Menu changes... Too often

[Maistre Gracey]

Holy smokes! I guess I'm in the minority here.
We visit WDW quite often, but unfortunately not often enough to get tired of a menu!
My favorite restaurants (WDW or otherwise) have always been those that do a couple selections better than anyone else. Quite often I don't give a hoot about the other menu items.

Example- There is a restaurant here in Connecticut that has the best shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque, and prime rib on the planet. We are regulars there, and we never pick up a menu before ordering.
Guess what I order?
If they ever took those items off the menu, the love affair would be over.

MG

 

[jann1033]

Holy smokes! I guess I'm in the minority here.
We visit WDW quite often, but unfortunately not often enough to get tired of a menu!
My favorite restaurants (WDW or otherwise) have always been those that do a couple selections better than anyone else. Quite often I don't give a hoot about the other menu items.

Example- There is a restaurant here in Connecticut that has the best shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque, and prime rib on the planet. We are regulars there, and we never pick up a menu before ordering.
Guess what I order?
If they ever took those items off the menu, the love affair would be over.

MG

i understand seasonal changes and such but evidently my taste buds are wierd cause they always change what i really like( ie artist point cream of onion soup , le cellier choc, bread pudding with tarragon ice cream, snapper with crab and scallop quenelles at chef )so I figure they must not be popular.. or cost effective, one of the two. it annoys me somewhat but not much i can do about it

 

[bavaria]

In the better restaurants, the menu is a guide for patrons, not a limitation.

A rule I like to live by!

 

[bavaria]

I suppose that I have mixed feelings. I like to see a menu change to keep it fresh for regulars. I also think that a menu change is good for the staff. Having trained in the kitchen a menu change was exciting.

I do like having core favourites on the menu. Keep in mind, however, that one's own favourite may not be a good seller, or may have a high food cost, and may disappear as a result. Also, sometimes when a favourite disappears, the kitchen cannot recreate it on demand. The deconstructed veggie lasagne at Le Cellier comes to mind.

What I DON'T like is a menu which has been changed with an obvious intent to lower food cost, and thereby reduces the 'flavour' of the restaurant. The breakfast menu at Spoodles comes to mind. The french toast no longer comes with the banana/nut topping, now it's just plain old french toast which can be had at many WDW restaurants. In fact, one of my favourite hostesses there pointed out that there is really only one dish on the breakfast menu which reflects the mediterranean slant of the restaurant.

 

[Goofyish]

I thinks it's good that the menus change once in a while. Although I can see that if you have chosen a particular restaurant because of one dish that's your favourite, it would be a bit annoying to see that dish change

Perhaps having a number of 'signature dishes' on the menus that never change, (like Cheese Soup at Le Cellier etc.), and then having other items that either change completely or rotate every month or so would be a better compromise

 

[crisi]

There are signature dishes at a restuarant, those shouldn't change until another dish takes its place as signature, which is a natural evolution. I'd consider Tonga Toast to be a signature dish - breakfast at Ohana would be a different restaurant without Tonga Toast. Other signature dishes are the cheese soup at Le Cellier, the steak with mac-n-cheese at Jiko. Zebra domes at Boma.

We went to Flying Fish and had the raspberry napolean. It was wonderful, but the banana napolean it replaced was, IMO, a signature dish and I'm disappointed its gone.

 

[bicker]

What I DON'T like is a menu which has been changed with an obvious intent to lower food cost

It's hard to gauge when that is the case -- I'm often surprised as just how pedestrian the typical American palatte is, so such changes can readily be attributed to the fact that more patrons were looking for the new option and fewer patrons aiming for the old option. Beyond that, though, sometimes such as decision would be made to substantiate keeping menu price increases low, such as when the economy is tight. Many patrons complain, and rightfully so, about how expensive WDW is, so at times, when that pain is pronounced, it would be appropriate for them to trade-off some costly options for some less costly ones. That was patrons get a more affordable option than they would have otherwise, and investors still get their due.

 

[MickeyisanNDfan]

I just hope the smoked salmon flatbread is back on the menu at CA Grill when I go in December....I hate when they take it off the menu, it throws off my whole order