We each ordered an individual appetizer in addition to the crab fritters, so I definitely wanted to try AP's newest appetizer! My choice (as correctly guessed by Jabead
) was the oak smoked venison carpaccio with Washington State cherries, drunken goat cheese, fennel, and shaved black truffle. I haven't had venison in years (although I did try kangaroo in May
), and it was exciting to see another game meat on AP's menu besides buffalo.
This was a really unique and tasty dish. The venison definitely had a distinct flavor to it (more distinct than buffalo is from beef, IMO), but the smokiness and other ingredients helped prevent the gaminess from being overwhelming. There was a small amount of drunken goat cheese on the plate - drunken goat cheese is soaked in red wine for a period of time, and its flavor isn't too strong. I happened to love the cheese with the venison and sweet cherries. The fennel, truffles, and thyme sprigs added extra layers of flavor. This was a really interesting appetizer, and it's the kind of dish that makes me want to hop on a plane to Vancouver or Seattle so I can discover more amazing flavors from the Pacific Northwest.
My mom picked the heirloom tomato salad with wheatberry, smokey blue cheese, sweet onions, parmesan-sesame cracker, barrel aged 8-year balsamic, virgin olive oil, and petite basil. This dish was stunningly beautiful and colorful, and we both thought it was very interesting for a tomato salad. I tried a bite and liked it - I can handle blue cheese (and goat cheese) in small doses, and there were lots of other flavors and textures to enjoy.
Next up, entrees. Believe it or not, I really wanted to order the Pan-roasted Pacific halibut with summer corn and chèvre (goat cheese) porridge, caramelized rapini, black Mission fig relish, and cabernet vinaigrette. However, my mom ended up choosing this dish, so I still got to taste it.
Here's a picture with flash:
And a picture without flash:
I thought this entree was so good! The halibut was perfectly cooked, mild, and flaky, and I like how they got the outside somewhat crispy. The sweet fig relish was absolutely delicious - I love figs and thought the flavor was excellent in a seafood dish.
The rapini wasn't as bitter as it often can be, and even the corn and chèvre porridge tasted good to me - it was like a thick polenta, and I didn't really notice the goat cheese (but then again, I only got a small bite of this component, and it was combined with other ingredients). There were even some capers mixed into the dish (I think with the rapini), which added an unexpected saltiness. My mom liked this dish very much as well, but she would've liked a bit more vinaigrette on the plate to help "loosen" the porridge, which she thought was slightly dry.
Before I get to my entree, I wanted to give a shout out to some other dishes on the menu. The cedar plank salmon looked absolutely fantastic in Jabead's
review, and I think it's really cool how the accompaniments are inspired by Salade Niçoise (a dish from the South of France that's one of my favorite salads ever - it normally includes tuna). Izzi raved about the tempura vegetables that come with the pork tenderloin. The chicken dish still includes the bacon jam that I loved in March. And finally, the filet. What an incredible description:
"Grilled hand-cut Certified Angus Beef filet mignon with lobster mushroom ragout, roasted bone marrow, savory truffle & hazelnut crunch donut filled with Yukon Gold potato, and red currant gastrique". I've never seen a steak dish with so much going on, especially in Disney World! I honestly think this dish probably would have wowed me, which is saying something for a steak dish.
But instead of any of those dishes, I tried an entree that I've considered ordering for over a year (yes, it was on the menu last summer). It's actually the only entree whose description hasn't changed since our August 2011 meal: the wild caught prawn and crab "hot pot" with mussels, crispy pork, jasmine rice, and spiced Thai coconut broth. Izzi warned me that this dish had a spicy kick to it, but I knew I could handle it.
And look who decided to make an encore appearance!
This was a really flavorful, satisfying dish. Between the enormous prawn, succulent crab, mussels, and meaty pork belly, this dish contained a fun variety of protein (although as usual, the pork belly had more fat than I felt like eating). The lime wedges and cilantro added some acidity and freshness, and the hearty broth was nicely spiced, although I would've been happy with an even stronger kick. Finally, the rice was perfect for absorbing some of that broth. This was a very tasty dish.
Prawn head
I wonder which verse of "Under the Sea" this prawn head was singing? Perhaps:
"What do they got? A lot of sand
We got a hot crustacean band
Each little clam here
know how to jam here
Under the sea!"
(For the record, the mussels also knew how to jam here.
)
Because there were too many pics to finish the AP review in one update, I'll conclude the review with desserts next time.
That dessert probably isn't supposed to taste 'goaty', so I wonder what was going on.
I'll play! 
Hmm... I'm going to say that you got the Venison Carpaccio and either the Halibut or the Prawn & Crab "Hot Pot" for your entree. And for your mom, I'm going with the Cheese Plate and the Salmon.
But you might be surprised to hear my feelings on that halibut dish. 
