This Was the Feast-A Most Certainly True Lutheran Food Review-4/26-The End

[cbg1027]

Your Cali Grill meal looks fabulous! I just ate there about a week ago and had the same Snapper entree as your fiancee. It was really good.

Sorry about the warm wine though...that's just not ok!

 

[ChefMickey123]

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas! So glad to hear that you enjoyed California Grill. We had a spectacular experience there last year (and I suppose that is how I should refer to it, as it was truly an experience, not just a meal) and I have been kind of bummed about the negative reviews of the place I've been reading on here lately. A lot of "its gone downhill..." I don't know. Its hard to tell sometimes, as people can be pretty vague abotu what they did or did not like. I am so hoping that the suckling pig flatbread will still be on the menu when we go back this February, as it sounds incredible, as does the veal. I love veal, so absolutely no flaming from me.

But I will grant you that warm sparkling wine is pretty unforgiveable.

Thanks for more great reviews!

I think restaurants can sometimes bear the brunt of other things in life. Last year there was a couple who insisted on shrimp cocktail, not on the menu at California Grill. Disney, being the gracious customer service organization they are accommodated them. I can't imagine anything being so awful from Cali Grill, but mistakes happen. I had some not very good things at Coral Reef, as you will soon read. I think my bad experience had to do with an overall lack of general direction for the restaurant which I don't believe is the case at Ca. Grill, just an occasional poor execution.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I'm loving reading your reviews! I very clearly remember making that arduous climb at the end of the day up to Teppan Edo, it is a fun experience though! Sorry to hear about the warm champagne at California Grill, but I'm glad you had an enjoyable meal otherwise :

 

[ChefMickey123]

No, No, No-you shouldn’t go!, Coral Reef Lunch on 11/17/2010

At least until they get their act cleaned up.
Disney invited us to take a survey upon our return home. This is what I wrote in the comments section at the end of the survey.
I tried to take, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” approach to this one. However, I also want to tell the whole truth. There were some highlights of this dining experience, so it isn’t all bad. I apologize if any of the people reading this on the DIS are offended, because it is not as loving as it should be.



“While I had a great visit on the day the survey asked me about, I had a horrible dining experience at Coral Reef later in the week. The food was overpriced (even with the Deluxe Dining plan) and of a very poor quality. The bread was good, the chocolate lava cake was excellent, the server, V----- (we went for lunch) was fantastic as was the atmosphere.
However, I felt almost insulted by the audacity of the chef to charge the prices on the menu and then use poor quality ingredients.
For an appetizer, I had the Creamy Lobster Soup. There was no lobster in it. I sent it back; the server was gracious and brought another. There were now two very small (less than centimeter pieces of shredded lobster meat in the soup. The brandy flavoring of the soup tasted overpowering and artificial. To add insult to injury, the soup I was served was delivered in a French onion soup crock that was still about 3/4 of an inch from being full.

My fiancée had the crab cakes appetizer, and it was very good and well-presented.

My entree was the NY strip steak- $28.99-While the potatoes and asparagus were tasty, the steak was junk. Poor quality meat, cooked on a dirty, poor quality grill. It had an aftertaste which reminded me of the "flame-broiled" burger patties at Burger King. The steak was cut unevenly, too small, and if I didn't know better, I would say that meat tenderizer or commercial flavor base was added either to the steak or the thin sauce on the plate surrounding it.

I ate it without complaining because I was hungry.
My fiancée had the Lobster Ravioli at $25 or so. The plate looked adequate but ended up being not so good. The sauce under the raviolis was clearly the soup I had before without the brandy flavoring. The raviolis were overall lacking in flavor and had no punch. If there was one small bay scallop floating in the mix, we were doing well. My fiancée ate two raviolis and then quit. About 45 minutes after eating she felt sick and left the park. We drank no alcoholic beverages with the lunch or before it that day.

While my dessert was fine [chocolate lava cake], the Bailey's and Jack Mousse my fiancée ordered looked pretty, but the alcohol in the bottom layer of the parfait was so heavy (which surprised me, usually Disney Desserts are light-handed to the opposite effect in this department) that it was uncomfortable to eat. She left it unfinished. I tried it to make sure she was not being overly sensitive as she does not drink much.

