Mea culpa, eight days since my previous post (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2597904). The interim included a trip to Disneyland. Well, to be accurate, I was working in the O.C. and spent one evening at Downtown Disney. Maybe I’ll write about my meal at Ralph Brennan’s some day. On second thought I’ll do it now: Had the red beans and rice again. Wished the portion was bigger, again. The end.
Now back to my time in Florida. This particular evening was unusually cold and I was not well dressed for the chill. Stepping out of my car in good old DTD lot 3, I gave serious thought to ducking into Raglan Road instead of shivering at bus stops coming and going. But as I approached the depot, I saw the bus to Coronado Springs approaching and would not waste this opportunity to visit a resort I had never seen before.
I suspect that CSR is much easier to love in daylight. I found its portico and lobby the least interesting entry of any Disney resort I’ve seen. No doubt that if I looked harder, I’d probably see many impressive touches, but my casual glancing did not elicit anything to draw my appreciation. In particular, I felt displeased by the large signs over the passageways leading from the lobby, one marked “Restaurants,” another “Registration.” I’m sure these signs serve to direct conventioneer traffic most expeditiously. But they also suppress the desire to wander aimlessly in the happy trance of a resort explorer.
No wait was necessary for a table at Maya Grill, since more than half the tables were empty that night. A guitarist strolled in the lobby area, facing the dining room, alternating between mariachi tunes and Muzak versions of atypical pop songs like “Spooky.” I was seated in the central dining area next to one of the pillars topped by a faux brazier. I rather liked the whimsically fake flames, which bring to mind the fire scenes in Pirates of the Caribbean.
My server Cecilia proved fast and efficient, with an unusually reserved but not unfriendly manner. Because of something I had seen on TV, I wanted to try a white wine from Argentina and decided on the Terrazas Reserva unoaked torrontes ($8.50). The flavor turned out to be pretty average (I couldn’t tell you the difference from a basic chardonnay) but the aroma of the torrontes pleased and interested me. I kept smelling it, trying to pick out the fruits or whatever the vintners had added. Maybe mangos?
I felt some excitement when I saw bits of jalapeno and red bell pepper in the bread. Unfortunately, all the energy had been baked out of these peppers. This theme of lost flavor would continue in the appetizer I ordered, pulled pork empanadas ($9). I wonder whether the pork had been first boiled, before being cursorily roasted, for easier pulling. Or maybe this pig was unusually lean. In any case, the flavor of the corn shells overpowered the filling. But on a cold evening like this, anything hot and crispy earns my favor and I probably would have eaten these empanadas all night had they continued bringing more. The pickled red onions served on the side also threatened to addict me.
For the entrée, I ordered the New York strip steak with ancho chili rub ($31). A generous portion surprised me. The steak was a little fattier than you like to see at these prices, but steak fat fried to a crisp on open flames is a guilty pleasure. Though the menu stated that the steak would be served with roasted garlic potatoes, my garlic spuds were mashed or whipped. Not a problem, but not what I expected. The grilled red (ancho?) pepper served on top of the steak added a tangy counterpoint.
I ordered the turron de chocolate ($7) – basically fudge with raisins and nuts inside – because it was served with coconut ice cream. How disappointing then, that my ice cream serving matched the size of a ping pong ball.
I may return to Coronado Springs to view it in the daytime. I’ll eat in the food court.
In the next installment: Narcoossee’s, sort of.
Buen provecho,
Lee in Va.
Now back to my time in Florida. This particular evening was unusually cold and I was not well dressed for the chill. Stepping out of my car in good old DTD lot 3, I gave serious thought to ducking into Raglan Road instead of shivering at bus stops coming and going. But as I approached the depot, I saw the bus to Coronado Springs approaching and would not waste this opportunity to visit a resort I had never seen before.
I suspect that CSR is much easier to love in daylight. I found its portico and lobby the least interesting entry of any Disney resort I’ve seen. No doubt that if I looked harder, I’d probably see many impressive touches, but my casual glancing did not elicit anything to draw my appreciation. In particular, I felt displeased by the large signs over the passageways leading from the lobby, one marked “Restaurants,” another “Registration.” I’m sure these signs serve to direct conventioneer traffic most expeditiously. But they also suppress the desire to wander aimlessly in the happy trance of a resort explorer.
No wait was necessary for a table at Maya Grill, since more than half the tables were empty that night. A guitarist strolled in the lobby area, facing the dining room, alternating between mariachi tunes and Muzak versions of atypical pop songs like “Spooky.” I was seated in the central dining area next to one of the pillars topped by a faux brazier. I rather liked the whimsically fake flames, which bring to mind the fire scenes in Pirates of the Caribbean.
My server Cecilia proved fast and efficient, with an unusually reserved but not unfriendly manner. Because of something I had seen on TV, I wanted to try a white wine from Argentina and decided on the Terrazas Reserva unoaked torrontes ($8.50). The flavor turned out to be pretty average (I couldn’t tell you the difference from a basic chardonnay) but the aroma of the torrontes pleased and interested me. I kept smelling it, trying to pick out the fruits or whatever the vintners had added. Maybe mangos?
I felt some excitement when I saw bits of jalapeno and red bell pepper in the bread. Unfortunately, all the energy had been baked out of these peppers. This theme of lost flavor would continue in the appetizer I ordered, pulled pork empanadas ($9). I wonder whether the pork had been first boiled, before being cursorily roasted, for easier pulling. Or maybe this pig was unusually lean. In any case, the flavor of the corn shells overpowered the filling. But on a cold evening like this, anything hot and crispy earns my favor and I probably would have eaten these empanadas all night had they continued bringing more. The pickled red onions served on the side also threatened to addict me.
For the entrée, I ordered the New York strip steak with ancho chili rub ($31). A generous portion surprised me. The steak was a little fattier than you like to see at these prices, but steak fat fried to a crisp on open flames is a guilty pleasure. Though the menu stated that the steak would be served with roasted garlic potatoes, my garlic spuds were mashed or whipped. Not a problem, but not what I expected. The grilled red (ancho?) pepper served on top of the steak added a tangy counterpoint.
I ordered the turron de chocolate ($7) – basically fudge with raisins and nuts inside – because it was served with coconut ice cream. How disappointing then, that my ice cream serving matched the size of a ping pong ball.
I may return to Coronado Springs to view it in the daytime. I’ll eat in the food court.
In the next installment: Narcoossee’s, sort of.
Buen provecho,
Lee in Va.
