Oh Sweet Mother of Bread Pudding...What have I got myself into? 9/26 Update!

[tlenzendorf]

I was intrigued by the GiGi's cup cakes! I went to gigiscupcakes.com and this is 2 sisters in NJ. That's not even NEAR Savannah, GA or Nashville, TN. Can you tell me, is there a different web site? I'd like to try them and see where they are located. The cup cakes places here where I live are nothing to recommend.

This is the site you want

www.gigiscupcakesusa.com

 

[Jonesloonybin]

Loving the reviews so far! We have tea scheduled for Mother's day! I can't wait! We really love going to tea and always try to find a place when on vacation.

I looked at the Gigi's cupcakes and then had to go get a towel to wipe off the drool.

Then I decided to check locations, sure that there would be none nearby. But I discovered there is one in Raleigh!! Both my girls have already made their orders known for their upcoming birthdays...as if going to WDW isn't enough!

Of course I will need to go and sample said cupcakes ahead of time to ensure that they meet our quality standards...actually I should check at least twice to make sure it isn't just a fluke. sigh. The things we do for our kids.

 

[smiths02]

I actually like to get a Sassagoula pizza delivered in the first couple of days I am there. It stays fairly fresh in the fridge and it makes a great snack late at night when returning from the parks. It's interesting that you got it for 2 CS credits though. When I tried to use my counter service, they told me it was 2 TS credits. Yep, not worth that so I paid OOP for it. still, keeps well and I like to have a snack before I go to bed when I get home from teh parks.

I think it is 2 CS if you go over to the food court and pick it up and 2TS to have it delivered.

 

[mentul77]

Dawn, I read your comments about Gigi's and knew I recognized the name. I just drove by a brand new one in Knoxville - they either just opened or are opening soon, so you can go next time you are in town! Oh, K-town has tons of other really good cupcake bakeries (magpies, cities cupcakes, the cupcakery to name a few) you may just have to try them all!

 

[jedijill]

I just looked up Gigi's and they have a location about 20 miles from me...I might have to make a run this weekend!!!!

Jill in CO

 

[Dizneydawn]

I should call GiGi's and tell them for every new customer they get "Thanks To Me" I get a free cupcake!!!

Make sure you all try at least a few cause their buttercream is totally different to their cream cheese frosting and even the cupcakes taste unique. I loved the strawberry shortcake one and the wedding one!!!

I am thinking Treyner will have to swing through Madison on the way home and bring Mama a cupcake in May!!

 

[Linda67]

Your reviews are just too funny

Casey's looks like it should be struck off my list !

 

[tlenzendorf]

I should call GiGi's and tell them for every new customer they get "Thanks To Me" I get a free cupcake!!!

Make sure you all try at least a few cause their buttercream is totally different to their cream cheese frosting and even the cupcakes taste unique. I loved the strawberry shortcake one and the wedding one!!!

I am thinking Treyner will have to swing through Madison on the way home and bring Mama a cupcake in May!!

We are going there on Monday with my grandma, the kids are on spring break, so it will be fun. I'm amazed at how good they must be, because "swinging" thru the area where it is isn't any short distance from where you travel by!

 

[Disneymom77]

Loving the review so far I may have to add The Tea Room to my list for our November trip. And the corndogs.... Looking forward to more reviews

 

[stayhomemom77]

I am DESPERATE to take my baby girl for a tea party!! I don't do caffeine...was what you had caffeine free? I'm sure they have some kind of herbal teas to choose from as well but I thought your idea (having it iced) was genius!

Thank you for warning me off the corn dog nuggets. I admit, I've never eaten a corn dog nugget and my curiosity was getting the best of me. Up til now we've never eaten at Casey's but I was strongly considering eating there on our next trip for the corn dog nuggets...now I don't have to!

Note to self...ensure that you try the Egg rolls at the AK not the MK (an item also on the list to try on our next trip).

Can't wait for more!!

 

[Dizneydawn]

The morning of Thursday March 10th, was dreary but we went dwon to Sassgagoula's and ordered a 3 piece beignet to split with an order biscuits and gravy. There was not much time between breakfast and lunch so we did not want to be stuffed but having breakfast with 2 snack credits, was awesome!


