Pie That Brownie, Fruitcake! Updated Post #1832 - The End

[oybolshoi]

Have a fantastic and safe trip!

Denise

Thanks Denise!

 

[jakenjess]

Have a wonderful trip! We'll be waiting patiently upon your return!

 

[cntkg1]

Have a great time B.

 

[dvc4life]

Have a nice trip! Looking forward to more when you get back.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Have a great trip!

 

[TDC Nala]

I will say this: the next review will be for Il Mulino and it was one of the best restaurants we dined at on this trip - amazing service and wonderfully tasty food.

That's because Disney doesn't run it.

Cynical? yeah. But thanks Disney for cutting the TIW deal with them anyway.


whaat? Spectacular Vegas food porn?

Speaking of what Disney is doing right I went to two really good signature dinners (Epcot Wonders - more wine than is humanly possible to drink - no wait I think I drank it) and California Grill. And I loved Party for the Senses this year. Maybe because it was Halloween and so sparsely populated they were letting cast members in for half price.

I went to see Andrew Zimmern at the food seminar - that was kind of worth it because his show's cool. But if he comes back this time do I want to spend $8 or whatever they charge DVC/TIW/AP to hear him answer the question about what the worst thing he ever ate was? I don't know if he'll have something more revolting within a year - guess it's possible

I think the worst thing he ate was the stinky aged tofu. I saw Anthony Bourdain the other night on TV and he said his was an iguana tamale.

 

[MA pigletfan]

I may have missed you..but have a SPECTACULAR time!!!! Can't wait to hear about it!

 

[Guy Incognito]

That's because Disney doesn't run it.

I saw Anthony Bourdain the other night on TV and he said his was an iguana tamale.

think the warthog rectum (Namibia) or the fermented shark (Iceland) used to be his top picks as the worst ever..... maybe he's blocked those from memory

 

[TDC Nala]

Maybe iguana was just the worst tamale he ever had. Sounds pretty difficult to beat warthog rectum. Although that's what's going to be in the Disney hot dogs

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Maybe iguana was just the worst tamale he ever had. Sounds pretty difficult to beat warthog rectum. Although that's what's going to be in the Disney hot dogs

Poor Disney Hot Dogs...you used to be so good!

 

[KristinAnne]

It looks good, but still...I hope you didn't have to pay an extravagant amount to watch someone make a salad.

 

[Redwitch]

IMPORTANT UPDATE>>>>>>>>>> the next review will be for Il Mulino and it was one of the best restaurants we dined at on this trip - amazing service and wonderfully tasty food. And who doesn't like a free shot of limoncello scooped out of a chilled bucket at the end of a fine meal??? <<<<<<<<<END IMPORTANT UPDATE

You had me at Limoncello!

 

[oybolshoi]

Maybe iguana was just the worst tamale he ever had. Sounds pretty difficult to beat warthog rectum. Although that's what's going to be in the Disney hot dogs

Without all the grease, all you taste is the hog anus.

 

[TDC Nala]

That's when they switch to 6 parts chicken and 1 part warthog rectum.

 

[kxs401]

You know, usually when I leave Brenda's reviews, I am laughing and hungry. Now I'm just laughing. (Warthog rectum??)

 

[MissDisney121]

IMPORTANT UPDATE>>>>>>>>>>

The hubby and I are leaving for San Diego on Saturday morning and will be out of touch until next week, so this is the last update you fine folks will be seeing for a good week or two. I had really hoped to finish this day of dining up before we left but there was just too much other stuff going on. I will say this: the next review will be for Il Mulino and it was one of the best restaurants we dined at on this trip - amazing service and wonderfully tasty food. And who doesn't like a free shot of limoncello scooped out of a chilled bucket at the end of a fine meal???

So, many thanks to everyone for reading and have a safe, snow-free weekend! I hope to have lots of great CA food porn and vacation stories to share with you once we're back in Stinktown.

<<<<<<<<<END IMPORTANT UPDATE

I know you have already left but I hope you have a n amazing time in SD. I was born and raised there so I know that you both will have so much fun and eat a lot of really great food.

 

[A&A'sGrammy]

Especially looking forward to any Vegas food updates.
Ate at Mon Ami Gabi while staying at Paris. Best breakfast I have EVER had!!!
Happy Valentine's to everyone!

 

[jedijill]

You know, usually when I leave Brenda's reviews, I am laughing and hungry. Now I'm just laughing. (Warthog rectum??)

Just think of The Lion King promotional tie-ins. Pumba Dogs!!!

Jill in CO

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Salad is wrong. I can just feel the cellulose structure breaking down as I eat it. That poor salad....just think of all the cruelty it went through to get to your plate.
Now a good filet that melts in your mouth like butter - that's food!

Have fun on vacation!!!

 

[oybolshoi]

Monday, October 19th - Dinner at Il Mulino ... an Eye-Talian Delight Rather than a Mealtime Fright!

Jason and I go back and forth about trying Italian restaurants while we're at WDW for the same reason that we go back and forth about trying places like Yachtsman or Shulas: they are a dime a dozen in Stinktown. But recently we've started hearing good things about Il Mulino, located in the Swan, from people whose opinion we have relied upon in the past. These fine people had yet to steer us wrong so we decided to make a reservation and hope for the best. Guest X&Y opted not to join us, which ended up being good because Il Mulino was so busy that I'm not sure we could have snagged a table for four instead of two. Jay and I were surprised to see just how busy the restaurant was when we arrived for our 7:30 reservation; there must have been another convention gearing up for the week because it was packed and bustling and loud.

