Second batch. More will come tomorrow. Wish I had taken better notes as everything is kinda running together at this point.
Bon Appetit!
Andrew
8/6
Quick B'fast at GF Concierge
Lunch at Tusker House (AK)
H- grilled salmon w/ greenbeans, water
A- turkey wrap w/ slaw, water
$21.20
A light lunch for a hot day. Heathers grilled salmon was surprisingly moist and she simply loved the green beans; amazing! she says. My turkey wrap was nicely chilled, but a little bland. Light, (relatively) inexpensive and kept us going through dinner.
Dinner was at Flying Fish (BW)
H- Lobster bisque
H- Oak Grilled Mahi Mahi with Heirloom Tomato Risotto, Basil-Lemon Emulsion and micro Greens
H- "The Original" Valrhona Chocolate Lava Cake with Liquid Chocolate Center and Tarragon Ice Cream
A- "Peeky Toe" Crab Cakes with "Flying Fish" Slaw and Ancho-Chile Remoulade
A- Coriander Crusted Yellowfin Tuna with Shiitake Mushrooms, Soba Noodles and Miso Vinaigrette
A- Trio of Sorbet -- Lychee, Passion Fruit and Raspberry with Moscato-Orange Broth and Crunchy Almond Cookie
Bottle of Madonna Valckenberg Kabinett
Complimentary cocktail from the adjacent table: H- vodka tonic; A- Amaretto sour
$161.67
Our first meal on plan. The crab cakes were excellent although I found their remoulade heat to grow very quickly. The yellowfin tuna was excellently prepared- I asked for rare and they obliged sans doute! I described it to Heather as like chewing butter in that it wasnt flaky like a well done piece of fish, but wasnt chewy either. The sorbets were way fun, and even though lychee probably isnt my favorite flavor, was one of the most interesting flavors Ive had.
Heather had the lobster bisque (very good, with nice lumps of lobster), oak grilled mahi mahi with heirloom tomato risotto (kind of dry, and she didnt enjoy the tomato risotto), and the valrhona chocolate lava cake (amazing! the chocolate filling came out just a little, but for the most part stayed inside so that every delicious bite had yummy chocolate filling in it).
The extra special touch was that right after the wine was delivered, another waiter walked over to us and said that the table next to ours had bought us each a drink, so he wanted to know what wed like. He told us that they were celebrating their 15th anniversary, and bought us a drink b/c they saw by the ears that we were on our honeymoon. We thought it was so sweet, and Heather wanted to cry! We went over to their table and thanked them profusely.
8/7
Quick B'fast at GF Concierge
Lunch at Tempura Kiku (Epcot)
H- California roll
H- Nihonbashi- seafood & veggie tempura
H- Chestnut Mousse
H- Coke
A- Kabuki Beef- thinly sliced with onions and adish
A- Sushi deluxe-
A- Ginger ice cream
A- iced green tea
$69.28
No real surprises here. The restaurant is counter service, which means you cannot make PSs and its first-come first-served. We arrived a bit before 12 noon, and had to wait for their noon opening. Not a problem, however. Heather proclaimed the California rolls the best shed ever eaten (and shes had quite a few). Her tempura, while well prepared, got heavy after a while, since it is a big pile of fried foods. Her chestnut mousse was quite light, and had a great deal of sweetness to it.
I thoroughly enjoyed my kabuki beef with the onions and radish. I did drop a slice on the floor which was a bit upsetting. The sushi deluxe was a grand sample of sushi and had an egg piece that caused me some consternation until I asked what it was. The salmon roe were my least favorite, but Im not sorry I had them. Their soy sauce was much better than the standard Kikoman etc Im used to. Ginger ice cream was as fun as I remembered from our last trip to the Tepanyaki room.
