We're in the World Dining: Reviews

[Friend of Figment]

We are in the middle of a 2 week stay at saratoga Springs (using our incntive points from joining DVC). Here are our dining reviews so far:

Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch): This was delicious as always. I had the Tavern Cheese and the Colony salad with Strawberry Shortcake. My Mom had a Declaration Salad, Turkey Dinner and the Ooey Gooey Toffee cake.
The service was very good. This is one of our favorites and the food was as good as usual. I do wish they put cranberries with the turkey. As a note, their strawberry shortcake is a strawberry bundt cake with strawberries and blueberries.

Paradiso 37: New to us (& to everyone). We shared and order of mixed quesadillas and the surf and turf Argentina style. There are 6 mini quesadillas with beef, chicken and pork filling. There are tomatoes, lettuce, chimmichurri sauce and coleslaw on the side. They were quite yummy. They are on the appetizer list, but would be plenty for a light dinner. The Surf and Turf was barbecued shrimp on a skewer and an Argentine style flank steak. The shrimp were our favorite item of the meal. The steak was good, but having been to Argentina, it didn't live up to the truely great steaks of Argentina. For dessert we shared the 4 mini ice cream cones. You get 4 mini waffle cones in vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and cookies and cream all with sprinkles. They come on an ingenious metal serving tray with magnetic cone holders. It's not an exotic dessert, but it was just enough sweet after dinner.

Tokyo Dining: (first time for us, dinner). I had the chicken cutlet and Mom had the shrimp tempura. Our food was delicious and the service was very good, but the noise level was off the charts. I have an anxiety disorder and this atmosphere tested my limits. I would go again for the food, but is it always so loud?

Crystal Palace: (we go every trip, usually for breakfast, decided to try dinner): We love CP for breakfast and we'll go back again for breakfast. The dinner food was delicious and the service was very good, but actually getting in was a mess. Our reservation was for 8:25 on a night the park closed at 8 but had EMH. The line to check-in for reservations was clear to the end of the porch. The wait in line was an anxious one as rumors of people whose reservation had been for 6:30 and were still waiting swirled throught the crowd. The Cms were doing a great job of trying to keep order. One of the main problems seemed to be groups that had decided not to wait, but hadn't told anyone so the CMs were making numerous trips up and down the waiting area searching for them. They brought out big baskets of popsicles and handed them out. Once we got through the line, the actual wait wasn't bad and were seated about 15 minutes after our reservation time.
The other problem was the number of people just hanging out inside at their tables waiting for the crowd to clear after Wishes. Try to keep in mind the people who are waiting behind you. We watched a family at a window table look at the pictures on their camera for the entire time we were in line and they were still there when we were seated.
I highly reccommend the spicy spoonbread, the carved meats and I loved that they had cut up apples on the salad bar.
I'll continue with more later.

[Tinkermom]

It is making me hungry just reading this!:mickey: Thanks for the review of Paradiso 37 - I was thinking of trying here in 2 weeks when DH and I head out for our 20th anniversary trip. I am kind of torn between Paradiso 37 and Bongos...

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Yummm...is it lunch time yet:D

[SBETigg]

Sounds like some great meals. Nice to hear about Paradiso 37. Thanks for reviewing!

[Friend of Figment]

Arg! I just typed out a bunch more reviews and when I posted, I found my disney internet connection had timed out and they disappeared. I'll try again later:(

[tinksmom02]

Arg! I just typed out a bunch more reviews and when I posted, I found my disney internet connection had timed out and they disappeared. I'll try again later:(

Aww, that stinks! Hopefully you'll get to post them later--I can't wait to read them! :mickey:

[NJGIRL]

The Liberty Tree is a favorite of ours for lunch. I always get the Colony Salad.:thumbsup:

[Friend of Figment]

