We Smelled It...It Had to be Eaten, Part II ... Ding, Dong, Done!!!

Stampy.......:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl2: :rotfl:

" I want my elephant ! ".:happytv:
"Where's my elephant ? "

You kill me. Please keep em comin'.
 
Oh my gosh, I have so much to catch up on! For some reason, I missed the moderator post on the Part 1 and JUST NOW realized you had a second part already going!! Wow...I'm really behind!:blush:

The same thing happened to me:confused3
 
Monday, October 13th – Pull Your Feet From the Muck and Beware That Duck; Here's Hoping Dinner at Puck's Won’t Suck.

There are very few reviews of Puck’s mysterious upper level dining room on the DIS and the handful that I did find half-convinced me that Jay and I were going to be served scummy dishwater and filet of donkey for dinner by a crew of very surly ex-convicts participating in a work-release program. But we’d already canceled a dinner reservation here once before … in May 2007 … and it seemed like this was the perfect time for us to give the Puck a try since we were staying within walking distance of Downtown Disney. I hoped with all my might that I hadn’t chosen poorly since Puck’s Dining Room didn’t offer any kind of discount to sweeten the blow of over-priced vacation food

The ever-lengthening list of unanswerable questions I carry about in my head received a new entry on this evening; sandwiched somewhere between “why do people brake while driving uphill?” and “isn’t mailman redundant?” there is now this: Was it the weather that prevented so many guests from venturing over to the West Side on that dark and stormy Monday night or was Cookie Kwan menacingly staked out somewhere in Downtown Disney or Pleasure Island warning people away?

Either way, when we walked into Wolfgang Puck's Super-Emporium of Dining Delights I was worried. When I saw how few people were there I was more worried. When we were seated next to a table of four who promptly introduced themselves as a group of morticians attending a convention at the Swolphin I had to restrain myself from grabbing Jay's hand and fleeing the establishment as though the hounds of hell were at our heels.

Thank goodness there was a wide variety of alcoholic drinks from which to choose so that I could soothe my frazzled nerves. I stayed with a tried and true favorite, thinking that when in Florida nothing could beat a Key Lime Pie Martini. And, in a refreshing change of pace, I was right! My drink was prepared just the way I've come to expect it to be ... the perfect creamy blend of sweet and tart served in a glass rimmed with graham cracker crumbs. While it technically could be classified as a dessert drink, I think there is enough sourness to this drink that allows it to be paired with quite a few different foods. However, like so many things in this life, it really comes down to preference so don't take my word for it ... try it yourself and see what you think!

Key Lime Pie Martini
368.jpg


Jay opted for the other drink on the menu that I was eye-balling, and that was something along the lines of a margarita martini without the blechie margarita mix. The hubba was kind enough to let me take a taste of his drink and it was very good and very strong, mixing the best of a well-made margarita with a vodka martini.

Jay and his drinky-poo
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The moment that Jay and I began snapping pictures of the dining room and our drinks the friendly undertakers at the table next to us offered to take a picture of us as well. They commented that prior to this convention visit they'd never before seen people take pictures of their food and drinks ... I told them that I was a member of an on-line Disney Food Porn group and that we feed each other's addictions whenever possible. :p

The happy, hungry, and slightly damp couple
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Wolfgang Puck's upstairs dining room is decorated in warm, comfortable, and whimsical fashion - the colors are bold but muted and there is a wall of windows that overlook the Downtown Disney lake. As the evening progressed the restaurant grew busier - there were a couple of large gatherings being held there that evening but that did nothing to detract from the quality of the food or service we received. Jay and I did take a few pictures of the dining room and I'll post them now but they're not as good as we would like - sometimes the flash just doesn't fire on my camera the way it should, although I think it's fair to place most of the blame on operator error.

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When it finally came time to make an appetizer selection Jay and I decided that we really had no alternative but to order two and share the seafoodie goodness. I chose the Sautéed Maryland Crab Cake with Basil Aioli, Marinated Tomatoes, and Micro-Green Salad. Aside from the serious jonesin I usually have for fresh seafood the likes of which cannot be found in Stinktown, I was very curious as to the presentation and serving size of a $16 crab cake.