Dinner at Victoria & Albert's Chef's Table (GF)
Amuse bouche of Iranian golden osetra caviar, crème fraiche and toast points with Fairy tale cuvee toast
Amuse bouche of eggplant mousse in a cucumber sandwich
Heather-Roasted Chioga Beet Salad with Walnuts, Cucumbers, and Mache, Sherry Cucumber Vinaigrette
Savennieres Clos Du Papillon Domaine des Boumard, Loire Valley 1997
Andrew- Smoked Buffalo with Heirloom Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm and Balsamic
Hirsci Kammerner Lamm Gruner Veltliner, Alte Reben Kamptal/Osterreich 1999
Muscovy Duck Breast with Root Vegetables, Peaches, Foie Gras, and Applewood Bacon Vinaigrette
Santenay 1er Cru La Maladiere Domaine Vincent Girardin, Burgundy 1999
Heather- Carrot-Ginger Cream
Andrew- Squab Consommé
Poussin Oscar with a Lump Crab Cake, Italian Cous Cous, Red Rice and Sauce Bernaise and a Poached Maine Lobster Tail
MacRostie Chardonnay, Carneros 2000
Terrine of Sorbet with Seasonal Fruits
Grilled Prime Filet over Cauliflower-Potato Puree and Cabernet Jus
Jamison Farm Lamb with Wild Mushroom Cannelloni, Truffle Emulsion
Chateau Ste Michelle Merlot Reserve, Columbia Valley 1997
Taleggio, Passendale and Great Hill Blue with Burgundy Poached Pear
Brachetto dAcqui Rosa Regale Banfi, Piedmont 2001
Warm Pineapple in a crepe Purse
Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Soufflé
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
Bonny Doon Vineyard Framboise, Santa Cruz
Coffee, Friandises
$413.44
Again, there are no English words to describe this meal. Since the Chef de Cuisine, Scott Hunnel, was on vacation, we were treated to the culinary prowess of the sous chef, Jason Lanza. He had also been in charge the night of our wedding reception, and asked us what we had selected that night. Thus, he was able to change things around and make sure we didnt have too much duplicated. He even changed the standard Poussin and Filet/Lamb courses to make them different from any other plates going out that evening.
The caviar was superb, and Im not a great fan of the stuff. It was small and only slightly briny. I spoke with a few of the cooks about cheese and other errata. The maitre d came back to check on us several times, but he had no fear that there were any problems. We really love sitting in the kitchen, even though you dont get the warm glow and harp music from the front of the house. I enjoy watching their fluid motions and having a kitchen staff who seem to enjoy talking with you makes it that much more enjoyable.
At the end of the meal, we had a good 10-15 minute talk with sous chef Jason. We discussed marriage, culinary training, certain aspects of the meal and many other things. I mentioned that the last time we visited the Chefs Table, there was an excellent butternut squash cream soup and he quickly went off and printed out three recipes for me. He wanted to go get a recipe that my father requested, but I suggested that perhaps my dad would enjoy the formal recipe in the mail just as much. Heather asked him about a passion fruit mousse in an orange-scented chocolate purse that we had also had the previous time. According to Jason, it was not a big seller, which completely shocked us. It was a fantastic creation! But Jason suggested that next time we dine there, we could let them know wed like it a few days in advance and they could accommodate us. Just about anything in the world could be handled, as long as they have enough lead time.
To close, this was simply a beautiful experience from the food, to the ambiance to the wonderful attention given by the kitchen staff, our Victoria and Albert, Manuel the maitre d and of course the sous chef Jason.
8/8
Quick B'fast at WL Concierge
Lunch at Brown Derby (MGM)
H- steamed littleneck clams with apple wood-smoked bacon and corn
H- Grilled 10 oz. NY Strip Steak - marinated in Ale with chimichurri and boniato mashed potatoes and a skewer of shrimp
H- Mickey Sorcerers Hat cheesecake
A- Chicken and Chorizo Quesadilla - with Jack cheese, corn, cilantro cream and tomatillo salsa
A- Cobb filet, rare- filet mignon on top of a cobb salad, places on texas toast. Avacado dressing and a skewer of shrimp
A- almond shortcake
Glass of complimentary champagne w/ strawberry
Vittel
$91.92
I liked quesadillas and the Brown Derby did a great job on their version. I wasnt quite sure what I was ordering when I asked for the Cobb filet, and when it arrived, I still wasnt certain. The description above is my best attempt and it tasted surprisingly good. The filet and the cobb salad are not natural pairs, and I ate the separately. I probably should have skipped the shrimp. My almond shortcake ended the meal nicely as I like almond and found it to be light enough following the big filet.
Heathers clams were good, but she really would have preferred the standard steamed clams at Cape May Cafe- the extra stuff was distracting from the simple taste that is a steamed clam. She found the strip steak to be nice an cooked rare to her liking. The taters were good and creamy while the shrimp was a great deal better than the Ohana shrimp (and they were peeled!). Her dessert was almost too pretty to eat, but munch it she did after we took some pictures. The delicious cheesecake had a very tasty raspberry puree on the side.
