Not Known As Light Eaters - A Deluxe Dining Tale, Updated 8/24 Mama Melrose's

[eventamy]

Great Reviews! We are putting Flying Fish on our ADR list for next February. We also had slow service at Kona this year, wonder if it's a trend.

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

We had a GREAT meal at Kona in 2007 and a TERRIBLE one in 2009.

We ate dinner there and it was AWFUL. The food was COLD and the service was sooooo slow. I will have much more detail in my review but suffice to say we won't be back. Ever.

I am glad to read that you had a good experience there.

 

[helloconnie]

I'm In!

Are you by chance tracking to see if you come out ahead on the DDDP?

 

[disneybound31]

Great reviews!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Your lunch at Kona sounds wonderful, love fish tacos and I am mad at DH for not taking me there this past Sunday (we had a lousy lunch at WCC instead). I am going to add Kona as our departure lunch in Dec!

 

[fantasia73]

Are you by chance tracking to see if you come out ahead on the DDDP?

We didn't keep track while we were there, and now our receipts are scattered about. We did finish the plan and used all our snacks. I would say we came out ahead just by looking at what we ordered, but I can't be sure.

Your lunch at Kona sounds wonderful, love fish tacos and I am mad at DH for not taking me there this past Sunday (we had a lousy lunch at WCC instead). I am going to add Kona as our departure lunch in Dec!

We walked by the WCC and were real glad we didn't eat there!

 

[fantasia73]

This was the meal that I was looking forward to the most on this trip. On our previous trip, we had eaten at Boma and enjoyed the food, but Jiko was in a different class!

We arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge a little early so we would have the chance to show my parents around. It was sprinkling ever so slightly, so I let my parents take the umbrella out to look at the animals. They never came back. We had to hunt them down. They were talking to a cast member about the animals and having a good time. Don't worry about me, mom. The rain had stopped so we watched some zebras and long-antlered things (I forget the names) roaming around.

As we walked to Jiko, we noticed lots of people noisily waiting for Boma, but as we approached Jiko, we felt like we were leaving a storm and going into the calm! We had to wait a few minutes for some people monopolizing the host and hostess. They were trying to decide whether or not to wait for a table, since they didn't have an ADR. The host should have asked them to step aside, while he helped me, but it was a small thing.

We were sat at a table by the windows. It was really pretty. My parents couldn't believe that we always got amazing tables. I don't know if it was just dumb luck, but I was always impressed with the tables we were given. There was one BIG problem with this table and it was sitting in a high chair right next to us. I don't know if it was a boy or girl, but this two year old was not happy to be dining at Jiko. We weren't happy the kid was there either. Like I said in my introduction, this was the only time we were sat near a kid like this. It screamed and cried. Everytime it picked up its sippy cup, it hurled it across the room. Sometimes towards us and sometimes towards its parents. The parents were rolling their eyes like "I can't believe this is happening." The right thing would have been to leave or take turns taking the baby out. There was a restaurant full of people trying to enjoy their meals and the shrieks really didn't add to the atmosphere.

That being said, this was one of my favorite meals. Our waiter was very nice and helpful. He really went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed. The chef came over and went over the menu with me. If I remember correctly, there were a few things that were off limits for me, but after I told him what I planned to order, he said I was all set.

For beverages, the ladies split a bottle of sauvignon blanc that was recommended by our waiter. I believe it was Paul Cluver. It was very good. My father had an African beer of some sort and said it was, "outstanding."

My appetizer was Duck Confit Salad with Poached Pear, Dabo Croutons, Mustard-shallot Vinaigrette, and Goat Cheese. I didn't love it, but it was okay. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the duck seemed very salty. I picked around the duck and stuck to everything else. My father had Jiko Summer Salad with Romaine and Bibb Lettuce, Peaches, and Peach Vinaigrette. This was one dish that he talked about all week. Besides his lobster at Narcoossee's, this was his favorite. I didn't try any, because he ate the whole thing! My mother had Cucumber, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad with Rocket, Cottage Cheese, and Watermelon Vinaigrette. She did like it, but that's about all I got out of her on that one. The birthday girl had Crispy “Savanna” Rolls with Sweet Corn, Bitter Greens, Goat Cheese and Curry Vinaigrette. She did like them, but commented that she didn't expect quite so much corn. there was corn literally pouring out from these things!

