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- Aug 7, 2000
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PORTABELLO YACHT CLUB-
This was our first time dining here and I was very excited for it. I had seen the Eggplant Rollatini (and pasta) on the online menus for about a year now and knowing how much I like it, I wanted to dine here for that. There wasnt much else on the menu that I would go for so I really had my mind set on that.
We arrived at about 7:00 even though our ADR was not until 8:00. We were ready early and got there quick so we figured we would try to get in. We were seated in about 5 minutes, and found the restaurant relatively empty.
Upon seeing the real menu I was disappointed to see that the Eggplant is no longer on the menu. I did ask the waitress and she said it was not available (I was hoping maybe they could still make it).
DH and I both started with a Caesar Salad. These I have to say were absolutely delicious. As you will see as you read on I had quite a few of these during this trip and I would say this was definitely the best probably one of the best Ive ever had.
We were given bread with roasted garlic to start. The garlic was amazing, but the bread was small and we were not offered anymore after we inhaled the first piece(we were hungry and I love garlic).
Since I couldnt find much on the menu I liked, I just went with the Margherita Pizza that we ended up sharing. This was good not bad, not great, but we ate it. It was more of a flat bread with a crispy, cracker like crust, not a pizza as it was noted on the menu. I would have been just as happy with a pizza from anywhere though. DH found his options were limited too (we dont eat fish), so he got the Veal Saltimbocca, one of the few things he would eat. The veal here was very tender and he enjoyed the flavor of the sauce. Unfortunately, this came with Spinach Gnocchi which he didnt care for. I ended up eating most of those.
For dessert I wanted to try the White Chocolate Crème Brulee as I have made this at home in the past. It was very good, with lots of white chocolate on top.
Usually we would share 1 dessert if we even got one, but DH was still hungry so he wanted to try the Tiramisu also. This was good, but nothing outstanding.
While this meal was good, I I had higher hopes going in. But keep in mind my opinion could be biased since I started out with a disappointment of not getting what I had my heart set on.
CALIFORNIA GRILL-We dined here for the first time last summer and decided to go back again. While we got pretty much the same meals, we were very happy here again.
We arrived about 5:50 for our 6:10 ADR and requested a window seat (big surprise). We were taken right up to the restaurant and given the perfect seat with a view of the MK. I think I just stared out the window for the whole meal, LOL! The view is really stunning. It was a hazy evening and the sun was starting to set by the end of our meal so we could see just a big orange ball in the sky. This started off the meal on the right foot.
We began with a Triple Cheese Flatbread. This has Sundried Tomatoes, Carmelized Onions and Pesto on the cheese. The different flavors make a delicious combination. We also had a Hearts of Romaine Salad (basically the same as a Ceaser, but its not called that on the menu). This was split up for us and we both enjoyed it very much. It had a great flavor to the dressing and the croutons were good too.
Our waiter brought us bread with oil. The bread was wonderful, but the oil was a bit bland for me. I would have preferred butter on the bread. When the bread was gone the waiter quickly refilled it.
For our meals we both got the Terriyaki Filet. This was soooo tender. While I have always heard the expression, melts in your mouth, this literally did. I took my first bite and didnt even need to chew. When cutting it, while I did use a knife, I didnt need to saw back and forth, I just ran the knife down straight. We both really enjoy the flavor of the Terriyaki Sauce, and of course the beef itself was delicious. The potatoes that come with this were also very good. Not as outstanding at the Filet, but still very good. It also came with Asparagus, which I tried for the first time ever here. These were actually pretty good, especially with the sauce on them.
We had no room for dessert, but went out on the observation deck after dinner for a look around. We had been there last year, but still had to go see. I should also add that on the way up, our escort had told us(we had asked personally before since we had been told this last year, but he told everyone else) that we could return for the fireworks, just by showing our receipt at the check in desk. So, after dinner we went for drinks around the monorail, and finished by returning to the the California Grill to get a drink and bring out on the deck to watch the fireworks at 10:00. What a perfect way to end the evening!
Not food, but worth a view
ESPN-
While this may sound like a boring meal, we always really enjoy it here.
