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Rothko
Palm Beach
Wine Thief
Posts:2875
 | | 02/16/2006 11:06 PM |
| | We are going to WDW for my father's 70th b-day, and having dinner at V&A one night. I am thinking of bringing a magnum of some very expensive champagne as a starter. | | | |
| ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1475
| | 02/17/2006 3:49 PM |
| Yes to corkage at Blue Zoo. $25 IIRC. Poor wine service, though, on our one visit.
We had a 95 Winston Churchill on ice in a cooler in the car. I stopped in a few hours before our reservation to confirm. I mentioned the champagne to the hostess, who offered to hold it chilled for us, which I let them do. No one knew where the bottle was when we showed up. When it was found, it was warm. The server then said she would but it in the "speed chiller" that they had in the back. It came back slightly cool about 10 minutes later. They then put it in the bucket that we were supposed to share with the table next to us, which had a few upended bottles of wine in it and no ice. Things eventually got straightened out, but it was a sour note.
In general, Blue Zoo had a beautiful dining room and excellent food. The staff, however, had too much of the beautiful part, and not enough of the excellent part.
BTW, the portions were huge! My wife got the fried lobster, which probably would have been enough food for her for the whole meal. We took home multiple doggie bags.
The tuna tartar with crispy rock shrimp and cucumber was some of the finest raw tuna I have had. The vietnamese crab salad was also wonderful. The flatbreads were very good, but it seemed a shame to have all that crust when we knew we would be too full to eat everything anyway. The sea scallops with braised short ribs were fine, but somewhat underwhelming. From the raw bar, the kumomoto oysters were excellent, as was the poached jumbo shrimp with four sauces. Although the fish entrees selections are nice, none of them really jumped out at me, hence my eating 4 apps and some raw bar stuff for the whole eveing. The cantonese lobster was an extravaganza. The lobster, braised bok choy, mixed vegetables, I think a side with some pasta in it. Anyway, very impressive.
Also, we got the tempura haricot vert with truffled aioli- truly delicious crunchiness and a very rich sauce redolent with black truffles. Sinfully delicious!
Too full to try desert.
We decided we did not have V&A's in the budget, and since we got out of Bluezoo for a hair over $200 (and I didn't need to pack a dressy outfit), I think we got a great deal. However, we couldn't help but notice that, no matter how serious the food and how classy and elegant the interior, the staff seemed to think, "these people are only tourists," and acted accordingly. When the hostess couldn't find my Sir Winston Churchill, she suggested we waited a few moments at the bar while they got things figured out. We sat at the bar - they had no draft beer, and nothing exciting in a bottle, so I got a Yuengling bottle and my wife got an ice water. This elicited a smirk from the haughty bartender. Everyone else with bottled beer on the bar was also offered a frosted glass (even for bud light), but not me. I think she tried hard to convey to us that we were a waste of her time. Somebody needs to smack people at places like that and remind them that they are the employees.
Then again, maybe that is why we should have gone to Victoria & Albert's afterall  | | | |
| JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5112
| | 08/22/2006 10:05 PM |
| Dined at BlueZoo at the Dolphin Hotel, Palio at the Swan Hotel and Bistro de Paris upstairs in France at EPCOT. (All other meals were counter service at the Parks.) My meal at BlueZoo was the second best that I have had at WDW, behind only Victoria and Albert's. Better than the California Grill has been lately, as I have seen slippage there. Corkage was $25. Ordered a half of Gosset Rose and brought a 2003 Kosta Browne "Kanzler". Service was very good, except I think that they expect the diners to be culinary novices, which was a little condescending. After chatting with the waiter a bit, he soon picked up that we were serious foodies and things improved. The sommelier made an appearance after the KB was decanted to compliment us on our fine choice of wine. She was "honored" that we chose to open that bottle in her restaurant.
Food was really, really good. Creative, original and artistic. If these plates had been presented as dishes on Iron Chef, they would have carried the day. Wife won with the appetizer selection of Scallops over Braised Short Rib. Sounds weird, but it worked. And the portion (3 Diver scallops) was very big. In most big city restaurants, that would have passed as an entree. And at $16, I would go back and order two of those and call it dinner. We mentioned that to the waiter, and he said that people actually do that. I had Garlic Sauteed Shrimp. Again, the three shrimp were huge, and would have been a $27 entree in New York. Cooked perfectly, which means slightly underdone to most landlubbers. My 8 year-old had the Clam Chowder. Thin and brothy the way I like it. But if you like yours so thick that the spoon will stand up in it, this isn't for you.
