Well, this was our relaxation day so we just had breakfast in the room.
Artist Palette 12/21 lunch, counter service, no ADR
DS grabbed his lunch from Artist Palette to take back to the room while DH and I were at the spa. He had grilled chicken caesar salad $7.49, and a piece of chocolate cake $3.59. Since he doesn't have one of the DDE cards, he recieved the DVC discount of 10% ($1.11) so his total with tax was $10.62.
DS said the salad was excellent...if ya haven't noticed he's quite fond of caesar salad and I'm not complaining. As for the chocolate cake, he said it was the same as at Olivia's and CRT...just cheaper.
After our spa treatments, DH and I grabbed some lunch at Artist Palette as well, but ate there.
We noticed a board special that was offered and caught our eye so we tried it. It was called a BBQ pulled pork panini with smoked gouda cheese and granny smith apple chutney, served with a side of Saratoga chips. We each had one for a cost of $14.58 (or $7.29 each), soft drinks for both of us $2.19 each, and giant cookie for both of us $2.09 each. We used the DDE card and saved 20%, $4.63, so our total with tax was $19.72.
Let me tell you...that sandwich was fantastic! The flavors of the pork, cheese and chutney all came together so nicely on that toasted bread...YUM! And the chips...made there on the spot...thick like a Krunchers, but much better. The cookies, (I had sugar and DH had oatmeal raisin), were both good...soft and chewy, with a bit of crispness on the edge. I decided to eat all the cookie and take half my sandwich and chips to the room.
Grade: A+
Territory Lounge and Artist Point 12/21 5:30pm dinner with ADR, 1st time eating here
Well, since we were about 15 mins. early we checked in at the podium and stopped in at Territory Lounge for a drink.
DH opted for a Kungaloosh $8.00, which this is the only place I know of where you can get this drink outside of the Adventurer's Club. I noticed several PI cocktails were also available.
I had the house drink, Raspberry Rapids, $9.25
and DS had a sprite (with a splash of grenadine and a cherry)...yeah, I know it's called a Shirley Temple, but not when a 13 year old boy is ordering it... $2.19
With our DDE 20% savings ($3.99) our bar tab was $16.57 and DH left a $3.00 tip for the guy...he apparently was working double duty covering for someone...normally he was a CM at WCC.
DH said the Kunglaloosh packed a whollup, but wasn't as good as he remembered from AC. Now, the Raspberry Rapids....if you like creamy drinks you're gonna like this one. It was similar to a raspberry smoothie mixed with a colada...you could taste the coconut some.
And well, DS drank his down so it had to be good...he just wanted to know why he didn't get one of the cool arrows in his drink...DH's and mine each had one to hold the fruit...so I gave him mine...still a kid I guess.
On to dinner...we were seated promptly at 5:30, near the back of the restaurant, but a nice view of the foliage outside.
DS had the Hatfield Pork chop on tillamook cheddar mac and cheese with maytag crust, $26, the valrhona chocolate truffle cake wiht soarin' honey-blood orange coulis (on the side as DS requested) $9, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream $2, and soda $2.19
DH and I both opted for the Chef's Northwest Selection $49, which gave us each a bowl of the Smoky Portobello Mushroom soup, choice of salad...DH chose Field Greens with cucumber, radish and lemon vinagrette, while I chose the Frisee Salad with heirloom apples, walnuts, and ages white cheddar. We could chose from 3 entrees (the salmon, beef tenderloin or the buffalo sirloin). We both tried the buffalo served with sweet potato hazelnut gratin and sweet onion jam. We had our choice of 2 desserts, Artist Point seasonal berry cobbler and house made blackberry ice cream (DH chose this) or the Coffee Two Ways Mochaccino Bread Pudding and Vanilla Latte Creme Brulee (I chose this).
DH also tried a glass of the Witness Tree, Willamette '02 Pinot Noir $11.75
Our 20% DDE savings was $29.79 and our total due with tax was $126.90. We left a $26 tip.
DS said the pork chop was the best he'd ever eaten, but didn't care for the mac and cheese. I'm sure it had to do with the aged cheddar...very strong flavor that most people will either love or hate...he happened to hate it. The cake was interesting he said...more like a whipped pie that had been baked, but it was good with the vanilla ice cream.