Now, onto my favorite entree of the trip. Oak-grilled Filet Mignon with Macaroni & Cheese and Red Wine Sauce. The birthday girl and I both ordered this. For some reason, we've both had a lot of steaks cooked out recently. I've been to the Capital Grill, Ruth's Chris, and Craftsteak all within the last couple of months. This steak was the best out of any of them. it was perfectly cooked medium/rare, melted in your mouth, and was complemented nicely by the sauce. In fact as I was leaving the restaurant, I told the people at the exit that it was the best steak I had had in a long time. They may have thought I was babbling crazily, but it was that good. No picture, because a picture would not do it justice. I don't remember the mac and cheese served with it, but it doesn't matter. Just go order that filet!

My mother ordered Grilled Swordfish with Crisp Mealie Pap, Asparagus, and
Tomato-Pancetta Vinaigrette. She did enjoy it, but I think she was secretly jealous that she didn't order the steak! I just remember making fun of her because of the pap. My father ordered some kind of shrimp dish. I don't remember now exactly what it was. He loved it though.

We were all stuffed when dessert time rolled around, but we managed! My mother and I had House-made Lemon Curd
with Pomegranate and Blueberry Compote, White Chocolate Biscotti,
and Sour Cream Ice Cream. I loved the lemon curd, but I am particularly crazy about lemon. If you're not a lemon fan, it's probably not for you. I was too full to eat the ice cream or the compote, but my mother said it was tasty when you mixed all of the flavors together.

My father had Kenyan Coffee and Koeksisters - Kenyan Coffee Ice Cream with Spiced Doughnuts. He loved the warm donuts and they sure did look good. I really love donuts. The presentation for this dish was cute too.

The birthday girl was the only one who really didn't like her dessert. She had Pistachio Crème Brûlée with a Chocolate-layered bottom. She was expecting more of a pistachio flavor, but what she said she tasted most was the chocolate. Also, the sugar on top had been caramelized too soon, so it was soggy instead of crisp.

When we left, we were all very full and very happy. I will definitely keep this restaurant on my list for the next trip. It would just be hard to order something other than that steak!

 

[iluvpluto27]

Really enjoying your reviews. We love Jiko and the coffee and donuts dessert is right up my DH's alley, no doubt he'll be giving that a try on our next visit.

 

[Flossbolna]

Thanks for the great reviews! I really like the look of the coffee desert at Jiko!!!

 

[D&R love Disney]

Great reviews, looking forward to reading more!

 

[fantasia73]

Today was our EPCOT day. Staying at the Boardwalk, we took the boat over to the International Gateway. As a complete aside, beware of the crazy people running to get to Soarin' first thing in the morning. People were literally sprinting, dragging their kids, and pushing their way to get past you. It was a little dangerous! I did enjoy Soarin', but I don't think it's worth all that fuss. Maybe my expectations were too high . . .

After a hot morning, we made it to Mexico just in time for layered margaritas. If we had waited any longer, we might have all fainted from the heat! This is one of our must-dos when we make a trip to EPCOT. It sure did hit the spot on a hot day! We also saw that they have a slightly more expensive blue margarita made with Patron Tequila. I'll have to try that next trip.

We spent some time in the Mexican Pavillion. We went on the ride. Looked at the overpriced gift shop. Then made it to the restaurant a few minutes prior to our ADR. We were sat immediately. I love the atmosphere of this restaurant. It is beautiful and in the darkness, it feels calm and relaxing. We also managed to forget how hot it was outside.

The service inside the theme parks at lunch was among the quickest we had on the entire trip. We weren't rushed, but the time between courses didn't lag. Our waitress was named Lupita and she was very sweet. She took good care of us, and appreciated our attempts to speak Spanish to her.

I didn't take any pictures in here because I didn't think the pictures would come out without a flash, and I thought it would be rude to use a flash inside such a dark restaurant.

