A Girl's Gotta Eat, A Mar '17 Dining Review *7/6 Flower & Garden Booths Pt. 4*

That looks amazing! I would have devoured it all too!

So good!

I'm surprised no love for the beef sandwich. I loved mine (although I had it over a year ago). And my brother, who loathes sandwiches, loved it as well.

It was good quality roast beef, I just didn't find it very exciting. The sauce was a pretty bland considering it was horseradish, but I think that was done to make it palatable to everyone.
 
Day 3: Lunch - Tiffins

I will be the first to admit, I was REALLY on the fence about Tiffins. We've always found Tusker House to be a supremely solid breakfast option, Yak & Yeti to be an awesome place for lunch and Sanaa to be a fabulous dinner option - so it just hasn't fit in and the menu didn't sound all that appealing to me.

However, with Rivers of Light announced just 2 weeks before my trip, with dining packages released - I knew I wanted to make sure to guarantee myself a seat, with it being relatively unknown what the demand would be for the show and how weekend crowds (I was there on a Saturday) would effect this as well.

I just could not muster the courage to do a character meal solo, so Tiffins it was.

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HUGE spoiler alert - Tiffins was the BEST meal of my trip. Not only was the food divine, but I found the restaurant to be a beautiful oasis on a hot, crowded park day. My server, Frankie, was an absolute doll and I was disappointed to hear she only is there a day or two a week. I sung her praises when the manager stopped by my table and she commented she wished she could have her there full time.

Now, on to the important things - the meal!

Now, even though I only had the standard dining plan for this trip, the Rivers of Light package does include an appetizer - similar to Mama Melrose at Hollywood Studios for the Fantasmic package.

I've been known to pick restaurants in the past based on the quality of the bread basket. So, I decided to start with...

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Tiffins Signature Bread Service - Harissa Yogurt, Zhough Yogurt, Black-Eyed Pea Hummus $10

On the day of my visit, this was also served with a passion fruit vinegar and olive oil mix (6 o'clock in the sauces).

I greatly enjoyed this. The bread itself had raisins in it, but had a bit of spice to it. All of the sauces were extremely flavorful. The Zhough yogurt was supposed to be spicy, but I found it to be relatively mild. It's pretty hard to make black eyed pea hummus exciting, but this one was seasoned really well.

A super hearty starter and perfect for a hot day.

For my entrée, I was having a really hard time deciding between the Duck, Duo of Lamb or the Wagyu strip loin. I asked Frankie for her advice - she said the Wagyu was her favorite, followed by the duck and then the lamb.

I must have really been hangry for duck, because that's what I went with. The dish was absolutely beautiful!

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Pan-seared Duck Breast - Leg Confit, Alba Clamshells, Parsnip Puree, Truffle Reduction, Huckleberry Compote $39 (The menu must have recently been modified, because mine was served with lima beans, almonds and mushrooms in place of the alba clamshells).

This was AMAZING. Hands down the best entrée I had my entire trip. The parsnip puree was rich and velvety and the duck paired beautifully with the huckleberry compote and truffle reduction.

My mouth is actually watering thinking about this now, and its almost two months later.

For dessert, I again was pretty indifferent, so asked Frankie for her favorite which was the chocolate ganache. I am not much of a chocolate dessert fan, and was looking for something a little lighter so she recommended the lime cheesecake, which is what I went with.

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Lime Cheesecake - Almond-Sesame Tuile, Green Tea Sponge $10

This was also very tasty and light, and I loved the mango with it. In the end - the dessert was the least memorable part of the meal, but was still great and I wouldn't hesitate to order it again.
 
I am so excited to see your review of Tiffins. I booked my husband and I an ADR for the ROL dinner, too. I cancelled Cali Grill for it. Which we have never eaten there either. Anyway..I am hearing wonderful things about Tiffins. So, I think i made the right choice. I am on the fence about Be Our Guest. I can't get an ADR for lunch anyway, but I might stop trying. I think we might leave the park and head to Capt. Cook's instead. I can't wait to hear more.
 
I am so excited to see your review of Tiffins. I booked my husband and I an ADR for the ROL dinner, too. I cancelled Cali Grill for it. Which we have never eaten there either. Anyway..I am hearing wonderful things about Tiffins. So, I think i made the right choice. I am on the fence about Be Our Guest. I can't get an ADR for lunch anyway, but I might stop trying. I think we might leave the park and head to Capt. Cook's instead. I can't wait to hear more.

I definitely don't think you'll be disappointed by Tiffins. The restaurant was beautiful - but mostly empty. I think most people were hesitant to try it because the menu is a bit more adventurous. Hopefully with it now offering the dining package more people will give it a chance. If they don't - I'm OK with that too, because it was a nice peaceful oasis to go to in the middle of the day to relax.
 


