We're Still Hungry! A DDW July Getaway - 8/5 Complete!

[Tracerr00]

Our computer died at home so we're in the process of shopping (arguing) for a new one. So I've been away for a few days and had to catch up! I love the DHS photos. I also like the names on the menu "Whitefish Matheson", "Rack of Lamb Johnson", "Polonaise Beaumont", etc. I love how Disney uses the names of people that played an important role in the creation of the parks.

The bison at HBD really looked fantastic! My sister lives in Montana and I spent a summer with her when I was in college and I learned to enjoy things like bison, elk, antelope, etc whereas I'm not normally an adventurous eater. So I would absolutely give that a try! It's nice not only to have excellent food but excellent service.

I got so excited when I saw your photo of the boardwalk. I'm only spending one night there but I'm so looking forward to it!! Oh, and the sweet treats look yummy too. Too bad you weren't going to be there at the end of August because I would certainly join you and emmysmommy at Kona for a round of macadamia pineapple pancakes! But Brenda mentioned that she and I both have breakfast at CRT on the same day so hopefully I'll get to meet her! Great reviews once again!

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

All is forgiven since it was the Brown Derby that replaced your Saana lunch.

Seriously, HBD is our favorite park restaurant too and the bison looked very tasty. I was looking at your copy of the menu trying to figure out if they had removed one of their entrees to replace it with the bison, but it looks like the bison is just an addition.

The cobbler is probably the only dessert we haven't tried at HBD and after seeing it I must try it. Looks so very good. Cobbler is a favorite of DH's, but I can't seem to get away from the grapefruit cake.

I have fond memories of Seashore Sweets from the last time we stayed at the Boardwalk, which was May 2011. It was always cool and never very crowded. DH and DS got treats there every evening.

Here's hoping Saana makes your list for next trip.

 

[cdtommie]

Thanks for the HBD review - we used to go every trip until they maddenly eliminated the lunch menu...just not looking to spend $$$ for lunch. We did do dinner last December on an EMH night and enjoyed our meal (I seem to recall that I had a lamb dish)...it's nice to schedule a meal at HBD on an EMH night so you don't have to eat so early - we can do Fantasmic and then have dinner. Plus the Derby has one of the better beer selections at WDW.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I've tried a Turkey Leg... but that was at DL and only because everything else was closed and we were HUNGRY!!! So we plopped down on the curb with our Turkey legs and caveman styled it!

They flavor was okay but not something I am dying to have again!

Thanks for the turkey leg report! There's no harm in trying it once, but it doesn't sound like it was worth it. Oh well - at least there's hundreds of other snacks to choose from.

Turkey legs have never been of any interest to me either. And my husband was all confused the first time I mentioned them to him. I don't think he has any interest in trying one either.

And it's funny you had strawberry since I just finished some strawberry ice cream. (Our office has cake & ice cream that last Monday of every month and that's today.) I haven't been feeling great today but saw the strawberry ice cream and thought it looked good so that's what I grabbed. I also had strawberries on my salad for lunch. So it's a strawberry kind of day.

Sounds like a great day to me! I wish every day could be a strawberry day.

Our computer died at home so we're in the process of shopping (arguing) for a new one. So I've been away for a few days and had to catch up! I love the DHS photos. I also like the names on the menu "Whitefish Matheson", "Rack of Lamb Johnson", "Polonaise Beaumont", etc. I love how Disney uses the names of people that played an important role in the creation of the parks.

The bison at HBD really looked fantastic! My sister lives in Montana and I spent a summer with her when I was in college and I learned to enjoy things like bison, elk, antelope, etc whereas I'm not normally an adventurous eater. So I would absolutely give that a try! It's nice not only to have excellent food but excellent service.

I got so excited when I saw your photo of the boardwalk. I'm only spending one night there but I'm so looking forward to it!! Oh, and the sweet treats look yummy too. Too bad you weren't going to be there at the end of August because I would certainly join you and emmysmommy at Kona for a round of macadamia pineapple pancakes! But Brenda mentioned that she and I both have breakfast at CRT on the same day so hopefully I'll get to meet her! Great reviews once again!

