Tinkerbelll's 11 Day Free Dining Report 2007 (with F&WF pics!) COMPLETE!

[memomuffin]

Keep it coming!!

 

[MousekaMaddi]

yum

 

[LaDolce]

I think I'm drooling ...

 

[Tortuga Joy]

Thanks for taking the time to report; can't wait to hear more! Glad you had a good time too!

 

[minnie0121]

looove the pics, keep them coming!

 

[lisaj]

Thanks for the fantastic report and beautiful pictures.

 

[momofdbsdc]

yummmmyyyyy!

 

[Tinkerbelll]

Thank you for all the comments! I'll try and make it to F&WF pictures tonight. It didn't start until our 6th day there....

Day 4 (it already seems like so long ago )

Lunch was at Sunshine Season

My Meal: Sweet and Sour Chicken, Spicy Chicken, Rice, and Lo Mein.
My Dessert: Butterfinger Cheesecake
DBF's Meal: 1/2 a Rotisserie Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Rice Pilaf
DBF's Dessert: Key Lime Pie

This meal was great all around. It was really busy in there though, and very hard to even walk around with a tray of food let alone find a table. But once we did and started eating, we found out why. It was great for counter service! I like Chinese take-out back home on Long Island, and this was on par with that. DBF's chicken was good too. I was surprised by the mashed potatoes. I assumed they would be boxed, which I hate, but they didn't seem to be, or at least I couldn't tell that they were, so either way, they were good! The butterfinger cheesecake was better than I expected as well! Yum!

Total: $33.08

Dinner was at Chefs de France

I guess I should start off by saying that we had such high expectations of this place and were not impressed at all. All the food was good, but nothing really special. I don't know if they were having an off night, but the service was just plain bad and the food was bland.

Bread: Just a plain hard dinner roll with butter in foil packets that they brought out on a plate. This did not warrant a picture.

To make up for it, here is a picture of the atmosphere.

My Appetizer: Assiette de fromages de France: French Imported Cheese Plate
I liked this, but I realized at this meal that I just cannot eat that much cheese in one sitting. I took a few bites of each one and I was done. The cheese wasn't bad, but I wish they would have given crackers or something with it. Just eating 4 slices of cheese isn't really all that great, IMHO. Just a personal preference.

DBF's Appetizer: Tomate et fromage de chevre: Tomato and goat cheese flatbread
This was good, but a little deceiving. The actual flatbread that it is made with is hardly even bread. It's more like very flaky crust and while it looks huge, DBF ate the whole thing in 4 minutes. He said that it was so thin, it was almost like eating air! I've had many a flatbread in my day and this just wasn't the same. Not bad, just, again, not what we were expecting.

My Entree: Canard au miel, haricots vert et pommes de terre douce: Roasted breast of duck and leg confit, French green beans and sweet potato with spiced honey sauce.
The leg confit was my favorite part of the meal. It was very tender and juicy. The breast was much drier and less flavorful, but not bad. The sweet potatoes were also very light and yummy and the green beans tasted like they were from a bag and covered in butter.

DBF's Entree: Jarret d'agneau aux haricots blanc: Braised lamb shank with navy beans
He liked the meat. Thought it was above average, but again, nothing special. He's also not a very big bean person, but I am, and I thought the beans complimented the lamb nicely.

My Dessert: Crepe a la pomme et cannelle, glace vanille, caramel jus de pommes: Crepes filled with cinnamon apple, vanilla ice cream and apple caramel sauce
Mom makes better crepes, but it was OK. The ice cream was very good. I got coffee again here and it tasted instant.

DBF's Dessert: Assiette de Sorbets du jour et son palmier - Daily assortment of fresh sorbets served with an elephant ear
We thought these sorbets were fantastic. The elephant ear was a bit of a disappointment, but the sorbets were worth taking a trip to France.

Total: $96.38

All in all we didn't love Chefs. If we return to the France showcase to dine, we will probably try the Bistro. Otherwise, we'll stick with Le Cellier for meat in Epcot.

Next issss.... Pizzafari (again) and Jiko.

 

[wvgoofyfan]

Love your the details you provide!

Sorry you didn't enjoy Chefs but I only liked my French Onion Soup also. I too thought the vegtables were frozen and the bread pitiful....

Looking forward to more!

 

[Tinkerbelll]

Day 5 - 9/26

Lunch today was at Pizzafari.. again! With Tusker House closed, there really are no other good options at AK. We really do not like Flame Tree.

Meals: 2 Hot Italian Style Sandwiches with Chips (turkey, ham, Swiss and provolone cheese topped with Caesar salad and pesto marinated tomatoes) Actually, there are grapes on the tray as well. I asked for them instead of chips, but they gave us all three! Is that a "dream"?!?!
Desserts: One Lemon and One Strawberry Frozen Lemonade
These are GREAT as a dessert on a hot day. It is my very strong opinion that all counter service locations should offer some sort of frozen dessert. This is Florida, after all! Everything was yummy.

