Prawn Heads & Cupcakes & Soups, Oh My! 10/5 Complete (now with my Dining Wish List)!

[krhst25]

And what a lovely prawnhead that was!! If you remove the mussels, crispy pork, and the head from the prawn and I'd dig in!!

Cherries must be the seasonal fruit that they are incorporating into their menu as it was in several dishes. They were very nicely done.

I predict a cobbler will be on the table for dessert with a nice orange blossom lace cannoli! But what do I know!

I am going to agree with emmysmommy that the cobbler will be selected.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I think they left that prawn's head on just for you!

It sure was nice of Jiko to pass on the prawn head memo to Artist Point.

Even when a dish doesn't appeal to me, due to one (or more) of its components, you always manage to make it sound appetising. And, for the most part, thanks to your photography skills (and, I suppose, the skills of the Disney chefs) the dishes look delicious too.

I've got to admit, though, in my naivety, that I don't understand for the life of me what difference that miniscule piece of pork belly would have made to the dish

As always, I look forward to dessert

I'm so glad you like the pictures (even if you wouldn't order those dishes)! There were actually 2 or 3 pieces of pork belly, and while most of it went to waste (since I trimmed off the fat), I liked the savory, meaty flavor (almost like smoked bacon) that the pork belly added.

I sure wish I liked fish/seafood because the descriptions of your dishes sound wonderful and the photos are beautiful! Every time I read one of your AP reviews I want to eat there immediately but then I remember that I'm not a very adventurous eater. But I'm definitely going to recommend AP to my supervisor along with Jiko!

I think AP is a very good choice for an adventurous eater! Hopefully your supervisor will be impressed by either AP or Jiko.

What an amazing meal at AP! You had me at chile aioli. I'm glad you enjoyed the halibut. I admire your willingness to try new preparations of ingredients you're not fond of! It looks delicious. What I'm REALLY wowed by is that hot pot. The flavor profile sounds right up my alley! Remove the pork and I'd be all over that, prawn heads and all. The description reminds me of the wonderful Malaysian seafood curry at Yak & Yeti!

I can't wait to see the desserts! Is there cobbler?!

The hot pot was really tasty! I don't know how it compares to the dish at Yak & Yeti, but somehow I have a feeling that AP's portion is smaller.

And of course there's cobbler! In fact, I kind of wish there had been two cobblers!

I love that hotpot. I was going to guess the hotpot and the venison carpaccio. I guess it is weird for most people to actually suck the prawn head although, culturally for me, it isn't. XD

Nice guesses. And even though my mom wouldn't touch a prawn head herself, she suggested that I should suck the prawn heads as well! There wasn't much in there to suck, but I tried.

Maybe you should change your name to Donald Prawnheads! My mother and I had Izzi as our server a few years ago and we thought he was fantastic!

Donald Prawnheads...hmm, it doesn't have the same ring to it (since it lacks alliteration). But I'll consider it.

I didn't mind Izzi at all - he was a lot of fun! Most people seem to love him, and he was very attentive. It just felt like we were at a comedy club or something.

And what a lovely prawnhead that was!! If you remove the mussels, crispy pork, and the head from the prawn and I'd dig in!!

Cherries must be the seasonal fruit that they are incorporating into their menu as it was in several dishes. They were very nicely done.

I predict a cobbler will be on the table for dessert with a nice orange blossom lace cannoli! But what do I know!

I'm sure AP could accommodate your request for a headless prawn and crab hot pot.

Now I'm very interested in seeing some of the dishes with cherries that you tried! I always think it's fun to see how the different signatures take an ingredient and use it in different ways, such as heirloom tomatoes or peaches.

Yep, there was cobbler for dessert! As for the orange blossom lace cannoli...I was so close to ordering it, but I ended up picking something else. The alternate dessert was very good, but I think I would've preferred the cannoli (or even a second cobbler).

I am going to agree with emmysmommy that the cobbler will be selected.

Of course!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Of course, we had room for dessert. But before we could order, Izzi brought out a celebration dessert for my mom! It also happened to be our favorite dessert here - Artist Point's berry cobbler with seasonal berries and house-made black raspberry ice cream. As usual, this dish was amazing - between the warm blueberries studded inside the cobbler and the fresh, tart raspberries and blackberries on top (along with the hot and cold temperatures melding together), this simple dish always manages to make us smile.

(There was a candle in it, but I removed the candle before the picture)

I could've happily eaten an additional berry cobbler (or the orange blossom lace cannoli filled with mountain berry mousse, which had received a great review in another report), but for the sake of keeping my reviews interesting, I picked something that you probably haven't seen reviewed before.

