He Just Came For The Food: A March 2018 Dining Report *update 9/22 S. Hollow/GF Cafe

[Jenny Sanders]

We have reservations for breakfast at the GFC on October 8th. I haven't had breakfast here (only lunch and dinner), so I'm looking forward to it. Your desserts sure look incredible!!!!!!!!! I hope the cheesecake is still on the menu...

 

[kastoney]

Looks like I got back just in time for you to be finishing this bad boy up!

I have a client who normally stays between BC/BW. They don't eat at CMC because of the smell, which she says is SO strong whenever they walk by, regardless of time of day. When we stayed there and even just walking by when visiting - I only smell it if CMC is open for dinner? And while I hate the smell of fish, it doesn't seem overwhelming to me so hopefully it didn't bother you. If it did, maybe you just went up and relaxed on your balcony, taking in that fantastic view..................

Oh we suffered from this something awful on our trip. Thankfully we could only smell it at dinner time, but it was god awful. No chance I could eat in there with that smell.

#bestpictureever

I'm not even sure what this is!

The waffle without nutella!!!!!!! What in the heck is the point of that?

House-breaded Fried Mozzarella
with Tomato Jam and Grilled Artichoke Relish

What in the world are shrimp doing on there????

he next time the waitress walked by Steve called her over and ordered his shrimp; our waitress, who was nice but not the sharpest tool in the shed, asked, "do you want it with the mozzarella appetizer?" and instead of saying "yes, please bring out my shrimp when you bring out the other appetizers", he said, "yeah just throw it on with the other appetizer orders".

OMG dying. Dying. I literally have no words.

Sat down at 1:30, got our entrees at just about 3

That is ridiculous. You could have eaten upstairs at Victoria and Alberts in that time. Glad the food was good though. We haven't been there in a while but always enjoyed i t

 

[ncc1701]

Have really enjoyed your reviews. Your GFC lunch adventure sounds like half of our experiences. Our last 2 times they were pretty good and I can highly recommend the Grand Mimosa. I did breakfast entrees and DH had the Casear salad with chicken so maybe that helped.

 

[MeghanEmily]

The next time the waitress walked by Steve called her over and ordered his shrimp; our waitress, who was nice but not the sharpest tool in the shed, asked, "do you want it with the mozzarella appetizer?" and instead of saying "yes, please bring out my shrimp when you bring out the other appetizers", he said, "yeah just throw it on with the other appetizer orders".

And that's what she did!

Oh. My. Gawd.

Chris wasn't interested in any apps but was about to die of starvation right about the time our server brought out his burger from the kids menu. This was approx. 2 hours after we arrived, no lie. The restaurant is gorgeous, food delicious, server nice and friendly but holy slowness! We weren't even angry at Chris for whining because it was crazy! Sat down at 1:30, got our entrees at just about 3

Wow!! That's wild!!

I would love to return to GFC and maybe try breakfast someday. I recommend it and I'd hoped our slow as molasses service was a one time thing but others have mentioned it happening to them, too.

We love breakfast there, but 1 out of 2 times we've had it it's been incredibly slow, and our server (and older male, so not the same one you had) was about as bright as a bag of rocks. But the food was good!

 

[Terra Nova guy]

OK not everyone overloaded on sugar here and there's even some fruit thrown in, but I think we can all agree the 2 overwhelming foods in this picture are #carbs and #sugar.
The fruit & nutella waffle which I think we're all familiar with was Steve's, minus the nutella. I had this once also minus the nutella and enjoyed it as did Steve. Fruit was fresh and the waffle was soft where it should be, crispy where it should be.

Carbs and sugar are two of the most important food groups while on vacation.
Funny that we reported on the fruit waffle from Sleepy Hollow at the same time. We enjoyed ours too (but with nutella ).

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

Yikes, that is some seriously slow service. The food looked awesome, but how bizarre that they combined yours and Steve's apps

 

[ariane37]

Oh my gosh! She's like a real-life Amelia Bedelia!

Also, I recently learned how to add more than 10 photos to my TR posts and it's so stupid easy

Say what??? I'm going to have to try this, thank you!

Enjoyed your DR and I am waiting to sign on to the new TR

As always for following along with me I almost started my TR tonight but I'm a bit too tired to be creative lol

Our girls had funnel cake for the first time here, I have deprived them of such goodness. Ha!

OMG I've been eating funnel cake since I was little! My parents took us to the county fair every year and that was our treat. If there weren't so many other delicious snacks in Disney I'd be getting it more often!

