XXX Food Porn or Photographer’s view of DxDP-Updated 8/27

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

Earlier this day we made our first trip to DTD and had booked a late lunch at Via Napoli just so we could try it. Again we are not pizza aficionados but love Italian food. I have heard pros and cons about Via Napoli and the pros out weighted the cons. This is a picture that I had taken on a previous night because it looks much better at night than the daytime.

Both of the DD’s decided to split the Fritto Misto - an assortment of just-fried seasonal vegetables, calamari & cheese. Serves 2 people. Arancini, mozzarella, calamari, melanzane, asparagi, zucchini, carciofi,pomodoro piccante sauce. The primary reason for this is that they both love calamari while DW and myself do not, go figure. We all tried all of the other offerings and everything was wonderful.

DW ordered the Prosciutto e Melone - parma ham, cantelope since DD16 rarely shared hers when she ordered it. It was very good.

I ordered the Gamberretti Fagioli - jumbo shrimp, cannellini bean salad, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice. My DW loves cannellini beans and did not understand how she missed this when ordering. This was very light and refreshing.

In the mean time we were also brought bread and Olive Oil.

Since we again ordered 3 pizzas DW ordered a salad Pollo - chopped romaine, chicken, cucumber, peppers, toasted almonds, canteloupe, honey-citrus vinaigrette. It was good but just a chicken salad. She was thankful for our pizza that we shared.

DD10 ordered the Margherita - tomato, mozzarella, basil. It was very good though she complained that some of the crust was slightly burnt. I thought it was delicious.

DD16 ordered the Quattro Stagioni - eggplant, artichokes, prosciutto, mushrooms. I have to say that the prosciutto had a wonderful taste to it.

I ordered the Carciofi Pizza, artichoke,pecorino, mozzarella, truffle oil which is not on any menu that I read before the trip. This was very rich but the taste was amazing.

For dessert our waiter recommended the Tiramisu - Mascarpone cream, espresso coffee, lady fingers, and chocolate. He said that he would sneak back to the kitchen and grab taste before they washed the pans. DD16 listened and went for this.

DD10 again ordered the Chocolate Gelato. Can you say happy.

DD10 and Gabriele

DW and I did not listen to Gabriele and went with the Zeppole di Ricotta - Ricotta cheese fritters, served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. We both thought that they would be wonderful. They were good but not as good as expected and could not taste the ricotta. The Tiramisu was much better.

All and all we enjoyed our lunch here and would return again. On the way out I grabbed a shot of the three pizza ovens.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Thank you so much for posting a pic of the carciofi! I loved it last summer but thought it had been removed from the menu.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

I am in awe of your photos and reviews! Amazing! I am so looking forward to my trip because I am going to several of these restaurants.

 

[rachel09985]

I completely agree about the zeppole! They were okay but nothing special. I tried the Aranciati Sundae and that was surprisingly really good!

 

[Krissalee]

I just sat at my computer and devoured all your reviews! Thanks so much - and I like your photographs.

So many great meals and I look forward to reading the rest.

I also have to say how impressed I am with your two DDs. I read so many dining reviews where the teens, tweens, and kids will only eat pizza, fries, burgers, and chicken strips. Both your DDs seem up to trying new things, and I find that to be fabulous!

 

[lynn46356]

I can't help but join in with everyone else in saying that your reviews along with photos are amazing! Thanks for taking the time to share these with us! Oh, and I hope you go back again soon.

 

[MickeyCrazed]

Your pictures are amazing! I'm a sucker for the dining experiences at Disney, and your review makes me feel like I just enjoyed a meal with you... Great job!

Please keep the pictures coming!

 

[SmilingGrump]

If I had not already eaten, I'd have booked a trip to WDW to start sampling! Absolutely amazing pictures and great reviews! Definately subscribing to this so I can refresh my memory before our next trip.

And I love the idea of you all trying something different as often as possible. We're very big on our DDs trying different foods so using this idea can make it a bit of a game

 

[Tinkerbellah]

I'm looking forward to reading this review! The pictures I have seen so far look great! It seems you are a really good photog. Can't wait to read more when I have more time!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Truly incredible photos!! Love the reviews as well. I also hope you go back soon!

 

[librarygeek]

Thanks for the review of Via Napoli! I've been wondering about that place, having heard some mixed things, but it looks quite good.

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

Thank you all for the kind comments. With all of this encouragement to go back DW was wondering if everyone would pitch in $10 each so we can start planning our next trip. Just Kidding!

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

This was our first visit here and we were looking forward to it. This was a mere four hours after our lunch at Via Napoli and no one was really that hungry after such a great lunch. We were seated right away. The tables are very close together and it felt kind of cramped. Anyway our server brought us a couple of loafs of French bread.