Our server graciously provided a complimentary glass of champagne, although at this point we were drinking more than we had the entire previous 12 months.
Dinner was at Citrico's (GF)
H- seared scallops on a crawfish risotto
H- Sauteed Halibut - with Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Vermouth Cream
H- Lemon Cheese Cake - with fresh berries
A- Pan Seared Quail - with creamy polenta and artichokes
A- Roasted Duck Breast - Watercress Salad and Sweet and Sour Pomegranate Glaze
A- Seasonal Berry Gratin - with champagne Grand Marnier Sabayone
A had wine parings by course and H had a Mondavi la Famiglia Moscato Bianco
An adjacent table sent over complimentary glasses of champagne
The pastry staff decorated our desserts with Just Married and And They Lived Happily Ever After
$155.23
We got stuck on the monorail for 40 minutes, as the one in front of us failed its routine maintenance at the TTC. So we were quite late to our PSs but the restaurant was pretty dead and we were seated immediately around 8:30pm.
The quail took a bit to prepare and the waiter dutifully warned me about this. However we were in no rush so I was glad to wait. At first I found it a bit oily, but once I let the polenta soak some of the moisture up, I found it much more palatable and added to the polentas taste. The roasted duck breast was uneventful and I preferred it without the overpowering tartness of the pomegranate glaze. I should add that Heather liked the glaze. My dessert was wonderfully light and I could have easily eaten another plate of it. My wine pairings worked well and I specially requested a dessert wine to accompany my final course.
Heather preferred her scallops to the main course, although they were less than terribly memorable. The halibut she ended up having boxed since she found herself in less than a fishy mood once the entrée arrived. Heather doesnt remark much upon her dessert except for the giant pastry sail, but the pastry chef for the night had gone nuts on our plates. She wrote in chocolate on mine Just Married and Heathers had And they Live Happily Ever After split across the top and bottom rims. Both plates had little chocolate Mickey heads around the rim.
Again at this restaurant, a table celebrating their 46th anniversary this year sent over a glass of champagne to celebrate. We interrupted our meal to thanks them as they left and had a nice time speaking with the patriarch who had taken his whole family (11 people) to WDW from Louisiana.
Bon Appetit!
Andrew
8/6
Quick B'fast at GF Concierge
Lunch at Tusker House (AK)
H- grilled salmon w/ greenbeans, water
A- turkey wrap w/ slaw, water
$21.20
A light lunch for a hot day. Heathers grilled salmon was surprisingly moist and she simply loved the green beans; amazing! she says. My turkey wrap was nicely chilled, but a little bland. Light, (relatively) inexpensive and kept us going through dinner.
Dinner was at Flying Fish (BW)
H- Lobster bisque
H- Oak Grilled Mahi Mahi with Heirloom Tomato Risotto, Basil-Lemon Emulsion and micro Greens
H- "The Original" Valrhona Chocolate Lava Cake with Liquid Chocolate Center and Tarragon Ice Cream
A- "Peeky Toe" Crab Cakes with "Flying Fish" Slaw and Ancho-Chile Remoulade
A- Coriander Crusted Yellowfin Tuna with Shiitake Mushrooms, Soba Noodles and Miso Vinaigrette
A- Trio of Sorbet -- Lychee, Passion Fruit and Raspberry with Moscato-Orange Broth and Crunchy Almond Cookie
Bottle of Madonna Valckenberg Kabinett
Complimentary cocktail from the adjacent table: H- vodka tonic; A- Amaretto sour
$161.67
Our first meal on plan. The crab cakes were excellent although I found their remoulade heat to grow very quickly. The yellowfin tuna was excellently prepared- I asked for rare and they obliged sans doute! I described it to Heather as like chewing butter in that it wasnt flaky like a well done piece of fish, but wasnt chewy either. The sorbets were way fun, and even though lychee probably isnt my favorite flavor, was one of the most interesting flavors Ive had.
Heather had the lobster bisque (very good, with nice lumps of lobster), oak grilled mahi mahi with heirloom tomato risotto (kind of dry, and she didnt enjoy the tomato risotto), and the valrhona chocolate lava cake (amazing! the chocolate filling came out just a little, but for the most part stayed inside so that every delicious bite had yummy chocolate filling in it).
