The 2012 Incredible, Edible Dining Reviews-That's A Wrap!!

[LowesChevy]

Wonderful reviews and pictures. Thank you!

thanks! no problem-glad you joined me

 

[LowesChevy]

Reading this makes me want to cry.

I miss Via.

OMG-it is so good! We love it too

We live in an area suffering from good pizza drought and this is my idea of good 'za.

 

[t_daniels]

OMG-it is so good! We love it too

We live in an area suffering from good pizza drought and this is my idea of good 'za.

Sigh. Nothing like it here.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

I'm loving your reviews. We were there Oct. 4-14 and ate at Via Napoli & Raglan Road too. Our new favorite was Kouzzina for breakfast. Keep up the reviews.

 

[LowesChevy]

I'm loving your reviews. We were there Oct. 4-14 and ate at Via Napoli & Raglan Road too. Our new favorite was Kouzzina for breakfast. Keep up the reviews.

Thanks Ron! We are panning on staying at the Beach Club next year, so I may have to scope out Kouzzina-thanks for the suggestion. Hope you had a lovely trip too!

 

[LowesChevy]

Wolfgang Puck Café-dinner September 27th

Since my brother didn’t want to take Nick to the parks before my sister in law arrived, we decided to head to DTD for some fun and dining. It was pouring rain when we arrived, so I made a b-line for Wolfgang Puck Café. What I love about WPC is that the menu seems to offer something for everybody-pasta, pizza, awesome sushi, hearty entrees, appetizers etc. It would be difficult to leave here hungry! It is also a large restaurant and scoring a walk in was quite easy thankfully. Otherwise I suppose we could have dined at Bongos, but I wanted sushi most of all.

There were people waiting for the rain to subside and it only took a few minutes to ready a table for us 5. It was great we basically walked in and the place was busy at the time. Our server came right over to take our drink orders and get my nephew’s order taken. He didn’t eat much, but we boxed his leftovers up for later. He seemed to be more interested in sitting on Grandma’s lap during the meal, but he was just a little tired from traveling no doubt.

I had an order of spicy tuna roll to start and pizza because I love my pizza if you haven’t noticed! My brother and father both ordered the burger and were pleased. The pizza was good, simple and plain with fresh ingredients. I think I still like Via Napoli better though! Grandma had pasta with beef Bolognese and could barely finish it, very good.

Photos are a little grainy with the iPhone in the dark! Now I know
Bolognese

Pizza

The service was great, our waiter really loved interacting with my nephew. It was sweet, and it comes with the territory of being a server in DW haha. The food was delicious and overall a positive experience for all of us.

After dinner we walked down to Curl for find some new sandals for my brother. As we made our way back there was a gentleman playing a didgeridoo among other instruments. We dropped into Haagen Dazs for some dessert and enjoyed the music for a while. It was time to head back and put the little guy to bed and pick up my sister in law later that evening.

4 Stars-good

 

[LowesChevy]

Wave Breakfast-5 mornings

This is a hidden gem and had we not become DVC members-we may have never tried it. Residing where the former Fiesta Food & Fun Center/Fun Center, the Wave opened up a few years ago as an all day restaurant. Eventually I would like to try lunch and dinner too. The Wave offers not only an a la carte menu with their signature sweet potato pancakes, multigrain French toast, omelets and eggs Benedict, but also a lovely buffet for breakfast. Along with some more health conscious entrée choices are some nutrient packed juices and organic coffees and teas.

Bar area

The buffet selections include Mickey waffles, hash browns, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese grits, bread pudding, fresh fruit, pastries, oatmeal bar with brown sugar and raisins , smoked salmon and fixings, and biscuits and sausage gravy. It is a great selection-here are some photographs from last year. The biscuits and sausage gravy is a big hit for us especially my nephew. You can also toast your own bagel and bread as well. The smoked salmon area has your cream cheese, capers, red onion, cottage cheese for lighter fare. It is a great selection without the character buffet price.

If you are looking to go with the a la carte menu, I highly recommend multigrain waffle or the simple ham and cheese omelet. The egg dishes are served with roasted red potatoes with finely diced bell peppers and onions. While the griddle or sweet dishes have choice of breakfast meat accompaniment. The one dish that I did not care for was the eggs Benedict, which I love, but they smother them in key lime hollandaise. It is a little too potent for my tastes.

Multigrain waffle

If you are looking for a big breakfast to start your day or change from the eggs and bacon routine consider the Wave!

