Restaurant reviewsJuly 9-12, 2004
July 9
ESPN Club: Lunch. Our first time eating here. The menu appealed to us, so we thought wed give it a try. DW ordered the Macho Nachos. She was happy with the portion size (very large), although they were not the best nachos weve ever had. They were a little greasier than most, and the meat did not have the best flavor. I ordered the Upper Deck Hot Roast Beef and Cheese. It was a good sandwich, although the horseradish sauce, which came on the side, had absolutely no kick. It hardly tasted stronger than mayo. The TVs in the dining area were quite loud (as you might expect). We would probably not return here anytime soon. Grade: C+
Prime Time Café: Dinner. We enjoyed this place so much in November, we had to go back. We didnt even need to look at the menu. Last time we split an appetizer and the Pot Roast. That Pot Roast was so good we were determined to each enjoy an order this time. It was fantastic this time too. Our server was friendly, and didnt make my DW stand with her nose against the wall like last time. We will be back. Grade: A-
July 10
Nine Dragons: Lunch. We had tried this restaurant a number of years ago, and were not impressed. It looks like it turned the corner now, however, and we had some excellent food. We both started with the Hot and Sour Soup. We love the version that our local Chinese restaurant serves, but this was far better. Simply delicious. Then came my Kung Bao Chicken which I ordered on the recommendation of our server. Most versions of this dish are spicy. This was sweet and spicy at the same time. The portion was bigger than it looked. My DW had the Stir Fried Seasonal Chinese Vegetables. It was just as its name implied. I didnt care for it, a little too bland for me. But my DW loved it. Grade: A-
Kringla og Bakeri: Snack. Weve always wanted to try this bakery so we could compare it to Frances. (By the way, Morocco also has their own bakery now. Im not sure if this is a new development. Its located inside the Tangierine Café.) I had the Double Chocolate Cake and my DW had the Cloudberry Horn. Both of us loved our pastries and put them almost on the same par as Frances. Grade: A
San Angel Inn Restaurante: Dinner. This was a last minute substitution. We were supposed to eat at Yakitori House. But we went on the ride in Mexico and made the mistake of inhaling. TIP: There was a long line at the podium of people making PSs. I simply used my cell phone to dial WDW-DINE and made my PS while shopping. Anyway, we split the Queso Fundido appetizer, billed as an appetizer for 2. We hadnt been to San Angel for a few years, but last time, we remembered this as being a heartier portion. Maybe our memories were faulty. Our local, most excellent Mexican restaurant serves a portion large enough for 4 people. This, however was enough to fill exactly 2 tortillas for $10. $5 per tortilla was a little steep in my approximation. Then we split the Combinacion Cholula - seasoned roasted pork with chorizo, Spanish onions and chipotle pepper. Served with a cheese chile relleno, Mexican rice and refried black beans. It was a decent sized portion to split. My DW didnt care for the pork, so I ate that. It was rather bland, but palatable. The chile relleno was delicious, as were the rice and beans. I think the bottom line, unless we ordered the wrong thing here, is that youre paying for ambience, not the food. Grade: Ambience A+; Food: B-; Value: D
July 11
Cosmic Rays Starlight Café: Lunch. We simply felt like a burger. We were torn between Pecos Bills and Cosmic Rays. Because of the HUGE A/C dining room, we opted for Cosmic Rays. I had the Meteor Meal (double bacon cheeseburger and fries) and my DW had the Cosmic Creation (1/4 lb. Cheeseburger and fries). They were fantastic and we loved the toppings bar, just like the one at Pecos Bills. I didnt see the cheese on the bar, though. Maybe I just overlooked it. Grade: A-
Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room: Dinner. A stout sounded mighty good! We started with the Seasonal Salad. I had the Stilton blue cheese dressing and my DW had the mustard vinaigrette. Excellent salads. I didnt taste the vinaigrette, but the blue cheese was not as thick and gloppy as most. The dinner rolls and herbed butter made with Bass ale were so good we had to ask for more. Both of us ordered Fish and Chips from their limited menu. It was a LARGE piece of fish, nicely battered. We both managed to eat it all. My DWs Guinness Stout and my black and tan helped a lot. We joked with the server that Chicken tikka Masala was not on the menu. He said it probably should be, as popular as Indian cuisine is in the UK. He was a wonderful server, and described how much he loved living here. Nothing for dessert as we were heading to France. Grade: A-
