Last of my verbose dining reviews. Next I'll work on my trip report (and my scrapbook journaling will be done before the pages are!)
The Cast: My DH, me and our two sons 14 and 17.
The Scene: An eight night family vacation on the Dreammaker Silver Plan. This means we get wishes to use for our meals. The cost I list is what we would have spent including tax and tip. Most meals took one wish. Each meal includes an appetizer, entree and dessert for each of us.
Friday March 28 - Lunch at Columbia Harbor House on Keys of the Kingdom Tour
DS17 and I took this tour. Lunch at the Columbia Harbor House was included. Especially nice that they took the order before the tour started and when we arrived everything was waiting for us on the table. DS had clam chowder in a bread bowl. I had the fried fish basket. It was really very good. Crispy, hot and not greasy. I was impressed at the quality for counter service food so I had to include it in these reviews.
Grade A
Friday March 28 Dinner - Portobello Yacht Company
We had an 8 pm reservation after La Nouba. We walked over there and the restaurant was jam-packed. There was quite a wait even to put your name on the list. DS17 walked around it and checked in for our reservation - not sure he should have, people were not speaking kindly of him. People were being quoted waits of an hour or more. It was noisy and crowded - I could tell DH was going to get grumpy again. In less than 5 minutes we were seated out on the deck. It was very nice out there - warm enough and quieter. Our server brought us a taste of their fruit wine (kind of like Sangria). We decided to get a half pitcher of it and enjoyed that all through the meal.
For appetizers, DS14 ordered calamari which he and DH enjoyed. I didnt care for it as well as those at other places. DH had caesar salad which he really liked. I had the Pomodoro, Cipolla e Mozzarella (tomatoes with mozzarella) - very delicious. More interesting than an ordinary salad but not too heavy. DS17 had some trouble finding something he felt like. I suggested the Bruschetta not reading the description very carefully. I thought it would have cheese melted over it but instead was just the bread with chopped tomatoes in olive oil on it. Oops. He doesnt like tomatoes. He scraped most of those off and sort of enjoyed the bread. I think at this point he was wondering why we werent going to any burger and fries places.
DH had Tonno Arrosto con Prosciutto, tuna with proscuitto. I think he expected something more like slices of rare tuna. This was a more meaty chunk. He thought it was overdone but still flavorful. DS14 had halibut on a rock shrimp risotto. He thought it was just okay. DS17 chose Gamberi con Fettuccine, fettuccine with cream sauce and shrimp. He wasnt really in the mood for shrimp but was very happy with the cream sauced pasta. I began to realize that they weren't used to this much fine food in a week and were getting awfully picky. I worried about my cooking at home bearing the scrutiny.
I had the twin lobster tails and agreed when our waitress suggested adding on some shrimp. The lobster tails were excellent, perfectly cooked with a nice grilled flavor. They came with a very tasty side dish of spaghetti with a tomato basil cream sauce. I was glad to have wishes to use: Id have never ordered a $40+ entree otherwise.
For dessert I got one of my other favorites, cannoli, something we cant get very often at home. It was tasty. The kids had Crema Cotta Carmellata, a white chocolate creme brulee with berries - I should have tasted it to see how it compared to others, but I never got the chance - they pretty much licked their plates clean. DH had vanilla ice cream and a cappuccino. The coffee was better here - they must use a different brand or make it in smaller quantities so its fresher. Or I'm getting used to it. Shudder.
Our server was attentive but somehow messed up the order for my entree. Everyones dinner came and I had to wait a while. It didnt take very long and she was very gracious about it. We never got charged for the wine or cappuccino- maybe because of this mistake. I was happier with this dinner than the rest of my family - Id probably have graded it even higher if my family had liked theirs better. It was certainly an amazing value for that one wish each!
Grade A-; Cost $254.02 (used wishes)
Saturday March 29 Dinner - Jiko
I decided to close out our week at AKL with a late dinner at Jiko. What a great decision! I think DH, DS17 and I would rate this as our favorite food overall. No one dish here was our favorite, but the sum total was the best. Its a close call between here and California Grill for my favorite total experience.
We had a nice table near the window. Ordered Mount Kilimaritas - my favorite drink of the trip. They are margaritas on the rocks with Van Der Hum (tangerine liquor I believe) instead of triple sec. DH had 2 - after another drink in the lounge! He may not be a Disney guy but the bars and beers have met with his approval. We really could use a Dream Maker bar plan for him.
Decided to get 4 different appetizers and share. We had the kalamata olive flatbread (great flavor), duck firecracker (nice crispy flavorful spring rolls), cinnamon spiced beef roll with banana dipping sauce (my favorite - very different and yummy), and maize tamales (our least favorite; kind of bland with a too mushy texture).
