WDW food odyssey Apr 4-12 (with pix!)
- Thread starter Jock Wu
- Start date
Amy7979
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 31, 2007
- Messages
- 473
Awww, they're BOTH really cute!
PrincessGail
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2006
- Messages
- 38
great reviews, handsome kids!
On Wed we switched resorts from Saratoga Springs to Wilderness Lodge, and toured MK in the morning. We had hoped to try the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station for lunch, but it was only open between 5-9pm. Bummer.
No matter - we took the boat to WL, checked in, and had lunch at Whispering Canyon.
I ordered the Angus Chuck Cheeseburger:
This was a very good burger, without the need for sauces or condiments. There was good char and a tantalising smoky taste. It was definitely better than the burger I had at the Turf Club.
Sarah had the vegetable enchilada, which was also quite good:
After a fun and active time at the WL's pool, we were set for California Grill, probably our favourite WDW restaurant, for the classy ambience, the amazing views, and for the California cuisine.
We took the resort launch to the Contemporary, and made our way up to the top of the tower.
Having read (and seen) how good the sushi is here, I tried the California roll, with real crab meat, as an appetiser:
I really wanted the Snake in the Grass roll (shrimp tempura with avocado, eel, and cucumber) but the thought of eel, which is usually in a sauce (which brings up the question: why does it need a sauce in the first place?) dissuaded me. It did look appealing, though, when it arrived at an adjacent table.
The California roll itself was pretty good, if not outstanding. Next time I might try sushi chef Yoshi's Deluxe Sushi Platter.
Sarah had the Mushroom Flatbread with potato-leek fondue, aged goat cheese and truffled fingerling chips:
This was a fantastic flatbread, marrying the delicate flavour and crunch of the truffled chips, the earthiness of the mushrooms, the intense richness of the cheese, and the crispiness of the wood-fired crust into a satisfying whole. We had had a sensational BLT flatbread last time we were here in 2005, and this mushroom flatbread was just as good.
For the main course, Sarah chose the signature Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta, Cremini Mushrooms, Zinfandel Glaze, and Sage. This is a favourite of mine as well (and of many others), so I decided to forgo taking a picture. (You can see our picture from our previous trip on the old Disney Food Pictures thread here, on page 119, post #1775.) Needless to say, the one bite Sarah shared with me reminded me of how good this dish is.
My main was the Brioche crusted halibut with crushed potatoes, braised carrots, serrano ham and spring pea cappuccino:
This dish was quite flavourful, if not quite up there with the best seafood dishes I've had. The halibut was very good, but maybe the carrots, potatoes and spring peas didn't enhance it as much as other accompaniments would have.
Finally, for dessert, Sarah and I were tossing up between the Valrhona Chocolate and Coffee - Warm Chocolate Cake with Molten Center, House-made White Coffee Ice Cream and Cappuccino Anglaise, which was similar to a dessert we had last time, and the eventual winner, the Honey Crunch Cake with Chantilly Cream, Oven-roasted Golden Pineapple and Crunch Candy Crumble:
This was a winner, with the light but very sweet cake balanced by the slight tartness of the roasted pineapple. A perfect melding of flavours and textures.
All in all, if not the best dinner at California Grill we've had (I think the years when Clifford Pleau was head chef reigned supreme), it was still a memorable meal and a highlight of our trip.
Next: Concourse Steakhourse lunch and Kona Cafe dinner
No matter - we took the boat to WL, checked in, and had lunch at Whispering Canyon.
I ordered the Angus Chuck Cheeseburger:
This was a very good burger, without the need for sauces or condiments. There was good char and a tantalising smoky taste. It was definitely better than the burger I had at the Turf Club.
Sarah had the vegetable enchilada, which was also quite good:
After a fun and active time at the WL's pool, we were set for California Grill, probably our favourite WDW restaurant, for the classy ambience, the amazing views, and for the California cuisine.
We took the resort launch to the Contemporary, and made our way up to the top of the tower.
Having read (and seen) how good the sushi is here, I tried the California roll, with real crab meat, as an appetiser:
I really wanted the Snake in the Grass roll (shrimp tempura with avocado, eel, and cucumber) but the thought of eel, which is usually in a sauce (which brings up the question: why does it need a sauce in the first place?) dissuaded me. It did look appealing, though, when it arrived at an adjacent table.
