We're STILL full!!! 9/22/07 - 9/29/07 Free Dining report W/ pics! COMPLETE 11/14

[mickeysgirl17]

Loving the reviews and pics.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Completely agree about the Yakitori house, or as we call it the YUCKitori fatty chicken thigh place

You have me set on WPCafe now, the food looks sooo good!

 

[MousekaMaddi]

I thouroughly enjoyed your report, thanx for sharing

 

[Treacle44]

Great pics, especially Cali Grill!

x

 

[DLo]

I must go to Goofy's Candy Co. this trip. I haven't been before but after seeing your pics (and others) it is now a must do. I still have to decide what I want though. It all looks good.

 

[Prinny27]

I must go to Goofy's Candy Co. this trip. I haven't been before but after seeing your pics (and others) it is now a must do. I still have to decide what I want though. It all looks good.

That's how I felt, too! I was so excited to get there and try everything, and wound up having such a hard time deciding what I wanted. I'm already thinking about what I want to make next, and I don't even had a trip planned!

Great pics, especially Cali Grill!

x

Thank you!

I thouroughly enjoyed your report, thanx for sharing

Thanks!

Completely agree about the Yakitori house, or as we call it the YUCKitori fatty chicken thigh place
You have me set on WPCafe now, the food looks sooo good!

Isn't it terrible? I was so disappointed! But... you will love WPC. It's really delicious, even if it is on the loud side.

Loving the reviews and pics.

Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Love the reviews a pictures and the price breakdown was great. Love Tonga Toast!!!

Thanks... it was SO yummy!

 

[alabamagirl]

I'm glad you posted that review of the Yakitori House. I had that down as one of our CS places to eat in December. Going to have to rethink that now....

 

[Prinny27]

This night we had ADR's at Jiko, which DH was really excited about.We got there about 30 minutes before our ADR time, and were seated within ten minutes. As we were brought to our table, the hostess explained how the wall was lit to resemble the sky, with the color changing from sunrise to mid day to sunset. I thought that was really neat!

Our waitress was Tiffany, and let me tell you, she was fantastic. I wish we could all have a waiter/waitress like her whenever we go out to eat anywhere. She was friendly and personable, and really took the time to talk to us and find out what we like so that she could make recommendations. DH is a big wine snob, so he was inquiring about the South African wines, and she knew so much about every wine on that menu - what kind of wine it was like, what the flavors were, the smells, etc. Plus, she was always around when we needed her to be.

For an appetizer, I had the Taste of Africa

The menu describes it like this: Kalamata Olive Hummus, Durban Tikka Masala, and Malay Spinach-Lentil Dip with Lentil Pappadam, whole wheat lavosh, and flaxseed Naan bread.

There was one flat bread that was as thin as paper, a flat wheat pita-like bread and one focaccia bread. The red sauce, which had peppers in it (don't remember which one it was), was sweet and it tasted like the pizza sauce they give you in the 'make your own' Lunchables. The green sauce tasted like pesto with a kick, but I couldn't really tell you what the 'kick' was like. The hummus was my favorite - it had a lemon taste, but a bit heavier than the Athenos brand I usually get at my grocery store.

DH had the Artichoke & Peppadew Flatbread

The menu describes it as having Midnight Moon goat cheese, arugula, and cilantro yogurt drizzle. DH really liked this, but I did not. I just couldn't get past the smelly goat cheese taste. Oh, and I do remember that the yogurt drizzle gave it a hint of a sweet flavor.

My entree was the Oak Grilled Filet Mignon

This is served with macaroni and cheese and a red wine sauce. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this - I mean, filet mignon with mac and cheese? Doesn't seem like they would go! But, WOW, did I love this dish. In fact, I'm thinking I need to be making this at home. It was just fabulous. The mac and cheese turned out to be what made the dish. It was very bold in flavor, and it was made with all white cheeses - no American or cheddar there. It was very sharp on its own, but when it soaked in the red wine sauce the flavors blended perfectly, creating a totally amazing flavor. The filet mignon itself was okay - not bad, but nothing spectacular or that you couldn't get at your local steak house.