Total: $25.29

Snack: A Pretzel from Safari Pretzel. Yes, we wasted one of our precious Snack Credits that we were hoarding to use all at the F&WF on a stupid pretzel ... but we were hungry and this was HUGE! Great value.

Total (for those of you, like me, who like to add it all up at the end): $3.50

Dinner tonight was at Jiko

Let me start by saying that they seemed over crowded and understaffed so the service was seriously lacking. However, we don't necessarily blame our waitress because she seemed fairly new and very overwhelmed.

We did benefit from this, though, because she explained to us that on the DDP, we were entitled to a soup or salad as well as an appetizer, entree, and dessert! YAY! I don't know if this is really the case, but she was telling this to all her tables so we took advantage!

The Bread. This was very yummy. The butter that came with it had a little kick to it. I wish I knew what it was mixed with becasue it was very tasty. Unfortunately, our bread didn't come out until AFTER our appetizers, which all came out before our soup and salad ... but who needs organization and service when your in Africa?!?!

My Soup: Some sort of pumpkin soup with toasted pumpkin seeds and whipped cream.
Oh my gosh, this was absolutely divine! I could have made my whole meal out of this!

DBF's Salad: Cucumber, Tomato and Red Onion Salad - with arugula, cottage cheese and watermelon vinaigrette
He liked this. The watermelon vinaigrette was awesome. I don't know if I'd want it as a staple in my diet, but it was very different and I loved that!

My Appetizer: Taste of Africa - Kalamata Olive Hummus, Durban Tikka Masala, and Malay Spinach-Lentil Dip with Lentil Pappadam, whole wheat lavosh, and flaxseed Naan bread
Oh my gosh, I could not get enough of the Durban Tikka Masala (the red stuff). The Hummus and Lentil Dip were good, but that red stuff was out of this world. It was sweet and spicy, but just enough of both to make it perfect. The breads were good as well.

DBF's Appetizer: Kenyan Coffee Barbecued Chicken Flatbread - with grilled onions, apple julienne, and four cheeses
He really enjoyed this. (Much better than the flatbread wannabe at Chefs).

My Entree: Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon - with macaroni and cheese and red wine sauce
Ok, this was very good. Don't get me wrong. But I just didn't think it was FANTASTIC. I was beyond stuffed when this came out, which didn't help, but I just didn't think it was as wonderful as everyone says. I thought the filet was a good cut of meat, no better than any other filets I had on the trip, and the Mac and Cheese was just that...Mac and Cheese. (If you want some AMAZING Mac and Cheese, try Wolfgang Puck Express; I'll take just about anything ontop of a plate of that "food-crack"! INCREDIBLE!) I did enjoy it, I guess I just don't see what the big fuss is.

DBF's Entree: Chermoula Roasted, Tanglewood Chicken with red-skin mashed potatoes, preserved lemons, kalamata olives, roasted garlic, herbs and harissa
He wasn't being very adventourous again, so he did what we usually try not to do while dining out... he ordered something we can make at home. He wasn't all that impressed, but I like to think it might have something to do with the fact that I make a mean chicken at home . So it was good, but nothing over the top.

Now, by the time dessert rolled around, we were so full that we didn't even want to look at the menu. But, the server insisted and said that she would give them to us "to go." Anything to raise that 18% tip, huh? Hahaha... just kidding. She was very sweet ... when we saw her.. Alas, though, our pictures are from boxes and not how they would have been presented in the restaurant ... but here they are, anyway..

My Dessert: Pistachio Creme Brulee with layered chocolate bottom
This was so good 2 hours later, I am still kicking myself for not saving enough room in my tummy to fit it in fresh at the restaurant. I can't imagine how much more amazing this could have been!

DBF's Dessert: Some sort of Moussee with Fresh Strawberries
It was good. Nuff said.

Total: $145.90

All in all, I think I enjoyed Jiko a lot more than my DBF. He tried everything, and didn't complain about anything, but at the end of the day, he's still just Mr. Meat and Potatoes. Aside from the service, I really enjoyed this meal. I don't know if I would use 2 Table service credits again, though. It was no where near as amazing as Citricos, IMHO. I would probably just come back for a few appetizers and pay OOP.

 

[Tinkerbelll]

OK guys.. I am a big fat liar.... F&WF didn't start till the 7th day of our trip...But I'll make this day fast ... it was another "skip" day for table service to accommodate our 3 2 credit meals....

Lunch was at Happy Landings at Typhoon Lagoon

How, you ask?

Like THIS!

Oh yea.. vacation is awesome ... we split this.

