CA Grill was Awful

[loopymommy]

OP, I don't think you are being overly critical.

You and I are from the same neck of the woods. I have to say that I am usually disappointed with food experiences that are usually lauded by others. Most memorably for me were my meals at Anissa, Keen's, Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

I think most of what you experienced was a result of laziness and inattentiveness on the part of the staff. Nothing ruins a fine dining experience more than an apathetic staff. I agree that Disney's signature restaurants really need to hold their staff to a higher standard than at their other venues. The fact that they do not makes me feel relieved that I haven't splurged at Disney for meals that didn't have an attraction to offer other than the food.

We will be going to the CIA in Hyde park this weekend for two meals: Dinner at American Bounty and a formal lunch the following day at Caterina de Medici. I have my fingers crossed that the staff-in-training will do a good job. Sunday we will be at Luger's, where I'm sure the staff will be surly and off-putting, but the steak will (hopefully) be heavenly.

 

[JZCubed]

OP, I don't think you are being overly critical.

You and I are from the same neck of the woods. I have to say that I am usually disappointed with food experiences that are usually lauded by others. Most memorably for me were my meals at Anissa, Keen's, Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

I think most of what you experienced was a result of laziness and inattentiveness on the part of the staff. Nothing ruins a fine dining experience more than an apathetic staff. I agree that Disney's signature restaurants really need to hold their staff to a higher standard than at their other venues. The fact that they do not makes me feel relieved that I haven't splurged at Disney for meals that didn't have an attraction to offer other than the food.

We will be going to the CIA in Hyde park this weekend for two meals: Dinner at American Bounty and a formal lunch the following day at Caterina de Medici. I have my fingers crossed that the staff-in-training will do a good job. Sunday we will be at Luger's, where I'm sure the staff will be surly and off-putting, but the steak will (hopefully) be heavenly.

Annisa - I try and support top-notch female chefs. I enjoy Annisa very much (it's been a while, however). But I will admit that I was not a big fan of her dumpling shop on 23rd Street.

Keen's - last time I was there the food was underwhelming, but the pipes on the ceiling are quite kitchy.

Blue Hill - I enjoy both establishments. But I can understand others finding the food underwhelming. We enjoy the farm-to-table aspect.

For better or worse, we now live across the Hudson from CIA and Stone Barns, and have lovely choices in the Black Dirt region of Orange County that produces grass-fed meat, apples and about 25% of the countries onions.

Peter Luger's - I declined their 'house' charge card years ago. That was a mistake. Enjoy!

Victoria & Albert is worth the splurge.....we leave DD with grandparents who give my wife & I time for date night.

And since we're trading stories, etc. - I plan on being at Katz's Deli for a pre-holiday pastrami sandwich this coming Sunday....Kosar Bialy's, Pickle Guy, Donut Plant, Yonah Shimmel for knish, and Russ & Daughter's will also be part of the take-home portion of the food extravaganza. I'll be the fella' with a 4 y.o. daughter dressed as a princess......

 

[loopymommy]

Annisa - I try and support top-notch female chefs. I enjoy Annisa very much (it's been a while, however). But I will admit that I was not a big fan of her dumpling shop on 23rd Street.

Keen's - last time I was there the food was underwhelming, but the pipes on the ceiling are quite kitchy.

Blue Hill - I enjoy both establishments. But I can understand others finding the food underwhelming. We enjoy the farm-to-table aspect.

For better or worse, we now live across the Hudson from CIA and Stone Barns, and have lovely choices in the Black Dirt region of Orange County that produces grass-fed meat, apples and about 25% of the countries onions.

Peter Luger's - I declined their 'house' charge card years ago. That was a mistake. Enjoy!

Victoria & Albert is worth the splurge.....we leave DD with grandparents who give my wife & I time for date night.

And since we're trading stories, etc. - I plan on being at Katz's Deli for a pre-holiday pastrami sandwich this coming Sunday....Kosar Bialy's, Pickle Guy, Donut Plant, Yonah Shimmel for knish, and Russ & Daughter's will also be part of the take-home portion of the food extravaganza. I'll be the fella' with a 4 y.o. daughter dressed as a princess......

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Victoria and Albert's. I may try that on our next trip.

A word of warning about Yonah Shimmel: I hear it is a pale representation of its former self. I'm hoping that the unfortunate Gabila factory fire may have lit a proverbial fire under Shimmel's behind to bring their quality back up. I hope you report back and let us know.

