k-wa
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2003
- Messages
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I bet the chefs at Jiko and California Grill are in good moods today:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/travel/escapes/27disney.html
Call It Disneys Food Kingdom
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
WHEN our children were 4 and 6, the idea of taking them to Disney World for part of spring vacation was under consideration. For about five minutes. Instead, we booked a trip to Rome, Naples and Sicily.
The children finally got their trip to Disney a few years later. I have memories of some of the attractions, like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Hall of Presidents. But though I can still recall meals we ate on that Italian trip, my mind is a blank when it comes to dining at Disney World.
Fast forward a few decades. Now that we have two granddaughters, Eve and Julia, 6 and 8, Disney World tops the list. On a recent trip, we expected to enjoy the experience with the children, sharing their delight at the attractions and rides, seeing it all through their eyes. But for grownup appeal? We had low hopes.
Our princesses, as they were addressed by all Disney personnel at all times, had the time of their lives. And, it turned out, so did my husband, Richard, and I, in ways we had hardly anticipated.
The clever, sophisticated details and the intelligence with which many of the attractions were designed, especially in the Animal Kingdom, were impressive. Almost insidiously, Disney was able to defuse the potential for cynicism on the part of two well-traveled adults.
But the biggest surprise was the quality of the food, even without marquee chefs. There were fine, well-chosen wines, and also graciously professional service.
I had heard that Epcot had good places for dining, but we were not going there. Where we were headed was the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom, and we assumed dinner there would challenge our standards.
Happily, we did not have to compromise. Each resort hotel has several restaurants. With the idea of trying to please the adults as well as the children on this trip, we did not choose the more modest places or the cafeteria-style or buffet options for dinner. Our girls like dining in good restaurants; lately, eating has become adventureland for them.
As an added bonus, the accommodating attitude toward children in Disneys serious restaurants permitted us to cap each day with an excellent and, indeed, relaxing meal.
We had booked accommodations in the Animal Kingdom Lodge, a sprawling hotel with an immense and distinctive thatched roof. Walking from the elevator after we checked in, we could see ostrich, zebras, gemsbok, giraffes, cranes and big-horned African Watusi cattle from the hallway windows. Thrilling.
We had the same savanna scene from our room as in the corridor. But no predators. For lions and crocodiles, there was the Kilimanjaro Safari, with about three dozen people sitting in what might be called a stretch safari vehicle, a ride that took only about 20 minutes, but during which we saw elephant families, hippos, white and black rhinos, crocodiles, gazelles, even cheetahs. Lions lazed among rock outcroppings that mimicked the kopjes of the Serengeti.
That first evening, in keeping with our safari adventure, we dined at Jiko the Cooking Place, an African-themed restaurant that is the top dining venue in the African Kingdom Lodge. It was spacious, with seats at the bar and at tables in a room with bright swaths of color and fabric, and details in wood and stone.
The princesses ordered macaroni and cheese from the kids menu, then proceeded to help out with our ostrich schnitzel, pulled lamb rolled in phyllo, spice-crusted pork tenderloin and filet of arctic char with golden mealie pap (a kind of polenta). We kept the wine to ourselves, a richly elegant 1999 Paul Sauer Kanonkop ($90), from a deep reserve list of South African wines, which augmented the regular South African list of nearly 70 wines, $29 to $75.
Jiko has been reported to have the largest South African wine cellar outside South Africa. Its worth a trip for any wine lover with a spirit of adventure who might be staying in the Orlando area.
Richard and I wanted to return the following night for the wines and some other African-style dishes, and so did the girls for the ostrich, but no reservations were available between 6 and 6:30, the hour at which even the most urbane among us must dine when young children are along.
Instead, we went to Flying Fish Cafe, in the old-fashioned Jersey Shore resort called the BoardWalk. We worked up an appetite pedaling the children in twin bicycle carriages on a real boardwalk around a Disney lake.
The seafood-themed restaurant is very blue, with mosaic floors. The light fixtures up in the soaring ceiling were flying fish with parachutes as shades. Cute.
