Dessert before Dinner: a trifecta of dining reports? Update 9/22 LTT COMPLETE!

[ariane37]

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE! No cooking here today, Steve decided he didn't feel like it (I don't cook) so we're all going out to a restaurant later. I refuse to do any work today so finally catching up on my DIS time

I am strange, and know there is ONE blockbuster left in the world

That is hysterical that you know this! Steve worked for Blockbuster before Starbucks. Luckily he realized when they were on their way out before they actually WERE on their way out so, he got out lol.

OMG he is SO CUTE I doubt he will be around when we head there in August but what a cutie!

They're supposed to be out through the beginning of Sept. I believe? Part of Mickey's 90th birthday celebration! He rotates with some other special characters like the Zootopia guys, Robin Hood guys, Ratatouille. Somewhere on the TPAS board there's a thread about which days they meet but it does change, and they seem to roam around the front of the park. I've heard of other characters being still and a line forming for pictures so maybe it depends on the day/CM/characters?

I am trying to pick 1 restaurant for an adults only trip.... but its so hard cause any restaurant can have a bad server on any night...

Ugh I know, and it can sour your feelings on a good restaurant. Plus there are so many to choose from! If you're trying to settle on a signature our favorites are Citricos, Narcoossee's, Il Mulino and even Tiffins although they've changed the menu since our last visit.

'm sorry to hear about the slow service you had at the Yachtsman. I've heard many mixed reviews on the place, anywhere from wonderful to disappointing. We haven't eaten there in ages because of it.

We'd heard the same but loved our first visit there and I like to mix it up, so wanted to go again. As @NJlauren said you can have a bad server anywhere, even at a good restaurant, but it does put a damper on the meal. I don't think we'll be back soon, we'll stick to Citricos and Narcoossee's!

Are you sure these are your drinks? This is so unlike you

Someone forced us to order those..........

Oh I love those rolls, but I'm 99% sure we've had Christine before and had the same issues.

For some reason I seem to remember you either mentioning her by name in one of your reports, or saying you had a female crappy server lol. So you probably did.
Those rolls are ah-mazing!

Oh no, despite the bad service the food has always been amazing for us. Clearly it wasn't a good night for them

It probably was an off night which sucked for us. But we'll stick to Citricos and Narcoossee's I think since I've never gotten a bad filet there. Or maybe I'll try the one at the All-Star Movies food court

Though we got mac and cheese at Jiko on our last trip and it blew this one out of the water.

Ooh I've heard about that mac n cheese, it sounds awesome! One day I'll get there. It's one of only 2 signatures we haven't been to and we're knocking the other off in May (Flying Fish).

How exciting! You'll have to let us know the show when you find out!

I will! Still not sure, they just filmed a movie here too and I get confused lol. I have to ask someone older than Ricky who cares and younger than me who doesn't get confused

Umm, you and me both!!!! I may throw a Disney tantrum if I see them and they aren't taking pics...Just saying...

lol! Hopefully they will be! Otherwise we'll just stalk them until they stand still, then you can run up and I'll snap the picture!

The garlic is so good! That's a shame about the service, I hate when it's super slow.

It stinks, especially when you're starving or dying of thirst and you see other guests being served. I would have liked dessert but my butt couldn't handle sitting any longer...............

his dish is my favorite there, so good.

Delicious Best part of the meal!

This guy is great. When we stayed at the Boardwalk he was there and super entertaining

I think he's the best we've seen over all the years we've been visiting. I'll always stop for him!

 

[ariane37]

I just saw you had a new report and am loving it!

glad you're here and enjoying it!

I love San Angel Inn, but yes the tables are extremely close together. We don't go there every trip, but probably every other trip. I'm planning on going there on our June trip. I need another avocado margarita!

That margarita is the best. How exciting you're going in June! The tables are the only thing that kept us away lol but it wasn't as bad this time.

