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

[ChefMickey123]

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.

I am so glad you like it there. I am still not convinced totally, as you can tell by the review, but I am warming up to it.

 

[ChefMickey123]

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

I love the California Grill. I was there once a long time ago, before I was born on my parents' honeymoon. Things have changed a lot since I was the size of a kosher pickle. I love the staff there more than I love the food, and that is saying a lot because the food is so excellent. It is always so busy when I've been there, that the servers don't have much time to chat. Good for them. I hope they earn a nice living there.

I'm glad you enjoyed it too, and thanks for posting.

 

[wdwthanksgiving]

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

Sign me up - your menu suggestions are terrific - just what i would love to see on the menu! perhaps a note to the manager of coral reef with your suggestions attached might be in order! you know, it takes a village
i am really enjoying your thoughtful and evenhanded reviews -
thanks so much for taking the time (and the pictures) to share -
i am about to jump back and read your previous reports!
congrats and best wishes on your engagement -

 

[dalepool]

Your review of the citricos chicken breast makes me want to try to make that as traveling to WDW may be a couple of years away. Sounded just nummie. I am thinking the Coral Reef reviews have had a reason to be off par---they send a troubled chef there to what? Do a better job Not thinking that is happening.

Keep the meals coming ---I have great meals via yours and some others reviews. I sure do apreciate the time you all take taking pictures and posting reviews.

Patty

 

[ChefMickey123]

Your review of the citricos chicken breast makes me want to try to make that as traveling to WDW may be a couple of years away. Sounded just nummie. I am thinking the Coral Reef reviews have had a reason to be off par---they send a troubled chef there to what? Do a better job Not thinking that is happening.

Keep the meals coming ---I have great meals via yours and some others reviews. I sure do apreciate the time you all take taking pictures and posting reviews.

Patty

The chicken seemed pretty easy to make. It was executed well, with quality ingredients and that is what it is all about. It was nummie. I think I can blame the chef only partly for the Coral Reef, because the menu has not seemed to change much there for quite a while, and the dining plan probably does not reimburse the restaurant for full menu price, yet there has to be profit in that somewhere for the individual Disney restaurant. The line they dance on at Disney in foodservice is very fine, and they have to find that balance between what the guests want and what makes money. Sometimes that means compromising on ingredient quality & recipes for them. This is sad. Throw a chef's personal wants and a systematic hierarchy with shareholders into the mix (standardized beverage menus, dining plans, mussels, filet of beef, and Tanglewood Farms chicken on most every signature menu so they can get a good deal) and you have just the right conditions for what is going on at the Coral Reef.

Good luck cooking the chicken and thanks for your kind compliments.

 

[ChefMickey123]

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!

If you go, (if it fits your schedule and budget, give them a chance) make sure you ask Chef for some. It is very lemony with a hint of bitterness at the very end. I don't think they add sugar to it, so it is not sweet and sticky.

Citricos requires an open mind with the menu. I am a food guy and nothing really jumped out at me with my first glance. With gourmet food being so popular these days, people are more apt to try some new things.

The flavor combinations on the Citricos menus work, it is just that we U.S. folks, in large part (not everybody) like what we like, and other than the filet of beef dish, there are no "meat and potatoes" kind of dishes and the cooking is of the lighter Medit. style.

BTW, loved you GF Cafe review and pictures.

 

[ChefMickey123]

Voldemort Victuals
Also Known as Harry Pasties, Hermione Grazing, and Roasted Weasley (no Weasley was actually harmed in the writing of this post)

We had a couple days with Harry Potter and his pals at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The first day was an arrival day, Saturday, and I was bummed. Though we had a good time, one of my worst fears came true. Besides the fact that there were “Muggles everywhere”, I was too fat for 75% of the rides at both Universal Theme Parks, including the ride in Hogwarts castle & Dueling Dragons. So, what to do? Diet & Exercise? Not on vacation. Emergency Liposuction? Not likely. Sulk & drown my sorrows, like Hagrid, in none other than the world famous butterbeer? Absolutely.

There are several places to buy regular butterbeer at WWOHP. We picked up our cup of it, the unfrozen kind, at a small stand across from the entrance to the castle ride line. The witch (and I mean that in the Harry Potter sense) serving us went behind a large wooden door to retrieve our butterbeer. We decided to dispense with the expensive plastic mug and go with the regular old beer cup, which is still emblazoned with the WWOHP logo.
So what does it taste like? Well, imagine a club soda, about 14 ounces of it, with two to four Werther’s Original hard caramels crushed up into a powder and dissolved in it topped with soft ice cream mixed with a lot of whipped cream, and that is how I think it tasted. It was also a really nice dark amber color or “colour”. It was not nearly as sweet as I expected, but it was large enough for two to share.