4 Stars- good

 

[LowesChevy]

Captain Cooks-Friday 28th Lunch

This was a last minute convenience choice, it’s kind of complicated, but you can read the story in my BLT Review below. Not that I mind Captain Cooks, but it was prime time lunch time and it was a mad house!

Nick and Gramdma ordered grilled cheese, while I went for the Hawaiian flatbread. I know I eat a lot of pizza and my dad eats a lot of cheese! The other three ordered the pork nachos. We were waiting for our room to be ready, so the wait wasn’t eating into our day very much. The buzzer went off in a reasonable amount of time and retrieved our goodies. The flatbread was a good change from a burger or other sandwich with fries. I could barely finish the entire serving, so it is a generous portion in my opinion. I try to be careful about how much I eat at once too, but by no means do I starve myself, don’t get me wrong lol.

The trio thought the nachos were a bit on the sweet side and not as savory as they would have liked, plus the toppings are on the skimpy side. The grilled cheese sandwiches were good, no complaints there.

A busy place at meal times, it is easy to see CC’s a favorite for guests to visit. The menu offers a smaller selection of sandwiches, flatbreads and just two entrees. With the exception of the fish of the day, after breakfast the rest of the menu is offered all day till 11:00 PM. Breakfast choices include world famous Tonga Toast, Mickey waffle, breakfast sandwich, bounty platter, pastries and cereal. You can always pop in for cold items like Uncrustables, yogurt, fruit or veggie packs, cereal, milk, a selection of pastries ad muffins, adult beverages and don’t forget Dole Whips! Gone are the hot dogs and chicken strips, but a bacon cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, pulled pork sandwich and adult grilled cheese are the new stand bys.

Sorry, but I haven’t any pictures to show you all! It’s weird-we usually stop by every year. I will be sure to snap some next year.
Thumb up-good, not bad, no major complaints

 

[LowesChevy]

California Grill-Friday 28th Dinner

I nabbed an early adr for California Grill because one we have the little guy and two, we have had back luck here waiting long periods of time for a table with later reservations. The check in line was long, but we checked in after a few minutes and hopped in the elevator with the host. We were seated immediately and started to relax. We had a less than typical day so our nerves were pretty fried.

Our server came over and introduced himself and took our drink order. My brother picked a bottle of wine, but I stuck with water. The beverages arrived after we had placed our order and we enjoyed the view. It was lovely night over the World, just a little cloudy. My dad and Nick went to check out the observation deck view for a closer look.

Our appetizers arrived-I tried the lobster BLT. The lobster was perfectly cooked and tender, but the caper avocado tower was in the salty side. My dad ended up having a triple cheese flatbread for his appetizer and this appetizer for dinner. Unfortunately he probably would have changed his mind because he had the same complaint. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn’t spectacular either. Should have ordered the sushi right?! I did take some great photos of the dish though!

We were all craving beef and despite going to Le Cellier for dinner the next day, I said bring on the filet. Sorry no picture, we were ravenous when they arrived! Very tender and flavorful and normally I stick to ribeyes or strips for a more flavorful beef, but these were mighty fine.

The service could have been a little better, there were long periods of time when he was absent. In general the food was good and the service decent. It will be interesting to see what the new concept will be come this spring. The California Grill is very popular, but it ain’t what it used to be in terms of food and service unfortunately.

3 Stars-average

 

[LowesChevy]

Kona Breakfast x 2

You have probably heard the epic tales of Tonga Toast or Macadamia nut pineapple pancakes if cruise the boards frequently. While O’Hana is the more popular choice for breakfast at the Polynesian, Kona Café is near the top as well. Previously the space was occupied by the Coral Isle Café-now if you remember that place-you remember the old Polynesian before the major rehab in 1998!

In the midst of the busy bustling Great Ceremonial House, Kona Café on the second floor opposite Samoa Snacks & Trader Jack’s. The restaurant is only separated from the lobby by a wrought iron rail. Guests can enjoy the passing crowds and views of the monorails whizzing by on the track. I personally feel it is too loud sometimes, especially with the crowds from O’Hana and KC in the GCH at any given time. However come breakfast, lunch or dinner, Kona Café is a popular place and do make adrs if you are visiting at a busier time of year.

Start your morning off with Kona blend coffee! You will be sip happy if you
are not a fan of the Nescafe products, which do not bother me, but then again was never a coffee drinker till a couple of years ago. You can also grab a cup to go at the coffee bar outside the restaurant or buy a bag of Kona blend to go home. Juice, smoothies and other coffee drinks like cappuccino , café mocha and café latte are on the menu as well. If you like more excitement in your cup in the morning, try a mimosa or wasabi Mary.

