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

[DonaldDoleWhip]

This is the last update before dinner at Grand Floridian Cafe. I can hardly contain myself, as the GFC update has been the one that I'm most excited about. For now, here's some context about how our dinner plans changed.

After my trip around World Showcase, I walked over to Beach Club, took a bus to MK, then walked back to CR (since I was already in World Showcase, I think this is an easier way back to CR than exiting through Future World, since I only had to take 1 bus instead of 2 monorails). I made it back to our room by 4pm. My mom hadn't eaten anything besides a strawberry yogurt, so she asked me to go down to Contempo Cafe to purchase a late lunch for her.

After I called her and told her the menu options (she wanted a salad or flatbread), she chose the chicken, spinach, and artichoke flatbread with tomatoes and basil. I tried a piece and really liked it - the spinach and artichoke component was very much like spinach and artichoke dip, providing a creamy base for the chicken, tomatoes, and basil. The crust was thin and crispy, but not dry or burnt. This was a really good flatbread, and I could've easily eaten much more than a piece.

Now for the bad news - the explanation of why we didn't go to Narcoossee's. My mom has walking issues, and she usually uses a walker while in WDW (she'll only bother with a wheelchair or ECV if she plans on entering a park, since the crowds, heat, and standing at the parks can be overwhelming). Some days are better than others, and this wasn't a good day. The heat outside would only make things worse (and the only way to get to Narcoossee's involves walking outside). Earlier in the day, she had cancelled the Narcoossee's reservation, and fortunately the agent was kind enough to remove the cancellation fee. We really wanted to return to Narcoossee's, and we knew exactly what we wanted to order, but it wasn't meant to be.

I completely understood, and honestly, I would've been happy having dinner from Contempo Cafe (I love their salads and flatbreads). However, my mom still wanted to go somewhere and have a nice final dinner. I went online and found plenty of availability at monorail resort restaurants (including at Kona, Citricos, The Wave, Grand Floridian Cafe, and even Narcoossee's). After letting her look at the menus, she picked GFC, and I made the booking for about 6:20pm.

 

[jabead]

Darn, so no comped meal. But at least it sounds like your dinner at GFC was worth paying for. Can't wait to read all about it!

 

[MrsB1228]

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 ).

That's good to know! That cupcake just might make it onto my "must-try" Disney snack list for September! I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks DDW!

 

[MrsB1228]

Sorry to hear of your Mom's difficulties on your last day. Disney can be a challenge even to those with no mobility issues, as the heat and humidity combined with the long days, long walks and standing in line can be exhausting and very hard on the feet and legs. I'm very happy you had many wonderful options for the last meal of your trip and I'm really looking forward to your review of GFC.

 

[deenbrad]

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.

This looks yummy! Right up my alley!

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.

I can't imagine grapes and chocolate together but they certainly made it look pretty!!

 

[emmysmommy]

Awww... sorry about your mom and it being a tough day. Glad there was plenty of availability for dinner at the monorail hotel restaurants. Anxiously awaiting your review.

I have not seen that chicken spinach/artichoke flatbread on their menu but it could be my inattention. We've had the cheese flatbread but it does not even come close to how lovely that version of the flatbread is that you ordered for your mom. WOW!!! Amazingness on a flatbread.

How's the plan's coming for the August trip?? Are ya coming to play at WDW while some other people (you know who) will be there??? I seem to not be caught up with most reviews lately since I'm at work more and more and on the boards less and less... something's wrong with that!

 

[deenbrad]

Now for the bad news - the explanation of why we didn't go to Narcoossee's. My mom has walking issues, and she usually uses a walker while in WDW (she'll only bother with a wheelchair or ECV if she plans on entering a park, since the crowds, heat, and standing at the parks can be overwhelming). Some days are better than others, and this wasn't a good day. The heat outside would only make things worse (and the only way to get to Narcoossee's involves walking outside). Earlier in the day, she had cancelled the Narcoossee's reservation, and fortunately the agent was kind enough to remove the cancellation fee. We really wanted to return to Narcoossee's, and we knew exactly what we wanted to order, but it wasn't meant to be.