Ok I'll try again. I'll just do one ata time soI don't lose them.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe: We've had dinner here twice since it's tasty and close.
Visit #1: Pretty much a disaster, but the food was still good. When we arrived, they asked if we would mind sitting in the bar. We said ok. We waited and eventually someone came to ask if we wanted drinks and if we'd had time to decide. We had had lots of time. Mom ordered the flat iron steak with bleu cheese and I ordered pumpkin ravioli with chicken. AS we waited, we noticed there seemed to be a lot of confusion as they brought meals out. Pretty much the runners were wandering from table to table asking if the food was yours.
Finally our food arrived, but only partly. My Mom's steak came out (not very hot, but there at last). They brought me rigatoni bolognese. I said no I had the ravioli. Away went the rigatoni. Mom ate. Mom was nearly finished and back they came with a piping hot ravioli. It was delicious if poorly timed. Somewhere in there they finally brought the much promised bread (not the usual assotment, just a few pieces of french bread).
The waiter then appeared with a dessert. We hadn't ordered dessert since I was still eating. He said it was from the chef since we'd had the mix-up. Then he looked at the ticket in his hand and said oh this isn't yours well keep it and I'll find another one for the lady over there. (It was good - sort of a deconstructed cheesecake in a martini glass).
At this point a woman arrived to see if we wanted to order dessert. We said no just the bill and I gave her my Tables in Wonderland and room key. The waiter (who we'd figured out was the busser who was helping because the waitress was somewhere) came back to offer us dessert and the bill. She came back told me what to sign. As I studied the bill, I realized they had charged us for the rigatoni in addition to what we ordered. I followed her back to the server station and after a long wait we finally got a bill for the right ammount. We then fled lest any other unordered food be forced on us.
Visit 2 (which redeems Wolfgang's) coming soon.

[tinksmom02]

WOW, lots of screwups tonight! Those kind of things ALWAYS seem to happen to me when I go out to eat...glad to hear that WP will be redeeming itself shortly!

[SBETigg]

Goodness, they really were having an off night! So glad you have a better report coming up.

[Friend of Figment]

Wolfagane Puck #2: In which our hero redeems himself. We went again for dinner. We had a table by the window and a waiter named Rasheed. I had steak this time and Mom had the rigatoni bolognese (it did look good when we got in error). We also split a spinach salad. We got drinks and bread right away. Refills on drinks frequently and our meals came at the same time. It was a very good meal and we would go back to WPC again with confidence. My only complaint here (as at many Disney Eateries isthe high noise level - it's my own personal hang up).

Tony's Towne Square: We ate here before the Halloween party. We really like this restaurant even though others seem to be critical. It's a tradition for us. I had a ceasar sald and chicken parmesan. Mom had pumpkin soup and the New York. We had a very good server. The pumpkin soup was excellent I highly suggest it. The steak and chicken were both good. If you go to Tony's expecting authentic Italian cuisine, you will be disappointed. If you think of it as an American restaurant with some italian choices you will be delighted.

Caseys's: I also have to give a shout out to Casey's corn dog bites - so bad for you and yet so yummy. I'm sure ordering apples with them makes them a healthy choice!

More to come...

[MinnieMommie]

Thanks for the reviews. I want to try Paradiso 37 so thanks for the preview of what we can expect. :mickey:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Thanks for the reviews...interesting point on Tony's...we went expecting Italian and yes we were disappointed....

[SBETigg]

Glad the revisit to WPC went well. Sounds yummy. Good service can make such a difference, too. I've actually read quite a few decent reviews for Tony's lately. Good to know. Thanks for sharing.

[barbiegirl314]

Where is Paradiso 37? I haven't heard of it before.:confused:

[Friend of Figment]

Paradiso 37 is in Downtown Disney.

More restaurants:

Yak & Yeti: I went here alone for lunch. It is one of my favorites. I had sweet and sour pork. I normally have the steak and tempura shrimp, but sweet & sour sounded good. I also got an order of potstickers to take back "home". Dessert was the cream cheese wontons with pineapple. This dessert also has strawberries and ice cream and is quite large enough to share. I ate the berries and ices cream at lunch and took the won tons & pineapple to go. Another yummy meal. (They also have a really cute kids menu themed to the restaurant - not the usual Disney one seen in every other restaurant.)

Continuing in AK, Tusker House:

We had the lunch buffet. It was very good, both the roast beef and roat pork were excellent. The rotisserie chicken was also outstanding. They have yummy samosas and every possible combination of rice dishes. If someone in your group has less exotic tastes, they also have sandwich makings and a regular salad bar. The kids bar has corndog nuggets and mac& cheese as well as a make your own PB&J bar. Our server here was very nice. The only real downside was the noise.

They have moved the check in podium around behind the restaurant which is a great improvement over having it next to the drummers. The only downside to the new location, is the smoking area just behind the waiting area. It is a tier down closer to the river, but of course smoke rises. If you are especially sensitive to smoke, wait up closer to the building.

Still more to come...