DH had the Kenyan Coffee BBQ-Braised Beef Shortrib

A dish combining coffee and ribs? Sign DH up! He loved this. He said the meat was so tender that you didn't need a knife to cut it or to pull it off the bone. The potatoes that came with it were excellent, too. They were mashed Idaho and sweet potatoes, which was different because the tastes combined to be a little bit buttery, a little bit sweet. Totally wonderful!

Now, I don't know what happened at this point, maybe it was because I was so anxious to eat them, or maybe it was a bit of a buzz from the wines we were drinking, but I completely forgot to take pictures of our desserts! I don't what I was thinking - usually I remembered, even if it was after I'd eaten a few bites, but oh well.

I had the White Chocolate Mousse Pyramid. This was alright - it was mousse. What else can you say about it? The raspberry drizzle that came with it was good. I remember Tiffany said she would wrap it up for me, but she never actually brought it back to the table, which I didn't realize until we had gotten back to the hotel, so obviously I wasn't too heart broken over it!

DH had the Tanzanian Chocolate Cheesecake. He got this more for me than for him. He didn't see anything on the menu that was appealing to him at that moment, and I really wanted the lavender ice cream that came with it, but he wound up really like the cheesecake. I am in LOVE with this ice cream, though. It tasted *exactly* like lavender smells (if that makes sense), but the taste wasn't overwhelming. It was so light and refreshing. DH didn't care for it - his actual adjective was 'disgusting', but hey, that just meant there was more for me! The man at the table next to us saw DH put the ice cream on my plate and laughed and said he did the same thing to his wife - she loved it and he thought it was 'odd'. Guess it must be a male thing!

I do have one more picture of our time at Jiko for you. Tiffany suggested we get her favorite after dinner drink, the Zebratini.

It's not listed on the menu, so I can't tell you what was in it, but it was excellent. It tasted like chocolate milk, but with a 'zing' from the alcohol. It did burn a tiny bit going down from the alcohol, but it was nothing uncomfortable. We both loved them, but it was very sweet in combination with our two desserts. This would be better off ordered as an 'only' dessert, as opposed to an accompaniment to a dessert.

Taste of Africa: $9.00
Aritchoke Flatbread: $9.00
Beef Short Ribs: $35.00
Filet: $37.00
Chocolate Dessert: $8.00
Mousse: $8.00
Zebratini (2): $18.00
Tip: $24.80
Total: $148.80 (4 TS credits used)

 

[Prinny27]

I'm glad you posted that review of the Yakitori House. I had that down as one of our CS places to eat in December. Going to have to rethink that now....

DH just read your reply and said, 'tell her it was absolutely horrible. I didn't even finish it, that's how bad it was.' I was so disappointed in this place... but could it have been just an 'off' day? Maybe keep this as a 'last resort' if there's nothing else you see in WS that appeals to you.

 

[wilma-bride]

Great reviews

 

[Prinny27]

This morning we grabbed a quick breakfast at the POR food court before heading over to the AK.

DH had the Bounty Platter

I am hungry just looking at that! This was eggs, bacon, a mini Mickey waffle, potatoes and a biscuit. Completely unhealthy, which is what of course makes it completely delicious. DH said it was just okay, but that didn't stop him from eating most of it.

I had the Mickey Waffle with a side sausage and a biscuit

Yes, I promise, that IS a Mickey waffle. I was so hungry that I completely forgot to take a picture until it was all cut up. This was your typical Mickey waffle - light, fluffy, GOOD. You just can't mess up a Mickey waffle. The sausage was the little links, which were good, because I don't like the big, fat links. And I love biscuits - this one did not disappoint. Light and fluffy with a nice, buttery taste.