We like to do Disney movie and themed dinner nights at home, so I made that one night and we watched The Three Caballeros (not my favorite movie).

I love that idea, wish I had done it when my boys were little! I've never seen the Three Caballeros. I probably should just to say I have! I do think the ride is cute

We went there on our last trip and while the food and service were both very good, I wasn't feeling too well that night so it was hard to really enjoy it.

Oh that puts a damper on a meal, too. We had fantastic service AND food on our first visit there back in 2016 which is why I wanted to return, unfortunately it was a bust

Very exciting about the new grandbaby! Congratulations!

about 3 months now!

Well that is a disappointing review of Yachtsman! You'd think if you're going to be a steakhouse you'd get the steak thing down

Right??? Even on an "off" night you'd think they'd mess up fish or something........

The sides do look yummy and so do those onion rolls I hear so much about!

The mac n cheese and rolls were absolutely the best part. I know you can get the rolls and probably the mac n cheese next door at the Crews Cup lounge so that might be an option for us next time we're in the mood rather than Yachtsman again!

Aw, she should make it into every post

Well I do agree but then I'd have to title every report (here are pictures of my granddaughter and a little info about our Disney visit" lol

Mike and I went here years ago and have always wanted to go back.

We were the same and it backfired lol. But, it happens, even at the best places.

I think what frustrates me the most about WDW dining is the lack of consistency. The same restaurant can deliver an amazing meal which you get excited about, but then you go back on another trip, order the same meal and it isn't as good as the last time.

I agree. That's what happened to us at Marrakesh between November and January and it's happened before. Could be a change in chefs or just an off night but it's extremely disappointing.

The only WDW restaurant that has never disappointed us is V & A.

Steve and I keep going back and forth about giving it a try. I'm sure we should!

 

[ariane37]

It's still on the menu, and it looks like that! I had it 10 days ago!

Yay!! Hope you enjoyed it!

Exactly! I really hope Sunset Blvd doesn't change much

Me too I haven't heard anything about it changing but with Disney, that means nothing.

I haven't been to Yachtsman, but I did go to get a burger at Crew's Cup, and I ordered the rolls as an appetizer. OMG so freaking good.

Aren't they? It is a plus that you can get some of the Yachtsman food at CC.

Also, on my trip, I had my first (and second) Magic Bar experience, and I definitely thought of you (is that weird?)!

Not weird at all! I often think of my DIS friends when I'm on vacation there.....so maybe we're both weird I guess you enjoyed the Magic Bars since you had 2!!

What colleges!?!!? I love hearing about where kids want to go. I am weird like that!

lol, we visited SUNY Stonybrook and Quinnipiac in Ct. this week and he liked them both even though they're completely different. We'll also be visiting Sacred Heart, Seton Hall, SUNY Cortland and Delaware University

What is the deal with these characters? Maybe I should sign up for Kenny the Pirate. The girls really want to meet Phineas and Ferb.

So they are part of Mickey's 90th bday celebration! I don't know if KtP would have them listed since they're temporary? But Phineas and Ferb do rotate! They all seem to switch days, on the TPAS board I saw a thread awhile back that seemed to be keeping up with who's there on what day. And while some just roam it also seems some stop for pictures; all seems random.

Man I was thinking that I should add this to our adults only trip maybe but maybe not...

It's so hard to to decide where to eat on adult only trips! You want to make it great but it can backfire lol. If you want to try it I say do it, or you'll keep wondering what it's like

Kathy saw it too and liked it but she's never seen the original. How cool you got to shake his hand!

Ooh tell her to watch the original!

Aww hang in there Mom

It was actually fun, and I didn't get THAT upset lol. But I know I'll be a mess when he leaves so for now we'll pretend that's not happening!!!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

lol! Hopefully they will be! Otherwise we'll just stalk them until they stand still, then you can run up and I'll snap the picture!

Love that idea!

 

[wdwnut61]

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE!

