You just graduated from college!! What's next? 5/13 - 5/21 THAT'S A WRAP!

[jesswindsor]

I love Via Napoli!! Your review really makes me want some right now!! Can't wait for more!!

 

[tweetylori]

Very much enjoying your report and pics!!!

 

[englishrose47]

Subbing and read your arrival,, The view from your balcony is awesome and so were the consierge goodies !!!!

 

[vettegirl]

I haven't tried the ice cream yet in France, my hubby has tried the caramel and thought it was just okay. VN looks delicous, we have not tried it yet.

 

[rteetz]

I have only gotten ice cream in France once and I got the strawberry sorbet which was very good.

I love via Napoli. Had a birthday treat there and they sang in Italian. We have reservations there again in January.

 

[hogwartsdropout]

Via Napoli looks so good! Can't wait to eat there soon!

 

[1stTimeDisneyer]

After missing out on the Kona pancakes on this trip, I am determined to get there during my upcoming trip. I have never come close to finishing them though so I'm interested in knowing if you can order just one.

According to our waitress she said you can order just one or two if a full stack is to much for you. I even questioned her and she said yes, that is totally allowed.

 

[jabead]

Teppan Edo looks great! I need to see if they have a good gluten free menu for myself! And I also need to be sure they don't cook in peanut oil like many Asian restaurants do. But if it's safe for me, we may book that for our trip next year!

I have no idea whether or not Teppan Edo has a GF menu or whether they use peanut oil in their cooking, but I hope they are able to accommodate your needs so that you can dine there.

DH just asked me if we can go to Teppan Edo not on this upcoming trip, but the next one. We have always really enjoyed it but haven't been in a couple years. That is too bad about the mushrooms though, the current vegetables don't look very appetizing.

Yeah, I found their current vegetable mix of zucchini, cabbage, onion, and carrots a bit boring without the mushrooms. Hopefully it was just a seasonal change and the mushrooms will appear again sometime in the future.

Ok, getting all caught up after my trip. How dare disney get in the way of my reading about disney food ; )


These both look so good. I almost ordered both of them on our last trip but settled on the pasta instead.


But I did order this little beauty. Totally lived up to the hype.


A 4 and you don't like lemon curd sounds pretty darn good to me. As a fan of anything lemon these sound right up my alley


Thanks for all the great pictures. The buffet looks great.


Love, love, love the cronut


I've yet to try the jalapeño only because I can't tear myself away from the sweet cream one. Glad you all landed on that side ; )


Sounds like a great lunch!

Welcome back Kari! Can't wait to hear about your latest trip.

And if you like lemon, then I definitely recommend that you give the pancakes a try at Captain's Grille. Oh, and you should also do a mother/daughter tea with Casey at the Grand Floridian. Lemon fans usually love the lemon curd that is served with the scones there.

That is a very pretty pearl. Has she decided what she is going to do with it?

Yes, she had it put into one of the silver cage pendants that they sell there at the Japan store and placed it on a silver chain that she already had. It made for a very pretty necklace!

Sorry they no longer had the mushrooms, I am not a fan but if I were I would have been disappointed as well. We dined there in May for the first time and loved it. We will return in a few days. I agree their steaks are cooked quite well and I the show is super fun they put on.

Oh, I can't wait to read your review. I'm still hoping that the mushrooms were only temporarily missing from the vegetable mix.

We have never eaten at Teppan Edo because my family isn't much for Asian cuisine but it does look good. I am not a fan of mushrooms but that's unfortunate they didn't have them.

That's one of the great things about Disney World dining. You don't like Asian cuisine? No problem, there's always Mexican, Italian, French, German, etc., etc. There is something to suit everyone's tastes.

I really loved when I did pick a pearl. I got one of the cages at the store and sadly its really badly tarnished now. Maybe one day I'll get some silver cleaner but I'd be worried about getting some on the actual pearl because its such a small cage. The blue pearl is really spectacular!

Emily had her pearl placed in one of those cages. Sad to hear about the tarnishing problem.

The silver blue pearl is very pretty! I told my husband that on this next trip, I definitely want to pick a pearl, something I've never done in all our many Disney trips in the past. I'm definitely going to try the Gelato Frizzante that your nephew had at Via Napoli! Looks delicious and right up my alley. We're having dinner at Via Napoli on our first full day.

Emily did some research this time on picking an oyster and it seemed to pay off. Though she didn't get the black pearl she has long been looking for, she was very happy with the one she got. So anyway, good luck to you...I hope you get a good one!

Oh no I'm distraught, Teppan Edo is one of my favourite restaurants and even though I hate mushrooms I hate cabbage more and were the other vegetables carrots, broccoli and green beans? yuck!!!

