Well, I had an appallingly long post all ready to go, and then my computer decided to delete ALL the text. [insert smilie-girl tearing out her hair] Since we've been blessed with a lot of lengthy reviews the last couple of days, I'm just going to give quickies, but I'll happily answer any questions. All but the last dinner were solo meals. Here goes...
Dinner 3/8 California Grill
* Service from Stephen: 10, couldn't have asked for better
* Food - goat cheese ravioli: 8 Pork tenderloin w/ balsamic mushrooms & creamy polenta: 10 - and I'd say 11 if it were an option.
* Misc: Major snotheadedness from the host and hostess about my solo dining status. "Would you like to eat at the bar?" "Oh, no thank you, I'd like a table." "No problem! Our lounge area has little tables." "Thank you, but no, I'd like a table in the main dining area." "Are you sure?" "YES." Mind you, it was 10:00PM, so it's not like I was there at prime seating time. Ahem.
* Cost: $50, including an embarassingly large but well-deserved tip.
Lunch 3/9 Hollywood Brown Derby
* Service from David: 7, fine and no complaints but nothing exceptional
* Food - Bonny Doon Riesling: 4 too dry for me, mushroom chevre ravioli (see a pattern?
) : 4, clams casino: 5, white chocolate cheesecake w/ strawberry soup: 9
* Cost: $37
Dinner 3/9 Spoodles
* Service from Diane (whose name tag said Lisa) : 4, very rushed and just sort of weird in general
* Food - chorizo: 1 (sent back with my regrets after one bite), night's special veal chop w/mozzarella & proscuitto, mushroom ravioli on the side: 6
* Cost: $42
Lunch 3/10 Tony's Town Square Restaurant
* Service from Becky: 7, fine
* Food - crispy goat cheese w/ marinara sauce: 9 (!!!) very thin coating, nothing at all like standard cheese sticks; ravioli alfredo w/ chicken: 7 okay, not fabulous, and an ENORMOUS portion
* Cost: $30
[Did not have dinner on 3/10, too busy napping in preparation for trip to Pleasure Island.
]
Lunch 3/11 Restaurant Marrakesh
* Service from Kamal: 10, absolutely outstanding, and merited a mention to the manager at the podium on my way out
* Food - harira soup: 7, beef brewat rolls: 9, chicken bastilla: 9, some red wine - no idea, I trusted Kamal to choose: 9 (and I typically only drink white!)
* Misc: This was my very best solo meal (nothing wrong with the others, but this was outstanding). Several of the other waiters took time to stop by and chat for a minute between tables. I also got several conspiratorial winks when I pretended I was at a non-WDW Moroccan restaurant and ate with my hands. *grin*
* Cost: $30
Snack 3/11 Sunshine Season Food Court
* Service: 9, exceptionally friendly for a counter service place
* Food - milk: 10
and creamy tomato soup: 9 - very, very good!
* Cost: $5
Dinner 3/11 Chefs de France
* Service from Sacha: 6, but it may have been my fault it wasn't better. I blushed and stuttered when he wanted me to speak French with him (he'd caught me reading the descriptions out loud), and I think he thought I was a little batty.
* Food - Vouvray white wine: 8, cheese plate (brie, bleu, ? and ?) : 9, seafood platter (scallops, whitefish, salmon in a saffron sauce: 4 - very bland. And this from the woman who thinks table pepper is a walk on the wild side!! Very disappointing. Raspberry cheesecake: 4, not very cheesecake-ish - more fluffy. Odd. Overall, the worst of my several - normally very good - meals at CdF.
* Cost: $65 (figures that the worst meal is the most expensive, right?
)
Lunch & Snack 3/12 Flame Tree Barbeque
* Service: 3 - big attitude for no discernable reason.
* Food - BBQ ribs with corn on the cob (2, because I don't eat baked beans): 7, but another HUGE portion - I didn't even finish half; 2 bottles water: 10 , Mickey bar: 7.
* Cost: $13 with Animal Kingdom coupon thingie
Dinner 3/12 Narcoosee's (my aunt joined me for this one)
* Service from someone who shall remain unnamed: 2. She didn't spill anything on us, that's about all I can say. Our search for a manager was unsuccessful.
* Food - Trimbach gewurstraminer: 7, seafood chowder: 9, excellent! and very thick & rich; shrimp alfredo: 7, okay but not great; free range chicken (aunt): 10 - the best she's ever had.
* Cost - no idea (aunt paid), but frankly too much whatever it was, given the totally incompetent service.
