In Celebration of (Disney) Food! 4/29 Monorail Dinner Pt. 2 (Kona)

[autumnpalm]

WELCOME!

I just returned from eight wonderful days of Disney dining with my DF and DM and cannot wait to begin these reviews! I have never done a dining report before, but I am looking forward to reliving all of the wonderful meals and snacks we had.

Coming up will be reviews of the following restaurants:

Tutto Gusto
Yachtsman Steakhouse
Captain Cook's (lunch)
Cape May Cafe (dinner)
San Angel Inn
Beaches and Cream
Flame Tree BBQ
Pizzafari
Grand Floridian Cafe
Gasparilla's Island Grill
Be Our Guest
Hollywood Brown Derby
Citricos
Kona
Territory Lounge
Whispering Canyon Cafe
Via Napoli

And many more!

Thanks for joining in!

 

[autumnpalm]

Tutto Gusto
Yachtsman Steakhouse
Captain Cook's
Cape May Cafe Dinner
San Angel Inn
Beaches and Cream
Pizzafari Breakfast
Pizzafari/Flame Tree BBQ Lunch
A Grand Afternoon
Grand Floridan Cafe Dinner
Be Our Guest Dessert
Via Napoli Dinner
Garden View Tea
Eating Around the Monorail, Part One (Citricos and Territory Lounge)
Eating Around the Monorail, Part Two (Kona Cafe)

 

[DisneyDivaN]

Im in!!!! Can't wait to hear all about it!! Hope you had a great time!!

 

[autumnpalm]

Tutto Gusto

Our first meal in Disney was at Tutto Gusto. We arrived at our resort, the Beach Club, around 1:00PM and after checking in and dropping our bags off with Bell Services, decided to head directly to the World Showcase for lunch. I didn’t want to make any reservations because I wasn’t sure what time we would end up eating due to flight delays, Magical Express waits, check-in lines, etc., so we went with Tutto Gusto mainly because they don’t take or require ADRs.



On our way from the Beach Club to the World Showcase, it began to pour. We took cover under the awning of Les Chefs de France and considered seeing if we could be seated there, but nothing on the menu really appealed to us so we made a run for Italy. Eventually, we made it to the door of Tutto Gusto soaked to the bone. Luckily, they were able to seat us immediately and we were soon settling in at our table with the menu.






I had read online that guests can order off of the Tutto Italia menu at Tutto Gusto but when I inquired with our server I was told that this is only possible at dinnertime. The menu is fairly small, however there is a good amount of variety.

DF decided on the Gamberetti pasta, with shrimp, calabrian chili, garlic and pomodorini. He said this was very flavourful and loved the sauce. The tomatoes were juicy and the shrimp were large and well-cooked. The dish was a good size, very filling and overall, he was very happy with his choice.




I decided to get the Fior di Latte Mozzarella Panini. I felt like something light and I love tomatoes so it seemed right up my alley. This was a perfect light lunch, the tomato was so fresh and juicy, the bread was soft and fresh and the cheese was light and delicious. It was a bit plain, I would have loved some balsamic/olive oil drizzle but I was also very happy with my choice.



The salad was very crisp with a perfect amount of dressing. The dressing was a pretty standard Caesar dressing but it went well with the Panini and was a nice side.

I had read so much online about the plates for sharing that I ended up ordering the La Maiala plate even though we were both pretty full. The plate includes: Prosciutto di Parma - Emilia Romagna aged dry cured ham, Finocchiona - Toscana, fennel and pepper flavored salame and Salametto - Veneto, small, dried spiced pork sausages.



DF loves most meats, sausages, jerky, etc. so I was hoping this would be a hit. Unfortunately, neither of us cared much for any of the meat selections. I stuck mostly to nibbling on a breadstick and while I tried each of the meats I didn’t really make a dent in any of them. DF liked the middle selection, the Salametto, however he was not very enthusiastic about the other two. It was fun to give this plate a try, but neither of us would order it again and we didn’t feel that it was worth the $29.00 price tag.


Overall, we really enjoyed our experience at Tutto Gusto. It has a lovely, quiet atmosphere and we had good service as well. The dishes are a little pricey but the quality is good and it is a wonderful hideaway in the World Showcase. In the future, we would avoid the sharing plates and stick to the pastas, salads and paninis for a light lunch or dinner.

Would we return?

Me: Yes
DF: Maybe

 

[MissPrice]

Joining in, lovely photos! -Amanda

 

[autumnpalm]

Im in!!!! Can't wait to hear all about it!! Hope you had a great time!!

 

[autumnpalm]

Yachtsman Steakhouse

After lunch, it had stopped raining and after a quick loop of the World Showcase, we returned to the Beach Club to find our room and get settled in. I expected we would be pretty tired after a long day of travel (and we were!) so I had booked dinner at the Yachtsman Steakhouse. We had considered walking over to Shula's but it was so nice to just be able to take an elevator right downstairs!