BTW, If you really bring your 4-year old to the LES in a princess dress, she will undoubtedly fit right in and will most likely be the recipient of samples galore, especially at Russ and Daughters. If you happen to go by the Essex Street Market, she may even coax a smile from cranky Kenny Shopsin. Have a wonderful time and happy holidays!

 

[canoe86]

Cancelled our reservation to the California Grill based on the meals we had eaten to that point of our trip. Sounds like it was a good decision.

We had enough of over priced, low quality food during our trip that we didn't want to chance another bad meal.

 

[JZCubed]

Cancelled our reservation to the California Grill based on the meals we had eaten to that point of our trip. Sounds like it was a good decision.

We had enough of over priced, low quality food during our trip that we didn't want to chance another bad meal.

In fairness to Disney, it is not easy serving high-quality food in such high volumes day-after-day.

But clearly, Disney had made a choice to higher volume, not higher quality.

Many people far more familiar with Disney Dining Program suggest that the Dining Program is the cause. On the other hand, I recall fine dining at Disney being an oxymoron long before the Dining Plan became popular.

I keep my expectations quite reasonable when dining at Disney and rarely am I disappointed.

However, what my family experienced at CA Grill was cause to warn others (and CA Grill management) that change means nothing if it turns out being something other than improvement.

Like I've mentioned throughout this thread:

1.) CA Grill reminds people of a dress code policy that is rarely enforced. This discourages celebrations for people looking for memorable moments feeling comfortable here; a man in a sport coat should feel more at ease than a person wearing a smelly t-shirt to dinner. It's a shame some people are inconsiderate slobs who are often rewarded with choice tables anyway.

2.) CA Grill is selling itself as a Signature Restaurant in many ways (i.e., reserve wine list and a corridor of wine upon entry), and yet, too many of the Servers/Waiters might find working in a diner more to their ability.

3.) CA Grill made changes to the dining room that make it less romantic (i.e., increased noise level).

I have Disney Vacation Club membership at Bay Lake Tower/Contemporary and was disappointed with CA Grill. I can only hope that taking a water taxi to Artist Point is convenient enough to give my family (and yours) an alternative.

And I hope and pray that CA Grill improves enough so that I can comfortably return in a few years.

 

[JZCubed]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Victoria and Albert's. I may try that on our next trip.

A word of warning about Yonah Shimmel: I hear it is a pale representation of its former self. I'm hoping that the unfortunate Gabila factory fire may have lit a proverbial fire under Shimmel's behind to bring their quality back up. I hope you report back and let us know.

BTW, If you really bring your 4-year old to the LES in a princess dress, she will undoubtedly fit right in and will most likely be the recipient of samples galore, especially at Russ and Daughters. If you happen to go by the Essex Street Market, she may even coax a smile from cranky Kenny Shopsin. Have a wonderful time and happy holidays!

I did a taste test a few years ago with knishes found on LES. Yonnah Shimmel was clear winner.

Funny, I never make it to Essex Street Market. My bags (and stomach) are usually too full by the time I could get there.

And since you're so nice, I'll have a second Black Cherry soda and cheer to the kind person I 'met' on DisBoards. Twist my arm and I'll have beer instead.

 

[firecracker725]

Is this review a joke? It's awfully (and almost comically) pretentious.

CA Grill has NEVER really, truly been "fine dining.". At best, it's a good attempt at "fancy" food in an atmosphere that never really matched the intent of the food.

I thought the same thing re: pretentious.

 

[jennylyn_b]

You're right, many of my complaints have to do with an individual taste. But please explain why my child, who eats hummus all the time, cried after a mere taste of the hummus because she said it was too spicy (she was right) or why more garlic seasoning needs to appear on a child's pizza?

While I understand your child thought it was too spicy and that the kids menu items, like her pizza, shouldn't have garlic on it, that's your child's preference. My daughter won't eat bland food. She loves spicy, garlic, onions, chipotle etc. She won't eat mashed potatoes or plain pasta etc. it must have flavor. It sounds to me she would have loved the flavor whereas yours did not. Nothing is wrong with either child. They just like different things but why blame the restaurant?

