ChrissyBeth29
JustGoofinAround
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2010
- Messages
- 371
I LOVE your reviews. I am sad, strangely, seeing that they are almost over! Thanks for sharing!
Two parents, one tween, and SO much good food!
- Thread starter bleeps
- Start date
vinotinto
Just Keep Swimming
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 7,012
I've always enjoyed your reviews and this is no exception. All your pics look absolutely yummy!
I just booked today 2 DxDP trips. The first one is in 3 months, and since we're staying at AKL, and only visiting parks on 2 days, I'm having a hard time deciding where to eat. For Signatures, I booked Jiko, Citricos and Cali Grill. I know you're not a big fan of Citricos, so if you were to switch my Citricos for something else, what would you recommend? Also, any recommendations for places inside MK?
I'm looking forward to the rest of your reviews!
I just booked today 2 DxDP trips. The first one is in 3 months, and since we're staying at AKL, and only visiting parks on 2 days, I'm having a hard time deciding where to eat. For Signatures, I booked Jiko, Citricos and Cali Grill. I know you're not a big fan of Citricos, so if you were to switch my Citricos for something else, what would you recommend? Also, any recommendations for places inside MK?
I'm looking forward to the rest of your reviews!
bleeps
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2003
- Messages
- 2,265
Hi there!
What I'd do if I were you is look at where you'll be on that day (for the Signature dinner) and make the most convenient choice -- for me, especially on a short trip, that would be a huge factor. If you'll be in DHS I would definitely feel comfortable recommending Brown Derby. If you'll be at Epcot, I'd go with Yachtsmans Steakhouse at YC -- I haven't gotten to that review yet but we had a stellar experience there.
The other thing I'll say is that indeed, while our Citrico's experience wasn't great first time around, I'm always willing to give a place another try. I've read other reviews from people who have raved about it, so it's entirely possible we just had an off-night.
As far as food inside MK:
Boy, I am SO looking forward to the completion of the Fantasy Land expansion and the new food options it will bring! If you've got TS credits to use, I'd go with Crystal Palace (we've been very impressed with the quality of the buffet even though we don't usually go for buffet places (except for breakfasts)) or Tony's. I'd say CP has the edge because for us, since we wouldn't be worried about catching all the characters, it would give us the greatest flexibility for getting in and out. If you're looking for CS, we think Columbia Harbor House is the way to go.
Hope that helps, and I'm so glad you're enjoying the reviews!!
bleeps
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2003
- Messages
- 2,265
San Angel
Viva la Mexico!
Our family's one wish about the Mexico pavilion would be that the Gran Fiesta Tour attraction was more respectful of Mexico's culture and history. It seems as though an opportunity was wasted -- especially since it was overhauled recently! -- to give a real sense of the incredible story and heritage of the Mexican people.
We also don't get why San Angel has gotten such a bad rap over the years.
This is another location that, we feel, really restores you because of the dark atmosphere. It's definitely more hectic than Coral Reef, but we've never been bothered by the bustle of this place. (We've also never been seated in the *neverland* area over by the restrooms, which I can imagine might leave you less than delighted with your experience.) Oh, and we've never had anything but lovely service here.
We have a couple of wonderful Mexican restaurants in our area, and the food they serve is very much like the offerings at San Angel. We don't have Tex-Mex places around here (at least that I know of!), and there do seem to be debates that crop up here on the Dis about whether the people who aren't wild about San Angel are actually comparing it to Tex-Mex food. So I appreciate that people may have different perspectives, but we don't have any complaints about the menu here!
I passed on having an appetizer, primarily because I'm a "put a basket of chips in front me and they are gone!" kind of gal, and all the meals we'd had so far on trip were leaving me without much opportunity to ever feel hungry.
Ken ordered the Tostados de Jaiba -- corn tortilla rounds topped with crab meat and a little spicy mayo mix. He loved these, and the one I tried (well, it WAS on a chip, after all!) was quite good. If I'd been hungrier I definitely would have gone for my own order of these.
Dean went for the Sopa Azteca -- tortilla soup with avocado, cheese, and pepper. He found it a *little* spicy but did an admirable job on it. He liked the tortilla strips and the avocado, especially.