That's a very interesting observation about the names on the Sunset Room menu! And it's nice to see more unique options like bison being added - there's so many other foods out there besides beef, chicken, pork, and fish of the day.

I'm sure you'll have an awesome time at the Boardwalk - the whole Epcot resort area has such a pleasant atmosphere and some great food options (even if there isn't a traditional food court for quick service). And hopefully you'll end up running into Brenda at CRT! I'm sure it would be very cool to meet DISers that we know from trip and dining reports.

All is forgiven since it was the Brown Derby that replaced your Saana lunch.

Seriously, HBD is our favorite park restaurant too and the bison looked very tasty. I was looking at your copy of the menu trying to figure out if they had removed one of their entrees to replace it with the bison, but it looks like the bison is just an addition.

The cobbler is probably the only dessert we haven't tried at HBD and after seeing it I must try it. Looks so very good. Cobbler is a favorite of DH's, but I can't seem to get away from the grapefruit cake.

I have fond memories of Seashore Sweets from the last time we stayed at the Boardwalk, which was May 2011. It was always cool and never very crowded. DH and DS got treats there every evening.

Here's hoping Saana makes your list for next trip.

Agreed - the bison was a great addition to the menu, and the dish was delicious (I want those croquettes right now ). I highly recommend trying the cobbler eventually (or if you're torn between that and the grapefruit cake, get both! ).

I'm definitely planning on including Sanaa next time.

Thanks for the HBD review - we used to go every trip until they maddenly eliminated the lunch menu...just not looking to spend $$$ for lunch. We did do dinner last December on an EMH night and enjoyed our meal (I seem to recall that I had a lamb dish)...it's nice to schedule a meal at HBD on an EMH night so you don't have to eat so early - we can do Fantasmic and then have dinner. Plus the Derby has one of the better beer selections at WDW.

It's kind of strange that Disney has streamlined all the menus at Hollywood Studios (every à la carte restaurant there now features a combined menu). I wonder if they're hoping to do the same thing at the other park and resort restaurants. Brown Derby still has a fairly priced lunch option (if you order the Cobb salad as your entree), but other light lunch choices would be nice. Having dinner at Brown Derby on an EMH night is a great idea!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

After my stop at the Boardwalk, I walked over to Epcot and made my way around World Showcase. There were a few sweet treats I was hoping to try. One of them is on the Tutto Italia dessert menu, so I went into Tutto Gusto to order it.

There's one thing I quickly noticed upon my arrival at Tutto Gusto - since May, the prices have gone up. The cost of one meat or cheese is now $9 instead of $8; the cost of a plate of three meats/cheeses is now $15 instead of $14. Desserts at Tutto Gusto are now $9 instead of $8, and my dessert (which is on the Tutto Italia menu) is now $13 instead of $12 (in fact, the online WDW menu lists it as $9 ). Many other dishes also increased in price. The bottom line: Tutto Italia strikes me as very overpriced (even compared to other Disney restaurants), and while Tutto Gusto might be a better value in comparison, that may not last long.

But enough of that - I ordered the ricotta di pecora con insalata di fragole e miele ai fiori: sheep's milk ricotta and savoiardi biscuits, served with strawberry salad.

I thought this was delicious. The ricotta was creamy, but it had a smoother texture than I expected. As such, the end result was somewhat similar to a yogurt parfait, but with an extremely subtle note of savoriness from the ricotta. The savoiardi biscuits were soft and added a different texture, while the honey on top perfectly complemented the other flavors. I've wanted to try this dessert ever since I first saw menus including it (before Tutto Italia even reopened), and I'm happy I tried it.

I also went to Karamell-Küche to try a relatively new snack that sounded interesting: dark chocolate & caramel covered grapes. This snack includes 5 grapes on a skewer that have been covered with chocolate and caramel.

This wasn't my favorite snack. While the flavor combinations were unique, the ingredient ratios were off. With less chocolate (or more grape), I think I would've liked it better. On the bright side, the grapes were surprisingly cold and juicy.

