Praying Colonel
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
- Messages
- 8,982
For lunch we ate at Pecos Bills, a MK favorite for our family. We arrived around 11:50 and beat the lunch crowd--by the time we finished and were leaving, lines were long.
DW got the chicken salad:
It had a variety of chopped veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, jicama and carrots) and real cooked chicken (not the pressed faux-chicken chicken) tossed in a lime vinaigrette dressing. I had a taste and it was very light and flavorful. It would be a nice alternative to a burger. DW couldn't come close to eating it all; it was the prototypical "Big Salad."
DD got the BBQ pork sandwich with beans and fries:
There was a hefty amount of BBQ on the bun, and she couldn't finish all of her sandwich, either. The fries were crispy and hot, and she liked the beans--I tasted them and they were a little sweet for my taste, but still good.
DS and I got the bacon double cheeseburger:
I had fond memories of my Pecos Bills burger from our last trip, and I was a little disappointed. It was overcooked and dry, and seemed to have been sitting for awhile because it was only just warm. Guess we just caught them at a bad moment. The fixins bar was great, as usual, and helped with the dryness.
Remember in "My Cousin Vinny" when they went to the diner and the menu was "Breakfast," "Lunch" and "Dinner"? Well, here they should just list "Dessert," because they had 1, brownie-peanut butter mousse (see pic 1, above). But it was very good!
The peanut butter mousse part was light and a good accompaniment for the moist brownie. Even though it came pre-packaged, it tasted fresh and we all enjoyed it very much.
Dinner was our first visit ever to Le Cellier. I'd read different reviews on the DIS, some saying it was wonderful, others saying they had poor service and/or their meal was ordinary. So I went into this with a little trepidation. This turned out to be an extraordinary meal.
We arrived at 5:50 for our 6:00 ADR and were seated by 6:05. Our server was Dave, who was beyond wonderful--it was like he had ESP. He was right there with everything exactly when it was needed. I couldn't imagine a better service experience, and we tipped an additional 5% beyond the gratuity that was added to our meal. He certainly deserved it.
The atmosphere was quiet and leisurely. I'd read that the tables were too close together, but we were at a table a little out of the way and didn't feel crowded. Also, it didn't seem that other tables were crowded together, either.
Having heard so much about the legendary cheese soup, DS and I started with that.
I'd read some reports that it was too salty, but ours was seasoned just right. The creamy cheese and hint of beer interacted perfectly with the bacon and other spices and made the soup and breadsticks quite good just by themselves. While I liked the pretzel sticks, my favorite breadstick was the multi-grain.
DD and DW split the cheese appetizer:
They allowed DS and me to have a taste of the 3 cheeses, and that appetizer was out of this world! I never thought cheese could be so wonderful. The accompanying sauces and wafers on which the cheese was served really brought out the flavor and made it special. As much as I enjoyed the cheese soup, I think I'll try this when we return.
For their entree, DD and DS ordered the sauteed jumbo shrimp:
The kids raved about the spices and lemon sauce in which the shrimp was served. I didn't get a chance to try a taste of this, because it was gone so quickly!
DW ordered the maple-glazed filet
while I ordered the Le Cellier Mushroom filet
When I go to a steakhouse, I want a good steak. If the steak isn't good, it doesn't matter to me how good everything else is. You call yourself a steakhouse, you better get the steak right. And I like to think I know a good steak from a bad one--my father was a meat cutter for about 30 years, and so I know my way around a good cut of meat.
Lots of restaurants will give you a lot of flash and dazzle in an attempt to cover what is not a good cut, or is not cooked well. These filets were "like butter"--beatiful cuts that were cooked just perfectly to a medium doneness. My wife's maple glazed filet had a smoky sweetness to the sauce that was a great addition without overpowering the taste of the meat itself. My filet was also outstanding. I think I preferred her filet to mine, but I liked my side items better than hers. The fried parsnips were a first for me, and were crunchy and tasted a lot like an oniony potato. They were very good. I loved the risotto and probably could've made a meal out of that alone. It wasn't overdone or too starchy. DW loved her cream cheese mashed potatoes. I'm not a big mashed potato guy, but the cream cheese and herbs added a lot of flavor and an extra creamy texture.
For dessert, DW and DS each had the maple creme brulee
while DD had the strawberries and balsamic ice cream
and I had the Happiest Celebration on Earth Chocolate Whiskey Cake
They raved about the creme brulee, DW saying it was the best she ever had. I had a small taste and the maple really did add something extra that was nice. DD loved her ice cream, especially the wafers that came with it. She said it made a nice accompaniment. The cake was beautiful. I usually don't like to mix fruit and chocolate, but the orange marmalade went with the cake just perfectly, as did the bourbon. (DW thought the bourbon taste was too strong.) The cake itself was moist and extremely rich, and I couldn't finish it all. Before the meal I wondered if I would be satisfied after having a filet that was "only" 7 oz, but that was no problem at all.
This was one of our 3 best meals of the week and a magical experience for all of us. The atmosphere, service and quality of the food set the tone, and we had a wonderful time sitting and sharing that time together.
Even though we were all full after the meal, DW had seen a candied-pecan stand earlier and wanted to have some before we left the park. So later that evening we stopped on the FW side of the lagoon and picked up a pack:
^(Sorry for the low image quality)
She loved these--they were still warm and had a cinnamon-sugar glaze toasted onto them. She shared with all of us--a major concession on her part, since candied pecans is her favorite snack in the whole world!