For the mains, I had swordfish, which came rolled into a tube shape, served with Paella of baby clams and mussels. The fish was great, but the paella rice was a bit too smokey for my taste. Very flavorful, but a bit strong. My daughter ordered Grouper from the "Simply Fish" portion of the menu. They have three fresh fish selections daily that are grilled and topped with your choice of three sauces. She chose lump crab and mustard to go with her grouper. Best Grouper that I have ever had. They really should change that part of the menu to take out the "Simply" description. There was nothing simple about her dish at all. Mrs. V had the roasted chicken. Perfectly crisp skin. Very good. We shared two desserts: a chocolate molten cake, and a Key Lime Bar. Both were wonderful.
Wine service was very good. The wine was decanted upon request, and stemware was Schott-Weisel Burgundy. All in all, I would call this a "must do" for fine Disney dining.
Palio was a let down. It is set to close in September, and I got the sense that they were mailing in the menu and the food. Since it isn't long for this world, I will leave it at that. If you are in disney between now and 9/30, avoid Palio.
The Bistro de Paris at the France pavillion was also excellent. Make no mistake, there is nothing "theme park" about this place. A non-adventurous diner would be hard-pressed to find anything here to eat. Sweetbreads, snails, frogs legs, etc. Very French. No kid's menu. But the food was very good, although I found our waiter's service style a bit too much. He tried to be too much a part of the show. I had a Roasted Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese Mousse, as did my kid, and Mrs. V had the double Consomme under Puff Pastry to start. For dinner, my wife had Rack of Lamb, my daughter had seared scallops and I had the Duck, two ways. (Confit in a Napolean, and seared breast.) My only complaint about the food was that our "Medium Rare" orders on the Duck and Lamb came out as a solid "Medium". fine for me, but take note of that if you like your food on the rare side. Rather small wine list, but we enjoyed our Jos. Droughin "Laforet" Red Burg. just fine, and it didn't break the bank. By the way, we didn't have a reservation here, but as a party of 3, I was able to talk our way in past the cute hostess. She offered that they do tend to get many cancellations. I am guessing that once the Winnebago crowd gets a look at the menu and prices, they head for the hills.
Well, that's it for this year's report. Enjoy! | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
| ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1371
| | 08/22/2006 10:30 PM |
| | Thanks for the report Jimmy. BlueZoo sounds like a winner. We have not been up there lately, but will have to keep it in mind. | | | |
| Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10802
| | 08/23/2006 1:11 PM |
| Jimmyv - you were eating fairly fine for a trip to the Mouse. Thanks for the report as I'm sure a trip to the Mouse will be inflicted on me in the next few years. | | | |
| rickym13
los angeles
Wine Thief
Posts:2843
| | 08/23/2006 5:13 PM |
| wish we could have gone there but just didn't have enough time. our favoirte when we went last month was victoria and alberts and jiko's.
we also dined at:
narcoosees
citicos
calif grill
flying fish
artist point | | | |
| ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1475
| | 08/24/2006 1:47 PM |
| BlueZoo does have excellent food, fair prices, and more than fair portion sizes. Since we were a little put off by the wine service (I guess they weren't "honored" we brought a Winston Churchill  ), it is good to hear your experience was more positive. | | | |
| JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5112
| | 03/14/2007 11:01 AM |
| Headed down to WDW this evening. Purpose of the trip is Spring Training baseball, but because I get a family discount at the Swan/Dolphin, it makes the most sense to stay there. Will see:
Marlins v. Astros in Kissimmee
Phillies v. Tigers in Lakeland
Cards v. Braves at WDW Sports Complex
Twins v. Pirates in Bradenton
Dodgers v. Indians in Winter Haven
Dinners lined up at Shula's, Blue Zoo and Il Mulino (which took over Palio's old spot). The rest of the meals will be ball park food during the games in the afternoon, and burgers and chicken wings while watching NCAA Hoops at various night spots. No theme parks this go-round. Hopefully this site will be fully functional when I get back. | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
| JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5112
| | 03/20/2007 2:38 PM |
| Back from WDW. While there, I had:
2002 Bressler at Shula's-Wine was terrific, as was the service at the restaurant. $25 corkage with nice stems and decanting. Restaurant itself was too dark by half, and the steaks were just "good". For the price, I expect "great".
2003 Aubert "Ritchie" Chardonnay
2004 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir-at Blue Zoo. $25 corkage per bottle. Both wines were singing. Really exceptional stuff. Dinner was great, but server was lacking. Tried several times to engage him, and offer him tastes of our wine. He couldn't care less, so we finished both bottles, against my better judgment.
