Les Chefs De France question

[elgerber]

And no, it's not about Remy (although I do hope he hangs around) . My family is not real adventerous when it comes to food. We like Mexican and Italian, but not a lot of fancy types of food. I have seen a few things on this menu for lunch that look good, the ham and cheese sandwich, the macaroni and cheese, the quiche (sorry, not using the proper names). I am wondering if people that have eaten there can tell me if they think non adventerous eaters would like it here, or if the flavors on these are way different than what we would expect them to be? Does that even make sense?

Thanks!!

 

[4EvrSoarin]

I'm assuming you're going to go for lunch. Yes. there are items that are friendly for the not so adventurous. The ham sandwich IMO would certainly fit into that description along with the quiche. So to would the beef short ribs with fettuccine, which is my favorite dish there. However, a word of caution on the mac and cheese, if your expectation is an "American" top notch version of mach n cheese you'll likely be disappointed. It is very good, but it’s a little different. All in all I would say you're safe going there for non adventurous. Good luck!

 

[rs505]

We ate there for dinner in mid August, and while the food is definitely French food, it is prepared for main stream tastes. (I don't mean that to come out as snobby as it reads.)

DW got the bouillabaisse and I got the duck. They were both prepared well and were tasty, but both needed just a little more of something to push them over the top. The kids got chicken strips. The desserts were also fine, but not as good as we hoped. DW got Profiteroles au chocolat and I got Creme Brulee. I was disappointed with this since the top was burnt pretty badly. (From what I understand, that is a sign of an inexperienced cook)

We both got wine, which is unusual for us while eating with the kids, but (1) we wanted to take advantage of drinking French wine (we're from Pa, and due to our state store system, we are limited to what wine we can purchase) and (2) we needed a drink.

Overall, we liked it, but were not overwhelmed by it. But the service was outstanding. I would go back if there weren't so many other Epcot restaurants I'd like to try as well. If this was a Zagat's rating, I'd give it a 19.

 

[Kae]

We enjoy Chefs & so do our kids. The food to me is pretty basic just maybe with a french twist or change. DS still claims they have the best Burger & fries, and it was a little different.

Kae

 

[disneylove69]

Just ate there Friday for lunch. I needed another table service and it was the only one available at last minute notice. I had the short ribs (Remy said they were awesome) and they were yummy. The ham and cheese looked good also. The food is not any different then regular restaraunt type food. No unusual stuff. Creme Brulee was also good. Remy is there through Food and Wine. He is so adorable!!!!!

 

[cbg1027]

I don't really recommend Chefs, but you might like it. A lot of the items are simply prepared. But there are some items I'm thinking you may dislike since they're not going to be what you expect.

For example, the mac n cheese dish (Gratin de Macaroni) is not like the traditional version. They use Gruyère cheese which has a very different flavor than Cheddar or American.

Also, the ham and cheese sandwich (Croque Monsieur) is not just ham and cheese. I think they have a bechamel-type sauce on it, and more toasted grated cheese covering the outside of the sandwich.

I didn't like Chefs because I lived in France for a year. So my standards for French food are probably higher than most peoples. But what leads me to believe you may like Chefs is because so much of the menu is "Americanized".

I think anything you may not like will be apparent on the menu. I'm guessing you're not a fan of "exotic" lettuces - so you'll know not to order one of the salads that has endive and arugula in it because they are listed on the menu.

I had the Roasted Chicken with Potatoes dish - it was pretty simple, nothing unexpected. Now, don't get me wrong, I like simple, well prepared food. But this wasn't well-prepared. The chicken was somewhat dry, and the potatoes tasted like they were the frozen home fries you get at the supermarket. Not a dish I was keen on paying $26 bucks for.

So if I have thoroughly confused you, here's my answer in a nutshell:
Will the menu items be something you could possibly like? Yes
But those items are poorly prepared and lackluster. So I'd look for a different place to eat.

 

[cbg1027]

Oh yeah -forgot to tell you about Remy!

His appearances have been extended indefinitely! So until they announce otherwise, you can expect to see him at lunch.

 

[RMulieri]

The Mac n Cheese is very very good, But I agree with the PP.It is definitely NOT AMERICAN style Mac n cheese.It is more of a creamy cheese sauce and has a nutty-like flavor.It is made with Gruyere cheese I think

 

[elgerber]

OK, now heres the part where I sound really dumb. If you can't pronounce half the stuff on the menu, is it hard to order and do you feel really dumb???

 

[MouseMomx2]

OK, now heres the part where I sound really dumb. If you can't pronounce half the stuff on the menu, is it hard to order and do you feel really dumb???

