WithDisneySpirit said:
Thanks, momsgoofy, those were beautiful shots!!! Can you rate your top three or five meals?
Well, by far the whole family, which is DH (44), DS (13) and myself (39), agree that the Flying Fish meal was THE BEST!! It was pricey...saved $40 using our DDE card that saved us 20% on the meal including the cocktail. We all just felt that the whole "dining event" was tops! I've tried to teach DS that his voice is just as important as mine at a meal because he is a patron as well. I honestly didn't think DS was going to care for FF because he's not a seafood person, but they did have a steak on the menu so I knew he'd live. It turned out that FF was his favorite place. The server, Wes, was very friendly and personable. He talked to us about the menu...answered all the questions we had and provided suggestions. He NEVER rushed us during the evening...even chatted with us about family and the holidays. Our ADR was at 7pm, we were seated right away and when DS noticed the chef's table he asked if we could sit there and the CM told us not a problem and we were seated at our choice of seats there. I've got some nice shots of the grill and prep area of the kitchen that I can post if anyone is interested. The chefs were happy to speak with us...the head chef came out and asked about our meal...even speaking to DS just the same as DH and I. The food itself was fantastic!! Presentation was very nice! DS said the steak was a perfect medium (and it was from what I saw). The red snapper wrapped in potato was crispy on the outside, while the fish was solid, tender and moist and the sauce with it just made the flavor pop. The crab cakes must have been so good that DH would not share. The salad greens were very crisp and the asiago cheese crisp was light and golden...perfect unlike CRT where it was highly peppered. Then the dessert...DS wanted chocolate cake and Wes told him the closest was the souffle. DS had no idea what it was and Wes explained and said it'd take 20 minutes to prepare it. So we patiently waited while Wes and another CM chatted with us. DS said it was worth it...better than any chocolate cake he'd had. He was kind to share and I concur. The yule log or Christmas cake was good, but not as great as DH expected. The chilled soup was good, the Reisling wine used in the sauce could be tasted slightly and it had a somewhat tart taste, but it was good...just not exactly what I expected either.
The #2 meal has to be Le Cellier according to all 3 of us. We had lunch this trip (dinner the last one) and both meals are excellent! The steaks are always prepared as ordered, seasoned well, juicy and good cuts of meat. The sides that accompany are good. The sandwiches we tried this trip were delicious! I've always laughed at places that call burgers "steak burgers" or "chopped steak"...well, Le Cellier really is!!! And the cheddar flavor with the burger are a great combination with the English muffin "bun". Service is good here...we arrived 15 mins. late and were still seated right away. Presentation of the food is simple, but nicely done. DH said the Prime Rib French Dip was "melt in your mouth" and he actually couldn't stop talking about the fries...crispy on the outside and tender soft on the inside.
#3 for our family was CRT, although we did have to discuss the #3, 4, and 5 to answer your quesiton since we think they are really close. We chose CRT because the service was good...again did not feel rushed. We had a 4:30 ADR and were seated a few minutes early. DS rememered the prime rib from the last meal there in 2003 and said it's just as good. The beef tenderloin was flavorful and a perfect medium and the veggies with it were not mushy...just right. DH loved the pork tenderloin but did not like the pasta with gruyere...he said it was too dry and the pasta a bit crunchy...thought if it hadn't baked too long it might have been very tasty. He LOVED the sorbet and fruit...nice and light...very refreshing. DS said the chocolate cake was good, but was just like the piece he'd eaten at Olivia's earlier in the trip. The slipper dessert was nice...the dark chocolate mousse was standard, the berries fresh, the white chocolate of the slipper was also standard. It is a very pretty dessert, but taste wise it is average.
#4 we give to Chefs de France. We had a great server, Tristan, who was kind to our attempts at French...he even praised DS's nervous attempt to pronounce his dessert (the puff pastry). Tristan did not rush us in the least, took the time to write the names of the cheeses for me, talked about differences in American and French "typical" dining. He provided pleasant conversation. As for presentation, it was nice. DH forgot how rich French cuisine is...the escargot in butter, the vegetable soup was heavy and creamy, the potatoes were also rich in cream and butter. It all tasted great, but it was a heavy meal...fortunately we were headed to the CP and could allow it to settle. The beef was seasoned well and good cuts, but were inconsistent. We all had ordered medium and DH got a perfect medium, DS was medium rare, and mine was medium rare and more to the rare as it was red in the center. It was not a huge deal for us as DS and I are fine with medium rare so we didn't complain. The desserts...DS loved his puffs and actually said as he took the last few bites, "That's too much chocolate". I thought we'd cured his chocoholic side...not! The orange sorbet was super light and refreshing, but the macaroon was crispy on the edges and chewy in the center. It was also difficult to cut...had to tear it with one hand and hold it down with the fork...too much effort.
