SpectroMan71
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2004
- Messages
- 174
This is a *tad* late, but I figured I would post anyway for fans of this former GREAT restaurant.
The Vineyard Room August 30, 2008 Closing Weekend Dinner Review
Id learned that the Vineyard Room would be closing permanently at the end of August, and thought it would be fun to visit one last time before it did. I made an ADR for Saturday, 8/30 at 5:30pm, thinking we would be too tired to wait for a later seating when the Electrical Parade would pass by. As it turned out, the earlier seating was fine and we still saw the parade from street level later on.
We arrived on time. I looked around the waiting area, snapped a few pictures, and then we were called to our table.
The dining room looked the same as always lovely, with minimal décor and the weather was still warm (over 85). We were given a table in the good part of the room facing the outdoors and not behind the partition which blocks the good views. We werent on the very edge of seating for parade viewing, but it didnt matter since the Pixar Play Parade had already ended and the Electrical Parade would not pass by until roughly 9PM.
Upon opening the menu, the first thing I saw was that a farewell epitaph had been printed, thanking the guests of the past six years for their patronage. This confirmed that the place was really closing, which was a shame.
The other thing I noticed right away was that the Prix Fixe menu was gone. Now, everything was strictly a la carte and there were no pre-chosen menu combinations, which was the way it had been when the restaurant first opened and for most of its subsequent life. That was slightly disappointing, since it was nice to simply pick one item from each category and pay a set fee, but when our server Patty arrived, she told us that the final menu was a combination of cast member and guest favorites over the past 6 years. That sounded like a fitting tribute to the place, so I was happy with that.
After already receiving water, Patty asked if we would like to order any other drinks. Bill decided to get one of the Signature Cocktails, LAgave Piu Fine. This consisted of Patron, Cointreau, Chambord, Sweet & Sour, and Cranberry Juice. It arrived shortly after, and was extremely good. I dont care for alcohol at all, and I even found it to be very tasty and smooth. For 8.50, to include the high end ingredients that it did, I felt it was a pretty good value as Disney goes.
The bread arrived shortly thereafter, along with a side of warm Marinara with 3 cheeses in it as well as a small bowl of various olives. These, along with the oil and vinegar that were already on the table, made for a delicious bread serving.
We perused the menu and both decided to get an appetizer. Bill went with the Spanish Chorizo Flatbread and I chose the Soup of the Day. The Flatbread included Chorizo, Garnet yams, Piquillo peppers, and Manchego Cheese.
The soup was a Roasted Red Pepper with White Corn vegetarian dish. I could swear that there were small bits of bacon in it, but I was told it was vegetarian, but not vegan. I wasnt going to argue since it didnt matter.
Both of these were excellent, and we traded tastes of eachothers items.
I had noticed the painting on the back wall and wanted to get a picture of it in case they removed it later, so I got up and snapped these shots.
I also took a few pics of the view looking out from the dining room.
For our entrees, Bill ordered the RibEye Steak and I chose the Citrus Saffron Chicken. We were also advised to look at the dessert menu at this time, since two of the items would have to be ordered ahead of time to get them ready on time. More on that later. The RibEye was described as a pan-roasted medallion with cauliflower gratin and a cabernet demi. They didnt mention the nice potatoes that were also included.
he Cauliflower Gratin was especially nice like a mashed vegetable with a cheesy crispy crust around it. Although Bill prefers medium rare, he ordered the steak medium so that I could enjoy tasting it myself. It was indeed delicious.
My chicken dish included toasted angel hair, braised fennel, roasted tomato sauce and Ricotta Salata.
At first, I was a bit surprised at the bone sticking out of the chicken breast, but it actually turned out to be handy to use as a handle while slicing the meat with a knife, and the rest of the breast was deboned. The chicken itself had a nice, simple grilled flavor, but the pasta and accompaniments underneath were where the real tastes were hiding. All in all, very nice.
As stuffed as were by this point, we both agreed that we should go all out and order dessert as well. This turned out to be the most difficult decision of all. Im not usually one to order dessert in a restaurant at all, but when Patty brought the menu, everything sounded perfect. Patty went down the list, describing each dish, and Bill asked her which items she liked best. None of this really helped the decision, but we finally decided on two dishes.
The first was really for me an assorted cheese platter. Id always wanted to try this in past Vineyard Room visits when it was part of the Prix Fixe menu and never had, so it was time. Included were Pecornino Primosale, Marin Petit Chevre Bleu, and Mimmolette served with crisp tart apple slices, sea salted pecans and walnuts, fruit compote, and walnut bread. Patty offered, and we agreed, to have this dish come out first by itself so that we could share it before the sweeter final dessert came afterward.