DD 16 ordered the Bisque de Homard - Lobster bisque. She thought it was good but not outstanding.

DD10 does not like goat chees and ordered the Salade Maison - selected greens, house vinaigrette dressing.

DW ordered the Salade de Chevre Chaud - Baked goat cheese with walnuts, fresh grapes, tomatoes, endives and arugula salad because she loves goat cheese. It was good but again nothing special.

I had decided before we got here that I would order the Soupe a l'oignon Gratinee - the classic onion soup topped with Gruyere cheese. This really was good. Very rich and buttery. It definitely won appetizer of the night.

DD10 did not like anything else on the menu so she went back to the Filet de boeuf grille, sauce au poivre vert Gratin Dauphinois et haricots verts - Grilled tenderloin of beef with green peppercorn sauce original potato gratin of Savoy and green beans. This was defininetly the best choice of the night. Not on par with any of the other steaks that we had during our stay but the best entree of the night.

DD16 still was holding on to her quest of scallops around the world with the Trio de fruits de mer au bouillion de homard - sauteed scallops, mahi mahi, and black tiger shrimp served in a lobster broth with gnocchi. It was again OK but nothing special.

DW could not find anything to her liking either and ordered the Demi poulet fermier roti, pommes rissolees et tomate grillee Half of an all-natural roasted chicken, rissole potatoes and grilled tomato. It was dry and the sauce was not what she expected from a French restaurant.

I thought I would try the Plat de Cote de Boeuf au Cabarnet avec pates - Beef short ribs braised in Cabernet with pasta, pearl onions and mushrooms after reading so many people raving about them. But the meat too was dry and the sauce was not that special. We all wound up not finishing any of our meals that night after deciding no since stuffing ourselves with not so special food.

DW wanted to get the desserts to go but I talked her into having there. I have to say that the desserts made up for the other dishes we had this evening. DD16 again had the Creme Brulee - Vanilla creme brulee served with a Madeleine. She thought is was good but not the best of the trip.

DW was talked into having the Profiteroles au chocolat - Puff choux with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. It was very good.

DD10 went with the Chocolate Cake. I don’t remember what type of chocolate cake it was but it was very good.

I choose the Crepe a la pomme et cannelle, glace vanille, caramel jus de pommes - Crepes filled with cinnamon, apple, vanilla ice cream and apple caramel sauce. I should have just ordered the onion soup and this. I am a sucker for apples and caramel and this was simply delicious.

DD16 has completed two years of French and reluctantly tried it out on our server with my prodding. They both immediately fell for our server Julien.

We unfortunately did not have a great dining experience here. We had to try it once but will not be on our list for any future trip.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Thanks for the review of Chefs. I've always just stuck to appetizers and dessert there.

 

[janabananas]

Thanks for the info! I looks like I will stick with eating from the bakery, as the desserts look fantastic!!

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

This was our last day in the parks. Since we were going to MK I had made an ADR at Tony’s since we had already eaten at LTT and Plaza. We realized that this was not going to be on par with the Italian restaurants in Epcot and would probably be more on par with Mamma Melrose. We found it not as good as good as MM but still a nice cool spot to have lunch on a hot day.

DD10 started off with Zucchini Fries Breaded seasoned Zucchini with creamy Sun-dried Tomato Dressing for dipping. They were very good and the dipping sauce was delicious.

DW ordered the Seasonal Fruit with Prosciutto. Good but not on par with the others earlier in our trip.

DD16 and I ordered the Flavors of Italy, Our Chef’s selection of Italian Favorites featuring Olives, Sliced Deli Meats, Roasted Garlic, and Artichokes. We all enjoyed this very much. Everything was tasty.

DD10 originally ordered the Pastrami Panini of the Day but when she got it she did not care for it and changed entrees with DD16. Everybody was happy.

DW ordered the Salmon Salad of the day. It was good but not over the top.

I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast with Marinara Sauce topped with Melted Mozzarella over Spaghetti. I was somewhat disappointed with this. First the chicken was good but were whole breasts instead of being pounded out like is usual with this dish. Second the sauce was on top of naked pasta. I really like my pasta mixed together and there was way more pasta than sauce.

On to desserts. I got the special dessert of the day, the Pina Colada Cheesecake. This was delicious with chunks of pineapple mixed in with a very tasty mousse like cheesecake.

The girls got the Tiramisu for which either they ate too fast or it was not worthy of a picture. Anyway DW ordered the IIce Cream Bomb Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream covered in a rich Chocolate Coating. It was very good.

Not sure if we will come back here again and would instead book the Plaza for a lunch option when at MK.

