After scouring these fabulous boards reading dining review after dining review in preparation for our recent trip, well, I just had to reciprocate. 
This is also a way to relive the wonderful food we enjoyed! I hope our experiences will help some of you plan. Bear with me though, this will be my first review. I did take photos of our meals, however, I apologize in advance as some are imperfect (darktrying to avoid using flash in dark restaurantsor a bit hazy). Also, DH was a good sport about the photos, but occasionally dug in before I could snap an image of his meals.
I will preface this by saying that we are family who loves food, fine dining, simple dining, cooking, etc. Gastronomy is a large part of our lives. My collection of cookbooks (which I read for pleasure as much as cooking) is far too large for my own good and is spread throughout our home in four different rooms (we are talking full bookcases and wall shelves). Although professionally my devotion and job lies in the arts, my secret career wish would be with food writing in some iteration.
Our travel party consisted of DH, me, DD 3, as well as the occasional appearance of DSis, her DH, and my DM and DDad. My reviews will largely focus on DH and my meals. I must say, while we were overall very impressed and pleased with our meals, I must get the following off my chest
I wish Disney would overhaul their childrens menu choices. We found Disneys childrens meals to be pretty abysmal in particular, in the Signature restaurants the kids meals were usually the same one would find at a very casual, even fast food type of place. With such talented chefs at Disney, and in environments which are fostering innovative, regional cuisine, come on, offer some kids meals with some variety, high quality ingredients, and good taste. Others have noted this as well. I was pretty shocked by some of the offerings nutrition, variety, and whole foods aside, many simply tasted mediocre or just plain bad. Even grilled chicken for the kids, an otherwise fairly healthy option, came one night as three small, sinewy pieces of chicken of poor enough quality I did not want DD to eat them. She often ate off of our plates. Okay, rant over. (By the way, we truly enjoyed our meal at the WaveDisneys only restaurant with a focus on local, organic ingredients and whole foods). In order to fill in the gaps with DD, I placed an order with GardenGrocer (great service
) for the essentials; organic milk, organic apples and berries, and carrots, and whole grain cereal.
All the lovely places we ate
Raglan Road post #1
Artist Point post #7
Cinderellas Royal Table post #16
Main Street Bakery post #25
Chefs Table at Victoria & Alberts post #34 (installment 1), post #54 (installment 2), post #63 (installment 3), post #74 (installment 4)
Le Cellier post #69
California Grill post #80
Tusker House (Donalds Safari Breakfast) post #100
Yak & Yeti post #118
In-Room Dining Wilderness Lodge (originally meant to be Citricos) post #114
Tutto Italia post #132
In-Room Dining Wilderness Lodge (originally meant to be Jiko) post #147
Akershus Princess Storybook Dining post #159
The Wave post #165
Main Street Confectionary post #51
Various other snacky type things
Evident already is the fact that we found ourselves completely exhausted by day 4 this was our first visit. So we cancelled two precious evening meals we had both been very anxious to try. Next time we will add them to our list again! Other foods or places I sadly had to let go include trying a No Way Jose from Beaches and Cream,
or the Grand Marnier Slushie in France, and many other lovely treats which are now whispers in my imaginationthoughts that intended to be fulfilled and tasted, but alas, I could barely finish two bites of desserts included in my meals! Next time
is my continued refrain.
I did, incidentally, manage to eat two marvelous schoolbreads
We were on Deluxe dining, and we also stayed club level. Thus, there was ample sustenance to be had. Was the deluxe plan too much food? Not really... (however, we were very full) Would we do this again? Yes. We loved not having to think about how many courses to order, we loved saving a nice chunk of money after adding up all the signature dining and table service meals. Of course you cant eat everything, however, you can sample. This was part of the fun of being on vacation! Sometimes we brought desserts back for later, which worked out well. Sometimes, we shared our starters or desserts with my parents who were not on a dining plan. All in all, we thought the plan worked very well. We never had a problem with credits, for meals or snacks, and would certainly do the deluxe plan again. The only real downside was not trying a few places not on the plan (BlueZoo for instance). One major meal off the plan was our limitthat one being Victoria & Alberts.
As for the club lounge, this was great also even though we did not eat much from their offerings. It was fantastic to have nibbles available, wine, bottled water, mini muffins to grab in the morning, cookies and crackers at mid-day.