*** Hee. Just realized my "quickie" reviews have just rambled on for about two pages. Oops!
Dinner 3/8 California Grill
* Service from Stephen: 10, couldn't have asked for better
* Food - goat cheese ravioli: 8 Pork tenderloin w/ balsamic mushrooms & creamy polenta: 10 - and I'd say 11 if it were an option.
* Misc: Major snotheadedness from the host and hostess about my solo dining status. "Would you like to eat at the bar?" "Oh, no thank you, I'd like a table." "No problem! Our lounge area has little tables." "Thank you, but no, I'd like a table in the main dining area." "Are you sure?" "YES." Mind you, it was 10:00PM, so it's not like I was there at prime seating time. Ahem.
* Cost: $50, including an embarassingly large but well-deserved tip.
Lunch 3/9 Hollywood Brown Derby
* Service from David: 7, fine and no complaints but nothing exceptional
* Food - Bonny Doon Riesling: 4 too dry for me, mushroom chevre ravioli (see a pattern?
) : 4, clams casino: 5, white chocolate cheesecake w/ strawberry soup: 9* Cost: $37
Dinner 3/9 Spoodles
* Service from Diane (whose name tag said Lisa) : 4, very rushed and just sort of weird in general
* Food - chorizo: 1 (sent back with my regrets after one bite), night's special veal chop w/mozzarella & proscuitto, mushroom ravioli on the side: 6
* Cost: $42
Lunch 3/10 Tony's Town Square Restaurant
* Service from Becky: 7, fine
* Food - crispy goat cheese w/ marinara sauce: 9 (!!!) very thin coating, nothing at all like standard cheese sticks; ravioli alfredo w/ chicken: 7 okay, not fabulous, and an ENORMOUS portion
* Cost: $30
[Did not have dinner on 3/10, too busy napping in preparation for trip to Pleasure Island.
]Lunch 3/11 Restaurant Marrakesh
* Service from Kamal: 10, absolutely outstanding, and merited a mention to the manager at the podium on my way out
* Food - harira soup: 7, beef brewat rolls: 9, chicken bastilla: 9, some red wine - no idea, I trusted Kamal to choose: 9 (and I typically only drink white!)
* Misc: This was my very best solo meal (nothing wrong with the others, but this was outstanding). Several of the other waiters took time to stop by and chat for a minute between tables. I also got several conspiratorial winks when I pretended I was at a non-WDW Moroccan restaurant and ate with my hands. *grin*
* Cost: $30
Snack 3/11 Sunshine Season Food Court
* Service: 9, exceptionally friendly for a counter service place
* Food - milk: 10
and creamy tomato soup: 9 - very, very good!* Cost: $5
Dinner 3/11 Chefs de France
* Service from Sacha: 6, but it may have been my fault it wasn't better. I blushed and stuttered when he wanted me to speak French with him (he'd caught me reading the descriptions out loud), and I think he thought I was a little batty.
* Food - Vouvray white wine: 8, cheese plate (brie, bleu, ? and ?) : 9, seafood platter (scallops, whitefish, salmon in a saffron sauce: 4 - very bland. And this from the woman who thinks table pepper is a walk on the wild side!! Very disappointing. Raspberry cheesecake: 4, not very cheesecake-ish - more fluffy. Odd. Overall, the worst of my several - normally very good - meals at CdF.
* Cost: $65 (figures that the worst meal is the most expensive, right?
)Lunch & Snack 3/12 Flame Tree Barbeque
* Service: 3 - big attitude for no discernable reason.
* Food - BBQ ribs with corn on the cob (2, because I don't eat baked beans): 7, but another HUGE portion - I didn't even finish half; 2 bottles water: 10
, Mickey bar: 7.* Cost: $13 with Animal Kingdom coupon thingie
Dinner 3/12 Narcoosee's (my aunt joined me for this one)
* Service from someone who shall remain unnamed: 2. She didn't spill anything on us, that's about all I can say. Our search for a manager was unsuccessful.
* Food - Trimbach gewurstraminer: 7, seafood chowder: 9, excellent! and very thick & rich; shrimp alfredo: 7, okay but not great; free range chicken (aunt): 10 - the best she's ever had.
* Cost - no idea (aunt paid), but frankly too much whatever it was, given the totally incompetent service.
*** Hee. Just realized my "quickie" reviews have just rambled on for about two pages. Oops!
i was especially interested in your comments as i am going soon on my 1st solo trip, and i have rarely eaten out alone before. sorry they gave you a bit of a hard time at CG, i have a ps for there as well, never been there so was hoping for a great experience. guess i'll be prepared to stand my ground LOL for a REAL table after reading your review. i'm trying chefs de france for the 1st time too, for lunch, hope i have a better experience. 