Boulangerie Patisserie: Dessert. My DW ordered a cream puff (her favorite) and I opted for the Raspberry Schuss. I enjoyed it immensely, although my personal favorite is still the Napoleon. Grade: A
July 12
Fresh: Breakfast. Wow! This buffet is a must every time we go. We were staying at the Dolphin anyway, so it was very convenient to head down to breakfast for our last morning. The menu was the usual, with the specials of Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast and Strawberry pancakes. I had the French toast and was very pleased with it. Didnt try the ham or turkey. Their pressed pot coffee is fantastic, although we seemed to remember that the first time we ate at Fresh in November, they had Starbucks coffee from carafes. The fresh squeezed orange juice is out of this world. Absolutely nothing disappointed, except the fact that we eventually got full. Next time we might have to try Boma to compare the two. Grade: A+
Afternoon tea at the Grand Floridians Garden View Lounge: This is our tradition right before we fly back home. If you ever do this, make sure to get either Denis or Pat to be your server. Denis remembered us from our trip in November. We splurged and ordered the Grand Tea. It includes sparkling wine, which doesnt come with the Buckingham Palace, which we normally order. This place is such a treat; you feel like you are being pampered. The wine and strawberry came first. Then came the tea sandwiches (egg salad, chicken salad, salmon, and pear). Then came the scone and clotted (Devonshire) cream. Finally, the English trifle. They practically had to roll us out of there. And we cant say enough about Denis. He is the CM who typifies the Disney spirit. Grade: A++
I think thats it! I hope you enjoyed them. It was great to taste all the meals again as I was writing this.
July 9
ESPN Club: Lunch. Our first time eating here. The menu appealed to us, so we thought wed give it a try. DW ordered the Macho Nachos. She was happy with the portion size (very large), although they were not the best nachos weve ever had. They were a little greasier than most, and the meat did not have the best flavor. I ordered the Upper Deck Hot Roast Beef and Cheese. It was a good sandwich, although the horseradish sauce, which came on the side, had absolutely no kick. It hardly tasted stronger than mayo. The TVs in the dining area were quite loud (as you might expect). We would probably not return here anytime soon. Grade: C+
Prime Time Café: Dinner. We enjoyed this place so much in November, we had to go back. We didnt even need to look at the menu. Last time we split an appetizer and the Pot Roast. That Pot Roast was so good we were determined to each enjoy an order this time. It was fantastic this time too. Our server was friendly, and didnt make my DW stand with her nose against the wall like last time. We will be back. Grade: A-
July 10
Nine Dragons: Lunch. We had tried this restaurant a number of years ago, and were not impressed. It looks like it turned the corner now, however, and we had some excellent food. We both started with the Hot and Sour Soup. We love the version that our local Chinese restaurant serves, but this was far better. Simply delicious. Then came my Kung Bao Chicken which I ordered on the recommendation of our server. Most versions of this dish are spicy. This was sweet and spicy at the same time. The portion was bigger than it looked. My DW had the Stir Fried Seasonal Chinese Vegetables. It was just as its name implied. I didnt care for it, a little too bland for me. But my DW loved it. Grade: A-
Kringla og Bakeri: Snack. Weve always wanted to try this bakery so we could compare it to Frances. (By the way, Morocco also has their own bakery now. Im not sure if this is a new development. Its located inside the Tangierine Café.) I had the Double Chocolate Cake and my DW had the Cloudberry Horn. Both of us loved our pastries and put them almost on the same par as Frances. Grade: A
