SPECTACLEFEST 2007 Dining Reviews--with pics! Updated 10/31, Day 5, page 4 #53
- Thread starter Praying Colonel
- Start date
yearbook50
Mouseketeer<br><font color=darkorchid>I gave all o
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2006
Great reviews!
MinnieGirl33
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 16, 2003
Yay! 
Praying Colonel is back! 
Really enjoy your reviews.
Praying Colonel is back! Really enjoy your reviews.
Praying Colonel
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
Since our favorite CS in AK (Tusker House) is closed, we went with our 2nd choice: Flame Tree BBQ. We showed up to eat around 11:30. They were busy, but the lines moved pretty smoothly. We had our order about 5 minutes after getting in line. DW found a shady spot by some water, but I'd just hauled all of our food to another shady spot a good bit away from there, and we ate there because we didn't feel like moving again. (And by "we," I meant "me." 
)
DW and DNeph got the ribs
while DS and I got the pulled pork sandwich.
DNeph couldn't eat all of his, so he gave some to the birds and gave me a taste, too. They were served with sauce on the side, which I prefer. I like my ribs Memphis-style, with a dry rub. If they're cooked right, they don't need any sauce. These ribs didn't need any. They were fresh, spicy and tender. I've had better ribs, but at well-known places like the Rendezvous. For "fast food" CS, these were excellent.
My pulled pork sandwich came with an abundance of pork meat on a bun. Again, I was glad to see that the sauce came on the side. The meat was smoky, seasoned perfectly, warm and moist. There wasn't much, if any, fat in the meat. Again, top-notch for CS bbq.
I didn't care for the side items. I don't like my cornbread sweet, and this corn muffin was definitely sweet--in fact, it tasted more like cake than a corn muffin. I also thought the baked beans were too sweet. Next time I think I'll see if I can sub fries and/or slaw for the muffin or beans.
AK was hot, hot, hot that day, so I got the frozen lemonade for lunch. It was your standard pre-packaged Minute Maid lemonade, but it was very refreshing and helped cool me off a little. DW and DS enjoyed their key lime pie very much.
Overall, we enjoyed Flame Tree and would definitely come back again, especially if we were on the DDP. I didn't enjoy the sides, but I was in the minority. And we all enjoyed the bbq very much.
That night, we returned to one of our favorite restaurants from last year's trip: the Kona Cafe.
We had 5:30 ADR's and waited about 10 minutes before we were seated. I think the secret's out on the Kona: last year, we had the restaurant virtually to ourselves. This year, however, it was quite busy.
Our server, Marisol, was pleasant and tried very hard, but it appeared that she had her hands full covering so many tables at once. It resulted in service a little less prompt than what we'd experienced in the past. But she really did seem to be giving it her best.
Marisol told us we could order smoothies for drinks on the DDP, and DS and DNeph both ordered one:
They were both fruity, tangy and cool. A great start to their meals, they said.
They brought bread for a starter with macadamia-infused butter.
The bread was warm, yeasty and soft both on the outside and on the inside. The sweetness of the macadamias in the butter made this taste almost like a pastry.
For appetizers, DW ordered the Kona Salad
DS ordered the Kona Chowder
DNeph ordered the sticky wings
while I ordered the crab cakes.
DW liked her salad very much. The citrus vinaigrette was a good counterpoint to the bleu cheese and the smoked almonds.
DS loved his Kona Chowder last year and looked forward to having it again. It did not disapoint, he said. It's not the kind of chowder you expect when you think of New England clam chowder. It was a smooth, almost bisque-like soup with chunks of seafood throughout. Creamy and tasty.
DNeph gave me one of his wings, and let me tell you, it was beautiful. Sweet, tangy and soy, all glazed on perfectly cooked wings. I'm not a big fan of chicken wings, but I was immediately sorry I didn't order these. They're definitely on my must-dos for next trip.
The Kona crab cakes are my favorite crabcakes anywhere. They're cooked just right, but the accompaniments are what make them. The sweet pineapple relish and wasabi-based sauce really jazz them up.
