I Wish I Would've Packed More Stretchy Pants - Deluxe Dining Report April 2016 - 6/30 LE CELLIER

[SorcererHeidi]

Awesome. The pretzel and cheese looked great. I've never had LeFou's Brew, but since I don't like cooked fruit or cider, or stuff like that because it's too sweet, I don't think I'd like it. I'd be curious to try one of those frozen carbonated beverages though, like the blue raspberry or cherry - if it wouldn't endanger throwing my glucose counts off the charts! Bites to get old. Can't wait for Narcossee's!

 

[ariane37]

Something new I had never seen before: the hostesses at TH asked for our phone number. Instead of a buzzer, they sent us a text when our table was ready. It literally only took 2 minutes, but it was a neat concept!

This is what they were doing at about 3 restaurants when Steve and I went in Jan. Pretty cool, right?

On our way out of Africa, we passed the new soccer team:

Wow, I didn't know they'd started already! Did you watch them at all?

Glad you liked Raglan Rd. better this time. We actually liked it better the first 2 times we were there and not so much the 3rd, unfortunately. Maybe one day we'll give it another try, but with all the new exciting places opening in DS it might be awhile.

Looking forward to your Narcoossee's review

 

[DLFan123]

Your title is hilarious. Have you seen that episode of the Middle where Frankie Heck decides that her pregnancy pants are now her Thanksgiving pants? Cracks me up every time.

 

[TeeterTots]

Looooving your report! Thank you for all the pics! We will be eating at 'Ohana for the first time on Halloween! We are very excited so I'm glad it's your fav!!! I can't wait to hear all about Narcoossees!

 

[kastoney]

Glad you all enjoyed Tusker House. We haven't been in a few trips, but its the only character breakfast we return to regularly. Love all the different options they have and of course the POG juice.

Mmmmm Lafou's brew. I'm a big fan too. Think we had one or two on our last trip.

Can't wait to see what you think of Narcoossee's. One of our newest favorites

 

[Vernie822]

NARCOOSSEE'S

Our meal here came about after Justin bet me that if I could get to 15 fitness classes in January, he'd take me anywhere I wanted on our vacation. Well, I wanted some steak and lobster at Narcoossee's! Not a bad bet if you ask me.

After we'd changed into some nicer clothes at the GF, we watched the band and relaxed in the lobby for a bit, and headed over to Narcoossee's for our 7:10 PM reservation. It was around 6:40, so we planned to sit and have a drink at the bar beforehand.

We checked in with the hostess and told her we'd sit at the bar for a bit, but she said our table was ready and she could take us right away. She also turned away a few people in the time we were standing there, so the restaurant was definitely busy.

We were seated not next to the window, but one table away, so we did have a nice view of the water!

Justin decided he wanted to try the Coney Island Hard Root Beer. He often has the Not Your Father's Root Beer at home.

I chose the Chateau St. Michelle Eroica Riesling.

Part of the drink menu.. they also had a book on the table with lots of specialty drinks.

Our server also started us with some sourdough bread and butter with pink himalayan sea salt.

Justin went to slice a piece of bread and thought it was odd that they hadn't pre-sliced the bread. So he sliced his piece and when I went to get mine, I realized they had sliced the loaf like a pie (into chunks) instead of like normal bread slices. We had to laugh at Justin taking his knife to this giant hunk of bread thinking it wasn't sliced.

Our server brought us our own butter. I (unhealthily) gotta load my bread with lots of delicious butter so I was happy about that!

With the Deluxe Dining Plan, we could choose any of the soups/salads/apps from this side of the menu:

Justin and I were both in the mood for salads after eating no vegetables in the last few days. Justin chose the Aunt Debby's Lovely Romaine Salad:

Aunt Debby's Lovely Romaine Salad - Crisp Leaves of Young Romaine, Marinated Half-dried Tomatoes, Shaved Pecorino Romano, Garlicky Focaccia Croutons, and Creamy Caesar Dressing, $11

He really liked this! He picked out the tomatoes but said it was a really good caesar salad.

I chose the baby beet salad:

Slow Roasted Baby Beet Salad - Goat's Milk Feta, Petite Greens, Arugula, Spinach, Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette, and Candied Walnuts - $16

I definitely went out of my comfort zone with this one. I have only had beets a few times (as a kid) and I always hated them, but I figured why not give them a shot. It was delicious and I liked the beets. I enjoyed creaminess from the goat cheese and sweetness from the candied walnuts. I was hoping for a stronger tasting vinaigrette, but it wasn't too strong. I don't recall it having a lot of dressing on it so maybe that's why. Overall, a delicious salad that I'd absolutely get again.

