Sistah Twistah - A January Dining Review- Updated- 6/25 - COMPLETE!!!

[LinderInWonderland]

I love crumbling crackers in my soup or putting oyster crackers in a thicker chowder, but I am with you in that chicken noodle soup needs to be more broth, less stuff. It looks like they used the same cavatappi that was with your main dish! Smart from a kitchen prep/food cost standpoint, and may have been added for more 'value' to a soup, but totally the wrong 'noodle' for chicken noodle.

Yay!!! We are almost at Les Halles! Cannot wait to see what you got (though I will, of course).

 

[DVCjj]

Your trip report is wonderful. Thank you so much for letting us come along.

And to think: I complain about a 2-1/2 flight and you come from Jerusalem, Israel. All I can say is WOW!

 

[Saphire5742]

The thing is, being pooped has never stopped me from eating before, and it certainly wasn't going to stop me from eating then! (Or now for that matter!)

Can totally relate

After the whole soup thing, I moved on to the yumminess of this dish:

That looks so YUM!!!!

The cake itself was so moist. And the icing was so delicious. And that pretty little dollop of chocolate on top was even softer and creamier than the frosting so to me that was a third type of chocolate in this fabulous chocolate cake!

Never such a thing as too much chocolate. Mm Mm Mm

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

Ok, people- I just did some serious research on the soup thing (about 3 minutes worth!) and I have come to the conclusion that your crackers replace our 'soup nuts' here in Israel!
"Shkedei Marak" or literally "soup almonds" are tiny little floating square pieces we put in our soup. They're usually yellow and crunchy and taste amazing even with no soup (but way too many calories for that!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shkedei_marak
For some reason I thought this was a global concept but now I see it's not!
They are SO good, I'll send a mini package of soup nuts to anyone who wants one

Yes, a lot of people here eat crackers with their soup. Some dip them in the soup, some crumble them up in the soup (this is what I do).

Yum on the mac-n-cheese (I love all varieties...cheese is a food group!) though I like alfredo, too.

So glad to hear it on the chocolate cake. I love me some dessert and since we are on the DDP, I will definitely be trying that.

I need to remember to trade the drinks for snack items at Artist Palette since we will have the refillable mugs, also. We are only planning arrival day lunch and possible departure day breakfast/lunch at the resort, though.

Enjoying the report!!

Thanks Ariel! And thanks for the cracker explanation- that got me looking up our 'soup nut' concept
The alfredo looked delicious but I just couldn't pass on the mac and cheese! And definitely try the chocolate cake! I think it's considered too simple a dessert here on the boards, but I think it was just perfect!
And yes!! Don't forget to replace the drinks with something else! It really would be a waste of credit when you've got the mug Also, don't forget you can always get free cups of water at any QS place and replace the drinks there too!

I love crumbling crackers in my soup or putting oyster crackers in a thicker chowder, but I am with you in that chicken noodle soup needs to be more broth, less stuff. It looks like they used the same cavatappi that was with your main dish! Smart from a kitchen prep/food cost standpoint, and may have been added for more 'value' to a soup, but totally the wrong 'noodle' for chicken noodle.
Yay!!! We are almost at Les Halles! Cannot wait to see what you got (though I will, of course).

So the oyster crackers I've seen before (but that was when I ordered some kind of seafood chowder up in Maine) just never seen the regular crackers. Don't they get soggy really quickly? I'll have to try them next time...
And yes- it was the same pasta! So much better with the cheese
Les Halles here we come! Unless I decide never to post again and just leave you guys in suspense! (I've got so much power with this report, it's frightening! )

Your trip report is wonderful. Thank you so much for letting us come along.
And to think: I complain about a 2-1/2 flight and you come from Jerusalem, Israel. All I can say is WOW!

Welcome aboard and thanks for being here! Seriously, it would never have been so much fun to write about this stuff without you guys!
And re the flights- When you love something this much, it's so worth it

Can totally relate

I need to meet you in real life!

That looks so YUM!!!!

I would pay so much for even the simplest meals if I could get them here

Never such a thing as too much chocolate. Mm Mm Mm

 

[Saphire5742]

"Shkedei Marak" or literally "soup almonds" are tiny little floating square pieces we put in our soup. They're usually yellow and crunchy and taste amazing even with no soup (but way too many calories for that!)

I actually don't buy them anymore because I've been known to just pour some into a plastic cup when I want a snack.

need to meet you in real life!

Would love that. Maybe some time in summer

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

I actually don't buy them anymore because I've been known to just pour some into a plastic cup when I want a snack.

Would love that. Maybe some time in summer

See? A girl after my own heart! I actually have them at home, not for soup but for the most amazing cookie recipe ever! It has soup nuts and white chocolate mixed in together with oatmeal!!! Salty and sweet and yummy!
And summer for sure! First you focus on your fabulous trip that's getting oh so close!!!

 

[TeresaNJ]

Oh my gosh, too funny, your comments about the noodles & crackers. Yes, it's quite common to use macaroni noodles in soup. Us Italians use a lot of Ditalini in our soups, as well as elbow macaroni! Crackers usually always come with soup in our diners. It's quite common to break up saltines in our soup, especially chicken noodle soup! Your soup nuts sound yummy!