The carrot, broccoli, green beans, and mushroom shown in my photo were actually for the Vegetarian entree that one of my tablemates ordered during my previous visit to Teppan Edo. The vegetable/noodle mix that accompanied all of our entrees this time included cabbage, carrots, onion, and zucchini. For me these were all good except for the cabbage, which seemed to have replaced my beloved mushrooms. Boo!

I love Via Napoli!! Your review really makes me want some right now!! Can't wait for more!!

I'm going to be doing the Italian Food & Wine Pairing Lunch at Via Napoli on my next trip. I'm really looking forward to that!

Very much enjoying your report and pics!!!

Thanks so much. Glad you're enjoying it.

Subbing and read your arrival,, The view from your balcony is awesome and so were the consierge goodies !!!!

Hello, and thank you for joining in!

I haven't tried the ice cream yet in France, my hubby has tried the caramel and thought it was just okay. VN looks delicous, we have not tried it yet.

Oh, good to hear I probably didn't miss out on much with the caramel.

I have only gotten ice cream in France once and I got the strawberry sorbet which was very good.

I love via Napoli. Had a birthday treat there and they sang in Italian. We have reservations there again in January.

Oh, that sounds like great fun to be sung to Italian!

Via Napoli looks so good! Can't wait to eat there soon!

I see you have just two more weeks until your honeymoon at WDW. How exciting! Congrats on your (upcoming?) marriage!

According to our waitress she said you can order just one or two if a full stack is to much for you. I even questioned her and she said yes, that is totally allowed.

Thank you so much for this info!

 

[kastoney]

Trying to get myself back on the healthy eating train and pictures of perfect via napoli pizza and ice cream are certainly not helping my rumbling stomach ; )

Good choice on the mint chocolate chip ice cream. If you ever try the caramel ask to try it before you go all in. I found it had a burnt taste and was definitely not a fan.

 

[twinkybel81]

Hopefully it was just a seasonal change and the mushrooms will appear again sometime in the future.

I'm not a fan of mushrooms, but we will be eating at Teppan Edo for the first time in a couple months and I can let you know if there are mushrooms being served at that time.

 

[momof3princes]

How can you replace mushrooms with cabbage Seems like an odd switch out to me. I hope they bring back the mushrooms.
My oldest had the mint and was not a fan...but that is coming from someone used to the bright green kind
I had the caramel apple and thought it was very good.
Via Napoli always looks good and makes me hungry for pizza!

 

[jabead]

Trying to get myself back on the healthy eating train and pictures of perfect via napoli pizza and ice cream are certainly not helping my rumbling stomach ; )

Good choice on the mint chocolate chip ice cream. If you ever try the caramel ask to try it before you go all in. I found it had a burnt taste and was definitely not a fan.

That's two thumbs down (Lori's DH also didn't like the caramel) so I guess it's a good thing we got the mint chocolate chip.

I'm not a fan of mushrooms, but we will be eating at Teppan Edo for the first time in a couple months and I can let you know if there are mushrooms being served at that time.

Thank you!

How can you replace mushrooms with cabbage Seems like an odd switch out to me. I hope they bring back the mushrooms.
My oldest had the mint and was not a fan...but that is coming from someone used to the bright green kind
I had the caramel apple and thought it was very good.
Via Napoli always looks good and makes me hungry for pizza!

I have no idea why the switch. They have had mushrooms there for as far back as I can remember. Maybe the cabbage is a cheaper option?? I wish now that I had asked if the change was permanent. If so I would have definitely lodged my complaint.

 

[jabead]

For her one signature dinner, Emily chose the Contemporary's California Grill...









Our meal here began with a cocktail...



Twisted Mai Tai - Mount Gay Rum, Crème de Noyaux, Orange Juice, and Pineapple Juice with a splash of Lime

I've had this drink at California Grill three or four times previously and had always enjoyed it, so I recommended it to Emily. Like me, she also likes sweet, fruity rum drinks. We both gave this one a 5.


Then we all shared one of their two flatbreads, which change seasonally...





Since none of my kids like mushrooms or blue cheese (much to my dismay ), we chose the other one...




Chili-Coffee Rubbed Pork Flatbread with Washington Red Pear Butter, Pepper Jack Cheese, Pears, and Coffee BBQ Sauce



Allison and I really liked this and rated it 5. I actually thought it was one of the better flatbreads that I've had at California Grill. Andrew didn't enjoy it quite as much as us, but did give this a solid 4. As for Emily, she despises the flavor of coffee so this was doomed to not fare well with her. Therefore, it wasn't really a big surprise when she rated this only a 2.