For our entrees, I was originally really hoping for a steak and lobster combo. In the past, deluxe dining plan-goers could get the duo plate on the plan. Now, they did away with the duo plate and you can add the lobster tail as an "enhancement". I noticed this theme again the next day at Le Cellier.

Here's the menu..

And enhancements on the right.

Since we were going to Le Cellier the next day, and I didn't love lobster enough to order it on its own, I decided to go with something I'd seen in @kastoney 's dining report.. the shrimp pasta:

Wild Caught Shrimp and Garganelli Pasta - Wild Gulf Shrimp, Savoy Spinach, Oven-roasted Tomatoes, Basil Pistou, Comte Cheese, and Chardonnay-Garlic Cream - $39

Justin, not really being a seafood lover, decided to go with the filet.

Grass Fed Filet Mignon, Boniato-Idaho Potato Mash and Broccolini with Red-Wine Oxtail Reduction, $49

You could also get NY strip prepared the same way, with the same sides, in place of filet.

The verdict.. I was in love! I often don't order pasta when I go out because I feel like I can cook it so easily at home. But this was out of this world good, something I could never re-create that well at home. I can't explain the sauce, but I definitely tasted the hint of tartness the Chardonnay provided, if that makes sense. The tomatoes were nice and juicy and there were so many shrimp. I think the sauce, for me, is really what made the dish. The whole thing was amazing and I can't wait to get it again. My mom and I ended up making an ADR here for our November trip and I think if we stick with it, I'll probably get this again!

Justin loved his filet as well. It was well-done to his liking, and he said the potatoes and broccoli were nothing special but they were good,

Overall, Narcoossee's was knocking it out of the park so far!

Dessert time.. I already had plotted out what I was going to get MONTHS in advance. I didn't sweat it out at the gym for nothin'! I had to have the infamous almond-crusted cheesecake:

Almond crusted cheesecake with Lambert Cherry Sauce, $12

In one word: heaven. Seriously.

I used to work at a bakery and they had an amazing almond torte with white cake, bavarian custard filling, buttercream icing, and sugared toasted almonds on top. This reminds me of that cake, but with CHEESECAKE on the inside! Cheesecake is part of my favorite food group, cheese, so what's not to love!?

There was a touch of whipped cream, so switching up the bites with some cherry sauce and some whipped cream just took this to another level.

I have been dreaming about this cheesecake since.

Justin went with the Narcoossee's candy bar.

Narcoossee's Candy Bar - Dark chocolate-mocha bar with house-made guanaja chocolate gelato, $11

This was delicious as well. He was really satisfied with his choice but said it was a bit rich, so I don't think he finished the whole candy bar. He did finish the gelato though and said overall he really liked this.

In total, our meal was fantastic. Previously we have also been to two other signatures, Flying Fish and Yachtsman. I still think my entree at Flying Fish (NY strip and potato wrapped red snapper) was the best entree ever, but we didn't order dessert there and split calamari as an app, so we didn't have as much to sample from. Yachtsman was amazing in its own right, for steak, but I think the seafood and dessert here were hands down some of the best I've ever had.

Would we come back here? ABSOLUTELY! I can't wait to. The ambiance was so lovely. The service was good, but not great. We had a party of 8 (with 4 pre-teen boys) next to us that were VERY rambunctious and it appeared that our server was very busy with them, but she was good. Not better than Chris at Raglan Road, though!
​

DINING PLAN BREAKDOWN: We used 4 table service credits at Narcoossee's.

Dining Plan: $150.69 (this includes both of our meals, appetizers, desserts, and a Diet Coke for Justin)

Total Dining Plan = $496.03 plus tax

OOP: We paid $38.34 for 2 glasses of Riesling and 1 beer.
Total OOP = $103.91 plus tip

 

[suse66]

Awesome meal at Narcoosees! We had our Disney date night there on our March trip and loved every bite! I had the same salad and dessert as Justin but went for the scallops as my main. May just have to sneak in there for that almond crusted cheesecake in August. Thanks for sharing all the yumminess!

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

Yay, Narcoossees!!