It was a nice assortment of items, with one white, one yellow, and one brie for the cheeses. The accompanying bread was fantastic, but unfortunately we were way too stuffed from the earlier bread to take more than a nibble from this one.
The final dessert was called the Yin & Yang of Souffle. This had to be ordered at the same time as our entrees to allow sufficient time to prepare it, which we had done earlier on Pattys advice. The soufflé included Valrhona Chocolate with vanilla Crème Anglaise on one side, and on the other was frozen seasonal fruit (lemon) and a few star-shaped shortbread cookies. The warm soufflé was heavenly, and the frozen lemon (sorbet-like in texture) was a nice palette clearer between the bites of the heavier chocolate.
Somewhere around this time, Bill opted for a cup of coffee to help stay awake, since we were planning to stay for the parade afterward. It was served in a mug that matched the chargers that had been on the table when we first arrived.
All in all, the entire meal took 2 ½ hours, but the time went quickly and it was actually better to have such long breaks between courses to help digest than to be fed in an assembly line fashion like one sometimes feels at Café Orleans or the Blue Bayou.
There was another party seated next to us that had also brought a camera to say goodbye, and the gentleman got up to photograph this little stained glass window in the corner that I hadnt noticed. I liked it too, and did the same thing.
Another party consisting of a husband, wife and daughter near to us took some pictures with Patty. I assumed they were Pattys family that she had invited for one last dinner, but after asking Patty about it, learned that they were simply very loyal and fond customers of the past 6 years. That was touching to see, as others like myself and Bill obviously have fond memories of certain locations within the Disney parks. I also felt better when I saw several other parties taking pictures of their food dishes, so I didnt feel like the only geek there documenting my meal.
Its really a shame that Disney made the decision to close the Vineyard Room. It was unlike any other theme park restaurant, and now leaves Napa Rose as the sole fine dining establishment on property. Steakhouse 55 is very good, but not exactly fine cuisine. Im hoping that another nicer restaurant gets incorporated into the designs for the remodeled DCA. The park was meant to embody the many facets of California life, and fine dining has always been one of those, so it would seem fitting to keep something of this caliber alive in the park.
The Vineyard Room August 30, 2008 Closing Weekend Dinner Review
Id learned that the Vineyard Room would be closing permanently at the end of August, and thought it would be fun to visit one last time before it did. I made an ADR for Saturday, 8/30 at 5:30pm, thinking we would be too tired to wait for a later seating when the Electrical Parade would pass by. As it turned out, the earlier seating was fine and we still saw the parade from street level later on.
We arrived on time. I looked around the waiting area, snapped a few pictures, and then we were called to our table.
The dining room looked the same as always lovely, with minimal décor and the weather was still warm (over 85). We were given a table in the good part of the room facing the outdoors and not behind the partition which blocks the good views. We werent on the very edge of seating for parade viewing, but it didnt matter since the Pixar Play Parade had already ended and the Electrical Parade would not pass by until roughly 9PM.
Upon opening the menu, the first thing I saw was that a farewell epitaph had been printed, thanking the guests of the past six years for their patronage. This confirmed that the place was really closing, which was a shame.
The other thing I noticed right away was that the Prix Fixe menu was gone. Now, everything was strictly a la carte and there were no pre-chosen menu combinations, which was the way it had been when the restaurant first opened and for most of its subsequent life. That was slightly disappointing, since it was nice to simply pick one item from each category and pay a set fee, but when our server Patty arrived, she told us that the final menu was a combination of cast member and guest favorites over the past 6 years. That sounded like a fitting tribute to the place, so I was happy with that.
After already receiving water, Patty asked if we would like to order any other drinks. Bill decided to get one of the Signature Cocktails, LAgave Piu Fine. This consisted of Patron, Cointreau, Chambord, Sweet & Sour, and Cranberry Juice. It arrived shortly after, and was extremely good. I dont care for alcohol at all, and I even found it to be very tasty and smooth. For 8.50, to include the high end ingredients that it did, I felt it was a pretty good value as Disney goes.
The bread arrived shortly thereafter, along with a side of warm Marinara with 3 cheeses in it as well as a small bowl of various olives. These, along with the oil and vinegar that were already on the table, made for a delicious bread serving.