The Jonah crab cake was only fair, several notches below the gulf shrimp with watermelon relish, oak-grilled salmon and Florida red snapper. The childrens menu offered nice grilled fish and a so-so steak. Wine pairings from an eclectic, well-chosen list are suggested for each dish, and there are varietal wine flights. We opted for a bottle, the crisp 2006 Neil Ellis sauvignon blanc for $43, another South African choice.
The California Grill in the Contemporary Resort was another evenings highlight. Our little sophisticates could substitute sushi (cucumber, salmon, eel) for the salad first courses on their menu, and the kiddie steak and fish were excellent, as were our crispy poussin and seared scallops with farro risotto. The wine list is 95 percent Californian ($35 to $1,000). A funny childrens sushi dessert consisted of Rice Krispie treats topped with Gummi Fish.
The comfortable, modern dining room, on the top of the hotel, had a California look suggesting Spago in Beverly Hills, but with better views. A lake populated by flocks of birds distracted us between courses, as did the Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom in the distance, changing color after dark.
For the children, the incessant magic did not wear off. The Animal Kingdom mixes rides with walks through various habitats, a feature that I found to be especially appealing, despite its Bronx Zoo DNA. There were gorillas, parrots and other wildlife to see on the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. The Asian sector offered the Maharaja Jungle Trek, with tigers, giant bats hanging like laundry, tapirs, monkeys and even Komodo dragons.
This walk wound through what looked like the ruins of Angkor, a bridge strung with Buddhist prayer flags and an abandoned Indian palace. Having just been to India, I thought the reproduction of a bustling, somewhat shabby Indian town housing the food and souvenir concessions was witty, and astonishingly accurate. Only the beggars were missing, but Disney finds plenty of opportunity to separate even the thickest-skinned tourist from wads of cash.
THE Magic Kingdom was closer to what we had expected, with rides like Its a Small World, the perennial charmer that required an encore from us, and, similarly, the Haunted Mansion and Tomorrowland Transit Authority.
I nearly lost lunch on the Frontierland Thunder Mountain runaway-train roller coaster. Going on that ride was not my idea, not that the fast-food lunches were better than merely adequate. Pizza, hamburgers, salads, sandwiches and the like are dished up from counters in places that are thematically decorated (a saloon or a tropical outpost). You line up, pay, then pick up your tray. Soft-serve pineapple sorbet from a Dole stand in Adventureland was the singular highlight before dinner.
We overdid it on our last night, having reserved at what was supposed to be the jewel in the crown, Victoria & Alberts in the Grand Floridian resort. Since children are not permitted in the stuffy, formal dining room, we were assigned to the chefs table in the kitchen. It was not a disaster, especially not for children who know what capers are and who eat foie gras, but the meal was too elaborate, expensive and long.
Find the sign that says Julias bed, Julia said as we looked for our exit on the highway after that dinner.
We were all weary, but Eve made a point of reminding us that even that meal was fun. And delicious.
I loved my white chocolate mousse, she said. It was creamy and the chef made it look like mozzarella!
Not only was fine dining at Disney meant to satisfy the adults, it could also show children that there is more to dinner than chicken fingers and hot dogs.
All the eating can be walked off along the jungle paths in the Animal Kingdom and going on foot from Fantasyland to Adventureland to Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. But we also hoped to take a swim at the end of each tiring day. The pool at the lodge might have dwarfed a hockey rink, but it was only one to four feet deep and was filled with screaming children and adults romping with them.
A pleasant dip was one adult expectation that went unmet.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Animal Kingdom Lodge, a mile west of the Animal Kingdom park, has nearly 1,300 rooms, ranging from $225 to $2,820 a night. Reservations: (407) 939-7639 and www.disneyworld.com.
Jiko The Cooking Place, in the Lodge, has dinner entrees from $24 to $37. The menu for children under 10 has entrees from $7 to $11.
Flying Fish Cafe, in the BoardWalk Resort, has dinner entrees for $26 to $38. Entrees for children under 10 are $5.50 to $12.
At California Grill, in the Contemporary Resort, dinner entrees are $23 to $38. For children under 10, entrees are $7 to $11.
Victoria & Alberts is in the Grand Floridian. Prix-fixe dinners are $125 or $185 with wine pairings. There is no childrens menu.