Dean and I both had the Enchiladas Verdes de Pollo -- chicken enchiladas with a green tomatillo sauce. Tomatillos are a small green relative of the tomato; they are mild, but they have a more dense texture and smaller seeds than tomatoes. This dish was fantastic -- not spicy at all, not too rich, and really well filled with tender chicken.
Ken had the Pollo A Las Rajas -- grilled chicken breast served on top of peppers and onions in a creamy cheese sauce. He liked the fact that the cream sauce mixture was on the side so that he could control how much he added to the bites of chicken as he went, and he's not a big bean fan so he was very happy with the rice.
Dean and Ken are huge flan fans, so they were delighted to be able to order it for their dessert. It's a vanilla custard with caramel sauce (flan can come in different flavors) that's served cold. They both gave this version their seal of approval.
I went with the white chocolate mousse with fruit. The kind of odd problem I had with this was that I guess because of the presentation and possibly also because I was tired, I kept expecting it to be really cold, like ice cream, but it was closer to room temperature. The fruit was fabulous but I didn't get too far on the mousse -- not that it wasn't good, but I was pretty full and I kept expecting it to be cold and then being disappointed that it wasn't.
Food total was about $97. Someday I'd love to have a margarita here or in the new tequilla bar they opened in the pavilion, but I just can't do that kind of drinking (even one!) in the middle of the day....
Value: A -- I think the preparations, options, and quantity of food offer real value here.
Atmosphere: A
Service: A+ (I so appreciated the CMs encouragement of Dean in using his 7th grade Spanish to order and ask for things along the way!!)
Food: A
Viva la Mexico!
Our family's one wish about the Mexico pavilion would be that the Gran Fiesta Tour attraction was more respectful of Mexico's culture and history. It seems as though an opportunity was wasted -- especially since it was overhauled recently! -- to give a real sense of the incredible story and heritage of the Mexican people.
We also don't get why San Angel has gotten such a bad rap over the years.
This is another location that, we feel, really restores you because of the dark atmosphere. It's definitely more hectic than Coral Reef, but we've never been bothered by the bustle of this place. (We've also never been seated in the *neverland* area over by the restrooms, which I can imagine might leave you less than delighted with your experience.) Oh, and we've never had anything but lovely service here.
We have a couple of wonderful Mexican restaurants in our area, and the food they serve is very much like the offerings at San Angel. We don't have Tex-Mex places around here (at least that I know of!), and there do seem to be debates that crop up here on the Dis about whether the people who aren't wild about San Angel are actually comparing it to Tex-Mex food. So I appreciate that people may have different perspectives, but we don't have any complaints about the menu here!
I passed on having an appetizer, primarily because I'm a "put a basket of chips in front me and they are gone!" kind of gal, and all the meals we'd had so far on trip were leaving me without much opportunity to ever feel hungry.
Ken ordered the Tostados de Jaiba -- corn tortilla rounds topped with crab meat and a little spicy mayo mix. He loved these, and the one I tried (well, it WAS on a chip, after all!) was quite good. If I'd been hungrier I definitely would have gone for my own order of these.
Dean went for the Sopa Azteca -- tortilla soup with avocado, cheese, and pepper. He found it a *little* spicy but did an admirable job on it. He liked the tortilla strips and the avocado, especially.
Dean and I both had the Enchiladas Verdes de Pollo -- chicken enchiladas with a green tomatillo sauce. Tomatillos are a small green relative of the tomato; they are mild, but they have a more dense texture and smaller seeds than tomatoes. This dish was fantastic -- not spicy at all, not too rich, and really well filled with tender chicken.
Ken had the Pollo A Las Rajas -- grilled chicken breast served on top of peppers and onions in a creamy cheese sauce. He liked the fact that the cream sauce mixture was on the side so that he could control how much he added to the bites of chicken as he went, and he's not a big bean fan so he was very happy with the rice.
Dean and Ken are huge flan fans, so they were delighted to be able to order it for their dessert. It's a vanilla custard with caramel sauce (flan can come in different flavors) that's served cold. They both gave this version their seal of approval.
I went with the white chocolate mousse with fruit. The kind of odd problem I had with this was that I guess because of the presentation and possibly also because I was tired, I kept expecting it to be really cold, like ice cream, but it was closer to room temperature. The fruit was fabulous but I didn't get too far on the mousse -- not that it wasn't good, but I was pretty full and I kept expecting it to be cold and then being disappointed that it wasn't.