Day 3: Dinner - Sanaa

One of my favorite meals of my last trip was at Sanaa. I didn't book a reservation here prior to leaving, but their bread service was calling my name, and I was able to secure a last minute 8:30 reservation here, which coincided with the leaving the park following the first showing of Rivers of Light.

This was the only ADR I waited past my reservation time and it was a lengthy wait. I was seated around 8:55. Clearly the restaurant was running behind this night - thankfully the food here makes up for it.

I wanted a nice, relaxing meal, complete with a glass of wine. I'm a red wine novice - normally I like wines that taste like juice - but have recently found that I really enjoy cabernet or blends. I asked my waiter for a recommendation (for the life of me, I can't recall what it was) but it was the most expensive red wine by the glass they had. At $16, it was pricey, but I did greatly enjoy it. Rookie mistake.

For a starter - I went with the bread service (of course).

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Indian-style Bread Service
Choice of Five Breads - Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kucha, or Paneer Paratha. Choice of Three Accompaniments - Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chuntey, Garlic Pickle, Red Chile Sambal, or Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle.

For $15 you get all the sauces and breads to sample.


Close up of all the sauces:

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I'm can't remember which was which in the picture here, however, they do order them from most mild to the spiciest on the board for you - which helps. The Red Chile Sambal is the spiciest, and was just out of my comfort zone in terms of spice. I still wanted to be able to taste the rest of my meal. :thumbsup2

I loved the cucumber raita, and the tomato-date jam was the biggest surprise to me - super flavorful. The only sauces I wasn't a huge fan of was the Spicy Jalapeno/Pickle and the Tamarind chutney (too sweet for me).

I loved all of the bread, but my favorite was the Paneer Paratha and the Garlic Ginger Naan.

For my entrée, I decided to go with the Potjie.


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Potjie Inspired
Choose one from the Journey - Goan Seafood Curry, Butter Chicken, Braised Beef, or Spicy Durban Shrimp. Choose on from the Harvest - Roasted Okra, Cashew and Tomato Stew, Chickpea Wat, Aloo Masala, Paneer Tikka, Lentil Dhal, or Cilantro-Coconut Milk Seasonal Vegetables. Served with scented Basmati Rice

I chose the butter chicken from the Journey and The Paneer Tikka from the Harvest.

This was awesome! The rice was great and was served with pickled vegetables over the top. There was also a side of lemon yogurt to blend with anything that was too spicy.

Everything was rich, the chicken was tender and the flavors of everything blended together were amazing.

If you haven't tried Paneer, I recommend it. Its a form of cheese, and the flavor is rich, yet light. The masala sauce was awesome!

I took the sauce and my leftover naan to go, which made a fabulous snack the following afternoon!

Unfortunately, I was too full for dessert.

Sanaa does have an added bonus - a 20% AP discount through September (without Tables in Wonderland) as part of the anniversary promotion.

Highly recommend if you're looking for a last minute ADR. A little on the adventurous side for some, but the flavors here are outstanding!
 
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Your Sanaa meal looks delicious! That's one of my favorite places and well worth traveling to get there.
 


Great review so far! I think I would enjoy your version of the Ohanna dinner more than the norm! I would try Sanaa and Tiffins if I lived with more adventurous eaters.
 
Sanaa really is amazing!! I'm glad you enjoyed your meal.

It was great. Already looking forward to going back.


Your Sanaa meal looks delicious! That's one of my favorite places and well worth traveling to get there.

Definitely well worth traveling to - although I had a rental car this trip so it did make it much easier. On my last trip which was a few years back, Sanaa was completely empty when we ate there and I recall commenting that I hoped the word didn't get out about how great it was so that we could continue to get reservations here easily. Well, I think it's safe to say the word is out, although still possible to get an ADR there last minute.

Great review so far! I think I would enjoy your version of the Ohanna dinner more than the norm! I would try Sanaa and Tiffins if I lived with more adventurous eaters.

I think Sanaa would be easier on pickier eaters than Tiffins. The bread service and butter chicken at Sanaa might sound a little goofy when you read the descripting, but its really just flat breads with a bunch of dips and the butter chicken is regular chicken cooked in a gravy. You could definitely order the rice plain.

Tiffins has ingredients that are a bit more out there, but the flavors aren't super adventurous.
 
Day 4: Brunch - California Grill

Up next is the reservation I was most looking forward to prior to my trip - brunch at California Grill.

This is certainly a pricey meal, however I burned two table service credits on the dining plan. I am happy to report that I would have happily paid out of pocket for this meal and felt like I got a great bargain.

