What Do You Mean It's Time To Eat Again? A DxDDP Pictorial Upd. 11/1 Chefs de France!

[Krissalee]

So glad you are back! I was missing your reviews - looking forward to the rest!

 

[TigerKat]

I was looking forward to Narcoossee's next month until I heard a rumor that lobster is coming off the menu....

 

[keelyhealthnut]

Whew, I just read from pages 1 to 10! You got some great pictures and really amazing looking food. I have really enjoyed your descriptions of how the food tasted.

 

[scotas]

I ate there a few weeks ago and it was incredible. While waiting one person in our party saw a dish come out that looked incredible, so he asked the chef what it was. After that She kept calling us over to show us different dishes, and gave us her recommendations. It made our night, and I think she liked the compliments too.

 

[ChelleinNC]

I don't even know where to start Wow! It all looked incredible, love sea salt, salads looked wonderful, cheese plate, filet, lobster and the desserts

It all looked incredible

 

[kelleigh1]

We love, love, loved Narcoossee's!

 

[wdwfanatic316]

I just read the whole thread beginning to end. Great reviews and descriptions! I made ADRs for Tutto Italia for our Nov trip too, based on your excellent review! I can't wait!

 

[TPCShauna]

I really enjoyed the Narcoosee's review. We are dining here the first night of our trip so I've been loving reviews of the restaurant. Your experience sounds lovely.

TigerKat - What is this you say of the lobster disappearing? I've not seen that.

 

[TigerKat]

I really enjoyed the Narcoosee's review. We are dining here the first night of our trip so I've been loving reviews of the restaurant. Your experience sounds lovely.

TigerKat - What is this you say of the lobster disappearing? I've not seen that.

There was a thread last week about Capt. Jacks removing the lobster tails from their menu and someone posted that there was a "rumor" of the same thing happening soon at Narcoossee's....

 

[suzimar57]

we love love love narcoosees!

especially that almond crusted cheesecake!!

 

[Nicole721]

Ack! I'm so sorry about the lack of updates lately! I've just been soooo super busy.

Chef Mickey's will be up tonight...I promise

 

[Nicole721]

Day 6: An Early Morning Breakfast with Mickey and Friends!

The title of this post is a bit deceiving...it should read "How to Get Two 20-somethings Out of Bed at 6:30 am While on Vacation." Or, "How to get Nicole721's DSis to Dislike Chef Mickey's."

Really...the luck we felt when we got an ADR at such short notice during such large crowds dissipated when we had to get up at 6:30 to make our 7:20 ADR. DM was supposed to join us, but she just could not get up and DGM? Good luck getting her out of bed before 7 am.

So, DSis and I headed to Chef Mickey's, DSis in what looked like her pyjamas (but, were, in actually, her normal college student wear) and me looking like I was starring in my own personal version of "Night of the Living Dead."

The monorails, again, were NOT our friend. Because it was so early, monorails were few and far between. One (not the express one) even skipped the GF! So, needless to say, we were late for our ADR...again. We left our room at the GF at 6:55, we didn't make it to the Contemporary around 7:30. If there were a walkway, I'm sure I could have walked quicker (or, if it were allowed, swam across Bay Lake...but I didn't want to offend Minnie Mouse by smelling like I went surface diving in a sewer).

We made our way to Chef Mickey's and it was a ZOO. Who are these people and how do they function on no caffeine at 7:30 in the morning? We declined to have our pictures taken (we bought the package when we all dined there in May so we really didn't need pictures of DSis and I before we were fully caffeinated) and were seated rather quickly. And one thing made me happier than my first sight of the castle or of SSE when we first arrived:

A coffee carafe sitting on the table waiting for me, knowing I would need it. Our server quickly came over and took our "other" drink orders (OJ for DSis, milk for me). I can't say much about our server. She was cold and distant (a fact that was highlighted by such a loud, happy, vibrant area) and barely talked to us...that is...until she gave us the check and it came time for us to leave her a tip.

DSis went to go get some grub. I did a round with the camera before grabbing any food. The characters came through rather quickly. We'd done this experience before and it was 7:30 in the morning (which was really 6:30 if we were home) and we had done so much character dining that we didn't really spend much time with the characters. We took some pics with Donald and Minnie and greeted the other ones, but we didn't really care for the meeting them aspect so we let them go to tables where little kids were waiting with baited breath and autograph books in hand.