Food total was about $97. Someday I'd love to have a margarita here or in the new tequilla bar they opened in the pavilion, but I just can't do that kind of drinking (even one!) in the middle of the day....
Value: A -- I think the preparations, options, and quantity of food offer real value here.
Atmosphere: A
Service: A+ (I so appreciated the CMs encouragement of Dean in using his 7th grade Spanish to order and ask for things along the way!!)
Food: A
kelleigh1
<font color=purple>Disney Baby<br><font color=gree
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2005
- Messages
- 7,693
(Another neighbor here. I'm reading these reviews from my office in Boston...shh, don't tell anyone.)
I have got to come back to these when I am home, but so many great reviews of so many of the places that I am considering for our next trip. I have to come back to take notes and to make some individual comments about things.
I have got to come back to these when I am home, but so many great reviews of so many of the places that I am considering for our next trip. I have to come back to take notes and to make some individual comments about things.
bleeps
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2003
- Messages
- 2,265
Lovely! I'd be happy to answer any specific questions if you have them!
bleeps
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2003
- Messages
- 2,265
Yachtsman Steakhouse
Before I begin, another big thanks to everyone who's left such kind feedback! I never know if I should respond individually to everyone or if that just makes it harder for others to read through to get to the reviews so I'm doing a mix of individual and general responses -- but it really is your encouragement that makes doing these worthwhile and I thank you!
It is our last-night tradition to have dinner at Yachtsman's. We like to stay at YC/BC, so it's nice to have a little bit of a later dinner so that we can do a preliminary packing up before dinner then enjoy our meal and just go back to the room and finish up any last-minute packing so that we're ready to go in the morning. It also helps us to get to bed at a reasonable hour and not be tempted by "just one more" of something in the parks. Ken also likes to take this opportunity to have more than one glass of wine with the meal.
Growing up, my parents liked going out to French restaurants -- I think that was pretty much the standard cuisine for fine dining back in the 60's and 70's. We don't get to many French restaurants these days, so I really pounce on the chance to have escargot whenever I see them on a menu. Snails aren't everyone's cup of tea, but gosh do I love them! (If you're a clam/oyster/squid fan, you should definitely give snails a try! They are more dense than those sea creatures, but in that general neighborhood of texture and experience.) Rich, buttery, garlicky and just so deep down delicious.... Ken and Dean always decline my offer to give them a taste, and I'm kind of glad because that just leaves more for me! This is an incredibly generous portion and the puff pastry "hat" on the side is a nice accompaniment.
Dean went with the cheese plate. You can see that he pounced before the photo was taken! He loved these, and he appreciated that the CM told him to be free with the little toasts because he'd happily bring him more. Dean likes this style of plate that's mostly about the cheese and less about the little extra items.
Ken was thrilled to find one more tomato salad! It had appeared that the tomato season had passed him by but here was one last one with his name on it. No cheese with this one, just ripe juicy tomatoes with a careful drizzling of dressing.
Last year when we came here, we went a little wild and ordered a side of the truffle mac and cheese. As I recall, we'd been in the mindset of the steakhouses around home where what you get on your plate is the STEAK, and you have to order sides separately (not the case at Yachtsman's -- they come with potatoes and a little veg). Anyway, Ken and Dean both felt that we needed to have it again because it was so good last time.... But not so great this go-around. As you can see, the dish is kind of runny and oily, and there really isn't much to see in the truffle department. It does seem that they changed their recipe -- last time these were ooey-gooey with melted cheese, not greasy, and with discernible truffle shavings. It wasn't that we needed the extra food, but these weren't what we'd expected them to be so that frees us up to pass on them next time.
But no one is standing in the way of me and my filet! Oh. Yes. Cooked perfectly (I'm medium/rare and err on the rare side, Ken's medium/well), rich velvety wine sauce, gorgeous potatoes. Heaven on a plate. Ken and I both loved these. I couldn't finish as much as I would have liked to -- that's the only drawback to saving this meal for the last night because I'm just not all that hungry by this point. But this was a steak that deserved to be finished....
Dean went with the sturgeon. A beautiful piece of fish -- dense, rich, flavorful, perfectly cooked. The CM was a little surprised when Dean ordered this and asked him a few questions about how much fish he'd had and what kinds of fish he usually liked; I appreciated the tone which was wanting to make sure that the 12-year-old was really going to be happy, without being condescending. The CM came back specifically to see how Dean was doing and seemed genuinely pleased at how happy Dean was with his dish. In fact, Dean pronounced it his new favorite fish and has been disappointed ever since that we've yet to find it in a local fish market.
And because it WAS our last night and all, we ordered desserts that we didn't need:
Trio of Valrhona Chocolate - Salted Caramel, Espresso, and Peanut. I pretty much ate them all (well, definitely with tastes to the guys) -- I LOVE the chocolate and salted caramel combo!
Ken and Dean went brulee, happily.
Food total would have been about $195.
Value: A Here I am basing my assessment on what fine steakhouses charge and deliver; I do feel this place stands in with places such as Shula's and Morton's. I think that the difference in overall atmosphere might put YS at a disadvantage -- dark, somber, elegant rooms filled with well-dressed adults vs. WDW vacationers does have an impact on how you perceive the experience, but I think the food is right up there (and I actually welcome the lack of pretension -- gotta say I hate the whole menu on a football thing at Shula's!)
Atmosphere: B-/C+ Another case where the location of your table makes a big difference. It's much nicer to be down near the windows; we were in a side room (to the right as you enter the main dining room) and it did kind of feel as though we were being seated in the kid's section -- nothing special about the space itself and it's cut off from the rest of the room (could be a blessing, I suppose...).
Service: A+ The signature restaurants *generally* seem to have pretty professional staffs -- people who are working at their chosen profession. Our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, professional, good with the wine list, and VERY kind to Dean (and had lovely things to say to me about Dean when he and Ken were in the men's room) -- and that definitely counts for something.
Food: A If they hadn't tampered with that mac and cheese, it would have been A+
Before I begin, another big thanks to everyone who's left such kind feedback! I never know if I should respond individually to everyone or if that just makes it harder for others to read through to get to the reviews so I'm doing a mix of individual and general responses -- but it really is your encouragement that makes doing these worthwhile and I thank you!
It is our last-night tradition to have dinner at Yachtsman's. We like to stay at YC/BC, so it's nice to have a little bit of a later dinner so that we can do a preliminary packing up before dinner then enjoy our meal and just go back to the room and finish up any last-minute packing so that we're ready to go in the morning. It also helps us to get to bed at a reasonable hour and not be tempted by "just one more" of something in the parks. Ken also likes to take this opportunity to have more than one glass of wine with the meal.
Growing up, my parents liked going out to French restaurants -- I think that was pretty much the standard cuisine for fine dining back in the 60's and 70's. We don't get to many French restaurants these days, so I really pounce on the chance to have escargot whenever I see them on a menu. Snails aren't everyone's cup of tea, but gosh do I love them! (If you're a clam/oyster/squid fan, you should definitely give snails a try! They are more dense than those sea creatures, but in that general neighborhood of texture and experience.) Rich, buttery, garlicky and just so deep down delicious.... Ken and Dean always decline my offer to give them a taste, and I'm kind of glad because that just leaves more for me! This is an incredibly generous portion and the puff pastry "hat" on the side is a nice accompaniment.
Dean went with the cheese plate. You can see that he pounced before the photo was taken! He loved these, and he appreciated that the CM told him to be free with the little toasts because he'd happily bring him more. Dean likes this style of plate that's mostly about the cheese and less about the little extra items.
Ken was thrilled to find one more tomato salad! It had appeared that the tomato season had passed him by but here was one last one with his name on it. No cheese with this one, just ripe juicy tomatoes with a careful drizzling of dressing.
Last year when we came here, we went a little wild and ordered a side of the truffle mac and cheese. As I recall, we'd been in the mindset of the steakhouses around home where what you get on your plate is the STEAK, and you have to order sides separately (not the case at Yachtsman's -- they come with potatoes and a little veg). Anyway, Ken and Dean both felt that we needed to have it again because it was so good last time.... But not so great this go-around. As you can see, the dish is kind of runny and oily, and there really isn't much to see in the truffle department. It does seem that they changed their recipe -- last time these were ooey-gooey with melted cheese, not greasy, and with discernible truffle shavings. It wasn't that we needed the extra food, but these weren't what we'd expected them to be so that frees us up to pass on them next time.