We enjoyed all of our food here. I have to say that this was one restaurant that we found to be extremely overpriced. Tacos for $14? Seriously. We would not dine here OOP, but on the Dining Plan, it was good enough to merit one meal credit! Where we live, there are not many good Mexican restaurants. Wait, no, there are no good Mexican restaurants. So for us this was a treat. If you have access at home to good Mexican food, this would probably not be as special to you.

To drink, we all ordered Diet Coke with lime. They brought out a nice plate filled with lime slices. We would have enjoyed a margarita with our food, but I have a bad memory of leaving the San Angel Inn and not remembering how I got back to the Yacht Club.

For appetizers, everyone either had the shrimp cocktail or the crab tostadas. The shrimp cocktail was very good and had lots of big shrimp. The shrimp was mixed with the sauce, so for some people this might be a negative. I like it, because every shrimp had plenty of sauce on it. It was a tiny bit spicy. The tostadas were also very good. They were flat fried tortillas with crab on top and a tasty sauce. You didn't get a very big portion, but it was a nice light option.

For entree, my mother and I had the Ensalada Mexicana with grilled shrimp. It was a refreshing salad with segments of orange, big slices of jicama, and toasted sunflower seeds. The dressing was very light. It was a delicious salad, but I can't say that would have paid $18.99 for it.

The birthday girl and my father had the enchiladas with rice and refried beans. They both really liked their entire plate full of food. For some reason, the birthday girl especially liked the beans.

When it came time for dessert, we were full, but again we persevered! I had a white chocolate mousse served in a fried tortilla cup. The birthday girl did not order dessert, but asked for an extra spoon to try some of mine. She agreed that this mousse was worth overextending one's stomach. It was real good. My mother had the flan and said it was delicious. I don't know how you could make a bad flan, but so be it. My father had the bread pudding. I am not a bread pudding fan, but my father cannot help but order it if it's on a menu. If you guessed that he said it was "outstanding", you win.

We all left very full, but not sick. Although, the birthday girl and I did have to sit through the Universe of energy before we used our next round of Fast Passes for Soarin'.

 

[fantasia73]

We arrived with about 1/2 hour to spare before our reservation remembering that self parking was a hassle at this resort. I checked in at the guard gate and he directed me to the self parking lot which across the street from the resort. I love the lobby of this hotel so we spent some talking walking around.

We were a few minutes early for our ADR but I checked in anyway. I asked for a window table and the hostess said it would be a 30 minute wait. We were hoping to still be there for Wishes, so we agreed to wait. No sooner had we gotten settled outside, that our buzzer went off and our table was ready. We had a beautiful view of the Contemporary. I'm not sure why I was so worried about not taking enough time with our meal to see the fireworks. As usual, this was a 2 1/2 hour meal.

We all ordered cocktails. My dad a martini with olives and my mom a raspberry mojito. The birthday girl ordered a Blue Floridian:
Sauza Gold Tequila, Blue Curacao , Lime Juice and Sweet-and-Sour. It came with a glow cube and she was pleased at the drink's appearance and flavor.

I had a blackberry mojito which I really enjoyed. I make mojitos all the time, so it wasn't quite as good as my own, but it was tasty. I love this picture of it.

Our waiter was a real character and I'm sorry that I forgot to write down his name, but he was a riot. I was traveling with a splinted finger from a sweet-potato-fry cooking injury, so the waiter went into all kinds of stories about going to London and breaking his hand playing football. He kept the meal moving, but I think his talking made it last a little longer.

For an appetizer, I had the cheese plate. There was a nice selection of cheese. Humboldt Fog, Cashel Blue, and Tête De Moine. I love cheese, so this was great. The only things I didn't care for were the golden raisins.

My dad had the Green Goddess Salad Romaine, Cucumber, Hearts of Palm, Tarragon, Tomatoes, and Avocado Dressing. He did really like it, but ate too much before I could get a picture. I thought it was pretty. My mother had Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella Balsamic Vinegar, Basil Cream,
Watercress, and Micro Basil. I had a bite of the Mozzarella and it was delicious. I know, just what I needed: more cheese! The birthday girl had the Crab Cakes Southern Slaw and Cajun Rémoulade Sauce. This was her favorite appetizer of the trip and it did look good. I wish she had let me have a bite!!