DS14 had the fillet (he really liked it and the accompanying macaroni and cheese), DS17 had lamb shank (I was surprised he tried this, but he enjoyed the flavor. The meat was so tender it fell off the bone), DH had the Grains, Peas and Veggies (a huge bowl filled with various grains and legumes and topped with grilled tofu. He enjoyed it but said it wasnt as good as the black bean cakes at CG), and I had the pork tenderloin (the pork was very nicely cooked and flavorful but the real highlight was the tiny sweet potato dumplings and mushroom ragout it was served on. Wow - what great flavors. I wish theyd give me the recipe - I tried but they dont give it out). DH and I enjoyed a glass of South African Pinotage with our dinners.
Another dessert, another creme brulee. I had the Pistachio Creme Brulee with a chocolate bottom layer. Very nice but the milk chocolate one still wins. DS 14 had Tanzanian Chocolate Candies which he inhaled before anyone could ask for a taste - I guess he liked them. DS17 had cheesecake, DH had sorbet.
I dont know quite how to describe our server. He seemed to have a standard spiel and pattern of serving - not bad in itself - but had trouble when you tried to vary it. The biggest problem was that we forgot to order coffee with dessert. Asked for it later and it never came. This sounds really petty but it was the one glitch in the meal. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in this restaurant - very welcoming and cheerful.
Grade A (would have been A+ with better service); Cost: food $191.55 (used wishes, this took 2 wishes each), alcohol $53 with tip (gasp)
Sunday March 30 Lunch - Le Cellier
We arrived for our noon ps but our children were running over to Ice Station Cool to fill a coke bottle with Beverly for their friends. We convinced them to seat us anyway so we could enjoy a draft Moosehead (I think it was Moosehead not Molsons but I cant keep those 2 straight). We had to wait anyway and by the time they were seating us the boys showed up. Cortney was our server and I thought she was great. Attentive but not intrusive and friendly. Quick to meet our requests.
We ordered our beers and each ordered a cheese soup. The soup and breadsticks arrived. Yum Yum. You were all right about this. We especially liked the pretzel breadsticks and Cortney brought us more. DH and I ordered the 10 oz. New York Strip. These steaks were so flavorful! Cortney said they had their beef flown in every 48 hours from Alberta and I can believe it. The roasted potatoes accompanying it were good too. The kids got the Sirloin Steak Sandwich and fries.
For dessert one son and I got Maple Creme Brulee, the other son got White Chocolate Bananas Foster Mousse, DH got Canadian Club Chocolate Cake. All were very good but surprisingly the chocolate cake was the most interesting. It was flavored with whiskey and thyme and very tasty. This meal was a good end to our dining adventures!
Grade A; Cost food $126.95 (used wishes)
The Cast: My DH, me and our two sons 14 and 17.
The Scene: An eight night family vacation on the Dreammaker Silver Plan. This means we get wishes to use for our meals. The cost I list is what we would have spent including tax and tip. Most meals took one wish. Each meal includes an appetizer, entree and dessert for each of us.
Friday March 28 - Lunch at Columbia Harbor House on Keys of the Kingdom Tour
DS17 and I took this tour. Lunch at the Columbia Harbor House was included. Especially nice that they took the order before the tour started and when we arrived everything was waiting for us on the table. DS had clam chowder in a bread bowl. I had the fried fish basket. It was really very good. Crispy, hot and not greasy. I was impressed at the quality for counter service food so I had to include it in these reviews.
Grade A
Friday March 28 Dinner - Portobello Yacht Company
We had an 8 pm reservation after La Nouba. We walked over there and the restaurant was jam-packed. There was quite a wait even to put your name on the list. DS17 walked around it and checked in for our reservation - not sure he should have, people were not speaking kindly of him. People were being quoted waits of an hour or more. It was noisy and crowded - I could tell DH was going to get grumpy again. In less than 5 minutes we were seated out on the deck. It was very nice out there - warm enough and quieter. Our server brought us a taste of their fruit wine (kind of like Sangria). We decided to get a half pitcher of it and enjoyed that all through the meal.
For appetizers, DS14 ordered calamari which he and DH enjoyed. I didnt care for it as well as those at other places. DH had caesar salad which he really liked. I had the Pomodoro, Cipolla e Mozzarella (tomatoes with mozzarella) - very delicious. More interesting than an ordinary salad but not too heavy. DS17 had some trouble finding something he felt like. I suggested the Bruschetta not reading the description very carefully. I thought it would have cheese melted over it but instead was just the bread with chopped tomatoes in olive oil on it. Oops. He doesnt like tomatoes. He scraped most of those off and sort of enjoyed the bread. I think at this point he was wondering why we werent going to any burger and fries places.
DH had Tonno Arrosto con Prosciutto, tuna with proscuitto. I think he expected something more like slices of rare tuna. This was a more meaty chunk. He thought it was overdone but still flavorful. DS14 had halibut on a rock shrimp risotto. He thought it was just okay. DS17 chose Gamberi con Fettuccine, fettuccine with cream sauce and shrimp. He wasnt really in the mood for shrimp but was very happy with the cream sauced pasta. I began to realize that they weren't used to this much fine food in a week and were getting awfully picky. I worried about my cooking at home bearing the scrutiny.