The restaurant is located on the Swan's main floor, just across the lobby from Kimonos. The walls are brick with colored glass block insets, the floors are hardwood, and the decor is sleek, comfortable contemporary. We really liked it - very clean lines and no visual clutter. We were seated at a small table for two near a large party of twelve and were initially concerned that we might be overlooked by our serving team because large parties, especially large parties of drunk business people, tend to be demanding but we were pleasantly surprised as the evening wore on and never felt that we received anything other than exemplary service.

To start we ordered a large bottle of Pellegrino, a glass of red wine for Jason, and an Italian Margarita for me. My DIS-buddy Robert P has long waxed eloquent about this drink and based on his recommendation and the menu description I decided to give it a try.

Margarita Italiana

This was so refreshing and not nearly as sweet as I feared it might be. Made with Don Julio Anjeo Tequila, Cointreau, Amaretto, Fresh Sour, and a splash of fresh Lime Juice, the sweet and sour in this drink were perfectly balanced. I could have easily downed two or three more but decided to stay on my good behavior and just nursed this one through the meal.

The restaurant provided a basket of fresh bread, some kind of herb-y breadstick, and a plate of salami, olives, peppers, oil, and other unidentifiable goop that I opted not to try but which Jay said was really tasty. I did like the salami but wasn't interested in the gloop - the bread selections were very good and I liked them plain as well as dipped in olive oil.

Fresh bread

Complimentary plate of slop and salami

We ordered two appetizers because we were really hungry and couldn't make up our minds - Parmigiano Reggiano for Two and Beef Carpaccio.

Chunks of aged cheese

I was a little disappointed in the presentation of the parmigiano - I have no idea why that lettuce leaf was on the plate unless someone thought it would distract us from the lack of balsamic. We wanted more cheese and less lettuce! However, the cheese was very, very good and once our server brought us the bottle of balsamic that we requested it was even better. Nothing makes the gutworm happy like chunks of aged, tasty cheese ... unless it's a wedge of soft, buttery cheese with a loaf of bread!

Our second appetizer was something that Jay and I have wanted to try for some time but the opportunity just hadn't presented itself until now: beef carpaccio.

Beefy goodness

Il Mulino's Beef Carpaccio is listed on their menu as thinly sliced Tuscan-style beef served with Arugula, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Lemon Juice, and Original Carpaccio Sauce created in the restuarant's top secret test kitchens. We thought this was fabulous - the beef was flavorful and tender and the sauce provided a nice creamy kick (we think there may have been some horseradish in it). Thanks to the tastiness of this appetizer, Jay and I are now officially hooked on beef carpaccio and have been on the prowl for Stinktown restaurants that offer it - currently we've found one.

Yes; one.

But let's not dwell on the many shortcomings of Stinktown eateries ... allow me instead to tell you about our entrees. One of the things I liked about Il Mulino is that even at dinner they allow patrons to order half-or-full-size portions. I selected a half-order of Penne Rigate, which was penne noodles served with Il Mulino original marinara sauce and ricotta cheese.

Penne Rigate

I loved this selection! While a very simple dish, what made it for me was the light application of marinara sauce. Stinktown Eye-talian eateries tend to drown their pasta in sauce which really upsets my intestinal goblin - this was just right in my book and allowed for a nice mix of flavors between the sauce and the cheese without allowing either to overpower the other.

Jason selected one of the evening specials - lobster risotto. He was nice enough to allow me a taste and while I'm not typically a big lobster eater this was exceptionally tasty. The risotto was perfectly cooked and there were generous chunks of lobster and shrimp meat scattered amongst it; the cheese sauce was again applied very lightly and prevented the dish from becoming gacky as it cooled down.

Lobster Risotto

We knew we wanted to split a dessert but nothing was really jumping off the menu at us. Our server suggested the Tartufo, which she said was her favorite of all the restaurant's dessert options. Wondering what the heck it is? According to the menu it is Eye-talian gelato encased in chocolate and served with whipped cream and zabaglione.

Tartufo unspoiled

Tartufo busted open

Jay and I thought this was great - a light, creamy and chocolatey end to our evening that really satisfied both our sweet tooths without leaving us feeling stuffed or heavy. And imagine our happy surprise when our wonderful server showed up at the table with a bucket of chilled limoncello! These shots were on the house and since Jay and I have never been ones to bypass alcoholic bounty we both indicated that we'd like to try a glass. It was terrific - slightly sweet and tasting wonderfully of lemon without any of the sourness or citrus acidity that the fruit typically provides, we could have sat there for the remainder of the night and finshed that bucket off all by ourselves!

Limoncello service

Chilled Limoncello - yum!

And there you have it - a wonderful meal and experience that truly surprised us in all the right ways. Il Mulino provided a varied menu with tasty choices designed to satisfy both the plain eater as well as the more adventurous. Everything was well prepared and the service was great. One of the things Jay and I really appreciated, and which we don't see often, was that while all the servers were very busy they were also all helping each other out. We went through three large bottles of Pellegrino that night and each one was replaced by a different server who happened to notice that we needed more while our primary server was tied up with another table. That is the way service should be - attentive and helpful without being intrusive - and we really appreciated it and made sure to pass our thoughts along to management before we left. For these reasons we plan on paying Il Mulino another visit this fall and award them our highest rating: