Two old dinks do the signatures (pics). 12/1/10 BIGGIE V&A QVR 11 COURSES

[Poppinsme]

This was our 35th Anniversary trip. YAHOO!
Curses I got Bronchitis.
So many places we didn't get to eat at. I was so upset. No Earl's, no DITCH, no Paradiso 37. SUCKS.

BUT we still enjoyed enough to talk about for months.

Me I work in a very stressful job, health care, so couldn't wait to relax and eat some good food. Also we live in New Orleans so we live to eat. And I will try anything once. "Why be normal"?

DH loves to try anything also. And he is Abby Normal.

Where we went:

Citricos 11/29/2010
Jiko 11/30/2010
Victoria & Albert Queen Victoria Room 12/1/2010
Flying Fish (canceled)
Shula's Steakhouse 12/3/2010
Boma (canceled)
Garden View Lounge Tea 12/5/2010
Biergarten 12/6/2010
II Mulino (canceled)


Lounge food. We stayed Poly LVC. And Flame Tree in AK we ate at.
OK lets get started.
One more thing. We pay everything OOP. No dining plan.

 

[Belle5]

Wow! I can't wait to read your opinions on the restaurants! Sorry you got sick!

 

[athenna]

I'm in!
Sorry you got sick

 

[Poppinsme]

CITRICOS 11/29

WOW!!!!!
This IS one of the best places to eat on property. Really.
No kidding.
Let me tell ya about it.

Amuse-Bouche served with a toast of Champagne:

We had wine with every course.
Bread:

First Course. Escabeche Frutti di Mare. With a glass of Gewürztraminer, Trimbach, Alsace 07.

First course DH. Duck Confit. With a Glass of Newton Chardonnay, Sonoma and Napa 09.

OK this was incredible! We loved the first courses. Oh it was good. DHs Ravioli was stuffed with Duck and Mascarpone, Ricotta Cheese with Tomato-Basil water. I had Shrimp, Lump Crab, Black Grouper, Mussels, and Yellow Watermelon with Meyer Lemon Oil.

Soup and Salad Courses:

DH had Salad of Romaine Lettuce with a Glass of Jean-Luc Rhone 09.

I had the Pear and Endive Salad with a Glass of Albarino, Martin Codax, Rias Baixas 09.

WOW. Good.

Main Course:

I had the Berkshire Pork Two Ways with a Glass of Monastrell, Juan Gil, jumilla 08.

DH had the same thing.

This meal was really, really good and special. We had so much fun! The wait staff was excellent and the Chef came to visit us. They brought a dessert which I didn't take a pic of as it was a whipping cream thing we didn't touch.

The wine choices were perfect.
The Pork Two Ways was served as Rotisserie Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Berkshire Pork Belly with an Heirloom Apple-Polenta Cake, Swiss Chard and an Orange Blossom Mustard Drizzle.

 

[TigerKat]

Hi!!!!!!

I'm so sorry you got sick. Glad to see y'all enjoyed Citricos as much as we do!

 

[jeminni]

Great report

 

[MickeyNicki]

I am so sorry you were sick! That is such a bummer...we went last month and I felt like I was getting sick too....

Just read your Poly CL review...so glad you had a great time! We loved our stay there last year.

Cannot wait to read the rest of your reviews

 

[Poppinsme]

Hi!!!!!!

I'm so sorry you got sick. Glad to see y'all enjoyed Citricos as much as we do!

Hi TK long time no see. Isn't Citricos the bomb!

I am so sorry you were sick! That is such a bummer...we went last month and I felt like I was getting sick too....

Just read your Poly CL review...so glad you had a great time! We loved our stay there last year.

Cannot wait to read the rest of your reviews

I just love your reviews! Thanks for reading.

Great report

Thank you.

I'm in!
Sorry you got sick

Look what I missed. Oh well Welcome!

Wow! I can't wait to read your opinions on the restaurants! Sorry you got sick!

Why thank you.

 

[Poppinsme]

11/30/2010

We had a wonderful day! Fabulous!!!
One of our favorite parks is AK.

FLAME TREE BAR B QUE

I know we have seen many pics of Flame Tree.
We both love this joint. Everything was very good and tasty. No complaints.

 

[Poppinsme]

JIKO

We were a little concerned with this as we had read some not so good reviews.
Well fear not JIKO is still in our opinion just incredible!!!


BREAD:

The bread they serve is so good! We only tasted it and that was hard NOT to finish.

Alcoholic Beverages: Oh crap I cant remember. One was Victoria Falls, they were very good!

APPETIZERS:

DH had Tibs Watt in Pannekoeke and he said it was wonderful.

I had my favorite Taste of Africa. It was delicious!

SOUPS AND SALADS:

I had the wonderful and amazing Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. I don't like squash but decided to try it.
OMG I was hooked. Could have ate just this with my App and been happy.