For entrees, my father and I got the Steamed Whole Maine Lobster Drawn Butter, Potato Gratin, and Asparagus. I thought all of the meat was very tender and flavorful, including the tail. It could all be cut with just a fork. The only parts I couldn't pick out were the knuckles (since I had on my splint), but I certainly didn't need to eat them. I was too full to eat all of the potatoes that came on the side, but they were tasty. My father talked about this lobster for days! He thought it was so good and couldn't believe the dining plan included it.

The birthday girl ordered Pan Seared Scallops Baby Summer Vegetables, Proscuitto, Parmesan, and Chimichurri. This was a first for her to have her scallops accompanied by Chimichurri sauce, but she LOVED the combination. She wants to try to recreate this dish at home. She said the scallops really went with these flavors, and she never would have guessed that they would go so well. My mother ordered Grilled Filet Mignon Potato Gratin, Romano Beans, and Choron Sauce. She was still jealous of our filets at Jiko, so she wanted steak in the worst way. She did really enjoy this filet.

Sometime while we were waiting for our entrees, an order was put in for some sparkling wine. I believe it was Domaine Ste. Michelle. It was easy drinking, very light.

By the time dessert rolled around, we were all REALLY stuffed. We lingered over the dessert menu and decided to just order three desserts and split them amongst all of us. The birthday girl had Key Lime Creme Brulee. Ironically, she didn't care for it, but my mother loved it. So my mother ate the entire thing. The birthday girl said the texture was off and she didn't taste a lot of lime. My mother had no such complaints! My father ordered the gelato sampler. I don't remember which flavors were included, but he enjoyed every one. I think he gave a few spoonfuls out to the others.

But as for me, I ordered Almond-crusted Cheesecake - Inspired by the Year of a Million Dreams and served with Lambert cherry sauce. Not only was this dish beautifully presented, it also had amazing flavor. I was stuffed, but I managed to eat most of the cheesecake with the cherries. A few bites were shared around the table. Everyone agreed this was a delicious. If it was on the menu of every restaurant, I would have ordered it every night! Sooo creamy and flavorful. I hate Rachel Ray, but it made me say "Yum-O."

We left the restaurant with 5 minutes to spare before Wishes started. We stood out on the deck and enjoyed the show. It was a beautiful night and our expectations were exceeded again!


Stay tuned for the one meal that we actually hated! Mama Melrose!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Thank you so much for the Narcoossee's review...I just added it in for our Oct trip and we plan on getting the green goddess salad, tomato mozz salad, DH wants the surf and turf and I will get the scallops!

 

[DLo]

wow, you have had some awesome meals. thanks for taking the time to review and post pics.

We ate at Kona for lunch last year . I loved the fish tacos. I had the choc. fondue for dessert - yum.

Jiko and Narco. look awesome. we have never made it to a signature restuarant. I think we are going to have to up the budget for next years trip!!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Narcoosee' sounds wonderful. It was never on my list of restaurants, but my sister who will travel to WDW for her first time with me on my next trip really fell in love with it and the more I read about it the more I get excited about eating there!

 

[fantasia73]

This was supposed to be our only day at the Hollywood Studios (or as we still call it MGM). We did end up spending an additional morning there, but at this time, we didn't know that would happen. We opted for Mama Melrose's because we wouldn't have to leave the park to eat there. I have eaten at Mama Melrose's two times in the past and always enjoyed the food. We close to a section of Rhode Island called Federal Hill that has awesome Italian food, and in the past this wasn't quite as good, but it did the job.

We checked in and were told that it would be a few minutes wait. There were plenty of tables open, but it did take about 10 minutes before we were seated at one of them. Our waitress came to the table and refused to take our order, even for drinks, until the chef came to the table to talk to me. We were all planning to order Diet Coke, so it seemed silly, but we waited. And waited. And waited. When he finally came out, he said to watch out for the bar drinks that contained coconut and some sorbet that had coconut on top. Hmmm . . . I could still order Diet Coke!