My choice was the "Strawberry Mural", with strawberry cheesecake, house-made sorbet, and valrhona chocolate almond semifreddo. This was an interesting and beautifully presented dish, with three components that were artfully presented on the plate.

The strawberry cheesecake was quite good - it was very light (which I like), with a crumbly, graham-like crust on the bottom. However, I actually liked Jiko's Madagascar Vanilla cheesecake even more.

The valrhona chocolate almond semifreddo was incredible. Its intense flavor reminded me of the valrhona chocolate cake at California Grill (except this was colder and had a firmer texture - exactly as it should be, since it's "semi-frozen"). The sea salt on top provided a delicious counterpoint to the sweetness, and the cherry also complemented the chocolate and almond flavors well.

The sorbet was also incredible, with a vibrant color and refreshing flavor. Serving it on top of some crunchy granola was a fun touch.

Overall, the Strawberry Mural was a unique and memorable way to finish our meal, and I especially enjoyed the semifreddo and sorbet. However, this dessert taught me a lesson: trying new things can be rewarding at times, but sometimes simplicity can go a long way. In this case, I think we both would've been even happier splitting another berry cobbler (instead of the "Mural"). So if my dessert choice at Artist Point is super boring next time, I apologize in advance.

Once again, we had another excellent meal at Artist Point, with some really interesting and unique dishes inspired by the Pacific Northwest. In fact, I think this meal made me realize what I love so much about Artist Point (and Jiko). Food isn't just about taste - it's also about the associations and things you feel whenever your taste buds (and other senses) are activated. The food at AP makes me envision myself enjoying fresh seafood somewhere along the Pacific Northwest's rocky coastline, or perhaps walking through a forest at the base of a mountain while savoring the freshest mushrooms and berries. Similarly, Jiko brings me back to South Africa, where that prawn dish made me think of an awesome seafood restaurant by the waterfront in Cape Town. Then there's that oxtail flatbread, which conjured up memories of an oxtail stew that we once enjoyed at a family friend's house in Johannesburg. AP and Jiko both not only serve high-quality, interesting food, but their dishes tap into my imagination and make me feel extraordinarily happy.

Honestly, I think all the signatures are good restaurants, and the food quality seems pretty standardized among them IMO (with varying cuisines and creativity levels to please a wide range of palates). However, when I think of why some of the best-reviewed restaurants aren't as memorable to us (Citricos, Flying Fish, Cali Grill, Sanaa, etc) it's probably because we have restaurants at home that create the desired sensations more effectively (while costing much less). It's not my place to say which restaurant is objectively better or not - these reviews simply can't be objective. But I hope they're still helpful anyway, even if I can't guarantee that you'll have a culinary revelation at AP or Jiko.

After our meal we headed back to our room and watched the Electrical Water Pageant.

And I took this picture of a nearly empty lobby.

Once again, we had another wonderful meal at AP and another wonderful night at WL.

 

[emmysmommy]

I thought I saw a cherry on your dessert plate!!

I'm with you, AP does such a great job transporting the tastes, flavors and ambiance of the Pacific Northwest that you really feel immersed in the theming. Great review and awesome photos of those desserts. I tried the cobbler for the first time this trip and I am glad to say that my taste buds owe you a favor!!

 

[jmm476]

I was waiting until you were done with your AP meal before responding. Oh, everything on your table from appetizers to desserts looked so good and sounded wonderful from your descriptions. I'm glad you had another enjoyable experience there. And it makes me want to go back so badly! As always, your pictures are so fantastic, I feel like the food is right in front of me.

 

[smile4stamps]

The Valrhona Almond Semifreddo sounds delicious. The rest I could do with out! I also wonder if they use a lot of cherries at AP because a lot of good cherries come from the Northwest?!?!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Sigh. It all looks and sounds wonderful. I'm a little sad, though, since my food choices at AP and everywhere else will be dictated by my reluctance to eat anything with seeds/nuts (sort of a no-no for me) - even though I'm not actively sick at the moment (knock wood), I wouldn't want to chance it on vacation! Shame, because the cobbler is gorgeous - the berries look like little jewels.

 

[jabead]

Another great Artist Point meal!

And btw, I'm secretly plotting a way to get my family to return Artist Point with me. I figure that if on our next trip we stay at Wilderness Lodge for a couple of nights, I just might persuade them to give AP another try. I know there is little chance of getting them to go out of their way to dine there, but if we are staying right there??? Plus I would be able to finally have a Mickey waffle from Roaring Forks. What do you all think???