DH and I both liked the soup, which did have a strong "smoky" flavor. It was very heavy and we only ate about half. We ordered the bufallo medium and it was still juicy and tender...very good! DH compared it to a terryaki marinated steak...the sweetness of the buffalo really came through. The potatoes were..eh...just potatoes. I really enjoyed the frisee salad...the bitterness of the greens, the sharpness of the cheddar, the sweetness of the apple and the crunch of the walnut really came together nicely! Very light...very good! DH liked his salad, but it was very typical of a field greens salad with vinagrette.
DH enjoyed the berry cobbler and was surprised to find the shortbread at the bottom. He did mention that it wasn't overly impressive, and would have enjoyed it more had it just been the berries and the blackberry ice cream. For me, I am not a big creme brulee fan, but what I had here was really good...very smooth and simple with a good vanilla taste. The cake though...well, I took a couple bites and decided I really didn't care for it.
Grade: B
Snacks for the day...even though we ate them the next day, we bought them after leaving WL.
Goofy's Candy Co.
DS chose a glacier cup, with 2 flavors, the grape one and another pucker flavor, $8, no discounts, with tax $8.52. DS said it was good at first, but after about half he'd had enough.
DH had the Mickey rice crispy treat, half dipped in white chocolate, half dipped in milk chocolate, then drizzled with both milk and white chocolate, $3 before tax. DH ended up eating this for breakfast one morning and was in choco-crispy heaven.
I chose the 3 pretzel rods, dipped in milk chocolate, rolled in pecans, and drizzled with caramel, $3.50 before tax. I really liked this combo...salty, sweet, and gooey! I, too, ate mine for breakfast for a couple mornings. My only complaint is that once it starts to warm up, the caramel is really gooey and it caused much of the pecans and chocolate to come off with it. I want to note that Goofy's used Rold Gold pretzel rods, so it's not some weird off brand.
I think we enjoyed watching MJ, the CM, who made our treats, more than we did eating them. That woman really seems to enjoy her job and puts loving care into making each treat. It did take a long time to get the treats made, but after each dipping, the treat had to be cooled in a fridge or freezer so the next addition would hold. Here's MJ at work...
Day 5 takes us to eat at Sci-Fi and Flying Fish....
Artist Palette 12/21 lunch, counter service, no ADR
DS grabbed his lunch from Artist Palette to take back to the room while DH and I were at the spa. He had grilled chicken caesar salad $7.49, and a piece of chocolate cake $3.59. Since he doesn't have one of the DDE cards, he recieved the DVC discount of 10% ($1.11) so his total with tax was $10.62.
DS said the salad was excellent...if ya haven't noticed he's quite fond of caesar salad and I'm not complaining. As for the chocolate cake, he said it was the same as at Olivia's and CRT...just cheaper.
After our spa treatments, DH and I grabbed some lunch at Artist Palette as well, but ate there.
We noticed a board special that was offered and caught our eye so we tried it. It was called a BBQ pulled pork panini with smoked gouda cheese and granny smith apple chutney, served with a side of Saratoga chips. We each had one for a cost of $14.58 (or $7.29 each), soft drinks for both of us $2.19 each, and giant cookie for both of us $2.09 each. We used the DDE card and saved 20%, $4.63, so our total with tax was $19.72.
Let me tell you...that sandwich was fantastic! The flavors of the pork, cheese and chutney all came together so nicely on that toasted bread...YUM! And the chips...made there on the spot...thick like a Krunchers, but much better. The cookies, (I had sugar and DH had oatmeal raisin), were both good...soft and chewy, with a bit of crispness on the edge. I decided to eat all the cookie and take half my sandwich and chips to the room.
Grade: A+
Territory Lounge and Artist Point 12/21 5:30pm dinner with ADR, 1st time eating here
Well, since we were about 15 mins. early we checked in at the podium and stopped in at Territory Lounge for a drink.
DH opted for a Kungaloosh $8.00, which this is the only place I know of where you can get this drink outside of the Adventurer's Club. I noticed several PI cocktails were also available.
I had the house drink, Raspberry Rapids, $9.25
and DS had a sprite (with a splash of grenadine and a cherry)...yeah, I know it's called a Shirley Temple, but not when a 13 year old boy is ordering it... $2.19
With our DDE 20% savings ($3.99) our bar tab was $16.57 and DH left a $3.00 tip for the guy...he apparently was working double duty covering for someone...normally he was a CM at WCC.