San Angel Inn Restaurante: Dinner. This was a last minute substitution. We were supposed to eat at Yakitori House. But we went on the ride in Mexico and made the mistake of inhaling. TIP: There was a long line at the podium of people making PSs. I simply used my cell phone to dial WDW-DINE and made my PS while shopping. Anyway, we split the Queso Fundido appetizer, billed as an appetizer for 2. We hadnt been to San Angel for a few years, but last time, we remembered this as being a heartier portion. Maybe our memories were faulty. Our local, most excellent Mexican restaurant serves a portion large enough for 4 people. This, however was enough to fill exactly 2 tortillas for $10. $5 per tortilla was a little steep in my approximation. Then we split the Combinacion Cholula - seasoned roasted pork with chorizo, Spanish onions and chipotle pepper. Served with a cheese chile relleno, Mexican rice and refried black beans. It was a decent sized portion to split. My DW didnt care for the pork, so I ate that. It was rather bland, but palatable. The chile relleno was delicious, as were the rice and beans. I think the bottom line, unless we ordered the wrong thing here, is that youre paying for ambience, not the food. Grade: Ambience A+; Food: B-; Value: D
July 11
Cosmic Rays Starlight Café: Lunch. We simply felt like a burger. We were torn between Pecos Bills and Cosmic Rays. Because of the HUGE A/C dining room, we opted for Cosmic Rays. I had the Meteor Meal (double bacon cheeseburger and fries) and my DW had the Cosmic Creation (1/4 lb. Cheeseburger and fries). They were fantastic and we loved the toppings bar, just like the one at Pecos Bills. I didnt see the cheese on the bar, though. Maybe I just overlooked it. Grade: A-
Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room: Dinner. A stout sounded mighty good! We started with the Seasonal Salad. I had the Stilton blue cheese dressing and my DW had the mustard vinaigrette. Excellent salads. I didnt taste the vinaigrette, but the blue cheese was not as thick and gloppy as most. The dinner rolls and herbed butter made with Bass ale were so good we had to ask for more. Both of us ordered Fish and Chips from their limited menu. It was a LARGE piece of fish, nicely battered. We both managed to eat it all. My DWs Guinness Stout and my black and tan helped a lot. We joked with the server that Chicken tikka Masala was not on the menu. He said it probably should be, as popular as Indian cuisine is in the UK. He was a wonderful server, and described how much he loved living here. Nothing for dessert as we were heading to France. Grade: A-
Boulangerie Patisserie: Dessert. My DW ordered a cream puff (her favorite) and I opted for the Raspberry Schuss. I enjoyed it immensely, although my personal favorite is still the Napoleon. Grade: A
July 12
Fresh: Breakfast. Wow! This buffet is a must every time we go. We were staying at the Dolphin anyway, so it was very convenient to head down to breakfast for our last morning. The menu was the usual, with the specials of Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast and Strawberry pancakes. I had the French toast and was very pleased with it. Didnt try the ham or turkey. Their pressed pot coffee is fantastic, although we seemed to remember that the first time we ate at Fresh in November, they had Starbucks coffee from carafes. The fresh squeezed orange juice is out of this world. Absolutely nothing disappointed, except the fact that we eventually got full. Next time we might have to try Boma to compare the two. Grade: A+
Afternoon tea at the Grand Floridians Garden View Lounge: This is our tradition right before we fly back home. If you ever do this, make sure to get either Denis or Pat to be your server. Denis remembered us from our trip in November. We splurged and ordered the Grand Tea. It includes sparkling wine, which doesnt come with the Buckingham Palace, which we normally order. This place is such a treat; you feel like you are being pampered. The wine and strawberry came first. Then came the tea sandwiches (egg salad, chicken salad, salmon, and pear). Then came the scone and clotted (Devonshire) cream. Finally, the English trifle. They practically had to roll us out of there. And we cant say enough about Denis. He is the CM who typifies the Disney spirit. Grade: A++
I think thats it! I hope you enjoyed them. It was great to taste all the meals again as I was writing this.
