The Dirty Dozen – 12 Days of Disney, Drinks & Dining - Updated 2/26

[kastoney]

Casey did a great job reviewing dinner in Jen and Joe's you tube channel!!

Thank you!!!!! She loved doing it. I thought she'd be nervous with the camera but she was a natural

Ooh I like your style ! If only I'd thought of that lol Used to be you got a guiness or two in the maternity wards in Ireland for it's "medicinal" benefits Before my time though we did give our patients in general medical a wee brandy or sherry to whet their appetite in 1984

Sounds like I should have given birth in Ireland

Never had chex mix but it looks and sounds like something I'd like'

Pretty sure its as American as you can get. Take perfectly good cereal, coat it in butter ,salt and spices, cook for a bit, then eat. No sodium or calories at all

Casey is a dote! She did a brilliant job reviewing the food. Can't wait to hear what she has to say about House of Blues. Doubt she'll find any sprouts but you never know I guess. Such a great girl altogether

Thank you!!! We are quite proud parents, though sadly that was her one and only review. House of Blues was a complete cluster so no videos. Not sure if I'm going to write that trip up but I'm sure Jenny or Ariane will get around to it at some point.

I did not know you could make froot loops any more sugary and then I saw your milkshake

I know right??? But dang it was good

This is my favorite festival food and I think I ate this on three separate days when we were there last year.

I can see why. It's so simple but so good.

I would have thought for sure you wouldn't have liked that. You just never know.

I would have thought you were right. Fruit loop milkshake sounds like the last thing I would like but it was strangely good.

 

[kastoney]

Loved Casey's review of Toledo! I made my ADRs for our April trip the other day and decided to try Toledo. I'm really looking forward to it especially after watching the video! I am planning to try the octopus too. Not sure I've ever had it before. I know my 14 yr old would have tried it before she became vegan. She was always an adventurous eater too. Not sure if my 9 yr old will try it, but we always encourage her to try new foods.

Thank you! So excited to hear that you are trying Toledo. We really enjoyed it. Not sure what took us so long to get there but it was totally up our alley and at a great price point too. Hope the kiddos enjoy it too, even if they don't try the octopus Though if Jenny can do it anyone can.

Wow, Casey is a natural you-tuber! I bet it won't be long before we see her having her own channel…though none of her target audience probably even comes close to eating like her!

Thanks I thought she would have fun doing it but didn't realize how natural she'd be. She would love to have her own channel and share her love of food with the 3 other kids who share her palate

Why didn't you get in there so we could see some LIVE tipsy reporting??

Now that would have been something though I don't think I was too tipsy that evening. And I HATE being on camera. I was so cringing at just hearing my voice and seeing myself in Jenny's video. Even at work in virtual meetings the fact that I know I have a camera on me I'm all sorts of red. Of course I could have blamed it on the alcohol

I'm forgot I was reading a Flower and Garden report and it makes me so happy to see, even though we won't be going this year. After going again to Food and Wine in October, I've cemented my decision that Flower and Garden is the best. We will definitely be going again next year

I am so in agreement with you. At this point the food at all the festivals really is the same, but add in those topiaries and I'm sold. Thinking we may go in early November this year so more food and wine for us.

This weather is bananas! The only thing keeping me going is that 5 weeks from today I will be on a plane on my way to Disney!

I am so excited for you. Between virtual teaching and bad weather you are most deserving of some Florida sunshine

More days than me too! Well done, Moira! I had thoughts of doing a dry February then I went to the pub for dinner last night. Now I'm drinking wine. Oh well!

Great minds!!!

 

[buzzrelly]

And I HATE being on camera. I was so cringing at just hearing my voice and seeing myself in Jenny's video.

Aw, I hear you because I feel the same way, but I loved hearing your voice in the video

I am so in agreement with you. At this point the food at all the festivals really is the same, but add in those topiaries and I'm sold. Thinking we may go in early November this year so more food and wine for us.

Awesome! Food & Wine, with a dash of Christmas! Perfect

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Pretty sure its as American as you can get. Take perfectly good cereal, coat it in butter ,salt and spices, cook for a bit, then eat. No sodium or calories at all

sounds perfect

Thank you!!! We are quite proud parents,

and rightly so

 

[kastoney]

I Can't Think of a Clever Title But We're Gonna Eat Again

On our second to last night dinner was at Narcoossee's with a plan for some nighttime in MK afterwards.

Our meal started with some rolls and butter.