We started with drinks. DH had a beer and I had a very well made White Russian (they always make them good here) DH got a Bacon Cheeseburger with Fries and I got the Nachos. The burger was very good quality and cooked well. The Fries were tasty with a nice seasoning blend on them. I continue to hold my opinion that these are the best Nachos anywhere. I get them with just beef & cheese on them, then sour cream on the side. My requests were met perfectly. If I had to find something wrong with them it would be it seemed like we got the bottom of the bag of nachos as there were many small crumbs included in the chips. These would not hold the toppings. However this would have been a good thing is we had our kids with us as they like the plain chips.
While not a 5 star restaurant, for what it is, bar food, it is very good. We always enjoy it here as a nice way to cool off, grab a bite to eat, and usually catch some game of interest to us (this night we caught the beginning of the Sabers/Rangers playoff game).
TUNE INN LOUNGE-
Ok, this isn't really a table service meal, but we were seated so I'll include it here. We grabbed a small lunch here on our arrival day.
From previous experience we knew we each wanted a Dads Electric Lemonade to drink and those did not disappoint. Since we were having a big dinner (we thought) we just got an order of Onion Rings to munch on. They were very good and really hit the spot. They are served with a Horseradish Sauce that was delicious. While it doesnt sound like much, this was a great little lunch.
IL MULINO- This was the one I had waited the whole trip for, our last night dinner. We got dressed up and from all I had heard of this I was expecting great things!
We arrived early (7:30) for our 8:00 ADR. We checked in and were told we couldnt be seated until 8:00, which was fine. We went to the bar and had a nice drink while we waited. We enjoyed the bar area. It has sort of a fresh/trendy feel to it. By a little after 8:00 we werent sure of what the hostess had said if we were supposed to check in again at 8:00 or if they were going to call us or what. So we gave it a while and went back up about 8:10. We were then told we would be seated then.
The restaurant had many empty tables in the middle, however we were seated along the edge, where we had 1 chair on the outside and a seat on a bench/booth along the wall that was shared by others. The person next to me happened to be a child about 3ish who was up and down and almost at our table at a few points during the meal. This doesnt bother me, but I know its a topic of interest here so I thought Id mention it.
We were started off with some bread which was very good, however again, the oil it was served with seemed a bit bland to me. I like more spices in my oil with bread. We also ordered garlic bread and a Caser Salad as appetizers. The garlic bread, served in little toast like pieces was very good. It had a little kick to it, that we enjoyed. The Salad was a bit bland. There was little dressing and what there was didnt have much flavor. Out of the 4 salads I had this trip, I would say surprisingly, this was the worst. I wouldnt say it was bad, just nothing special.
For my meal I got the Veal Parm. I was a bit disappointed that this did not come with a side of Pasta as I expected it would, however when I saw the size of it, I know I didnt need any more food. It was HUGE! In the end I only ate half the plate of veal, even with giving DH some, however I would have preferred a smaller piece of veal with some pasta. What I did eat of it I enjoyed. I thought the sauce was good, but DH didnt care for it much. The veal itself was very good and it was covered with cheese a bit well done though.
DH had the Veal Saltimbocca here too. Surprisingly his veal was very tough and didnt seem to be the greatest of quality. On the other hand he really enjoyed the flavor of this sauce and mixed in with the spinach that came with it made for a nice addition to the meal.
We were too stuffed for dessert, but they did come around and give us each shot of Lemoncello. While I like a free drink as much as anyone, this stuff was undrinkable. To me it tasted like wood stain or some kind of paint. I almost felt rude for not drinking it but
Overall I would rate this an average to good meal, but it was a bit disappointing in some ways. Based on the reputation of the restaurant and the price, we expected an excellent meal, and we did not get that. I wouldnt write it off and say Id never got back, but I cant see us making it a point to get back there again. In fact before the meal I suggested to DH that we might want to change our Anniversary Dinner that we have booked for July from YSH to this, but after the meal we both agreed we want to keep YSH.
YACHT CLUB GALLEY- We had breakfast here on our departure day. This is always a depressing time when you know the trip is over, but this was a wonderful meal to help cheer us up. We both choose the buffet, however there was also a regular menu to order off of if we preferred. I actually went in with the thought of getting chocolate chip pancakes, but after seeing the buffet, my eyes took over.
There was a wide variety at this buffet and just about everything we tried (a lot of things) we enjoyed. While DH didnt care for the potatoes here I was intrigued by them. They were like a casserole type dish, with a crunchy coating on them. Im not quite sure what it was (anyone?) but I enjoyed it very much. We also enjoyed the bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, pastries, bread pudding, etc We pretty much rolled out of here.