The California roll itself was pretty good, if not outstanding. Next time I might try sushi chef Yoshi's Deluxe Sushi Platter.
Sarah had the Mushroom Flatbread with potato-leek fondue, aged goat cheese and truffled fingerling chips:
This was a fantastic flatbread, marrying the delicate flavour and crunch of the truffled chips, the earthiness of the mushrooms, the intense richness of the cheese, and the crispiness of the wood-fired crust into a satisfying whole. We had had a sensational BLT flatbread last time we were here in 2005, and this mushroom flatbread was just as good.
For the main course, Sarah chose the signature Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta, Cremini Mushrooms, Zinfandel Glaze, and Sage. This is a favourite of mine as well (and of many others), so I decided to forgo taking a picture. (You can see our picture from our previous trip on the old Disney Food Pictures thread here, on page 119, post #1775.) Needless to say, the one bite Sarah shared with me reminded me of how good this dish is.
My main was the Brioche crusted halibut with crushed potatoes, braised carrots, serrano ham and spring pea cappuccino:
This dish was quite flavourful, if not quite up there with the best seafood dishes I've had. The halibut was very good, but maybe the carrots, potatoes and spring peas didn't enhance it as much as other accompaniments would have.
Finally, for dessert, Sarah and I were tossing up between the Valrhona Chocolate and Coffee - Warm Chocolate Cake with Molten Center, House-made White Coffee Ice Cream and Cappuccino Anglaise, which was similar to a dessert we had last time, and the eventual winner, the Honey Crunch Cake with Chantilly Cream, Oven-roasted Golden Pineapple and Crunch Candy Crumble:
This was a winner, with the light but very sweet cake balanced by the slight tartness of the roasted pineapple. A perfect melding of flavours and textures.
All in all, if not the best dinner at California Grill we've had (I think the years when Clifford Pleau was head chef reigned supreme), it was still a memorable meal and a highlight of our trip.
Next: Concourse Steakhourse lunch and Kona Cafe dinner
mickeysgirl17
Wish I was at Disney
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2006
- Messages
- 5,687
Yummy. Love the pics of California Grill. Can't wait for the next installment.
luckytobeme88
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2007
- Messages
- 1,116
A great review!!
disnut1149
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2006
- Messages
- 2,831
Thanks for your great reviews! Your boys are adorable!
A hearty "You're welcome!"" for all the nice comments...we're in the home stretch!
On Thursday we did EMH at MK, and then headed over to the Contemporary again for lunch at the Concourse Steakhouse. Since this restaurant was going to be closed soon, we thought it would be remiss if we didn't at least try it.
I ordered the Angus Chuck Blue Cheeseburger - on onion bun with fries, but substituted the blue cheese with American:
Sarah said I should have stuck with the blue cheese, but 1.) I'm not a big fan of strong-flavoured cheese, and 2.) I wanted to keep my burgers on this trip similar for comparison purposes. As it turned out, this burger was not bad, better than the Turf Club's but not quite to the level of the Whispering Canyon's.
Sarah had the Turkey Club Sandwich with a side of Grilled Vegetable Pasta:
I didn't try this but Sarah liked it and said the pasta was very good.
Here is a pic of the grilled chicken from the children's menu (which they split into two plates so the kids could share):
The chicken looked good but was actually a little tough and dry.
For dinner we had an ADR at Kona Cafe. We took the ferry to MK and then the monorail to the Poly. We were a little early but they sat us within 5 minutes.
I went for the Beef Teriyaki, grilled with pineapple teriyaki sauce, mashed Yukon gold potatoes, and stir-fried broccoli florets:
I understand this is a popular item. Sarah had it last visit and I wanted it this time. The steak was cooked as ordered, and the teriyaki sauce was a nice compliment, as were the potatoes and the tender broccoli. I can see why this is popular.
Sarah chose the Braised Pork Belly Salad - pork belly braised in Dashi served on a bed of bibb lettuce and pomegranate vinaigrette:
She didn't think it was that good, and was disappointed at the portion size. I did tell her it was an appetiser only, but she must have been used to big salads from earlier in the week.
Ethan wanted me to take a picture of his hot dog, so I did:
Kona Cafe is one of the few places in WDW that has an Asian bent, and while not a signature-style restaurant, it's nice to see some variety amongst the mass of burgers, fries, pasta and pizza (not that there's anything wrong with that!