For our entrees, the 3 of us who ate there last year ordered the same things we had before. DW ordered the macadamia mahi-mahi
while DS and I had the shrimp and scallops.
DNeph ordered the prime rib.
DW was a little disappointed in her entree. She gave me a bite and I thought it was superb. I love the lime sauce and onions and top, and the bok choy is very tasty. But she thought it was cooked a little dry. To her, it tasted like it had been sitting under a warming lamp for a few minutes.
DS and I loved our shrimp and scallops. I like shrimp, but I love scallops. These were perfect. Seared on the outside, plump and juicy on the inside, drizzled with a wasabi cream sauce that I could've eaten by itself. The sticky rice soaked in the juice from the scallops and the sauce, and also had a fruity garnish on top that added some nice taste, too. The shrimp are a little too breaded for my taste, but they were hot and tasted good with a bite of the sticky rice mixture.
The prime rib dish would've been enough for 2 people easily. With 75-lb. DNeph eating, probably more like 3. He's a little guy, but he did his best with his entree, and he really enjoyed it. There wasn't much Polynesian about this entree: roasted prime rib cooked medium and accompanied with steamed broccoli and a large portion of golden mashed potatoes. Everything was hot and cooked just right, he said.
For dessert, DW had the macadamia nut tart
DS had the white chocolate cheesecake
DNeph had the Kona Cone
and I had the Kilauea Torte.
The Torte was wonderful, again. It was warm and moist, and when you cut into it gooey chocolate oozed out and mixed nicely with the whipped cream. Little dabs of lemon and raspberry sauce added flair and flavor, too.
DNeph loved his Kona Cone, a sugary mix of cotton candy and a chocolate Mickey head on top of a waffle cone with ice cream and chocolate syrup. He didn't come close to finishing it, but he had fun trying!
DS loves white chocolate, and he loves cheescake. This was right in his wheelhouse. I think he liked it--it was gone before his ol' Dad could ask for a bite.
Whatever they'd done to DW's entree, it was all forgiven when she had the tart. She loves chocolate, and this was chocolatey to the max. Very thick, almost like fudge. The ice cream was perfect with it. Again, this could've been a dessert for 2 people, easily.
Overall, we enjoyed this meal very much. It wasn't like last year. Last year, everything was absolutely perfect. The atmosphere was quiet and intimate, our server could focus on our table and give us outstanding service, and the meal was perfect. It was a magical time. This year, I think the free dining resulted in a busier restaurant which took away some of that magic. Plus, like I said, I think Kona Cafe's no longer a secret. But the meal was still very good, especially for free dining. We'll definitely be back again. (I have to try those sticky wings!)
For those of you scoring at home, the cost of this meal OOP would've been $162, excluding tip. If we were on the 2008 version of the DDP, we would've had to pay about $30 for the tip and $31 for the appetizers, so our OOP cost on the 2008 DDP plan would've been $61. Add that to the $37.95 cost of the DDP for 4 people, and the 2008 cost to eat on this day would've been $212.80, or $53.20 per person. The average cost per person after 2 days would be $54.70 per person.
)DW and DNeph got the ribs
while DS and I got the pulled pork sandwich.
DNeph couldn't eat all of his, so he gave some to the birds and gave me a taste, too.
They were served with sauce on the side, which I prefer. I like my ribs Memphis-style, with a dry rub. If they're cooked right, they don't need any sauce. These ribs didn't need any. They were fresh, spicy and tender. I've had better ribs, but at well-known places like the Rendezvous. For "fast food" CS, these were excellent.My pulled pork sandwich came with an abundance of pork meat on a bun. Again, I was glad to see that the sauce came on the side. The meat was smoky, seasoned perfectly, warm and moist. There wasn't much, if any, fat in the meat. Again, top-notch for CS bbq.
