Because sometimes, thumbs-up and thumbs-down just ain’t enough. Here’s a view on Disney dining by my crew: DW, DS13, DS9, and yours truly. All ratings on a 5-star scale, based on dining Feb 14-18, 2016.
BREAKFAST
Beach Club Marketplace: 2.5 stars. I’ll be honest- on most mornings at WDW, breakfast for us is all about getting something reasonably edible as quickly and conveniently as possible. The Marketplace will never be mistaken for destination dining, but it fits the bill for us when we stay at BC. Quick with lots of self-serve options for baked goods, cereals, and fruit. Only gripe: coffee and hot water for tea are on opposite sides of the shop? I log about 1,000 steps just getting hot beverages for DW and myself.
Boardwalk Bakery: 3.5 stars. Friendly faces, a nice way to start the day. Plain and chocolate croissants, chocolate chip Mickey-shaped muffin all good. Awesome-looking desserts, but didn’t partake at 7am. Ran out of coffee, but quickly replenished with a smile. A nice alternative to the Marketplace, but a longer walk from BC, of course.
LUNCH
Captain’s Grille: 3.5 stars. A nice, quiet alternative for lunch. Tomato bisque was just the right balance of sweet and spicy, but it was the tomato and mozzarella sandwich that stayed with me. Two giant wedges of focaccia filled with generous slices of tomato and fresh mozzarella dressed with vinaigrette. Amazing how something so simple left such an impression. Fish and chips were also good, kids’ chicken nuggets were, well, nuggety.
La Cantina de San Angel: 3 stars. Solid counter service Mexican lunch, unlike our experience at Pecos Bill’s (see below). Chicken taco, salad with chicken, and pollo Cascabel (think rice bowl, Mexican style) all fine. DS9 enjoyed the kids’ empanadas. View of lagoon is lovely, but you have to be vigilant and guard your tacos from marauding seagulls. Don’t leave any food unattended!
Garden View Tea Room: 4.5 stars, outstanding. DS9 got the Mrs. Potts tea with milk, PB&Js, and assorted pastries. The rest of us shared 2 standard tea services (Bedfordshire) and 1 upgraded with fruits and cheeses (Cheshire). My only complaint- Cheshire cheese portions were puny! Pastries were tasty, finger sandwiches were spot on (chicken curry salad!), tea blends were excellent, and the service was top-notch. A wonderful experience: stick with the Bedfordshire and you won’t be disappointed.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe: Incomplete- no rating. DW ordered on behalf of DS13 and me as we walked back from Splash. I arrived to find a Greek salad for myself and a huge tray full of chicken nuggets and fries for everyone else. Salad was fine, nuggets were a bit sad. (Really, is there any other kind of nugget in MK?) And were CMs policing the toppings bar? They gave me a look as I approached with my salad, then backed off when I just grabbed some ketchup for the family. Honestly, we didn’t really put Ray’s to the test here, when you consider that 3/4 of us ended up eating nuggets. Sonny Eclipse: clever the first time through.
Pecos Bill’s: 1.5 stars. What the heck happened, Bill??? After having a pretty solid burger with “fixins” there a few yrs ago, I was looking forward to the Tex-Mex revamp. But what we got was bland, cold, and overcooked. I had the roasted vegetable burrito, DW and DS13 had the chicken fajitas; all were unwieldy, unappetizing, unseasoned, and soggy. DS9 ordered the kids’ quesadilla, but it was so stale and inedible, I exchanged it for Mac and cheese. Can’t understand how anything could’ve been stale, since we ate there just after opening. Service was excruciatingly slow. Farewell, fixins bar- we won’t be back for a while. Next time, we’ll stick with Columbia Harbor House.
Sunshine Seasons: 3.5 stars. Our family’s favorite in-park quick service still solid, but may have lost a step, IMO. Mongolian beef and sweet and sour chicken were on par with Panda Express; not as flavorful and sauces seemed much heavier than I remember. I had the power salad with quinoa and chicken- it was ok. The roasted tomato soup was the highlight for me. All in all, still a good option, but not the kind of midday EP lunch destination I used to look forward to. Perhaps their food quality is tied to Soarin’ foot traffic?
DINNER
Tokyo Dining: 4 stars, very good all around. DS13 and I shared Philadelphia and spicy tuna rolls, more reasonably priced than at CG. Grilled salmon, panko chicken, bento box with steak all very good, and DS9 enjoyed his chicken tempura meal. Server was definitely still earning her ears, but won us over with her charm and friendliness.
Trattoria al Forno: 3 stars. Somewhat non-descript ambience (still looks just like Kouzzina to me), solid if somewhat unspectacular Italian fare. Goat cheese salad, eggplant rollatini, pizzas all good, but you’ll find better alternatives at Tutto Italia and Via Napoli. Service was friendly, but a bit inattentive… took us nearly 20 mins to pay our check. All around “meh.”
Le Cellier: 4.5 stars. I know I nearly started a border war in Lines chat when I raved about the gourmet poutine, but so be it: FRENCH ONION POUTINE FTW! Pretzel bread always a fave, and the romaine salad was quite refined, almost deconstructed (this ain’t no Caesar). All our filets were cooked to perfection, mushroom risotto a wonderful side. Dessert wasn’t spectacular, but camembert cheesecake and Nanaimo pie both solid. In my opinion, the so-so desserts and the slow-ish service are the only things separating Le Cellier from 5 stars.
California Grill: 4.5 stars (4 for dining, +0.5 for Wishes). For apps, I ordered the beet and citrus salad, DW and DS13 shared the goat cheese ravioli- both excellent. For entree, the halibut and trofie pasta were both perfectly delicious. I ordered the bison strip loin- unfortunately, I ordered medium rare, and it arrived VERY rare… sent it back, and it returned medium WELL. Still tasty, but disappointed they couldn’t get it right. DS9 enjoyed the kids’ wedge salad and provolone pizza. Dessert was the best we had all week. DS9 got an adorable plate of “sushi” made of rice krispie treats wrapped with fruit roll-ups and topped with Swedish fish. The rest of us enjoyed fritters with dipping sauces, but the main highlight was the chocolate pudding cake: an ingot of rich chocolatey decadence surrounded by meringue kisses, marshmallows, and a quenelle of mint cream. Service was impeccable- friendly, accommodating, and our server even offered tastes of a couple of wines to help us choose one for dinner. And WISHES! Aside from the doneness issues with my entree, a great experience.