But no one is standing in the way of me and my filet! Oh. Yes. Cooked perfectly (I'm medium/rare and err on the rare side, Ken's medium/well), rich velvety wine sauce, gorgeous potatoes. Heaven on a plate. Ken and I both loved these. I couldn't finish as much as I would have liked to -- that's the only drawback to saving this meal for the last night because I'm just not all that hungry by this point. But this was a steak that deserved to be finished....
Dean went with the sturgeon. A beautiful piece of fish -- dense, rich, flavorful, perfectly cooked. The CM was a little surprised when Dean ordered this and asked him a few questions about how much fish he'd had and what kinds of fish he usually liked; I appreciated the tone which was wanting to make sure that the 12-year-old was really going to be happy, without being condescending. The CM came back specifically to see how Dean was doing and seemed genuinely pleased at how happy Dean was with his dish. In fact, Dean pronounced it his new favorite fish and has been disappointed ever since that we've yet to find it in a local fish market.
And because it WAS our last night and all, we ordered desserts that we didn't need:
Trio of Valrhona Chocolate - Salted Caramel, Espresso, and Peanut. I pretty much ate them all (well, definitely with tastes to the guys) -- I LOVE the chocolate and salted caramel combo!
Ken and Dean went brulee, happily.
Food total would have been about $195.
Value: A Here I am basing my assessment on what fine steakhouses charge and deliver; I do feel this place stands in with places such as Shula's and Morton's. I think that the difference in overall atmosphere might put YS at a disadvantage -- dark, somber, elegant rooms filled with well-dressed adults vs. WDW vacationers does have an impact on how you perceive the experience, but I think the food is right up there (and I actually welcome the lack of pretension -- gotta say I hate the whole menu on a football thing at Shula's!)
Atmosphere: B-/C+ Another case where the location of your table makes a big difference. It's much nicer to be down near the windows; we were in a side room (to the right as you enter the main dining room) and it did kind of feel as though we were being seated in the kid's section -- nothing special about the space itself and it's cut off from the rest of the room (could be a blessing, I suppose...).
Service: A+ The signature restaurants *generally* seem to have pretty professional staffs -- people who are working at their chosen profession. Our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, professional, good with the wine list, and VERY kind to Dean (and had lovely things to say to me about Dean when he and Ken were in the men's room) -- and that definitely counts for something.
Food: A If they hadn't tampered with that mac and cheese, it would have been A+
MAJ RN
Mom to Tyler and Alex!
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2003
- Messages
- 408
Thank you so much for posting your reviews!! I have ressies at every place, with the exception of The Wave, for our upcoming trip. Your son Dean reminds me of my sons, they love different foods. My boys read your reviews with me and are already drooling over what they plan to order!! Thanks again.
Melissa
Melissa
bleeps
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2003
- Messages
- 2,265
Min and Bill's Dockside Diner
I almost forgot about this one -- we had a CS lunch at DHS mid-week. The CMs behind the counter seemed a little overwhelmed; I think one of the drink machines or something was malfunctioning and it was the lunch-rush time.
With dining plan credits, lunch included chips, drinks, main items, and dessert. Dean ordered a decaf iced coffee and I ordered regular iced coffee. I was very impressed by the CM who realized, after pouring the drinks, that he hadn't made one decaf and he went back to do it over again; frankly, I think that given the challenges they were having behind the counter and all it wouldn't have surprised me if, even if he'd realized the mistake, he'd just kept going anyway.
We've noticed at CS places on the deluxe plan that the CMs seem to be trained to insist that you take everything on your tray that you're entitled to. We tried to pass on ordering dessert items but the CM said that the chocolate chip cookies were great and we should have them and just save them for later. I think they are trying to avoid having guests pass on items and then try to come back later to ask for them.
Anyway, with all the commotion, he ended up forgetting to put the cookies on the tray and we didn't say anything. We ordered:
One chicken caesar sandwich for me. I wasn't very hungry and I was looking for the lightest item on the menu so personally I wasn't disappointed that there was barely any chicken in this sandwich. I liked the wrap-around roll because it made it very easy and neat to eat. I don't know if mine was just a dud or if they normally skimp on the chicken -- but the dressing was good and I did enjoy this.
Ken and Dean went for the sausage sandwiches, and they both enjoyed these. The sausage was totally mild and nicely cooked.