I didn't care for the side items. I don't like my cornbread sweet, and this corn muffin was definitely sweet--in fact, it tasted more like cake than a corn muffin. I also thought the baked beans were too sweet. Next time I think I'll see if I can sub fries and/or slaw for the muffin or beans.
AK was hot, hot, hot that day, so I got the frozen lemonade for lunch. It was your standard pre-packaged Minute Maid lemonade, but it was very refreshing and helped cool me off a little. DW and DS enjoyed their key lime pie very much.
Overall, we enjoyed Flame Tree and would definitely come back again, especially if we were on the DDP. I didn't enjoy the sides, but I was in the minority. And we all enjoyed the bbq very much.
That night, we returned to one of our favorite restaurants from last year's trip: the Kona Cafe.
We had 5:30 ADR's and waited about 10 minutes before we were seated. I think the secret's out on the Kona: last year, we had the restaurant virtually to ourselves. This year, however, it was quite busy.
Our server, Marisol, was pleasant and tried very hard, but it appeared that she had her hands full covering so many tables at once. It resulted in service a little less prompt than what we'd experienced in the past. But she really did seem to be giving it her best.
Marisol told us we could order smoothies for drinks on the DDP, and DS and DNeph both ordered one:
They were both fruity, tangy and cool. A great start to their meals, they said.
They brought bread for a starter with macadamia-infused butter.
The bread was warm, yeasty and soft both on the outside and on the inside. The sweetness of the macadamias in the butter made this taste almost like a pastry.
For appetizers, DW ordered the Kona Salad
DS ordered the Kona Chowder
DNeph ordered the sticky wings
while I ordered the crab cakes.
DW liked her salad very much. The citrus vinaigrette was a good counterpoint to the bleu cheese and the smoked almonds.
DS loved his Kona Chowder last year and looked forward to having it again. It did not disapoint, he said. It's not the kind of chowder you expect when you think of New England clam chowder. It was a smooth, almost bisque-like soup with chunks of seafood throughout. Creamy and tasty.
DNeph gave me one of his wings, and let me tell you, it was beautiful. Sweet, tangy and soy, all glazed on perfectly cooked wings. I'm not a big fan of chicken wings, but I was immediately sorry I didn't order these. They're definitely on my must-dos for next trip.
The Kona crab cakes are my favorite crabcakes anywhere. They're cooked just right, but the accompaniments are what make them. The sweet pineapple relish and wasabi-based sauce really jazz them up.
For our entrees, the 3 of us who ate there last year ordered the same things we had before. DW ordered the macadamia mahi-mahi
while DS and I had the shrimp and scallops.
DNeph ordered the prime rib.
DW was a little disappointed in her entree. She gave me a bite and I thought it was superb. I love the lime sauce and onions and top, and the bok choy is very tasty. But she thought it was cooked a little dry. To her, it tasted like it had been sitting under a warming lamp for a few minutes.
DS and I loved our shrimp and scallops. I like shrimp, but I love scallops. These were perfect. Seared on the outside, plump and juicy on the inside, drizzled with a wasabi cream sauce that I could've eaten by itself. The sticky rice soaked in the juice from the scallops and the sauce, and also had a fruity garnish on top that added some nice taste, too. The shrimp are a little too breaded for my taste, but they were hot and tasted good with a bite of the sticky rice mixture.
The prime rib dish would've been enough for 2 people easily. With 75-lb. DNeph eating, probably more like 3.
He's a little guy, but he did his best with his entree, and he really enjoyed it. There wasn't much Polynesian about this entree: roasted prime rib cooked medium and accompanied with steamed broccoli and a large portion of golden mashed potatoes. Everything was hot and cooked just right, he said.For dessert, DW had the macadamia nut tart
DS had the white chocolate cheesecake
DNeph had the Kona Cone
and I had the Kilauea Torte.
The Torte was wonderful, again. It was warm and moist, and when you cut into it gooey chocolate oozed out and mixed nicely with the whipped cream. Little dabs of lemon and raspberry sauce added flair and flavor, too.
