Our August 28-September 2nd 2006 Disney Trip Dining Reviews
The first thing that I have to say is that my fiancé and I are very particular about where we eat while on vacation, whether it be in Vegas, Chicago, New York or Disney. I love great food and even better wine. I do a lot of research and choose my restaurants carefully, almost before I choose our resort. Second, we have worked in fine dining restaurants for a combined total of 18 years, so we know our food and service. Third, we were on the dining plan so we were free to try a variety of their nicer places. Lastly, the dining plan provided a lot of food, almost too much for one person to possibly consume in the allotted time.
L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante, Monday August 28th
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Caprese salad, Caesar salad, pasta trio, tiramisu, chocolate mousse
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Fettuccine and the lamb roast
We were seated quite quickly and got the best table on the patio. It was very romantic with the soft music and candle light. The inside was very open and loud, so that's why we chose the patio. Our server chose some nice wines for us and took our order in a timely fashion, but then we didn't see him much after that. All we saw was his busser, who did most of the work. He brought our food, checked on us, took the plates away, refilled our bottled water, just about everything. Lucky for us that he was very efficient and knew his stuff. As for the food, our salads were quite nice. My mozzarella on the caprese salad was SO fresh and tasty. The caesar dressing was definitely home made. The fettuccine was just OK. I wish that it had been more garlicky and more saucy than just thick cheesy paste. That said, the pasta itself was cooked just right. My fiancés pasta trio was SO good, I wish that I had gotten it. One of the three was 4 or 5 little pasta bundles with a cheese and black truffle center. Maybe the best pasta I have ever had. The others were good, but not as good as that one! My lamb was just OK, a little fatty and not very tasty, although tender otherwise. Wouldn't order it again. The desserts made up for it as they were very good. Overall, we will return but this won't be our first choice.
Pros: The patio was very romantic
Cons: The fettuccine sauce. Service should have been taken care of mainly by the server, not the busser. Felt too rushed considering we had 4 courses.
San Angel Inn, Tuesday August 29th
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Free tortilla chips and salsa
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Everything else
We had advanced resos but waited a while for a table, which wasn't at the waters edge. The little market was cute and the fountain was pretty. The restaurant was very cute inside, but was too dark for my liking as I could barely see my food or if the place was clean. Our server was hard to understand and seemed very rushed. Our margaritas were not very good, they tasted off and they were too strong to enjoy. Our nachos were OK but there were only about 10 chips, not at all what I was used to. Our steaks that came in the trio tasted like burnt, tough rubber and the other two things were too covered in the beans (which we had said we didn't want when we ordered) to enjoy them. I guess I was expecting better, more authentic food, but instead got Taco Bell. The saving grace for this place service wise was that we forgot our camera on the table and the server turned it in at the end of the night. I was very surprised as the camera cost as much as our whole trip. When we called the next morning after realizing what we'd done, the manager said that it was in the safe and would be there when they opened up for lunch. I guess that it was a great ending to a terrible meal.
Pros: The pretty backdrop
Cons: Service and food, the two things that make for a good meal.
Les Chefs De France, Wednesday August 3oth
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Cheese plate, lobster bisque, lamb shank and roasted chicken, mango mousse with black current sorbet, vanilla cinnamon chocolate ice cream in pastry shell
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Escargot
This place was the whole experience, from the minute that you are seated. We had a very nice table in the back corner along the window, so we were away from the noisy center. Ask to be by the dessert counter on the side. Our server was Mathieu (Sorry!! I'm spelling it wrong!) He had just got there 3 weeks before but it was like he had been there for years. He was very informative about the menu, made great wine selections for us, even went over to the dessert counter with us to tell us about each one. He was there before I even realized I needed anything! By far the best service that we had. The lobster bisque was amazing, so good. The cheese plate was very large, almost too much. It had a small salad that came with it which was nice. My escargot could have been better, as I found them to be a bit bland. The entrees were good as well, my lamb fell off the bone and his chicken was very juicy. Save room for these amazing desserts! My mango mousse with fresh homemade black current sorbet was so good. The wine list was a little pricier than the others but they had a wide selection and all the ones that we tried were amazing.
Pros: Service, Service and Service, not to mention to die for food.
Cons: We had them slow down the service a bit, as we felt a bit rushed in between the first courses. We like to take our time, but I'm sure that they are used to people in a hurry. All you have to do is ask and they will make it a memorable meal.