I need not have worried.

Behold … one becomes three!
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I was delighted when this plate was placed before me - three crab cakes was a much happier prospect and meant that there would be plenty for us to share. We both thought that this was a very tasty selection bursting with crab and just a hint of spiciness from the aioli.

Jay's appetizer choice was the Pan Seared Sea Scallops with White Corn-Parmesan Polenta, Braised Lamb Shoulder, and Rosemary-Lamb Jus.

Scallops and grits and stuff
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The scallops were very good and very tender, not a bit overcooked, and the polenta was a wonderful smooth, cheesy accompaniment. As I look at this picture today, however, I'm struck by a noticeable lack of lamb and I wonder now if Jay ordered something that's been changed since our visit. Well, regardless of what it's called, it was tasty to eat - Jay and I were well pleased with the beginning of the meal and I began to feel like it was finally OK for me to relax ... with a bottle of wine!!!

I'm a lucky woman in many ways and one of them includes being married to a man who will share a bottle of white wine with me at dinner even though he'd probably prefer a red. Our waiter suggested this wine after we told him that we really like pinot grigio ... Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio is a very affordable, very drinkable white wine with an average retail price of about $13; Jay and I enjoyed it very much and would drink it again in a heartbeat.

Wine wine wine
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I ordered Shrimp Scampi Risotto for my entree and loved every bite of it.

Sweeping the seas clean at dinner
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Yum! Giant shrimpies sautéed with garlic, white wine, lemon, and parsley resting on a bed of creamy risotto ... I think I just died and went to food porn heaven - now that I think about it that may explain the presence of those undertakers! This was a wonderful dish if just a tad on the rich side because of the creaminess of the sauce. I had a difficult time trying to finish this because it was such a generous serving, but I put a pretty good dent in it ... with a little help from Jason.

And speaking of the hubba, he ordered the Line Caught Yellow Fin Tuna Nicoise for his entree. The menu described it as seared tuna with roasted fingerling potatoes, haricot vert, wilted spinach, olive vinaigrette and a crispy poached egg.

Mmmmm, tuna
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I can tell you that the tuna in this dish was quite good and tender but I haven't a clue about all that other stuff on Jay's plate. He would tell you that everything was excellent and that if you are a fan of seared tuna served with a mish-mash of stuff you would be hard pressed to find a better choice than this one.

Even though we had definitely had more than enough to eat and drink by the time the dishes were cleared away Jay and I plunged recklessly ahead and ordered some whisky and a couple of desserts, almost as if we were daring the dining gods to spoil our meal at the last possible moment. For our continued drinking pleasure we chose a glass of Oban 14-year single malt scotch. It's a smooth, slightly sweet whisky with a dry, smoky finish and as good as it tastes on its own it's even better with dessert!

Oban 14-year
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For my dessert I chose a chocolate lava cake type thingie ... I can't find a reference to it on any of the on-line menus that are currently posted. It was quite good and exactly what I expected it to be, nothing more and nothing less, and it was wonderful with that scotch!

Chocolate!
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As far as presentation goes Jason picked the ultimate winner of the evening -Banana Beignets .

Banana-y goodness!
381.jpg


I don't like banana-flavored stuff very much, but even I have to admit that this is the coolest presentation I've seen in a long time. Crispy banana beignets sprinkled with powdered sugar, crème anglaise, banana jam and vanilla bean gelato. And look at the edible spoon!!! Jay said these deep-fried little donuts practically melted in his mouth with no hint of a greasy aftertaste. He gave this dessert two enthusiastic thumbs up and highly recommends it to all you banana lovers out there.

And so ended a wonderful, relaxed, and very tasty meal at Wolfie's hidden dining room. As I stated earlier ... reviews of this establishment have been far from favorable, but Jason and I had a lovely meal there. Our serving team was pleasant and helpful and the food was well-prepared and very good. We'd recommend this restaurant to anyone who's interested in trying an establishment they haven't dined at before that has the added benefit of not being subject to the Disney's Dining Plan Food Rationing and Menu Stifling Team.
 