Happy Easter @ariane37

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Happy Easter lady!

 

[ncc1701]

Sorry to hear about your meal at Yatchmans, it is usually been the best meal on our trips. However you server sounds like one we had about 5 trips ago, nice but not all there. We been lucky the last 4 trips to get either Oscar or Susan who are superb.

 

[NJlauren]

That is hysterical that you know this! Steve worked for Blockbuster before Starbucks. Luckily he realized when they were on their way out before they actually WERE on their way out so, he got out lol.

Completely useless facts are one of my specialties, if Jeopardy was useless knowledge I might have a shot!

That’s great he got out before, I can’t imagine how many people did not see it coming!

They're supposed to be out through the beginning of Sept. I believe? Part of Mickey's 90th birthday celebration! He rotates with some other special characters like the Zootopia guys, Robin Hood guys, Ratatouille. Somewhere on the TPAS board there's a thread about which days they meet but it does change, and they seem to roam around the front of the park. I've heard of other characters being still and a line forming for pictures so maybe it depends on the day/CM/characters?

I def need to look into this more, which characters may be there when we go, but August seems like so far away.... even if it’s not

Ugh I know, and it can sour your feelings on a good restaurant. Plus there are so many to choose from! If you're trying to settle on a signature our favorites are Citricos, Narcoossee's, Il Mulino and even Tiffins although they've changed the menu since our last visit.

Tiffans is the only one not on the list, only because we have been there (and really enjoyed it) and I think we want something new!

 

[missjackiemcg]

He wasn't actually meeting, he was more wandering around and interacting with little kids but not stopping for pictures. The CM with him made it known that he wasn't officially meeting; hoping if I get the Robin Hood or Zootopia guys next month they'll stop for pictures!

Oh, man, I was really hoping those flag pole pop up meets were actual picture taking meets, too!!! I will be so very sad if they aren't stopping for pics!! maybe we can corner them

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE! No cooking here today,

Happy Easter to you! We didn't cook either. I had a Portillo's epiphany, and no Easter brunch will ever be the same!

 

[ariane37]

Sorry to hear about your meal at Yatchmans, it is usually been the best meal on our trips. However you server sounds like one we had about 5 trips ago, nice but not all there. We been lucky the last 4 trips to get either Oscar or Susan who are superb.

OSCAR! He's been there for awhile, right? I swear that's who we had on our first visit! He was wonderful; our whole first experience was wonderful and our server was part of it. I really think that's who we had. Way better than Christine

Completely useless facts are one of my specialties, if Jeopardy was useless knowledge I might have a shot!

Me too! I may not know how to delete comments I make by mistake on facebook, but I can spew off details on Trafalgar Square!

I def need to look into this more, which characters may be there when we go, but August seems like so far away.... even if it’s not

I know, but soon it'll go quick! It seems like we've been planning our May trip FOREVER and it's just about here

Oh, man, I was really hoping those flag pole pop up meets were actual picture taking meets, too!!! I will be so very sad if they aren't stopping for pics!! maybe we can corner them

I told @Jenny Sanders we would stalk them until she could get close enough and then I'd snap a picture. I'll do the same for you too lol!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

lol, we visited SUNY Stonybrook and Quinnipiac in Ct. this week and he liked them both even though they're completely different. We'll also be visiting Sacred Heart, Seton Hall, SUNY Cortland and Delaware University

so, my parents are really close to University Delaware. You could stop and have dinner with us on your way home from there!

And Andy and I went to Syracuse University. So we know SUNY Cortland and SUNY Stonybrook. The SUNY system is good. And the snow is a good “learning” experience... like how to sled on a dinning hall tray and how many layers can you actually put on to not freeze!


Also, when you you land in Orlando next Thursday? Should I keep an eye out for you guys?

 

[Tracy161]

I hope you had a lovely Easter!