Now, onto the reviews! I suppose a rating system might be helpful, and certainly more fun. I will rate each place on a scale of 1 to 5. I wont try to compare V & As to, say, Yak & Yeti and will rate each on their own merits and expectations for the type of dining it was (fine dining vs. casual).
5= Outstanding, will return next trip.
4= Very Good, will return next trip or sometime in the future.
3= Good, a fine meal that may not be repeated.
2= Poor, will not return.
1= Very Poor, will not return and worthy of complaint.
Raglan Road
Overall Rating: 4
I was inclined to rate this a 5, and DH ultimately would as well, but his meal simply wasnt excellent. Everything else was!
The great anticipation of this meal was of course, the famous Bread and Butter Pudding so, I knew pacing ourselves would be wise. Additionally, we were paying out of pocket for this meal which also explains our shared starter and dessert. DD was fast asleep, snoozing away on my lap as we sat in the booth side, so she simply shared my meal when she awoke.
Our first impressions of the restaurant left us both commenting how fun and raucous an atmosphere could be fostered in the eveningit was fairly quiet then. There was a large group in a back room, but otherwise, probably only 10 tables full. Very cool space with the in the round feeling surrounding the music and bar areas. We were glad for the quiet so DD could slumber peacefully. Our server ended up being terrific, cant recall his name, but I do recall he was from NY state. He was personable, attentive, just plain good service. A very nice young woman also fetched me not one, but two band-aids for DD who was wearing new Crocs.
We split the delightfully presented Scallop Forest for our starter, served with a lime aioli. This is perhaps an opportune time to mention that I am allergic to mustard, so always have to ask about its inclusion in dishes. I was happy to note that the aioli was mustard free! Often, a teaspoon of mustard finds its way into aiolis, vinaigrettes, and other various dipping sauces it is a great emulsifier. (sidenote: despite my problem with and hatred of mustard, DH LOVES it so I cook with it often, but have also figured out ways to reach a similar effect without using it).
These scallops were very nice, well battered, a fairly light tasting batter. The scallops themselves were perfectly cooked, soft, and just the right balance of acidity from the aioli made for a great way to begin our culinary tour of WDW.
We were also served the soda bread rolls with a Guinness reduction dipping saucedelicious! Yes, the bread is a unique taste for some (and might be startling if one wasnt expecting it or had never had it before). The grainy texture is perfect though for the hearty taste of the whole grain, these were great, and just how they should be. The reduction dipping sauce was lovely, very sweet.
I ordered Fish and Chips for my main. It arrived in a paper cone, but was arranged (gently thrown onto my plate actually, just as you see here) by a manager who brought out our food. The one large piece of fresh fish (Atlantic cod I think) was more than enough for me, DD when she awoke, and DH to sample. Naturally, I was also brought some malt vinegar and lemon. The chips were great! Perfectly salty, crisp, but potatoey, yummy excellent and simple.
DH ordered Guinness and Stout Sausage/Bangers on toast with a side of Mashed Potatoes. Now, something like this is listed online, but this was a bit different. (sorry for the blurry photo) He thought this was good, he was hungry and might have said fine, really good afterwards he ate quite a bit of mine actuallywhich is usually a sign he likes mine better.
Ah now comes what we have affectionately named the Platonic ideal of bread pudding, Gers Bread and Butter Pudding. Let me preface this by saying that DH, while a regular connoisseur of treats, lover of my pot de crème au chocolat, is NOT a huge fan of puddingish, or custardy type desserts generally. He is an enigma hell rave about one particular dish he loves, but sneer at the texture of others like it. Somehow, I cant find a pic of this I know I took one
Anyway, this dessert was loved by all. I knew I would like it even if I didnt love it, but that crème anglaise and butterscotch sauce combo, with the airy, softly dense pudding, studded with golden embers of raisins, oh my goodness...It was truly fabulous. DH kept instructing me to pour more sauce over each layer of bites
We sent DM and DDad there later in the week with instructions for making certain to order this creationthey too agreed that it is one of the best bread puddings they have had. We will return to this delightful Irish pub
FYII made this reservation on Open Table! For those who use this, I was so pleased to find they are on Open Table. Got my 100 points and no waiting for Disney imposed date restrictions on ADRs.
