Les Chefs de France?

[TwoAtDisney]

Enjoyed this spot about 15 years ago, & hubby loves escargot & French onion soup, so have an ADR. Since he will be eating both, we are considering splitting an entree. We figure all of that plus a dessert (on the DDP) should be plenty - but then we don't know the portion sizes.

Would love some opinions on the quality & quantity of the following menu items:

Seafood Casserole - have not seen any posts on this menu item. Anyone tried it & have opinion to share? Portion size? No mention on this website's menu of a veggie or side dish. Surely it is not just seafood, is it?

Beef Short Ribs - generally we do not like dishes with a wine/alcohol taste. Any comments on whether this dish has such, or if the alcohol taste has been cooked out & the wine is just a good, non-strong seasoning? Are the ribs served on the pasta or is the pasta a side dish? If a side dish, is there a sauce on the pasta? How about the portion size?

Grilled Tenderloin - is this prime rib by another name? Beef or pork tenderloin? Sounds good. How is the portion size?

Deciding in advance which meals we will split will help us decide on our ADRs.

Thanks, Julie

 

[Alabama Minnie]

Never had the seafood dish but the steak and ribs might not be enough between you, especially if you are not having the soup/app. also. I don't remember how the side was with the ribs. We usually always share a dessert.

Alot of people say this filet is better than LeCellier but not IMO.

 

[PictureJumpr]

Enjoyed this spot about 15 years ago, & hubby loves escargot & French onion soup, so have an ADR. Since he will be eating both, we are considering splitting an entree. We figure all of that plus a dessert (on the DDP) should be plenty - but then we don't know the portion sizes.

Would love some opinions on the quality & quantity of the following menu items:

Seafood Casserole - have not seen any posts on this menu item. Anyone tried it & have opinion to share? Portion size? No mention on this website's menu of a veggie or side dish. Surely it is not just seafood, is it?
I assume you are speaking of the brochette de fruits de mer? This is kind of a scaled-down/less-complex version of a traditional bouillabaisse, with fish and shrimp and scallops in a thin sauce served with rice. Not my favorite of the offerings at CdF.
Beef Short Ribs - generally we do not like dishes with a wine/alcohol taste. Any comments on whether this dish has such, or if the alcohol taste has been cooked out & the wine is just a good, non-strong seasoning? Are the ribs served on the pasta or is the pasta a side dish? If a side dish, is there a sauce on the pasta? How about the portion size?
The short ribs are braised in cabernet wine. The flavor of the wine is certainly present, and it is not just a sauce. The pasta mentioned in the description has usually been orzo or some other small shape, and is laid as a bed under the short ribs.
Grilled Tenderloin - is this prime rib by another name? Beef or pork tenderloin? Sounds good. How is the portion size?
The fillet de boeuf grille dish is CdF's version of steak au poivre, and is not prime rib. It is a portion of beef tenderloin, seared in butter and served with a sauce comprised mainly of black peppercorns, cream and cognac. This is a reduced sauce, that is, the cognac has been cooked down, so it may be more to your liking. The portion size last time one of us ordered it was something like a typical filet mignon, somewhere in the 6-8oz range.
Deciding in advance which meals we will split will help us decide on our ADRs.

Thanks, Julie

The entrees at CdF are not enormous, but if y'all are buying a couple of apps and having dessert (the dessert portions are somewhat large) you should be okay sharing just about any of the entree options.

 

[MickeyNicki]

I had the short ribs last year and it was gross, so fatty and the meat was playing hide and seek with me!

I would share the mac and cheese dish, that was wonderful.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Enjoyed this spot about 15 years ago, & hubby loves escargot

1) Don't get the escargot.
2) For cost reductions, they have changed to Indonesian & Cambodian snails.
3) Whether from these countries or not, the species is a lower-grade snail.
4) An escargot aficionado will be greatly disappointed.
5) The taste fo the new snail is quite different from the previous varieties.

 

[lblume91]

So, for this country girl from rural Indiana who has never tried French food in her life... do you recommend trying CdF? Or skipping it? The menu looks good but I'm a little worried about what my kiddos would eat. As long as they have a hunk of beef, which they do, my DH will be happy. I'm just not convinced. I want to want to try it. Convince me!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

So, for this country girl from rural Indiana who has never tried French food in her life... do you recommend trying CdF? Or skipping it? The menu looks good but I'm a little worried about what my kiddos would eat. As long as they have a hunk of beef, which they do, my DH will be happy. I'm just not convinced. I want to want to try it. Convince me!

I think you and the kids would be fine, it's pretty Americanized food! The short ribs are fall of the bone tender and very savory and served w/ pasta. As far as fatty, well to be honest you really don't want a dry short rib IMO! My 13 year old son enjoyed them. The filet is grilled and fine, but if you prefer really large portions, you won't find them here. The French onion soup is good and the mac/cheese, fantastic but don't expect Kraft Yellow cheese mac/cheese. I love creme brulee and it's very good! Hope this helps!