Next I'll show you our entrees, from best to worst rated. The winner entree of this meal was Allison's...


Spicy Kazan Roll with Crab, Shrimp, Scallops, Tuna, and Fireball Sauce


She very much enjoyed this sushi roll and gave it a rating of 5.


There was then a tie for runner-up, between Emily's choice...



Bell & Evans Chicken served with an Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart, Ramp Pesto, English Peas, Lime Radish, and Chicken Demi-glace


And Andrew's choice...


Oak-Fired Filet of Beef served with Local Tomato Risotto, Baby Vine Tomatoes, Petite Basil, and Tomato Butter


Both of these entrees were rated 4. Emily commented that the goat cheese tart which accompanied her chicken was actually a 5 though. As for Andrew's filet, it was marked down from a 5 to 4 because it was not cooked to the temperature requested. He ordered it medium and said it was a little too rare, so more like medium-rare rather than medium I guess.



As for me, I had the weakest link of the entree round with the...



California Combination Roll - Jumbo Lump Crab, Avocado, Cucumber, and Shrimp Tempura



I wasn't really feeling any of the entrees that night so made the "spur of the moment" decision to order sushi. This was an odd choice for me, since I'm not really a big sushi fan. I enjoy a piece or two of a California or Shrimp Tempura roll every now and then but to order an entire entree was not a wise decision. So it wasn't exactly a surprise when I got pretty bored with this entree after the first couple of pieces were eaten. Consequently I rated the California Combo Roll only a 3, or just Okay.


After viewing the Magic Kingdom fireworks from outside on the observation deck, it was time for dessert.





When we checked in at the restaurant's desk downstairs, they had asked me if we were celebrating anything that evening. [Note that this was the only restaurant to do so other than Rainforest Cafe.] Consequently, they brought Emily this complimentary dessert for her graduation...


Sundae Sampler - Unique and Playful Sundaes with a Nostalgic Twist: Frangelico Toffee, Reverse Root Beer Float, and a Banana Split



And some close-up shots of two of the components...


Banana Split Sundae





Frangelico Toffee Sundae


She liked this, especially the reverse root beer float (which was house made cream soda and root beer ice cream). Overall she rated the sampler dessert a 4, but the float got a 5.



The rest of us shared the dessert which Andrew chose...



Vanilla Creme Brulee - Rich Vanilla Custard, Caramelized Turbinado Sugar, and Plant City Strawberries


Andrew and I both love creme brulee and thought this was a very good one. Therefore, we both rated this a 5. However, Allison will only eat the custard part of creme brulee, as she dislikes the crispy, burnt sugar on top. What??? Yes that's right, she likes the creme without the brulee. So anyway, she gave this dessert a rating of only 2. But her low rating should be taken with a grain of salt...or in this case, a grain of "burnt" sugar.


So overall our dinner at California Grill was a success. The food was for the most part good and the service was great. But one of my favorite things about dining at California Grill is the beautiful view of Cinderella's castle from 15 floors above.


Whether by day...





Or by night...

​

It is truly a sight to behold!

​

Next up: Our breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe

 

[JintyB]

So I'm back(!) and caught up - great reviews I loved that Reverse Root Beer Float when I had it at the California Grill.

Looks like you all had a great time...looking forward to more

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

You meal at Cali was much better than ours! Glad to see such a great review. I had completely written it off for our March trip now I am not so sure!

 

[vettegirl]

What a lovely view! I love the spicey Kazan roll, even though I have only dined there once. It was one of the best sushi rolls I have ever had. Too bad Andew's steak wasn't cooked to his liking, that's a bummer for sure.

 

[rteetz]

We have never eaten at any signature restaurants. California Grill is probably at the top of my signature restaurants to try tho. Those desserts look great and you can't beat that view of the MK.

 

[emmysmommy]

Aww man! No mushrooms at Teppan Edo, I'm bummed. I wonder what would happen if I just happend to throw a few on the grill?? Ok, not likely but heck bring back the shrooms!

Sorry that your CA Grill entree didn't wow. At least the desserts looked pretty tasty.

 

[minnie_cat]

I love reading your trip report! My husband and I are going in December on our belated honeymoon. He's never been to Disney World and I have only been there once as a very young child, so your restaurant reviews and photos are so helpful since I have ADRs at some of the same places.

What kind of camera do you use? Your food pictures look so good. The only problem is it is making me hungry looking at all of these photos

 

[momof3princes]

California Grill looks like it is looking up as of late
I love sushi so your entree looks amazing to me. The flatbread and the tiny desserts look good too!
The view is the icing on the cake!