Bounty Platter: $7.99
Mickey Waffle: $5.49
Water: $2.00
Coffee: $1.69
Orange Juice: $2.00
Tax: $1.34
Total: $20.51 (2 CS credits use)

 

[Prinny27]

Lunch at the Animal Kingdom really isn't that great since the closing of the Tusker House (I LOVED that chicken sandwich!), so DH and I decided to head over to Pizzafari (DH was planning on having ribs later that night, so he didn't want to go to Flametree).

DH got the Hot Italian Style Sandwich

Italian sandwiches are DH's favorite - he always has them at the pizza shops up here. He had one in May at Pinocchio's Village Haus that he said was horrible, so he was hesitant to try it here, but ordered it anyway. The menu says this is turkey, ham, swiss & provolone topped with Cesar salad and pesto-marinated tomatoes. DH said he liked this a lot. He didn't even need to put mayo on it, which amazed him, because usually he smothers his sandwiches with it. Needless to say, he liked this one MUCH better than the one at Pinocchio's. He said his chocolate cake was good and fairly moist - not bad for a pre-packaged dessert.

I had a Cheese Pizza and a Minute Maid Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

The pizza was okay. I LOVE pizza, so I can be very picky about it. This was your typical theme park pizza - nothing to get excited about. The cheese was more parmesan than mozzerella, which was very strange to me. The lemonade was very refreshing. It was another hot one out that day, and this hit the spot. It was thicker than a slushy, which is what I was expecting, and more like a sherbert. The flavor was more tart than sweet, and it was HUGE. I couldn't even finish a quarter of it. It would definitely be good for 2 or more people to share.

Cheese Pizza: $5.59
Deli Sandwich: $6.79
Strawberry Lemonade: $2.99
Lg. Bottled Water: $2.00
Regular Coke: $2.39
Chocolate Cake: $3.59
Tax: $1.63
Total: $24.98 (2 CS credits used)

 

[winniethepoohsmom]

The food at Jiko's looks delicious! Enjoying your report! Linda

 

[englishrose47]

keep it coming still loving it

 

[Prinny27]

Just checking in to let you all know that I was a bit under the weather this past week, so I wasn't able to update. But tomorrow I will be back at posting, so keep looking for it!

 

[TigerKat]

Hope you're feeling better!

 

[Prinny27]

The food at Jiko's looks delicious! Enjoying your report! Linda

keep it coming still loving it

Glad you're both enjoying the report, and thanks for reading!

Hope you're feeling better!

Feeling much better, thank you! Now on with the report...

 

[Prinny27]

This was our last TS meal of the week because we decided to spend our last two days eating around the Food & Wine Festival. We figured this was better for us because we didn't want to feel rushed to make it to an ADR or that we couldn't sample as many as we wanted in case we got too full.

Let me tell you how hard it was to get this ADR. We spent just under 6 months trying to get this, and every time our travel agent came up no luck. Finally, she told us to just keep calling when we got down to the World, because reservations usually open up that week. Well, she was right, because about two days before, we were FINALLY able to score a table here. Our ADR was for 5:40, so we came right here from the AK. We put our name in and were seated about 5 minutes later.

Our waitress was Alley, and she was fabulous. She didn't do any of the crazy antics, but she was very friendly and talked to us a lot. She did throw straws at us, though. She was on top of EVERYTHING, and this was the fastest I have ever had a meal at WCC. We usually eat here for breakfast, and let me tell you, each time it's a good two-hour excursion from the time you're seated until you leave. I was surprised to see that we were in and out in an hour, which was nice.

DH got the skillet, so his appetizer is pre-set: Mixed Greens

This comes tossed with an apple vinaigrette dressing. It was very tasty, but still, a typical salad.

They also bring out the cornbread for the skillet with the appetizers.

Yum, yum, yum! I love cornbread, especially the sweet kind, which this was.