Did we finish it, you ask?

I LOVE VACATION!!!!

Meal: Garbage Pail - Layered into a sand pail to be scooped out with a shovel. Chocolate and vanilla ice cream, waffle cone pieces, cookie pieces, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, hot fudge, strawberry sauce, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry

We paid OOP for this and worth every last bite

Dinner was at Wolfgang Puck Express

This is one of my FAVORITE places to eat at WDW. Every time it gets better and better. Since we are not big dessert lovers, we asked if we could substitute a side item for the dessert. The woman, who seemed like a manager, said she would allow it this evening, because they were totally packed and running low on desserts, but that they probably would not do it in the future. (Although we asked again at the end of our trip and they allowed us to do this again ).

My Meal: Roast Beef and Gorgonzola Cheese Pocket with homemade potato chips
It was so amazing. I am drooling right now.

My Side: Mixed Baby Greens Salad: Fresh seasonal greens with our sherry vinaigrette
I wish this had more veggies in it but that sherry vinaigrette dressing is SO addicting and the greens were so fresh ... much better than dessert, IMHO.

DBF's Meal: Pesto Chicken Sandwich: Pulled rotisserie chicken tossed with fresh basil, red onion and garlic pesto, mixed baby greens and tomatoes

DBF's Side: Four Cheese Macaroni: A creamy blend of four cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, fontina and gorgonzola) baked with macaroni

Both of these were fantastic, especially the cheese macaroni. OMG I cannot say enough about this stuff.... GO GET SOME! I don't care if you just get this, but do not leave WDW without trying it! If there were a food-crack, this would be it.

Total: $29.50

And that's all she wrote for day 6... next up: FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL!!!!

 

[AnninIowa]

Great job!! One of my favorite things is the sandwich at Pizzafari, actually - glad to see those pictures!!

 

[minnie0121]

can't wait for more! your reviews make me even more excited that I will be there on tuesday!!!!

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Great report so far! Thank you!

 

[MA pigletfan]

Great reviews/pictures..thank you for sharing

 

[Tinkerbelll]

Sorry for the delay.. Life got it's pesky hands in the way of my Disney Dreaming...

Day 7 - 9/28

That's right ... here it is.. Food and Wine Festival! We've been before, and this is the best year yet! I was a little upset that we overslept a bit and missed the opening ceremony.... But no worries! We just got right to the eating...We planned on making an entire loop first just to look but by the time we got to South Africa we were drooling...We used snack credits for everything unless otherwise noted, but the prices are still listed.



South Africa
-Durban Spiced Chicken on Skewer
Very tasty.

Total: $3.50

Turkey
-Manti - Spiced Beef Ravioli with Yogurt and Paprika Butter
I loved this. One of my favorites.

Total: $3.50

Italy
-Insalata Caprese Salad - Mozzarella Cheese with Cherry tomatoes and Basil Dressing
-Lasagna al Forno - Baked Spinach Pasta with Meat Ragu
The caprese was pretty standard but I was shocked by how big the portion of lasagna was! And it was DELICIOUS! I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Another favorite.

Total: $6.50

Morocco
-Kefta - Grilled Beef and Hummus in a Pita Pocket
Yummy.

Total: $3.75

Poland
-Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies
I expected the potato pierogies to be better. It was good, but not great. The kielbasa, however, was excellent.

Total: $3.75

That was it for F&WF today, because we had to go back to POP to get ready for MNSSHP! It was amazing, as always. Hallowishes is just breathtaking.

Dinner was at Pinocchio Village Haus. We split this because we were still full from touring the World ... I'm sure the candy we were snacking on all night as we were trick-or-treating had nothing to do with it .

Meal: Individual pepperoni pizza with tossed salad
Dessert: Vanilla Shake

Total: $14.88


We LOVED that we could get a shake as a dessert. It was dreadful in that heat that night, and our costumes didn't help! But the shake did the trick. The pizza was good, probably the same as Pizzafari, but it just tastes better there for some reason. And FYI - For those of you attending MNSSHP, Pinocchio Village Haus does not have the sandwiches available during this event. They do serve amazing turkey panini sandwiches here during regular hours, which we got later in the trip, but all they had during the party was pizza. They take the other signs down.

Annnnd we kept eating candy. Here's just some of what was left after the party. (I made DBF take the rest to work. There's no way I'm having 2 full bags of candy lying around the house while I'm suffering from Post Disney Depression... )

All in all a great day. Up next, more F&WF and Coral Reef!

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

Fun review! I love it!

 

[Camp Rd. Lady]

Great reviews. Keep them coming!

 

[lawyergirl]

OMG - subscribing!! What an AWESOME thread!! I loves me some food porn...

 

[MadiMouse]

Signing on. Great food porn.