Everything looks absolutely delicious. I was eyeballing that Key Lime Pie Martini in the worst way. Never had one of those, but it looks REALLY good. ::yes::
 
Morticians..... :sad2: :sad2: :sad2:

Did you ask them if the see dead people???? :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
 
/
Hey Brenda! I was getting worried about you and then realized you had started a Part 2! Sometimes I'm a little slow!

Anyway, I had posted back in November that Tom is taking me this year to celebrate my 40th. He told me to pick between Food & Wine or Christmas. Well, I decided today to do Christmas. It was tough, because of all your good reviews, but I *really* want to see the decorations! We're going WITHOUT THE KIDS December 3 - 7.

Can't wait!!!

Denise

Hi Denise! While I'm sorry that you won't be heading down to WDW during F&W I can't blame you for choosing Christmas at Disney ... heck, I'd probably do the same since that's a time of year that we can't usually travel thanks to Jay's employer. I hope ... wait ... I know you will have a wonderful time!

Oh my gosh, I have so much to catch up on! For some reason, I missed the moderator post on the Part 1 and JUST NOW realized you had a second part already going!! Wow...I'm really behind!:blush:

No worries about catching up ... I've been pretty slow since just before Christmas. And I'm sorry about the whole first thread thing ... I thought everyone who was subscribed to that thread would have received the notice that it had been closed.

Stampy.......:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl2: :rotfl:

" I want my elephant ! ".:happytv:
"Where's my elephant ? "

You kill me. Please keep em comin'.

:lmao: I had a feeling you'd pick up on Stampy! We love that episode ... of course. :rolleyes: I think that's the one where Homer hits a statue of a deer at night and says, "D'OH!" to which Marge replies, "A deer..." and Lisa chimes in, "A female deer." :lmao:

It's nice to see you here Mr. Scorpio ... our attempt (failed) at world showcase domination will be coming soon.

The same thing happened to me:confused3

Again, I'm very sorry about the confusion. I thought about sending PMs to all the people who had posted on that first thread but it was just too many. I just assumed it would be easy for everyone to find the new thread.

Many apologies. :grouphug:

Excellent review! Good to see you back - I hope you are well. :grouphug:

Thanks Kris - glad you liked the review and I appreciate the good wishes. :flower3:

Everything looks absolutely delicious. I was eyeballing that Key Lime Pie Martini in the worst way. Never had one of those, but it looks REALLY good. ::yes::

We thought dinner was terrific and I was very relieved that it turned out so well. I love key lime pie martinis and this one was excellent! :thumbsup2

Morticians..... :sad2: :

Did you ask them if they see dead people???? :lmao: :lmao:

I tried to stay on their good side ... never antagonize a mortician. That life lesson is right up there with "never get into a land war in Asia." :lmao:

It totally looks like you are coppin' a feel here. :rotfl2:

I swear sometimes that you and I must share the same brain! :lmao: I said that to Jay before I posted that picture. :rotfl2:

:thumbsup2 Great review. Your descriptions cannot be beat!!!!

Thank you very much!
 
Now we know it wasn't the food that put that smile on Jay's face... ;)
 
Great review. While we will never be able to dine at some of these places until we have a childless vacation I know I will be prepared! Looks great, I will live vicariously through you guys.
 
Now we know it wasn't the food that put that smile on Jay's face... ;)

Well ... seeing as that picture was taken before we had anything to eat ... ;)

Great review. While we will never be able to dine at some of these places until we have a childless vacation I know I will be prepared! Looks great, I will live vicariously through you guys.

Thanks very much! And we will have a couple of reviews coming up where you could definitely dine with your kids and have a great time, so please stay tuned. :goodvibes
 
I really can't decide what looked best! The appys both looked wonderful, the entrees mmmmm but the desserts :upsidedow :banana: I'm not a big banana fan, but it looked good. Your lava cake thingie looked really good!

