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

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Great reviews and pics!

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

I am STILL Loving your report.

Its nice to read about an "adult only" trip around the world!

thanks for writing this review...

a new question...
Were portion sizes at most counter service places enough to share? We were thinking of doing this some, also. Especially at places like the Tangerine Cafe, PVH, Sunshine Seasons, etc... What do you think?

Ms. H

 

[TigerKat]

Love to read great reviews of Spoodles!

 

[Aurora borealis]

Great dining report so far! I can't wait to do the F&WF... Someday.... *sigh*

 

[Tinkerbelll]

Everyone, thanks SO MUCH for all the comments! I'm having so much fun writing this, it's going to be so sad when it's over!

it all sounds really good!!!

If you want to splurge some time... go for the king crab CLAWS at Fultons... a bit pricey, but you get a dozen at least and they are SO GOOD!!!

ITA! I adore Fultons but it's not on the DDP so I haven't been in a couple of years ... now that we live here, hopefully I can get back soon! I've never had just the claws though ... sounds delish!

Great reviews. You're making me so excited for F & W. Just a few more days to go!
I'm surprised you liked the offerings at the Italian booth, they always look bad to me and also being from NY I never like WDW Italian food. I will definitely have to give it a try this time!

Thanks! You'll have a blast at F&WF. As far as the Italian grub is concerned, the lasagna was, in fact, outstanding. The pizza too. But the fact that I was expecting Stouffer's or DiGiorno and got some decent food might have something to do with it. Don't be deceived though ... you won't find anything that rivals the Upper West Side or even some gems in Little Italy. Just don't set your expectations too high and you will be pleasantly surprised!

You are not a slacker at all! Great job with the dining report. Thanks for sharing.

Aww.. Thanks for the encouragement! I just thought I'd be done by now! Oh well ... tonight is the night!

I am STILL Loving your report.

Its nice to read about an "adult only" trip around the world!

thanks for writing this review...

a new question...
Were portion sizes at most counter service places enough to share? We were thinking of doing this some, also. Especially at places like the Tangerine Cafe, PVH, Sunshine Seasons, etc... What do you think?

Ms. H

Thanks! I love my adults only trips but I also can't wait until I start a family and have children to share it with! It will be a whole different experience, I'm sure. As far as the portions are concerned, we shared meals at a lot of counter service places. In addition, we found that when we didn't share, we never finished all of the food. It all depended on how hungry we were and what time dinner was. If we had a snack for breakfast and an early ADR for dinner, then we would share lunch. If we were rushed in the morning and starving by noon, we'd get our own. But in general, one meal seemed to satisfy both of us ... plus, you have to save room for Dole Whips and Mickey Bars! (Neither of which we got on this last trip, come to think of it. )

Great dining report so far! I can't wait to do the F&WF... Someday.... *sigh*

Thanks! Hope you get there soon! It really is such a unique experience. And that is such a beautiful pic in your siggie! Having a dog so close to you in your wedding dress ... that's admirable!

Cali Grill and Day 11 comming soon!

 

[Tinkerbelll]

Day 10 - Part 2

Dinner tonight, our last night, was at California Grill.

This was a bit of a last minute decision, and we only booked it the day before, so our ADR was at 9:40pm (the only time available). We decided to go early to grab a drink and watch Wishes and, I have to say, this was great! I highly recommend watching it at least once from this location. They pipe in the music and you have such a fantastic view! Also, you have the option of going outside onto the observation deck to watch as well, which is what we plan to do next time. You don't have to have a reservation to do this, either. You can just ask to go up for drinks or a snack or whatever. Anyway, we arrived at about 8:30 and the staff was fantastic. They said that they were fully booked and we would probably have to wait until our ADR time to be seated, but that we were more than welcome to get a drink and an appetizer and enjoy the fireworks. So, that's what we did! We were lucky enough to snatch up a table in the lounge area, and knowing that we would be waiting more than an hour, we ordered up some drinks and an appetizer to split.

The Before Dinner Appetizer - BLT Flatbread - with Heirloom Tomatoes, Nueske's bacon, provolone, crisp Romaine and lemon aioli
Easily the best flatbread I've ever had. It was so hot and fresh and just melted in my mouth. One of my favorite appetizers in WDW.