This was our first time dining here and I was very excited for it. I had seen the Eggplant Rollatini (and pasta) on the online menus for about a year now and knowing how much I like it, I wanted to dine here for that. There wasnt much else on the menu that I would go for so I really had my mind set on that.
We arrived at about 7:00 even though our ADR was not until 8:00. We were ready early and got there quick so we figured we would try to get in. We were seated in about 5 minutes, and found the restaurant relatively empty.
Upon seeing the real menu I was disappointed to see that the Eggplant is no longer on the menu. I did ask the waitress and she said it was not available (I was hoping maybe they could still make it).
DH and I both started with a Caesar Salad. These I have to say were absolutely delicious. As you will see as you read on I had quite a few of these during this trip and I would say this was definitely the best probably one of the best Ive ever had.
We were given bread with roasted garlic to start. The garlic was amazing, but the bread was small and we were not offered anymore after we inhaled the first piece(we were hungry and I love garlic).
Since I couldnt find much on the menu I liked, I just went with the Margherita Pizza that we ended up sharing. This was good not bad, not great, but we ate it. It was more of a flat bread with a crispy, cracker like crust, not a pizza as it was noted on the menu. I would have been just as happy with a pizza from anywhere though. DH found his options were limited too (we dont eat fish), so he got the Veal Saltimbocca, one of the few things he would eat. The veal here was very tender and he enjoyed the flavor of the sauce. Unfortunately, this came with Spinach Gnocchi which he didnt care for. I ended up eating most of those.
For dessert I wanted to try the White Chocolate Crème Brulee as I have made this at home in the past. It was very good, with lots of white chocolate on top.
Usually we would share 1 dessert if we even got one, but DH was still hungry so he wanted to try the Tiramisu also. This was good, but nothing outstanding.
While this meal was good, I I had higher hopes going in. But keep in mind my opinion could be biased since I started out with a disappointment of not getting what I had my heart set on.
CALIFORNIA GRILL-We dined here for the first time last summer and decided to go back again. While we got pretty much the same meals, we were very happy here again.
We arrived about 5:50 for our 6:10 ADR and requested a window seat (big surprise). We were taken right up to the restaurant and given the perfect seat with a view of the MK. I think I just stared out the window for the whole meal, LOL! The view is really stunning. It was a hazy evening and the sun was starting to set by the end of our meal so we could see just a big orange ball in the sky. This started off the meal on the right foot.
We began with a Triple Cheese Flatbread. This has Sundried Tomatoes, Carmelized Onions and Pesto on the cheese. The different flavors make a delicious combination. We also had a Hearts of Romaine Salad (basically the same as a Ceaser, but its not called that on the menu). This was split up for us and we both enjoyed it very much. It had a great flavor to the dressing and the croutons were good too.
Our waiter brought us bread with oil. The bread was wonderful, but the oil was a bit bland for me. I would have preferred butter on the bread. When the bread was gone the waiter quickly refilled it.
For our meals we both got the Terriyaki Filet. This was soooo tender. While I have always heard the expression, melts in your mouth, this literally did. I took my first bite and didnt even need to chew. When cutting it, while I did use a knife, I didnt need to saw back and forth, I just ran the knife down straight. We both really enjoy the flavor of the Terriyaki Sauce, and of course the beef itself was delicious. The potatoes that come with this were also very good. Not as outstanding at the Filet, but still very good. It also came with Asparagus, which I tried for the first time ever here. These were actually pretty good, especially with the sauce on them.
We had no room for dessert, but went out on the observation deck after dinner for a look around. We had been there last year, but still had to go see. I should also add that on the way up, our escort had told us(we had asked personally before since we had been told this last year, but he told everyone else) that we could return for the fireworks, just by showing our receipt at the check in desk. So, after dinner we went for drinks around the monorail, and finished by returning to the the California Grill to get a drink and bring out on the deck to watch the fireworks at 10:00. What a perfect way to end the evening!
Not food, but worth a view
ESPN-
While this may sound like a boring meal, we always really enjoy it here.
We started with drinks. DH had a beer and I had a very well made White Russian (they always make them good here) DH got a Bacon Cheeseburger with Fries and I got the Nachos. The burger was very good quality and cooked well. The Fries were tasty with a nice seasoning blend on them. I continue to hold my opinion that these are the best Nachos anywhere. I get them with just beef & cheese on them, then sour cream on the side. My requests were met perfectly. If I had to find something wrong with them it would be it seemed like we got the bottom of the bag of nachos as there were many small crumbs included in the chips. These would not hold the toppings. However this would have been a good thing is we had our kids with us as they like the plain chips.