On our second day we went to WWOHP, we went to both the Universal Studios side of the complex and IOA. In the morning, though I could not ride and DF did not want to (looked like a motion sickness nightmare for her) we did take a tour of the castle. It is amazing. Digital imagery has come a long way since Star Wars. The WWOHP was one place in the Universal complex that we both felt there was a serious commitment of money and effort, and not simply motion simulators and Disney knock-off attractions. But I digress…



We went this day, primarily to shop. And we did-lots and lots of candy. These included Peppermint Toads, Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, and a nice Honeydukes candy jar which will look great in the kitchen or family room. This came filled with peppermints that magically melted away to reveal a chocolate center. My fiancée received the peppermint toads, and the candy jar is for the both of us. My sister received a Chocolate Frog and Bertie Botts Beans for Christmas as well as a Gryffindor Prefect pin.

I opened one chocolate frog for eating, and discovered a Godric Gryffindor Wizard Trading Card.

It is a very cool hologram. The frog itself is quite a bit of chocolate-5.3 ounces of solid frog.

It is milk chocolate but has a darker taste to it. It is not the best, and certainly not the worst candy I’ve had. It is also extremely cool. The box and the trading cards are very nice, and will go on a shelf somewhere with our HP books and other assorted trinkets from the Wizarding World. Be forewarned if you have little ones-like most theme park souvenirs, this stuff is expensive. I knew it would be and budgeted for it. Each candy item was around $10. I think it was well spent for the conversation piece value of the boxes once the candy is gone. Leave plenty of room to pack these souvenirs so the boxes don’t get bent up. You can shop the candy items at the main Traders store at the park entrance so they don’t have to be shipped or carried. Honeydukes is nice, but quite small and crowded.


Our third and final Potter food adventure was at the Three Broomsticks. The theme decorating here is great. It is very detailed, yet totally functional. There is even a seating hostess to help you find a place after you get your tray.

We had Pumpkin Juice, Pasties with Salad, and bottled water. There are plenty of things to try here, and the prices were pretty reasonable. We paid $7.50 for the pasties and salad, and it made a pretty good light snack for two (we were eating at Emeril’s later that day and did not want to spoil our meal).



The pasties are little baked pastry pockets about the size of a pierogi of which there are three to an order. These are filled with shredded seasoned beef and onions, and probably a few other nice things. The mixed salad is iceberg with veggies shaved into it, with tomato wedge and cucumber. Ken’s dressing packets are served with the salad. You will be asked which flavor of Ken’s you like.


We chose the draft Pumpkin Juice as opposed to the bottled available on ice in the carts outside the restaurant (very cool bottles with a pumpkin stopper lid). The pumpkin juice kind of tasted like chilled liquid apple pie and was bright orange with flecks of spices floating in it. I would buy it again in the bottle to get the bottle, but I really liked the butterbeer better.
I would also like to try some of the other food offerings and the Hogsmeade Hogshead Ale on my next visit.



As an aside, I have been doing pretty well on my exercise and weight loss program. One day I will return to ride the Forbidden Journey & enjoy the Great Feast.

 

[*sarah*]

We are planning on going to Universal Studios after our trip at Disney is over. Can't wait to see WWOHP. DS is definately going to want that chocolate frog lol. And I want to try a Butterbeer, but I don't think I'll like it. DH might though.

 

[ChefMickey123]

Emeril’s at Universal CityWalk

We had lunch at Emeril’s on one of our Universal days, and had a great experience there. We ended up way early for our reservations because we were hungry. We were also soaking wet after a spin on Bluto’s Bilgewater Barges. Though very fun, mid-November, depending on the day, is not the best time to do this. They also charge $5 for a “People Dryer”-but DF was not having that. They seated us in the sunroom at Emeril’s where we had a great people-watching view and a few rays.



The restaurant was light and airy and open with large format original artwork all over the walls. Light colored woods and white linens made for an inviting atmosphere.



We had water to drink, because that’s what sounded good after a morning of walking, but there are lots of yummy looking booze things on the menu.
Hands down, the best value for our food dollar on our vacation was my lunch at Emeril’s. They serve a 3-course lunch for $18. The 3-course lunch menu is limited, but there seems to be something for everyone. The regular lunch menu is pretty extensive, plus the server offered to have the chef try and make whatever we wanted if we did not see something we liked. I had the gumbo for a starter, followed by the pasta Bolognese for an entrée and green apple & kiwi sorbets for dessert. The menu is up on the internet, but they had replaced the rabbit lasagna with the pork Bolognese. We also got a nice bread basket with my meal.

