November 11/11--11/17--a Week of great TS meals

[100acreHiker]

Just back from a week-long trip that included 7 table service meals. I didn't take any photos, but I thought I'd take some time to review our dinners.

Post 1: California Grill and Mama Melrose's

Post 2: Le Cellier and Be Our Guest (Dinner)

Post 3: 1900 Park Fare (Breakfast) and 'Ohana

Post 4: La Hacienda de San Angel and Be Our Guest (FP+ Lunch)


Day 1, California Grill. I was most excited about this. It was pretty good, but not great. The view was amazing, our server was incredibly attentive. I ordered the pork two ways, which I've heard raves about, and DH ordered the filet with tomato risotto. Kids had steak and pasta.

My pork was pretty good. I read so much about this dish that I was expecting it to melt in my mouth. The pork belly was unusually lean and a little dry, but still flavorful. The pork tenderloin had a strong mustard sauce on it. DH's filet was delicious, but he ordered it medium and it came out rare. Very tender, but the tomato risotto was a little odd. Wine was very good.

The banana fritters that I was looking forward to were undercooked and raw in the middle. They tasted awful. I couldn't even eat one. I would have sent them back (which I never do), but I was tired from traveling and we had to get to bed. Creme brulee was fantastic. Kids' cookies and cream very good. Overall, I would not go back, especially for 2 credits. It was good but not great, though I applaud their creative menu.

Day 2: Mama Melrose Fantasmic! Dinner Package. We went for lunch. It was surprisingly great. I had read that it was like an Olive Garden, so I wasn't expecting much, especially because I hate Olive Garden, but it was much, much better than that. We stuck with their flatbreads (three different ones) and appetizers. Our server was funny and friendly and accomodating. House salad with artichokes and salami was fantastic. They no longer have the charcuterie appetizer, which I was looking forward to. The chicken pesto ricotta and carmelized onion flatbread was absolutely delicious. Spicy sausage flatbread very good, too. Crisp and flavorful. Dessert sampler was great! Panna cotta (two kinds), chocolate mousse, cheesecake, etc. We were happy with the meal. We also really enjoyed the vibe of the restaurant: relaxed, Italian family-friendly place that felt very warm and welcoming.

 

[100acreHiker]

Le Cellier was worth the two credits (unlike California Grill). The filet was their signature mushroom risotto with truffle sauce. Very rich but so, so good. I wasn't feeling well, so I took 75% of my meal back to the resort and ate it late at night and it was still stunningly good. DH got the lamb porterhouse and declared it tender and excellent. Everything on our plates worked well together, the meat was cooked perfectly. The kids loved their sirloin and macaroni and cheese. DH was impressed that they had his favorite, hard to find microbrew beer on hand.

Dessert was a little odd (panna cotta), but the chocolate mousse was great. They took us on time, service was very accomodating of the fact I wasn't feeling well and rushed us along at our request. Would definitely go back!

Be Our Guest (Dinner). So, so, so good. I thought maybe this place might be more hype and style than substance, but we loved our meal, and it was only one credit. We were seated in the Rose room, which I was initially disappointed with, but the main room was very loud, and the room with the lightning was too dark for my taste. We ordered the charcuterie plate, which we were very excited to get, but it never came, and when they brought out our entrees and realized they forgot it, they brought it right out and said it was on the house. Service was great. Example: I initially ordered the salmon, and then 10 minutes later I saw the table next to me eating the scallops and shrimp. It looked so good, and I flagged down my waiter and asked if he could change it. No problem. It was delicious. Really, really good. DH had the new chicken dish, which was very good, maybe not great, but he liked it. DS 10 had the braised pork and loved it. I liked the new cauliflower side (pureed like mashed potatoes), but some might wish it was mashed potatoes.

Dessert was good. The grey stuff on the chocolate cookie thing was great. I did not care for any of the cupcakes which I know most people love. They were just too sweet. But we loved everything else and the atmosphere. Worth the trouble of snagging the reservation at 3am : )

 

[100acreHiker]

1900 PF: We're not big character meal folks. My 6 yr old son likes to meet some of the characters here and there, but we don't go out of our way. We were staying at the GF, so I figured it would be good to try. Food was pretty good. The lobster eggs benedict had no discernible lobster, and the eggs were cooked through solid. Pastries and bagels and salmon, fruit, were all perferctly fine. All standard buffet stuff. Characters were very good. Mad Hatter was our favorite for his wit. Mary Poppins was distracted and a little stiff, but fine. Alice was great, as were Pooh and Tigger. Our waitress was very good and made sure we had everything we needed.