The extra special touch was that right after the wine was delivered, another waiter walked over to us and said that the table next to ours had bought us each a drink, so he wanted to know what wed like. He told us that they were celebrating their 15th anniversary, and bought us a drink b/c they saw by the ears that we were on our honeymoon. We thought it was so sweet, and Heather wanted to cry! We went over to their table and thanked them profusely.
8/7
Quick B'fast at GF Concierge
Lunch at Tempura Kiku (Epcot)
H- California roll
H- Nihonbashi- seafood & veggie tempura
H- Chestnut Mousse
H- Coke
A- Kabuki Beef- thinly sliced with onions and adish
A- Sushi deluxe-
A- Ginger ice cream
A- iced green tea
$69.28
No real surprises here. The restaurant is counter service, which means you cannot make PSs and its first-come first-served. We arrived a bit before 12 noon, and had to wait for their noon opening. Not a problem, however. Heather proclaimed the California rolls the best shed ever eaten (and shes had quite a few). Her tempura, while well prepared, got heavy after a while, since it is a big pile of fried foods. Her chestnut mousse was quite light, and had a great deal of sweetness to it.
I thoroughly enjoyed my kabuki beef with the onions and radish. I did drop a slice on the floor which was a bit upsetting. The sushi deluxe was a grand sample of sushi and had an egg piece that caused me some consternation until I asked what it was. The salmon roe were my least favorite, but Im not sorry I had them. Their soy sauce was much better than the standard Kikoman etc Im used to. Ginger ice cream was as fun as I remembered from our last trip to the Tepanyaki room.
Dinner at Victoria & Albert's Chef's Table (GF)
Amuse bouche of Iranian golden osetra caviar, crème fraiche and toast points with Fairy tale cuvee toast
Amuse bouche of eggplant mousse in a cucumber sandwich
Heather-Roasted Chioga Beet Salad with Walnuts, Cucumbers, and Mache, Sherry Cucumber Vinaigrette
Savennieres Clos Du Papillon Domaine des Boumard, Loire Valley 1997
Andrew- Smoked Buffalo with Heirloom Tomatoes, Hearts of Palm and Balsamic
Hirsci Kammerner Lamm Gruner Veltliner, Alte Reben Kamptal/Osterreich 1999
Muscovy Duck Breast with Root Vegetables, Peaches, Foie Gras, and Applewood Bacon Vinaigrette
Santenay 1er Cru La Maladiere Domaine Vincent Girardin, Burgundy 1999
Heather- Carrot-Ginger Cream
Andrew- Squab Consommé
Poussin Oscar with a Lump Crab Cake, Italian Cous Cous, Red Rice and Sauce Bernaise and a Poached Maine Lobster Tail
MacRostie Chardonnay, Carneros 2000
Terrine of Sorbet with Seasonal Fruits
Grilled Prime Filet over Cauliflower-Potato Puree and Cabernet Jus
Jamison Farm Lamb with Wild Mushroom Cannelloni, Truffle Emulsion
Chateau Ste Michelle Merlot Reserve, Columbia Valley 1997
Taleggio, Passendale and Great Hill Blue with Burgundy Poached Pear
Brachetto dAcqui Rosa Regale Banfi, Piedmont 2001
Warm Pineapple in a crepe Purse
Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Soufflé
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
Bonny Doon Vineyard Framboise, Santa Cruz
Coffee, Friandises
$413.44
Again, there are no English words to describe this meal. Since the Chef de Cuisine, Scott Hunnel, was on vacation, we were treated to the culinary prowess of the sous chef, Jason Lanza. He had also been in charge the night of our wedding reception, and asked us what we had selected that night. Thus, he was able to change things around and make sure we didnt have too much duplicated. He even changed the standard Poussin and Filet/Lamb courses to make them different from any other plates going out that evening.
The caviar was superb, and Im not a great fan of the stuff. It was small and only slightly briny. I spoke with a few of the cooks about cheese and other errata. The maitre d came back to check on us several times, but he had no fear that there were any problems. We really love sitting in the kitchen, even though you dont get the warm glow and harp music from the front of the house. I enjoy watching their fluid motions and having a kitchen staff who seem to enjoy talking with you makes it that much more enjoyable.