DH said the Kunglaloosh packed a whollup, but wasn't as good as he remembered from AC. Now, the Raspberry Rapids....if you like creamy drinks you're gonna like this one. It was similar to a raspberry smoothie mixed with a colada...you could taste the coconut some.
And well, DS drank his down so it had to be good...he just wanted to know why he didn't get one of the cool arrows in his drink...DH's and mine each had one to hold the fruit...so I gave him mine...still a kid I guess.
On to dinner...we were seated promptly at 5:30, near the back of the restaurant, but a nice view of the foliage outside.
DS had the Hatfield Pork chop on tillamook cheddar mac and cheese with maytag crust, $26, the valrhona chocolate truffle cake wiht soarin' honey-blood orange coulis (on the side as DS requested) $9, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream $2, and soda $2.19
DH and I both opted for the Chef's Northwest Selection $49, which gave us each a bowl of the Smoky Portobello Mushroom soup, choice of salad...DH chose Field Greens with cucumber, radish and lemon vinagrette, while I chose the Frisee Salad with heirloom apples, walnuts, and ages white cheddar. We could chose from 3 entrees (the salmon, beef tenderloin or the buffalo sirloin). We both tried the buffalo served with sweet potato hazelnut gratin and sweet onion jam. We had our choice of 2 desserts, Artist Point seasonal berry cobbler and house made blackberry ice cream (DH chose this) or the Coffee Two Ways Mochaccino Bread Pudding and Vanilla Latte Creme Brulee (I chose this).
DH also tried a glass of the Witness Tree, Willamette '02 Pinot Noir $11.75
Our 20% DDE savings was $29.79 and our total due with tax was $126.90. We left a $26 tip.
DS said the pork chop was the best he'd ever eaten, but didn't care for the mac and cheese. I'm sure it had to do with the aged cheddar...very strong flavor that most people will either love or hate...he happened to hate it. The cake was interesting he said...more like a whipped pie that had been baked, but it was good with the vanilla ice cream.
DH and I both liked the soup, which did have a strong "smoky" flavor. It was very heavy and we only ate about half. We ordered the bufallo medium and it was still juicy and tender...very good! DH compared it to a terryaki marinated steak...the sweetness of the buffalo really came through. The potatoes were..eh...just potatoes. I really enjoyed the frisee salad...the bitterness of the greens, the sharpness of the cheddar, the sweetness of the apple and the crunch of the walnut really came together nicely! Very light...very good! DH liked his salad, but it was very typical of a field greens salad with vinagrette.
DH enjoyed the berry cobbler and was surprised to find the shortbread at the bottom. He did mention that it wasn't overly impressive, and would have enjoyed it more had it just been the berries and the blackberry ice cream. For me, I am not a big creme brulee fan, but what I had here was really good...very smooth and simple with a good vanilla taste. The cake though...well, I took a couple bites and decided I really didn't care for it.
Grade: B
Snacks for the day...even though we ate them the next day, we bought them after leaving WL.
Goofy's Candy Co.
DS chose a glacier cup, with 2 flavors, the grape one and another pucker flavor, $8, no discounts, with tax $8.52. DS said it was good at first, but after about half he'd had enough.
DH had the Mickey rice crispy treat, half dipped in white chocolate, half dipped in milk chocolate, then drizzled with both milk and white chocolate, $3 before tax. DH ended up eating this for breakfast one morning and was in choco-crispy heaven.
I chose the 3 pretzel rods, dipped in milk chocolate, rolled in pecans, and drizzled with caramel, $3.50 before tax. I really liked this combo...salty, sweet, and gooey! I, too, ate mine for breakfast for a couple mornings. My only complaint is that once it starts to warm up, the caramel is really gooey and it caused much of the pecans and chocolate to come off with it. I want to note that Goofy's used Rold Gold pretzel rods, so it's not some weird off brand.
I think we enjoyed watching MJ, the CM, who made our treats, more than we did eating them. That woman really seems to enjoy her job and puts loving care into making each treat. It did take a long time to get the treats made, but after each dipping, the treat had to be cooled in a fridge or freezer so the next addition would hold. Here's MJ at work...
Day 5 takes us to eat at Sci-Fi and Flying Fish....