Seriously - you NEED to do this brunch! The only time I think I've seen more options for a brunch is in Las Vegas at the fancy pants buffets, which or for a similar price point to Cali Grill.

You experience starts when you're escorted up toe the 15th floor of the Contemporary Resort and are greeted by mimosas...

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And live music...

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With some of the best views around.

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You are given the option of ordering off the menu and then are invited up to the buffet to nosh while you wait.

I was torn between ordering the standard eggs benedict and the lobster eggs benedict and was a little bummed to find out I could not order a half order of each, but I could order two full entrees. In the end I ordered the lobster eggs benedict.

I made my way to the buffet to see what it had to offer.

You have the option to add on the bloody Mary bar (for an additional charge). You have a good selection of vodkas...

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I'm a Wisconsin gal, and if there is one thing I am well-versed in, its bloody Mary garnish. California Grill has a great selection of garnish. I love bloody Mary's, primarily because I like the mini snack buffet that comes along with them. I would not have been disappointed by this selection, however - I was content with Mimosas this morning as I was also driving.

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Next up, you're greeted by a beautiful display of charcuterie.

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House-made Charcuterie - Includes: orange-honey ham, venison terrine, wagyu sausage, pork belly rillettes, whole-grain mustard, cheeses, Zellwood pickles, pickled Pero Farms peppers, sweet onion jam

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Onwards to sushi, starting with California Rolls...

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Continuing on, are deviled eggs...

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Deviled Lake Meadow Farms Eggs - with crispy lardons, spiced aioli

And next are the salads:

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Fregola Salad - with crispy sauteed vegetables, lemon vinaigrette, Florida hearts of palm

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Baby iceberg wedge - with marinated tomatoes, cherrywood bacon, avocado-buttermilk ranch dressing

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Kale and apple salad - with dried cranberries, pink pearl apples, marcona almonds, apple vinaigrette

There's more sushi here...

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Shrimp tempura - with orange drizzle and mango

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There's a selection of Greek yogurt (not pictured), smoked salmon (also not pictured), fresh fruit and bagels.

And ending with:

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Scones, "sticky buns" and cheddar biscuits.

One of the awesome things about Cali Grill is getting to check out all the action in the open kitchen.

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For my buffet plates, I started at the charcuterie:

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I was really excited about the venison terrine and the wagyu sausage. I also grabbed some salami, prosciutto, the onion jam and pickles, some Tillamook cheddar and an aged white cheese...I think it was asiago, or something in that family.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy either the venison or the wagyu. I greatly enjoyed the pickles, onion jam, cheese, prosciutto and salami.

While there were breadsticks and cracker type bread available, I do wish there was some sliced baguette to make a makeshift meat/cheese mini sandwich.

The cheddar biscuit was completely forgettable and I don't recommend wasting the carbs on it. Even with a little meat/cheese it was totally blah.

Next up was my sushi plate...

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Which consisted of a little bit of each of the offerings they had + two deviled eggs and some smoked salmon.

You can also pick up a little plate of soy, ginger and wasabi from the buffet, along with chopsticks.

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I'm not even a little ashamed to say - I ate. all. of. this. Every last bite. And I thoroughly enjoyed everything.

The sushi - while not as adventurous as the nighttime offerings, was absolutely on par with the quality you've come to know from California Grill. It was at this point I realized that I would have been completely content continuing to eat off the buffet rather than having an entrée, but I was excited for my eggs benedict, which came out next...

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(Realllllllly sorry about the bite, but my first picture did not turn out).

Poached Lobster Benedict - with Butter-Poached Tail, Two Soft-Poached Eggs, Honey Ham, Yuzu Hollandaise, Marble Potato Hash. Additionally available as regular Eggs Benedict or with Smoked Salmon.

You get two muffins here, I'm not sure why I only photographed the one.

I was a little confused about the ham with this. I think it would have been totally fine to just have the lobster, the egg and hollandaise. As you can see, the lobster portion was extremely generous and it was cooked to perfection!

At this point, I was thoroughly stuffed!

However, we still had the finale to get through:

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There was a French madeleine, a raspberry jam shortbread, a raspberry white chocolate truffle (the heart)...

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A coconut macaron and some salted toffee.

I had a bit of everything (except the truffle...I ate all of that!) and had the rest boxed to go. Everything was delicious, but seriously- I could have eaten about 50 of those madeleines. They were light as air...and I've never been much of a fan of them, but I certainly was of these!

I was there at what I thought was a pretty prime time (10:45 reservation), but the restaurant was only half full.

It was great to experience Cali Grill without it being packed like it is for dinner and I have to say - I can't wait to go back and enjoy this brunch again.

We have Narcoossee's booked for our trip next week, and I already know it will pale in comparison to this brunch!
 