We really enjoyed our time before dinner to chat and reminisce about our trip and didn't even notice when 10 o'clock rolled around and our buzzer finally went off. We were seated at a table overlooking Bay Lake and it was incredible! We were fortunate and this turned out to be very romantic, but we did get seated quite late, and it was quiet. When we got there at 8:30 the place sounded like Chuck-E-Cheese! Citricos was much more intimate, IMHO ... but enough about that. Now, for the food...

My Appetizer: Double-Crunch Rainbow Roll - Cobia, Salmon, Tuna, Tempura Crunch, and Tobikko
Ok.. So CG offers any sushi under $20.00 as an appetizer. And remember how I said DBF doesn't like sushi? Well, he tried this, and now he is begging me to go back so he can get his own! I mean that is just how fantastic this was. The waiter told us that the sushi chef here is the #1 female sushi chef in the WORLD, and I don't mean Disney World! So ... it was mind-blowing, to say the least. If you want sushi in WDW, GO HERE!

DBF's Appetizer: Fresh Maine Lobster with Hearts of Palm, Avocado, Tomato, Crisp Serrano Ham, and Citrus Vinaigrette
He really liked this, as he loves lobster, but he was so blown away by the fact that he could not get enough of my sushi that he didn't make much of a fuss over it.

Entree: Oak-fired Filet of Beef with Crushed Red Potatoes with Nueske's Bacon, Green Beans, Teriyaki Barbecue Sauce
We both ordered the same entree here. We usually try not to do this, but it was our last night, and we were both just craving it. We both ordered it medium, and mine came out more medium than his, but both were divine. And here's a pic of both, just so you don't feel cheated .

My Dessert: Blueberry Bliss - blueberry cream pie, blueberry mascato soup and creme fraiche cheese cake
I am a blueberry fanatic and thought this was just heavenly. The "blueberry soup" was unlike anything I've ever had. It was almost like pie filling, but better. I might be drooling right now...

DBF's Dessert: Valrhona Chocolate and Coffee- Warm chocolate cake with molten center, house-made white coffee ice cream and cappuccino anglaise
This was excellent but, then again, anything with coffee is excellent to me. DBF, not a big coffee lover, liked it too.

I also got a cappuccino with dessert here, but didn't take a picture. It was lovely.

Total (not including the flatbread, which we paid for OOP): $166.69

If you want a meal where you are NOT rushed AT ALL, this is your place! We arrived at the restaurant at or around 8:30 and did not get the check until 11:58. Granted we were not seated until 10 or so, but this was more like an event than a dinner, which just made it all the more special and romantic. We still cannot really decide which meal we liked better, California Grill or Citricos. At the very least, we know that these were our two favorites (far superior to Jiko). I think we are leaning more toward Citricos, but it is just too close to be sure. I could not think of a better way to spend our last night together in the World.

Up next ... Our last day!!

 

[Tink rules]

CG looks wonderful!!!

Was the lobster on the menu or a special?

 

[Tinkerbelll]

CG looks wonderful!!!

Was the lobster on the menu or a special?

CG was exactly that... wonderful! And yes, the lobster was on the menu. However, I did notice that the menus I looked at online didn't list it. It must be new. We asked our server for a menu to take home, so that's how I knew exactly what it was. We asked for a lot of the menus to take home during our trip, and were never refused! There were a lot of changes on the menus that we looked at online before the trip, which makes me think that they change quite often... even just month to month.

 

[Tink rules]

That's great! I know that Deb tries to keep it up to date, but I think it's hard some times...you might want to send her a copy too...

Question... does it have anything about swordfish? i saw that on another report, but I can't find it online...

Thanks and GREAT TR!!!

 

[familyS]

Thanks for writing reviews woth pics! I wish we could attend the F&WF, sounds like a great time .

 

[TigerKat]

That is very impressive, #1 female sushi chef in the world!!! I can't wait to go back!

 

[The 'Mickster']

If that is a picture of you below (white top), I'd rather see more pictures of you than the food! Just kidding.

