELEBRATE!!

 

[cc1075]

The food standardization is becoming very obvious - ever to a lousy eater like myself. We used to love Chef Mickey's - plenty for my husband to eat and enough food that I liked. Even with the running around, children, lots of noise we loved it. It was always the first meal when guests came to stay, everyone got to see Minnie and Mickey and the vacation was off to a great start. Being that we stay for six weeks and have lots of company - Chef Mickey's saw so much of us we made good friends with one of the servers.

This year we never went to Chef Mickey's. The variety of the foods has been cut by at least a third and the quality just isn't there anymore.

However Disney will survive. Every year, every day new people are coming by the hundreds - so I don't think their business will suffer if I am eating off property.

That is sad for next spring when we arrive at OKW we will have been to WDW for thirty years.

 

[CampbellScot]

so I'm reading along...thoroughly enjoying the pictures and the descriptions and suddenly a large pair of bum cheeks and a big purple grimace appear!

my step daughter had asked me prior to the bum cheek appearance what I was reading. I told her it was a story about what people ate at Disney....

she happen to look over when the bum cheeks arrived on the screen and she said in a rather appalled voice:

"I hope your friend didn't eat somebody's big heiny!!!

wow...me too!



PS-10 points for using the word "unctiousness" !!! My spell check REFUSES to recognize it!

can't wait for the Birthday eat-age!!!!

 

[travelmel]

I hate it.

OT - I was recently looking at some pictures of a now defunct rest at DCA and it looked like a lot of fun. It was a soap opera themed place with some really cool rooms that were exactly as though you were on set with your favorite daytime drama. It reminded me of 50s primetime cafe. It went under in like a year or something.

Anyway, I thought it was weird that WDW can support so many varied restaurants and CA wouldn't even bite at the one. Maybe has something to do with the fact that DCA was not well received overall. Too bad... I wish we had more "fun" rest at our Disney here on the west coast.

I don't have high hopes for the billion dollar remodel, either. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Looking forward to your next installment!!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

[Cheesy does it

Mmmmm... cheese!
Do it Cheesy! Are we channeling Eazy-E? Or would that be Eazy ChEEze, which to me brings on a whole new meaning - perhaps Cheez Whizz? I could go on forever.... sorry too much caffiene. Carry on.

I could have ordered a second plate and just had it for dinner, it was that good. I probably could have even ordered a third one for dessert but that might have been pushing the lactose envelope a bit too far for one evening.

And perhaps the ability to use the bathroom for the next week or so. Just sayin'.

Japan will never be the same...

OMG! That pic is even better than "Catatonic boy on ToT" photo!!

Brilliant as always, Brenda!

 

[andiepie]

OMG! Where have I been? I know... stuck in the "I highly dislike my job, but it pays the bills and lets me buy books" haze. I think even the cat knows I've been mentally elsewhere because I developed a cat shaped tumor on my leg, today. (just one leg. ample leg real estate, but the cat chooses to sit on one leg) It was as if she said to me... "Today you will sit. Today you will not move, and I will sleep. While I sleep, you will read Brenda's yummy trip report. And then you will feed me when I stare at you." -Cat's a lot like Plankton that way.

That picture of grimace is cracking me up! And why is the first thing I thought of when I saw that picture is, Real Grimmy would've pulled a Pete Rose and gambled on her own fight?!

 

[maxiesmom]

Can I butt in and ask a question? Is there a right way and a wrong way to eat a cheese plate? Are you supposed to stack the cheese on the bread, and then take a bite of the figs or jam or whatever they have with it? Or take a bite of cheese and chase it with the other stuff? I love cheese, but I am afraid to order a plate in case I end up doing something wrong. I don't want the waiter coming over and bopping me on the head and yelling out Moron! or something.

Enjoy your 3 day weekend Brenda! Us slobs who toil in retail only get 1 day off. Not that I am jealous or anything.

 

[Launchpad11B]

I've been lurking over my DW's (cocowum's) shoulder for a few years now. She said "register yourself or die!" I would like to continue reading your TR....and breathing as well! So here I am. Thanks for your reports. They are awesome.