I give your mom lots of credit for all the traveling she does. I know it can't always be easy. Many years ago my mother had a lung transplant and had a stroke while on the operating table. So she woke up able to breathe but not walk. It was extremely difficult for her pride to use the wheelchair, then walker. But the one thing I did get her to do is travel. She never would've gone to WDW but we did go to Vegas a few times and one cruise to the Bahamas. Anyway, I've gotten off track. What I want to say is I'm happy your mom does what she can and that you are there to help her. You are obviously a very good son and I'm sure she appreciates you!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Darn, so no comped meal. But at least it sounds like your dinner at GFC was worth paying for. Can't wait to read all about it!

Yep, I'm really looking forward to writing this review.

That's good to know! That cupcake just might make it onto my "must-try" Disney snack list for September! I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks DDW!

No problem - I have no idea if it tastes good, but it looks a lot more manageable than a typical Disney cupcake.

Sorry to hear of your Mom's difficulties on your last day. Disney can be a challenge even to those with no mobility issues, as the heat and humidity combined with the long days, long walks and standing in line can be exhausting and very hard on the feet and legs. I'm very happy you had many wonderful options for the last meal of your trip and I'm really looking forward to your review of GFC.

It's okay - things definitely worked out, and we enjoyed a lovely meal that we wouldn't have considered otherwise.

This looks yummy! Right up my alley!

I can't imagine grapes and chocolate together but they certainly made it look pretty!!

I'm sure you'd really enjoy the strawberry & ricotta dessert! As for Karamell-Küche, they definitely do an impressive job with presentation. I've yet to see something from there that doesn't look visually appealing (even if I know I probably wouldn't love it, such as their cupcakes ).

Awww... sorry about your mom and it being a tough day. Glad there was plenty of availability for dinner at the monorail hotel restaurants. Anxiously awaiting your review.

I have not seen that chicken spinach/artichoke flatbread on their menu but it could be my inattention. We've had the cheese flatbread but it does not even come close to how lovely that version of the flatbread is that you ordered for your mom. WOW!!! Amazingness on a flatbread.

How's the plan's coming for the August trip?? Are ya coming to play at WDW while some other people (you know who) will be there??? I seem to not be caught up with most reviews lately since I'm at work more and more and on the boards less and less... something's wrong with that!

Sorry to hear that work is taking up more of your time. Sounds like the upcoming vacation will be a true escape. And I'm very excited to share what happened at GFC - it wasn't the original plan, but it definitely worked out (just like that flatbread was a pleasant surprise).

The dates we ended up picking are the 14th to the 20th - hopefully we can work something out.

I give your mom lots of credit for all the traveling she does. I know it can't always be easy. Many years ago my mother had a lung transplant and had a stroke while on the operating table. So she woke up able to breathe but not walk. It was extremely difficult for her pride to use the wheelchair, then walker. But the one thing I did get her to do is travel. She never would've gone to WDW but we did go to Vegas a few times and one cruise to the Bahamas. Anyway, I've gotten off track. What I want to say is I'm happy your mom does what she can and that you are there to help her. You are obviously a very good son and I'm sure she appreciates you!

Thanks so much! Disney World can definitely be a difficult place to travel, but for the friendly CMs and immersive setting, it feels worth it. Traveling anywhere is a great opportunity to forget about the pain, and at least there are good days that alternate with the bad. It was very nice of you to get your mom to travel - I'm sure she really enjoyed seeing those great places.

 

[Tracerr00]

That flatbread looks fantastic!! I love that the "sauce" is very much like artichoke dip. I have a DD that will not eat any red sauces and I ♥ pizza so we have to compromise. We've been trying different pizzas and flatbreads with olive oil or white sauce bases. I think we'd both love that flatbread! So great to have another option!