DNeph loved his Kona Cone, a sugary mix of cotton candy and a chocolate Mickey head on top of a waffle cone with ice cream and chocolate syrup. He didn't come close to finishing it, but he had fun trying!
DS loves white chocolate, and he loves cheescake. This was right in his wheelhouse. I think he liked it--it was gone before his ol' Dad could ask for a bite.
Whatever they'd done to DW's entree, it was all forgiven when she had the tart. She loves chocolate, and this was chocolatey to the max. Very thick, almost like fudge. The ice cream was perfect with it. Again, this could've been a dessert for 2 people, easily.
Overall, we enjoyed this meal very much. It wasn't like last year. Last year, everything was absolutely perfect. The atmosphere was quiet and intimate, our server could focus on our table and give us outstanding service, and the meal was perfect. It was a magical time. This year, I think the free dining resulted in a busier restaurant which took away some of that magic. Plus, like I said, I think Kona Cafe's no longer a secret. But the meal was still very good, especially for free dining. We'll definitely be back again. (I have to try those sticky wings!)
For those of you scoring at home, the cost of this meal OOP would've been $162, excluding tip. If we were on the 2008 version of the DDP, we would've had to pay about $30 for the tip and $31 for the appetizers, so our OOP cost on the 2008 DDP plan would've been $61. Add that to the $37.95 cost of the DDP for 4 people, and the 2008 cost to eat on this day would've been $212.80, or $53.20 per person. The average cost per person after 2 days would be $54.70 per person.
PrincessTiff
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2006
Can't wait for the rest. Thank you for sharing.
.
Praying Colonel
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
Today we were doing early EMH at Epcot. Our CS experiences at Epcot had been limited and uneven, so for lunch we decided to try someplace new (for us): Sunshine Seasons in the Land pavilion.
Sunshine Seasons is set up a lot like other CS food courts at WDW: they have different stations for different types of food (sandwiches, Asian, grill, hot food, desserts and drinks). You get what you want, then pay on the way out to your table. It's a neat way for everyone to get what they want without a long line building.
DS and DNeph each got the smoked ham and salami grinder
while DW got the grilled veggie sandwich
and I got the 2 entrees and 2 sides from the Asian section.
The grinder was a very nice, fresh deli sandwich. The ham and salami was thinly sliced, juicy and tasty. The lettuce, onions and tomatos on top were also fresh. The bread was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. It looked like it had a dressing on it, but it didn't. The boys had to go get some mayo and mustard to add to it. They enjoyed their sandwiches very much.
DW's grilled veggie sandwich was the best choice of the 3, IMHO. Thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant and roasted peppers were grilled and placed on a flaky hoagie roll with melted swiss cheese and mustard. A nice collection of tastes and textures that made this an unusual (and unusually good) deli sandwich.
I picked sweet and sour chicken and chicken with chinese veggies to go with vegetable lo mein and rice. This was disappointing. The entrees were soggy, lukewarm and the chicken was gristly. I hate biting into a piece of thigh meat and getting a bite of gristle. That was my first bite. It kind of ruined the dish for me. The vegetable lo mein was the best part of the dish.
For dessert, DNeph and DS each had the Butterfinger cheesecake
DW had a Butterfinger brownie
and I had the strawberry shortcake.
My shortcake was wonderful. 3 layers of spongy, white shortcake topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, then covered with more whipped cream, a strawberry drizzle and a fresh strawberry on top. Big enough for 2 people to share (which was good since I didn't eat much of my entree). Just a real treat.
The Butterfinger cheesecake was light and fluffy, with pieces of candy throughout. It tasted less like cheesecake and more like a pie of some sort, but was very tasty.
DW's brownie was very chocolaty, but there wasn't very much Butterfinger in it, according to her. She liked it OK but would've preferred my shortcake.
Overall, this was a mixed bag. I really enjoyed my dessert but didn't like my entree at all. DW really enjoyed her entree but thought her dessert was so-so. The boys both enjoyed their sandwiches and desserts. We'll come back, but probably make some different choices.