I then learned that one of the chefs at the Coral Reefs, Chef E----, who gave me a mediocre meal at Citricos had been moved to the Coral Reef. He should have been moved to an area more appropriate to his skill level-and this is going to sound not so nice, and I am sorry, but if he is responsible for this, he should be relegated to the cotton candy machine and the hot dog cart, under close supervision.”



The Coral Reef is a one credit restaurant. I am of the opinion that it needs to behave like one and have cash prices to match. The mediocrity is a result of trying to squeeze money from the dining plan reimbursements. I think the place has great potential. But, the menu must change. It is too big for its britches. I am going to be bold now, and put my two cents in with some sample menu ideas of my own creation. It is a little boring and not exotic, but it might just fit the one credit dining program and could be dressed up with interesting culinary flourishes.:



Appetizers, Soups, and Salads
Crab & Artichoke Dip in a Bread Bowl
Crispy Shrimp with Firecracker & Cocktail Sauces
Shrimp Quesadilla
Tomato-Basil Bruschetta with Mozzarella Cheese Toast
New England Clam Chowder (the white kind), cup or sourdough bread bowl.
Tomato Bisque
Caesar Salad with Grape Tomatoes and Crispy Garlic-Parmesan Croutons. Choice of Original or with grilled sirloin steak, sautéed shrimp, grilled salmon fillet or grilled chicken breast.
Garden Greens with lemon-herb vinaigrette or ranch dressing


Sandwiches:
Grouper on Sourdough-Broiled or Batter Fried, Lemon Remoulade sauce
Natural Beef Burger
Grilled Chicken
Grilled Salmon B.L.T
Shrimp Po’ Boy


Entrées
Seafood Pasta with Lemon Butter, Bay Scallops, Shrimp
Linguini with Clams
Fish & Chips
Pecan Crusted Tilapia
Grilled Salmon
Grilled Sirloin Steak
Catch of the day (not salmon, trout, or tilapia)

Desserts:
Chocolate Mousse, Coral Shaped Cookies
Brownie Sundae
Lemon Meringue Pie
Apple Crisp

 

[Miffy2003]

Very enjoyable and well balanced reviews; thank you.

We've eaten twice at Coral Reef and on both occasions received a meal that matched the price we paid (if you see what I mean!). It was good, but not fantastic. We like the setting however.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thanks for wonderul updates on the Japanese restaurant and California Grill. We too had the worst meal in Disney at Coral Reef. I had the Lobster soup and it was bad. My husband meal smelled and I thought the fish was not fresh. My son chicken was undercooked. We all left hungry and had to eat at Sunshine Seasons (the meal there was so much better than Coral Reef). My husband refuses to give this restuarant another try and waste our money. Our server took forever or we never saw her. We had to get our check from another server so we can leave to find something edible to feed our son.

 

[amandadisney]

It is so sad to see what has happened to the Coral Reef. My parents took my brother and I to Disneyworld at least once a year when I was young, and we ALWAYS went to Coral Reef because of the aquarium! I always remembered how great the food was, and how my parents would rave over the dishes (and they are true food snobs). But, my fiance and I have been a few times over the past few years, and the quality is way down. It's like Disney thinks its okay to have mediocre food because of the ambiance. Some dishes are up to par, but they need a complete menu re-vamp. Maybe they should take some pointers from your menu!

 

[tinacaplan]

Interesting about them moving the chef from Citrico's, where I also had a less than stellar meal last February. I would think, however, that in business organization like Disney, woudn't they just let someone like that go? Guess not.

Sorry you had such a poor meal. Your saying that the meat had an aftertaste like that at Burger King is interesting. I had that same thought after eating at San Angel Inn last year. Huh.

 

[ChefMickey123]

Interesting about them moving the chef from Citrico's, where I also had a less than stellar meal last February. I would think, however, that in business organization like Disney, woudn't they just let someone like that go? Guess not.

Sorry you had such a poor meal. Your saying that the meat had an aftertaste like that at Burger King is interesting. I had that same thought after eating at San Angel Inn last year. Huh.

I think the BK flavor comes from a poorly maintained, poorly cleaned, and poorly heated natural gas or propane grill, matched with frustrated talent.