Eggs, pancakes, French toast, omelets you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. I cannot speak for the Samoan or steak and eggs because I have not tried them. The other dishes are straight forward deliciousness in my opinion. The egg dishes are served with fried wedge style potatoes, biscuits and choice of meat, while the carby dishes are served with your choice of meat-ham, sausage or bacon. I don’t know about you guys, but I love coming home to real breakfast meat! This bacon and sausage they serve are on the odd side.

Personal favorites include the Tonga Toast, although without a gallbladder I have resorted to having a bite or two of my mom’s at breakfast rather than tackling it myself. Macadamia nut pineapple pancakes are nut studded cakes with crushed pineapple topped with macadamia nut butter, pure deliciousness, but more filling than they sound. Feeling really hungry? Go for the Big Kahuna, which offers a taste of many items on the menu. My mom also orders the oatmeal from time to time, just ask-they will make it for you.

Pineapple macadamia nut pancakes

Tonga Toast-photos from last year

French Toast

Big Kahuna

Ham & Cheese Omelet

Oatmeal…yawn

The service can be slow at times. The food comes out quickly, but you may not see your server for a while. For the most part we can get in and get checked out within an hour or less. If we arrive early around 8 or so, we can usually make rope drop at the Magic Kingdom or just after opening. Otherwise you can linger for a while and enjoy the atmosphere. The future brings more stays at the Polynesian as well as more breakfast at Kona Café for us.

4 stars-good

 

[t_daniels]

Tonga toast looks so yummy.

 

[LowesChevy]

Le Cellier-Saturday 29th Dinner

I had secured this adr at 180 days and told me brother I wouldn’t change it, but hey its Le Cellier right?!

For a Saturday evening during the Food & Wine Fest, the World Showcase was as busy as ever. We tried to get in a bit sooner, but LC was packed. We waited maybe 15 minutes past our adr time, not terrible, but longer than I like to wait.

The server didn’t appear for a while as we looked at the menus. We were ready to order when she finally arrived to introduce herself, so I was annoyed slightly. She returned with the drinks and we relaxed in the cellar modeled room. My belly was bothering me from my sinus infection and they mixed up fresh ginger ale for me-that was sweet of them!

I love the décor and feeling of the dining room. We were nestled beside a pillar, so no one was very close to us. Unfortunately the crowd was on the loud side tonight. You can tell I must be getting old because I complain about noise a lot!

The menu has an interesting selection-so many items I want to try, but with my upset stomach I skipped the appetizer course. My father ordered the Caesar salad, which was good, not great he said. The lettuce was on the more bitter side since it was red romaine and more leafy than crisp or crunchy. My mother ordered the heirloom tomato salad, which she enjoyed. It was a lovely presentation complete with aspic cubes of tomato “gelatin.”

Tomato mozzarella

Caesar

We all had the “Prime” Canadian New York strip for our entrée. The steak wasn’t the most tender flavorful piece of meat I had in previous years, so we were slightly disappointed. If I had been hungrier-I would have went with the ribeye. The potato pave and spinach are good accompaniments to the steak show. They are not large portions, so if you like more potato with your meat check out the sides. I also ordered the poutine fries on the side and oh these are so rich. Really tasty, but watch that reduction-it is very strong! I like my fries more on crispy side, but still a nice side to share at the table. Very full, no dessert for us tonight!

NY strip

Poutine fries

Overall it was just an okay experience. Maybe an off night for us or perhaps the place just ain’t what it used to be much like the California Grill. I expect more in terms of service and food. Definitely on the fence about coming back next year.

3 Stars-average

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

Enjoying your review!

 

[LowesChevy]

Enjoying your review!

Awesome, thank you!

 

[LowesChevy]

Liberty Tree Tavern-Sunday 30th lunch

Last year was our first visit here in ages and it was a positive one at that. I wanted our last day to be really fun and memorable and for dinner my brother and sister in law were going out alone for their anniversary, so eating together twice was important. We tend to love sit down meals, especially when it is 90 degrees with 90% humidity or so! It is a great break from tromping around in the park all morning.

View from above

I check us in a few minutes early with the front desk. We didn’t wait very long to be seated since we were an on time arrival. Our table was about where it was last year-off to the right in the back. it is on the cozy side and mom, Nick and I took the booth side, while the other three took the chair side of the table. Our server came over within a few minutes to welcome us and get our drink order, while we perused the menu.