 

[PictureJumpr]

So, for this country girl from rural Indiana who has never tried French food in her life... do you recommend trying CdF? Or skipping it? The menu looks good but I'm a little worried about what my kiddos would eat. As long as they have a hunk of beef, which they do, my DH will be happy. I'm just not convinced. I want to want to try it. Convince me!

The youngest of your kids will have a burger option on the kids' menu (they call it "croquette de boeuf en brioche," but it's a burger), and there is a chicken option too that is sort of a fried chicken patty with noodles (kind of like a chicken parmigiana, without the tomatoes and cheese).

Your older kids can rest assured that this is not haute cuisine - it's casual French, and things like the "demi-poulet fermier roti" (literally, 'half chicken free-range roasted on a spit') are fairly easy to sell even to picky eaters. It's served with "pommes rissoles" (think home fries, pan-roasted/fried potatoes).

Dessert can be a very persuasive reason to eat their dinner, too

 

[lblume91]

I think you and the kids would be fine, it's pretty Americanized food! The short ribs are fall of the bone tender and very savory and served w/ pasta. As far as fatty, well to be honest you really don't want a dry short rib IMO! My 13 year old son enjoyed them. The filet is grilled and fine, but if you prefer really large portions, you won't find them here. The French onion soup is good and the mac/cheese, fantastic but don't expect Kraft Yellow cheese mac/cheese. I love creme brulee and it's very good! Hope this helps!

DH will be fine with ribs or filet. I think we're going to be adventurous & try it!

The youngest of your kids will have a burger option on the kids' menu (they call it "croquette de boeuf en brioche," but it's a burger), and there is a chicken option too that is sort of a fried chicken patty with noodles (kind of like a chicken parmigiana, without the tomatoes and cheese).

Your older kids can rest assured that this is not haute cuisine - it's casual French, and things like the "demi-poulet fermier roti" (literally, 'half chicken free-range roasted on a spit') are fairly easy to sell even to picky eaters. It's served with "pommes rissoles" (think home fries, pan-roasted/fried potatoes).

Dessert can be a very persuasive reason to eat their dinner, too

DD12 is our picky eater but I can usually sell her on roasted chicken with "it's just baked chicken".

Thanks for your input! I think I've talked myself into it!!

 

[rsimon]

Enjoyed this spot about 15 years ago, & hubby loves escargot & French onion soup, so have an ADR. Since he will be eating both, we are considering splitting an entree. We figure all of that plus a dessert (on the DDP) should be plenty - but then we don't know the portion sizes.

Would love some opinions on the quality & quantity of the following menu items:

Seafood Casserole - have not seen any posts on this menu item. Anyone tried it & have opinion to share? Portion size? No mention on this website's menu of a veggie or side dish. Surely it is not just seafood, is it?

Beef Short Ribs - generally we do not like dishes with a wine/alcohol taste. Any comments on whether this dish has such, or if the alcohol taste has been cooked out & the wine is just a good, non-strong seasoning? Are the ribs served on the pasta or is the pasta a side dish? If a side dish, is there a sauce on the pasta? How about the portion size?

Grilled Tenderloin - is this prime rib by another name? Beef or pork tenderloin? Sounds good. How is the portion size?

Deciding in advance which meals we will split will help us decide on our ADRs.

Thanks, Julie

A note about wine and liquor being used in food. Most dishes at any place that have a sauce will have wine or liquor in them during cooking. Also most dishes do not have the intent of having an alcohol taste, if they do, it wasn't done correctly.

As far as eating at Chefs de France.. good luck with your food and I'll pray for you if you are on a dining plan.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Great responses; thanks. However, maybe we will change our minds once we are there, but right now we are leaning away from CdF because of the responses! There are so many places in which we are interested, we shouldn't have any problem finding a substitute.

rsimon, I'm wondering about you praying for us if we are on the DDP - why? Are you thinking too much food to eat? Or, DDP diners are given different food from non-DDP diners? Or, all DDP restaurants have inferior food? This is our first time on the DDP. Since we just happened to plan our WDW fall trip during free dining, we figured why not take free DDP since the resort "special offer" price w/o free dining only saved us about $15pp per day - we knew our food budget would be more than that. Plus, we are staying offsite 11 nites after our WDW stay, so will have plenty of time to indulge in non-DDP dining.

Thanks everyone, Julie

 

[jamstew]

1) Don't get the escargot.
2) For cost reductions, they have changed to Indonesian & Cambodian snails.
3) Whether from these countries or not, the species is a lower-grade snail.
4) An escargot aficionado will be greatly disappointed.
5) The taste fo the new snail is quite different from the previous varieties.

When did they change?

