Chef Dion
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2019
Greetings fellow DISers. I've been a fan of the site for some time now, and felt the urge to weigh in on the conversation. First and foremost I have been a lifelong fan of the Disney organization. I am a trained Culinary professional with my degree in Hosptality Management in Culinary Arts, and have been working in the industry for over 10 years after leaving a career in Healthcare, to eventually become my own boss, and actually do something I LOVE. I am in my late forties and have been cooking since I could reach the stove top at age 8. I am currently an independent pastry chef, and consultant for a local brew pub/bistro, while finalize my brand to open my own Patisserie/cafe.
That being said, as wonderful as the gang is at reviewing these restaurants, and I would agree with many of them, I thought the fans would like some input from a Culinary Professional's perspective.
My wife and I took a recent vaction to Disney World , and visited some of our favorite spots, and a few new ones. I have to say I have always dreamed of eating at The California Grill since i was a teenager, but the price tag associated with the experience was out of my budget. But things have changed, so that made the list, s we splurged for the Delux Dinning Plan this trip (which we fully took advantage of). So California Grill will be, the first of hopefully many reviews for you.
First off, the atmosphere, exiting the elevator you are instantly in view of the wine selection, crystal clear glass cases filled with an array of vintages of more wine than I could possibly drink in a lifetime. Bottles sparkling as though lovingly cared for and polished. You turn to the right, and your eye are immediately drawn toward the floor to celing widows overlooking the twinkling lights of The Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon, with Cinderella's Castle nestled of in the distance. Once you force yourself to look where your host is leading you, you are escorted to your table, if you're as luvky as I was, or requested ahead of time, it would be next to one of those windows, but fear not every table can see through these windows, tjere are very few obstructions, even with the low walls separating the bar and sushi bar from the dinning room. The lighting an decor are minimalistic, but I'm pretty sure that is to avoid distracting you from the view, because the finishes are quite elegant in their simplicity.
You walk past the bar, open kitchen, and sushi bar if you are seated in the Southern end of the dinning room. This is one thing I love about this venue, you see the kitchen (well, at least the hot line, very rarely to open kitchen concepts show you the prep areas, for good reason). The team had an energy that carried out into the front of house staff, but noise was not a concern. I was impressed with the organized communication and efficiency I witnessed in passing. And boy was it clean, had to pull off with a busy kichen, but not impossible. What can I say? I like kitchens, and if I can see into it, you can bet I'm looking and watching.
The serving staff was excellent. He brought water straight to the table, and explained some details about the menu, and highlighted some of his favorites. As we were on the dining plan, he explained how it would work, especially with the wine list, and inquired about the allergy alerts for the table. And suggested things on the menu to avoid, but said that they could work in some substitutions if need be (something Disney Restaurants does very well). He gave us time to go over the menu on our own. He was well versed in how food was prepared, and wine/beverage pairing.
The Meal
The wife and I ordered our meal in one go, but had our server pace it as usual. That just how we roll, we plan out our whole meal before we place our order (except desset, that we leave open in case the server had a suggestion, or we change our minds). Ours server's pacing was spot on.
I opted for a surf and turf route by ordering the Sashimi Crudo appetiser, paired with the Oak Fired Filet. The wife had the Apple Salad follwed by the Black Grouper.
Apps:
Plating exceptional, on both appetizers.
I recommend eating the crudo as it is listed in the menu, you get a better feel for the progresion of flavors, and it paired pretty well with the Maple Bourbon Old Fashion I ordered. While I would not ordinarily use popcorn with sashimi, I got the reasoning behind the choice of textural component. You couldn't have gotten fish any fresher for a sashimi platter, unless you just caught it yourself. And the Habenero Tobiko was not as svary as it sounds (it was surprisingly mild and well balanced). Each crudo also came on it's own plate to prevent muddling of the flavors across the platter.
My wife enjoyed her Heirloom Apple salad. It came to the table already dressed (and adequitley dressed, not enough to over power the other flavors, nor not so lightly that it fell flat). I loved the combination myself. The mustard dressing tied into the sweetness and tartness of the apples, goat cheese, and candied pecans, bridging them eith the field greens into a cohesive dish.