Le Cellier, Thursday August 31st
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Caesar salad, cheesy soup, smoked salmon, maple filets, sorbet, chocolate cake
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Nothing!!
This place was fabulous. By far the best food in Epcot. The dining room is a little dark, but that's the point, as it looks like a wine cellar. They were very accommodating at the door, as I wanted to sit at a booth on the edge. Our server was Erin and she was nice as well as informative about the food. The bread was great and I liked their little speech about it. Our food was wonderful, the smoked salmon was fresh and refreshing with the cream cheese mousse filling and the maple steak being so tender and juicy, accompanied with the smoothest cream cheese mash potatoes. The cheese soup is a must, although it is very filling. The wine list was good, although all the choices were Canadian. I'm not usually a fan of Canadian wine, but the choices that they had were all premium selections from the best wineries here in Canada, so I was quite happily surprised by a few great choices. This will be our first stop next trip!
Note: By far the hardest place to get a reservation, so book early!!
Pros: Food and the food, nice server
Cons: A little brighter, maybe some candles on the tables
Narcoosees, Friday September 1st
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Crab cakes, ravioli, mixed greens, surf and turf, filet, chocolate mousse and cheesecake, nice wines, great manhattans and margaritas
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Caesar salad, dressing was odd, too cheesy
This place was quite nice. We had a window seat and it was a beautiful night. We had to wait 15 min but it was worth it. Our server was very busy as he just got 4 new tables and he took awhile to come by and get our orders. He made me a little uncomfortable because he had a quirky sense of humor. I couldn't tell if he was joking or serious, not what I'm used to at nicer places. He was nice but weird. Our food was delicious, presented well and cooked just right. My only complaint would have been that the meat itself wasn't that tender. The quality was OK, but should have been better. The quality was much nicer the night before at Le Cellier. We always order 4 course meals, but if you can't eat that much, make sure that you save room for the dessert. The mousse was raspberry and mint, with fresh vanilla bean ice cream. The cheesecake was encrusted with almonds and served with fresh berries. Mmmm! The wine list was very good with lots of choice as far a region and grape, but also price. They let you try the wine before ordering a full glass, which was something that I liked. Overall, we will return next time.
Pros: The view
Cons: Steak quality or supplier
Hope that these help!
The first thing that I have to say is that my fiancé and I are very particular about where we eat while on vacation, whether it be in Vegas, Chicago, New York or Disney. I love great food and even better wine. I do a lot of research and choose my restaurants carefully, almost before I choose our resort. Second, we have worked in fine dining restaurants for a combined total of 18 years, so we know our food and service. Third, we were on the dining plan so we were free to try a variety of their nicer places. Lastly, the dining plan provided a lot of food, almost too much for one person to possibly consume in the allotted time.
L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante, Monday August 28th
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Caprese salad, Caesar salad, pasta trio, tiramisu, chocolate mousse
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Fettuccine and the lamb roast
We were seated quite quickly and got the best table on the patio. It was very romantic with the soft music and candle light. The inside was very open and loud, so that's why we chose the patio. Our server chose some nice wines for us and took our order in a timely fashion, but then we didn't see him much after that. All we saw was his busser, who did most of the work. He brought our food, checked on us, took the plates away, refilled our bottled water, just about everything. Lucky for us that he was very efficient and knew his stuff. As for the food, our salads were quite nice. My mozzarella on the caprese salad was SO fresh and tasty. The caesar dressing was definitely home made. The fettuccine was just OK. I wish that it had been more garlicky and more saucy than just thick cheesy paste. That said, the pasta itself was cooked just right. My fiancés pasta trio was SO good, I wish that I had gotten it. One of the three was 4 or 5 little pasta bundles with a cheese and black truffle center. Maybe the best pasta I have ever had. The others were good, but not as good as that one! My lamb was just OK, a little fatty and not very tasty, although tender otherwise. Wouldn't order it again. The desserts made up for it as they were very good. Overall, we will return but this won't be our first choice.
Pros: The patio was very romantic
Cons: The fettuccine sauce. Service should have been taken care of mainly by the server, not the busser. Felt too rushed considering we had 4 courses.