***BTW - I am looking at my receipt from that breakfast and I just realized they charged me 3 snack credits for this meal instead of 2. MAKE SURE TO CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!!

The biscuits were not as good as last time in October. The gravy mix was almost cold and it had only been a few minutes from ordering to at the table. Biscuits were pretty hard as well and compared to Waffle House, not worth ordering if given the option. Enough to split though and with the glorious beignets, it was plenty.

The beignets are freshly made but you need to pay for them first, then bring your receipt to the ordering window specifically designated for beignets. They are always full of powdered sugar and an order of three is a snack credit, so a nice option for breakfast.

We ordered fast and ate outside which always makes a meal better.

I would give it an:

Saved only by the beignets from a lesser grade.




We were excited to eat lunch at Yak & Yeti. This was to be Baylor's first TS there and our first TS meal on the dining plan. It was Dan and my favorite stop in October and we were hoping Mark, the best waiter on the planet would be there.

Our dining reservations were for 11:30 a.m. and we were seated almost immediately. In fact it was not packed at all and I think it is a good place to try and get a seating without reservations if you are hungry and in the area for an early lunch. The 1/2 empty restaurant was the same in October for the same seating time. I am learning I do not trust the WDW dining availability chart always because it was hard to get this seating time only 2 wees before our trip and a half empty restaurant means either a ton of people canceled due to rain or maybe they allocate room for walk ups.

We were seated at the exact same table as in October, upstairs but alas, Mark was absent that day. We did have a nice CM though and I cannot express enough the class of all staff we have ever encountered at this place. It is not a Disney owned restaurant and the level of service and friendliness is bar none.

We were hungry and ordered two app's OOP. Dan and I split our order of ribs like before and Baylor went for the Kobe burger. ***The burger is no longer on their menu as of 4/11 according to what I have found on line.

Dan ordered his favorite drink of the last trip. It is a mango daquiri made with rum called a Yak Attack. I knew he loved it so much...that I ordered him a second one! I did not count on the fact he would be stumbling out of the place!

Baylor ordered a coke as did I.

The app's were out within a few minutes and they were very fresh and hot!

Pork Egg Rolls - Served with chili plum dipping sauce. - $7.99

Wok-Fried Green Beans - Battered green beans with sweet Thai chili sauce. - $6.99

I like the egg rolls with soy sauce personally and we did not like the green been sauce at all. What we did discover by Dan concocting things, was mixing the soy sauce with the chili sauce from the egg rolls, created a heavenly dip for the beans. Like no joke, out of this world amazing. Baylor even used it for his french fries later and his burger.

The egg rolls are by far, best on property at WDW. They are freshly made, loads of veggies and meat and the filling is not fried to the point of deathly mush nor raw enough to be cold and too firm. They have a sesame flavor to them and are the best I have ever had anywhere. Again, I think they are equally good downstairs at the CS, so grab them as a snack or meal if you do not have a reservation here.

The beans were a new food experience for us and they were amazing. Crisp, battered lightly with a crunch and coating that did not strip off the rest of the bean with the first bite. Plenty to share and not one was left on the plate when we were done. They tasted garden fresh and I could not believe how much better they were compared to others I have had at restaurants or ones I have tried at home from various frozen food companies. A true treat.

Baylor's burger. It was ginormous.

Kobe Beef Burger - 10 oz grilled American Kobe beef burger, sesame-soy sauce, mayonnaise, crispy shoestring fries. topped with choice of shiitake mushroom & scallion compote or Asian slaw $17.99

Again, the new menus do not show it as an option and I think I know why. It was medium well done, had a lot of flavor but it was not the best beef for a burger. There was plenty of debate as to the definition of Kobe beef and Yak & Yeti was very honest it was an American Kobe burger. You might not want to pay $125.00 or more at WDW for a 100% authentic Kobe burger.

It was served on a ciabatta bun that was toasted. Presentation great but execution not so much.

As soon as Baylor bit into the burger, it crumbled in his hands. The patty did not stay together at all. It was too heavy of a patty for the consistency of a burger. Flavor was excellent and Baylor ate most of it with a fork but it was sloppy. He was getting frustrated after a few bites because he gets a lot of grief from us about eating like a carnivore caveman but this time it was not his fault. He said he would never order it again simply due to the messy factor.