The gumbo was delicious. It was just a little spicy with plenty of sausage and other goodies in it. It is a whole bowl, not a cup. The pasta Bolognese was made with braised pork and came topped with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese. It was very tasty and the right-size portion for lunch.

I probably wouldn’t go trying to share this lunch unless you were both very, very light eaters. It was enough for one to be satisfied.
The dessert sorbets were really lovely with a great smooth and creamy texture, even though there was no dairy involved. The sorbet was easily on par with that of Citricos at the Grand Floridian.

My fiancée had the Coleman beef burger with cheese, bacon, sautéed onions & mushrooms, and avocado. This burger is huge. They cook it to your liking (MR) and it comes with lettuce and tomato. It has a base price and then you pay for each topping an additional $2. When she was through it was $16, and came with a very large pile of fries to boot.

She got through half of it, and I refused to allow the rest to go to waste, so I finished it. I have eaten many, many burgers in my life. This one was the most delicious and memorable thus far. As delicious as my lunch was, and for as much garbage I gave my fiancée for ordering a “burger at Emeril’s” (I got spaghetti, so I really don’t have room to talk), I ended up wishing I had ordered a burger.



The service was professional, graceful and unobtrusive. A server at another table was getting bombarded with questions by four seemingly persnickety folks who had questions about every menu item, every ingredient, every preparation, every portion size, and how much each item costs and had a calculator out trying to figure out the best “deal” for them. The server handled herself so very well with these folks. You never know, they might have had severe health or religious-based dietary restrictions, and I am glad the server showed extreme social grace in public.

If my wallet and location allowed it, I would eat lunch here once or twice a week. I have "no reservations" about eating here.

Please note: If you make reservations for Emeril's online or over the phone, you must call 24 hours in advance to confirm. I loaded their number into my cell phone before we left home.

 

[ChefMickey123]

We are planning on going to Universal Studios after our trip at Disney is over. Can't wait to see WWOHP. DS is definately going to want that chocolate frog lol. And I want to try a Butterbeer, but I don't think I'll like it. DH might though.

Depending on how old he is, that chocolate might last a while. Do the butterbeer to say you did it. It seems to be bragging rights for HP fans.

 

[CLPClarinet]

The butterbeer was really good, and the foam head was the best part.

What you've GOT TO TRY next time at WWOHP is the Chocolate Trifle at Three Broomsticks. One of the guys that worked there when I picked up my tray said I made a really good choice and it was his favorite thing on the menu. I got the kids fish & chips (with grapes), chocolate trifle, and a pumpkin juice from the tap. The pumpkin juice didn't thrill me at all, but I'm glad I tried it.

So in short....TRY THE CHOCOLATE TRIFLE!!!!! Oh, and it looks fancy for a counterservice dessert ^_^

 

[LutheranChick82]

That burger was super yummy, but I got way too much stuff on that burger!!! I went a little over board on the toppings but holy crap that burger was super delicious!!!!!!

 

[annie1995]

Love your reviews!!!!

 

[rascalmom]

Great review - you've inspired me to give Narcoosee's a try on our next trip!

Thanks for all the details and pictures

 

[ChefMickey123]

Yachtsman Steakhouse
It is a difficult decision for me as to which restaurant at Walt Disney World is my favorite. Yachtsman Steakhouse is in the Top 3 for sure. When I visit a restaurant more than once, I look for consistency of excellence or improvement over the last visit. There was no possible way, or so I thought, to improve on my April 2009 Yachtsman Steakhouse experience. I was wowed once again.


Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, I think has a beautiful lobby and other common areas. We followed the dark and cool hardwood floor path to the restaurant. We arrived early by about twenty-five minutes for our reservation, checked in with the seating hostess and went to the bar with our pager. We each had a drink and waited for our pages to go off. Note: if you sit at the bar, put your pager in your lap, because it won’t go off if it is on the copper bar top, as we found out even though the bartender put a stack of napkins under it.


While we were in the bar, a man was very upset over something and yelled at the manager who was pretty calm and cool and handled things well. I actually asked for him to stop by our table later after dinner. I complimented him on his great professionalism. I would not have reacted so well, and probably would have lost my job.
We sat at a nice table against a dividing wall and a great server who was an entertaining and kind gentleman. I think the service at the Yachtsman Steakhouse shows a lot of class.


When I was in culinary school, a very wise old chef told me that first and last impressions are very important. They are powerful in a person’s memory. The first impression is the bread, and the last impression is the dessert. The bread, our first impression of the Yachtsman Steakhouse’s cuisine was beyond excellence. One could make a meal from their Onion Parkerhouse rolls and Sourdough Rolls served with Hawaiian sea-salted butter and roasted garlic cloves. This bread is five-star quality in every way served with five-star condiments. I had to resist asking for a second basket.