Ok.. DBF and I are back from 11 days of madness. I have so much food porn to post it is ridiculous so it will probably take me a few days or so to get it all up here. I can't wait to relive it all through pictures because that is the only thing that's going to keep me going for the next 22 days until I go back to the Food and Wine festival for a long 4 day weekend with Mom. So...let's get to it.

First, the cast.

Me - I love trying new foods and will try anything once. I am always watching my weight and have been at my goal weight for about a year, so vacation is extra special for me because I go all out. No holding back! Not a big dessert person, I prefer meat to fish, and LOVE learning about wine and how it is paired with food.

DBF - Just your regular meat and potatoes kind of guy, but with my help, he is slowly becoming a little more adventurous. He likes to learn about wines and taste them, but doesn't really like to drink them. So, he is usually the designated driver. Tall and skinny, but can eat almost twice his weight in food. Usually ends up cleaning his plate, and then cleaning mine.

DBF and I did a lot of sharing because I don't usually eat a lot in one sitting and this was just so much food. We also had a fridge in the room and brought leftovers back quite frequently. We still ended up throwing a lot of it away and never could have eaten everything. Not even close. It truly is way too much food. But we're not complaining...

Now, The places we ate:

Table Service
Citricos
Kona
Chefs de France
Jiko
Coral Reef
Spoodles
California Grill

Counter Service
Pizzafari
Pecos Bill's
Starring Rolls
Tangierine Cafe
Sunshine Season
Wolfgang Express (2x)
Pinocchio Village Haus
Boulangerie Patisserie
Casey's

And we ate and drank at every Kiosk at the Food and Wine Festival except for 4: Great Beers of the World (we're not big beer drinkers), Iced Teafusion, Oklahoma -Rose Rock Diner, and USA. We basically got one of everything that appealed to us and split it so that we could make it all the way around the World .. and we did it in 3 days! Those snack credits from the DDP really came in handy!

I'll post day 1 soon! Cheers!

 

[Tink rules]

You know... I don't know if I've ever thought about sushi before, but CG give me the idea to try it!!!

 

[Krissalee]

Love your reviews - great photos, description and reviews! Thanks so much for taking the time to share them with us. I am particularly enjoying them, as they are helping me get through the next 5 days of anticipation until DH and I get to the F&W Fest!

 

[honeybee30]

You know... I don't know if I've ever thought about sushi before, but CG give me the idea to try it!!!

I know what you mean. Sushi is one of those things that doesn't sound great to everyone, but once you try it - Wow - so good! Start off simple with a California roll and if you like it move on to the raw stuff. California Grill makes awesome sushi - some of the best I've ever had.

Love the reviews, Tinkerbell. I'll have to try the Double-Crunch Rainbow Roll next week! It looks amazing.

 

[MA pigletfan]

that double crunch roll looks amazing!!! i hope Yoshi is working the night we go there..i am a sushi fanatic!

 

[JoAnnPan]

Great report - thanks for taking the time to put it all together & share it!

 

[DinDin233]

great report! I've really been enjoying reading your reviews and taking a look at your pictures. You've given me some new options for CS restaurants so I thank you for that!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Tinkerbelll]

Thanks again to all of you for taking the time to respond...gives me motivation to get this over with already! I've been a little under the weather for the past few days, but I'm back to finish it off! (Plus, I'm going back to the World in 5 days so I need to finish this report so I can start another one when I get back! .

That's great! I know that Deb tries to keep it up to date, but I think it's hard some times...you might want to send her a copy too...

Question... does it have anything about swordfish? i saw that on another report, but I can't find it online...

Thanks and GREAT TR!!!

Nope, no swordfish on my menu. But that doesn't mean it wasn't there or won't be again!

If that is a picture of you below (white top), I'd rather see more pictures of you than the food! Just kidding.

Yes, that's me in the picture. And now.. this is me.

I know what you mean. Sushi is one of those things that doesn't sound great to everyone, but once you try it - Wow - so good! Start off simple with a California roll and if you like it move on to the raw stuff. California Grill makes awesome sushi - some of the best I've ever had.

Love the reviews, Tinkerbell. I'll have to try the Double-Crunch Rainbow Roll next week! It looks amazing.