All restaurant reservations: 407-939-3463.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/travel/escapes/27disney.html
Call It Disneys Food Kingdom
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
WHEN our children were 4 and 6, the idea of taking them to Disney World for part of spring vacation was under consideration. For about five minutes. Instead, we booked a trip to Rome, Naples and Sicily.
The children finally got their trip to Disney a few years later. I have memories of some of the attractions, like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Hall of Presidents. But though I can still recall meals we ate on that Italian trip, my mind is a blank when it comes to dining at Disney World.
Fast forward a few decades. Now that we have two granddaughters, Eve and Julia, 6 and 8, Disney World tops the list. On a recent trip, we expected to enjoy the experience with the children, sharing their delight at the attractions and rides, seeing it all through their eyes. But for grownup appeal? We had low hopes.
Our princesses, as they were addressed by all Disney personnel at all times, had the time of their lives. And, it turned out, so did my husband, Richard, and I, in ways we had hardly anticipated.
The clever, sophisticated details and the intelligence with which many of the attractions were designed, especially in the Animal Kingdom, were impressive. Almost insidiously, Disney was able to defuse the potential for cynicism on the part of two well-traveled adults.
But the biggest surprise was the quality of the food, even without marquee chefs. There were fine, well-chosen wines, and also graciously professional service.
I had heard that Epcot had good places for dining, but we were not going there. Where we were headed was the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom, and we assumed dinner there would challenge our standards.
Happily, we did not have to compromise. Each resort hotel has several restaurants. With the idea of trying to please the adults as well as the children on this trip, we did not choose the more modest places or the cafeteria-style or buffet options for dinner. Our girls like dining in good restaurants; lately, eating has become adventureland for them.
As an added bonus, the accommodating attitude toward children in Disneys serious restaurants permitted us to cap each day with an excellent and, indeed, relaxing meal.
We had booked accommodations in the Animal Kingdom Lodge, a sprawling hotel with an immense and distinctive thatched roof. Walking from the elevator after we checked in, we could see ostrich, zebras, gemsbok, giraffes, cranes and big-horned African Watusi cattle from the hallway windows. Thrilling.
We had the same savanna scene from our room as in the corridor. But no predators. For lions and crocodiles, there was the Kilimanjaro Safari, with about three dozen people sitting in what might be called a stretch safari vehicle, a ride that took only about 20 minutes, but during which we saw elephant families, hippos, white and black rhinos, crocodiles, gazelles, even cheetahs. Lions lazed among rock outcroppings that mimicked the kopjes of the Serengeti.
That first evening, in keeping with our safari adventure, we dined at Jiko the Cooking Place, an African-themed restaurant that is the top dining venue in the African Kingdom Lodge. It was spacious, with seats at the bar and at tables in a room with bright swaths of color and fabric, and details in wood and stone.
The princesses ordered macaroni and cheese from the kids menu, then proceeded to help out with our ostrich schnitzel, pulled lamb rolled in phyllo, spice-crusted pork tenderloin and filet of arctic char with golden mealie pap (a kind of polenta). We kept the wine to ourselves, a richly elegant 1999 Paul Sauer Kanonkop ($90), from a deep reserve list of South African wines, which augmented the regular South African list of nearly 70 wines, $29 to $75.
Jiko has been reported to have the largest South African wine cellar outside South Africa. Its worth a trip for any wine lover with a spirit of adventure who might be staying in the Orlando area.
Richard and I wanted to return the following night for the wines and some other African-style dishes, and so did the girls for the ostrich, but no reservations were available between 6 and 6:30, the hour at which even the most urbane among us must dine when young children are along.
Instead, we went to Flying Fish Cafe, in the old-fashioned Jersey Shore resort called the BoardWalk. We worked up an appetite pedaling the children in twin bicycle carriages on a real boardwalk around a Disney lake.
The seafood-themed restaurant is very blue, with mosaic floors. The light fixtures up in the soaring ceiling were flying fish with parachutes as shades. Cute.