Sorry to hear that your mother wasn't having such a great day. But things work out sometimes and from what I can tell you two had an excellent final dinner! Can't wait to read the review!

 

[jabead]

Yep, I'm really looking forward to writing this review.

I'm very glad to hear that your mother's bad day will end on a positive note.

The dates we ended up picking are the 14th to the 20th - hopefully we can work something out.

Holy moly!!! That means you will be back at Disney World in less than two weeks! DDW, you just made my day! I've been trying to figure out how to stretch out the last of my reviews for another month, so that I wouldn't have to go through a couple of weeks of withdrawal before the people going in late August (like emmysmommy, GoofySon'sMom, and Tracerr00) started their reviews in September. So it's great news that you will have another round of reviews later this month. Now I only have to stretch out my remaining 4 1/2 reviews over about three weeks.

Hmmm, have you ever considered doing your Dining Reviews live (a la MickeyNicki )???

ADDED NOTE: I just noticed that iloveeeyore is leaving for the World in just two days, so that was more good news! Sounds promising for some new reviews yet this month. Have I missed anyone else leaving soon???

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Hmmm, have you ever considered doing your Dining Reviews live (a la MickeyNicki )???

My first thought when I read this is YES! That would make the week before my trip seem to go by quicker! Then I thought ... NO, it will be too close to our trip to make changes!

Sorry about your Mom not feeling up to Narcoossees! Glad that you were at least able to (I hope) enjoy your last nights meal!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

That flatbread looks fantastic!! I love that the "sauce" is very much like artichoke dip. I have a DD that will not eat any red sauces and I ♥ pizza so we have to compromise. We've been trying different pizzas and flatbreads with olive oil or white sauce bases. I think we'd both love that flatbread! So great to have another option!

Sorry to hear that your mother wasn't having such a great day. But things work out sometimes and from what I can tell you two had an excellent final dinner! Can't wait to read the review!

Sounds like this flatbread would be a great option! I've always enjoyed the unique flatbreads at Contempo (such as the marinated beef flatbread) - this newer one is another enjoyable option on the menu.

It was an excellent meal at GFC - I still can't even believe it.

I'm very glad to hear that your mother's bad day will end on a positive note.

Holy moly!!! That means you will be back at Disney World in less than two weeks! DDW, you just made my day! I've been trying to figure out how to stretch out the last of my reviews for another month, so that I wouldn't have to go through a couple of weeks of withdrawal before the people going in late August (like emmysmommy, GoofySon'sMom, and Tracerr00) started their reviews in September. So it's great news that you will have another round of reviews later this month. Now I only have to stretch out my remaining 4 1/2 reviews over about three weeks.

Hmmm, have you ever considered doing your Dining Reviews live (a la MickeyNicki )???

ADDED NOTE: I just noticed that iloveeeyore is leaving for the World in just two days, so that was more good news! Sounds promising for some new reviews yet this month. Have I missed anyone else leaving soon???

I've wanted to do live reviews in the past, but we've had such bad experiences with WDW wifi that I can never even get the pictures onto photobucket. It's just too slow (if it happens to be working at all). So the report probably won't be live, but hopefully the reviews will begin on the 20th or 21st. It's good to see that a bunch of reports are going to start up in August.

My first thought when I read this is YES! That would make the week before my trip seem to go by quicker! Then I thought ... NO, it will be too close to our trip to make changes!

Sorry about your Mom not feeling up to Narcoossees! Glad that you were at least able to (I hope) enjoy your last nights meal!

I don't think my next set of reviews will lead to many changes, since I might be largely rehashing the same places we enjoyed this time: Jiko, Narcoossee's, Grand Floridian Cafe, etc. Maybe your reviews will influence me before our next-next trip.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

This is it - the review I've been most excited about writing. I still can't believe we ended up eating here out of all the possible options, but as you'll see, it was an incredible evening.