 

[cbg1027]

Sorry your meal at Coral Reef wasn't so great. I had a similar experience last year (fabulous appetizer, horrible entrees).

Funny you mention the Chef I think you're talking about though. He cooked my grandmother and me the most amazing meal back when he was at Citricos. When we went back 6 months later, I was very sad to learn he had been moved to Coral Reef. So I hope he wasn't the reason for your poor meal.

 

[dalepool]

I appreciate the care you took when doing the Disney survey. I only hope I do not get the same chef that you had. How he could let dishes like that leave his kitchen, well it just amazes me. The steak presentation was bland. I did notice the steak almost appeared to have been a pre-seared steak.

Might have been funny if you would have had a piece of thread that you could have tied around the two whispers of lobster, then send it back to the kitchen with note stating you caught the bisque lobster that appeared to have gotten away and you were sure they needed it back to "Flavor" rest of soups ordered. I know I am not being nice but.................I HATE GETTING AND PAYING FOR A MEAL THE CHEF COULD HAVE CARED LESS ABOUT.

I feel bad that the server has to present a dish that they may find not worthy.

Maybe a new rule would be the chef serves the dishes he prepares but the server waits on the guest. I wonder if presentation and prep of food would be better? Oh well just a thought.

Sorry DF was sick and that it was so close to dinner, we both know what that usually means .

Enjoying the reviews.

Patty

 

[jandm]

Lunch at Tony’s Town Square Tavern, Magic Kingdom. 11-14-2010
This is a hidden gem of a restaurant at the Magic Kingdom. Some people fear Magic Kingdom table service restaurants for whatever reason, but there is no reason to fear Tony’s.

The restaurant is bright, airy, and the cleanest place in the Magic Kingdom, and that is no small feat. It is also tucked away neatly to the right of the park entrance when facing the castle. Tony’s is an Italian restaurant of the trattoria variety. Do not expect Mario Batali type foods at Tony’s. Do expect gracious people and delicious food presented with simplicity and cleanliness.

My mother, my fiancée and I had early reservations right when the restaurant opened. We were the first ones seated after the restaurant opened. There is a nice waiting area with pink couches (sort of a darker pink, not neon) and a T.V. that plays clips from “Lady and the Tramp” plus a large gift shop to entertain while waiting for your table.

In the center of the restaurant there is a water fountain with a statue of Lady and the Tramp. A computerized espresso machine graces a sideboard. The floor is a tile type with a marble (could have been real) appearance. Light pours in from the large front windows.

The menu is simple, good pasta fare. We did not get a breadbasket before our meal. Garlic cheese bread is available as an appetizer, though, and all pasta dishes are served with a parmesan cheese crostini across the edge of the bowl. This is not the Olive Garden, so don’t expect it to be like any other chain Italian restaurant, it is unique.

I ordered the Garlic bread for my appetizer and the fiancée ordered the zucchini fries. The garlic bread was about 8 inches long by 3 inches wide on a crusty Italian roll. It was topped with lot of garlic, cheese, and butter, which was broiled. After the cheese melted, there were balsamic vinegar marinated tomatoes sprinkled generously on the top. The garlic bread arrived sliced in three pieces.


The bread was crunchy on the outside and hot, soft & chewy on the inside. The tomatoes made for a nice touch and the garlic flavor was pronounced without tasting raw or astringent. It was a great appetizer for one or good to share with another person.


The zucchini fries were 4 inch long strips of zucchini breaded and deep fried with a creamy sundried tomato dipping sauce. The fries were delicious and plenty to share with one or two other people. The zucchini cooked through, but not mushy.


For her entree, my mother ordered the chicken parmesan, which was a large portion of breaded chicken breast with marinara sauce and cheese over spaghetti with more marinara sauce. It looked good and tasted even better.


My fiancée and I both ordered the shrimp scampi. It was a delight to the eyes, palate and the stomach. About 6-7 large shrimp were tossed with garlicky olive oil and butter-based sauce, sundried tomatoes, and chopped asparagus. Our server grated fresh parmesan cheese over our dish until we were satisfied. It was probably the best pasta dish I have ever had in a restaurant.


