King Crab's Disney & Other Dining Reviews June 2009

[kingcrab]

Just back from a great trip to Orlando/Daytona BEach/St. Pete, and we had some very good food on the whole trip. We didnt eat breakfast very often, and very rarely a lunch out, ate snacks we brought, etc. Dinners were the meal of the day, and typically a blow out.

Sunday 6/14:

dinner @ Sanaa - Kidani Lodge - Animal Kingdom

We had a reservation, but gladly waited in the bar and drank some tequila, and beer and waited for one of the tables by the windows to open up. Well worth the wait. The views of the savannah area are incredible, there were many giraffes, and other animal milling about. The food, decent overall, I went with (2) appetizers - the scallops with mustard seed, and the pulled duck in red curry. The scallops were perfectly cooked, plump, and juicy, however the flavor of the dish/sauce wasnt the best, so I just ate the scallops. The Pulled duck in red curry sauce.... wow, great dish, juicy, flavorfull pork, served in a red curr sauce that I saked tme to spice up ehich they did, served over some sort of rice, the duck was the star though. My wife had the sustainable fish(sea bass) wrapped in banana leaf. Pretty good, I know she enjoyed the sauce that cam with the dish.

scallop appetizer:

Pulled Duck w/ red curry appetizer:

Sea bass wrapped in banana leaf:

 

[TigerKat]

I found you!!!! Great start.

 

[kingcrab]

I found you!!!! Great start.

thanks I am not that computer savvy, posting pics pretty much stretches my p.c. knowledge as it is.

 

[BigMama]

I'm in!! Thanks for leading the way Kathy!!

Sanaa looks good were going in August for the first time.

 

[kingcrab]

Got my time line switched up, and still tired from the trip. Sanaa was Sunday night. Saturday night was Kimono's @ Swan & Dolphin

Saturday 6/13/2009:

The Swan & Dolphin are impressive properties, with some interesting dining options, Blue Zoo was tempting, but not with a toddler, and we had a drink @ IL Mulino while waiting for Kimono's to open. We arrived right @ 5:30 as they opened, and the restaurant was empty, and only partially full when we left an hour and a half later. Nice relaxing decor where you can sit on couches, or comfortable chairs while dining. We opted for the Kobe beef appetizer which was excellent, perfectly cooked to just above rare, with a flavorfull dipping sauce. Next onto the rolls, we orderd a California Roll, which was pretty good, lots of roe on the outside, and full of flavor. Also on the plate was a tempura shrimp roll, which was also very good. The star of the night, and one of the top things I ate the entire trip was the Lobster Salad Roll, a photogenic roll with a rich lobster salad, fried snapper, and wasbi caviar, rich, tasty, etc... Still hungry we ordered a soft shell crab roll, which was also very good. Our visit to Kimono's was one of the top meals of the trip all around.

Kobe Appetizer:

California Roll, Tempura Shrimp Roll, and Lobster Salad Roll:

CLose up of Lobster Salad Roll:

Soft Shell Crab Roll:

 

[BigMama]

I must add Kimono's to my" To Do" list for next year! Everything looks delicious!

 

[TigerKat]

I love sushi and that looks incredible!

 

[kingcrab]

Monday 6/15/2009: was are day at the MK, and we had reserved our lunch @ Cinderella's Royal Table months ago. I went in with the understanding the draw was the setting(in the castle), and the pricesses, so it was it was. The food was average to below average, the "appetizer" was some greens, a artichoke salad, and a few pieces of toast with chopped tomatoes.. I went for the sandwich since I wasnt in the mood for pork loin, fish, or a shredded beef pot pie. My wife went with the salmon. Our daughter was brought a flavorless plate of buttered noodles. I didnt take any pics of the food as it was pretty sad. I did take alot of pics of inside the castle, and of my daughter. The service was very good, and the photos, and our daughters interaction with the princesses(her favorite characters), made it worth it

For dinner was the lowlight foodwise of the trip a place called Crabby Bills over in Kissimmie, small portions of not the freshes seafood around. Id be embarassed if this was my restaurant. I had a steamer bucket with 2 crab legs, some mussels, some clams, and I think shrimp. All pretty bad. My wife had a seafood pasta dish which was ok. No pics worthy at this place either


Tuesday 6/16/2009:

We were going to do the crawfish boil @ The Celt, but decided to change things up and go to High Tide Harry's over by the airport. Pretty good dive/ seafood bar. Huge menu with alot of A.Y.C.E. specials. I went with the A.Y.C.E. snow crab, and a cup of the Blu Stew(a soup with alot of blue crab, and a nice flavor and spice kick. The menu was big, and I wish we would have had more time to give it another shot.