Slow Roasted Baby Beet Salad - Goat's Milk Feta, Petite Greens, Arugula, Spinach, Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette, and Candied Walnuts

What are those yellow discs? Is that also some kind of magical beet? (Never seen them yellow before but don't see anything else they might be from the description..)

Now, they did away with the duo plate and you can add the lobster tail as an "enhancement".

So you can add the enhancement but you have to pay OOP, right? I mean, even on the deluxe plan?

Almond crusted cheesecake with Lambert Cherry Sauce

This looks delicious! I'm not a big fan of baked cheesecakes though (I know ) so I'd have some tough choices to make there!

Excellent report! And can't wait for Le Cellier!!

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Justin decided he wanted to try the Coney Island Hard Root Beer. He often has the Not Your Father's Root Beer at home.

I had no idea hard root beer even existed. I was only recently that I read about it being introduced at Beaches & Cream, and now I see it in your TR. I need to try this sometime!

Narcoossees looks great. It's a bit more than I would normally spend on a meal, but looking at the menu I noticed one of the "enhancements" is signature mashed potato with cheddar and bacon - sounds awesome and maybe worth the price. I do love a good steak.

 

[Vernie822]

What are those yellow discs? Is that also some kind of magical beet? (Never seen them yellow before but don't see anything else they might be from the description..)

Yep! The yellow ones are beets too. I had heard of golden beets, but I had never seen them before.

So you can add the enhancement but you have to pay OOP, right? I mean, even on the deluxe plan?

Exactly! Before, I think there was an entree that was a surf and turf and included the steak and lobster - or something like that. Now you can still get it but even on Deluxe you have to pay extra for it.

I had no idea hard root beer even existed. I was only recently that I read about it being introduced at Beaches & Cream, and now I see it in your TR. I need to try this sometime!

Narcoossees looks great. It's a bit more than I would normally spend on a meal, but looking at the menu I noticed one of the "enhancements" is signature mashed potato with cheddar and bacon - sounds awesome and maybe worth the price. I do love a good steak.

Yes! It's pretty good, I don't really like root beer but my fiance loves this stuff. Packs a punch, too.

It's definitely a pricier meal than we are used to as well. I will say we went to Firebirds (I think it's a chain, we have one near us), and for $200 (slightly less than what this cost), we had 2 entrees, 1 dessert, and 1 app, with 2 glasses of wine. Here we had 3 drinks, 2 entrees, 2 apps, and 2 desserts, so at least compared to where we live, it wasn't too bad - still more than we would spend on a typical dinner though, for sure. I saw those mashed potatoes and we almost got them but we figured we would have plenty of food!!

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

Exactly! Before, I think there was an entree that was a surf and turf and included the steak and lobster - or something like that. Now you can still get it but even on Deluxe you have to pay extra for it.

 

[SunnieRN]

What wonderful reviews! I'm really enjoying them and we have some of the same meals planned.

Looking forward to more!!

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Looked delicous, thanx for doing the report. Whenever I get back to WDW, I have GOT to try that almond crusted cheesecake!! Is the cheery sauce tart, or sweet?

 

[kastoney]

Our meal here came about after Justin bet me that if I could get to 15 fitness classes in January, he'd take me anywhere I wanted on our vacation. Well, I wanted some steak and lobster at Narcoossee's! Not a bad bet if you ask me.

Sounds like a great bet to me. One that may even get my lazy **** to a fitness class!

Justin decided he wanted to try the Coney Island Hard Root Beer. He often has the Not Your Father's Root Beer at home.

How did he like this? We tried them a few weeks ago and it wasn't my favorite. Not bad, but think I prefer the good old root beer and rum combo better!

Slow Roasted Baby Beet Salad - Goat's Milk Feta, Petite Greens, Arugula, Spinach, Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette, and Candied Walnuts - $16

I definitely went out of my comfort zone with this one. I have only had beets a few times (as a kid) and I always hated them, but I figured why not give them a shot. It was delicious and I liked the beets. I enjoyed creaminess from the goat cheese and sweetness from the candied walnuts. I was hoping for a stronger tasting vinaigrette, but it wasn't too strong. I don't recall it having a lot of dressing on it so maybe that's why. Overall, a delicious salad that I'd absolutely get again.