Dessert were pumpkin cheesecakes with Lady and the Tramp cocoa silkscreened plates for my mom and fiancée and pistachio crème brulée for me. The cheesecakes were dome molded and exquisitely presented. They were also very yummy and creamy. My pistaschio crème brulée was creamy, green, and delicious. It came with a tuile cookie filled with fruit and candied pistachios.

There was not a crumb of any dessert left. We used our non-alcoholic beverage credits to get coffee with our meal. I was not in the mood for fancy coffee, and neither was my fiancée. The coffee was very hot and of a high quality.


There are lots of choices for lunch at Tony’s, including calamari, dinner salads, sandwiches, a multi-grain meatless pasta dish, and a salmon salad entrée. It is a one credit restaurant, and the full lunch menu and prices are available on the WDW official website:


http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...ysTownSquare/tonys-town-square-menu-lunch.pdf


I thought it was an excellent meal, and the only negative I can think of is that since the restaurant kitchen gets very busy when they load the dining room at opening, it took a few more minutes than I would expect to wait for appetizers. The wait was worth it. I will be back to Tony’s in the future and recommend it to you.

I just stumbled upon this thread and I'm so glad I did! We are planning our first Disney World trip in May and I have been researching so many different restaurants. I was relieved to see a lot of the one's we picked, you had reviewed highly. Especially Tony's. We are eating there and had heard mixed reviews. We wanted a quiet table service at MK for our last night and our kids love Lady & The Tramp, so we thought this would be a great place. Glad to see you liked it so well.
From one MS Lutheran to another, I appreciate your reviews!!

 

[ChefMickey123]

Citricos Second Chance-much closer this time or, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"...



If you managed to read my April 2009 review of dinner at Citricos, it was apparent that my experience was less than stellar. This time, however, our Citricos experience flew much closer to the stars. There are still some apparent issues with this restaurant’s management and organization. There was, for example, only one bartender for the entire restaurant and bar. She was slammed with conventioneers and drinks for tables. Though I caught the bartender’s attention, we never managed to get a drink in 20 minutes, because the poor lady never caught up with her previous orders. She did smile and apologize. This was not her fault. What I did wonder is why none of the managerial type people hanging out failed to get behind the bar and help her?



There were also no flashing pagers in operation at this restaurant, so we were warned that if we sat at the bar waiting for our table, it would be hard for the seating hostess to find us. With a bit of looking, from both ends, we were found and seated. They could not find our personalized menus, but gave us “Congratulations!” menus for our engagement anyway. I don’t expect this special treatment, but it sure was nice.



Our server was a well-experienced, very nice lady. When asked if we had dined at Citricos before, I decided it was time for the truth to come out. I very gently told the lady about our past experience, and that we were giving the restaurant a second chance. I was especially nervous, because I thought I saw the chef from my previous, less than stellar experience lurking about the open kitchen. After speaking with the chef who quickly and politely made friends with us, we learned that the other chef had moved on to the Coral Reef. This new chef, as admitted by his counterpart, looked quite a bit like the other guy, and that guests often confuse the two.




Now, the special brand of Disney hospitality kicked into overdrive. I am sure I was discreetly labeled as a “challenging guest” for the remainder of my stay. Other than our bread being burnt on the bottom or “overdone” as he called it, we received a good meal. In a successful attempt at good sales technique, our server brought out two wines, one similar to the one I had ordered (I ordered mostly glasses at WDW), at let me try them both. I chose the wine that was no longer on the list, so the restaurant was probably happy to see some of it sold.

And now, may the gratuitous food pictures and florid descriptions begin…

My fiancée began with the sautéed shrimp appetizer. The menu description starts out simply-white wine, lemon, tomatoes-and then, feta cheese. It was a known “rule” to me in culinary school that one should not pair cheese with shellfish, because it has been known to create a bad taste reaction in the mouth. This is one dish that successfully breaks that rule. The acidic ingredients balance perfectly with the saltiness of the shrimp and feta. The latter of which slightly blended into the other ingredients to create a creamy sauce. I was lucky enough to be given a shrimp to try, though the portion was ample for an appetizer.

I had the arancini with charred tomato sauce. These are little fried risotto balls with mushrooms and cheese in the risotto. They were not at all greasy and the plate presentation was clean. I was sad to see them go. I wanted more, but I knew I had two courses remaining.