The Mains:
One thing you should know about me is that I an not ordinarily a Filet fan. When given a choice between a filet or a ribeye or NY strip, the order of preference is ribeye, strip, filet. The filet is a great cut, but I find it lacking in flavor owing to its leanness. But I would absolutely order this steak again. I was a perfect medium rare (edge to edge), with a beautiful ear from the grill, and a nice subtle smokiness. It played nicely with the red wine reduction beneath it (notice it was not covered with the reduction). By plating it this way, the steak picks up what sticks to it and no more, the other way around and some cooks cover it to oblivion, overpowering any chacteristics the steak nay have on its own. The grilled onions were a nice touch, nicely carmelized not overly sweet (again accenting the smokiness of the steak (Nicely plated Chef). I've rarely had spinach prepared so well, it still had some bite and freshness to it. It wasn't over cooked to the point of mush, nor was it creamed. If you think the fat was missing from the steak, look inside that crock of Aged Gouda Mac & Cheese, you'll find it. I'm pretty sure Steve would kill for this stuff. While I personally would have liked the breadcrumbs to have had a little more color, this side, could very well carry its own as an entree. It may look like a side portion, but the creaminess, richness, and depth of flavor (from the Gouda) that came from this side, oacks a wallop. And it is very filling. Almost too filling. I found myself not finishing all of the Mac & Cheese just to save room for dessert. I say if you bulk up the portion size, and toss in a heathly amont of lobster meat, California Grill could have another entree entirely. Maybe some grilled Ciabatta along side.
My wifes grouper was another case of a well executed dish. The fish was fork tender, it just flaked apart. But as I was finding a new found appreciation the filet, the look on my wifes face as she was enjoying this dish, had me jealous. I mean i had my work cut out for me later that evening if I was going to wipe out perform that meal.. i just tasted the rice, and almost got a fork in my hand for the effort. But then i offered a bite of my mac & cheese, and all was forgiven. Not to mention the Chardonnay was aided with in ordering to accompany her meal. Did I not not say our server was really good.
Dessert:
Here is were I think California Grill missed the mark for me. Maybe I just got the wrong dessert, but I personally think it did not live up to it's description. As a pastry chef I'm hard on desserts, but I'm also easily pleased and open to interpretation.
I ordered the Apple tart tatin. After the heaviness (all be it pleasant and enjying) of the Mac & Cheese, I wanted something lighter, without sacrificing my sweet tooth, or a depth of flavor. As descriped this dessert boasts both with its "Applejack brandy-roasted Granny smith apples, cinnamon Streusel , and gooey butter cake ice cream." While holding up to the lighter side, it lacked the depth from roasting. It was cold, but that is a viable means of serving a tart tatin. However, it lacked any of the caramelization one would expect that is a characteristic hallmark for this dessert. It came across textureally as a poached apple dessert, and less of an oven roasted tart. And in so it fell flat. The streusel topping was plated as a side component (it to was lacking) and i found a caramel sauce on the plate as well. But the overall point of a tart tatin is the caramelized apples, which was missing. The gooey butter cake ice cream, i was familiar with from Ample Hills, but for some reason it was icy, as if impropperly stored.
That being said, our server noticed i was not exactly pleased with the dessert, and inquired. A manager offered a different option, but my sweet tooth was wrecked, so I declined. He suggest a refill of my cocktail instead, and I accepted, as he was attimate that I get something to replace the value of the dessert. So, nice guest recovery there.
My wife had a different experience all together. She ordered the plant-based Lavender Doughnut, which I tried. Talk about a night and day experince in execution. The flavor was phenominal. Pete has said that he is impressed with Disney's abilities with plant-based menu option, and I for one agree after experiencing this dessert. I hardly would have thought this to be vegan in any respect.
I applaude the pastry chef for their ingenuity in the area if plant-based options, but they totally failed, in my regard, with their execution of a more traditional and classic dessert in the Tart tatin.
Overall:
I was, for the most part, highly pleased with our experience. I would wholeheartedly go again. I found the value of the meal well worth the 2 dining credits a piece. The atmosphere is breathtaking. The restaurant staff care about the overall experience and quality of the food and service.