DH had the Market Salad. He loved it and finished it rather quickly.

ENTRÉES:

DH had the Braised Beef Short Rib. He said it was cooked perfectly and was just delicious.

And I had the incredible Seared Barbarie Duck Breast.
WOW!!!

This was served with Potato and Spinach Masala, Chanterelles, Bruleed fig and Port Emulsion.

We were served with a incredible dining experience. The wait staff was excellent and the restaurant was clean and smelled divine. It was packed with people and many children. But everybody seemed to be having a great time.
We will be going back to JIKO oh yes!!!!

 

[Hootiss]

Vibrant reviews, looking forward to more.

 

[Linda67]

Hi there
Your reviews are wonderful
Sorry you got sick
We are going to be trying Jiko on our next trip and now I am even more excited!

 

[TigerKat]

Thanks for the great JIKO review. Y'all had two of the dishes I've been checking out on the menu, the Tibs Watt and the Barbarie Duck, they both look great.

 

[Poppinsme]

Vibrant reviews, looking forward to more.

Hi there
Your reviews are wonderful
Sorry you got sick
We are going to be trying Jiko on our next trip and now I am even more excited!

Thanks for the great JIKO review. Y'all had two of the dishes I've been checking out on the menu, the Tibs Watt and the Barbarie Duck, they both look great.

Thank you all.
Sorry I'm late with the next review.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

joining in. sorry you got sick and had to cancel a few places. We went Dec 3 and we got the stomach virus so we cancelled a few places too. We loved Citiricos (we ate there our last night and my husband and I had an amazing meal.) That shorts ribs at Jiko (I had that 2 years ago and it was amazing)...glad that Jiko is still good, I have been reading bad reviews from them lately.
Can't wait for more.

 

[Poppinsme]

AHHHH the big one.
Our 35th anniversary dinner.
VICTORIA & ALBERT'S
QUEEN VICTORIA ROOM.

It was one of the most incredible experiences we have ever had. And that is saying allot.

First the surroundings were beautiful and fragrant. We were greeted by Israel Pierez (Maitre d'Hotel) and taken to our table in the QVR area. It is very intimate and romantic. The tableware was beautiful and furnishings very comfortable. We had 2 Victoria's but I can only remember one of there names, sorry. Anita was a wonderful server and so was the other lady. We laughed and talked and just had a wonderful time with them. Every thing was explained to us in great detail. DH is hard of hearing and they especially made sure he understood everything.

So now be patient everybody as I try to remember everything. Lets go.

 

[Poppinsme]

AMUSE-BOUCHE

Soft-Poached Quail Egg with Galilee Caviar
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Smoked Salmon Panna Cotta
Buffalo Mozzarella with Jamon Iberico

Wine Pairing: Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut, Reims

This was perfect! Oh my it was so delicious.

This all started at 6:30 pm and boy did they get it right with the light serving and great wine. Be both flipped for the soup. On this trip I seem to have discovered various Squash soups. Well I'm hooked now.
Service was also excellent. We took our time and enjoyed it. No rush.

We both really liked the Quail Egg and Caviar. It was really good.
I liked the Salmon, yum. DH surprised me as he is not a big fish eater. He ate every bite of fish served and loved it! The wine was the perfect choice. Very good, dry and crisp.
What more can I say. Great start to the evening.

 

[Poppinsme]

GALILEE OSETRA CAVIER with TRADITIONAL GARNISHES

1OZ. SPLIT BETWEEN US.

Let me just say "I LOVE CAVIAR". Thank you.
DH shocked me by saying he wanted to try this!!
So Anita brought us a split order. Note: for those that don't know this is an extra and costs $180.00 an oz. And worth every penny.
Heaven!!
The caviar is served with blintzes, egg, sour cream with dill.
The spoon is made of bone. You don't want a metallic taste with your fish eggs.

I felt like I had been whisked to the Winter Palace and was dining with the Czar.

 

[Poppinsme]

AND NOW AN INTERLUDE.
WE HAD 3, YES 3, BREAD COURSES.

A PICTURE OF BREAD.

The bread we were served was sooooo good!
We nibbled on them all just to say we tried them.

 

[Poppinsme]

FIRST COURSE

Caviar Tin of Peeky Toe Crab with White Sturgeon Caviar and Petit Herbs

Wine Pairing: Michel Redde Sancerre "Les Tulieres", Loire 2007

They toasted the croûtons in front of us.

Another awesome course. And the wine pairing was so good. How cool that they cooked/toasted the croûtons in front of us. I forgot to add that we picked the oil and salt we wanted to have them cooked in. And the choices were many. Just delicious.
The table service was excellent and everything was cleared beautifully. And they used a crumb scraper.
Once again no rush.
It was so nice to hear the Harp throughout the room. Very soft.