On this trip, the snacks were hit-or-miss. However, there were some highlights: the strawberry & ricotta dessert at Tutto (this isn't really a snack), the strawberry soft serve at Seashore Sweets, and the carrot cake cookie sample (the more I think about it, the more I want to order a whole one ). WDW snack sampling is always a fun part of the trip, and I'm looking forward to learning about new snacks as they're created.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Speaking of new snacks, check out this fun creation. This looks like one of the cutest cupcakes in Disney World, and look at all that frosting!

 

[jabead]

But enough of that - I ordered the ricotta di pecora con insalata di fragole e miele ai fiori: sheep's milk ricotta and savoiardi biscuits, served with strawberry salad.

I thought this was delicious. The ricotta was creamy, but it had a smoother texture than I expected. As such, the end result was somewhat similar to a yogurt parfait, but with an extremely subtle note of savoriness from the ricotta. The savoiardi biscuits were soft and added a different texture, while the honey on top perfectly complemented the other flavors. I've wanted to try this dessert ever since I first saw menus including it (before Tutto Italia even reopened), and I'm happy I tried it.

Now that looks like a great dessert! I wish I would have gotten that instead of that nasty $12 Hazelnut Polenta cake.

So what's for dinner tonight, Donald??? I've imagined this scenario...Narcoossee's is overbooked for the night, manager calls your mom to see if the next night might work, and since it won't he offers a comped meal at the Grand Floridian Cafe. How's that for imagination?

 

[emmysmommy]

The strawberry ricotta dessert from Tutto Gusto looks lovely!! Not sure if it is a"light" dessert or if it would be good to share but between all of our ADRs and my vow to try some libations at the BW pool I'm going to have a hard time squeezing in some snacks.

I loved the photo taken while you were eating your strawberry soft serve - makes me excited and anticipate 17 more days from now....

Chocolate/caramel grapes - not sure I would try that.... but that sundae cupcake from the blog - bring that on!!!

I'm out of guesses for dinner since you've confirmed it wasn't the pizza window and likely not Red Lobster on International Drive. I'll hang in there a little longer.

 

[emmysmommy]

Too bad you weren't going to be there at the end of August because I would certainly join you and emmysmommy at Kona for a round of macadamia pineapple pancakes! But Brenda mentioned that she and I both have breakfast at CRT on the same day so hopefully I'll get to meet her! Great reviews once again!

YES! Look for us - our ADR is 8:35am I believe. We may not look too chipper and happy since it will be our travel home day!

 

[BlovesC]

That tutto dessert is gorgeous and looks like a perfect summer choice. I'm not so sure about those grapes though! I love browsing at Karamel Kuche and I LOVE the smells in there, but the few things I've tried have been majorly disappointing. Probably won't stop me from going in there though!

And add me to the list of folks who has never, nor will ever, try a turkey leg. I don't like dark meat or skin, I don't like meat on the bone, and I don't like anything that messy. I LOVE those turkey leg crispy treats though! Those are right up my alley!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Your lunch at HBD looks fantastic! I would love to try that Bison dish, but I doubt I'll make it there before a menu change. So for now I'll just have to drool over your pictures.

The chocolate covered grape snack at Karamell-Küche looks interesting. I would be curious to try it.

Thanks for the pic of the 'Por favor, manténgase alejado de mi café' mug. I have to have it! Now I know what souvenir I'm on the lookout for next trip!

 

[Lisa29]

Oh my, where have I been???!!! I am 21 pages behind!

Off to catch up now!

 

[MrsB1228]

Your "snack" from Tutto Gusto looks amazing and totally something I'd order as well. I love fruit-based desserts, especially when they're centered around either strawberry or apple.

The new cupcake at Main St. bakery is adorable but the picture makes my teeth hurt. The cupcakes are always so tempting, but I can never finish one before the cloying sweetness gets to me.

 

[PirateRachel]

I had a great time reading your reviews!! you make the food sound so enjoyable!!! my daughter is becoming quite the foodie and will try anything, my son...not so much. One of these times, I'll do just a mom and daughter trip so we can try more signature places, that would be so awesome and yum

 

[sushi candy]

That strawberry dessert looks amazing. As for the Karamel Kuche snack, in my head grapes and chocolate don't go together. Maybe I will need to try it myself.