You will only feel as dumb as you allow yourself to! Just go in there, look over the menu, decide what you'd like and give it your best shot. If worst comes to worst you can always just point to the item on the menu. The servers have heard all sorts of pronunciations of the French text. Don't worry about it...and don't let it keep you from going there and having a great time.

Have a great vacation!

 

[catne]

OK, now heres the part where I sound really dumb. If you can't pronounce half the stuff on the menu, is it hard to order and do you feel really dumb???

Not at all...we've been twice this year, and both times, DH ordered using the French name (he took enough French in high school/college that he can pronounce correctly.) But I have not a clue! So I quietly apologize for not speaking French, then I just give the "american version" & point at the dish on the menu. So for example, when I ordered the salmon dish, I just said "Sorry, I would mangle the French, so I'd like the salmon"; same for the profiteroles...no clue how to say that correctly so I said "the ice cream & cream puff dessert with chocolate sauce." In May DD & her friend were with us (20 yr. olds) and they did the same thing with the ordering. No server laughed or acted snobbish at all...very nice; actually among the most professional servers we had. Fast, efficient, and very pleasant.

 

[MickeyNicki]

I have had the quiche and it was fantastic...so light and creamy and delish....I have also had the mac and cheese and I really enjoyed that too but I am a lover of all things cheese so if you are expecting typical mac and cheese this aint it.

Never had the ham and cheese but I have had the ham and cheese croissant from the bakery in France and it was great so I would think the sandwich at CDF is good too

 

[elgerber]

Thanks everyone!!! I too, love all kinds of cheese, do I think the Mac and Cheese sounds wonderful. I have some gruyere for dd to try first to see if she would like it.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

I thought our lunch there was delish!

I had the ham and cheese sandwich and it was the best ham and cheese sandwich I have ever had.

 

[marciemi]

This thread is useless without pics!

So just a few of some of the things you're talking about from our trip there a month ago. We thought it was pretty "mainstream", but the food was SO filling that we couldn't even eat it all, let alone enjoy it all! I'd recommend if you get the three course meal NOT eating all of the soup (or sharing it with someone not getting all 3 courses) because we were stuffed after that!

Edited to add that I also didn't know how to pronouce things so we just said "the ham and cheese" or similar. When we got to the dessert I also said I didn't know how to pronounce it and the waiter just "Oh, just try!" So I did my best and he smiled and helped us say it right. But he was helping us, not making fun of us!

 

[elgerber]

Thank you, those look wonderful to me!

 

[cbg1027]

Like a pp said, you will only feel as dumb as you allow yourself to feel. The servers there are more than used to people mangling the French pronunciations. So go for it if you want, or just say "I'd like the macaroni please." They'll get it either way! But, they are French.....so they may not seem as warm as servers at other Disney restaurants. Now, I love the French, but the reason they come off as "rude" to a lot of Americans is because they have different manners and standards for being polite. And I don't think that 20+ years of learning something one way is going to be trained out of them by Disney in one year.

Finding and trying some Gruyère cheese would be an excellent idea. It would definitely be cheaper to find out you don't like it now, rather than wait and order something at a theme park price! It is one of my all time favorite cheeses and it's one of the less smelly and funky kinds of the French cheeses, so you might like it. The onion soup at Les Chefs is also topped with it.

Here's the one photo I took in Les Chefs, sorry the lighting isn't good.

 

[notaclue]

We had dinner there last week and it was outstanding. Our fav meal (next to Narcoosee). The steak was fantastic and the service was just great. Remy made an appearance at every table starting around 6 I think. We would eat there again and I highly recommend it.

 

[Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo]

We just ate there for the first time this past Saturday and really enjoyed the food. We both had the mac and cheese, since we are not adventurous eaters, either, and to me, it was more like my homemade mac and cheese, definitely not the Kraft in the blue box, but much better. It's made with ziti. We had the prix fixe menu. My son had the onion soup, I had the lobster bisque (I think his was better) and he had the creme brulee (which he thought was the best he'd ever had) and I had the profiteroles. Delish! we couldn't eat it all, as they bring out some nice soft rolls. also.

Our waiter was delightful. I asked if he minded me practicing my high school french (from many years ago) and he was delighted, and my son tried ordering in french. He corrected my son's pronunciations-( only in a helpful way, since he'd only taken Spanish). He seemed appreciative of our meager attempts, and was more than happy to assist. He was "tres charmant" ! Go and enjoy!

 

[disneylove69]

OK, now heres the part where I sound really dumb. If you can't pronounce half the stuff on the menu, is it hard to order and do you feel really dumb???

Our waitress when introducing herself let up know her English was not that good and to let us know if we didn't understand. It goes both ways. This is a good time to learn something new.