southerngirl
03-13-2013, 01:41 PM
Hi everyone:
I just returned from a quick 4 day trip to WDW for a conference that I attended, and I thought I'd share some dining reviews. My parents traveled with me this time to help watch DS (age 4) while I was working (DH and DD had to stay home, because DH had to work). I mention that because we took DS to almost every ADR that I had, including many signatures, and no one batted any eye. So, any of you who are stressing about taking your young kiddos to signatures, I say that as long as they can behave relatively well, do it! Also, because my mom has a digestive disorder,she usually prefers to go to sit-down restaurants where she can customize her entrees.
I've made my reviews based upon the Mickey scale, with 1 Mickey being horrible and 5 being wonderful. I did not adjust my scale to account for WDW vs. the "real world." In other words, to get a 5, it had to be a meal on par with the best meals I've had anywhere (and I travel and eat out often, so just keep that in mind).
CRT Lunch--three Mickeys
This was a last minute ADR that I made when, three days before we left for our trip, DS looked at me and said that he wanted to eat in Cinderella's castle. I told him that it was a princess meal (this is a kid who on every other visit had refused to have his picture made with any of them), and he said he still wanted to go, because "Cinderella is beautiful and has sparkly hair." After a couple of days of searching the website, I found an ADR for the 3:50 seating on our arrival day, which worked for us as a late lunch (although technically it was a dinner seating). I went with very low expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised! I had the endive salad (which was a bit bland), roasted chicken with farro (surprisingly moist and delicious) and the dark chocolate dessert (pretty good, but I just had a few bites). DS had the grapes and cheese, cheese pizza and build-your-own sundae, which he loved. He ate pretty much every single bite. What I loved most, though, was how excited he was to see the princesses. He gave every one of them hugs. Jasmine was the best, as far as interaction goes. She spent probably 5 minutes with us. All of the others were pretty much "Hi there prince, let's get a picture" and then left. So, overall this gets the 3 out of 5 rating. Yes, it was pricey, and, no, the food wasn't worth the $100 price tag we paid, but my son loved it, and that was worth the price. We probably will not do it again until DD gets old enough to ask to go, just because there are other places that I think are better and less expensive.
.
Yachtsman Steakhouse 4.5 Mickeys
We had dinner here at 8, the same night as our CRT meal, so I was still pretty full. I ordered the scallop appetizer and then shared some sides (truffled mac and cheese and roasted carrots) with my mom. She and my dad both had steaks (I don't eat beef, so I don't recall exactly which ones they ordered and didn't taste them), and DS had grilled chicken and vegetables. My mom and I also shared the trio of valhrona chocolate dessert and had press pots of decaf coffee. I thought everything was delicious! I especially loved the roasted rainbow carrots. They were soooo good. My mom and I both agreed they were the best we'd ever had. The dessert was delicious, too. I loved the salted caramel gelato that came with it. That was the best part! DS seemed to enjoy his dinner, too, and he was very well behaved (they sat us in a booth in the corner, and he sat there and played with his toy monorail the entire time).
Chefs de France lunch--Three Mickeys.
We went here because my parents have always loved it. Otherwise, I would have chosen some place else, like Via Napoli, just to try something different. I had the French onion soup and then split the roasted chicken entree with my DS. (Side note--the children's menu here is really terrible, so DS actually ended up eating about 2/3 of my entree and some my dad's fries). DD had the hamburger and fries, and DM had the croque monsieur and green salad. For dessert, DM and I shared the chocolate mousse, and DD had a strawberry tart thing, which he said was good. Everything was good, but nothing was amazing. It's a solid lunch choice, except for the children's offerings.
Citricos dinner--4 Mickeys.
I love Citricos, and it's one of my favorite signatures. However, I rated it slightly less because my parents weren't as thrilled with it as I was. I had the beet salad for my appetizer, and my mom had the heirloom apple salad, both of which were good, although I think mine was better. My dad had the sauteed shrimp, which he said were excellent. For entrees, we all had the Florida black grouper. I loved this, but my dad didn't care for the pasta. I think it had olives, and he doesn't like them. Mom and I split the warm chocolate banana torte for dessert. I thought it was just okay, but my mom really liked it. DS had the children's grilled chicken and ate every bite. I think he also had some vanilla ice cream, too.
Le Cellier lunch--3.5 Mickeys
This was our first experience at Le Cellier, and I booked it because my dad had always wanted to go. My mom and I both had the cheddar soup, and we shared the lobster salad and the squash ravioli. My dad ordered a steak (again, not sure which one), and DS had the grilled chicken. My mom, dad and I all agreed that the soup was amazing. My dad thought it was some of the best soup he'd ever eaten in his life. We also liked the pretzel bread. My dad said his steak was good, but it wasn't as good as the Yachtsman. He said that he'd go back to Le Cellier just for the soup, though! My lobster salad was very good, but the serving of lobster was very small (about half of a claw). My mom's ravioli was good but very rich. DS seemed to like the chicken, because he ate every bite. We skipped dessert and opted for treats in WS later in the day. I would definitely go back here for lunch, but it wouldn't be a dinner place for me, simply because of the limited non-beef options. Also, our server was fine, but she wasn't very kid-friendly, and I thought the bathrooms were kind of gross (that's maybe a weird thing to say, but when you're paying for a nice meal, I expect the facilities to be nice, too).