My appetizer was the Western Chips and Dip

The salsa was very sweet, so I didn't eat much of it. The queso dip was good, although it was different from the kind I am used to (we buy the Tostitos kind in a jar from our super market), and it was heavier - more like a chili. There was meat, chives, kidney beans and tomatoes in it. I liked it, I just wish it was heavier on the cheese.

As I mentioned before, DH had the Canyon Skillet

He LOVED these ribs, and they were the only thing he had refills on. He said the corn was alright, but not nearly as good as the Jersey corn we are spoiled by up here. I tasted the mashed potatoes (with the skins in them!), and thought they were pretty good. He said the chicken was 'alright', but he only took one bite of it, and he did not like the shrimp or pulled pork at all. He took one bite of the baked beans and said they were okay, but the real point of him ordering the skillet was for the ribs, and he really did enjoy them.

I had the Western Chicken Pasta

Oh.My.God. This was delicious! I had seen reviews and pictures on these boards and for months was dying to try it, and it did not disappoint! The chicken was good - blackened- but when I eat pasta, I like only pasta and creamy sauce, so I didn't eat much of it. The sauce was fantabulous - very creamy, with a tiny bit of spice to it, but not enough to make you guzzle down water. I only have two regrets - that I didn't have enough room to finish all of it, and that I didn't ask for the recipe (some very nice Diser posted a recipe for me in another thread, but although that was delish, it wasn't the recipe for this pasta. So sad!). I have to note that this normally comes with broccoli on top, but since I am allergic I had to forgo it.

For dessert DH had the Kahlua-Flavored Chocolate Cake

He said this was okay, not too bad. And since I don't like chocolate, I didn't taste it to give you a better review. Sorry!

I had the Apple Caramel Pie

I thought this was really great. There was so much cinnamon and sugar on the crumble topping, and it was delicious. They drizzle the caramel over the pie AND the ice cream, which gives it a really rich, sweet flavor. The only thing that would have made it better is if the pie was warm, because that's how you figure apple pie is supposed to be served, but this one came out cold.

Western Chips: $7.99
Canyon Skillet: $22.49
Chicken Pasta: $17.99
Choc Cake: $5.99
Apple Caramel Pie: $5.49
Tax: $4.20
Tip: $12.83
Total: $76.98 (2 TS credits used)

 

[Tinkerspell]

I think I've gained 10 pounds just from reading this! Thanks so much for posting it all.

Hrm, I wasn't real impressed with Yakitori House last year. This year though, we got 3 meals and split between the four of us because there's just so much food! I remember the Sukiyaki being a hit with the whole family, so much so that the kids took it and left me and DH to split the udon.

I have to say though, really the sukiyaki is the only dish there that I haved liked so we probably won't go back again. I'll just make sukiyaki at home. Hehe.

 

[Prinny27]

We had used up all of our CS and TS credits by this point, and saved all of our snack credits, for the purpose of eating our way around the world. This was DH's first time at the F&W Fest, so he was really anxious to get started.

Our first stop was the Festival Center to check out the merchandise. We popped over to the Wonder Bar and got a Martini & Rossi Prosecco. Ten o'clock? It's NEVER to early for champagne, I say! Okay, it was prosecco, but close enough!

I found this to have a fruity scent, although it was very dry. I prefer my bubbly semi-sweet, so I thought this was just alright.

*I can't remember how much this glass cost, and I don't see it listed on the F&W list, sorry!*

It was unbearably hot out this day, so we found ourselves passing up a lot of the booths because we weren't in the mood to eat something warm and/or spicy. When we came to the China booth, we decided to stop.

We tried the Chicken Sha Cha and the Green Tea Plum Wine Cooler

The chicken was drizzled with peanut sauce, and was DELISH! It was dark meat, and reminded me of the chicken teriyaki you get at the mall food courts. The wine cooler was VERY sweet. It actually reminded me of cran-grape juice. It was good, but I wouldn't have been able to drink more than one - it was that sweet. Also, all you taste is the juice, no alcohol. DH said it was 'okay'.

