Overall Rating: 5+
Sublime, exceptional, surpassed outstanding
Due to the sheer amount of courses and background for this review, I may end up splitting this into several posts.
This evening stirred the utmost giddy anticipation for DH and me. I fought to get this reservation, called several mornings 180 days out, beginning my dialing the proper seconds before the line would open. The first couple of tries were met with failurealready booked. Finally, success! I know this is a tricky reservation to secure, but I was quite surprised by how hard it actually was to gain. We were thrilled also that DSis and her DHs trip overlapped our own so they could have a fun outing with DD while we basked in the culinary delights of V & A.
Their plan was to go to Whispering Canyon Café for dinner and explore the hotel. I wont try to review WCC, but I will briefly say I think they all enjoyed it, but wont rush back. I believe they found the food to be good, fun atmosphere, and DD kept endearingly calling it the noisy restaurant all week.
After a good rest in the afternoon DH and I readied ourselves for a fabulous evening. We decided to take a cab from Wilderness Lodge to the Grand Floridian, which was a good plan. It took only a few minutes and cost $6, plus tip, each way. Easy!
Upon arrival to the GF we found we had a bit of time before our 5:55 pm requested arrival (Chefs Table is one seating nightly, ADR for 6, arrive at 5:55). We enjoyed exploring the gorgeous GF a bit as we had originally planned on staying there, and still will one day (though, we adored the WL so much who knows when we will try a new place!).
We were graciously greeted, checked in, coats collected, and asked to wait for a moment while they made certain the chef was ready for us. We observed the serene and lovely main dining roomof course it was an extremely romantic setting.
Soon we were escorted through the tranquil dining room and into the belly of the production; the kitchen. While the kitchen has an electric vibe to it, it is also extremely calm and quiet, absolutely no shouting out orders, not a raised voice to be heard. Everyone seemed amiable, and purposefully intent upon work. Perhaps watching one too many cooking/travel/food shows gave DH an impression or expectation of a more loud and tense kitchenand I am sure they existbut he commented to me and to one of our servers about the calm mood. John, a server from Boston, praised DH for his astute comment,
, and said that indeed, it was always this calm and quiet and that most truly professionally run, awarded kitchens are this way.
Our other main server, and the one we saw the most of, was Salvatore from Sardinia, Italy. He was the epitome of a professional server (told DH he worked for many years in NYC, at the Rainbow Room for one) and so sweet and charming!
Sal firstly asked me if I preferred sparkling or still water. He poured Evian for me. DH prefers San Pellegrino and was also brought limes. Sal must have noticed that I had placed my purse on the floor next to my chair (there were only the two chairs at the tablenormally, I place it on an extra chair). Moments later the maître dhôtel kindly appeared with a delightful little tufted stool for my baghow very posh
really, it was just thoughtful.
This photo is so blurry, but you can get the idea.
Oh, several days prior to our dinner V&A called me to confirm and discuss dietary issues. I obviously mentioned my mustard allergy, as well as that DH does not care for squash at all (butternut, pumpkin, acorn). I also mentioned that DH does not drink and that while we were game for most anything, we do not favor offal (sweetbreads, glands, other internal organs). We fully appreciate their place in fine cuisine and rustic cuisine, but we simply dont enjoy eating most types of offal. She informed me about the WDW foie gras banwhich we think is indiscriminately politically correct of Disney (without knowing their side) as there are far crueler and irresponsible methods of farming and food production that they support monetarily every day. Regardless, we dont eat foie gras because we dont enjoy the taste (well, I dont mind it, but DH really dislikes it). Anyway, I let her know offal in sauces and reductions was fine, and could hardly be avoided at this level of cooking, but we did not fancy eating sweetbreads as a course in itself. This will come into play later
Back to the meal! We reminded Sal that DH does not drink as I saw him gearing up to pour a glass of bubbly, he nodded, poured my taste of Gosset Excellence Brut, Aÿ NV. He waited as I tasted this crisp, full bodied, brut champagne with a slightly sweet finish, before pouring my full glass. He then poured a glass for the chef, who would shortly be coming out to toast with us, and reached for a cold bottle of sparkling cider for DH (the best brand, in our opinion and Sals, Martinelli, we buy it at home and it is delish).