 

[jedijill]

What a great review......Can't wait to eat at AP next month. Last time I at at AP they had a dessert called Strawberries and Cream (Descript from Allears.net)

Strawberries and Cream - Strawberry Consommé with Grand Marnier, Vanilla Panna Cotta, and Buttered Pound Cake

It was so fantastic! But the Berry cobbler is still number 1 in my heart.

Jill in CO

 

[smile4stamps]

Another great Artist Point meal!

And btw, I'm secretly plotting a way to get my family to return Artist Point with me. I figure that if on our next trip we stay at Wilderness Lodge for a couple of nights, I just might persuade them to give AP another try. I know there is little chance of getting them to go out of their way to dine there, but if we are staying right there??? Plus I would be able to finally have a Mickey waffle from Roaring Forks. What do you all think???

Sounds like a perfect plan!!

Kinda like my thinking of having the wine & cheese tasting at Jiko in hopes of getting hubby to stay for dinner... But since that is Wednesdays I believe I need to see what I can do with my schedule lol.

 

[Tracerr00]

Wonderful looking desserts!! I would eat ALL of those things - not only the things you chose but everything on the dessert menu!! Just reading about your night makes me feel relaxed and happy.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Ok Mister...now what do I do? Narcoossee's or AP?

BTW you are totally killing me here

 

[jedijill]

Ok Mister...now what do I do? Narcoossee's or AP?

BTW you are totally killing me here

Jill in CO

 

[smile4stamps]

Ok Mister...now what do I do? Narcoossee's or AP?

BTW you are totally killing me here

AP on October 21st lol! J/K!

I know... I've already made one change based on Tracerr00's report of le Chefs de France! I'm trying to make the change to Jiko but I'm still not sure how that will fly!

 

[wilma-bride]

Great dessert choices there DDW Was it wrong that I just coulnd't help thinking how lovely that Strawberry Mural would have been if it was lemon or raspberry though. Strawberry is not a favourite of mine. Perhaps next time you're there, you coud suggest it

 

[basketlacey]

Everything looks delicious! I agree with you hat the filet sounds amazing. The halibut would have been my second choice. Dh and I probably would have gotten both and shared!

 

[deenbrad]

Another great Artist Point meal!

And btw, I'm secretly plotting a way to get my family to return Artist Point with me. I figure that if on our next trip we stay at Wilderness Lodge for a couple of nights, I just might persuade them to give AP another try. I know there is little chance of getting them to go out of their way to dine there, but if we are staying right there??? Plus I would be able to finally have a Mickey waffle from Roaring Forks. What do you all think???

I think that's a great idea, Barb! Plus you can get breakfast on your own without fighting to wake everyone up!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I thought I saw a cherry on your dessert plate!!

I'm with you, AP does such a great job transporting the tastes, flavors and ambiance of the Pacific Northwest that you really feel immersed in the theming. Great review and awesome photos of those desserts. I tried the cobbler for the first time this trip and I am glad to say that my taste buds owe you a favor!!

Now I'm really looking forward to your AP review. But regardless of how the rest of the meal went, at least I know you enjoyed dessert!

I was waiting until you were done with your AP meal before responding. Oh, everything on your table from appetizers to desserts looked so good and sounded wonderful from your descriptions. I'm glad you had another enjoyable experience there. And it makes me want to go back so badly! As always, your pictures are so fantastic, I feel like the food is right in front of me.

I'm so glad you liked the pics from AP - it's just a very special place to us.

The Valrhona Almond Semifreddo sounds delicious. The rest I could do with out! I also wonder if they use a lot of cherries at AP because a lot of good cherries come from the Northwest?!?!

I actually ordered that dessert for the two strawberry components, but the semifreddo was a really pleasant surprise! And yeah, Bing cherries are commonly grown in Washington and Oregon - one of my friend's uncles is involved in the cherry industry in Washington.

Sigh. It all looks and sounds wonderful. I'm a little sad, though, since my food choices at AP and everywhere else will be dictated by my reluctance to eat anything with seeds/nuts (sort of a no-no for me) - even though I'm not actively sick at the moment (knock wood), I wouldn't want to chance it on vacation! Shame, because the cobbler is gorgeous - the berries look like little jewels.

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that. Even if that rules out some desserts, there are still a lot of wonderful options available on the rest of the menu (and perhaps you could go to Roaring Fork for a cupcake afterwards ).

Another great Artist Point meal!