For our appetizers, my fiancée had a really wonderful bowl of Lobster Bisque. The menu price was $8.00 (currently $9.00)-only one dollar more than the Coral Reef, and a double portion of what I was served there. It was loaded with lobster, beautifully presented with a float of cream & fresh herbs on top, and very delicious. The soup was a great color and very smooth.

I enjoyed the escargot with puff-pastry. I enjoy the presentation of the escargot here, because not baking the puff pastry with the snails allows for both items to be cooked perfectly. The escargots were hot, tender, earthy, garlicky and buttery. The crispy puff pastry “lid” was the ideal complement. My fiancée, for some reason, did not want an escargot to try. Maybe because they are snails?

We chose the same entrée-the Specialty of the House: 12oz. Aged New York Strip Steak with Brandy Peppercorn Cream Sauce and Potato Gratin. Wow, it was amazing. The steak was cooked spectacularly well. The suggested Penfolds Shiraz with its spicy notes matched the steak, sauce, and richness of the dish extremely well. I could have eaten a soup bowl of the sauce alone. The potatoes melted in our mouths. There was a lot of value in our entrée plates in terms of quality and quantity. Dear fiancée could not finish hers.

In addition we ordered a side of the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese with Reypanaer cheese. Reypanaer is a Dutch, aged, firm, Gouda-like cheese that retails for up to $22 a pound. I don’t know what Disney pays for it, but it is a worthy investment. This was creamy and delicious orrechiette (“little ear-shaped”-see, even a Mickey pun in the Italian name of the mac and cheese) pasta in cheese sauce topped with crispy fried onions with real pieces of black truffle scattered throughout. I will have to try this at home sometime. I liked it, but could only finish about half of it. The truffle flavor was not to my fiancée’s liking. I had to admit, the first time I tried truffle oil; I did not care for it. It has since grown on me. And when truffles and truffle oil are used deftly, in the right proportions, the results are magnificent. Too many people are heavy handed with the truffles. This was not the case at the Yachtsman Steakhouse. These people know how to cook.

Dessert was equally spectacular. To celebrate our engagement, we were brought a plate with homemade Turkish Delight and Salted Dark Chocolate Ganache candies with a silkscreen design. Both candies were of excellent quality.

We chose the Yachtsman Sundae with Amarena Cherries and Trio of Valrhona Chocolate -Peanut, Espresso and Salted Caramel. The cherry on top is, for some a great highlight of the Sundae. With the Yachtsman Sundae you get about eight or nine cherries. In the bowl are also three scoops of fantastic homemade gelato (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla on this night), toasted nuts and freshly whipped cream.

The Trio of Valrhona Chocolate had three smaller desserts made with different types of chocolate from Vahrhona (milk & dark, etc…) paired with another dessert element-peanut brittle crunch, espresso cream and salted caramel. It showed great skill and balance, and was easily one of my favorites for the week. The last impression was wonderful as well.


Yachtsman steakhouse is an ideal signature restaurant for those people who love their meat and potatoes. Yet foodies and wine people will be delighted with this restaurant as well. Manly men are comfortable here, and women will find the elegance of the white tablecloth service romantic. Quality comes with a price-either two table service credits plus alcohol, tax and 20% tip or about $100 a person cash in order to get what we got. One could dine for less there, but why would one want to? If you need a splurge during your vacation, this is my pick. It has something for everyone-even a vegetarian. There is a delicious looking gnocchi dish on the menu for the non-omnivorous.


Maybe it was the company, maybe it was “the moon”, but this was a magical dinner that was even better than my already fantastic experience dining at the Yacht Club Steakhouse. Like our Narcoosee’s experience, it was “Practically Perfect in Every Way”.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Great review of Yachtsman Steakhouse! Your meals look excellent, that peppercorn brandy sauce keeps catching my eye

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Thanks for the great reviews. Looking forward to the rest.

 

[Linda67]

Really enjoyed your Yachtsman review
We are going to be eating there for the first time in May and are both really looking forward to it

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thanks for the amazing update on Yatchmans', now I'm sorry we had to cancel it last month. I really wanted to go there and wanted the escargot

 

[ChefMickey123]

Really enjoyed your Yachtsman review
We are going to be eating there for the first time in May and are both really looking forward to it

Thanks for your compliment, and enjoy your meal.

Thanks for the amazing update on Yatchmans', now I'm sorry we had to cancel it last month. I really wanted to go there and wanted the escargot

I'm sorry you had to cancel. Just another excuse to return to WDW, though.