That is very odd. I mean who requests that? What did they charge you for, do you know?

We were a tad thrown off when she placed it in front of us but they didn't end up charging us for the shrimp at all, so it was a win-win I guess

I am surprised Chris is still ordering from the kids menu. Morgan sometimes finds the kids burger too small and over cooked.

Actually, this was the first time he's ordered off the kids menu in YEARS. He's been eating off the adult menu since he was like, 8! The last couple years we got the dining plan - which was quite awhile ago - Chris was under 9 and Ricky was over but Ricky would order the kids meal while Chris got an adult meal. However he was just kind of "done" with the trip at this point and even though there were plenty of things on the adult menu he eats................he wasn't in the mood to be cooperative lol

We have reservations for breakfast at the GFC on October 8th. I haven't had breakfast here (only lunch and dinner), so I'm looking forward to it.

You'll have to let me know how it is!

 

[ariane37]

Oh we suffered from this something awful on our trip. Thankfully we could only smell it at dinner time, but it was god awful. No chance I could eat in there with that smell.

I'm surprised it bothered you since you eat seafood, I would think it'd only bother those like me who don't eat it. Speaking of the BC I never really asked you how you liked it..............I'll have to fix that

I'm not even sure what this is!

but, it was good!

The waffle without nutella!!!!!!! What in the heck is the point of that?

I don't like nutella PB it where it's at. I think Steve just didn't want the extra sugar because he'd already had his share ++++++++++++++ on vacation lol.

OMG dying. Dying. I literally have no words.

It's something that I would have loved to have happen when we were together. I think we would have been laughing so hard we'd have had to run to the restrooms and one of us would probably have walked into the wrong one

Your GFC lunch adventure sounds like half of our experiences. Our last 2 times they were pretty good and I can highly recommend the Grand Mimosa

I'll always take a recommendation for a good mimosa Just don't understand why there are consistent reviews of slow service?

Oh. My. Gawd.

We love breakfast there, but 1 out of 2 times we've had it it's been incredibly slow, and our server (and older male, so not the same one you had) was about as bright as a bag of rocks. But the food was good!

Again, what's up with the slow service there?????? I do remember your report on your breakfast and your old guy lol

Carbs and sugar are two of the most important food groups while on vacation.

YES! So nice that my friends here understand

Funny that we reported on the fruit waffle from Sleepy Hollow at the same time.

I was thinking the same thing when I read your latest update

Yikes, that is some seriously slow service. The food looked awesome, but how bizarre that they combined yours and Steve's apps

The food was REALLY good and overall, I think we'd return. NO clue what was up with our server One of the weirder experiences we've had at a Disney restaurant!

 

[pepperandchips]

t, "hey, when better to partake of some Disney funnel cake than breakfast?" Worked perfectly

Okay well my multi quote is NOT working perfectly but yes, funnel cake for breakfast! I fully support this endeavor!!!

Love how the whipped cream follows the Mickey shape of the waffle I was surprised he got the strawberries, he likes them but not so much the sauce, but this went over well

I have never even given a thought to getting a "regular" waffle here, somehow in my head they're all sandwiches, but this looks great! And the whipped cream also looks somehow vulgar but I can't quite put my finger on it. Nevermind... I'll try to behave

hat he ended up enjoying. I'm not a big beer drinker at all but when I do drink it, I definitely go for light beer so this wasn't something I even tried

Oh me neither but I've had this one and liked it! Left Hand milk stout! It's yummy!

House-breaded Fried Mozzarella
with Tomato Jam and Grilled Artichoke Relish

That sounds amazing...

Very weird and not exactly what Steve (or I) wanted; the shrimp were basically plain but he used some of my tomato jam which was deeeelish so that made it ok.

And looks atrocious! Who does that?!

I know it was slow service but I might have had to risk sending this back. Woof.

We weren't even angry at Chris for whining because it was crazy! Sat down at 1:30, got our entrees at just about 3

Yeahhhh... love this place, hate the delay. Honestly I think it's the kitchen and not the servers. It happens too often to be servers. We had two cocktails prior to breakfast last time, for petes sake! Not that I'm really complaining

I would love to return to GFC and maybe try breakfast someday. I recommend it and I'd hoped our slow as molasses service was a one time thing but others have mentioned it happening to them, too.

Yep. But that vanilla bean French toast though...

Oh my gosh! She's like a real-life Amelia Bedelia

BEST. COMMENT. EVER.