Despite my dissatisfaction with dessert, which I'm willing to chalk up to just ordering the wrong thing, I highly recommend this restaurant. Ì'll give a 9 out of 10, owing to the value, quality, and service.
That being said, as wonderful as the gang is at reviewing these restaurants, and I would agree with many of them, I thought the fans would like some input from a Culinary Professional's perspective.
My wife and I took a recent vaction to Disney World , and visited some of our favorite spots, and a few new ones. I have to say I have always dreamed of eating at The California Grill since i was a teenager, but the price tag associated with the experience was out of my budget. But things have changed, so that made the list, s we splurged for the Delux Dinning Plan this trip (which we fully took advantage of). So California Grill will be, the first of hopefully many reviews for you.
First off, the atmosphere, exiting the elevator you are instantly in view of the wine selection, crystal clear glass cases filled with an array of vintages of more wine than I could possibly drink in a lifetime. Bottles sparkling as though lovingly cared for and polished. You turn to the right, and your eye are immediately drawn toward the floor to celing widows overlooking the twinkling lights of The Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon, with Cinderella's Castle nestled of in the distance. Once you force yourself to look where your host is leading you, you are escorted to your table, if you're as luvky as I was, or requested ahead of time, it would be next to one of those windows, but fear not every table can see through these windows, tjere are very few obstructions, even with the low walls separating the bar and sushi bar from the dinning room. The lighting an decor are minimalistic, but I'm pretty sure that is to avoid distracting you from the view, because the finishes are quite elegant in their simplicity.
You walk past the bar, open kitchen, and sushi bar if you are seated in the Southern end of the dinning room. This is one thing I love about this venue, you see the kitchen (well, at least the hot line, very rarely to open kitchen concepts show you the prep areas, for good reason). The team had an energy that carried out into the front of house staff, but noise was not a concern. I was impressed with the organized communication and efficiency I witnessed in passing. And boy was it clean, had to pull off with a busy kichen, but not impossible. What can I say? I like kitchens, and if I can see into it, you can bet I'm looking and watching.
The serving staff was excellent. He brought water straight to the table, and explained some details about the menu, and highlighted some of his favorites. As we were on the dining plan, he explained how it would work, especially with the wine list, and inquired about the allergy alerts for the table. And suggested things on the menu to avoid, but said that they could work in some substitutions if need be (something Disney Restaurants does very well). He gave us time to go over the menu on our own. He was well versed in how food was prepared, and wine/beverage pairing.
The Meal
The wife and I ordered our meal in one go, but had our server pace it as usual. That just how we roll, we plan out our whole meal before we place our order (except desset, that we leave open in case the server had a suggestion, or we change our minds). Ours server's pacing was spot on.
I opted for a surf and turf route by ordering the Sashimi Crudo appetiser, paired with the Oak Fired Filet. The wife had the Apple Salad follwed by the Black Grouper.
Apps:
Plating exceptional, on both appetizers.
I recommend eating the crudo as it is listed in the menu, you get a better feel for the progresion of flavors, and it paired pretty well with the Maple Bourbon Old Fashion I ordered. While I would not ordinarily use popcorn with sashimi, I got the reasoning behind the choice of textural component. You couldn't have gotten fish any fresher for a sashimi platter, unless you just caught it yourself. And the Habenero Tobiko was not as svary as it sounds (it was surprisingly mild and well balanced). Each crudo also came on it's own plate to prevent muddling of the flavors across the platter.
My wife enjoyed her Heirloom Apple salad. It came to the table already dressed (and adequitley dressed, not enough to over power the other flavors, nor not so lightly that it fell flat). I loved the combination myself. The mustard dressing tied into the sweetness and tartness of the apples, goat cheese, and candied pecans, bridging them eith the field greens into a cohesive dish.