#5 goes to Teppenyaki, which I will post photos of soon. This shocked me cause DS is a total meat and taters kid, but he loved it! He says the presentation was awesome! He loved the showmanship of Chef Tom. The food tasted great! DH and DS both had steak and chicken while I had steak and shrimp...all were well flavored...not too strongly though so the meat and shrimp flavor came out. The veggies were good, a wee mushed though on some. The rice was perfect for me...slightly sticky making it easy to use with chopsticks. The seaweed soup with tofu was surprisingly delicious as were the soybean pods...they were just a pain to eat having to pick the beans out of the pods...very refreshing. And the seaweed salad...well, I tried it, ate it, but could care less if I ever had it again. It tasted fine though, just not my favorite. The iced green tea was really good. For dessert DH had the ginger ice cream and I had the green tea. Green tea was very light while the ginger was stronger in flavor (naturally)...of the 2 I would pick the ginger again. However, we did feel rushed while eating.
Now, we would also add Kona Cafe to our list of top 5, but we ate breakfast there...the scrambled egss were VERY fluffy, the macadamia nut pancakes needed nothing but the butter and crushed pineapple, the steak was perfect, the sausage was the best...not greasy or overly spicy. Coffee was heavenly compared to the Maxwell House we'd been drinking in the room. Service was prompt and our server was nice. We didn't feel rushed. The only complaint was the ham...dry! But I think DS's words best sum it up..."this was worth getting up for!"
On the opposite end, even though ya didn't ask....our absolute never again restaurants and I will post photos of them soon.
#1 Donald's Breakfastosaurus....it's a blasted assembly line for precooked, heat lamp warmed mediocre food. The "cold" beverages (milk and OJ) are kept cold in a tub sitting on top of another tup with ice, which DS noted isn't "very cold and could be a health risk, Mom." Our server had our bill to us before we had a chance to get to the cold bar and the characters saw us ONCE!! I felt so rushed that I couldn't tell you what the place really looked like, but I'm sure there is some neat decor on the walls, but they were a blur. My 2 cents...unless you really feel the need to be in AK as the rope drops and can do it better by eating at Donald's then fine, but if you can wait with the masses at the front of the park SKIP poor ol' Donald's!
#2 Citricos...we were very disappointed in it! The atmosphere was not relaxing or friendly. Our server, Larry, was aloof...it seemed that he was tired and had been there for days. His comments were short...after we said no thanks to wine or cocktails he never asked again what we wanted to drink. He didn't seem to want to speak directly to DS, who is quite capable of ordering and asking his own questions...Larry always looked at me for the response or affirmation. Our meal was slow, not because we wanted it to be, but our service was just that way. DH liked the quail and swordfish he had, both were great, but the acorn and butternut squash soup was okay. DS didn't care for any of the soup, salad or appetizer choices and when I inquired if we could dress the romaine salad without bleu cheese, he snubbed his nose and said it is prepared as is on the menu...well, la-tee-da! Even Burger King lets me have it my way! DS's steak was decent, but not as good as the ones he'd had at Le Cellier, Chefs de France or even CRT prime rib. I had the lamb sirloin, which was very good, but a little cold. For dessert...DH had the berry gratin and said it was okay...a bit lackluster. I had the Cinderellabration dessert, which was typical chocolate mousse with some berries, but the presentation was great. DS couldn't find anything on the adult dessert menu that he wanted so we inquired about the kids, where DS found the Dogbones he'd seen on display near the kitchen...he said it was the best part of the meal. We had a 7:30 ADR and were seated within a few minutes...our meal took so long that we were there during the Wishes display and could see them (though obstructed and without the music)...this helped make the evening more pleasant. We won't be heading back anytime soon.
Well, I'm sure I've given you way more than you really asked for...sorry! I am a chatty cathy by birth...lol
That was one mean margarita...it definitely had some tequila and the mango was best IMO...strawberry was too sweet...lime was good...tart naturally
...that kid must be wantin' something....