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

This our last dinner on our trip. About two hours before dinner we were hit by a severe thunderstorm as we were getting ready. OK, so we are from California and don’t have thunderstorms but this one had some severe winds and rain going in six directions. DW and the girls insisted that we skip dinner and just stay in as we watched all of the pool furniture march into the pool. Checking the radar I could see that it was fast moving and would be gone pretty soon so I got them to brave the elements and head to the Polynesian. We never did get rained on and made it on time.

We had to wait the longest we ever waited for an ADR this night, maybe 20 mins. Soon our server brought us our Hawaiian Sweet bread with Macadamia Nut Butter. It was delicious but we did not eat much of it so we could save room for dinner.

DD16 ordered the Shrimp and Coconut Curry Soup for her appitizer. It was very tasty.

DD10 got the Kona Salad - Mixed greens, Maytag blue cheese, fresh fruit, red onions, and smoked almonds with a citrus vinaigrette. It was very nice and refreshing.

DW loves crab cakes so she got the Lump Crab Cakes - with Asian tartar and pineapple relish. They were some of the best that she has ever tasted.

I got the Pot Stickers - wok-seared duck dumplings with creamy ginger soy sauce. They were very good and everyone enjoyed them.

For dinner DW ordered the Ginger Crusted Ribeye - with tamarind jus, mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, and stir-fried broccolini. It was good but not as good as mine.

DD10 opted for another pasta dish, Pan Asian Noodles - Asian egg noodles with sliced chicken, pineapple, seasonal vegetables, and a housemade sweet and sour sauce. She enjoyed it but not as good as Yak and Yeti.

DD16 still choose her Shrimp and Scallops - panko breaded shrimp and pan-seared scallops with sticky rice and ponzu, spicy guava-passion fruit and wasabi cream sauces. Not as good as other scallops she had enjoyed earlier in the trip.

I won the evening with the Teriyaki-style New York Strip - sirloin strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried broccolini. The steak was very good but the sauce was to die for.

DD16 ordered the Chocolate Fondue with Tropical Fruit and House-made Cookies. The chocolate sauce was so good that she did not want to share with anyone.

DD10 ordered the Kilauea Torte An explosion of warm liquid Chocolate inside Chocolate Cookie Volcano and had a hard time finding the liquid center and much preferred the fondue.

I love pineapple upside down cake. One of the reasons for booking Kona was to try out the Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Lemongrass and Caramel Sauces. What a disappointment. The cake was dry and that really ruined the whole thing.

DW ordered the White Chocolate Cheesecake, Cheesecake with a hint of White Chocolate, Strawberry Coulis, and Whipped Cream which was really delicious. I wound up eating most of it.

I had mentioned to DW that we could get french press Kona coffee here. She was so excited that we might get some really good coffee. We both ordered water for dinner so that we could have this with dessert. Our server was really slow this evening and did not bring it out until we were about halfway through our desserts. He told us to wait for 5 mins before pushing the plunger. Since we like strong coffee we waited about 8 minutes to get the most out of it. Well as we poured it into the cups you could almost see through it. It was so weak that it really had not taste to it. Our server came back beaming and asked how we liked it. We said we didn’t and he replied “Was it to strong?”, we both laughed. No not strong enough, he had this perplexed look on his face like no one had ever said that. Overall this was a good meal, now knowing what to order and what not to order and may go back in the future.

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

While the selection was not as extensive here as other food courts, we were very please with the morning offerings. We never ate here for lunch so we can not comment on that. We ate breakfast here on many days. The later in our stay them more we stuck to snack credits for breakfast. Choices included muffins, Croissants and yogurts.

DD10 early on learned of the waffle choices here and her favorite was the Chocolate Chip Waffles. Can you tell why?

I finally talked DW into ordering the Strawberry Waffles with orange whip cream because I needed a shot for all of you. She begrudgingly agreed to make the sacrifice one morning.

Along the same lines I got DD16 to order the Pecan Waffles with Maple cream one morning.

Early in the week I ordered the Bounty Platter - with scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, pancakes and a biscuit and realized this is not the way to start off the day on DxDDP. It was good but kept you full all morning.

Both of the girls ordered the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Croissant Sandwich at one time or another during our stay. They said it was very good.

I was unable to find a picture of the Yogurt Parfait before we left for vacation. DW really enjoyed these and had them on most mornings.

 

[cp'ersmom]

Beautiful pictures. We just came back and I can tell you nothing we ate looked that good! Did you stage any of the shots or just pic your best angle?

 

[rachel09985]

Thanks for the reviews! Can I ask- is the tomato sauce there really chunky with chunks of tomatoes and onions?? Looks like it is in your picture but I am not sure and want to check. Boyfriend does not like chunky sauce- he is picky!