Yum, so glad you went out on a limb and enjoyed it. I was the same way with you as beets, but they were generally the pickled kind. Nothing can "beet" fresh beets We roast them a lot at home and make a similar salad, which of course my quesadilla hating kid loves ; )

Since we were going to Le Cellier the next day, and I didn't love lobster enough to order it on its own, I decided to go with something I'd seen in @kastoney 's dining report.. the shrimp pasta:

Oh I'm so happy you enjoyed this. I wasn't sure which way you were gonna go and had to give a collective sigh when you loved it. It really is a great dish. Though if you go ahead I had the scallops on our last meal and they were even better!!!!! Narcoossee's has really been impressing us lately.

Almond crusted cheesecake with Lambert Cherry Sauce, $12

In one word: heaven. Seriously.

You got it, HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would we come back here? ABSOLUTELY! I can't wait to.

So thrilled the bet paid off for ya. Can't wait to see what you think of LeCellier. We've never been

 

[Candycane83]

Great review on Narcoosee's we're planning to go either in December or May and this makes me look forward to it even more!

 

[nco91590]

I'm so glad you had such a nice meal at Narcoossee's. Even though it wasn't our favorite meal, we'll definitely go again. I loved seeing the water pageant from our table!

That beet salad looks delish. I love shredded beets....something about a big hunk of boiled beet is kind of unappealing. Maybe it's the texture?

 

[Disney_Mama]

Best title of a dining review ever!!!!!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[ariane37]

Justin chose the Aunt Debby's Lovely Romaine Salad:

That looks so good! I had the cheese selection but I may go for this as my app next time.

Justin, not really being a seafood lover, decided to go with the filet.

Same for me And it was divine

I had to have the infamous almond-crusted cheesecake:

In one word: heaven. Seriously.

Mmmm-Hmmm Definitely my favorite WDW dessert. Not to be confused with my favorite WDW snack, School Bread

There was a touch of whipped cream, so switching up the bites with some cherry sauce and some whipped cream just took this to another level.

LOL Perfect! I did the same thing!

The service was good, but not great

So weird, it was the same for us. Our server was pretty good for most of the meal but then we waited quite a long time between him clearing our dinner plates and him taking our dessert order, and then dessert coming. However there was NO WAY I was leaving without getting dessert so even if it took him an hour, we were waiting!

 

[KnK]

Almond crusted cheesecake with Lambert Cherry Sauce, $12

In one word: heaven. Seriously.

We got this dessert last September......and I can't wait to go back and have it again. I'm still thinking about it.

 

[Vernie822]

How did he like this? We tried them a few weeks ago and it wasn't my favorite. Not bad, but think I prefer the good old root beer and rum combo better!

He liked it, but I think he prefers the Not Your Father's.. or as he calls it Not Your Grandfathers

Yum, so glad you went out on a limb and enjoyed it. I was the same way with you as beets, but they were generally the pickled kind. Nothing can "beet" fresh beets We roast them a lot at home and make a similar salad, which of course my quesadilla hating kid loves ; )

She is so adventurous! I wouldn't touch a beet with a 10 foot pole until I was 25.. sooo last month. I will have to start including beets in my salads because it was so good.

Oh I'm so happy you enjoyed this. I wasn't sure which way you were gonna go and had to give a collective sigh when you loved it. It really is a great dish. Though if you go ahead I had the scallops on our last meal and they were even better!!!!! Narcoossee's has really been impressing us lately.

Haha! I did love it. Shrimp is probably my favorite thing ever so I expected at least some deliciousness. The sauce made the dish for sure. I may have to do the scallops last time.

You got it, HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It. was. amazing. I would go back for this alone! My mom and I are going to WDW in November and I think we may go back

Great review on Narcoosee's we're planning to go either in December or May and this makes me look forward to it even more!

Thank you! I loved it. I don't know if I can go without it on our next WDW trip.

I'm so glad you had such a nice meal at Narcoossee's. Even though it wasn't our favorite meal, we'll definitely go again. I loved seeing the water pageant from our table!

That beet salad looks delish. I love shredded beets....something about a big hunk of boiled beet is kind of unappealing. Maybe it's the texture?

I think it's definitely the texture for me! I liked that they were really thin and could just be mixed in with everything else.

Best title of a dining review ever!!!!!
Thanks for sharing.

Haha, thank you for reading!!

Mmmm-Hmmm Definitely my favorite WDW dessert. Not to be confused with my favorite WDW snack, School Bread

Haha!! It was amazing!! It might top Ohana's bread pudding for me.

We got this dessert last September......and I can't wait to go back and have it again. I'm still thinking about it.

It is sooo amazing! I am wishing I could have some right now.