 

[SweetSpot]

I wondered how the chocolate covered grapes would taste and your description was exactly what I expected. I appreciate you reviewing this because it's so different I might have been tempted to give it a try.

I really enjoy you dining reviews and beautiful pictures. Like most everyone on this board I also believed you must be a well traveled older man based on the maturity of your reviews and writing. I have a son you age, also in University in Philadelphia who definitely doesn't have a well rounded, experience or adventurous palate like you. He lives on ramen, pizza, fast food, homemade vacuum sealed meals and mostly food trucks. I would love if he would experiment more, hopefully when he's older.

For some reason I can't imagine the food trucks being something you would frequent, although they have really improved in the last couple years.

I think I get almost as excited as you do that you are going back again soon. I'm really looking forward to your next dining report.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Now that looks like a great dessert! I wish I would have gotten that instead of that nasty $12 Hazelnut Polenta cake.

So what's for dinner tonight, Donald??? I've imagined this scenario...Narcoossee's is overbooked for the night, manager calls your mom to see if the next night might work, and since it won't he offers a comped meal at the Grand Floridian Cafe. How's that for imagination?

The restaurant is right, but you'll see the reason in the next update (which isn't dinner yet). Sadly the real reason for changing isn't that interesting.

The strawberry ricotta dessert from Tutto Gusto looks lovely!! Not sure if it is a"light" dessert or if it would be good to share but between all of our ADRs and my vow to try some libations at the BW pool I'm going to have a hard time squeezing in some snacks.

I loved the photo taken while you were eating your strawberry soft serve - makes me excited and anticipate 17 more days from now....

Chocolate/caramel grapes - not sure I would try that.... but that sundae cupcake from the blog - bring that on!!!

I'm out of guesses for dinner since you've confirmed it wasn't the pizza window and likely not Red Lobster on International Drive. I'll hang in there a little longer.

The secret's officially out - dinner was at Grand Floridian Cafe. It's going to be a jaw-dropping review, I promise.

I think the Tutto dessert was relatively light (much easier to finish than a Starring Rolls or Boardwalk Bakery cupcake), but it still might be worth sharing (especially if you want to get a bunch of other snacks around the world). The grapes...eh. You might as well get something that's pure chocolate/caramel - the grapes themselves were my favorite part, but were sadly the least prominent.

As for that cupcake, it's one of the best-looking cupcakes I've seen in a while, and it looks like a reasonable portion! The only part that might be "too much" is the frosting, which wouldn't be too hard to scrape off.

That tutto dessert is gorgeous and looks like a perfect summer choice. I'm not so sure about those grapes though! I love browsing at Karamel Kuche and I LOVE the smells in there, but the few things I've tried have been majorly disappointing. Probably won't stop me from going in there though!

And add me to the list of folks who has never, nor will ever, try a turkey leg. I don't like dark meat or skin, I don't like meat on the bone, and I don't like anything that messy. I LOVE those turkey leg crispy treats though! Those are right up my alley!

I've had some good treats from Karamell-Küche (the chocolate & caramel covered strawberry, and the dark chocolate sea salt caramel). However, it hasn't really become a top spot for me. My favorite traditional snacks in World Showcase are still the rice cream in Norway and a sugar crêpe in France. That Tutto dessert was great though - the flavors were great together.

I'm sure I'd enjoy a turkey leg rice krispie treat a lot more than an actual turkey leg. But if I ever get another rice krispie treat in Disney, I think I'd prefer a classic Mickey-shaped one (maybe dipped in chocolate).

Your lunch at HBD looks fantastic! I would love to try that Bison dish, but I doubt I'll make it there before a menu change. So for now I'll just have to drool over your pictures.

The chocolate covered grape snack at Karamell-Küche looks interesting. I would be curious to try it.

Thanks for the pic of the 'Por favor, manténgase alejado de mi café' mug. I have to have it! Now I know what souvenir I'm on the lookout for next trip!