At the end of the meal, we had a good 10-15 minute talk with sous chef Jason. We discussed marriage, culinary training, certain aspects of the meal and many other things. I mentioned that the last time we visited the Chefs Table, there was an excellent butternut squash cream soup and he quickly went off and printed out three recipes for me. He wanted to go get a recipe that my father requested, but I suggested that perhaps my dad would enjoy the formal recipe in the mail just as much. Heather asked him about a passion fruit mousse in an orange-scented chocolate purse that we had also had the previous time. According to Jason, it was not a big seller, which completely shocked us. It was a fantastic creation! But Jason suggested that next time we dine there, we could let them know wed like it a few days in advance and they could accommodate us. Just about anything in the world could be handled, as long as they have enough lead time.
To close, this was simply a beautiful experience from the food, to the ambiance to the wonderful attention given by the kitchen staff, our Victoria and Albert, Manuel the maitre d and of course the sous chef Jason.
8/8
Quick B'fast at WL Concierge
Lunch at Brown Derby (MGM)
H- steamed littleneck clams with apple wood-smoked bacon and corn
H- Grilled 10 oz. NY Strip Steak - marinated in Ale with chimichurri and boniato mashed potatoes and a skewer of shrimp
H- Mickey Sorcerers Hat cheesecake
A- Chicken and Chorizo Quesadilla - with Jack cheese, corn, cilantro cream and tomatillo salsa
A- Cobb filet, rare- filet mignon on top of a cobb salad, places on texas toast. Avacado dressing and a skewer of shrimp
A- almond shortcake
Glass of complimentary champagne w/ strawberry
Vittel
$91.92
I liked quesadillas and the Brown Derby did a great job on their version. I wasnt quite sure what I was ordering when I asked for the Cobb filet, and when it arrived, I still wasnt certain. The description above is my best attempt and it tasted surprisingly good. The filet and the cobb salad are not natural pairs, and I ate the separately. I probably should have skipped the shrimp. My almond shortcake ended the meal nicely as I like almond and found it to be light enough following the big filet.
Heathers clams were good, but she really would have preferred the standard steamed clams at Cape May Cafe- the extra stuff was distracting from the simple taste that is a steamed clam. She found the strip steak to be nice an cooked rare to her liking. The taters were good and creamy while the shrimp was a great deal better than the Ohana shrimp (and they were peeled!). Her dessert was almost too pretty to eat, but munch it she did after we took some pictures. The delicious cheesecake had a very tasty raspberry puree on the side.
Our server graciously provided a complimentary glass of champagne, although at this point we were drinking more than we had the entire previous 12 months.
Dinner was at Citrico's (GF)
H- seared scallops on a crawfish risotto
H- Sauteed Halibut - with Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Vermouth Cream
H- Lemon Cheese Cake - with fresh berries
A- Pan Seared Quail - with creamy polenta and artichokes
A- Roasted Duck Breast - Watercress Salad and Sweet and Sour Pomegranate Glaze
A- Seasonal Berry Gratin - with champagne Grand Marnier Sabayone
A had wine parings by course and H had a Mondavi la Famiglia Moscato Bianco
An adjacent table sent over complimentary glasses of champagne
The pastry staff decorated our desserts with Just Married and And They Lived Happily Ever After
$155.23
We got stuck on the monorail for 40 minutes, as the one in front of us failed its routine maintenance at the TTC. So we were quite late to our PSs but the restaurant was pretty dead and we were seated immediately around 8:30pm.
The quail took a bit to prepare and the waiter dutifully warned me about this. However we were in no rush so I was glad to wait. At first I found it a bit oily, but once I let the polenta soak some of the moisture up, I found it much more palatable and added to the polentas taste. The roasted duck breast was uneventful and I preferred it without the overpowering tartness of the pomegranate glaze. I should add that Heather liked the glaze. My dessert was wonderfully light and I could have easily eaten another plate of it. My wine pairings worked well and I specially requested a dessert wine to accompany my final course.
Heather preferred her scallops to the main course, although they were less than terribly memorable. The halibut she ended up having boxed since she found herself in less than a fishy mood once the entrée arrived. Heather doesnt remark much upon her dessert except for the giant pastry sail, but the pastry chef for the night had gone nuts on our plates. She wrote in chocolate on mine Just Married and Heathers had And they Live Happily Ever After split across the top and bottom rims. Both plates had little chocolate Mickey heads around the rim.
Again at this restaurant, a table celebrating their 46th anniversary this year sent over a glass of champagne to celebrate. We interrupted our meal to thanks them as they left and had a nice time speaking with the patriarch who had taken his whole family (11 people) to WDW from Louisiana.