I went on with my entrée, which the chef delivered personally, the Tanglewood Farms chicken breast with Pappardelle pasta (think really wide fettucini), Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and olive oil. The chicken breast was the airline type, with a small portion of the wing attached, and was pan roasted with the skin. It was sliced lengthwise to facilitate cutting and presentation. The chicken was cooked perfectly-not dry, which can be difficult. If you don’t want the skin, scrape it off, but you are missing out, diet or not. The pasta dish underneath could have made me happy on its own. The pasta seemed like it was made fresh, and there was a nice, light pesto drizzled around it. I especially enjoyed the micro-basil garniture. This entrée gets an A+, as it should for a $29 chicken breast. I am glad I was on the dining plan, making it a $20 chicken breast.

My fiancée thoroughly enjoyed the filet of beef with Spanish onions, peppadews, banana peppers, four cheese crushed potatoes, and veal glace de viande. One does not usually think of serving banana peppers with steak, but this worked very well. The presentation was simply and clean, and I can’t say enough good things about Disney’s investment into oak-grilling.

Dessert for my fiancée was a sorbet, apple, I think. It was presented nicely, with a chocolate congratulations plaque.

I had the warm chocolate banana tart with ice cream. Stunningly presented, it was the highlight of the meal for me. It was melt in your mouth good, and I was sad to see it go, though I enjoyed making it disappear.

The chef brought some homemade limoncello for us toast with-which, as he described was vodka with lemons hung above it to extract their flavor. Strong stuff, it made the bus trip warm and tingly.


Will I return to Citricos? I don’t know. Though we had a pretty decent meal, and there was seriously measurable improvement, it seemed as if it might not have been so good if I had not spoken up about past experiences there. We were babied through each course. The bartending situation, the missing menus at check-in, no pagers and the burnt bread were not good first impressions. I felt the food, while very good, was lacking in overall value when it came to portion size vs. price point. I like eating in the Grand Floridian. It is a beautiful hotel. Maybe next time, I’ll have to save a week’s pay aside so I can try Vicky and Al’s across the hall-or better yet, return to Narcoosee’s for a bit less. I also had a great breakfast at the café there, and I’ve heard great things about the GF counter service and afternoon tea-not to mention the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (that word is actually in spell check) character buffet.
Cheers!

 

[emmabemmainc]

Never mind.

 

[LutheranChick82]

I can't believe you can remember all of this stuff !!! Once we ate at these places I completely forget all those little details you remember. I remember you writing stuff down after we got back to the hotel room, but sometimes that was several days later!!

Of course, here at work I can't see all the wonderful pictures you took so I'll have to wait until I get home. I enjoy reliving our trip.

Love you much

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Really enjoying your reviews. It is nice to see some details highlighted that us "normal mortals" might not have noticed.

Glad you enjoyed your dinner at the California Grill. My wife and ate there as our "date night" when we were at the World 1.5 years ago and not only was it the best meal we ever had at Disney, it was probably the 2nd best meal we have ever had anywhere

 

[TigerKat]

Glad to hear you had better luck at Citricos!! We've been there 3 times in the past 18 months and it has been an incredible experience every time. In our opinion, value wise Narcoossee's is at the bottom of the list.

 

[OrangeCat04]

Thank you for your reviews!! I have a question about the Florida Snapper dish at California Grill. Having never tried Snapper, what is it comparable to? I like almost any kind of fish, and especially love Halibut. Also, is the Wine sauce very strong in that dish? Thanks =)

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

It's good to hear that Citricos did take more attentive care of you after you told them about prior issues. It's a restaurant I've always been on the fence about trying, it looks nice enough, but never stood out in my mind.

Most importantly, glad you got to sample some Limoncello - it's one of my favorites!

 

[ChefMickey123]

Thank you for your reviews!! I have a question about the Florida Snapper dish at California Grill. Having never tried Snapper, what is it comparable to? I like almost any kind of fish, and especially love Halibut. Also, is the Wine sauce very strong in that dish? Thanks =)

I didn't think the sauce was overpowering. Snapper can stand up to a lot. The bite I got was delicious. Snapper is to me like a cross between cod and grouper. Think of the nice taste of grouper with the smaller texture of cod. It was very fresh and had a very pleasant seafood taste. Hope this helps.