We arrived right at our ADR time and were seated almost immediately. As we were arriving, the butcher was cutting the New York Strip steaks in the butcher room window. Our host informed us that the Yachtsman is the only restaurant on Disney property that has its own butcher.



We first led to a table right beside another two top in the back corner of the restaurant. I asked if there any window seats available and we were immediately seated at a table right against the windows overlooking Stormalong Bay. The atmosphere here is airy, light and casual. We loved being able to look over the grounds of the Beach Club/Yacht Club and just enjoy the fact that we had finally made it to Disney!






We started off with the bread basket. I had read that the onion pull-apart rolls were delicious and they still exceeded my expectations! They were so good both plain and with the roasted garlic. DF and I each had two of them and agreed they were our favourite part of the meal. We were both trying to save room for dinner but they were irresistibly good.




We both ordered the lobster bisque to start. This had a little bit of spice to it and there were nice-sized chunks of lobster throughout. It was creamy and very filling. DF found his to be quite salty and bitter. I liked it more than he did, but I did also find it to be fairly salty. We are both huge fans of seafood but I don't think either of us would order it again. I have heard pretty consistently good reviews of this soup, however, so maybe we caught it on an off night! The serving size was quite good and the cracker with the fresh lobster was a nice touch.



For his entrée, DF ordered the 6 oz. hanger steak, medium rare. It was served with truffle fries, aioli and a small seasonal salad. The steak was cooked perfectly, but by the time it came to the table it was room temperature. Despite the temperature, it had a good flavour and was very tender. Although it was quite small, DF still couldn't finish everything on his plate! The fries were crispy and hot and the salad was basic, but a nice light addition.



I wasnt very hungry, so I ordered a second appetizer for my entrée. On our servers recommendation, I decided on the squash blossom crab rangoon. These were amazing. The batter was like a tempura, so light and crispy. Each blossom was filled with delicious, cheesy, creamy crab filling. The squash blossoms balanced out the heaviness of the filling and I loved every bite. The hearts of palm salad underneath was a light, refreshing accompaniment. I would come back just for the onion rolls and this appetizer!



At this point, we were both too full for dessert and decided to head back to the room for an early night because we had big plans for the next day! It was lovely to be back in our room within about 10 minutes of paying our bill!

Overall, we had a lovely evening at the Yachtsman. Although we had temperature issues with the steak and the soup was hit or miss, the atmosphere was relaxing, the quality was good, the service was wonderful and it was so convenient to be able to walk right back up to our room. The Yachtsman will not replace the California Grill as my favourite signature restaurant, but it was a solid, enjoyable meal.

Would we return?

Me: Yes
DF: Yes

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Great first reviews - we loved YS last trip - looking forward to reading more

 

[vettegirl]

Great Yachtsman review. We are eating there our first night too. I am on the fence still on trying the lobster bisque.

 

[autumnpalm]

Great first reviews - we loved YS last trip - looking forward to reading more

Thanks! Although the squash blossom rangoons were delicious, I do wish I had been hungry enough for a steak. I tried a bit of DFs and would definitely return to try to NY strip.

Great Yachtsman review. We are eating there our first night too. I am on the fence still on trying the lobster bisque.

I have heard so many great reviews of the soup but if we were to return, I would skip it. The rolls with the fresh roasted garlic are so good that on our next visit we would probably skip appetizers altogether and ask them to bring us a basket of just onion pull-apart rolls!

 

[RGirl]

Joining in!

Tutto Gusto looks like such a nice option. I hope I get to try it one day - there are so many great places to try!

Yachtsman was the first dinner of our trip too! (We were at the Boardwalk, but still very convenient).

 

[Linda67]

Joining in

I had no idea you could order from the Tutto Italia menu at Tutto Gusto during the dinner service - thanks for the tip!

Love the look of the squash blossom app at YSH

 

[vettegirl]

I agree on those rolls, no dining plan this time so I won't be stuffing myself to the point of dying with having an app and entree lol.

 

[autumnpalm]

Joining in!

Tutto Gusto looks like such a nice option. I hope I get to try it one day - there are so many great places to try!

Yachtsman was the first dinner of our trip too! (We were at the Boardwalk, but still very convenient).

It was a great hideaway from the rain and so quiet and relaxing!

I had gone back and forth so many times between Flying Fish, Shula's and the Yachtsman but ended up happy with our decision. There are just so many wonderful dining options in the Epcot resort area!

Joining in

I had no idea you could order from the Tutto Italia menu at Tutto Gusto during the dinner service - thanks for the tip!

Love the look of the squash blossom app at YSH

It was so delicious! I hadn't seen a photo or review of the squash blossom rangoon before but our waitress said it was one of her favourites. It went so well with the little salad underneath. It ended up being one of my favourite dishes of the whole trip!