The Mains:
One thing you should know about me is that I an not ordinarily a Filet fan. When given a choice between a filet or a ribeye or NY strip, the order of preference is ribeye, strip, filet. The filet is a great cut, but I find it lacking in flavor owing to its leanness. But I would absolutely order this steak again. I was a perfect medium rare (edge to edge), with a beautiful ear from the grill, and a nice subtle smokiness. It played nicely with the red wine reduction beneath it (notice it was not covered with the reduction). By plating it this way, the steak picks up what sticks to it and no more, the other way around and some cooks cover it to oblivion, overpowering any chacteristics the steak nay have on its own. The grilled onions were a nice touch, nicely carmelized not overly sweet (again accenting the smokiness of the steak (Nicely plated Chef). I've rarely had spinach prepared so well, it still had some bite and freshness to it. It wasn't over cooked to the point of mush, nor was it creamed. If you think the fat was missing from the steak, look inside that crock of Aged Gouda Mac & Cheese, you'll find it. I'm pretty sure Steve would kill for this stuff. While I personally would have liked the breadcrumbs to have had a little more color, this side, could very well carry its own as an entree. It may look like a side portion, but the creaminess, richness, and depth of flavor (from the Gouda) that came from this side, oacks a wallop. And it is very filling. Almost too filling. I found myself not finishing all of the Mac & Cheese just to save room for dessert. I say if you bulk up the portion size, and toss in a heathly amont of lobster meat, California Grill could have another entree entirely. Maybe some grilled Ciabatta along side.
My wifes grouper was another case of a well executed dish. The fish was fork tender, it just flaked apart. But as I was finding a new found appreciation the filet, the look on my wifes face as she was enjoying this dish, had me jealous. I mean i had my work cut out for me later that evening if I was going to wipe out perform that meal.. i just tasted the rice, and almost got a fork in my hand for the effort. But then i offered a bite of my mac & cheese, and all was forgiven. Not to mention the Chardonnay was aided with in ordering to accompany her meal. Did I not not say our server was really good.
Dessert:
Here is were I think California Grill missed the mark for me. Maybe I just got the wrong dessert, but I personally think it did not live up to it's description. As a pastry chef I'm hard on desserts, but I'm also easily pleased and open to interpretation.
I ordered the Apple tart tatin. After the heaviness (all be it pleasant and enjying) of the Mac & Cheese, I wanted something lighter, without sacrificing my sweet tooth, or a depth of flavor. As descriped this dessert boasts both with its "Applejack brandy-roasted Granny smith apples, cinnamon Streusel , and gooey butter cake ice cream." While holding up to the lighter side, it lacked the depth from roasting. It was cold, but that is a viable means of serving a tart tatin. However, it lacked any of the caramelization one would expect that is a characteristic hallmark for this dessert. It came across textureally as a poached apple dessert, and less of an oven roasted tart. And in so it fell flat. The streusel topping was plated as a side component (it to was lacking) and i found a caramel sauce on the plate as well. But the overall point of a tart tatin is the caramelized apples, which was missing. The gooey butter cake ice cream, i was familiar with from Ample Hills, but for some reason it was icy, as if impropperly stored.
That being said, our server noticed i was not exactly pleased with the dessert, and inquired. A manager offered a different option, but my sweet tooth was wrecked, so I declined. He suggest a refill of my cocktail instead, and I accepted, as he was attimate that I get something to replace the value of the dessert. So, nice guest recovery there.
My wife had a different experience all together. She ordered the plant-based Lavender Doughnut, which I tried. Talk about a night and day experince in execution. The flavor was phenominal. Pete has said that he is impressed with Disney's abilities with plant-based menu option, and I for one agree after experiencing this dessert. I hardly would have thought this to be vegan in any respect.
I applaude the pastry chef for their ingenuity in the area if plant-based options, but they totally failed, in my regard, with their execution of a more traditional and classic dessert in the Tart tatin.
Overall:
I was, for the most part, highly pleased with our experience. I would wholeheartedly go again. I found the value of the meal well worth the 2 dining credits a piece. The atmosphere is breathtaking. The restaurant staff care about the overall experience and quality of the food and service.
Despite my dissatisfaction with dessert, which I'm willing to chalk up to just ordering the wrong thing, I highly recommend this restaurant. Ì'll give a 9 out of 10, owing to the value, quality, and service.