Tony's Town Square--two Mickeys
This was a last minute ADR that we made literally an hour before dinner. The original plan was for my parents to go to dinner at Tutto Italia, and DS and I to eat at the Garden Grille. However, about two hours before dinner, DS decided he wanted to go to MK to see the MSEP, and my parents said that they'd rather stay with us than have dinner by themselves, which I thought was sweet. So, I made a 7:30 ADR for us at Tony's. I thought that we'd have dinner before the parade, but we actually lucked out and walked right into MK and found a spot to see the 7:00 MSEP. Had I known that would happen, I would have kept our original dinner ADRs, which were around 8 p.m. Live and learn! Tony's was just okay. It was extremely crowded with lots of people trying to walk-up, and we felt like we were eating in a cafeteria. DS wouldn't eat his pizza, and DM and I had shrimp scampi that was extremely watery and bland. DD had chicken parm, and I guess it was okay, but it wasn't great. None of us had dessert or coffee. I will not be going back anytime soon. The food wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either. Also, we felt very crowded and rushed.
Kouzzina--breakfast 3 Mickeys; dinner 3.5 Mickeys
I ate here twice, since we were staying at the Boardwalk. The first time, I had breakfast with my mom and son. Mom and I had the Greek yogurt with fruit and granola. DS had Mickey waffles. My breakfast was good, but it wasn't amazing. It tasted pretty much like store-bought Greek yogurt with a few berries and a couple of teaspoons of granola on top. DS loved his Mickey waffles, though! The second time I ate here was for dinner with a client. We had the six spreads for an appetizer, which were very good. However, it was pretty much the perfect size for 2 adults. I don't think it would feed more than that, unless they gave you extra pita bread. My client had the three entree sampler, and she said it was fine. I had the grilled whole fish (yellowtail snapper), and it was good, but it needed more seasoning. Neither of us ordered dessert or coffee. The service was good on both visits, which is why I gave it a 3.5 rating. Otherwise, it's a solid 3.
I'll post Part 2 next!
I just returned from a quick 4 day trip to WDW for a conference that I attended, and I thought I'd share some dining reviews. My parents traveled with me this time to help watch DS (age 4) while I was working (DH and DD had to stay home, because DH had to work). I mention that because we took DS to almost every ADR that I had, including many signatures, and no one batted any eye. So, any of you who are stressing about taking your young kiddos to signatures, I say that as long as they can behave relatively well, do it! Also, because my mom has a digestive disorder,she usually prefers to go to sit-down restaurants where she can customize her entrees.
I've made my reviews based upon the Mickey scale, with 1 Mickey being horrible and 5 being wonderful. I did not adjust my scale to account for WDW vs. the "real world." In other words, to get a 5, it had to be a meal on par with the best meals I've had anywhere (and I travel and eat out often, so just keep that in mind).
CRT Lunch--three Mickeys
This was a last minute ADR that I made when, three days before we left for our trip, DS looked at me and said that he wanted to eat in Cinderella's castle. I told him that it was a princess meal (this is a kid who on every other visit had refused to have his picture made with any of them), and he said he still wanted to go, because "Cinderella is beautiful and has sparkly hair." After a couple of days of searching the website, I found an ADR for the 3:50 seating on our arrival day, which worked for us as a late lunch (although technically it was a dinner seating). I went with very low expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised! I had the endive salad (which was a bit bland), roasted chicken with farro (surprisingly moist and delicious) and the dark chocolate dessert (pretty good, but I just had a few bites). DS had the grapes and cheese, cheese pizza and build-your-own sundae, which he loved. He ate pretty much every single bite. What I loved most, though, was how excited he was to see the princesses. He gave every one of them hugs. Jasmine was the best, as far as interaction goes. She spent probably 5 minutes with us. All of the others were pretty much "Hi there prince, let's get a picture" and then left. So, overall this gets the 3 out of 5 rating. Yes, it was pricey, and, no, the food wasn't worth the $100 price tag we paid, but my son loved it, and that was worth the price. We probably will not do it again until DD gets old enough to ask to go, just because there are other places that I think are better and less expensive.
.