Thanks and ITA about the sushi. California Rolls got me hooked! But beware! Sushi can be an expensive addiction! (As a side note, the best sushi I've ever had was at TAO restaurant in Vegas. It was perfection.)

And now the finale....

 

[Tinkerbelll]

Day 11

We were so full from 10 days in the World that we ended up splitting lunches today. We had an early lunch and a late lunch.

Early lunch was at Pinocchios Village Haus... again.
Meal: Grilled Turkey and Bacon Panini -- turkey, bacon, roasted bell peppers, tomato on multigrain bread served with fries
Dessert: Vanilla Shake
This was a great sandwich. And HUGE, as you can see. And the shake option for desert makes me so happy . One of the best CS options in MK, IMHO.

Total: $13.92


Late lunch was at Casey's Corner
Meal: Grand Slam All Beef 1/4 lb. Hot Dog with french fries
Dessert: Cracker Jacks
What is a trip to WDW without a Casey's dog? Great, as always, and I love their toppings bar! I don't normally eat hot dogs in real life, because they are so high in fat and sodium, so if I'm going to do it, I want to do it right! All the fixin's! I wish they offered something other than a prepackaged brownie or cracker jacks as a dessert, but being from LI, the whole hot dog and cracker jacks ordeal definitely brings me back to those summer afternoons at Shea Stadium ... right down to the brown tray they serve everything on! Lots of fun and very yummy.

Total: $9.77

Dinner tonight was at Wolfgang Puck Express
They allowed us to substitute a side item for a dessert again here! It never hurts to ask! We also got this "to go" because they were about to close as we walked in and didn't want to get in the way of them cleaning and going home. So, we just plopped down at a random table in a very solemn and quiet DTD as it was winding down for the evening. A great way to end the trip.


My Meal: Roast Beef and Gorgonzola Cheese Pocket with homemade potato chips
This was so fantastic the first time, I had to get it again. And it did not disappoint. Mouthwatering.

My Side: Side Caesar Salad
I enjoyed this more than the mixed green side salad. Puck's Caesar dressing is wonderful.

DBF's Meal: Pesto Chicken - Pulled rotisserie chicken tossed with basil, red onion, and garlic pesto, mixed baby greens, and tomato
I don't know if we are just creatures of habit, or if these sandwiches just blew us away earlier in the trip, but DBF got the same thing that he did the first time as well. And savored every single bite ... again.

DBF's Side: Four Cheese Macaroni - A creamy blend of four cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, Fontina and gorgonzola baked with macaroni)
More food crack. I could live off of this stuff.

Total: $30.57

And I leave you with a picture of my DIS window, right before we took everything down.

And that's it! Thanks for letting me share with you.

Drumroll please.....

2 people, 20 Snack Credits, 20 Counter Service Credits, 20 Table Service Credits... 11 Days of food = $1,222.11



In My Opinion:

- Citrico's and California Grill were far superior to Jiko. We had a fantastic meal at Jiko, but felt that the first two were truly signature dining experiences.
- Counter Service meals are getting better and better all over WDW. Do not pass up Wolfgang Puck Express, as this is the best CS on property, hands down. Try to skip the burgers. These aren't that good anywhere on property and there are so many different choices if you take the time to stake them out. (Plus personally, if I'm gonna waste calories on a burger, it's gonna be McDonalds. No matter how nasty it is, they make a darn good burger. I still get that craving every once in a while ) As for the parks, Tangerine Cafe in Morocco in Epcot gets my vote as the best.
- We skipped Earl of Sandwich in DTD this time because we get it a lot when we are in Orlando for day trips, but we love this place. Great sandwiches, cheap prices.
- F&WF is not to be missed. Make sure you give yourself enough time to enjoy everything you want to enjoy. No matter how much planning you do, you'll always find some seminar or demonstration that wasn't in the plan to stop and watch. Plan more time than you think you will need so you are not rushed. Plus, the lines at the Kiosks can get pretty long, especially at night and on weekends. So plan for that, too.

Can't wait to read some of your reports when you return from your trips! Any questions, feel free to ask!