I was torn between ordering the standard eggs benedict and the lobster eggs benedict and was a little bummed to find out I could not order a half order of each, but I could order two full entrees. In the end I ordered the lobster eggs benedict.
Someone on my DTR said they were allowed to order 2 half ones, but we weren't given that option either. So strange!

Continuing on, are deviled eggs...

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Deviled Lake Meadow Farms Eggs - with crispy lardons, spiced aioli

:lovestruc
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There was a French madeleine, a raspberry jam shortbread, a raspberry white chocolate truffle (the heart)...

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A coconut macaron and some salted toffee.

Your coconut macaron looks good!

I was there at what I thought was a pretty prime time (10:45 reservation), but the restaurant was only half full.

We went around 10:30 am, and also felt it was mostly empty.
 
Someone on my DTR said they were allowed to order 2 half ones, but we weren't given that option either. So strange!



:lovestruc


Your coconut macaron looks good!



We went around 10:30 am, and also felt it was mostly empty.

The coconut macron was AMAZING! On this trip I picked up the Disney recipes cookbook (not much of a baker) and it has Aulani's coconut macron recipe. It didn't sound complicated, so I might give it a try!

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought it was empty - maybe people go earlier than normal brunch time in order to enjoy park festivities?
 
The coconut macron was AMAZING! On this trip I picked up the Disney recipes cookbook (not much of a baker) and it has Aulani's coconut macron recipe. It didn't sound complicated, so I might give it a try!

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought it was empty - maybe people go earlier than normal brunch time in order to enjoy park festivities?
When I was booking I think 1030 was the earliest one, but I'm not sure. (It was the earliest available at least when I changed it to earlier). I think it got a little busier around the time we were leaving, but I'm not sure when it ends either.
 
Wow! That brunch seems incredible, but honestly I would be stuffed just off the buffet selection alone! I wonder if you could go and not order a main, for a reduced charge? Yeah right, well, a girl can dream!
 
When I was booking I think 1030 was the earliest one, but I'm not sure. (It was the earliest available at least when I changed it to earlier). I think it got a little busier around the time we were leaving, but I'm not sure when it ends either.

Interesting. I just took the time they had available because I booked really close to my trip. We are trying Narcoossee's this weekend at have a 9:30 ADR.

Wow! That brunch seems incredible, but honestly I would be stuffed just off the buffet selection alone! I wonder if you could go and not order a main, for a reduced charge? Yeah right, well, a girl can dream!

Man! They should totally do that!
 
Day 4: Dinner - Hollywood Brown Derby

I was able to get a fairly last minute ADR here for the early evening. When I changed my plans on the fly that afternoon, I was able to secure an even earlier time at about 4:30. The restaurant was running a little behind when I arrived and did have a bit of a wait.

I booked my ADR with plans to pay out of pocket and was pleasantly surprised to find out they were offering a 20% AP discount through September.

Even though I only had eyes for one specific item - I started off with a little starter.

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Beef Carpaccio - Capers, lemon-mustard aioli, petite salad greens, Caesar dressing, toasted French bread $17

The beef was AWESOME and I loved it with the crispy capers and aioli.

I really despise spring mix or arugula so I left the greens alone. The bread was also hard as a rock (in the way that you just know will destroy the roof of your mouth) so I left that alone too. Having the bread would have made this a bit more substantial starter. The beef was really excellent - I'm just not sure it was worth the $17 price tag.

After my starter, I was brought rolls and butter...

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These rolls were extra crusty on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. The butter was creamy and delicious and the amount of sea salt was perfection.

I wish the baguette served with the carpaccio would have been more like this and less like a crouton.

And for my entrée, I ordered the famous Cobb salad (appetizer portion).

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Our Famous Cobb Salad - with finely chopped greens, turkey breast, egg, bacon, tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, avocado, chives and Cobb dressing $11

I ordered this without the tomatoes. I promise there is turkey in there, it just happens to be hiding under the dressing.

And here's after its all mixed together.

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I seriously LOVE this salad and dream of it all the time. I've attempted to recreate this many times - but its never as crisp, and fresh and amazing as HBD's version. They have some kind of magic here!

Overall, I really enjoyed my meal here - but if I had to do it over again, I think I would have just gone with the salad and maybe just had the entrée size.
 
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I loved the salad! And Josh loves the beef carpaccio.

The salad is a dream. I'm considering booking another ADR here in December - solely for the salad! It seems like such a burden on the server to arrive and just order salad when they could have some three course diners instead - but then they should stop making that salad so darn delicious!

Great details n
awesome pix
I'm officially starved now!

Thank you! And thanks for joining in!

That salad looks amazing!

It is AMAZING! Highly recommend going to order it.
 

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