All in all, a terrific way to begin our trip
This is also a way to relive the wonderful food we enjoyed! I hope our experiences will help some of you plan. Bear with me though, this will be my first review. I did take photos of our meals, however, I apologize in advance as some are imperfect (darktrying to avoid using flash in dark restaurantsor a bit hazy). Also, DH was a good sport about the photos, but occasionally dug in before I could snap an image of his meals.
I will preface this by saying that we are family who loves food, fine dining, simple dining, cooking, etc. Gastronomy is a large part of our lives. My collection of cookbooks (which I read for pleasure as much as cooking) is far too large for my own good and is spread throughout our home in four different rooms (we are talking full bookcases and wall shelves). Although professionally my devotion and job lies in the arts, my secret career wish would be with food writing in some iteration.
Our travel party consisted of DH, me, DD 3, as well as the occasional appearance of DSis, her DH, and my DM and DDad. My reviews will largely focus on DH and my meals. I must say, while we were overall very impressed and pleased with our meals, I must get the following off my chest
I wish Disney would overhaul their childrens menu choices. We found Disneys childrens meals to be pretty abysmal in particular, in the Signature restaurants the kids meals were usually the same one would find at a very casual, even fast food type of place. With such talented chefs at Disney, and in environments which are fostering innovative, regional cuisine, come on, offer some kids meals with some variety, high quality ingredients, and good taste. Others have noted this as well. I was pretty shocked by some of the offerings nutrition, variety, and whole foods aside, many simply tasted mediocre or just plain bad. Even grilled chicken for the kids, an otherwise fairly healthy option, came one night as three small, sinewy pieces of chicken of poor enough quality I did not want DD to eat them. She often ate off of our plates. Okay, rant over. (By the way, we truly enjoyed our meal at the WaveDisneys only restaurant with a focus on local, organic ingredients and whole foods). In order to fill in the gaps with DD, I placed an order with GardenGrocer (great service
) for the essentials; organic milk, organic apples and berries, and carrots, and whole grain cereal. All the lovely places we ate
Raglan Road post #1
Artist Point post #7
Cinderellas Royal Table post #16
Main Street Bakery post #25
Chefs Table at Victoria & Alberts post #34 (installment 1), post #54 (installment 2), post #63 (installment 3), post #74 (installment 4)
Le Cellier post #69
California Grill post #80
Tusker House (Donalds Safari Breakfast) post #100
Yak & Yeti post #118
In-Room Dining Wilderness Lodge (originally meant to be Citricos) post #114
Tutto Italia post #132
In-Room Dining Wilderness Lodge (originally meant to be Jiko) post #147
Akershus Princess Storybook Dining post #159
The Wave post #165
Main Street Confectionary post #51
Various other snacky type things
Evident already is the fact that we found ourselves completely exhausted by day 4 this was our first visit. So we cancelled two precious evening meals we had both been very anxious to try. Next time we will add them to our list again! Other foods or places I sadly had to let go include trying a No Way Jose from Beaches and Cream,
or the Grand Marnier Slushie in France, and many other lovely treats which are now whispers in my imaginationthoughts that intended to be fulfilled and tasted, but alas, I could barely finish two bites of desserts included in my meals! Next time
is my continued refrain. I did, incidentally, manage to eat two marvelous schoolbreads
We were on Deluxe dining, and we also stayed club level. Thus, there was ample sustenance to be had. Was the deluxe plan too much food? Not really... (however, we were very full) Would we do this again? Yes. We loved not having to think about how many courses to order, we loved saving a nice chunk of money after adding up all the signature dining and table service meals. Of course you cant eat everything, however, you can sample. This was part of the fun of being on vacation! Sometimes we brought desserts back for later, which worked out well. Sometimes, we shared our starters or desserts with my parents who were not on a dining plan. All in all, we thought the plan worked very well. We never had a problem with credits, for meals or snacks, and would certainly do the deluxe plan again. The only real downside was not trying a few places not on the plan (BlueZoo for instance). One major meal off the plan was our limitthat one being Victoria & Alberts.
As for the club lounge, this was great also even though we did not eat much from their offerings. It was fantastic to have nibbles available, wine, bottled water, mini muffins to grab in the morning, cookies and crackers at mid-day.
