Fantasia Sam
I've been here so much longer!
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2000
This is a full foody report of our land based part of our vacation. We went on the Wonder for 4-nights towards the end of our holiday but that will be covered in a separate report.
Now I should add here that Paul (my DBF) and I love to eat and therefore I spend months planning our vacation around where exactly were going to eat. This is so hard to do as there are always favourite restaurants that we want to go back to but we also want to try new ones ::sigh::. The other thing with us is that we have no qualms about eating 3 times a day whatever the size of the meal
!!!WHERE WE ATE:
Breakfasts
Cape May Café
Spoodles
Crystal Palace
Donalds Breakfastaurus
Lunch
Tonys Town Square
Beaches and Cream
Chefs De France
Liberty Inn
Tangierine Café
Margaritaville - Universal
Pecos Bills
Ghiradellis
Dinner
Beaches and Cream
Ohana
California Grill
Fultons
Liberty Tree Tavern
Cape May Café Clam Bake
Hollywood Brown Derby
Spoodles
Flying Fish
Concourse Steakhouse
Arrival Day Thursday 8th May
Paul had managed to accumulate a lot of miles so we decided to fly out on British Airways Club Class. We started the flight off with Champagne aperitifs, I had a Kir Royale and Paul just stuck to the Champagne. We both had the Prawn and Crab cocktail to start and then Paul had the Grilled fillet of beef (look for the beef trend this sets for Paul) with tarragon butter, wilted spinach, sautéed mushrooms ( I got these as hes not so keen on mushrooms) and potatoes fondants. I had the four cheese ravioli with pesto cream sauce, wilted baby spinach and Buffalo Mozzarella cheese I felt like something different and it was wonderful Im a sucker with anything that has Pesto in it. I finished with Cheese and Port and Paul went for the Summer pudding with Mascarpone cream. This set us up just right for the holiday.
We were pretty tired by the time we arrived at the resort after our long flight so decided not to head into a park and that way we wouldnt have to buy Pauls Annual Pass until the next day, so we figured wed stop by Beaches and Cream as it was only next door. It was about 7.30pm and it was pretty busy but we managed to get a couple of seats at the counter. We ordered 2 cokes and set about trying to decide what to eat. We both had a burger each with fries and a side of Onion rings between us. The onion rings are great here, as you can take a bite of one without all the onion coming out at once. Burgers were nice and theyre pretty good but still not as good as Pecos Bills in our opinion.
Friday 9th May
We went across to the RipTide in the Beach Club Lobby to get a snack breakfast. A snack breakfast usually includes for Paul; a Blueberry Muffing, OJ and Coffee; and for myself; Chocolate milk and a Danish. At the RipTide you can get your coffee mugs refilled at breakfast and they have a selection of fresh muffins, Danish and bagels. There are toasters available to toast those bagels should you so desire. Fresh milks of different varieties and OJ is also available and possibly cereal if my memory serves me correctly.
For lunch we headed to the MK specifically for our PS at Tonys Town Square. This was a new restaurant for us. When we arrived we were asked to take a seat and wait to be called. Well I have to say that the girl that called us could hardly muster any motivation at all. She was so quietly spoken even when she was shouting her attentione attentione We hoped that she was covering for someone who was sick. Anyway we were taken to our table which was in the main dining room area you can ask to sit in the conservatory area if you wish. Sodas were ordered straight away and then we decided on what to eat. Once we ordered some fresh focacia bread was placed on the table with cold Marinara dipping sauce. This sauce was one of the best Ive ever tasted, I think it had parmesan cheese in it as well. Paul ordered the Panini con Pollo (grilled chicken, smoked bacon and cheese served in focacia bread) and I ordered Tonys Pizza (smoked chicken, caramelized onions, fontina, spinach and red pepper sauce) we shared both and they were really nice. They were good portions so what with the complimentary bread we were quite thankful that we hadnt ordered the Calamari to start
Aloha cousins, dinner was another first for us as we headed to the Polynesian and Ohana (means family and no-one gets left behind). Shocker!!.... we were not disappointed here. A family style all you can eat. Appetizers are brought to the table first on a lazy susan and consisted of stir fried veggies (nice), Salad with some zingy but sweet honey lime dressing, shrimp and veggie wontons, honey and coriander chicken wings (Paul wished hed left more room to finish these off) and stir-fried rice. Then your server comes along with massive long (3ft) skewers of grilled tiger shrimp, sirloin steak, mesquite seasoned turkey breast and some BBQ pork loin, which have been cooking on a massive fire-pit in the middle of the restaurant. To go with the meats were dipping sauces of Fruit, peanut and BBQ they were all good, I particularly liked the peanut with the turkey breast. Oh and the Banana Bread as well was yummy, fresh and warm. Although we were on our own and we had a lovely window seat there were lots of activities for the kids which were fun to watch. The meal is $23.99 per adult including your sodas and we topped it off with a Coconut Snowball to share($4.99 coconut ice cream rolled in toasted coconut) and what with the fresh complimentary pineapple they bring with hot towels this rounded off the meal perfectly.