He also mentioned at this point that if I did not care for any of the wines to let him know and he would fetch something else. This was never an issuethe pairings were always spot on and wonderful. I actually am a bit picky about wine, however, I think that when really well done pairings are prepared by a knowledgeable sommelier, even wines I would not normally prefer are highly enjoyable. Plus, it is always good to try new things and expand our culinary horizons!
So, as we awaited the chef I wondered if we would be lucky enough to have Chef Scott Hunnel himself cook for us
.
Yes! Chef Hunnel came out and introduced himself, we chatted a bit about the Midwest (he is from Chicago originally) and we also discussed some of the food wed be enjoying. He gave us a stern but friendly instruction to not finish our bread samplings. He said it would be hard (and it was) because they are amazing, but that stamina is required for this meal. This was funny because he later praised us for only taking one or two bites of our truly incredible breadswhich also meant that he actually saw, noticed, the contents of our plates either as they returned to the kitchen and/or as he came out with each course to explain.
Chef Hunnel, we would learn throughout the evening, was a very likable man. Certainly, he is a genius in the kitchen, but we also enjoyed his company very much! We had a great time joking around with him and chatting. He brought up the mustard and told me that I would be receiving a few different courses than DH. We toasted to one another and enjoyed our brut champagne, and he was off to oversee and prepare our first course. (he truly did prepare our courses
)
Course OneAmuse Bouche
Deviled Quail Egg with Iranian Osetra Caviar
Smoked Trout Custard Baked in the Shell
Lobster Sausage
Butter Poached Maine Lobster
Smoked Salmon Roulade
Roasted Butternut Squash Cream
Gosset Excellence Brut, Aÿ NV
DHs amuse was almost the same, with the exception of the squash cream. He received instead,
Lobster Bisque with Vanilla Foam. Chef Hunnel told us that mustard seed is used to scent the vanilla foam, a very delicate use of spice of course, but nevertheless, a use of mustard. Also, we both had the quail egg, however mine was fortified with crème fraiche rather than the traditional mustard. Before we began eating each course Chef Hunnel came out to explain what were we presented with. This was great because it also gave us a chance to chat with him about the previous course, he began asking what our favorites were after awhile.
Deviled Quail Egg with Iranian Osetra Caviara delicate little egg, tenderly made up, enhanced with fabulously explosive osetra caviar.
Smoked Trout Custard Baked in the Shellhave you ever had perfectly made, gently cooked, soft scrambled eggs (in the French style, with a small amount of reserved raw egg added at the end)? Combine this beautiful texture with the subtle, smoky flavor of the trout along with a crispy root vegetable chip and the playful presentation in the egg shell, well this was perfect. We both adored it.
Lobster Sausagevery nice little morsel tasting of the sea. This one is the tiny piece in the middle of the plate.
Butter Poached Maine Lobsterwell, Chef Hunnel set a high bar with this first course, between the trout and this lobsterwhich was truly one of the most memorable and incredible things I have tasted, it was amazing. The lobster itself was perfectly cooked, but the sauce in which it was poached, oh my
it was a small heady scented pool of warm butter, flecked with fresh vanilla bean which so naturally, yet surprisingly, melded all the flavors in this small wonder. I confess to trying to get every morsel of sauce from that tiny dish. Absolutely divine!
Smoked Salmon Rouladea wonderful little creation, great smoked salmon, but the highlight was the salmon bacon on the very top as a garnishan inventive twist on a classic hors doeuvre.
Roasted Butternut Squash Creama lovely few sips of a well done, smooth as silk butternut squash cream.
Lobster Bisque with Vanilla Foamthis was apparently beautiful too, rich lobster flavor with the complementary foam was ideal.
Isnt this pot of various
salts charming? And fun
not that such expertly prepared creations need any extra seasoning from our amateur hands
but DH does love exotic salts and had some fun with these. We have several of these at home, but a couple were beautiful finishing salts we had not yet tried. There was a Maldon sea salt, French fleur de sel, kosher salt, celery salt, Himalayan pink, and Hawaiian black. These were placed on our table after the fish course.
I will have to finish up this spectacular meal later...hope you'll enjoy the first installment!
Do you have any pictures of it that you'd like to share?
, screamed I'm a fraud! and ran to the nearest QS spot!
I just love food and have truly enjoyed making its history, preparation, and enjoyment a hobby in life! Growing up my parents were always adventurous cooks as well, so I have always had this as a presence in my life.