 

[lblume91]

rsimon, I'm wondering about you praying for us if we are on the DDP - why? Are you thinking too much food to eat? Or, DDP diners are given different food from non-DDP diners? Or, all DDP restaurants have inferior food? This is our first time on the DDP.

I'm not sure what rsimon meant but...

We are currently planning our 4th trip with the DDP & we've been very happy with it. It can be alot of food but we're usually up to the challenge! It is so nice to be able to just order what you want, not even glancing at the prices, & to have it all prepaid (or, even better, free!). Almost all restaurants at WDW accept the DDP & you order from the same menu as non-DDP guests. There is no difference between how DDP & non-DDP guests are treated or the food we are served. Some people, like my family, love the convenience of DDP while other people feel it has ruined dining at WDW. I hope you have a great vacation!!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

When did they change?

1) Early 2009.
2) Actually a pretty big deal at the time.
3) It was a significant change in quality.

 

[jamstew]

1) Early 2009.
2) Actually a pretty big deal at the time.
3) It was a significant change in quality.

Thanks. I guess I'm not much of a conniseur (have no idea how to spell it)since I had it twice after the change

 

[rsimon]

Great responses; thanks. However, maybe we will change our minds once we are there, but right now we are leaning away from CdF because of the responses! There are so many places in which we are interested, we shouldn't have any problem finding a substitute.

rsimon, I'm wondering about you praying for us if we are on the DDP - why? Are you thinking too much food to eat? Or, DDP diners are given different food from non-DDP diners? Or, all DDP restaurants have inferior food? This is our first time on the DDP. Since we just happened to plan our WDW fall trip during free dining, we figured why not take free DDP since the resort "special offer" price w/o free dining only saved us about $15pp per day - we knew our food budget would be more than that. Plus, we are staying offsite 11 nites after our WDW stay, so will have plenty of time to indulge in non-DDP dining.

Thanks everyone, Julie

Well.. what I meant was that we have used the dining plan before and used it at Chefs de France.. We ordered the filet there and were served a horrible subsitute that was probably an eye of round. The texture was wrong, it was tough as nails, etc.. Even a bad filet would have been better. When we asked for a manager, they offered to cook us another one (which we didn't want) and we were still charged the credits for the whole meal as well as the total price so the tip of 18% was MUCH higher than it should have been for that food we didn't eat.

My current theory is that Chefs de France is one of those places that will cut corners for dining plan groups, but maybe not always because I know some have gotten what they describe to be a good meal there.

My comment was based on the fact, that you will need some luck, divine intervention, or whatever if you are on the DDP and eating there. I hope it turns out for you because it seems that the food could be good, but our experiences have not been good there.

 

[tkitna]

We just got back from Disney and Chefs de France was the worst meal of the trip. It wasnt awful, but I guess I expected more. My wife and I had the short ribs and they were fatty and gross. They were served with just regular, tastless egg noodles. My wifes french onion soup was just ok while I had a decent salad and a good Creme Brulee.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

More interesting comments; thanks.

rsimon mentioned paying the 18% tip. I didn't realize the tip is auto; is it? I thought 18% was suggested, but we can tip according to the service?

I assume if the the tip is auto & the service is lousy, we can request to speak to the manager & have it eliminated or reduced? Don't mind paying 18% if the service if good.

Julie

 

[PictureJumpr]

More interesting comments; thanks.

rsimon mentioned paying the 18% tip. I didn't realize the tip is auto; is it? I thought 18% was suggested, but we can tip according to the service?

I assume if the the tip is auto & the service is lousy, we can request to speak to the manager & have it eliminated or reduced? Don't mind paying 18% if the service if good.

Julie

18% is automatically added to the bill for parties of 6 or more.
Not to enter a discussion on tipping (since that = thread closure) but yes, they are completely adjustable if you are persistent enough.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Thanks PictureJumpr. That is nice to know. Won't get into tipping discussion either, but just for us, I will say that we are generous when deserved, and we don't punish the good server for inadequate food.

Well, we have all of our hotels reserved (1 going down, 1 coming back, POFQ, & 1 offsite). We have all of our DDP & non-DDP ADRs completed (didn't get LeCellier which we wanted to try, but next time I'll plan ahead). Have scanned the list of DDP CS & snack places & have some favorites in mind. Also have researched some non-Disney restaurants, & have gotten some coupons for the non-DDP dining during our off-site stay.

Hubby got advance excitement & worked over our bikes. We are driving just so we can take them - we like our own much better than the rentals. Love those rides in Celebration & Ft. Wilderness. Plus this year we will enjoy riding around POFQ & POR!

Paying the POFQ bill on 10/13 - YUCK! - that's not so exciting! Oh well, we'll earn some rewards points on our Disney Visa.

Next thing to do is look at & buy some travel insurance to protect our POFQ amount; all of the rest is refundable.

Thanks again everyone, Julie