Next: Day 4--A ribeye for lunch and a letdown for dinner
DW got the chicken salad:
It had a variety of chopped veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, jicama and carrots) and real cooked chicken (not the pressed faux-chicken chicken) tossed in a lime vinaigrette dressing. I had a taste and it was very light and flavorful. It would be a nice alternative to a burger. DW couldn't come close to eating it all; it was the prototypical "Big Salad."
DD got the BBQ pork sandwich with beans and fries:
There was a hefty amount of BBQ on the bun, and she couldn't finish all of her sandwich, either. The fries were crispy and hot, and she liked the beans--I tasted them and they were a little sweet for my taste, but still good.
DS and I got the bacon double cheeseburger:
I had fond memories of my Pecos Bills burger from our last trip, and I was a little disappointed. It was overcooked and dry, and seemed to have been sitting for awhile because it was only just warm. Guess we just caught them at a bad moment. The fixins bar was great, as usual, and helped with the dryness.
Remember in "My Cousin Vinny" when they went to the diner and the menu was "Breakfast," "Lunch" and "Dinner"? Well, here they should just list "Dessert," because they had 1, brownie-peanut butter mousse (see pic 1, above). But it was very good!
The peanut butter mousse part was light and a good accompaniment for the moist brownie. Even though it came pre-packaged, it tasted fresh and we all enjoyed it very much.Dinner was our first visit ever to Le Cellier. I'd read different reviews on the DIS, some saying it was wonderful, others saying they had poor service and/or their meal was ordinary. So I went into this with a little trepidation. This turned out to be an extraordinary meal.
We arrived at 5:50 for our 6:00 ADR and were seated by 6:05. Our server was Dave, who was beyond wonderful--it was like he had ESP. He was right there with everything exactly when it was needed. I couldn't imagine a better service experience, and we tipped an additional 5% beyond the gratuity that was added to our meal. He certainly deserved it.
The atmosphere was quiet and leisurely. I'd read that the tables were too close together, but we were at a table a little out of the way and didn't feel crowded. Also, it didn't seem that other tables were crowded together, either.
Having heard so much about the legendary cheese soup, DS and I started with that.
I'd read some reports that it was too salty, but ours was seasoned just right. The creamy cheese and hint of beer interacted perfectly with the bacon and other spices and made the soup and breadsticks quite good just by themselves. While I liked the pretzel sticks, my favorite breadstick was the multi-grain.
DD and DW split the cheese appetizer:
They allowed DS and me to have a taste of the 3 cheeses, and that appetizer was out of this world! I never thought cheese could be so wonderful. The accompanying sauces and wafers on which the cheese was served really brought out the flavor and made it special. As much as I enjoyed the cheese soup, I think I'll try this when we return.
For their entree, DD and DS ordered the sauteed jumbo shrimp:
The kids raved about the spices and lemon sauce in which the shrimp was served. I didn't get a chance to try a taste of this, because it was gone so quickly!
DW ordered the maple-glazed filet
while I ordered the Le Cellier Mushroom filet
When I go to a steakhouse, I want a good steak. If the steak isn't good, it doesn't matter to me how good everything else is. You call yourself a steakhouse, you better get the steak right. And I like to think I know a good steak from a bad one--my father was a meat cutter for about 30 years, and so I know my way around a good cut of meat.
Lots of restaurants will give you a lot of flash and dazzle in an attempt to cover what is not a good cut, or is not cooked well. These filets were "like butter"--beatiful cuts that were cooked just perfectly to a medium doneness. My wife's maple glazed filet had a smoky sweetness to the sauce that was a great addition without overpowering the taste of the meat itself. My filet was also outstanding. I think I preferred her filet to mine, but I liked my side items better than hers. The fried parsnips were a first for me, and were crunchy and tasted a lot like an oniony potato. They were very good. I loved the risotto and probably could've made a meal out of that alone. It wasn't overdone or too starchy. DW loved her cream cheese mashed potatoes. I'm not a big mashed potato guy, but the cream cheese and herbs added a lot of flavor and an extra creamy texture.
For dessert, DW and DS each had the maple creme brulee
while DD had the strawberries and balsamic ice cream
and I had the Happiest Celebration on Earth Chocolate Whiskey Cake
They raved about the creme brulee, DW saying it was the best she ever had. I had a small taste and the maple really did add something extra that was nice. DD loved her ice cream, especially the wafers that came with it. She said it made a nice accompaniment. The cake was beautiful. I usually don't like to mix fruit and chocolate, but the orange marmalade went with the cake just perfectly, as did the bourbon. (DW thought the bourbon taste was too strong.) The cake itself was moist and extremely rich, and I couldn't finish it all. Before the meal I wondered if I would be satisfied after having a filet that was "only" 7 oz, but that was no problem at all.
This was one of our 3 best meals of the week and a magical experience for all of us. The atmosphere, service and quality of the food set the tone, and we had a wonderful time sitting and sharing that time together.
Even though we were all full after the meal, DW had seen a candied-pecan stand earlier and wanted to have some before we left the park. So later that evening we stopped on the FW side of the lagoon and picked up a pack:
^(Sorry for the low image quality)
She loved these--they were still warm and had a cinnamon-sugar glaze toasted onto them. She shared with all of us--a major concession on her part, since candied pecans is her favorite snack in the whole world!
Next: Day 4--A ribeye for lunch and a letdown for dinner
)
Were you able to get the candied pecans with a snack credit or did you have to pay OOP?
My best friend and I will be there for 