 

[LinderInWonderland]

I totally forgot about soup nuts! I used to get them all the time when I lived in NYC! I am going to have to check the grocery store next time I go to buy matzoh for matzoh brei.

Regular crackers (often saltines) can get soggy very quickly in soup, but I always used them to wait for the soup to cool a bit. I eat the crackers when they are just barely wet with soup because then you get soup flavor, salt and crunch without scalding your tongue immediately.

 

[ArielSRL]

Soup nuts sound interesting.....

 

[Vernie822]

I definitely always put egg noodles in my chicken noodle soup. Maybe tortellini if I'm feeling fancy, but no, never elbow noodles. For another type of soup, perhaps, but not chicken noodle!

Definitely looks like a great QS meal. Shira doesn't know what she's missing!!

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

Oh my gosh, too funny, your comments about the noodles & crackers. Yes, it's quite common to use macaroni noodles in soup. Us Italians use a lot of Ditalini in our soups, as well as elbow macaroni! Crackers usually always come with soup in our diners. It's quite common to break up saltines in our soup, especially chicken noodle soup! Your soup nuts sound yummy!

Thanks for the explanation! I think the Ditalini would have been better if it had been cooked in the soup and not separately. My mom's family is Tunisian and they have a lot of pasta soups there. The difference being that they're cooked together and so the pasta soaks up the flavors. I'm gonna try the cracker thing next time!

I totally forgot about soup nuts! I used to get them all the time when I lived in NYC! I am going to have to check the grocery store next time I go to buy matzoh for matzoh brei.
Regular crackers (often saltines) can get soggy very quickly in soup, but I always used them to wait for the soup to cool a bit. I eat the crackers when they are just barely wet with soup because then you get soup flavor, salt and crunch without scalding your tongue immediately.

Ah, a fellow soup nut consumer! Did you buy the Osem brand or the American ones? Because if I remember correctly, the American brands are different- more like little cream puff dough balls (minus the cream of course). They're soft, not crunchy. And thanks for the cracker tip!

Soup nuts sound interesting.....

They are! And I was serious about sending you some if you'd like!

I definitely always put egg noodles in my chicken noodle soup. Maybe tortellini if I'm feeling fancy, but no, never elbow noodles. For another type of soup, perhaps, but not chicken noodle!
Definitely looks like a great QS meal. Shira doesn't know what she's missing!!

Thanks for your reassurance! For now I think I'll stick with my mom's chicken soup- with or without noodles

 

[ckmiles]

I am really enjoying your dining report! I will have dreams about that picnic burger......

 

[LinderInWonderland]

Ah, a fellow soup nut consumer! Did you buy the Osem brand or the American ones? Because if I remember correctly, the American brands are different- more like little cream puff dough balls (minus the cream of course). They're soft, not crunchy. And thanks for the cracker tip!

Definitely Osem. You could get them at Zabar's in Manhattan and I practically lived at that store. My first job in NYC was across the street and I went there for lunch often and they were also my go-to for picnic lunches in Central Park.

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

I am really enjoying your dining report! I will have dreams about that picnic burger......

Thank you so much! Glad to have you here!! I wish I had dreams about the picnic burger- that would be one sweet dream

Definitely Osem. You could get them at Zabar's in Manhattan and I practically lived at that store. My first job in NYC was across the street and I went there for lunch often and they were also my go-to for picnic lunches in Central Park.

That is so cool! I'm glad you know Osem because I was starting to imagine the Manischewitz soup mandel things. Not the same at all


I'll be updating the report after work today! Yay!

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

It's here!!!!! My next update is finally here!!!!!

The day is Thursday, January 21st, and we're spending the day at EPCOT!!!

We had a lunch ADR for 1:50 at Biergarten and breakfast wasn't our thing so we found ourselves wandering the park and looking for any interesting food options along the way.
Our first stop was at Club Cool after hearing about it for the first time on the boards.
I guess it was just one of those places you pass by and don't really look at.



I had heard about the infamous Beverly and skipped it. Actually, I think the only ones I didn't skip were the pineapple from Greece, melon from Thailand and the raspberry from Zimbabwe which took the cake.
Shira was braver than me and did try the Beverly. Ahem. She spit it out into the trashcan.
Her favorites were both the melon and the raspberry. Tied.

This is me enjoying the raspberry soda



Look at those crazy eyes! I think they drugged the soda dispensers!!

We had a few little drinks and enjoyed the shop. I was tempted to buy the Coca Cola cookbook they were selling but figured I'd never use it.
I did buy a bottle of Coke Zero as an inside joke for my BF (I keep a stock of Zero cans for him in my fridge) but unfortunately, I accidentally packed it in my carry on instead of my suitcase and it was thrown out in the airport

So this isn't a dining review but I highly recommend stopping there when you're at Epcot! I'm sure it must be packed on hot days because the soda is cold! And free!
I also found the shop itself and all the Coke merchandise really cute

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.....


Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie

Or Les Halles for short.
Or "That French Place at Epcot" for when we're old and can't remember names anymore.


We left Club Cool, finished our Future World rounds and headed for the World Showcase.
Back home when planning our trip, we had made a list of specific foods we wanted to try and certain eateries we wanted to visit. Les Halles was on our list.
Our mom is a certified pastry chef so we've had our share of interesting French pastries but the menu had some interesting things we don't have around here and of course, any QS is a friend of mine.



Look at all that yumminess!



Hello beautiful artsy French food!


It was already 12:00 and our Biergarten ADR was at 1:50 but we were hungry- ADR or no ADR.
The place was pretty full but standing on line gave us some time to decide what we wanted.

Lots of choices and I love sweet but I love savory even more. I'll take food for dessert anytime!

I'd like to remind you that choosing is not my thing. So I used up two snack credits on these babies:



Roulé Lard and Fromage - $3.95
"Bacon and Cheese Roll"

And...



Bisque de Homard - $4.90
"Lobster Bisque"

I know I've said this before, but Oh. My. God.
One of the most delicious things I had on our trip was that lobster bisque. I am literally in near-drooling stage right now.
It was creamy and salty (not too salty) and cheesy and I don't think it tasted anything like the lobster I remember. But it was SO GOOD.
It wasn't a huge portion (see picture below) but I would order this as an appetizer in a TS restaurant.

The bisque also went really well with my Roulé baked thingy!
It was a really nice size and cheesy but not too cheesy so you could really taste the flavors. I would have liked them to warm it up a bit more, but by the time we grabbed a table and I'd tried it, there was no way I was getting up again. Even being luke-warm and a little tough it was still delicious.
I'd get this again but was also really tempted to try the Croissant Jambon Fromage (Ham, Cheese and Béchamel in a Croissant) so maybe I'll get that next time. (I bet you're detecting a pattern here.)

These were an excellent use of my snack credits. (Not money-wise. Never money-wise.)

Shira didn't try either of my dishes and I solute her for sticking to her plan. (No pork, no seafood.)
She decided on the Brioche Chocolat.



Brioche Chocolat - $3.5
"Chocolate Chips Brioche"

It was a decent size but as you can see, there was barely a hint of chocolate in there.
Still, Shira says it was very tasty. She just wished they had warmed it up (even a little) before serving it. If you ever order it- ask for it to be warmed up.
It didn't really speak to me and I don't think I tried it.
I was too busy enjoying my pre-lunch meal



Sorry for the photo quality- we were too busy eating to care

I skipped straight to the food so I'll just add that the atmosphere was ok but nothing too special.
If I remember correctly, the indoor seating area was made to look sort of like it was outside on the street and it was also connected to a Parisian-style shop.
It was very busy when we came in and had to wait for a table before we could sit down to eat.
One of the things I feel most uncomfortable with is standing around with trays of food, waiting for a table.
This has happened many times- at WDW and at other places like IKEA. (We have IKEA here ) This would probably be one of the only reasons I'd prefer a TS restaurant as opposed to a QS one.
We had to wait a while before a table freed up, but it was worth it!


Up next- feeling German at Biergarten!!


(Is it just me or have my posts been getting shorter?)
(Maybe that's a good thing..)

 

[LindseyJo22]

Just a plain old chocolate cake. But there was nothing plain about it, mind you.

We ended up getting one of these free from a CM on our honeymoon, and I loved it! We don't do the DDP, so I basically never get QS desserts, but I really enjoyed the chocolate cake It seems kind of boring, but it's not!

Our first stop was at Club Cool after hearing about it for the first time on the boards.

Yay!! I love this place - the melon soda is really good, but I think my favorite is the Inca Cola which to me tastes like bubble gum

One of the most delicious things I had on our trip was that lobster bisque.

I did not know you could get lobster bisque at Les Halles - this is happening on my next trip We did breakfast here last time, but I may push for dinner or a savory snack. I got the bisque at Chefs de France and loved it - and I'd assume it's similar here, too. Yay!

 

[DisneyCoasters]

I still haven't been to Le's Halles and I'm determined to try it on my next trip! I'm already planning for the Hama me cheese croissant...

As for Club Cool, my husband actually LIKES Beverly!

 

[ALEXandFAB]

COME TO MOMMA!

 

[Vernie822]

I CAN'T WAIT for your Biergarten review! We're eating there next month for the first time.

Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie

Or Les Halles for short.
Or "That French Place at Epcot" for when we're old and can't remember names anymore.

Lol.. basically! I usually give it "the French bakery" and maybe "Les Halles".

Lots of choices and I love sweet but I love savory even more. I'll take food for dessert anytime!

I'd like to remind you that choosing is not my thing. So I used up two snack credits on these babies:

Roulé Lard and Fromage - $3.95
"Bacon and Cheese Roll"

Yes! Loved this. We had it in our room though so we warmed it up - definitely awesome when it's warm.

We had to wait a while before a table freed up, but it was worth it!

There is nowhere near enough seating in there. There are lots of cute tables outside but I wish the inside was larger.