(I don't cook)

The more I learn about you, the more alike I think we are

I will! Still not sure, they just filmed a movie here too and I get confused lol. I have to ask someone older than Ricky who cares and younger than me who doesn't get confused

 

[NJlauren]

I know, but soon it'll go quick! It seems like we've been planning our May trip FOREVER and it's just about here

Totally true! And we do have a May trip to another Disney park so I can’t really complain.

I can’t wait to hear about this May trip, guessing it will lead to some great trip reports!

 

[ariane37]

Trifecta Trip #2 (but really #3)
Happy Surprise Birthday To Me!
​

Today was our last full February day but also the BEST day - my birthday In 2014 we were in Disney right BEFORE my birthday but left on the 18th, so 2 days before the actual DAY. But this morning WAS the actual day and let me tell you, there is absolutely something over the moon magical about spending your birthday in Disney I'll take CM's and happy strangers telling me "happy birthday" as often as I can!
We slept in just a tiny, tiny bit, and then started the day in the POFQ food court with these beauties:

Mickey-shaped Beignets - 3 piece
add Dipping Sauce: Caramel, Raspberry or Chicory Coffee Ganache 1.99



I'm sure I would have enjoyed the raspberry dipping sauce but it was not needed! Last time we were at FQ they had beignets and we did get them but they were not yet Mickey shaped, and starting your day with anything Mickey shaped is always preferable. They were as good as they looked! I didn't think they were greasy at all, however Steve had 2 bites and did declare them delicious but too greasy. I had no problem eating them myself.

Our first stop today was a little more time in the MK, where we used our FP's for BTMRR, 7DMT and I can't remember what else. We also caught up with @KathyM2 who we'd been lucky to meet on a previous trip, but this time she was with @DonnaBeeGood who we were meeting for the first time. We tried to see Celebration Mickey and Minnie together; checked the wait time over near Adventureland which was 20 minutes, quick old-people walked to Main St. and saw that the wait time had risen to 50 minutes. That was a hard no for Kathy and Donna but really wanted to meet them on MY birthday, so we parted ways. Not before getting a picture though! Albeit one in which I looked horrific and strangely cannot find no seriously I can't find it, but it was great to see Kathy again and very nice to meet Donna. Hopefully our paths cross again!
FYI we did NOT last 50 minutes in line; when we hadn't moved a step in 12 minutes we checked the wait again which was up to 90 and bid Town Square adieu. We did catch the new Celebration parade on our way out though, which we'd seen in January and I like. The music is catchy!

We moved on to our next stop which I'd added in for one reason and one reason only:



Hello, lovely. I'm sure you all recognize this from earlier in the report, but for a refresher this was the "special" festival Bloody Mary at Refreshment Port over in World Showcase:

Hit-The-Spot! I may or may not try the one they have for F&G, it has shrimp in it but I'll just remove it. Hoping it's just as yummy!
We were feeling a little hungry now so began walking around enjoying the art work again, looking to see if maybe one booth item would still stand out despite our crap experiences from January. Not far into our walk we hit France and decided to give this a whirl:
Creme de Brie en Petit Pain
Warm Creamy Brie in a House-Made Bread Bowl



First of all, do you not love the top? Second of all, this was SO good! The best offering from the festival that we had tried by a landslide. Bread was crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and did not get too soggy from the cheese. The cheese itself was perfect brie-ness to the point that we were fun-fighting over who got the last couple bites.

Sort of full from the BM (I had to write that, sorry kids) and the BB (that's bread bowl because I'm too funny), we walked a bit further, discussing where to eat lunch, if we wanted lunch, if we wanted a quick lunch, long lunch, or something in between. We contemplated hitting Capt. Cook's again or just doing La Cantina QS, when I remembered somewhere we'd discussed trying but hadn't yet. And let me tell you boys and girls, this was the BESTEST, BESTEST place we could have gone! You don't even need to read much farther; loved it to pieces, it was pretty much perfection, and I will be doing my best to end up here at some point on my trip in NINE days.