The food at Chef Mickeys? It was alright. It was no where near as good as the food at 1900 Park Fare, but I doubt 1900PF has the turnover and yield of patrons that CM has, so some allowances have to be made. I didn't care for CM when we had dinner there in May, but we also had a screaming toddler at the table next to us for almost two hours then. But the food was alright. Some of it was really good (like the challah french toast) some of it was just good (the pancakes fresh off the griddle, crispy bacon, and fresh and ripe fruit) and some of it was just plain disappointing (the breakfast pizzas- both the PBJ one and the egg/sausage one, the Mickey waffles were really dry). I didn't get a chance to try the blintzes and I really wish I did (they even had their own station!), but those would have likely disappointed me, too (I live near some really amazing Jewish deli's and DGM made some mighty fine blintzes in her time).

Oh, yeah...the reason most of you read this: the food pics

Sometime in the middle of breakfast, DSis and I began debating whether or not the windows in the room we were dining in were tinted or if we were in for some bad weather that day. It turned out to be both. We left Chef Mickey's full and excited for the day ahead at Epcot (our last one this trip ). DM was still sleeping when we got back so we took DGM to Gaspies for breakfast. When we got back to the room, the weather was badddd. The skies were almost black, DM had a headache, and this was supposed to be, at last, my time in World Showcase. So, DSis and I headed to Epcot, ponchos in hand, praying for a weather respite.

Up Next: Bonjour from Chefs de France!

 

[DLo]

oops I started reading your reviews at the beginning and am just now catching back up. Going to CP for lunch next month. We will have 2 picky eaters - ds10 and disdad - they will both be happy with the chicken fingers so glad you liked those. also going to CM for the first time for b'fast. Picky ds10 just wants the doughnuts. I am afraid I will be disappointed 'cause we usually go to Boma for our last day b'fast buffet. The sacrifices I make for the kids

thanks for taking the time to take pics and post your reviews

 

[mickeysgirl17]

Thanks for the Chef Mickeys review. I'll be having bfst there in December.

 

[Nicole721]

oops I started reading your reviews at the beginning and am just now catching back up. Going to CP for lunch next month. We will have 2 picky eaters - ds10 and disdad - they will both be happy with the chicken fingers so glad you liked those. also going to CM for the first time for b'fast. Picky ds10 just wants the doughnuts. I am afraid I will be disappointed 'cause we usually go to Boma for our last day b'fast buffet. The sacrifices I make for the kids

thanks for taking the time to take pics and post your reviews

I think Chef Mickey's and CP worked well for us because even though the rest of the fam complains about me being the picky one, we're all really picky in our own ways (DSis doesn't eat a lot of red meat, DM is very particular about textures and sauces, I'm just about picky about EVERYTHING LOL)...except for DGM. You can put a plate of almost anything in front of her and she'll eat it. And she does (and has quite the metabolism for an 88-year-old...none of it sticks to her!)

Thanks for the Chef Mickeys review. I'll be having bfst there in December.

I think you'll enjoy


Chefs de France will be up tonight or tomorrow!

 

[RebeccaDreamsDisney]

Looking forward to hearing about Chefs de France! Great reviews BTW!

 

[Nicole721]

Day 6: Bonjour from Chefs de France!

By the time we got to Epcot, it was raining Minnie's and Mickey's. It was bad (and we say this as Chicagoans who face crazy windy snow and rain). The last time we visited in August (way back in 2001), it would rain intensely for about an hour and then let up. No such luck here. It was our last day in Epcot...finally my day to visit WS...and we were stuck in a flipping monsoon! And, we were stuck in ponchos for the day. Nothing feels worse in 90-degree heat than a sticky, sweaty, wet poncho sticking to your skin. And I thought maybe this would lessen the heavy crowds we had faced all week (and maybe we'd be able to get on TT or Soarin' without an hour in line) but no such luck...everyone was just as crazy as we are.

Originally, DM told us that she and DGM would probably skip lunch with us because it would take too long to get DGM ready for the rain and get to Epcot and get to France. I was kind of upset because this whole lunc h was for DM (she studied French for a long time and has never been able to travel to France...she loved CdF when we visited in May) but all this treading through the rain was making me hungry so DSis and I treaded our way to France (and BTW? Crocs? They do nothing to help prevent slipping on wet surfaces if they get wet on the inside, too. We learned this the notsofun way).

I was ecstatic when we finally approached Chefs de France, not because I was famished or because I was looking forward to a good meal, but because it meant an hour out of the Poncho of Doom. We had an early ADR (12:30) and we were suprised to see we were not only the first group eating, but that our section of the restaurant (the part facing the rest of the France pavilion) was rather busy. The rest of the restaurant was empty, but it filled up as the meal progressed.