I'm sure that Brown Derby will still offer some incredible dishes by your next trip (even if bison isn't one of them). As long as the menu changes continue in a positive direction, I think you'd love the food there.

Oh my, where have I been???!!! I am 21 pages behind!

Off to catch up now!

Don't worry - there's time to catch up before the big finale!

Your "snack" from Tutto Gusto looks amazing and totally something I'd order as well. I love fruit-based desserts, especially when they're centered around either strawberry or apple.

The new cupcake at Main St. bakery is adorable but the picture makes my teeth hurt. The cupcakes are always so tempting, but I can never finish one before the cloying sweetness gets to me.

The strawberry and ricotta dessert at Tutto Gusto was great! Since you like strawberry desserts, I'd recommend it.

Regarding that cupcake: normally, I agree with you about Disney cupcakes. The reason why this one stands out (besides the adorable decorations) is that it's much smaller than one of the monsters at Starring Rolls, Kusafiri Bakery, Boardwalk Bakery, or Contempo! I assume that I'd really enjoy this cupcake (after scraping off some frosting ).

 

[emmysmommy]

Aha! Now that I know WHERE... let's get the show on the road Mr. DDW.

Hmmm.... this is going to be good, I can tell. I'm particularly interested since we have a dinner at GFC and I have considered switching the dinner for a lunch since I may prefer the lunch menu better. I'll hold any judgement until after I have seen your review. Regardless, I don't think this will be any ordinary GFC review.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I had a great time reading your reviews!! you make the food sound so enjoyable!!! my daughter is becoming quite the foodie and will try anything, my son...not so much. One of these times, I'll do just a mom and daughter trip so we can try more signature places, that would be so awesome and yum

Hopefully you and your daughter will get a chance to try some of the exciting food options at signature restaurants! There are also quite a few non-signatures that might be worth a visit (such as Sanaa, Kouzzina, and some restaurants in World Showcase).

That strawberry dessert looks amazing. As for the Karamel Kuche snack, in my head grapes and chocolate don't go together. Maybe I will need to try it myself.

Sadly, I also don't know if grapes and chocolate go together well - I tasted a lot of chocolate, but not a lot of grape. As for strawberries, ricotta, and honey, I can say that they definitely go together.

I wondered how the chocolate covered grapes would taste and your description was exactly what I expected. I appreciate you reviewing this because it's so different I might have been tempted to give it a try.

I really enjoy you dining reviews and beautiful pictures. Like most everyone on this board I also believed you must be a well traveled older man based on the maturity of your reviews and writing. I have a son you age, also in University in Philadelphia who definitely doesn't have a well rounded, experience or adventurous palate like you. He lives on ramen, pizza, fast food, homemade vacuum sealed meals and mostly food trucks. I would love if he would experiment more, hopefully when he's older.

For some reason I can't imagine the food trucks being something you would frequent, although they have really improved in the last couple years.

I think I get almost as excited as you do that you are going back again soon. I'm really looking forward to your next dining report.

Don't worry - your son sounds like a much more typical college student than me. Most of my peers don't care nearly as much about food as I do.

Honestly, I really enjoy a lot of the nearby food trucks. I don't go to them often, but many of them offer fantastic food - some of my favorites offer dishes from Mexico, Korea, Vietnam, France, Sweden, or Tunisia (another great food truck serves only vegetarian food, like awesome falafel sandwiches). There's a ton of good food in Philly, and some of it is impressively cheap - Wawa, for example, is a pretty good value for a midnight coffee/sandwich run. For the most part, I eat dining hall food, but it's really nice to escape from my routine and enjoy a unique food truck or restaurant.

I'm so glad that you're enjoying the reviews - I'm looking forward to writing another round of them.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Aha! Now that I know WHERE... let's get the show on the road Mr. DDW.

Hmmm.... this is going to be good, I can tell. I'm particularly interested since we have a dinner at GFC and I have considered switching the dinner for a lunch since I may prefer the lunch menu better. I'll hold any judgement until after I have seen your review. Regardless, I don't think this will be any ordinary GFC review.

Tough call - one of the standout dishes is on both the lunch and dinner menus. I think this review will be surprising in quite a few ways.