My mother and I both ordered the Pilgrim’s feast with a side of cranberries. How can you not love hot turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy on a 90 degree day?! Doesn’t bother me one bit. My father on the other hand, remembers his childhood pot roast dinners in the middle of July. He passes and has the burger. Now if you still want a burger on the pink side, you can get it here. I love a little pink despite the health risk-call me crazy! My brother and sister in law went for the Freedom pasta and Liberty lamb stew.

Nick’s food arrived quickly-the pasta with marinara was pretty tasty.
The food arrived not long after Nick’s. He was already starting to wiggle, so that was a good thing. The grass is always greener for him and he likes to see what everyone else is eating. Everyone was pleased with their meals, even the pasta and lamb dishes were good. Our turkey platters could have been warmer and the green beans were flavorful, but on the cold side. Odd, but still very filling and delicious and the cranberries-a perfect ending to the meal.

Turkey

Burger-pic from last year

The food was great, the service good-about what I expected for the meal. The time allotment was good-not too fast nor too slow. After an hour we were back out in the park cruising along on the Liberty Belle. We will certainly be back next year for more turkey and all the fixin’s!

4 Stars-good

 

[LowesChevy]

The Plaza

Originally planned on dining here for lunch, but after the adr shuffle we ended up heading here for dinner with Nick. Chris and Stephanie were off to Narcoossee’s later on in the evening. The little prince was snoozing pretty hard before he woke up and we just made it to the check in desk before our adr time. Our adr was for 5:15 to give us an hour or so after dinner in the park before the MNSSHP began. We only waited a few minutes to be seated in the cool old school ice cream parlor. Our table had a direct view of the castle and Nick was lucky enough to spot Mickey and Minnie in the later afternoon show.

Our server arrived immediately to welcome us and take our drink order. I went with my favorite chocolate shake and there was plenty to share with mom and Nick too. We relaxed and watched the crowds crawl by, but I think Nick saw something that scared him and crouched down under the table.

The food is simple hot and cold sandwiches, one salad, soup du jour and one hot entrée as well as beverages and ice cream treats as far as the eyes can see. It is a good thing the menu items are basic-you better save room for ice cream sundaes and New York cheesecake! Dad and I ordered cheese steak sandwiches, mother the turkey and Nick a grilled cheese.

Cheese steak

The steak was very tasty-there could have been more meat, but the cheese and mushrooms helped fill up the fluffy hoagie roll. I was eying up Nick’s grilled cheese while he munched down his grapes. I think he was tired or not feeling well. Poor little guy, too much excitement or perhaps he really just wanted to ride the train again. My mother enjoyed her turkey sandwich as well. Plain old turkey sandwich Debbie.

Service was extra attentive and the food very delicious. So, if you are looking for a break from the heat and an ice cream treat-check out The Plaza off Main Street. Ha, I am so good.

4 Stars-good

 

[LowesChevy]

Summary of events

Sadly, The Incredible, Edible Dining Reviews comes to a close in 2012. I hope you all enjoyed reading along. It was an amazing trip despite the major disaster. After that I think I could go through just about anything, not that I would want to!

I think in general there were some disappointments i.e. Le Cellier and California Grill. However the majority of our favorite venues continued to impress like Citricos, Raglan Road, Tutto Italia, Via Napoli, and Mama Melrose’s.

We took advantage of Tables in Wonderland this year and it worked very well to our advantage, especially when Nick and Co. arrived. Since we love eating at table service restaurants, the savings added up. Definitely look into this if you are an eligible guest-Annual Pass holder, FL resident or DVC member. Hopefully they will continue to offer this program for years to come. The dining plan doesn’t really fit our style, but TIW works for us.

Going to be researching for next year, well now! Times a wastin’! Looking at a Beach Club/BLT/Polynesian split stay…oh yeah we are that nutty. Hoping whatever construction or refurbs going on at the Polynesian are near completion when we arrive, so keeping my eyes peeled for updates. Otherwise we may go to the Grand Floridian.


The Forecast

Dinner: Citricos, Via Napoli, Tutto Italia, Jiko, Raglan Road, Les Chefs De France

Lunch: Mama Melrose, The Plaza, Rose & Crown, Liberty Tree Tavern
Breakfast: Kona Café, The Wave, Kouzinna, Captain’s Grille

Thinking of trying Shula’s for steak if anyone has any input on that locale.


See you real soon!
Erika

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

Really enjoyed your report!!

 

[Ro Z]

A little late but I'm loooking forward to your reviews and love the pics!

 

[SillyFamily]

Loving your reviews!!!!!