Narcoossee's previously had delicious sour dough bread so we were pretty disappointed by these generic dinner rolls.

Jason and I also shared a Caesar Salad which I forgot to take a picture of but pretty sure the world knows what that looks like. I don't think I'd had a Caesar Salad in the last decade so this was a nice little blast from the past. The anchovy dressing was great and we liked their addition of fried capers.

Of course we needed to wash it down with something (and you know I'm not gonna forget a picture of the tipsy stuff).

Jason had a bourbon on the rocks.

And I went out of my comfort zone and ordered the Key Lime Martini.

Unfortunately I didn't realize this was frozen and creamy so it was a bit more like a milkshake than a cocktail. It was good, but probably better at the end of the meal.

For our entrees Jason ordered the Blackened Salmon with Hominy Succotash, Corn Purée, Piccalilli Relish and Andouille Sausage.

This was a really strange choice for him because after years of preparing salmon in restaurants he'd grown sick of it. And not surprisingly he didn't care for the salmon but he loved the rest of the dish and thought the flavors were delicious. So I guess we paid $40 for corn and sausage

Casey and I shared the Scallops with Parisian-style Gnocchi, Peas, Ham and Truffled Meyer Lemon Cream.

We've had this dish several times over the years and while it is undergone some different iterations it is always good. This one paired perfectly cooked scallops with a delicious lemon sauce and pillowy gnocchi. We couldn't detect any truffle flavor but they had been kind enough to through some mushrooms in for good measure. So like any reasonable adult I picked them out with my fingers and gave them to my child

To wash it all down Jason ordered a French Riesling and I went a Spanish White of some sort.

Neither of us cared for our selections so we switched as I much preferred the crisp Riesling and Jason much preferred not hearing me complain.

While full we could not pass up dessert as Narcoossee's has one of the best ones on property the Almond Crusted Cheesecake.

This creamy, crunchy, and decadent and hands down the best cheesecake I've ever had.

Overall our meal was good. Narcoossee's isn't my favorite signature restaurant but you can always count on good seafood and an amazing dessert. Like California Grill, service was spotty and we were done in a little over an hour so we really hated being rushed again.

Sadly for Casey yet another rain storm came pouring through so our hopes of an evening in MK were dashed.

But we did get an uber back to the Dolphin so same right?

Up next FINALLY our last day. Even I'm getting a little sick of myself and eating at this point.​

 

[KathyM2]

I love gnocci but also hate mushrooms....this looked and sounded really good though!! Love Casey's reviews lol

 

[Ejb123]

The Almond crusted cheesecake is one of my favourite deserts as well, I am however now craving it and I’m 4362 miles away!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Sounds like an ok meal. The dessert does look very pretty. Shame about the rain. Poor Casey but yay for drinks ( hopefully) at the Dolphin!
By the end of our trips to Disney I always swear I’m never eating again! That lasts for mere nanoseconds because I’m still there when I swear it and then I see food and feel the need to eat it because I’m on holiday

 

[amazingact21]

That cheesecake looked delicious. Sort of makes of for the mediocre rolls served at the beginning of the meal.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I always have trouble finding entrees that appeal to me on their menu. About the only thing that is a guaranteed winner is the almond cheesecake.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Huge bummer about the boring bread and being rushed through dinner. I'm totally with you on the mushroom picking---except no one in my family eats them, so I'd have no one to pass them off to!

 

[gosalyn_mallard]

This creamy, crunchy, and decadent and hands down the best cheesecake I've ever had.

Wow, this description makes me want to add Narcoossee's to our next trip! Sounds amazing!

 

[suse66]

Jason and I also shared a Caesar Salad which I forgot to take a picture of but pretty sure the world knows what that looks like. I don't think I'd had a Caesar Salad in the last decade so this was a nice little blast from the past. The anchovy dressing was great and we liked their addition of fried capers.

I love a good Caesar salad....creamy garlicy dressing with tons of Parmesan, yum! The last time we dined at Narcoosees they had added oven dried Toy Box tomatoes to the Caesar which sounds a bit strange but was really good.

For our entrees Jason ordered the Blackened Salmon with Hominy Succotash, Corn Purée, Piccalilli Relish and Andouille Sausage.

So did Jason eat the salmon? It looks like a beautiful piece of fish.