[FriendsofMickey]

I had to comment on the CP review. I was there last week and had ressies for 4:55. I tried to check in at 4:27 and was told NO. The CM told me to come back closer to my ressies. He said they were running behind. I came back at my dining time (actually got to the desk at 5:00).
I asked him at this time how 'behind' were they and he said they were just finished seating the last of the 4:30s, so it would be about 20 to 25 minutes.
Well, at 5:45, we were still standing around waiting, so I got in line to ask 'when?" the line was ridiculous by this point. They had two lines one up on the porch and one on the side walk. Both of the lines were at least a 30 minute wait. Just to check in. About 6:15, I was about two groups behind the CM to ask when we would be called, when they called us.

It was ridiculous! We have been to CP every year for the past 5 years. We have never seen any type of wait like this.

Worst part we had ressies for the dessert party for 8:20.... so, we had hoped to have dinner done by 5:30.

My husband talked with a manager and she said that they had been booking at 120% capacity. Thus the long waits.

The characters were flying through the tables. They really seemed to be sprinting.

As for those who decided to leave and did not notify them... can you really blame them.

They probably waited an hour and refused to wait another 30 minutes to say they were leaving.

We really enjoy CP and will be visiting again... but if this would have been my first experience with them.... you would never see me there again.

[ElenitaB]

Caseys's: I also have to give a shout out to Casey's corn dog bites - so bad for you and yet so yummy. I'm sure ordering apples with them makes them a healthy choice!
I like the way you think! :thumbsup:

Your review of Tusker House is yet another positive note about the restaurant. We just may have to visit in January.

Thanks for your reviews.

[Friend of Figment]

We're home now. I'll try to finish up over the next couple of days.

Prime Time Cafe: lunch with no reservation. We hadn't made reservations here because we had been disappointed the last couple of trips (rushed service, waiters not into their role), but we were hungry at 10:45 and decided to give it a try. We got right in when they opened. We had a terrific waitress named Melissa who was into the theme. Mom had a bowl of chicken noodle soup and I had the grilled chicken sandwich. Both were very good, served at the right temperature and we weren't rushed. We shared the new Boston Cream cupcake for dessert. It was tremendous! It gets my vote for best new dessert. Drinks were refilled promptly and it remewed our faith in "Mom".

[RocknBev]

Thanks for the CP reviews...I was planning to make lunch plans there on for our trip in January but I believe you may have just talked me into breakfast....with two little ones, I am not sure I want to do all the waiting.
Do you think it is just the MNSSHP crowds?

[SBETigg]

I keep hearing about that Boston Creme Cupcake! It sounds so good.

[Friend of Figment]

Counter Service Spots:

Cooke's at Raglan Road - The food was very good. I had fish and chips and mom had a salad (I can't remember the name). They could do with more seating - but we were fine at a stand up table. There was some kind of baking glitch and people ordering pies had to wait quite awhile. I defense of the frontline staff, they were warning people. Two managers came out and helped when some people (British ironically) demanded a refund. The managers cheerfully refunded them and listened to their complaints, but then everyone else waiting asked for a refund too. I would have had more sympathy if the counter person hadn't been telling people the pies would be out in 15 minutes. So while we had no complaints, I guess your milage may vary.

Cosmic Ray's: We always try to catch Sonny Eclipse so Ray's is a must. This time Mom had the rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. I had the pulled pork sandwich with chips and apples. I really the variety of menu items here. I do wish that they didn't automatically assume you want the giant drink. We forgot to say small and got the vat-o-pop.

American Adventure: I'm a little ashamed to say we ate here. We were tired and walking from booth to booth seemed like a lot of walking (you know the "We've literally walked around the world" feelin). It was adequate. I had chicken strips. Mom had a hamburger. Mine was ok, mom's was ok, but neither was anything to write home about. I really wish the American Pavillion offered something more. I'd love to see a restaurant that featured regional specialities. Even in a counter service format - you know frito pie, salmon and chips, lobster rolls etc.

Sunshine Season - This hardly seems like counter service at all. We dined from the rotisserie spot. I had the pork chop and mom the chicken. We both had carrots and she had mashed potatos while I opted for rice. The pork chop was huge! I felt guilty leaving so much behind but I was stuffed. If you have lighter appetites, I suggest sharing.
Happily there were places to sit even though it was a peak meal time. This is my only complaint about eating here - the seating always seems so congested. Maybe the new seating program will help here.