Now, onto the reviews! I suppose a rating system might be helpful, and certainly more fun. I will rate each place on a scale of 1 to 5. I wont try to compare V & As to, say, Yak & Yeti and will rate each on their own merits and expectations for the type of dining it was (fine dining vs. casual).
5= Outstanding, will return next trip.
4= Very Good, will return next trip or sometime in the future.
3= Good, a fine meal that may not be repeated.
2= Poor, will not return.
1= Very Poor, will not return and worthy of complaint.
Raglan Road
Overall Rating: 4
I was inclined to rate this a 5, and DH ultimately would as well, but his meal simply wasnt excellent. Everything else was!
The great anticipation of this meal was of course, the famous Bread and Butter Pudding so, I knew pacing ourselves would be wise. Additionally, we were paying out of pocket for this meal which also explains our shared starter and dessert. DD was fast asleep, snoozing away on my lap as we sat in the booth side, so she simply shared my meal when she awoke.
Our first impressions of the restaurant left us both commenting how fun and raucous an atmosphere could be fostered in the eveningit was fairly quiet then. There was a large group in a back room, but otherwise, probably only 10 tables full. Very cool space with the in the round feeling surrounding the music and bar areas. We were glad for the quiet so DD could slumber peacefully. Our server ended up being terrific, cant recall his name, but I do recall he was from NY state. He was personable, attentive, just plain good service. A very nice young woman also fetched me not one, but two band-aids for DD who was wearing new Crocs.
We split the delightfully presented Scallop Forest for our starter, served with a lime aioli. This is perhaps an opportune time to mention that I am allergic to mustard, so always have to ask about its inclusion in dishes. I was happy to note that the aioli was mustard free! Often, a teaspoon of mustard finds its way into aiolis, vinaigrettes, and other various dipping sauces it is a great emulsifier. (sidenote: despite my problem with and hatred of mustard, DH LOVES it so I cook with it often, but have also figured out ways to reach a similar effect without using it).
These scallops were very nice, well battered, a fairly light tasting batter. The scallops themselves were perfectly cooked, soft, and just the right balance of acidity from the aioli made for a great way to begin our culinary tour of WDW.
We were also served the soda bread rolls with a Guinness reduction dipping saucedelicious! Yes, the bread is a unique taste for some (and might be startling if one wasnt expecting it or had never had it before). The grainy texture is perfect though for the hearty taste of the whole grain, these were great, and just how they should be. The reduction dipping sauce was lovely, very sweet.
I ordered Fish and Chips for my main. It arrived in a paper cone, but was arranged (gently thrown onto my plate actually, just as you see here) by a manager who brought out our food. The one large piece of fresh fish (Atlantic cod I think) was more than enough for me, DD when she awoke, and DH to sample. Naturally, I was also brought some malt vinegar and lemon. The chips were great! Perfectly salty, crisp, but potatoey, yummy excellent and simple.
DH ordered Guinness and Stout Sausage/Bangers on toast with a side of Mashed Potatoes. Now, something like this is listed online, but this was a bit different. (sorry for the blurry photo) He thought this was good, he was hungry and might have said fine, really good afterwards he ate quite a bit of mine actuallywhich is usually a sign he likes mine better.
Ah now comes what we have affectionately named the Platonic ideal of bread pudding, Gers Bread and Butter Pudding. Let me preface this by saying that DH, while a regular connoisseur of treats, lover of my pot de crème au chocolat, is NOT a huge fan of puddingish, or custardy type desserts generally. He is an enigma hell rave about one particular dish he loves, but sneer at the texture of others like it. Somehow, I cant find a pic of this I know I took one
Anyway, this dessert was loved by all. I knew I would like it even if I didnt love it, but that crème anglaise and butterscotch sauce combo, with the airy, softly dense pudding, studded with golden embers of raisins, oh my goodness...It was truly fabulous. DH kept instructing me to pour more sauce over each layer of bites
We sent DM and DDad there later in the week with instructions for making certain to order this creationthey too agreed that it is one of the best bread puddings they have had. We will return to this delightful Irish pub
FYII made this reservation on Open Table! For those who use this, I was so pleased to find they are on Open Table. Got my 100 points and no waiting for Disney imposed date restrictions on ADRs.
All in all, a terrific way to begin our trip