I think this is the first "good" review I've seen for WP upstairs, let me rephrase. I think this is the first "positive" review I've read, your writing makes it an "excellent" review :thumbsup2
 
I sooooo want that Key Lime Pie Martini. I had some Key Lime Pie last night at Red Lobster (it was REALLY good, plate was decorated with raspberry sauce and it went together awesome) and remarked to John that I had seen a KLP martini on tv, and it's one thing I really want to try. Must locate martini. LOL

"Staying out of a land war in Asia..." :rotfl2:

Got to go restart/restructure my trip report, as it has been locked or something. I swear I will finish it before I go back. LOL
 
I am a BIG fan of the key lime martini. Good to know they mix a good one there. I would have been "spooked" by the morticians conference too... glad you stuck around.

And the banana beignets... :faint:

Is it wrong I am thinking of making a meal out of the key lime martini(s) and beignets?? :confused3
 
I really can't decide what looked best! The appys both looked wonderful, the entrees mmmmm but the desserts :upsidedow :banana: I'm not a big banana fan, but it looked good. Your lava cake thingie looked really good!

We were very pleasantly surprised by the entire meal. And I'm with you - I don't like bananas all that much either but his dessert was too cool!


I think this is the first "good" review I've seen for WP upstairs, let me rephrase. I think this is the first "positive" review I've read, your writing makes it an "excellent" review :thumbsup2

Thanks very much! :flower3:

And I know exactly what you mean about good / positive reviews about this place ... I searched high and low for them and couldn't really find anything to recommend us to it. We just rolled the dice and assumed it had to be better than what we'd heard. Luckily this time we were right! :goodvibes

I sooooo want that Key Lime Pie Martini. I had some Key Lime Pie last night at Red Lobster (it was REALLY good, plate was decorated with raspberry sauce and it went together awesome) and remarked to John that I had seen a KLP martini on tv, and it's one thing I really want to try. Must locate martini. LOL

I'm a big fan of key lime pie martinis are long as they are made well ... and I don't even like key lime pie. :rolleyes:

"Staying out of a land war in Asia..." :rotfl2:

I filched that from The Princess Bride, but I bet you already knew that. :lmao:


Got to go restart/restructure my trip report, as it has been locked or something. I swear I will finish it before I go back. LOL

Did it get closed out? I hope not ... I was really enjoying your updates. I also liked the fact that you update almost as frequently as I do. ;) :rotfl2:
 
B, first I'm hoping that things have indeed settled down on the homefront. :hug:

Now, enough of the mushy stuff, onto food porn!

Believe it or not, I think I actually found 5, yes 5 things I would've loved on this menu.

That Key Lime Martini looked absolutely refreshing. I would have to disobey the Dr's orders and partake in one of those for sure. Was it as good as it looked??

The crab cakes looked devine and that shrimp scampi looked delish for sure.::yes::

And those beignets would have been scrumpcious no matter what fruit was on them.


Great update as always Bendy. :thumbsup2
 
I am a BIG fan of the key lime martini. Good to know they mix a good one there. I would have been "spooked" by the morticians conference too... glad you stuck around.

And the banana beignets... :faint:

Is it wrong I am thinking of making a meal out of the key lime martini(s) and beignets?? :confused3

They make an excellent KLP martini at Wolfie's so if you're ever there give it a try!

And there was a moment there when I thought that whole mortician thing was some kind of cosmic sign of dining disaster to come, but thank goodness it wasn't! :rotfl:

Hey ... I like the idea of beignets and martinis ... yum!!! :thumbsup2
 
B, first I'm hoping that things have indeed settled down on the homefront. :hug:

Now, enough of the mushy stuff, onto food porn!

Believe it or not, I think I actually found 5, yes 5 things I would've loved on this menu.

That Key Lime Martini looked absolutely refreshing. I would have to disobey the Dr's orders and partake in one of those for sure. Was it as good as it looked??