 

[kastoney]

I'm surprised it bothered you since you eat seafood, I would think it'd only bother those like me who don't eat it. Speaking of the BC I never really asked you how you liked it..............I'll have to fix that

I do love seafood but this did not smell like good seafood, it smelled like someone made seafood and let it sit out in the heat for a week

Beach Club was ok but I didn't love it like I thought I would. The aforementioned smell and our "lovely" room view didn't help but it just had a sterileness to it that I didn't care for. Certainly didn't have that "welcome home" vibe we get from WL or AKL or even Poly. Though of course location is great. Surprisingly we liked Boardwalk better. While I hate their granny chic room decor it has more character and ultimately more heart to it. Of course it also didn't help that every single time we went to the pool we were there for no more than 20 minutes before they shut down for "weather." Never had that happen before. Not sure if they were over sensitive or if rules have changed.

I don't like nutella PB it where it's at.

Blasphemy!!!! I will literally sit and eat it out of the container. I do like peanut butter though, it may just kill me

I think we would have been laughing so hard we'd have had to run to the restrooms and one of us would probably have walked into the wrong one

What???? Nothing like that could ever happen.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Of course it also didn't help that every single time we went to the pool we were there for no more than 20 minutes before they shut down for "weather." Never had that happen before. Not sure if they were over sensitive or if rules have changed.

I noticed that happening at All-Star Music too, any time there was a hint of lightning. I can't remember the pools being shut down like that before. Makes me think it might be some rule change.

 

[FSU Girl]

But the FP line to f o r e v e r. This led to a series of events that then led to Chris and I getting on a bus for our lunch ADR while Steve and Ricky were still riding EE. Which then led to them speed walking as fast as Ricky could to get to us before our bus left, which resulted in me standing on the bus, looking longingly toward the park exit, and that luckily caught our drivers attention and he DID, indeed, wait until they boarded.

That sounds stressful! Glad it worked out

This was a broccoli and cheddar, and even though it was 110 degrees outside he loved and ate every drop of it. Huge bowl, too!

That looks delicious! I don't remember seeing that on the menu, is it not offered all the time?

but, he didn't order it when Ricky and I ordered ours. The next time the waitress walked by Steve called her over and ordered his shrimp; our waitress, who was nice but not the sharpest tool in the shed, asked, "do you want it with the mozzarella appetizer?" and instead of saying "yes, please bring out my shrimp when you bring out the other appetizers", he said, "yeah just throw it on with the other appetizer orders".

And that's what she did!

What an odd thing to do! I'm glad it didn't ruin your cheese, which looks delicious.

Chris wasn't interested in any apps but was about to die of starvation right about the time our server brought out his burger from the kids menu. This was approx. 2 hours after we arrived, no lie. The restaurant is gorgeous, food delicious, server nice and friendly but holy slowness! We weren't even angry at Chris for whining because it was crazy! Sat down at 1:30, got our entrees at just about 3

Wow that is a long time to wait for food, especially at a hotel restaurant, I wouldn't think that it would take that long. The last time I ate there a couple years ago they were pretty quick with the food so maybe it was an off day? I would have been hangry.

These are so cute looking.

All this food is making me wish I had a reservation for here coming up. I had thought about going here with my bridesmaids on the rehearsal day, but I feel like it'll be too complicated having a sit down meal with everything else going on.

 

[ariane37]

funnel cake for breakfast! I fully support this endeavor!!!

I totally believe any county fair snack is acceptable for breakfast. Deep fried Oreos with a glass of milk?
#whynot

And the whipped cream also looks somehow vulgar but I can't quite put my finger on it. Nevermind... I'll try to behave

No need to behave on MY reports

That sounds amazing..

And looks atrocious

I have to say it WAS amazing, and if I happened to go again I would order it again! But I will make sure I get it sans shrimp

Honestly I think it's the kitchen and not the servers

I agree.

Beach Club was ok but I didn't love it like I thought I would. The aforementioned smell and our "lovely" room view didn't help but it just had a sterileness to it that I didn't care for. Certainly didn't have that "welcome home" vibe we get from WL or AKL or even Poly. Though of course location is great. Surprisingly we liked Boardwalk better.