That is a huge negative review coming from a kid who is truly a Burger Fiend.

The fries were crisp and plentiful. he could not eat them all. Mushrooms cooked and sauteed to perfection. Like I said, great idea and maybe the texture of the beef would lend itself to something more like a fancy meatloaf that you would eat with a knife and fork. From the bun to the special mayo, it was great flavors and all mixed in and baked, they could have one heck of a meal for people who are not traditional meatloaf lovers.

Baby Back Ribs - Slow-roasted ribs, hoisin BBQ sauce, chicken fried rice, and sweet chili slaw. - $22.99

We also were given a lo mein noodle for Dan due to his rice allergy.

These were what I was craving since we left MN and I am not a rib fan. I could not say enough about them in October.

They brought us out an extra plate and Dan and I split the ribs. My first bite was the start of a not great experience. The meat was tough, dry and way overcooked. Dan proceeded to eat like his was handed down from Jesus himself and I thought I must be crazy.

I put the first rib to the side and tried a second one, only to have the same experience. I then asked Dan about his and he said his was great.

I did what any respecting woman who tastes something bad does.

I asked him to try mine and compare!

He did and agreed I must have gotten the end of the rib rack. His was not as dry but absolutely not as moist as in October. This led me to wonder if these first batch of ribs were cooked early to have ready to roll out as the first guests ordered and just sat under warmers too long.

The rice and noodles are also so-so at best. They are lacking flavor and are worse than most fast food Asian places you find at any local mall or airport. They were the same last time as well but since the ribs were so bad, it made you want to enjoy something more on your plate. The chili slaw is good though so that smackerel was nice!

As we were ending our meal, we could not help but notice some big wigs in chef's coats and management attire come in and sit behind us.

They were very frank about their food choices, knew the cut of meat they wanted and way they wanted it cooked. These men were serious eaters and I noticed one had executive chef tags from Rainforest Cafe on him, also found at AK.

This made sense because Rainforest is owned by the Landry Corp. who also owns Yak & Yeti and the new T-Rex rest. in DTD. I am sure you get sick of eating at your own place as a chef so why not eat elsewhere if you can still be loyal to the company.

Now I need to give you a backstory.

I am very familiar with the Landry corp. and especially Rainforest Cafe. The first Rainforest opened at the Mall of America in MN in 1994 and I had mutual friends with Steven Schussler, the developer of this chain as well as some of the staff who helped create the first one by decorating Steven's house and making it into a mini version of his dream. To this day, some of those original friends are lead management. In fact I was asked to work with them many moons ago and be part of the companies head hunters for new locations to open up restaurants and develop new menus.

I turned it down because I was pregnant with Baylor and could not imagine taking on a job with that much travel and three little kids. It was the right choice at the time because my friend Stacy who still is with the company, would have to be gone from her life in MN for months at a time doing staffing, overseeing training etc., in all parts of the world as new locations popped up as well as the times she would be gone, searching out good areas to build and determining some are not so great.

It is also probably the one thing I wonder about as a job to this day and think what a perfect fit it could have been for my personal goals. I do not regret my choice, Stacy still is not married and has no kids and I would not trade worlds with her for anything but in another life, it might have been amazing.

Ok - back to Yak & Yeti...

A gentleman came from the back to greet us quickly at our table and ask if there was anything we needed. We dismissed his question with a polite smile and let him go on to the table of the head honcho's. He was the head GM for Yak & Yeti and was making the rounds, I am sure at some level because the other big wigs from Rain forest were there.

Then I sat there and thought if I was him, would I be happy with someone telling me things were fine when they were not? Would I want to try and better my restaurant or have someone do a food blog with a partially negative review without giving me a chance to remedy it.

I decided I needed to let him know our true experience and so as he past us to head back to his office or where he came from, I called out his first name and asked him for a minute.

I started with my love for Rainforest and my history with the owner and the company and told him of our first visit last October. I told him I remembered our waiter by name and what an impression that dining experience had on us.

I then told him that I thought that the ribs were a bit dry and asked him if he could look into when they were cooked and how long they had been ready to be served. That it did not ruin our meal or make us not want to come again but if it had been my only experience, it may have and I did not want other customers to not leave with the best opinion.