I agree on those rolls, no dining plan this time so I won't be stuffing myself to the point of dying with having an app and entree lol.

We weren't on the dining plan either! It was nice to be able to do things like stuff ourselves on dinner rolls without worrying about wasting credits. I don't know if we actually ended up saving any money but the flexibility was awesome.

 

[MrsB1228]

Loving your reviews! Tutto Gusto always looks like such a nice place to take a break, cool off and enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat. Your choice would be right up my alley!

Yachtsman Steakhouse is on our ADR list next month and I can't wait to try it. The squash blossom crab rangoon looks heavenly! It must be fairly new to the menu because I don't recall seeing it reviewed before.

Looking forward to the next instalment!

 

[autumnpalm]

Loving your reviews! Tutto Gusto always looks like such a nice place to take a break, cool off and enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat. Your choice would be right up my alley!

Yachtsman Steakhouse is on our ADR list next month and I can't wait to try it. The squash blossom crab rangoon looks heavenly! It must be fairly new to the menu because I don't recall seeing it reviewed before.

Looking forward to the next instalment!

Tutto Gusto is perfect for exactly that!

I believe the squash blossom rangoon is new, it wasn't on any of the previous menus I had seen before the trip. I was hoping there would be a scallop appetizer on the menu but I think I liked this even more!

Next review coming right up!

 

[autumnpalm]

Our plans on this day were to make it to rope drop at the Magic Kingdom and we had a simple breakfast of coffee and orange juice. We had a great morning at the Magic Kingdom, hitting all three mountains, checking out New Fantasyland and riding Haunted Mansion, IASW, Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan. The heat was hitting us pretty hard, though, and neither of us was hungry until around 1:00PM. At the point the skies were starting to look a little cloudy and we decided to hop on the monorail. I always like to hop on the monorail when we are at the MK and it starts to look like it might rain because there are so many shopping, dining and exploring options available without having to don a poncho!

So we said goodbye to the Magic Kingdom...



..And decided to stop off at the Polynesian. We would be staying at the Grand Floridian later in the trip and knew we would be eating at Gasparilla's Island Grill later and nothing on the menu at the Contempo Cafe really jumped out at me. I did, however, remember loving the Aloha Pork sandwich at Captain Cook's back in 2008 so we decided on Captain Cook's!

We ordered quickly and grabbed a table outside by the pool.



DF ordered the 1/3 lb. Angus Bacon Cheeseburger. He said this was a pretty standard burger, but the bun was toasted which was nice. It comes without condiments so he added ketchup, mayo and mustard from the condiments bar located just across from the cashiers. The condiment bar is also stocked with BBQ sauce, dipping sauces, and salad dressings such as blue cheese, ranch, etc. The fries had just come out of the fryer and were hot and crispy. As far as counter service lunches go, he gave this a thumbs up.




I ordered my beloved Aloha Pork sandwich! I tried this back in 2008 when we stayed at the Polynesian over Christmas and remembered absolutely loving it. Flashback, here is what it looked like back then: (the top two sandwiches are the pork sandwiches-- yes, I was taking food pictures back then too!)



The sandwich has changed a little, it is now served on a larger, hamburger-like bun and comes topped with cheese, tomato, cucumber, pineapple and coleslaw. The pork is nicely seasoned and plentiful and the mixture flavours go together really well. It's a little sweet with a BBQ tang, but with the crunch of lots of fresh veggies. This sandwich, is huge, however, and I ended up leaving much of the bun and eating mostly the filling. I had a side of steamed veggies which were perfect, they were crisp and crunchy rather than mushy, the way steamed veggies can sometimes end up. I was trying to avoid eating too many fries on this trip so these were a great side option.



We also split a Diet Coke (note: Captain Cook's has a self-serve beverage station for soft drinks and we were told we were welcome to refill our cup) and intended on getting a Dole Whip from the self-serve machine but we were just too full for dessert! If you are looking for a counter service lunch stop on the monorail to take a bit of a break from the Magic Kingdom crowds, I would highly recommend Captain Cook's. There are some beautiful, relaxing seating areas in and around the pool area and it is a wonderful reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the parks.



Would we return?

DF: Maybe
Me: Yes

 

[kastoney]

Subbing in. Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous, you certainly have a talent for it.

Great report so far. Tutto gusto is on my must try list but with a little one in tow now will likely be a while before we can try it. Bar seating with wine and small plates is my idea of heaven.

Squash blossoms are one of my favorite foods but since they are so seasonal often hard to find. Glad to see the world is continuing to focus on fresh, seasonal food.

 

[LIBLULA]

Love the reviews!!!!

 

[vettegirl]

I love that pork sandwich at Capt Cookes it's a must have for me! Yes it's huge lol.