We've had this dish several times over the years and while it is undergone some different iterations it is always good. This one paired perfectly cooked scallops with a delicious lemon sauce and pillowy gnocchi. We couldn't detect any truffle flavor but they had been kind enough to through some mushrooms in for good measure. So like any reasonable adult I picked them out with my fingers and gave them to my child

The scallops here are my favourite! Even though it is not a huge serving, it is rich and indulgent.

While full we could not pass up dessert as Narcoossee's has one of the best ones on property the Almond Crusted Cheesecake.

That cheesecake is thing of beauty!

Overall our meal was good. Narcoossee's isn't my favorite signature restaurant but you can always count on good seafood and an amazing dessert. Like California Grill, service was spotty and we were done in a little over an hour so we really hated being rushed again.

Oh I would be mad about that!! I hate being rushed through a meal more than anything.

 

[buzzrelly]

And I went out of my comfort zone and ordered the Key Lime Martini.

Both you and that drink look AMAZING!

Neither of us cared for our selections so we switched as I much preferred the crisp Riesling and Jason much preferred not hearing me complain.

That Jason…he's a smart guy!

 

[AliceNDinah]

Great report so far! That cheesecake has me drooling....I've always wanted to try it. Has anyone here ever gone there just for that? I'm not a huge seafood person, and I'm surprising my little boy with a trip in August. We were there last June, but sadly, couldn't fit Narcoossee's in. This is on my list of things to try someday!

 

[kastoney]

I love gnocci but also hate mushrooms....this looked and sounded really good though!! Love Casey's reviews lol

Thanks! Sounds like you and I have quite similar tastes

The Almond crusted cheesecake is one of my favourite deserts as well, I am however now craving it and I’m 4362 miles away!

Hi Emma!!!! Hope you are doing well 4362 miles away That cheese cake is definitely a thing of dreams. Pretty sure I would consider walking those 4362 miles just to get some.

By the end of our trips to Disney I always swear I’m never eating again! That lasts for mere nanoseconds because I’m still there when I swear it and then I see food and feel the need to eat it because I’m on holiday

I'm the same way though never while there just once we get home. At the airport usually declare I'm never eating or drinking again. And fast forward to being home a few hours later and I'm usually doing both

That cheesecake looked delicious. Sort of makes of for the mediocre rolls served at the beginning of the meal.

That cheesecake is definitely delicious. But even as good as it was I'm still bitter about the rolls

I always have trouble finding entrees that appeal to me on their menu. About the only thing that is a guaranteed winner is the almond cheesecake.

I struggle with their menu too but thankfully there is always some iteration of the gnocchi dish. But for being a signature there certainly should up their game. It's odd their menu is so static and doesn't change like so many of the other restaurants

 

[kastoney]

Huge bummer about the boring bread and being rushed through dinner. I'm totally with you on the mushroom picking---except no one in my family eats them, so I'd have no one to pass them off to!

Sounds like I would fit right in in your family. Jason and Casey both love mushrooms but I ban them from coming into the house. One can never be too careful

Wow, this description makes me want to add Narcoossee's to our next trip! Sounds amazing!

The cheesecake is certainly worth the trip

I love a good Caesar salad....creamy garlicy dressing with tons of Parmesan, yum! The last time we dined at Narcoosees they had added oven dried Toy Box tomatoes to the Caesar which sounds a bit strange but was really good.

I oddly don't like Romaine lettuce (I can't stand the hard part in the middle) so I rarely eat a Caesar. But this certainly hit the spot. If only I can get them to serve it on some spring mix next time I'll be set

So did Jason eat the salmon? It looks like a beautiful piece of fish.

He did but it was overcooked so it wasn't his favorite. Pretty sure everyone in our family prefers our salmon raw

Oh I would be mad about that!! I hate being rushed through a meal more than anything.

Me too! When we went down in December we went back to ordering appetizers and not putting our entree order in until we were done with it. If Disney can't time my meal right I'll time it myself

Both you and that drink look AMAZING!

❤❤❤ Miss you!

Great report so far! That cheesecake has me drooling....I've always wanted to try it. Has anyone here ever gone there just for that? I'm not a huge seafood person, and I'm surprising my little boy with a trip in August. We were there last June, but sadly, couldn't fit Narcoossee's in. This is on my list of things to try someday!

That cheesecake certainly is worth trying. They have a very small bar area at Narcoossee's so I would think you could order the cheesecake there so you can try it.

 

[kastoney]

The Wave's Last Stand

In honor (or more like deep remorse) of yesterday being the 7 month anniversary since I started this dirty dozen lets finally wrap this thing up.

