jiminyfan
Daddy, Dreamer and WDWnut
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2000
- Messages
- 995
Let me first say, that this post proably will get a few updates as I mis-placed the menus and I will try to post them as well as some pictures from the evening (mainly the servings).
I would have to say that I have mixed feelings about the overall night. The food was exceptional, being "in" the kitchen was interesting, service was very good, but there were some downsides as well (I'll explain these as we go on).
The meal consisted of a greeting toast with scott, then pre-appetizers (4 small samplings), an appetizer, soup, 2 entrees, a cheese entree and a dessert (or three - to be shared).
We opted for the wine pairings. This was the biggest disappointment of the meal. For the cost of the pairings, we were served a rather ordinary wine selection. Most of the wines were in the $15-25 regionin cost and none were exceptionally high rated by any of the well-known wine magazines or guides. I am a wine lover and I was very surprised at this "minus", I felt that the wines would have been of equal value to the meal.
Next time, I will review the wine menu and select one or two bottles of better vintages to complete the meal. A nice bold red and a softer vanilla-style Chardonnay.
During the initial greeting, Scott gave an overview of what the evening would entail and what we should expect. He then asked if there were any allegeries or items that would be off-limits. We stated that we were open to anyhting and everything.
He varied the menu between the two of us with only the main entree (Steak and Lamb) being the same. We both were quite pleased with the selections. The portions were appropiate for fine dining and the number of courses. I left feeling comfortably full.
My personal highlights were the cavier, lamd and the Kona Chocolate Souflee` (originally mty wife's but she hates chocolate - YES!).
Atmosphere - It is a kitchen with a side nook for you to dine. We were told that the chef's put on their cooking bests, white hates and coats to make an impression. They also change the music to a more relaxed style rather than the normal rock'n'roll. If we return we will ask to have the kitchen "as-is" so we can see how it really works rather than the show version.
For the most part the chefs kept to themselves with little interaction between them and us, as well as themselves - only the needed information was shared. I felt this was a little odd as I felt it led to an unpleasant work atmosphere. As the night went on things seem to lighten up and they felt more at ease with us and each other. Ian was the most talkative and was very nice to talk to.
What I felt was missing, more detailed explanations of the dishes like what went into them and etc. I felt that each serving should have had an explanation on to what it was, what went into the sauce, preparation and such. As stated before a higher level of wines in the pairings, of the 7 we had I would hsay that only one or maybe two was of the level one would expect from a 5-star dining experience.
With that said, I still would recommend the Chef's table to anyone for an unique dining experience. We already made reservations for it in February, but are considering changing them to the regular seating as I feel that the atmosphere in the main dining area looked wonderful.
I will be hapy to answer any questions. Like I said I will add updates to this post and preface them with dates, so you do not have to go looking for them.
I would have to say that I have mixed feelings about the overall night. The food was exceptional, being "in" the kitchen was interesting, service was very good, but there were some downsides as well (I'll explain these as we go on).
The meal consisted of a greeting toast with scott, then pre-appetizers (4 small samplings), an appetizer, soup, 2 entrees, a cheese entree and a dessert (or three - to be shared).
We opted for the wine pairings. This was the biggest disappointment of the meal. For the cost of the pairings, we were served a rather ordinary wine selection. Most of the wines were in the $15-25 regionin cost and none were exceptionally high rated by any of the well-known wine magazines or guides. I am a wine lover and I was very surprised at this "minus", I felt that the wines would have been of equal value to the meal.
Next time, I will review the wine menu and select one or two bottles of better vintages to complete the meal. A nice bold red and a softer vanilla-style Chardonnay.
During the initial greeting, Scott gave an overview of what the evening would entail and what we should expect. He then asked if there were any allegeries or items that would be off-limits. We stated that we were open to anyhting and everything.
He varied the menu between the two of us with only the main entree (Steak and Lamb) being the same. We both were quite pleased with the selections. The portions were appropiate for fine dining and the number of courses. I left feeling comfortably full.
My personal highlights were the cavier, lamd and the Kona Chocolate Souflee` (originally mty wife's but she hates chocolate - YES!).
Atmosphere - It is a kitchen with a side nook for you to dine. We were told that the chef's put on their cooking bests, white hates and coats to make an impression. They also change the music to a more relaxed style rather than the normal rock'n'roll. If we return we will ask to have the kitchen "as-is" so we can see how it really works rather than the show version.
For the most part the chefs kept to themselves with little interaction between them and us, as well as themselves - only the needed information was shared. I felt this was a little odd as I felt it led to an unpleasant work atmosphere. As the night went on things seem to lighten up and they felt more at ease with us and each other. Ian was the most talkative and was very nice to talk to.
What I felt was missing, more detailed explanations of the dishes like what went into them and etc. I felt that each serving should have had an explanation on to what it was, what went into the sauce, preparation and such. As stated before a higher level of wines in the pairings, of the 7 we had I would hsay that only one or maybe two was of the level one would expect from a 5-star dining experience.
With that said, I still would recommend the Chef's table to anyone for an unique dining experience. We already made reservations for it in February, but are considering changing them to the regular seating as I feel that the atmosphere in the main dining area looked wonderful.
I will be hapy to answer any questions. Like I said I will add updates to this post and preface them with dates, so you do not have to go looking for them.
. We'll ask them about that next time we book the table and see if they can't be coerced!
! I tried phrasing it a couple different ways and it still sounded defensive to me....so thanks in understanding me!