Chicken: $3.50 (1 snack credit)
Cooler: $4.75

Up next was Italy. DH got a glass of the Cecchi Chianti Classico

DH is a big wine snob, so he can be pretty picky. He said this was just okay. I don't like red wine, so I didn't taste it, but from a distance it had a VERY sweet smell, almost like candy, instead of wine.

We shared the Lasagna Al Forno

They were still being made, so we got our card and had to wait.

This was spinach pasta with meat and cheese in a tomato sauce. It wasn't bad, but nothing spectacular. I remember it was very creamy, too.

Chianti: $3.00
Lasagna: $3.00 (1 snack credit)

While we waited for our lasagna to cook, we visited the Poland booth, where DH got the Cabbage Roll

He said this was alright. There was an overwhelming cabbage flavor, and that the beef it was stuffed with tasted terrible. He also had an Okocim beer that I didn't get a picture of, that he said was light, with a bitter after taste. He thought it was okay.

I had the Pierogies with Kielbasa

I have to admit, I wasn't impressed at all with these. My great grandmother came from Poland, so I grew up eating really great polish food, and these were just terrible in comparison. The kielbasa was SO oily, and too salty. The pierogies were bland with hardly any taste to them, and they weren't served with sour cream as they were at the festival two years ago. I do have to say that I was impressed, though, because each serving was made to order for the guest when they ordered - no sitting under a heat lamp here! It did create some lines, which was annoying with the intense heat and sun, but better to have fresh food, right?

Okocim: $3.00
Cabbage: $2.75
Pierogies: $3.75

Next we took in the free beer school Sam Adams was doing in the American Adventure. We have visited their brewery in Boston, and had the time of our lives, so we knew we had to make time to do this school. Let me say, it was VERY brief - maybe 15 minutes - and we did get a decent amount of samples, however the tour and tasting you get in Boston is a million times better (obviously). There you get to sample entire pitchers of six or so different beers, some that they aren't selling, just testing out. We had one that tasted like bananas, which was really neat. Anyway, while this little seminar was fun, if you're ever in Boston you have to take the actual tour there - it's WELL worth the time.

Here we sampled (l-r) the Boston Lager, Sam Adams Light, Oktober Fest, and the 12th Annual Festival Beer

My favorite was the Oktoberfest, but I have to say, I'm biased, because it's my favorite of all the Sam Adam's beers, and I wait all year for it to come out.

We also got two bonus samples, that I unfortunately don't remember anything about. We got to taste them, and vote on which we'd like to see as their new six pack.

After the beer school, we stopped at the Morocco booth to split a Kefta

This was grilled beef and hummus in a pita pocket, with lettuce, tomatoes and onions. This was a little bit tomato salad, a little bit burger. I was surprised, but I really liked it, and it was refreshing on that hot day. We both really liked it.

Kefta: $3.75 (1 snack credit)

Next we stopped in to France, where DH got the Quiche au Fromage de Chevre, or goat cheese quiche

Oh.My.God. This was fantastic! All of the other booths had things that were 'okay' or 'good' but THIS was PHENOMENAL. Leave it to the French! It was so creamy, and you could not tell that it was goat cheese. It also had sun dried tomatoes, which I loved. Absolutely fabulous.

I also had the Sparkling Pomegranate Kir, which was yummy as usual. What is not to like about Pomegranate and Champagne? You can't go wrong with that combo. DH got the Chateau-Haut Mondain, Bordeaux Rouge which he declared 'nothing great'.

Quiche: $3.75 (1 snack credit)
Bordeaux: $5.00
Kir: $6.00

Our last stop this day was Greece, where we split a Spanakopita

On the menu this is described as savory spinach and cheese pastry. It was very crisp and flaky, but there was just TOO much spinach. We still both thought it was good, they should just stuff it a little less with spinach.

Spanakopita: $3.00 (1 snack credit)

It was time for us to leave Epcot to head back to our room, grab our tickets, and head to MNSSHP.