Tasting session...help!

[DVC Bride 2011]

DF and I are heading to WDW in about a month for our planning session and tasting session. How did you decide what to try at your tasting session? I'm having such a hard time with this! Can anyone post photos of the food you had at your tasting session or at your wedding? I am a visual person and reading the description of an entre/appetizer in the menus that I have doesn't really do much for me...I have to be able to see it to know if we would possibly like it.

I do know that I want to try the Parmesan Crusted Chicken...other than that, I'm at a loss! We are going to have a buffet and are hoping to keep our cocktail hour around $10pp, buffet around $55-60 pp.

Thanks!

 

[girli565]

We tasted fajitas for the fajita station as out prereception food

This was at our wedding.

For the meal we tasted Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, parmesean crusted chicken, two pepper rubbed beef (it was a carving station), mashed potatoes with prociutto (sp?) and cheddar cheese, pasta station with two sauces an a la vodka and an alfredo.

These are from the wedding, we had a buffet set up.

The fajita station was $11/person, and our buffet was $67/person and that also included rolls and butter and a salad with 3 dressing choices.

 

[Pirate's Princess]

We went through the menus offered, and those listed at magicalkingdoms. I also checked out other bride's TRs.

We asked for mushroom and artichoke salad, and mushroom appetizers, the mahi mahi with lemoncello sauce, parmesan encrusted chicken (with mushroom sauce on the side), the filet with blackberry demi sauce (this was very dry), some type of veggies, a rice dish, risotto and gnocchi with vodka sauce. Then for the dessert party I asked to try quesodillas (yum) and chicken skewers (bleh), and mango mousse tarts from Boma and the peanut butter marshmallow squares.

The food overall was awesome. We opted to nix the quesodillas and chicken skewers, opting for an antipasto display for the dessert party. We didn't do the appetizers for the buffet either. And we replaced the beef with a carving station of strip sirloin.

 

[lurkyloo]

DF and I are heading to WDW in about a month for our planning session and tasting session. How did you decide what to try at your tasting session? I'm having such a hard time with this! Can anyone post photos of the food you had at your tasting session or at your wedding? I am a visual person and reading the description of an entre/appetizer in the menus that I have doesn't really do much for me...I have to be able to see it to know if we would possibly like it.

I do know that I want to try the Parmesan Crusted Chicken...other than that, I'm at a loss! We are going to have a buffet and are hoping to keep our cocktail hour around $10pp, buffet around $55-60 pp.

Thanks!

This is my philosophy about the menu-tasting sessions: taste the stuff that you don't know what it tastes like or are worried they might screw up. Steak, Mickey waffles, mashed potatoes—you pretty much know what these are going to taste like at Disney. The Parmesan-Crusted Chicken, however, might be dry, as chicken often is, so it's good to try that.

Here's our tasting session at the BoardWalk Inn:



Crab Rangoon & Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Mixed Field Greens

Seafood Salad

Our main courses arrived on the same plate: Parmesan-crusted chicken with basil mashed potatoes and filet with sauteed mushrooms and tomato hollandaise.

The appetizers were OK, but were typical hotel-buffet quality. The salads were beautiful and good. I thought the main courses were just average. The parmesan-crusted chicken was bland and didn’t taste like parmesan, and the basil-mashed potatoes didn’t taste like basil (even though I could see it in there! )The filet was kinda chewy and gristly, and the tomato hollandaise was bland. The mushrooms were fantastic though!

Last we tried the Cinderella Slipper dessert.

I asked for it because so many people on the DIS rave about it. It must be because of the presentation, cuz the mousse and the white and dark chocolate were pretty average. However, knowing what a hot commodity it is, I asked to take one of the spares with us! (They made 2 extra in case ours were damaged in transit).

 

[DVC Bride 2011]

Thank you all, this has given me something to think about. I really like the idea of two pasta stations as I love love love pasta.

This is my philosophy about the menu-tasting sessions: taste the stuff that you don't know what it tastes like or are worried they might screw up. Steak, Mickey waffles, mashed potatoes—you pretty much know what these are going to taste like at Disney.

That's a great way of thinking about it!

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

We are having a really hard time with this as well, and as lurkyloo said, my planner suggested trying stuff we don't know what tastes like already, which has been helpful. We also had our planner send over the menus we are thinking right now to the Disney chef's for pricing. I feel like once we have prices in mind it will be easier, because we might have to change our menu depending on the costs, so this is another suggestion that might help you.

 

[ChocoKat]

We looked over all the menus provided, and in the end decided we really wanted a couple of personal favorites from restaurants in WDW.

Just in case those choices weren't what we imagined once we tasted the version of the chefs at the GF convention kitchens we also requested to try one of their most popular standard entrees (steak and lobster). We also requested to try 2 items from the appetizer line up that we just had never tasted before but that sounded great on paper and 2 types of salad, one from the standard menu and one from our favorite restaurants.

I also requested a basket of artisan breads and pretzel bread since I am not into plain rolls and wanted to see if the pretzel bread would work with the food, it didn't.

We were so happy we tried what we did, the chefs at the GF did an incredible job and we were very pleased with their renditions of our favorite dishes. We loved the appetizers we tried and will have them on our menu.

My advice: order what you care most about being perfect if you are having a dish from a restaurant in WDW, what you have never tasted but think would work and if you customize anything, make sure you have a back-up on the standard menu just in case it goes over-budget or you don't seem to like how they prepared your favorite.

 

[Glampire31]

thanks for the info.... You have given me some good ideas....

 

[puente0629]

Tinkerbell Brunch *MOD*

click to see movies




Cheese Display for Cocktails Hr - the cheese is amazing and very filling

Canadian Cheese Soup - my favorite but couldn't keep it due to budget

Smoked Maple Pork Glazed Sausage, Seared Chicken Breast w/ granny smith apples and Baked Ham - Everything was delicious but the sausage was my favorite

Wild Berry and Grand Marnier Cream Cheese Crepes - To die for!!!