Where did we go? Here's a clue, and it wasn't the TS restaurant:



That's right, we tried out Tutto Gusto, the most hiddenest gem (am I wowing you with my English skills in this post?) in Epcot and one of the mostest hiddenest in all the parks. Because here's why......
First, let's take a look at the decor!

The wine cellar does have wine:



And a showcase up front with meats, cheeses, some desserts and some of their small plate offerings:


Lots and lots of glasses to drink the aforementioned wine from:

And just a cool, darkish, cozy, quiet atmosphere overall:


I don't know why I expected it to be empty, maybe because you never hear much about it? And despite the picture above it was not empty. When we arrived all the tables above were taken so I took this once they'd left. On the other hand you aren't packed tightly in there nor does it get loud even with almost every table taken.

As any good birthday girl would do, I started with a drink and let Steve get one also. Mine is the
Pomegranate Cosmopolitan - Citrus Vodka, Triple Sec liqueur, pomegranate juice - $14.00
And Steve had a Perroni



Sorry no wine guys. I was going to but then saw that Cosmo on the menu and it was deelish! So deelish I had 3
Even harder than deciding what to drink was deciding what to eat! There are a ton of different cheese and meat plates here and we were pretty hungry so we ordered 3 plates. Here's the first with a glimpse of another in the back:

La Siciliana (for two),
Fior di Latte Mozzarella - pasta filata, hand-crafted, made from cow's milk
Cacciatorini - black pepper, wine marinated, beef and pork cured sausages
Caponata - Sicilian eggplant agrodolce salad



Sorry about the blurriness. The Caponata - eggplant salad- was to DIE for. I love the eggplant amuse-bouche they give you at Il Mulino and this was better; we ate it ALL. The mozzarella was like butter as it should be. The Cacciatorini weren't my thing as I thought the black pepper stood out too much but Steve loved it and overall we thought this plate was absolutely amazing.
We had such a hard time deciding between all the plates for 2! However we did eventually make up our mind. Unfortunately I'm at my picture limit and I need to go back to work for a bit, so the rest of Tutto Gusto will to wait until tomorrow.

STAY TUNED FOR THE BESTEST BESTEST PROCIUTTO EVER

 

[ariane37]

Also, when you you land in Orlando next Thursday? Should I keep an eye out for you guys?

Ooh I wanted to ask you where you'd be and what you were doing! I'll text you I get in around 1:15 and other than upgrading my AP I'm free until about 5:30 or so!

I hope you had a lovely Easter!

we did, I hope you did too!

The more I learn about you, the more alike I think we are

I can’t wait to hear about this May trip, guessing it will lead to some great trip reports!

I'm guessing the Trip Reports board will be flooded with only EPIC Girl's TR's lol!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Tracy161]

there is absolutely something over the moon magical about spending your birthday in Disney

It's so true! Although the first and only time I did this was back in 2013... gotta make this happen again!

Creme de Brie en Petit Pain
Warm Creamy Brie in a House-Made Bread Bowl

Cheese and bread?! Those are like two of my main food groups

Sort of full from the BM (I had to write that, sorry kids)

the most hiddenest gem (am I wowing you with my English skills in this post?)

So excited to hear more about your lunch. Shame on me for constantly waltzing right past this place!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

I will be doing my best to end up here at some point on my trip in NINE days

I'm all in. SERIOUSLY!!! I have heard nothing but greatness about this place...

 

[NJlauren]

Happy birthday trip report style, 3 months late and with no alcohol cause they haven’t figure out how to do that via iPhone yet, but give them time give them time.

I am a stronger believer that everything tastes better one of two ways in a Yankees cup or Mickey shaped... just saying, if you disagree you're just wrong.

 

[evre13]

We went to Tutto Gusto to escape the rain, and it was so cute! I wish we had eaten there (it was strictly a wine stop for us).