 

[DisOrBust]

Benedictine: A blended cow, goat, and sheep's milk cheese from Wisconsin. **Side note: Wow! I had no idea they were making cheese like this up there!** This cheese is creamy and intense with a tingly unctuousness before finishing with an earthy complexity. **Second side note: Wow! Wisconsin cheesemakers sure are pretentious!**

Excuse me? I resemble that remark, !

That is just the tip of the cheese iceberg! We have plenty more and many that are better then that. We are also home to Nueske's bacon which seems to be at every WDW restaurant as well.


ok ok yea we also have beer and brats, but that not a bad thing.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Anyone here ever read "Green Eggs and Ham"? It is truly a book for the ages and great literature to my way of thinking. It makes the point that you should try stuff before deciding you do not like it . What can it hurt? I tell my grandkids that, ala Auntie Mame, "Life is a banquet and most poor SOB's are starving to death". I clean that one word up according to the age of my grands though. If you try something and do not like it you never need do it again however you might be missing out on many other things if you do not , at least, give them a shot.

The redeeming value of Free Dining to me is that I can try things that I might not want to risk my own money on without great regret if I do not like it.

There is a buttery swiss cheese that I can only find up north of here that I die for and I usually only like very, very sharp cheese, those that leave their imprint on the plate and you can still taste six months after the fact.

My husband once gave me some advice, decades ago. He said that if you could afford the bill you could order your steak any old way you want , drink what ever color wine you want and eat any old way you want. I hate to admit that MOST of that statement is very good advice although you might not want to eat quite as my dh does. It is not a pleasant sight to behold. As the one who sweeps the floor up after his meals I know.

Launchpad11B, I am glad that you have come out of your shell and joined us. Breathing is a good thing to do. Very healthy.

andiepie, two words - public libraries. If the only thing keeping you working at a job that you dislike is your affinity for books check that out. Only having an 18 room house I can ill afford to turn over more room to storage of tomes myself so I frequent the public library to read what I like without expense, dusting or storage problems.

TDC Nala, we drive down and bring our own beer etc. This trip I am going to add a package of quality hot dogs. My husband refuses to eat hot dogs at home but for some reason if they are priced at $6 per he adores them. I am going to sneak up to the food court microwave and bring it back and tell him they cost $6. Hey, I used to buy generic coffee and put it in a brand name jar and he never caught onto that either. He is easily fooled.

SG/Linda

 

[oybolshoi]

x

 

[oybolshoi]

We are having a wicked thunderstorm right now - seems a little weird for this time of year, but it does happen now and then. One of the joys of living in the midwest is that you never know what your weather is going to do from one hour to the next.

I'm uploading pictures from the 17th (happy birthday to me!) and hope to start working on some updates later today. Gotta get those household things taken care of and I'm trying to get back into a work-out routine so that I don't gain back the weight I lost before vacation.

On a food-related note: we found a specialty shop yesterday that carries Humboldt Fog!!! So we bought half a pound and gorged on cheese last night. That did wonders for my weight loss program, I'm sure.

 

[TDC Nala]

It is time to add a few lines from Monty Python's Life of Brian.

JESUS:
...for their possession. How blest are those...
MR. CHEEKY:
I don't know. I was too busy talking to Big Nose.
JESUS:
...who hunger and thirst to see...
MAN #1:
I think it was 'Blessed are the cheesemakers.'
JESUS:
...right prevail.
MRS. GREGORY:
Ahh, what's so special about the cheesemakers?
GREGORY:
Well, obviously, this is not meant to be taken literally. It refers to any manufacturers of dairy products.


Obviously not. Of course they are referring to the cheesemakers. And eat that cheese plate any old way you want.

 

[TigerKat]

Had to do some catching up here. I'm so excited about trying JIKO for the first time!! Thanks for sharing your reviews with us.

 

[disgrits]

Where yat, sistah? Since Sopranos are no longer on HBO Sundays, I need your trippie to entertain me. That's right I compared your trippie to the wonderful murdering gangster fun that is Tony Soprano....so c'mon, start typing already.