Blu Stew:

www.hightideharrys.com

 

[kingcrab]

Now to the blow out meals of our trip Wednesday we went over to Universal Studios around lunchtime to walk around. We had some lunch @ the food court(Moe's, and Panda Express), with our eyes on the prize... dinner @ THe Palm over at the Hard Rock Hotel. Dinner did not fail to live up to the hype I had placed on it.

Wednesday 6/17/2009 dinner @ The Palm:

We ordered an appetizer of clams casino which were excellent, rich flavors, and rich flavorfull broth perfect for mopping up with bread. We shared a salad, and then moved onto the dinner course. I had a Prime-Dry Aged 12 oz. strip steak cooked rare, paired with 1/2 of a 4# lobster. The steak was cooked perfectly, not the best steak I have ever had, but still good. The lobster was perfectly cooked, and the claw was the size of my hand. My wife had a linguine with clams in a white sauce, which was also pretty good. For desert we shared a 5 layer carrot cake that was one of the best I have tried.

Clams Casino:

Surf and Turf:

feasting:

We have a Palm in Chicago but with so many other steakhouses we had not been in, this may change based on this meal.

 

[KatMark]

I'm in.

Okay, I've lived Chicago all my life -- where is the Palm located?

 

[kingcrab]

Palm Chicago is @ the Swisshotel

323 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL.

 

[kingcrab]

I called around to a few spots in search of stone crab claws, and decided to give Johnnie's Hideaway a shot. So we went over there on Thursday night for dinner. Glad we went, they had stone crab claws(not Florida stone crab since the season is over, but stone crab from somewhere). The claws were excellent, served with a mustard sauce, but the sweet crab meat could stand on its own. We also ordered a lobster mac-n-cheese, and some chargrille mussels. The lobster mac-n-cheese was excellent, rich, with large chunks of lobster. The mussels(not sure where I put that pic on my p.c.) were the best mussels I have ever eaten, plump, juicy, and full of flavor, served with a garlic oil. Still hungry I also ordered (2) King crab claws. very good, but not as good as the stone crab. The King Crab claws were served with what I called a Russian /1000 Island dressing hybrid, very good. They also offered house made pickles which were excellent. Great service, and great food, I was very happy with this meal

1# stone crab claws:

pickles:

Lobster mac-n-cheese:

King Crab Claw:

Johnnie's Hideaway
12551 State Road 535
Orlando, FL.

www.talkofthetownrestaurants.com

 

[KatMark]

Palm Chicago is @ the Swisshotel

323 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL.

Thanks! I've worked downtown for 34 years and never knew that was there. We're eating downtown tonight--oldest DS is taking his girlfriend, me and DH to dinner for Father's Day, but I know we aren't going there.

 

[kingcrab]

Friday was upon us and near the end of a glorious, and hot week in Orlando We took a drive out to Daytona Beach to get some swimming in the ocean in(cant go to Florida, and not go to the ocean imho). Ate an unmemorable lunch at a oceanside bar/grill, and had a few cold ones. Then back to ORlando for dinner, but where should we go..? Kimono's, our reservation @ Roy's, High Tide Harry's, or somewhere new.. Nope Johnnies from the night before, I needed more stone crabs..

Appetizers only again, this time 2-1/4# of stone crabs, and the Cracker Platter(frog legs, shrimp, green tomatoes, and calamari all deep fried and very good. The stone crabs were abundant, and as good as the night before. I was glad we made a second visit

Cracker Platter:

2-1/4# stone crab claws:

me:

 

[FormrCastMbr]

I am here to from the What's for Dinner thread...will BBL to read. Pics looks great!

 

[BigMama]

Enjoying your report, great pics. I agree about the Palm we were there a couple of years ago and it was incredible. So glad you had a nice trip. Now I want crabs.!

 

[TigerKat]

I am a crabaholic and I am so craving them now!

 

[kingcrab]

I am here to from the What's for Dinner thread...will BBL to read. Pics looks great!

thanks, had fun taking the pics, and more fun eating what is in them..

 

[kingcrab]

I am a crabaholic and I am so craving them now!

i am a crab eating freak as well, as noted by my screen name.

 

[liamandcaili]

Thanks for all the reviews and pictures! I'm sorry you had a couple disappointing meals, but overall, it looks like you fared well.