2003 Peay Pinot Noir-at Il Mulino (which took over Palio's spot.) Supposed to be $25 corkage, but it never showed up on the bill. This wine is really coming into its own. Wish I hadn't consumed so many early on. Far better now than a year ago. Meal was really good. Much better than Palio, which wasn't bad. Highly recommend this place. Pastas can be ordered as "half-portions" as a Primi. Follow that with a meat course and you're all set and then some. I would have been stuffed if I had only eaten my pasta. Everything was very well prepared, and the wine list is nice, albeit pricey.
Finished with a glass of 1999 Pio Cesare Barolo at the bar. (Very cool lounge/bar by the way.) | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
| calcabs
Grape Fermenter
Posts:453
| | 05/14/2007 3:28 PM |
| Just got back from a trip to WDW. While there we ate at:
Jiko(Animal Kingdom Lodge) - Highlight of the trip as far as dining. We started with Lamb "Patis" (pulled lamb in phyllo) and Tikka marinated Ahi Tuna, both were excellent. For dinner I had the Maize crusted and seared Sturgeon and my wife had Scallops. Both dinners were ver good. The fish tasted great with the accompaniements but was sort of plain without. My 4 year old had the grilled chicken which was actually quite good. The South African wine list was pretty cool. We settled on a Warwick Sauvingon Blanc which was very good although a 3-4X mark up. They had a very large by the glass selection and wish I would have gone that route to try a few more. The only thing I was disappointed in they initially stuck us in the wine-room although the dining was room was pretty empty it was very quiet, dark and my son asked "why do we have to sit in here" they moved us although looked a bit discouraged. When leaving I noticed that the wine-room was filled with other families with other small children. I was a bit put off by this because it was obvious they were trying to keep the younger kids out of the dining room, my son was well behaved and had he not I would have not let him ruin anyone elses dinner. Also it is not as if the dining room is that quiet.
Cape May Cafe(Beach Resort) - Character Breakfast, as far as breakfast this was the highlight of the trip. The buffet was very fresh and selections included bacon, omelet, blintzes, waffles, potatoes, yogurt parfait bar with fresh fruit, pastries, etc. We ate at the character breakfast in Animal Kingdom last year and this blew it away. Excellent breakfast in nice sorroundings.
Big River Grille and Brewing Works(Boardwalk) - Average to below average bar food. The burger was dissapointing although the blackened mahi sandwich was good. The bear was OK but nothing to go crazy about. The weather was nice and we sat outsid but other than that wouldn't go out of my way to re-visit.
Kona Cafe (Polynesian Resort) Had a really nice steak here and my wife had Mahi Mahi which was also very good. The deserts rocked. The wine list here was very basic, but they had some microbrew beer that was pretty good. Very casual and good for kids. Will revisit this one for a good casual meal.
Bongos Cuban Cafe(Downtown Disney) Had a decent Cuban beer and my wife had mojito, other than that not very good. My chicken was overcooked to the point of being almost uneatable. Won't go back.
Wolgang Pucks Cafe (Downtown Disney) Was in the mood for sushi which was excellent. Had a Dynamite Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc which was ok but a litte simple. We ate downstairs and this was our second visit and while the food has been excellent both times the wine list and wine service is average to below average. I think they have a better list in the dining room upstairs but the 4 year old can only handle so many formal dinners after a day at the parks.
Liberty Tavern (Magic Kindom) - Character Dinner which is served family style (Flank Steak, Ham, Turkey, Stuffing, Mac and Cheese,Salad, Vegetables, rolls, and apple cobbler dessert. I was expecting more from reading other comments on another site but the dinner was a bit cold as if it had been sitting. The meat tasted pretty good if it had only been warm. There aren't many choices really in Magic Kingdom and no alcohol.
Hollywood and Vine (MGM)- Character Lunch buffet was actually pretty good. Deli meats, meat balls, chicken nuggets, salmon, pork, mac & cheese and some good deserts. As far a character dining this was actually good because the kids get to get up and dance with the characters.
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| juggernt
Tampa, FL, USA
Wine Bottler
Posts:3421
| | 05/17/2007 9:57 AM |
| Posted By calcabs on 05/14/2007 3:28 PM
When leaving I noticed that the wine-room was filled with other families with other small children. I was a bit put off by this because it was obvious they were trying to keep the younger kids out of the dining room, my son was well behaved and had he not I would have not let him ruin anyone elses dinner. Also it is not as if the dining room is that quiet.
Other non-children folks really appreciate you teaching your kids to be well-behaved at restaurants, but you'll have to admit that you're in the minority (I wouldn't have lived to this age if as a child I did some of the things I see people let their kids do). I expect a bit more of the annoyance of other people's children at Disney, but if I'm going someplace nice like Jiko, I'd hope to see it toned down a bit. I certainly don't support "ghettoizing" families, but unfortunately the good parents like you get lumped in with the ones who aren't.
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