San Angel Inn, Tuesday August 29th
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Free tortilla chips and salsa
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Everything else
We had advanced resos but waited a while for a table, which wasn't at the waters edge. The little market was cute and the fountain was pretty. The restaurant was very cute inside, but was too dark for my liking as I could barely see my food or if the place was clean. Our server was hard to understand and seemed very rushed. Our margaritas were not very good, they tasted off and they were too strong to enjoy. Our nachos were OK but there were only about 10 chips, not at all what I was used to. Our steaks that came in the trio tasted like burnt, tough rubber and the other two things were too covered in the beans (which we had said we didn't want when we ordered) to enjoy them. I guess I was expecting better, more authentic food, but instead got Taco Bell. The saving grace for this place service wise was that we forgot our camera on the table and the server turned it in at the end of the night. I was very surprised as the camera cost as much as our whole trip. When we called the next morning after realizing what we'd done, the manager said that it was in the safe and would be there when they opened up for lunch. I guess that it was a great ending to a terrible meal.
Pros: The pretty backdrop
Cons: Service and food, the two things that make for a good meal.
Les Chefs De France, Wednesday August 3oth
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Cheese plate, lobster bisque, lamb shank and roasted chicken, mango mousse with black current sorbet, vanilla cinnamon chocolate ice cream in pastry shell
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Escargot
This place was the whole experience, from the minute that you are seated. We had a very nice table in the back corner along the window, so we were away from the noisy center. Ask to be by the dessert counter on the side. Our server was Mathieu (Sorry!! I'm spelling it wrong!) He had just got there 3 weeks before but it was like he had been there for years. He was very informative about the menu, made great wine selections for us, even went over to the dessert counter with us to tell us about each one. He was there before I even realized I needed anything! By far the best service that we had. The lobster bisque was amazing, so good. The cheese plate was very large, almost too much. It had a small salad that came with it which was nice. My escargot could have been better, as I found them to be a bit bland. The entrees were good as well, my lamb fell off the bone and his chicken was very juicy. Save room for these amazing desserts! My mango mousse with fresh homemade black current sorbet was so good. The wine list was a little pricier than the others but they had a wide selection and all the ones that we tried were amazing.
Pros: Service, Service and Service, not to mention to die for food.
Cons: We had them slow down the service a bit, as we felt a bit rushed in between the first courses. We like to take our time, but I'm sure that they are used to people in a hurry. All you have to do is ask and they will make it a memorable meal.
Le Cellier, Thursday August 31st
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Caesar salad, cheesy soup, smoked salmon, maple filets, sorbet, chocolate cake
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Nothing!!
This place was fabulous. By far the best food in Epcot. The dining room is a little dark, but that's the point, as it looks like a wine cellar. They were very accommodating at the door, as I wanted to sit at a booth on the edge. Our server was Erin and she was nice as well as informative about the food. The bread was great and I liked their little speech about it. Our food was wonderful, the smoked salmon was fresh and refreshing with the cream cheese mousse filling and the maple steak being so tender and juicy, accompanied with the smoothest cream cheese mash potatoes. The cheese soup is a must, although it is very filling. The wine list was good, although all the choices were Canadian. I'm not usually a fan of Canadian wine, but the choices that they had were all premium selections from the best wineries here in Canada, so I was quite happily surprised by a few great choices. This will be our first stop next trip!
Note: By far the hardest place to get a reservation, so book early!!
Pros: Food and the food, nice server
Cons: A little brighter, maybe some candles on the tables
Narcoosees, Friday September 1st
Menu Choices Enjoyed: Crab cakes, ravioli, mixed greens, surf and turf, filet, chocolate mousse and cheesecake, nice wines, great manhattans and margaritas
Menu Choices Not Enjoyed: Caesar salad, dressing was odd, too cheesy
This place was quite nice. We had a window seat and it was a beautiful night. We had to wait 15 min but it was worth it. Our server was very busy as he just got 4 new tables and he took awhile to come by and get our orders. He made me a little uncomfortable because he had a quirky sense of humor. I couldn't tell if he was joking or serious, not what I'm used to at nicer places. He was nice but weird. Our food was delicious, presented well and cooked just right. My only complaint would have been that the meat itself wasn't that tender. The quality was OK, but should have been better. The quality was much nicer the night before at Le Cellier. We always order 4 course meals, but if you can't eat that much, make sure that you save room for the dessert. The mousse was raspberry and mint, with fresh vanilla bean ice cream. The cheesecake was encrusted with almonds and served with fresh berries. Mmmm! The wine list was very good with lots of choice as far a region and grape, but also price. They let you try the wine before ordering a full glass, which was something that I liked. Overall, we will return next time.
Pros: The view
Cons: Steak quality or supplier
Hope that these help!