The crab cakes looked devine and that shrimp scampi looked delish for sure.::yes::

And those beignets would have been scrumpcious no matter what fruit was on them.


Great update as always Bendy. :thumbsup2

Hiya Goosie!!! :wave2:

Thanks for taking a read and boy am I flattered that I finally have a meal to discuss that you'd actually want to try! :rotfl2:

I cannot say enough good things about that martini and the restaurant - both were wonderful! :thumbsup2
 
Monday, October 13th – Pull Your Feet From the Muck and Beware That Duck; Here's Hoping Dinner at Puck's Won’t Suck.

There are very few reviews of Puck’s mysterious upper level dining room on the DIS and the handful that I did find half-convinced me that Jay and I were going to be served scummy dishwater and filet of donkey for dinner by a crew of very surly ex-convicts participating in a work-release program. But we’d already canceled a dinner reservation here once before … in May 2007 … and it seemed like this was the perfect time for us to give the Puck a try since we were staying within walking distance of Downtown Disney. I hoped with all my might that I hadn’t chosen poorly since Puck’s Dining Room didn’t offer any kind of discount to sweeten the blow of over-priced vacation food

The ever-lengthening list of unanswerable questions I carry about in my head received a new entry on this evening; sandwiched somewhere between “why do people brake while driving uphill?” and “isn’t mailman redundant?” there is now this: Was it the weather that prevented so many guests from venturing over to the West Side on that dark and stormy Monday night or was Cookie Kwan menacingly staked out somewhere in Downtown Disney or Pleasure Island warning people away?

I stayed with a tried and true favorite, thinking that when in Florida nothing could beat a Key Lime Pie Martini. And, in a refreshing change of pace, I was right! My drink was prepared just the way I've come to expect it to be ... the perfect creamy blend of sweet and tart served in a glass rimmed with graham cracker crumbs. While it technically could be classified as a dessert drink, I think there is enough sourness to this drink that allows it to be paired with quite a few different foods. However, like so many things in this life, it really comes down to preference so don't take my word for it ... try it yourself and see what you think!

Key Lime Pie Martini
th_368.jpg



As far as presentation goes Jason picked the ultimate winner of the evening -Banana Beignets .

Banana-y goodness!
th_381.jpg


I don't like banana-flavored stuff very much, but even I have to admit that this is the coolest presentation I've seen in a long time. Crispy banana beignets sprinkled with powdered sugar, crème anglaise, banana jam and vanilla bean gelato. And look at the edible spoon!!! Jay said these deep-fried little donuts practically melted in his mouth with no hint of a greasy aftertaste. He gave this dessert two enthusiastic thumbs up and highly recommends it to all you banana lovers out there.

And so ended a wonderful, relaxed, and very tasty meal at Wolfie's hidden dining room. As I stated earlier ... reviews of this establishment have been far from favorable, but Jason and I had a lovely meal there. Our serving team was pleasant and helpful and the food was well-prepared and very good. We'd recommend this restaurant to anyone who's interested in trying an establishment they haven't dined at before that has the added benefit of not being subject to the Disney's Dining Plan Food Rationing and Menu Stifling Team.

The opening of your review had me rolling in the aisle again! You are so funny ::yes:: The only downside is that you never asked for any of the recipes while you're at these restaurants :sad: :sad: The last time I was in Disney World I came back with at least 25 new recipes and the drink ones are the easiest of all to collect. All you have to do is jot down a few ingredients - which most bartenders are happy to give you. For the actual dishes, the kitchen often has photocopies they can give of the recipes. I don't suppose you got the recipe for it that amazing looking Key Lime Pie Martini? I'd love to make that at home.

For the Banana Beignets could you take a look at this recipe and let me know if this looks similar to what Jay had - minus the toppings?

http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/recipes/recipedetail_wp.php?Alias=RE_WP3082
If so, I could add it to my Disney Recipe collection :hyper: :)
 
Gurlllll you are killing me! That WP dinner looks amazing...from now on you let me know what your plans are for dining and I will just copy yours...you seem to pick all the yummy winners! ;)
 














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