)
Next: Another lunch at Wolfgang Puck Cafe and dinner at Artist Point; plus final day lunch at Crystal Palace
On Thursday we did EMH at MK, and then headed over to the Contemporary again for lunch at the Concourse Steakhouse. Since this restaurant was going to be closed soon, we thought it would be remiss if we didn't at least try it.
I ordered the Angus Chuck Blue Cheeseburger - on onion bun with fries, but substituted the blue cheese with American:
Sarah said I should have stuck with the blue cheese, but 1.) I'm not a big fan of strong-flavoured cheese, and 2.) I wanted to keep my burgers on this trip similar for comparison purposes. As it turned out, this burger was not bad, better than the Turf Club's but not quite to the level of the Whispering Canyon's.
Sarah had the Turkey Club Sandwich with a side of Grilled Vegetable Pasta:
I didn't try this but Sarah liked it and said the pasta was very good.
Here is a pic of the grilled chicken from the children's menu (which they split into two plates so the kids could share):
The chicken looked good but was actually a little tough and dry.
For dinner we had an ADR at Kona Cafe. We took the ferry to MK and then the monorail to the Poly. We were a little early but they sat us within 5 minutes.
I went for the Beef Teriyaki, grilled with pineapple teriyaki sauce, mashed Yukon gold potatoes, and stir-fried broccoli florets:
I understand this is a popular item. Sarah had it last visit and I wanted it this time. The steak was cooked as ordered, and the teriyaki sauce was a nice compliment, as were the potatoes and the tender broccoli. I can see why this is popular.
Sarah chose the Braised Pork Belly Salad - pork belly braised in Dashi served on a bed of bibb lettuce and pomegranate vinaigrette:
She didn't think it was that good, and was disappointed at the portion size. I did tell her it was an appetiser only, but she must have been used to big salads from earlier in the week.
Ethan wanted me to take a picture of his hot dog, so I did:
Kona Cafe is one of the few places in WDW that has an Asian bent, and while not a signature-style restaurant, it's nice to see some variety amongst the mass of burgers, fries, pasta and pizza (not that there's anything wrong with that!
)Next: Another lunch at Wolfgang Puck Cafe and dinner at Artist Point; plus final day lunch at Crystal Palace
Really enjoying your reviews. The pictures of your beautiful sons made me smile.
Thank you both! Glad you are enjoying the pictures and reviews.
Joe
Miss_Mouse
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2008
- Messages
- 225
Just wanted to pipe up and say that I'm loving your reviews, Joe! You have such a great variety covered here that it's giving me tons of ideas for our upcoming trip! 
And by the way, your boys are absolutely precious! The picture of the hot dog cracked me up!
And by the way, your boys are absolutely precious! The picture of the hot dog cracked me up!
Amy7979
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 31, 2007
- Messages
- 473
mickeysgirl17
Wish I was at Disney
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2006
- Messages
- 5,687
Great update.
Thanx for the reviews & pix. I haven't eaten at FF or BD yet, so I was glad to see your reviews of those in particular.
If you want really wonderful sushi at WDW, check out Kimonos - very tasty & very fresh. They make a spicy rainbow roll that I dream of...
Your boys are both adorable. Tell Ethan I liked his Hot Dog
If you want really wonderful sushi at WDW, check out Kimonos - very tasty & very fresh. They make a spicy rainbow roll that I dream of...
Your boys are both adorable. Tell Ethan I liked his Hot Dog
Tatania
Disney Foodie
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2007
- Messages
- 1,184
That is pure poetry and shows a serious foodie doing the reviewing. Loving it and subscribing. Your boys are the cutest!
If you're interested in recreating Disney dishes at home come and visit our Disney recipe exchange. I got the recipe for the Honey Crunch Cake when I was there in Jan.
Thanx for the reviews & pix. I haven't eaten at FF or BD yet, so I was glad to see your reviews of those in particular.
If you want really wonderful sushi at WDW, check out Kimonos - very tasty & very fresh. They make a spicy rainbow roll that I dream of...
Your boys are both adorable. Tell Ethan I liked his Hot Dog
Thanks! I've thought about Kimonos, but we were using the DDE card this trip and wanted to maximise the savings. I don't think the Swan and Dolphn restaurants are on the DDE
Joe
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