Yachtsman Steakhouse 4.5 Mickeys
We had dinner here at 8, the same night as our CRT meal, so I was still pretty full. I ordered the scallop appetizer and then shared some sides (truffled mac and cheese and roasted carrots) with my mom. She and my dad both had steaks (I don't eat beef, so I don't recall exactly which ones they ordered and didn't taste them), and DS had grilled chicken and vegetables. My mom and I also shared the trio of valhrona chocolate dessert and had press pots of decaf coffee. I thought everything was delicious! I especially loved the roasted rainbow carrots. They were soooo good. My mom and I both agreed they were the best we'd ever had. The dessert was delicious, too. I loved the salted caramel gelato that came with it. That was the best part! DS seemed to enjoy his dinner, too, and he was very well behaved (they sat us in a booth in the corner, and he sat there and played with his toy monorail the entire time).
Chefs de France lunch--Three Mickeys.
We went here because my parents have always loved it. Otherwise, I would have chosen some place else, like Via Napoli, just to try something different. I had the French onion soup and then split the roasted chicken entree with my DS. (Side note--the children's menu here is really terrible, so DS actually ended up eating about 2/3 of my entree and some my dad's fries). DD had the hamburger and fries, and DM had the croque monsieur and green salad. For dessert, DM and I shared the chocolate mousse, and DD had a strawberry tart thing, which he said was good. Everything was good, but nothing was amazing. It's a solid lunch choice, except for the children's offerings.
Citricos dinner--4 Mickeys.
I love Citricos, and it's one of my favorite signatures. However, I rated it slightly less because my parents weren't as thrilled with it as I was. I had the beet salad for my appetizer, and my mom had the heirloom apple salad, both of which were good, although I think mine was better. My dad had the sauteed shrimp, which he said were excellent. For entrees, we all had the Florida black grouper. I loved this, but my dad didn't care for the pasta. I think it had olives, and he doesn't like them. Mom and I split the warm chocolate banana torte for dessert. I thought it was just okay, but my mom really liked it. DS had the children's grilled chicken and ate every bite. I think he also had some vanilla ice cream, too.
Le Cellier lunch--3.5 Mickeys
This was our first experience at Le Cellier, and I booked it because my dad had always wanted to go. My mom and I both had the cheddar soup, and we shared the lobster salad and the squash ravioli. My dad ordered a steak (again, not sure which one), and DS had the grilled chicken. My mom, dad and I all agreed that the soup was amazing. My dad thought it was some of the best soup he'd ever eaten in his life. We also liked the pretzel bread. My dad said his steak was good, but it wasn't as good as the Yachtsman. He said that he'd go back to Le Cellier just for the soup, though! My lobster salad was very good, but the serving of lobster was very small (about half of a claw). My mom's ravioli was good but very rich. DS seemed to like the chicken, because he ate every bite. We skipped dessert and opted for treats in WS later in the day. I would definitely go back here for lunch, but it wouldn't be a dinner place for me, simply because of the limited non-beef options. Also, our server was fine, but she wasn't very kid-friendly, and I thought the bathrooms were kind of gross (that's maybe a weird thing to say, but when you're paying for a nice meal, I expect the facilities to be nice, too).
Tony's Town Square--two Mickeys
This was a last minute ADR that we made literally an hour before dinner. The original plan was for my parents to go to dinner at Tutto Italia, and DS and I to eat at the Garden Grille. However, about two hours before dinner, DS decided he wanted to go to MK to see the MSEP, and my parents said that they'd rather stay with us than have dinner by themselves, which I thought was sweet. So, I made a 7:30 ADR for us at Tony's. I thought that we'd have dinner before the parade, but we actually lucked out and walked right into MK and found a spot to see the 7:00 MSEP. Had I known that would happen, I would have kept our original dinner ADRs, which were around 8 p.m. Live and learn! Tony's was just okay. It was extremely crowded with lots of people trying to walk-up, and we felt like we were eating in a cafeteria. DS wouldn't eat his pizza, and DM and I had shrimp scampi that was extremely watery and bland. DD had chicken parm, and I guess it was okay, but it wasn't great. None of us had dessert or coffee. I will not be going back anytime soon. The food wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either. Also, we felt very crowded and rushed.
Kouzzina--breakfast 3 Mickeys; dinner 3.5 Mickeys
I ate here twice, since we were staying at the Boardwalk. The first time, I had breakfast with my mom and son. Mom and I had the Greek yogurt with fruit and granola. DS had Mickey waffles. My breakfast was good, but it wasn't amazing. It tasted pretty much like store-bought Greek yogurt with a few berries and a couple of teaspoons of granola on top. DS loved his Mickey waffles, though! The second time I ate here was for dinner with a client. We had the six spreads for an appetizer, which were very good. However, it was pretty much the perfect size for 2 adults. I don't think it would feed more than that, unless they gave you extra pita bread. My client had the three entree sampler, and she said it was fine. I had the grilled whole fish (yellowtail snapper), and it was good, but it needed more seasoning. Neither of us ordered dessert or coffee. The service was good on both visits, which is why I gave it a 3.5 rating. Otherwise, it's a solid 3.
I'll post Part 2 next!