Upon arriving at the podium to check in, we immediately saw the manager who had made our Narcoossee's booking. She's a manager at various GF restaurants, and she asked us why we didn't make it to Narcoossee's (since we were so excited about the idea of returning). Although she was sorry to hear the reason, we still expressed our happiness that we made it somewhere else instead and got to run into her again.

We were seated at a window table with a lovely view of the gardens at Grand Floridian.

Each table is decorated with a fresh rose - such an elegant touch.

Our server was Melissa, and she was very friendly. She brought over some rolls for us to start - Grand Floridian Cafe serves two types of rolls, including sourdough and multigrain. We both really liked the multigrain roll, since the raisins inside were sweet and juicy.

Like at many signature restaurants, the bread came with salted butter - a very nice touch (especially since it complemented the sweet multigrain bread).

For our appetizer, we decided to share the cheese plate. As a result, we received this menu that explained the cheeses in further detail.

From left to right, the cheeses were Truffle Tremor, Reypenaer Gouda, and St. Pete's Select Blue Cheese. The accompaniments (from left to right) were honeycomb, a fig and almond cake, raisins on the vine, and sesame crackers.

The Truffle Tremor was a delicious goat cheese (and I don't normally like goat cheese). I liked how it wasn't too soft, and the goat cheese flavor wasn't overpowering thanks to the slight truffle essence.

As usual, the Gouda was my favorite, since I'm a fan of firm, salty cheeses.

I tried St. Pete's Select, even though I don't like blue cheese. It wasn't my favorite, but I was still able to take a second bite of it. For me, that's progress.

The accompaniments were also delicious, from the sweet, gorgeous honeycomb...

To the chewy (yet crunchy) fig and almond cake. My mom liked it so much that she bought a small fig/almond cake at the supermarket a few days after we got home, and she said GF's was better.

I really liked the raisins as well, and the sesame crackers were a perfectly crunchy vessel for enjoying the cheese with the accompaniments.

Here's one of the first surprises of the evening - I ordered chicken. The dish was pan-seared chicken breast with mushroom risotto, roasted mushrooms, and chicken pan juice. I really enjoyed this dish. The chicken was very moist and wonderfully seasoned - I loved the use of peppercorn on it. Combined with the creamy risotto and savory sauce, this was a very tasty entree.

Another surprise - my mom ordered a burger. But not just any burger - the Grand Floridian Burger. We both had this burger in 2010 (back then it was topped with lobster, asparagus, and hollandaise sauce - we ordered it without the hollandaise). However, they've made some changes (or, as I say, improvements ) to this dish.

The thick, gooey hollandaise sauce (which I don't like on any dish) and the asparagus are out. Now, the angus chuck burger is topped with butter-poached lobster, red onion marmalade, crispy prosciutto, and arugula, all served on a brioche bun.

And here's a better look at the lobster hidden underneath there.

There is a pleasant mix of chips on the side, including potato, other root vegetables, and plantain. In addition, the burger is served with mango ketchup. The chip medley and mango ketchup are also relatively new (they weren't included with the burger we had in 2010).

Wow! My mom let me try some of this, and it was fantastic! The sweet, buttery lobster, tart onions, peppery arugula, and crispy, salty prosciutto were incredible with the beef. I also tried some of the sweet mango ketchup, which added a splash of flavor (and served as a tasty dip for the chips). Finally, the brioche bun. Originally, we both were planning on ignoring the bun, but then I tore off a piece and tried it. Buttery and soft like brioche should be, it was a perfect bun for this burger.

Overall, the food at Grand Floridian Cafe was really good, and it was just another example that there are some great meals to be had at non-signature restaurants. The burger in particular is a standout - an upscale take on a simple, satisfying classic. In fact, right now it's probably my favorite burger in WDW.