While we were eating at one of the tables in the area, our CM from the counter comes running over to us -- with the chocolate chip cookies! Again, I was so impressed; I was amazed that he realized his error and went to the trouble to come out to try to find us AND that he did find us. (Having worked at places like movie theaters when I was that age, I can say that everyone starts to kind of look alike after a while. I couldn't believe he actually remembered us and went to the effort to find us.)
We did save those cookies and they were pretty darned good -- bakery-style, fresh cookies, not pre-packaged little things.
Cost would have been about $35
Value: C -- CS food can really add up quickly; this is where I think you can really feel the cost of eating in a theme park.
Atmosphere: B -- they could have used more seating in the area, and more seating with umbrellas for shade (isn't that the case just about everywhere in WDW?), but it was lovely to sit in view of the Big Hat and watch the people go by.
Service: A
Food: B-
I almost forgot about this one -- we had a CS lunch at DHS mid-week. The CMs behind the counter seemed a little overwhelmed; I think one of the drink machines or something was malfunctioning and it was the lunch-rush time.
With dining plan credits, lunch included chips, drinks, main items, and dessert. Dean ordered a decaf iced coffee and I ordered regular iced coffee. I was very impressed by the CM who realized, after pouring the drinks, that he hadn't made one decaf and he went back to do it over again; frankly, I think that given the challenges they were having behind the counter and all it wouldn't have surprised me if, even if he'd realized the mistake, he'd just kept going anyway.
We've noticed at CS places on the deluxe plan that the CMs seem to be trained to insist that you take everything on your tray that you're entitled to. We tried to pass on ordering dessert items but the CM said that the chocolate chip cookies were great and we should have them and just save them for later. I think they are trying to avoid having guests pass on items and then try to come back later to ask for them.
Anyway, with all the commotion, he ended up forgetting to put the cookies on the tray and we didn't say anything. We ordered:
One chicken caesar sandwich for me. I wasn't very hungry and I was looking for the lightest item on the menu so personally I wasn't disappointed that there was barely any chicken in this sandwich. I liked the wrap-around roll because it made it very easy and neat to eat. I don't know if mine was just a dud or if they normally skimp on the chicken -- but the dressing was good and I did enjoy this.
Ken and Dean went for the sausage sandwiches, and they both enjoyed these. The sausage was totally mild and nicely cooked.
While we were eating at one of the tables in the area, our CM from the counter comes running over to us -- with the chocolate chip cookies! Again, I was so impressed; I was amazed that he realized his error and went to the trouble to come out to try to find us AND that he did find us. (Having worked at places like movie theaters when I was that age, I can say that everyone starts to kind of look alike after a while. I couldn't believe he actually remembered us and went to the effort to find us.)
We did save those cookies and they were pretty darned good -- bakery-style, fresh cookies, not pre-packaged little things.
Cost would have been about $35
Value: C -- CS food can really add up quickly; this is where I think you can really feel the cost of eating in a theme park.
Atmosphere: B -- they could have used more seating in the area, and more seating with umbrellas for shade (isn't that the case just about everywhere in WDW?), but it was lovely to sit in view of the Big Hat and watch the people go by.
Service: A
Food: B-
Linda67
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2009
- Messages
- 5,840
Wow, I have just caught up with your wonderful reviews 
Your descritptions and photos are great, really detailed and I've so enjoyed reading them
I am now trying to work out how to fit a lunch at Yak & Yeti into my plans as this review particularly stood out to me
Your descritptions and photos are great, really detailed and I've so enjoyed reading them
I am now trying to work out how to fit a lunch at Yak & Yeti into my plans as this review particularly stood out to me
auntfrannie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2001
- Messages
- 2,256
Great reviews! I'm always sad to see reviews come to an end. It must be time for you to schedule another trip! 
Tiggerella
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2009
- Messages
- 104
The Wave
We picked this for our dinner before our MVMCP night. I was a little stressed at the rate at which people were pouring into the MK at about 4; our ADR was for 5 and we took the bus to MK and then walked over to get the monorail to the Contemporary. I was tempted to blow off the reservation and grab counter service, but Ken and Dean had their hearts set on The Wave.
(Note: we went to the 2nd MVMCP of the season on 11/11 and were surprised by how crowded it was. We do like the special parties, though, and totally loved the ice lights on the castle and the holiday fireworks! Ken and Dean were right to talk me out of throwing our dinner plans to the wind, though -- we were able to do everything we wanted at the party and we probably would have ended up being cranky with a crowded CS meal.)