I had the twin lobster tails and agreed when our waitress suggested adding on some shrimp. The lobster tails were excellent, perfectly cooked with a nice grilled flavor. They came with a very tasty side dish of spaghetti with a tomato basil cream sauce. I was glad to have wishes to use: Id have never ordered a $40+ entree otherwise.
For dessert I got one of my other favorites, cannoli, something we cant get very often at home. It was tasty. The kids had Crema Cotta Carmellata, a white chocolate creme brulee with berries - I should have tasted it to see how it compared to others, but I never got the chance - they pretty much licked their plates clean. DH had vanilla ice cream and a cappuccino. The coffee was better here - they must use a different brand or make it in smaller quantities so its fresher. Or I'm getting used to it. Shudder.
Our server was attentive but somehow messed up the order for my entree. Everyones dinner came and I had to wait a while. It didnt take very long and she was very gracious about it. We never got charged for the wine or cappuccino- maybe because of this mistake. I was happier with this dinner than the rest of my family - Id probably have graded it even higher if my family had liked theirs better. It was certainly an amazing value for that one wish each!
Grade A-; Cost $254.02 (used wishes)
Saturday March 29 Dinner - Jiko
I decided to close out our week at AKL with a late dinner at Jiko. What a great decision! I think DH, DS17 and I would rate this as our favorite food overall. No one dish here was our favorite, but the sum total was the best. Its a close call between here and California Grill for my favorite total experience.
We had a nice table near the window. Ordered Mount Kilimaritas - my favorite drink of the trip. They are margaritas on the rocks with Van Der Hum (tangerine liquor I believe) instead of triple sec. DH had 2 - after another drink in the lounge! He may not be a Disney guy but the bars and beers have met with his approval. We really could use a Dream Maker bar plan for him.
Decided to get 4 different appetizers and share. We had the kalamata olive flatbread (great flavor), duck firecracker (nice crispy flavorful spring rolls), cinnamon spiced beef roll with banana dipping sauce (my favorite - very different and yummy), and maize tamales (our least favorite; kind of bland with a too mushy texture).
DS14 had the fillet (he really liked it and the accompanying macaroni and cheese), DS17 had lamb shank (I was surprised he tried this, but he enjoyed the flavor. The meat was so tender it fell off the bone), DH had the Grains, Peas and Veggies (a huge bowl filled with various grains and legumes and topped with grilled tofu. He enjoyed it but said it wasnt as good as the black bean cakes at CG), and I had the pork tenderloin (the pork was very nicely cooked and flavorful but the real highlight was the tiny sweet potato dumplings and mushroom ragout it was served on. Wow - what great flavors. I wish theyd give me the recipe - I tried but they dont give it out). DH and I enjoyed a glass of South African Pinotage with our dinners.
Another dessert, another creme brulee. I had the Pistachio Creme Brulee with a chocolate bottom layer. Very nice but the milk chocolate one still wins. DS 14 had Tanzanian Chocolate Candies which he inhaled before anyone could ask for a taste - I guess he liked them. DS17 had cheesecake, DH had sorbet.
I dont know quite how to describe our server. He seemed to have a standard spiel and pattern of serving - not bad in itself - but had trouble when you tried to vary it. The biggest problem was that we forgot to order coffee with dessert. Asked for it later and it never came. This sounds really petty but it was the one glitch in the meal. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in this restaurant - very welcoming and cheerful.
Grade A (would have been A+ with better service); Cost: food $191.55 (used wishes, this took 2 wishes each), alcohol $53 with tip (gasp)
Sunday March 30 Lunch - Le Cellier
We arrived for our noon ps but our children were running over to Ice Station Cool to fill a coke bottle with Beverly for their friends. We convinced them to seat us anyway so we could enjoy a draft Moosehead (I think it was Moosehead not Molsons but I cant keep those 2 straight). We had to wait anyway and by the time they were seating us the boys showed up. Cortney was our server and I thought she was great. Attentive but not intrusive and friendly. Quick to meet our requests.
We ordered our beers and each ordered a cheese soup. The soup and breadsticks arrived. Yum Yum. You were all right about this. We especially liked the pretzel breadsticks and Cortney brought us more. DH and I ordered the 10 oz. New York Strip. These steaks were so flavorful! Cortney said they had their beef flown in every 48 hours from Alberta and I can believe it. The roasted potatoes accompanying it were good too. The kids got the Sirloin Steak Sandwich and fries.
For dessert one son and I got Maple Creme Brulee, the other son got White Chocolate Bananas Foster Mousse, DH got Canadian Club Chocolate Cake. All were very good but surprisingly the chocolate cake was the most interesting. It was flavored with whiskey and thyme and very tasty. This meal was a good end to our dining adventures!
Grade A; Cost food $126.95 (used wishes)
I love that too!