I have to say the restaurant was nice and cool and we enjoyed the atmosphere. About 50% of the tables were full, with the other people dining outside at Pizza Planet. Seriously, it would take a lot to get to me to eat outside in that Florida heat!!!

Our appetizers were actually quite good. My mother and I both had Mozzarella and Tomatoes - Served with marinated sweet onions, balsamic drizzle, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh sweet basil. Except for the gross onions, we really enjoyed this course. The tomatoes were delicious and the mozzarella creamy and good. The birthday girl had the Bruschetta - Marinated tomatoes served with Crostini. She loved that as well. I had a piece of it to go with my salad and it was very enjoyable. My father ordered the Antipasto for 2, and was surprised that the waitress said he could get it by himself. It came as a platter with fresh Italian Ham, cheeses, and assorted olives, peppers, and asparagus. Except for the gross asparagus that was slimy and bitter, my father enjoyed every last bite of this huge portion. We all had a bite of the Italian Ham and it was real good.

At this point, we were all saying how smart we were to eat there. And then the entrees arrived . . . I had Eggplant Napoleon - Layers of eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes. Let's just say that it was inedible. The eggplant was not the normal color of eggplant. It was a dark shade of brown and tasted awful. I took one bite and left the rest there. The fresh tomatoes were fresh and the mozzarella was good, but that was what I had had for an appetizer. My mother and the birthday girl each had a Grilled Chicken Flatbread - Made with sun-dried tomato pesto, Pancetta, Asiago cheese, and fresh chives. Apparently, they took the term "Flat bread" literally because this thing had literally no flavor. You might as well have been eating the place mat. They both wanted me to taste it just to verify that it was tasteless, and it was. My father had the Oven-baked Chicken alla Parmigiana - Served over spaghetti. He will pretty much eat anything, but he barely took ten bites of this. I didn't get what was so bad about it, except that he thought the sauce tasted like ketchup with a little oregano added. Not good. I specifically remember loving especially the flat breads the last time I ate here.

This was probably the first time that we were actually hungry at dessert time! Usually our entrees were so good that we want to order the smallest dessert possible. Here, it was the opposite. For dessert, I had Tiramisu - Layers of Ladyfingers soaked in coffee and topped with whipped mascarpone cheese. It was okay. Not great, but I did eat the whole thing. The whipped mascarpone was pretty darn good. The birthday girl had Honey-Hazelnut & Ricotta Cheesecake - Honey-hazelnut and ricotta cheesecake. She did like it, but didn't think it was anything special. It looked good. My parents both had Spumoni Gelato. They were served huge dishes of it. It had to be 3 scoops worth. They liked it and both managed to eat the whole serving.

This was the single disappointing meal of our trip. Eating about 13 meals in the World, and only having one that was disappointing is nothing short of amazing. Eating out around our house, there are a lot worse odds than that. I would have thought Mama Melrose's was just having an off day, but I've read several less than stellar reviews recently. Maybe eating outside at Pizza Planet wasn't a bad thing after all . . .

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Great updates, Sorry to hear about Jiko (I have a young child and if have acted in anyway we would have left b/c I want to enjoy our dinner and I want others to enjoy too), But I have a young son who loves to eat out so he learned in an early stage how to behave (I'm not saying he is perfect but we try to be considerate to him and others). We love Narcoosee's, the first time we went there my husband got the Maine Lobster and I got the surf and turf (I love my turf but my lobster was not great...when I asked they said its a frozen tail lobster and the whole Maine lobster is the fresh one) so I love the Maine Lobster so much and upset I did not get it in the first place my husband reserved Narcoossee's the next night so I can enjoy the Maine Lobster. Then our last night, I wanted it again so we had room service (private dinning from Narcoosee's deliver it to our room plus I knew my son was feeling rundown and it was not fair for him to sit that long so he went to sleep and my husband and I got Narcoosee's meal for our last night at Disney). Enjoying your reviews and can't wait to read more.