We were there for dinner service opening and had to wait a few minutes for the table. Not bad at all, it was just interesting to be in with the Contemp crowd, which always includes a lot of business people there for conventions. Aside from the siren call of the restaurants there, we really like the assortment of shops in the Contemp -- somehow they get a better selection of things....
Ken and I started with the avocado and citrus salad. This was probably my favorite salad of the trip!
Dean went with the chicken and wild rice soup, which was served with an adorable little cornbread muffin. He did a good job on it which was a relief to me because I wasn't sure how he'd like the wild rice (something Ken's not a fan of so I don't make it at home).
Ken and Dean both ordered the sea bass, served with edamame (shelled young soy beans -- they look like lima beans) "stew." A big hit with both of them -- sea bass was flaky and well seasoned, and we all love edamame.
I had the oven roasted chicken served with a potato waffle. This was amazing -- chicken was nice a crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside, and I LOVED the potato waffle! It was served with a side of maple syrup and even though the bean and rice mixture doesn't look that great in the picture, it was wonderful (I love beans and rice).
For dessert we shared the American Flavors sampler, which included these six little morsels of goodness.
Food total ran about $123.
Value: B
Atmosphere: C -- I don't know why I was so certain that this would have a primarily blue, underwater feel to it (I dunno, maybe the name?), but it's all deep browns, golds, and earth tones. It just didn't fit, IMHO, with the name, even though I get the point about the wave of flavors thing.
Service: A -- We said up front that we wanted to enjoy but not linger over our meal and the CM did a great job keeping things moving for us.
Food: A -- We'll definitely go back.
really enjoying this present and your past reviews !
I had a question about the fish dish at the Wave shown above. We will be dining here in August and this dish kinda appealed to me. I, however, have never had edamame. You mention it looks like lima beans. Is that what it tastes like as well? Hope not as I am not a fan of the lima bean! Thanks.
cherjp
I am a disney nutter! Every time I reply
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- Sep 21, 2005
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Thank you for taking the time again, to post your reviews. I have thoroughly enjoyed your reviews and wish BOTH my sons were as adventurous as yours is ( one of mine eats almost everything except fish and veg !!! the other hardly eats enough to feed a sparrow! )
Thanks you once again .
Thanks you once again .
bleeps
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- Apr 15, 2003
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- 2,265
Here's what I can tell you very honestly: both Ken and Dean think lima beans are TOTALLY disgusting, and they both love edamame. The texture is very different -- it's kind of crisp, not mushy at all, and the flavor... I'm trying to think of a way to describe it. It's very green and fresh tasting -- not a strong flavor, but very appealing. We've introduced them to a lot of people and *so far* everyone has liked them. Although The Wave serves them shelled, you can also find them in their shells and salted, and you pop them out of their shells and into your mouth (you can get them this way at Teppan Edo).
I think the bottom line is that you shouldn't let them keep you from ordering the dish, and if you don't like them then it would be really easy to enjoy everything else and not eat them -- super easy to push them to the side.
The other route is to look for them in the freezer section at your store and give 'em a try at home! They go great next to rice and a little chicken or beef or fish....
bleeps
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- Apr 15, 2003
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Great reviews! I'm always sad to see reviews come to an end. It must be time for you to schedule another trip!
Boy, I'll tell ya -- writing these has REALLY made me want to schedule another trip! We don't have anything planned right now because Dean, who is in 7th grade, doesn't want to miss any school. We'd take him out (Ken even asked him last night -- would you consider missing just 2 days?) and it wouldn't be a big deal from his school's perspective, but Dean adores his school (seriously!) and doesn't want to miss any. His goal for next year is perfect attendance.
Yeah, I dunno how it happened.
Dean will be 13 in a few weeks, and I worry about the possibility of the allure diminishing for him. I really hope we can get back, but the reality is that it's probably a couple of years away. I *did* mention to Dean the possibility of his staying home (with supervision, of course!) and our going, but that didn't go over too big....
auntfrannie
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- Aug 30, 2001
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My nieces are the same way! They're going to Disney in April to march in a parade and while they're looking forward to Disney they don't like the idea of missing any school. When I was there age I would have JUMPED at the chance to miss school to go to Disney. But school has changd a lot and kids have so much homework that I can see their point.
I enjoyed your reviews and appreciate you taking the time to write them. Thanks!
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