Tradewinds Cocktail at 'Ohana - nice start to the meal
The firepit where all the meat is cooked
3ft skewers I kid you not !!
Saturday 10th May
Started off the day with our favourite buffet breakfast Cape May Café at the Beach Club. We love the breakfast foods on offer here and it always looks and tastes so fresh. They also do the best caramelized banana blintzes (I know theyre on the kiddies counter but I cant resist). Having goofy, Chip & Dale and Minnie on show also makes it a great show as well. We ate here 3 times for breakfast over the course of our vacation because we just love it so.
Lunch was taken from around the World showcase at EPCOT. We first split a chicken tender meal at Liberty Inn in USA and then we split a Lamb sandwich at the Tangierine Café in Morocco. Both were great for fast food and the Lamb Sandwich made a pleasant change.
The fireworks were on at MK that evening and I had managed to get a PS at the California Grill. Our PS was for 7.45 and we arrived just about 7.15, I asked for a seat by the window and if they couldnt accommodate us then wed go into the Wine Room. We went and sat in the Lounge Bar area and ordered a couple of drinks whilst we waited. I went out onto one of the balconies and got some great shots of the MK, ferry boat and Grand Floridian. Just before 8.00 we were buzzed and were taken to our table which was by the window with the most magnificent view over the MK I couldnt believe how lucky we were. Raub (pronounced Rob) was our server and he was so courteous and attentive but not too attentive. He went through the menu with us tempting us with items that we werent really interested in but from his description we soon changed our minds. We decided to start with the Sushi Sampler Paul to try it for the first time and me to be a little more adventurous than my usual California Rolls. I left the cooked and California roll type sushi to Paul but he still wasnt that keen I loved mine and cant way to try more sushi. We then split a flatbread of BBQ Pork and Coleslaw which was different and very tasty. I was going to have the pork tenderloin or the filet minion but Raub had described the Mahi-Mahi so wonderfully I couldnt resist and it was the best entrée I had all vacation. It was pan-fried on a bed of grilled corn salad with roasted potatoes, smoked onions and pancetta. The Mahi-mahi was cooked perfectly and I didnt leave a morsel. Paul had the center cut beef filet which he said was very, very good and to cut into it was like cutting butter. Now of course we had dessert Trio of crème brulee for myself (butterscotch, vanilla & orange) and the Hazlenut-Chocolate crunch pyramid with hazelnut ice-cream for Paul, very sickly but incredibly moreish. The fireworks went off at 9.30 and it was the most wonderful thing being able to see them from our seats and not having to move. All in all it felt like such an occasion, California Grill has yet to disappoint me and I hope it never will
showing off our desserts at California Grill
Sunday 11th May
After all the feasting the the day before we settled for a snack breakfast and then headed out to Universal Studios for the day.
Lunch was taken at Margaritaville in CityWalk a Bacon Cheeseburger for Paul and Triple Decker Club Sandwich for me both served with fries and they were very good too. Would like to go back here and try some of the other things on the menu sometime but these days I get so caught up in WDW I forget theres life outside it.
We had decided on Fultons at Pleasure Island for dinner. It was Mothers Day and I thought it was a nice touch that every woman dining that night received a carnation. We sat in a very, very quiet bar whilst waiting for our table. Once upstairs it became a little more hustle and bustle. Hard decisions faced us again. I started with Shrimp in the Raw which consisted of over a dozen fresh jumbo shrimp I love to peel them myself. Paul went for the Fried Calamari and said it was the best hed ever tasted he swears he could taste the sea in them they were so fresh and plenty of them too, we could have split the Calamari in all reality but our eyes really are bigger than our bellies LOL. Well I splashed out on the entrée and went for the Cut Alaska King Claws so tender and sweet served with red skinned potatoes. Paul had the Ribeye with Jumbo Shrimp. How we managed to finish these Ill never know but needless to say no dessert for us. I never understand how this restaurant gets panned so much, this is the second time we have eaten here and we really enjoy just how simple they serve the seafood.
Part Two here
Sounds good though - so I gotta fix that 