We'd decided we were going to try a 2 TS restaurant during our stay, so we were going to pay OOP for a CS meal for 1 dinner that week. This was that dinner: we ate at our resort's food court, Everything Pop. Like Sunshine Seasons, EP has different stations for grilled items, sandwiches, home-cooking-style entrees, pizza, baked goods and ice cream. Each person gets what they want, then you meet up, pay and find a table. We ate around 6:30 pm, and in spite of Pop seeming very busy that week, we found there wasn't much of a wait to be served.
DW ordered the Chicken Mediterranean Flatbread
DS ordered a meatball parm sub
DNeph ordered a hot dog and fries
while I had Nachos Supreme.
The Nachos were like ballpark nachos: chips layered with chili, cheese, tomatoes, olives and sour cream and salsa on the side. Everything was hot, fresh and plentiful. Satisfied my ballpark-food craving.
DS' meatball sub was covered with parmesan cheese and served on a hoagie roll with a side of pepperoncini peppers. It was also very hot, and DS (a connoisseur of meatball subs ) liked it very much.
DNeph's entree was your basic dog and fries. Nothing special, good or bad.
DW's flatbread was definitely not your standard food-court fare. Grilled chicken, chopped artichokes, feta cheese and olives on a freshly-baked flatbread. DW loves this type of food, and she was thrilled to get something like this at a food court. She saved all this for herself.
We used our refillable mugs for our drinks and didn't order dessert.
We enjoyed our CS meal here and saw many other choices we would've tried, as well. If we're ever at Pop in the future and want CS, we won't hesitate to eat here again.
Cost OOP for this meal was $27.20. If we were on the 2008 DDP, the OOP cost difference would've been 0, since we would've been paying OOP for this meal either way (so as to have a 2 TS meal later in the week). Total OOP cost to eat the same food on the 08 DDP vs. the 07 DDP remained at $134 for our trip.
Next: 2 meals and a snack, Magic Kingdom-style
Sunshine Seasons is set up a lot like other CS food courts at WDW: they have different stations for different types of food (sandwiches, Asian, grill, hot food, desserts and drinks). You get what you want, then pay on the way out to your table. It's a neat way for everyone to get what they want without a long line building.
DS and DNeph each got the smoked ham and salami grinder
while DW got the grilled veggie sandwich
and I got the 2 entrees and 2 sides from the Asian section.
The grinder was a very nice, fresh deli sandwich. The ham and salami was thinly sliced, juicy and tasty. The lettuce, onions and tomatos on top were also fresh. The bread was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. It looked like it had a dressing on it, but it didn't. The boys had to go get some mayo and mustard to add to it. They enjoyed their sandwiches very much.
DW's grilled veggie sandwich was the best choice of the 3, IMHO. Thinly sliced zucchini, eggplant and roasted peppers were grilled and placed on a flaky hoagie roll with melted swiss cheese and mustard. A nice collection of tastes and textures that made this an unusual (and unusually good) deli sandwich.
I picked sweet and sour chicken and chicken with chinese veggies to go with vegetable lo mein and rice. This was disappointing. The entrees were soggy, lukewarm and the chicken was gristly. I hate biting into a piece of thigh meat and getting a bite of gristle. That was my first bite. It kind of ruined the dish for me. The vegetable lo mein was the best part of the dish.
For dessert, DNeph and DS each had the Butterfinger cheesecake
DW had a Butterfinger brownie
and I had the strawberry shortcake.
My shortcake was wonderful. 3 layers of spongy, white shortcake topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, then covered with more whipped cream, a strawberry drizzle and a fresh strawberry on top. Big enough for 2 people to share (which was good since I didn't eat much of my entree). Just a real treat.
The Butterfinger cheesecake was light and fluffy, with pieces of candy throughout. It tasted less like cheesecake and more like a pie of some sort, but was very tasty.
DW's brownie was very chocolaty, but there wasn't very much Butterfinger in it, according to her. She liked it OK but would've preferred my shortcake.