Yup, you cannot deny that walking into WL gives you that "welcome home" vibe. Even earlier this month when we were in the (ahem) ROY DISNEY SUITE (ahem), when we walked into WL for our Artist Point dinner I took a deep breath, sighed, and felt calm. Peaceful. And part of me did wish we were staying there, but in the ROY DISNEY SUITE at the WL . AKL definitely gives you that feeling too. And Steve prefers BW over BC also. The one thing that scares me is the upcoming room refurb at WL as I'm afraid they'll make the rooms generic looking like they've been doing to the other resorts

What???? Nothing like that could ever happen.

NO idea where this thought came from

I noticed that happening at All-Star Music too, any time there was a hint of lightning. I can't remember the pools being shut down like that before. Makes me think it might be some rule change.

Funny you guys say this. When we were at the Halloween party this month we were on line for a Magic Shot when the photographer said he had to stop and move under cover due to lightning in the area. Well us and a few other guests looked around because.................we saw no lightning and none of the rides that usually shut down for lightning like Splash were stopping. We did then notice a couple other PP photographers under cover that previously weren't, but a couple others were still out in the open; so random and still no lightning, but maybe it is some new rule change that's come down and some are following it and some aren't and it's stricter as far as lightning goes?

That sounds stressful! Glad it worked out

At first it was but before it was over it got kind of funny lol

That looks delicious! I don't remember seeing that on the menu, is it not offered all the time?

It was their seasonal soup so I guess it changes? Maybe broccoli is a late winter veggie? Not sure on that one!

I had thought about going here with my bridesmaids on the rehearsal day, but I feel like it'll be too complicated having a sit down meal with everything else going on.

Oooh it's so pretty in there, I think it would make a nice place for a pre-rehearsal lunch! But I totally get making the day feel rushed or too full.

 

[Lisa F]

One more dinner picture, my broccoli and cheddar soup to show one more non-seafood option:

View attachment 344087
We had a couple more plates of food between us but it was pretty much the same stuff I've shown. I did want to show all that food because many people aren't sure if there will be enough non-seafood items and as someone who eats NO seafood, I always find enough. The soup was good and in addition to always having either clam chowder or seafood chowder they have 1 or 2 other options.

Everyone was too full for dessert initially so I took some pictures of the dessert buffet:

View attachment 344091

View attachment 344092


But then Ricky took a look and decided to get something:

View attachment 344086

Nothing fancy but both were fresh and good. In the past I loved my desserts here, but we had something else coming up for dessert and I didn't want to be full!

I almost forgot to add these in!

One of the things Chris loves about CMC comes after dinner:

View attachment 344094

View attachment 344093
#aboyandhishottowel

He went nuts with this on our last two visits but kept it relatively calm this time because he knew I had my camera ready!


As I said we had a really good dinner here, so two nights in a row of switching up plans last minute and two really great experiences. We were now headed over to HS but had a little time to kill, so we hung out around the Boardwalk for a bit before hitching a boat ride back at the BC

View attachment 344096

View attachment 344097

It was our 2nd to last night in the World and we were doing something fairly new to HS and definitely new to us!

I am strongly considering taking the picky kid and tiny tummy on a 4 night tour of the regular DDP even though I swore I'd never DDP again since I've got the tiny tummy and the picky kid is now a picky Disney Adult (tm) buuuuut since I snagged an ADR for the new 1TS but $55 storybook dinner at AP, had Ohana dinner and Tusker House with RoL already all booked for OOP, along with a day at Epcot with Festival of the Arts snacks and QS meals... I thought if I could add another decadent AYCTE meal that I can't eat much of to the mix I might actually come out ahead.

Cape May is an old favorite but I haven't been in years. I can actually pack away quite a few snow crab legs. The picky kid would revel in the strip loin, ribs, mac and cheese, pasta alfredo (anything green picked out) and desserts. But I'd never pay like $100 to do it. Unless I am treating myself to the DDP for the first half of a split stay in which I already had 3/4 of the high ticket meals planned as "screw it, it's vacation, I will pay what I pay and eat what I eat." it is one of my "I wish I'd done that one last time before the surgery" regrets (along with CA Grill brunch).

So long story short, here I am looking for reviews and glad that you're still a fan. I am highly leaning toward just doing the DDP for the first 4 nights (5 nearly full days with a 10am MCO arrival first day and switching over mid stay day) because I think the numbers work out with what I've already got planned (still need to run them though) and it would be a good excuse to be completely financially irresponsible and indulge in cape may (and maybe feel less cranky about the kid begging me to do 'Ohana!) And Disney will give me the booze in a to-go cup (ask me how I know!) Do they serve any grownup drinks at cape may?