We ended up not ordering dessert at GF Cafe. But even without dessert, this meal was a true highlight for us. We had a great time, encountered some great people, and enjoyed some great food.

So what do you think? Did our final dinner live up to your expectations? Were you surprised by some of the dishes we ordered (or the fact that we didn't order dessert)?

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Great review of GFC. Looking forward to our ADR (and that burger) in a couple weeks!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Great review of GFC. Looking forward to our ADR (and that burger) in a couple weeks!

I hope you really enjoy that burger! I'm sure you can tell what I think of it

 

[MickeyNicki]

Once again your stellar reviews have me changing all my plans around lol! So excited that you are going back in such a short time because I have more reviews to read before we go!

As much as I love to do live reviews I love to read them too Since I rarely sleep and my husband loves to sleep the reviews give me something to do when I get sick of watching the top 7 things to do at WDW

Luckily I have never had trouble with the internet, well at the Dolphin I did but never at the WDW resorts, even when I had to pay for it. I too use Photobucket and it can take a few minutes for 50+ pictures to load from my computer to PB.

The GF is a great place for a meal and to me its like a mini signature, just like the Wave dinner. That burger looks incredible, might have to get that!

 

[jabead]

Another surprise - my mom ordered a burger. But not just any burger - the Grand Floridian Burger. We both had this burger in 2010 (back then it was topped with lobster, asparagus, and hollandaise sauce - we ordered it without the hollandaise). However, they've made some changes (or, as I say, improvements ) to this dish.

The thick, gooey hollandaise sauce (which I don't like on any dish) and the asparagus are out. Now, the angus chuck burger is topped with butter-poached lobster, red onion marmalade, crispy prosciutto, and arugula, all served on a brioche bun.

And here's a better look at the lobster hidden underneath there.

There is a pleasant mix of chips on the side, including potato, other root vegetables, and plantain. In addition, the burger is served with mango ketchup. The chip medley and mango ketchup are also relatively new (they weren't included with the burger we had in 2010).

Wow! My mom let me try some of this, and it was fantastic! The sweet, buttery lobster, tart onions, peppery arugula, and crispy, salty prosciutto were incredible with the beef. I also tried some of the sweet mango ketchup, which added a splash of flavor (and served as a tasty dip for the chips). Finally, the brioche bun. Originally, we both were planning on ignoring the bun, but then I tore off a piece and tried it. Buttery and soft like brioche should be, it was a perfect bun for this burger.


So what do you think? Did our final dinner live up to your expectations? Were you surprised by some of the dishes we ordered (or the fact that we didn't order dessert)?

Wow, that burger looks incredible! That might just give the Le Cellier one a run for its money. And those chips...YUM!

You know, I have never eaten at GFC for any meal other than breakfast. I do love their maple-vanilla French toast. But it sure would be a lot easier to get my family there for lunch or dinner than breakfast. Hmm...so now you got me thinking.

Anyway, once again you have another great set of reviews, Donald! Or wait a minute...you don't by chance have a surprise dessert still in store for us??? Now that I think about, it's not at all like you to pass up dessert.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Wow, wow, wow! I have to try that burger! It looks amazing and those chips look like a really great change from what you would normally see. Oh, the 'List' keeps growing by the day! So happy to hear that your last minute restaurant change worked out well.

I noticed a few pages back you mentioned my favorite four letter word...Wawa! That is my coffee spot here at home. Glad you are able to enjoy it while you're at school.

 

[nanienamou]

Wow! That last meal looks amazing.

I'm always puzzled with the honeycomb accompaniment. DH has a coworker who has bees, and brings us fresh honey and honeycombs, but I never now if you must actually eat the wax or not. I never asked because I'm kinda embarrassed...

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

So sorry your mom wasn't feeling her best. Certainly glad that your last meal at GFC was a winner. The lobster burger looks so tasty!

Can't wait to hear what the lineup will be for the next trip. Can you give us a teaser?