We perused the menu and both decided to get an appetizer. Bill went with the Spanish Chorizo Flatbread and I chose the Soup of the Day. The Flatbread included Chorizo, Garnet yams, Piquillo peppers, and Manchego Cheese.
The soup was a Roasted Red Pepper with White Corn vegetarian dish. I could swear that there were small bits of bacon in it, but I was told it was vegetarian, but not vegan. I wasnt going to argue since it didnt matter.
Both of these were excellent, and we traded tastes of eachothers items.
I had noticed the painting on the back wall and wanted to get a picture of it in case they removed it later, so I got up and snapped these shots.
I also took a few pics of the view looking out from the dining room.
For our entrees, Bill ordered the RibEye Steak and I chose the Citrus Saffron Chicken. We were also advised to look at the dessert menu at this time, since two of the items would have to be ordered ahead of time to get them ready on time. More on that later. The RibEye was described as a pan-roasted medallion with cauliflower gratin and a cabernet demi. They didnt mention the nice potatoes that were also included.
he Cauliflower Gratin was especially nice like a mashed vegetable with a cheesy crispy crust around it. Although Bill prefers medium rare, he ordered the steak medium so that I could enjoy tasting it myself. It was indeed delicious.
My chicken dish included toasted angel hair, braised fennel, roasted tomato sauce and Ricotta Salata.
At first, I was a bit surprised at the bone sticking out of the chicken breast, but it actually turned out to be handy to use as a handle while slicing the meat with a knife, and the rest of the breast was deboned. The chicken itself had a nice, simple grilled flavor, but the pasta and accompaniments underneath were where the real tastes were hiding. All in all, very nice.
As stuffed as were by this point, we both agreed that we should go all out and order dessert as well. This turned out to be the most difficult decision of all. Im not usually one to order dessert in a restaurant at all, but when Patty brought the menu, everything sounded perfect. Patty went down the list, describing each dish, and Bill asked her which items she liked best. None of this really helped the decision, but we finally decided on two dishes.
The first was really for me an assorted cheese platter. Id always wanted to try this in past Vineyard Room visits when it was part of the Prix Fixe menu and never had, so it was time. Included were Pecornino Primosale, Marin Petit Chevre Bleu, and Mimmolette served with crisp tart apple slices, sea salted pecans and walnuts, fruit compote, and walnut bread. Patty offered, and we agreed, to have this dish come out first by itself so that we could share it before the sweeter final dessert came afterward.
It was a nice assortment of items, with one white, one yellow, and one brie for the cheeses. The accompanying bread was fantastic, but unfortunately we were way too stuffed from the earlier bread to take more than a nibble from this one.
The final dessert was called the Yin & Yang of Souffle. This had to be ordered at the same time as our entrees to allow sufficient time to prepare it, which we had done earlier on Pattys advice. The soufflé included Valrhona Chocolate with vanilla Crème Anglaise on one side, and on the other was frozen seasonal fruit (lemon) and a few star-shaped shortbread cookies. The warm soufflé was heavenly, and the frozen lemon (sorbet-like in texture) was a nice palette clearer between the bites of the heavier chocolate.
Somewhere around this time, Bill opted for a cup of coffee to help stay awake, since we were planning to stay for the parade afterward. It was served in a mug that matched the chargers that had been on the table when we first arrived.
All in all, the entire meal took 2 ½ hours, but the time went quickly and it was actually better to have such long breaks between courses to help digest than to be fed in an assembly line fashion like one sometimes feels at Café Orleans or the Blue Bayou.
There was another party seated next to us that had also brought a camera to say goodbye, and the gentleman got up to photograph this little stained glass window in the corner that I hadnt noticed. I liked it too, and did the same thing.
Another party consisting of a husband, wife and daughter near to us took some pictures with Patty. I assumed they were Pattys family that she had invited for one last dinner, but after asking Patty about it, learned that they were simply very loyal and fond customers of the past 6 years. That was touching to see, as others like myself and Bill obviously have fond memories of certain locations within the Disney parks. I also felt better when I saw several other parties taking pictures of their food dishes, so I didnt feel like the only geek there documenting my meal.
Its really a shame that Disney made the decision to close the Vineyard Room. It was unlike any other theme park restaurant, and now leaves Napa Rose as the sole fine dining establishment on property. Steakhouse 55 is very good, but not exactly fine cuisine. Im hoping that another nicer restaurant gets incorporated into the designs for the remodeled DCA. The park was meant to embody the many facets of California life, and fine dining has always been one of those, so it would seem fitting to keep something of this caliber alive in the park.