And btw, I'm secretly plotting a way to get my family to return Artist Point with me. I figure that if on our next trip we stay at Wilderness Lodge for a couple of nights, I just might persuade them to give AP another try. I know there is little chance of getting them to go out of their way to dine there, but if we are staying right there??? Plus I would be able to finally have a Mickey waffle from Roaring Forks. What do you all think???

I love your plan (even though it didn't work out when you were staying at BWV and wanted to do FF :laughing). And those Roaring Fork waffles are a must!

What a great review......Can't wait to eat at AP next month. Last time I at at AP they had a dessert called Strawberries and Cream (Descript from Allears.net)

Strawberries and Cream - Strawberry Consommé with Grand Marnier, Vanilla Panna Cotta, and Buttered Pound Cake

It was so fantastic! But the Berry cobbler is still number 1 in my heart.

Jill in CO

I tried the Strawberries and Cream last year as well - it was really good! It tasted like a deconstructed strawberry shortcake to me. As you said, though, the berry cobbler still reigns supreme.

Wonderful looking desserts!! I would eat ALL of those things - not only the things you chose but everything on the dessert menu!! Just reading about your night makes me feel relaxed and happy.

I wish you could go to AP and just order desserts - sounds like you'd love them!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Ok Mister...now what do I do? Narcoossee's or AP?

BTW you are totally killing me here

Artist Point is my personal favorite, since I love the creative Pacific Northwest food and relaxing atmosphere. However...I don't feel confident recommending it to you. AP's menu has never really jumped out at you, and you've been hesitant to try it for a long time. With that in mind, unless the current menu appeals to you more than it previously did, I don't want to recommend a restaurant that might not impress you.

One thing I've learned is that reviews can be helpful, but we can't rely on them to lead us in the right direction. We tried Il Mulino solely based on the positive reviews here, and we were underwhelmed. Likewise with Sanaa - I love Indian food and the place receives incredible reviews, but it's not for us. If you feel differently about AP then you used to, it might be worth trying. Either way, Narcoossee's is still a solid choice.

Jill in CO

I know you've previously mentioned having to choose between AP and Narcoossee's. Since you've been to AP before and enjoyed it, I say Artist Point.

AP on October 21st lol! J/K!

I know... I've already made one change based on Tracerr00's report of le Chefs de France! I'm trying to make the change to Jiko but I'm still not sure how that will fly!

Good luck with your stealthy Jiko plot.

Great dessert choices there DDW Was it wrong that I just coulnd't help thinking how lovely that Strawberry Mural would have been if it was lemon or raspberry though. Strawberry is not a favourite of mine. Perhaps next time you're there, you coud suggest it

Speaking for myself, I love strawberries so I didn't mind that aspect of it. But a raspberry cheesecake and sorbet could definitely go well with that chocolate almond semifreddo!

Everything looks delicious! I agree with you hat the filet sounds amazing. The halibut would have been my second choice. Dh and I probably would have gotten both and shared!

Great idea! Sharing two dishes would be a nice way to get the best of both worlds. That filet really does sound incredible.

I think that's a great idea, Barb! Plus you can get breakfast on your own without fighting to wake everyone up!

Plus, who wouldn't want to wake up early for such inspired Mickey waffles?

 

[MickeyNicki]

Artist Point is my personal favorite, since I love the creative Pacific Northwest food and relaxing atmosphere. However...I don't feel confident recommending it to you. AP's menu has never really jumped out at you, and you've been hesitant to try it for a long time. With that in mind, unless the current menu appeals to you more than it previously did, I don't want to recommend a restaurant that might not impress you.

One thing I've learned is that reviews can be helpful, but we can't rely on them to lead us in the right direction. We tried Il Mulino solely based on the positive reviews here (the menu looked average to us), and we were underwhelmed. Likewise with Sanaa - I love Indian food and the place receives incredible reviews, but it's not for us. If you feel differently about AP then you used to, it might be worth trying. Either way, Narcoossee's is still a solid choice.

You are right, the menu at AP has never really done it for me, your reviews just make it look so much more appealing!

With that being said would you choose Jiko over Narcoossee's? We were very underwhelmed with Narcoossee's the one and only time we went but that was 2 years ago and your reviews have my mind ticking and I am really gung ho about giving it a second chance.

And Jiko, the first two times we were in love with place but the last time we were not so thrilled, but again that was 2 years ago and I seem to recall they have changed chefs since then?

Funny you mention Il Mulino because we are headed back there again this year...had to cancel Flying Fish for it, still not convinced that was a smart idea, but I do love the chicken and escarole dish and a shot of Limencello at the end of a meal makes everything alright in my book!