The service at CdF was particularly slow. Our server was nice, but there was a family visiting from France seated at the table next to us who was not on the DDP and who had racked up quite a bill and she spent most of her time talking with them. She offered to refill our drinks (which, btw, at CdF, is only soft drinks and I think coffee/tea on the DDP...no Evian for moi) once...right as she was bringing the bill and as they had been empty for quite a while. So she was nice, but rather flighty and unattentive which disappointed me, as we like to chat with the servers, especially at the WS restaurants.

After we ordered our drinks (iced tea for me, diet coke for DSis), we were presented with a crusty roll and butter and our orders were taken. Of course, as we placed our orders, DM called me to ask me how to get to France because she and DGM were in Epcot Surprise! It was a bit too late at that point, a disappointment to all, and DM and DGM decided to eat at the Electric Umbrella instead (which ended up pleasing DM to no end, as all trip all she asked was if we could make stops at the Electric Umbrella and Cosmic Rays...I offer her Narcoossees, Chefs de France, and Le Cellier and she wants Cosmic Rays ).

For her starter, DSis started with Soupe a l'oignon gratinee (classic onion soup topped with Gruyère cheese) because she really enjoyed it when we had visted in May. She thought it was a bit too salty this time. I tasted it and LOVED it, but I like my food salty.

I really enjoyed the cheese platter the last time we visited, but I was intrigued by the flatbreads, so I tried the tomate et fromage de chèvre(Tomato and goat cheese). It looked really big and kind of daunting for a starter, but it was rather light. The crust was really thin (almost paper thin) and the sauce was suprisingly light. My only complaint is that the goat cheese didn't have a more prominent flavor. I love goat cheese. I cook with it often at home (nothing hits the spot like a homemade white pizza with lots-o-goat cheese) and I was really craving a heavier taste. Still, the flatbread was more than enough for a family of four to share as a starter. DSis and I couldn't finish it.

DSis had the Croque monsieur et sa salade verte (classic French toasted ham and cheese sandwich with a green salad) and thought it was alright. The cheese wasn't so much melty and gooey as much as it was kind of jelled. She thought the salad was a nice touch. And aside from the cheese (which was probably not so melty and gooey because our server was chatting with the table next to us and our food didn't get to us straight out of the kitchen), she thought the texture of the sandwich was otherwise nice (the crisp toast with the soft ham...and chewy cheese).

I had the Steack hache Angus, champignons et Bearnaise, salade ou frites (1/2 lb. Angus hamburger with confit onions, mushroom duxelle, tomatoes, and Bearnaise on on a brioche, salad or french fries), minus the tomatoes of course. The day before we left on this trip, I had some really amazing bearnaise sliders at this hip brewery back home and these really gave them a run for their money. The onions and mushrooms were kind of ground up into a smooth, buttery paste. My burger was cooked perfectly, and I appreciated the little cup of bernaise on the side for dipping my salty fries in (they were perfectly salted by the chef...no extra salting needed). I thought the presentation was pretty nice, too.

DSis wasn't all that hungry for dessert (and neither was I, really) and since we both had the Creme Brulee in May, we decided to both get different desserts. She got the Profiteroles and they were BIG. The ice cream had a heavy vanilla note, which matched well with the rich chocolate sauce.

I had the Croustillant feuillantine, douceur au chocolat, glace noix de coco, tartare de banane (Crispy cake with chocolate milk mousse, coconut ice cream and bananas marinated in rum and lemon juice). Now, I don't like coconut and I don't like bananas, but the crispy cake sounded intriguing. Lucky for me, everything was plated a la Nicole (aka nothing touched). The cake was delicious. It was crispy and smooth at the same time...a juxtiposition I enjoyed. I took a tiny taste of the coconut ice cream and was pleased that it didn't really taste like coconut and was rather tasty with the raspberry sauce and some of the white chocolate shavings. I left the bananas for DSis.

It took awhile to get our check and when we left, we met up with DM and DGM, who were both wanting a taste of France, so we headed to the Patisserie.

Up Next: How Do You Say "Does This Count As A Snack Credit in French?"

 

[razzzbere]

Loving your reviews! Thanks!

 

[SnwflkCts]

Wonderful reviews.

I am giggling over the "poncho of doom" - I understand the feeling!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Ugh. The poncho of doom! Well, at least you made the best of it. Your lunch pictures from Chefs look yummy! I always think of it as a "fancy food" kind of place and thus never really try it as a picky eater... but everything you guys got looks so good. I'll have to put this on the list. Sorry DM and DGM didn't get to experience it.