While not a 5 star restaurant, for what it is, bar food, it is very good. We always enjoy it here as a nice way to cool off, grab a bite to eat, and usually catch some game of interest to us (this night we caught the beginning of the Sabers/Rangers playoff game).
TUNE INN LOUNGE-
Ok, this isn't really a table service meal, but we were seated so I'll include it here. We grabbed a small lunch here on our arrival day.
From previous experience we knew we each wanted a Dads Electric Lemonade to drink and those did not disappoint. Since we were having a big dinner (we thought) we just got an order of Onion Rings to munch on. They were very good and really hit the spot. They are served with a Horseradish Sauce that was delicious. While it doesnt sound like much, this was a great little lunch.
IL MULINO- This was the one I had waited the whole trip for, our last night dinner. We got dressed up and from all I had heard of this I was expecting great things!
We arrived early (7:30) for our 8:00 ADR. We checked in and were told we couldnt be seated until 8:00, which was fine. We went to the bar and had a nice drink while we waited. We enjoyed the bar area. It has sort of a fresh/trendy feel to it. By a little after 8:00 we werent sure of what the hostess had said if we were supposed to check in again at 8:00 or if they were going to call us or what. So we gave it a while and went back up about 8:10. We were then told we would be seated then.
The restaurant had many empty tables in the middle, however we were seated along the edge, where we had 1 chair on the outside and a seat on a bench/booth along the wall that was shared by others. The person next to me happened to be a child about 3ish who was up and down and almost at our table at a few points during the meal. This doesnt bother me, but I know its a topic of interest here so I thought Id mention it.
We were started off with some bread which was very good, however again, the oil it was served with seemed a bit bland to me. I like more spices in my oil with bread. We also ordered garlic bread and a Caser Salad as appetizers. The garlic bread, served in little toast like pieces was very good. It had a little kick to it, that we enjoyed. The Salad was a bit bland. There was little dressing and what there was didnt have much flavor. Out of the 4 salads I had this trip, I would say surprisingly, this was the worst. I wouldnt say it was bad, just nothing special.
For my meal I got the Veal Parm. I was a bit disappointed that this did not come with a side of Pasta as I expected it would, however when I saw the size of it, I know I didnt need any more food. It was HUGE! In the end I only ate half the plate of veal, even with giving DH some, however I would have preferred a smaller piece of veal with some pasta. What I did eat of it I enjoyed. I thought the sauce was good, but DH didnt care for it much. The veal itself was very good and it was covered with cheese a bit well done though.
DH had the Veal Saltimbocca here too. Surprisingly his veal was very tough and didnt seem to be the greatest of quality. On the other hand he really enjoyed the flavor of this sauce and mixed in with the spinach that came with it made for a nice addition to the meal.
We were too stuffed for dessert, but they did come around and give us each shot of Lemoncello. While I like a free drink as much as anyone, this stuff was undrinkable. To me it tasted like wood stain or some kind of paint. I almost felt rude for not drinking it but
Overall I would rate this an average to good meal, but it was a bit disappointing in some ways. Based on the reputation of the restaurant and the price, we expected an excellent meal, and we did not get that. I wouldnt write it off and say Id never got back, but I cant see us making it a point to get back there again. In fact before the meal I suggested to DH that we might want to change our Anniversary Dinner that we have booked for July from YSH to this, but after the meal we both agreed we want to keep YSH.
YACHT CLUB GALLEY- We had breakfast here on our departure day. This is always a depressing time when you know the trip is over, but this was a wonderful meal to help cheer us up. We both choose the buffet, however there was also a regular menu to order off of if we preferred. I actually went in with the thought of getting chocolate chip pancakes, but after seeing the buffet, my eyes took over.
There was a wide variety at this buffet and just about everything we tried (a lot of things) we enjoyed. While DH didnt care for the potatoes here I was intrigued by them. They were like a casserole type dish, with a crunchy coating on them. Im not quite sure what it was (anyone?) but I enjoyed it very much. We also enjoyed the bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, pastries, bread pudding, etc We pretty much rolled out of here.
I can't wait for your review! 