'Ohana: That night we walked the path from the GF to Poly and ate at 'Ohana. Never having been there, I don't have much to compare it to. I read a lot of disappointing reviews, and few very good ones. It was ok. Bread was a little cool and not very fresh. The whole meal was way, way too much food. Meat was good, not great. Couple of pieces of steak were too rare for me, but not inedible. Noodles were good. I did ask for the salad-- it had a sweet dressing on it. DH joked that we should have brought 10 kids with us--it was that much food. I felt awful about all the waste. Our server could not have been more disengaged and robotic. Not rude or unresponsive, just not into his job at all. Dessert was excellent. Even still, we would not go back. Food was just average and I didn't love the atmosphere.

 

[100acreHiker]

La Hacienda: Wow. We LOVED this meal. It was my DS's 10th birthday, and he wanted tacos, so we opted for this beautiful restaurant. They initially wanted to seat us by the restroom, but I kindly asked for a window seat since it was a special occasion. They happily obliged. Beautiful view. Chips and salsa were good, but our meals were very tasty and perfectly done. We ordered the meat parrillada platter. It came with chicken, steak with chimmichirro sauce, and chorizo, as well as spiced corn, black beans, tortillas and rice. It was amazing. Very, very good, and I live in New York with lots of good Mexican. DS ordered the taquizo/taco trio. It's an appetizer, but he ate it as his meal and liked it very much. DS 6 had the child's quesadilla and loved it. We loved the atmosphere of the restaurant, the view, and that platter was perfect. Whatever marinade they used on the chicken was exquisite. Dessert didn't do much for me (apple turnover with ice cream), but I still highly recommend this place.

On our final day, we had a FP for lunch at Be Our Guest. I had pre-ordered our meals, but they were still able to be changed at the last minute. The line for the pre-ordered food moves much, much quicker, so do pre-order if you can. We had the tuna nicoise, which was good, as well as the potato leek soup, which was very good, if not a little too creamy. DS had the croque monsieur, which he wasn't nuts about claiming it had something weird in it, which might be the bechemel sauce. The eclair was fantastic; chocolate cream puff was ok. Whatever pasta they're serving the kids is kind of awful, and the applesauce was not a hit, either. We very much preferred our dinner over our lunch, but we liked that we were able to grab a table by the snowing window.

All in all, we had never eaten at any of these restaurants, so it was fun to try new places, especially ones that are traditionally hard-to-get reservations, and see which ones lived up to their hype and which ones didn't.

 

[dina7]

Thanks for your reviews. They were very helpful & I didn't even mind that there weren't any pictures

 

[tluvstink]

Great reviews..... thanks for posting

Terri

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks for the great reviews. You ate at some of our favorite places so am glad you enjoyed them.

 

[kevdad]

Whatever pasta they're serving the kids is kind of awful, and the applesauce was not a hit, either. We very much preferred our dinner over our lunch, but we liked that we were able to grab a table by the snowing window.

Thank you for the reviews! We are doing the MM Fantasmic! Lunch in two weeks and I was skeptical until I read your review. Now looking forward to it.

Was the kids pasta the whole grain macaroni? If so, I have that ordered for our three kids and will change it. Thanks!

 

[100acreHiker]

The pasta the BOG has for lunch is a macaroni with a marinara/red sauce. It comes plain, with the sauce on the side and mozzarella on the side, too. It was not good at all.

For dinner, they have macaroni and cheese, and my son loved it. I asked if it was available for lunch and was told no.

 

[DaisyNY]

Thanks for the reviews...thinking about trying MM again, we haven't gone in many years but I'm seeing more positives about this place lately. We too felt like Ohana was overrated.

 

[dzneelvr]

I'm going to be on the lookout for your recommended meat platter in Mexico. We love de St. Angel and I usually get the chef's special. Not this time. Thanks

 

[ribollita]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[CanadianPaco]

Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you had a really nice time!!!