Overall, this was a mixed bag. I really enjoyed my dessert but didn't like my entree at all. DW really enjoyed her entree but thought her dessert was so-so. The boys both enjoyed their sandwiches and desserts. We'll come back, but probably make some different choices.
We'd decided we were going to try a 2 TS restaurant during our stay, so we were going to pay OOP for a CS meal for 1 dinner that week. This was that dinner: we ate at our resort's food court, Everything Pop. Like Sunshine Seasons, EP has different stations for grilled items, sandwiches, home-cooking-style entrees, pizza, baked goods and ice cream. Each person gets what they want, then you meet up, pay and find a table. We ate around 6:30 pm, and in spite of Pop seeming very busy that week, we found there wasn't much of a wait to be served.
DW ordered the Chicken Mediterranean Flatbread
DS ordered a meatball parm sub
DNeph ordered a hot dog and fries
while I had Nachos Supreme.
The Nachos were like ballpark nachos: chips layered with chili, cheese, tomatoes, olives and sour cream and salsa on the side. Everything was hot, fresh and plentiful. Satisfied my ballpark-food craving.
DS' meatball sub was covered with parmesan cheese and served on a hoagie roll with a side of pepperoncini peppers. It was also very hot, and DS (a connoisseur of meatball subs
) liked it very much.DNeph's entree was your basic dog and fries. Nothing special, good or bad.
DW's flatbread was definitely not your standard food-court fare. Grilled chicken, chopped artichokes, feta cheese and olives on a freshly-baked flatbread. DW loves this type of food, and she was thrilled to get something like this at a food court. She saved all this for herself.
We used our refillable mugs for our drinks and didn't order dessert.
We enjoyed our CS meal here and saw many other choices we would've tried, as well. If we're ever at Pop in the future and want CS, we won't hesitate to eat here again.
Cost OOP for this meal was $27.20. If we were on the 2008 DDP, the OOP cost difference would've been 0, since we would've been paying OOP for this meal either way (so as to have a 2 TS meal later in the week). Total OOP cost to eat the same food on the 08 DDP vs. the 07 DDP remained at $134 for our trip.
Next: 2 meals and a snack, Magic Kingdom-style
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2005
Reaslly enjoying your reviews, although I'm not sure I'm with you on the math. You don't seem to be figuring in the cost of your CS meals when you are working out the value of the plan per day, which automatically means the plan is not going to seem like such a good deal - or have I got it totally wrong 
Regardless, thanks for the reviews - looking forward to more
Regardless, thanks for the reviews - looking forward to more
Praying Colonel
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
What I'm trying to do is figure the difference between what I'm paying to do the DDP in 07 vs. what the cost would be to eat the same food on the 08 version of the DDP--e.g., the tips/appetizers on the 07 DDP we'd have to pay for on the 08 version of the DDP.
The cost for the 1 CS meal we're doing OOP (the Pop Century meal) would be the same whether we were doing the 07 version of the DDP or the 08 version of the DDP, so I didn't factor that in. I hope that makes sense--and thanks for the kind words.
The cost for the 1 CS meal we're doing OOP (the Pop Century meal) would be the same whether we were doing the 07 version of the DDP or the 08 version of the DDP, so I didn't factor that in. I hope that makes sense--and thanks for the kind words.
PrincessTrisha
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2004
I'm really enjoying your reviews (and your math).
I have never had lunch at the ABC commissary but they do have a good breakfast.
I have never had lunch at the ABC commissary but they do have a good breakfast.
Aurora borealis
Princess trainee
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2005
You're not alone! DH and I love the ABC Commissary, as far as CS food goes. I love the selection and every time we've eaten there everything has been fresh and hot. I wonder why so many people are down on it?
Maybe they just got the burger or chicken tenders or something boring like that...Great dining review so far!
minnie0121
"...keep moving forward..."
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2007
wow that strawberry shortcake looks amazing! i am definitely getting that when i go! thanks for the reviews and pics!
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