He asked us if we had ordered dessert yet and we had not. He asked us if we had plans for it and I said we would have the cream cheese dessert wontons. He told us that they have won many awards as the most unique deep fried item and best in taste.

He then apologized again for the ribs and was very attentive and appreciated the honesty with the intent it was given. He asked us if he could comp our ticket and we told him no, that was not necessary nor was it what we were looking for. We again, reiterated that we simply wanted to let him know something was amiss before the large lunch rush had the same experience.

He then, pulled out his wallet and handed us his personal business card. He said to contact him the next time we came down and he would make sure we were given priority seating at any and all of their locations. That priority seating was not simply a reservation but a separate entity entirely that would move us to the top of the line above anyone else for the next seating available.

This was not what we expected nor something we could have planned on but I have that card tucked away like Gold and you better believe I will be using it for our October trip.

This was a perfect example of doing the right thing for the right reasons will always come back to reward you more than any dishonest one.

Baylor looked like he may blow up trying to eat a dessert but we ordered two of the wontons and they again, were amazing. One of the best desserts by far on property anywhere. It also was the reason we knew next time we would not have both app's and eat the dessert, even splitting a meal with a third person along. TOO MUCH FOOD.

Fried Wontons - Skewers of fresh pineapple and cream cheese wontons with vanilla ice cream and honey vanilla drizzle. - $7.99

The blend of the sauce and the tart of the pineapple or strawberries is enough to send you into a catatonic trance. When something is so good, I am speechless, you know there is a chance it came from God's mixing bowl. The genius behind this creation has a special seat in Paula Dean's heaven.

The meal itself should be given an:

The ribs were edible but not amazing and they really need to make the rice and lo mein not so blah. The app's were out of this world though and the burger, albeit a mess, was perfection in taste. The dessert has not a single flaw and it kills me not to give it a Paula because I want everyone to go to this place. The nice touch of the GM only adds to the whole experience and so, I am forced to be honest about what it deserved but please know it has the potential to be a Paula with a side of Guy Fieri and most of the Emeril's will never dream of those heights or potential.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Great review of Yak & Yeti!

I have a question - do they use MSG?

Someone on the boards said they did and since they weren't a Disney restaurant, they could use it. It would mean I couldn't eat here. Wait...I would eat here but my husband (who has a culinary degree and was a chef...was!) insists on not eating MSG after learning what it really does to you. Bummer, I actually used to sprinkle MSG on my chicken and I can't anymore. The sacrifices we make for love

 

[deenbrad]

I have to tell you I LOVE your reviews! You are so descriptive - it's wonderful!
Thanks again for sharing!

 

[JessicaFaye508]

That is a really cool story about the Rainforest Cafe. I actually went to the one in the Mall of America this past August! It was very fun!

I'm sorry your ribs weren't fantastic We went there this past trip and got salmon and shrimp lo mein though and it was amazing! It must have been an off day.

At least you got your secret weapon for priority seating next time though! Very cool!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Dawn - awesome and thorough review of Y&Y!!! I always wanted to at least get the egg rolls - never have. Now I will for sure!!

I definitely will book this next trip - although I have no idea when it will be. You have given some great info.
Plus - love the Rainforest history. What an interesting story that you almost worked with them. I remember seeing something on the opening of T-Rex and they talked with the developer and told all about the history. We've been to Rainforest at MOA a couple times, so we figure why go at WDW? But Y&Y would be great!!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thanks for the great update and the story of Yak and Yeti.

 

[disneybound31]

I would like to know what MSG does to one's body...I know it's bad, but...

 

[wdwdasiy]

MSG is some nasty stuff. I googled it and found it to be worse than I ever knew. It is also linked with aspartame as a huge food toxin. I really need to get my Diet Coke addiction under control!!! There is some scary stuff in there!!

I loved the Y&Y review. We really want to try it next year. My daughter is a big rib fan so she would love it. Flame Tree is also a favorite

 

[wdwdasiy]

OMG!! Just looked up GiGi's Cupcakes and we have one here in ATHENS
Guess what we are checking out this weekend! I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[sue and co]

Yak and Yeti is on my least for our next trip. We love Rainforest Cafe but did not love our most recent experience in Canada. There was a power cut in the area in the middle of the meal which was not their fault BUT the reaction of the staff and the service we then received left a lot to be desired!!