The Jonah crab cake was only fair, several notches below the gulf shrimp with watermelon relish, oak-grilled salmon and Florida red snapper. The childrens menu offered nice grilled fish and a so-so steak. Wine pairings from an eclectic, well-chosen list are suggested for each dish, and there are varietal wine flights. We opted for a bottle, the crisp 2006 Neil Ellis sauvignon blanc for $43, another South African choice.
The California Grill in the Contemporary Resort was another evenings highlight. Our little sophisticates could substitute sushi (cucumber, salmon, eel) for the salad first courses on their menu, and the kiddie steak and fish were excellent, as were our crispy poussin and seared scallops with farro risotto. The wine list is 95 percent Californian ($35 to $1,000). A funny childrens sushi dessert consisted of Rice Krispie treats topped with Gummi Fish.
The comfortable, modern dining room, on the top of the hotel, had a California look suggesting Spago in Beverly Hills, but with better views. A lake populated by flocks of birds distracted us between courses, as did the Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom in the distance, changing color after dark.
For the children, the incessant magic did not wear off. The Animal Kingdom mixes rides with walks through various habitats, a feature that I found to be especially appealing, despite its Bronx Zoo DNA. There were gorillas, parrots and other wildlife to see on the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. The Asian sector offered the Maharaja Jungle Trek, with tigers, giant bats hanging like laundry, tapirs, monkeys and even Komodo dragons.
This walk wound through what looked like the ruins of Angkor, a bridge strung with Buddhist prayer flags and an abandoned Indian palace. Having just been to India, I thought the reproduction of a bustling, somewhat shabby Indian town housing the food and souvenir concessions was witty, and astonishingly accurate. Only the beggars were missing, but Disney finds plenty of opportunity to separate even the thickest-skinned tourist from wads of cash.
THE Magic Kingdom was closer to what we had expected, with rides like Its a Small World, the perennial charmer that required an encore from us, and, similarly, the Haunted Mansion and Tomorrowland Transit Authority.
I nearly lost lunch on the Frontierland Thunder Mountain runaway-train roller coaster. Going on that ride was not my idea, not that the fast-food lunches were better than merely adequate. Pizza, hamburgers, salads, sandwiches and the like are dished up from counters in places that are thematically decorated (a saloon or a tropical outpost). You line up, pay, then pick up your tray. Soft-serve pineapple sorbet from a Dole stand in Adventureland was the singular highlight before dinner.
We overdid it on our last night, having reserved at what was supposed to be the jewel in the crown, Victoria & Alberts in the Grand Floridian resort. Since children are not permitted in the stuffy, formal dining room, we were assigned to the chefs table in the kitchen. It was not a disaster, especially not for children who know what capers are and who eat foie gras, but the meal was too elaborate, expensive and long.
Find the sign that says Julias bed, Julia said as we looked for our exit on the highway after that dinner.
We were all weary, but Eve made a point of reminding us that even that meal was fun. And delicious.
I loved my white chocolate mousse, she said. It was creamy and the chef made it look like mozzarella!
Not only was fine dining at Disney meant to satisfy the adults, it could also show children that there is more to dinner than chicken fingers and hot dogs.
All the eating can be walked off along the jungle paths in the Animal Kingdom and going on foot from Fantasyland to Adventureland to Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. But we also hoped to take a swim at the end of each tiring day. The pool at the lodge might have dwarfed a hockey rink, but it was only one to four feet deep and was filled with screaming children and adults romping with them.
A pleasant dip was one adult expectation that went unmet.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Animal Kingdom Lodge, a mile west of the Animal Kingdom park, has nearly 1,300 rooms, ranging from $225 to $2,820 a night. Reservations: (407) 939-7639 and www.disneyworld.com.
Jiko The Cooking Place, in the Lodge, has dinner entrees from $24 to $37. The menu for children under 10 has entrees from $7 to $11.
Flying Fish Cafe, in the BoardWalk Resort, has dinner entrees for $26 to $38. Entrees for children under 10 are $5.50 to $12.
At California Grill, in the Contemporary Resort, dinner entrees are $23 to $38. For children under 10, entrees are $7 to $11.
Victoria & Alberts is in the Grand Floridian. Prix-fixe dinners are $125 or $185 with wine pairings. There is no childrens menu.
All restaurant reservations: 407-939-3463.