However, we are huge fans of CG prior to the refurb. We wanted to go during our trip Oct 29/nov 13 but we've decided to wait. We didn't even add it in for our upcoming May trip. Why? In our experience, restaurants needs close to a year to work it all out after a refurb or new opening. Too many things go wrong early on; bad service, menu tweaks needing to be made, flavors not working etc. I think after reading your review I may hold off before deciding to add it to our fall 2014 trip.

 

[JZCubed]

While I understand your child thought it was too spicy and that the kids menu items, like her pizza, shouldn't have garlic on it, that's your child's preference. My daughter won't eat bland food. She loves spicy, garlic, onions, chipotle etc. She won't eat mashed potatoes or plain pasta etc. it must have flavor. It sounds to me she would have loved the flavor whereas yours did not. Nothing is wrong with either child. They just like different things but why blame the restaurant?

However, we are huge fans of CG prior to the refurb. We wanted to go during our trip Oct 29/nov 13 but we've decided to wait. We didn't even add it in for our upcoming May trip. Why? In our experience, restaurants needs close to a year to work it all out after a refurb or new opening. Too many things go wrong early on; bad service, menu tweaks needing to be made, flavors not working etc. I think after reading your review I may hold off before deciding to add it to our fall 2014 trip.

I appreciate your taking my food advice. After working for nearly a decade in what are/were some of the finest restaurants in NYC (and quite possibly the world), I learned and discussed more than a few things about fine food with some of the best chefs anywhere.

Like you, I often avoid the kinks of a newly opened/renovated restaurant. But in this instance, I simply ***-u-me'd that sparkling water would arrive with bubbles, bread would not be ice cold, waiters/servers would not breach basic standards of service, and/or a dessert would not arrive salty.

Lastly, like I said, my child eats hummus all the time. She devoured what was served at the Royal Table (as well as commercial and locally made hummus). The hummus served to her at CA Grill with the Lettuce Wraps was inedible (unless a person was attempting to repel vampires).

I am looking forward to dining at Artist Point. A DisBoarder informed me that it is a simple boat ride away from the Contemporary.....at 20% cost discount to CA Grill......

 

[JZCubed]

I thought the same thing re: pretentious.

If you'd prefer a McDonald's-style review for a place charging $43 for Scallops and $12 for donuts:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3181352

The next time you read a review, ask yourself if the reviewer offered the readers a learning experience. Simply saying something tasted awful has no meaning if there is no perspective. Based on my review, I'll bet others might now be able to distinguish fenugreek in their curry. Clearly, you do not like my perspective. Sorry.

Moreover, the next time you are dining with friends/family, ask yourself if you would take food advice from the person who drowns their breakfast in ketchup, who uses both duck sauce and hot mustard on everything in a Chinese restaurant, and/or the person who cannot tell the difference between frozen and fresh fried potatoes. I'm not that person, and other novice reviewers don't tell you their habits.

Lastly, when I watch episodes of 'Chopped' on the Food Network, judging chefs repeatedly tell the contestants that raw onion is offensive and will leave a lingering taste on the palette. So if you find my comment, "Raw onions should only be a garnish at a taco stand," to be pretentious, then argue with the chefs that critique other chefs.

I stand by my review.

 

[TDC Nala]

I ate there myself (in the lounge, not the restaurant) two weeks ago and I have no complaint about either the food or the service. In fact, the guy serving in the lounge got more than the standard TIW tip. For those making a decision one way or the other.

Most memorably for me were my meals at Anissa, Keen's, Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

California Grill is not on the level of any of these, and never has been. Likely it never will be.

Please do not attack the reviewer for the tone of his review. This will get closed.

 

[JZCubed]

California Grill is not on the level of any of these, and never has been. Likely it never will be.

How do you know?

Annisa - has sushi appetizers and many menu items comparable to CA Grill. And if NYC is considered to be expensive, then the cost of food at Annisa is demonstrably lower than similar items at CA Grill.

Keens - an old world steak house that cannot even match Yachtsman's Steakhouse for quality.

Blue Hill - farm to table freshness like any Disney restaurant that advertises Greens grown at Disney or some other local specialty retailer.

You cannot continue to claim that CA Grill is not on a similar level of quality as these three restaurants. Plainly and simply, that entire corridor of fine wine at the front door of CA Grill and the corresponding reserve wine list is not being marketed to people who are looking for overpriced resort food, but rather quality food.

Honestly, I cannot image a person from the CA Grill defending, as you are, that the food is not intended to be high quality, just overpriced.