On our last day we headed to my favorite Animal Kingdom but sadly it was a bit of a cluster. Crowds were insane, Everest was down, every ride had at least a 45 minute wait, and to add insult to injury the entire dining reservation system was also down


But here is the photographic evidence we at least showed up.


We ended up cutting our losses and headed towards MK in hopes of park hopping early. You'll be shocked to know this wasn't allowed so we walked over to the Contemporary to see if we could salvage the day.

Thankfully The Wave was taking walk-ups since the reservation system had gone kaput. It must have been fate as we had a great server named Casey who sensed our exacerbation (or really liked our kids name) and brought us a couple of cold ones on the house.

That's a Kona for me and a Key West Sunset ale for the other legal drinker.

For eats Jason ordered their chicken sandwich. Since The Wave is no longer with us (RIP) I've got little more than that. And since I also forgot to take a picture we'll just use this as our chicken stand-in.


I ordered their Reuben which totally hit the spot.

It could have used a bit less meat and some more sauerkraut (because there is never enough sauerkraut) but otherwise it was solid.

Casey branched out and ordered the Bacon and Eggs appetizers as her entree.

While she was a little disappointed this was not actually bacon, and more like pulled pork, I thought it was delicious. The cheesy grits were definitely the best part and paired with the runny egg and tender pork it was a great combo. Good to see Steakhouse 71 still has this on their menu.

After lunch we were finally allowed into MK and were able to get our pirates, splash, big thunder, and carousel of progress on before bidding the parks adieu.


Continued in next post.​

 

[kastoney]

Dinner So Nice We Ate it Twice

For our final dinner of the trip we let Casey pick the restaurant and after a phenomenal experience a few days prior we were headed back to the Riviera Resort and Topolino's.


We started with their amazing Ricotta and bread again.

This seriously is one of the best things ever. Creamy ricotta with some acidity and sweetness from the vinegar and tomato jam. Perfection.

To wash it all down Jason ordered the Modern Old Fashion.


And I had a delicious Italian Fiano.


For entree's we did at least mix it up. Jason ordered the Rigatoni with Braised Chicken Sugo, Rapini, Wild Mushrooms, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Even with those nasty mushroom buggers in there this was amazing. The dark meat chicken was moist and delicious and paired really well with the slightly bitter rapini and salty parm. At only $32 this was a real bargin.

Casey and I shared the Lobster Linguini with English Peas, Sauce Américaine, Pickled Onions, & Squid Ink Tuile.

First and foremost this lobster was probably the best I'd ever had. It was cooked to absolute perfection and worth the $48 price tag by itself. As for the pasta it was well cooked but the sauce was just kind of bland. Definitely needed some spices to kick it up a notch. But we were still 2 happy girls.


For dessert we ordered a Pistachio mousse.

This is no longer on the menu so I'm unsure of the ingredients, but if I recall it had flavors of lemon and cherry with the pistachio and was quite good.

I say if I recall because my notes gets a bit sparse as we were distracted by the most amazing show.

We may have been at the Riviera but we'd somehow been transported to Batuu with the most amazing dinner show. Shocked Disney didn't charge extra for this "magical" experience.

Round 2 of Topolino's wasn't quite as perfect as the first go round, but still did not disappoint. Casey declared this restaurant was so good because you could get full just on the bread. That girl warms my carbohydrate heart.

We took our last Skyliner ride back to the Swan and to bid our last night farewell we ended with what became our tradition for the trip...

Some elevator dancing. The Swan blasts music in the elevators so every trip on it required us to bust a move. Fitting way to end a fantastic trip.

Continued in next post.​

 

[kastoney]

The Dirtiest Dozen

While I promised a dozen days of eating and drinking, day 12 was sadly just for travel. But good news for us was vacation continued as we drove the four hours to Savannah, GA to spend a few days with our closest friends.

My food pics were not on point but there were pretzels


Adult Beverages


Fireworks


Pool Time


And Jason and Casey even made his soon to be famous crab cakes



Terrible picture but trust me they are delicious.

And with that finally the dirty dozen comes to an end. My sincerest thanks to everyone for following along all of these months. Writing about Disney and food is the next best thing to being there myself and I truly love sharing it with you all. Ok enough niceness. I'm pouring myself a drink and cheersing myself to finally getting this thing done.....

And the 113 days till we do it again.... West coast style.​