 

[RobynPrincess]

I have never eaten in CG as I am not a huge lovely of fancy food however, I have 3 sets of friends who have eaten there before and after and not one of them will return, and yet they RAVED about it before. It's sad that it's falling short and isn't living up to the expectations of its former self

 

[LindaBabe]

I thought that was a well thought out and balanced review. I *HOPE* you shared it with Disney's guest relations. (I, for 1, won't be eating there again. Once was more than sufficient.)

 

[DvF Diva]

I appreciated this review and the context put around each of the criticisms and praises (yes, there were both in there, people!). The ensuing debate also helped put OP's tastes into perspective for me and helped set my barometer w/r/t/ what he had to say about this place.

Since re-opening I have seen some good and some bad reviews for CG. I am still on the fence about keeping my Jan ressies, but reviews of all kinds help me decide: will I risk the reported lows for the reported highs?
Every review helps, and one that is as thoughtfully written and replied to as this one certainly adds value in my decision-making process.

It is hard to know 100% and maybe I just have to go myself and decide for myself. Sounds like that is what OP did and his experience changed his mind about the restaurant.

 

[Karlzmom]

OP-

Thank you for sharing your experience. I greatly appreciated the contextualization of your criticism. It easily permitted me to compare what aspects of a dining experience are important to me and consider your experience relative to that expectation while allowing me to weigh the value your report provided based on what might be non-critical.

I am sorry that you have been the recipient of the oh-so-typical ad hominem attacks that inevitably ensue following any criticism of the mighty mouse. I look forward to reading more reviews in the future.

 

[JZCubed]

I have never eaten in CG as I am not a huge lovely of fancy food however, I have 3 sets of friends who have eaten there before and after and not one of them will return, and yet they RAVED about it before. It's sad that it's falling short and isn't living up to the expectations of its former self

Prior to my recent visit, CA Grill was my 'Best All-Around' at Disney because of quality food and a $million view.

Obviously, given my review, that label has since changed.

 

[JZCubed]

I appreciated this review and the context put around each of the criticisms and praises (yes, there were both in there, people!). The ensuing debate also helped put OP's tastes into perspective for me and helped set my barometer w/r/t/ what he had to say about this place.

Since re-opening I have seen some good and some bad reviews for CG. I am still on the fence about keeping my Jan ressies, but reviews of all kinds help me decide: will I risk the reported lows for the reported highs?
Every review helps, and one that is as thoughtfully written and replied to as this one certainly adds value in my decision-making process.

It is hard to know 100% and maybe I just have to go myself and decide for myself. Sounds like that is what OP did and his experience changed his mind about the restaurant.

Absolutely.

I hope and pray that everyone makes decisions for themselves based upon the personal calculus that any one of us might use.

For instance, just because I prefer Coca-Cola does not mean that Pepsi is bad. But flat soda pop is flat soda pop and cold bread is cold bread.

In no uncertain terms, after eating at CA Grill more than a few times, this most recent visit has changed my mind for the worse, unfortunately.

Believe you me, I really wanted the last meal with my family of our most recent vacation to be a Signature experience.

 

[JZCubed]

OP-

Thank you for sharing your experience. I greatly appreciated the contextualization of your criticism. It easily permitted me to compare what aspects of a dining experience are important to me and consider your experience relative to that expectation while allowing me to weigh the value your report provided based on what might be non-critical.

I am sorry that you have been the recipient of the oh-so-typical ad hominem attacks that inevitably ensue following any criticism of the mighty mouse. I look forward to reading more reviews in the future.

Thank you for the kind remarks.

 

[marshwiggle]

Prior to my recent visit, CA Grill was my 'Best All-Around' at Disney because of quality food and a $million view.

Obviously, given my review, that label has since changed.

How much did the food/service count in your "best all-around" award and how recently had you visited before this? Without context, what I found puzzling with your review is that it made it sound like there was this sudden and drastic drop in quality. Hasn't it always been about the view?

CA Grill isn't the resto it could/should be but that's been the case for a while and that also applies to just about every other place at WDW. I've never been super-impressed with CA Grill, especially with its inconsistency, so maybe any post-refurb dips in quality were not as obvious to me; it seemed pretty much like its usual state of overrated with a potential for awesome. My experience has been limited to the past 3+ years and does not include the near-mythical pre-DDP golden age that is mentioned on the boards every so often.

The view and WDW's walled garden guarantee that the food/service need not be that good for it to be packed every night.