Diet? What diet? A countdown: 18 TS restaurants on TIW card...#1 on pg. 18!

[bangzoom6877]

I have booked for our last night!! Am very excited! He has told me to always show him menu's when he is hungry in future and he will agree to anything!!! Can't wait to see your photo's when they are back now online - drool!!!

That's funny...my DH can't even answer where he wants to eat...he always says he doesn't know and he can't decide before meal time what he will be in the mood for...so I go by what I know he will like and it never usually fails! The exceptions on this trip were Whispering Canyon and Captain's Grille, but then again, I thought I would like them better than I did too.

You guys are going to love Kouzzina!!

I booked breakfast at Kona strictly because I want to try the coffee - LOL.

Now I think I need to book Kouzzina too. I want what you had and I can't even see the pictures!

Oh, we will be going to Kona for breakfast on our next trip too! And I am already looking forward to that coffee...the next trip is not until July 2012! I would also like to try Boma for breakfast...I hear it's great!

If you end up going to Kouzzina, I hope you love it as much as we did!! If you saw the pictures, you would want that food even more!

 

[Leota]

Bummer about the pictures! I'll have to remember to check back for them.

I am never letting bed reviews sway me away again. We wanted to eat at Kouzzina for dinner last fall & we cancelled it because of all the bad reviews. We had breakfast there & loved it so much, we ate breakfast there a second time. I am happy to say that we made a ressie for it this trip & are really looking forward to it. Then we will have had dinner at every Iron Chef's restaurants except Garces & Morimoto.

On the other hand, alot of people rave about LeCellier & we don't really find it to be all that great. So it just goes to show, you eat where you want & see for yourself.

 

[franandaj]

I got an email from Photo Bucket yesterday that my pics will be back up on August 27th...can't get them back up before that unless I upgrade and pay. Sorry...it will take another 9 days.

Dang, PB sucks! I'm going through my account and deleting any pics that I won't need so I don't have this problem!

 

[Leshaface]

How FRUSTRATING! I hated when my photobucket account did that...

If you really want to, you can set up another account through photobucket...that's what I did because I HATE WAITING!

Anyways, I'm soooo happy to see Kouzzina at the top 3 of your fav places!!! I wanted to make ADR's here this past trip, but it was a no go from DH...can you see a pattern here?!?! Can't wait to see your pics as soon as they come available!

Does this mean you're gonna wait until your pics become viewable to say your number 1 restaurant?????

 

[bangzoom6877]

Bummer about the pictures! I'll have to remember to check back for them.

I am never letting bed reviews sway me away again. We wanted to eat at Kouzzina for dinner last fall & we cancelled it because of all the bad reviews. We had breakfast there & loved it so much, we ate breakfast there a second time. I am happy to say that we made a ressie for it this trip & are really looking forward to it. Then we will have had dinner at every Iron Chef's restaurants except Garces & Morimoto.

On the other hand, alot of people rave about LeCellier & we don't really find it to be all that great. So it just goes to show, you eat where you want & see for yourself.

We didn't let any bad reviews sway our ADR choices, and I am so glad we stuck with them! Every time I told DH that I saw a negative review about one of the restaurants we were supposed to go to, his answer to me was that we don't know the taste of the people who write the reviews, they are not professional restaurant reviews, and (especially when it came to Epcot restaurants, and Kouzzina), some people just like McDonald's and places like that and are not into new and unique foods like we are. Even though we decided to go to Kouzzina last-minute after what happened to DS5, I was skeptical because of reviews I had read. But, we found a gem! And as you can see from my review of Le Cellier, I was not all that impressed with it either. Next time we will probably try Yachtsman for steak...DS5 can eat the steak off the kids' menu there, and the adult entrees are really not all that much more expensive than entrees at Le Cellier.

Dang, PB sucks! I'm going through my account and deleting any pics that I won't need so I don't have this problem!

I know, tell me about it...I was so mad that this happened, and just as I was preparing to write up my #1. I can promise one thing though...it will be worth waiting for!

 

[hill6]

We didn't let any bad reviews sway our ADR choices, and I am so glad we stuck with them! Every time I told DH that I saw a negative review about one of the restaurants we were supposed to go to, his answer to me was that we don't know the taste of the people who write the reviews, they are not professional restaurant reviews, and (especially when it came to Epcot restaurants, and Kouzzina), some people just like McDonald's and places like that and are not into new and unique foods like we are. Even though we decided to go to Kouzzina last-minute after what happened to DS5, I was skeptical because of reviews I had read. But, we found a gem! And as you can see from my review of Le Cellier, I was not all that impressed with it either. Next time we will probably try Yachtsman for steak...DS5 can eat the steak off the kids' menu there, and the adult entrees are really not all that much more expensive than entrees at Le Cellier.



I know, tell me about it...I was so mad that this happened, and just as I was preparing to write up my #1. I can promise one thing though...it will be worth waiting for!

I used to fret and worry about bad reviews but now I pretty much take them with a grain of salt. I have cruised 9 times and have read peoples reviews and say, were we on the same cruise. They had a horrid time and we had a terrific time. It is all what you make of it.

You cannot please all of the folks all of the time.

PS: We loved Yachtsman last year. We did dinner there on Mother's day. I don't eat meat and they allowed me to customize an appetizer into an entree. Very accomodating.

 

[bangzoom6877]

I used to fret and worry about bad reviews but now I pretty much take them with a grain of salt. I have cruised 9 times and have read peoples reviews and say, were we on the same cruise. They had a horrid time and we had a terrific time. It is all what you make of it.

You cannot please all of the folks all of the time.

PS: We loved Yachtsman last year. We did dinner there on Mother's day. I don't eat meat and they allowed me to customize an appetizer into an entree. Very accomodating.

I have cruised 13 times and have yet to be on a bad cruise! I have even been in bad storms (tropical depression one time ), and it still didn't stop our family from having fun!

Sometimes I read people's reviews of cruise ships too, and they say things like, "there was nothing to eat, we went hungry" and I'm thinking to myself, really? Did you not see the 24-hour food on the main deck, or the 24-hour room service menu in your cabin, which is all included? Did you not notice that they will give you just about anything you want in the dining room? Did you not notice the HUGE BBQ grill on deck with fresh burgers, ribs, chicken, etc.? Not to mention that the quality of the food on all the cruises I have been on has been terrific! I just don't get it.

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Yachtsman! DH and I would probably share the 24-oz. porterhouse steak. We both love porterhouse, but 24 ounces is way too much for one of us to eat! At home, we tend to eat 4-oz. portions of meat for dinner! We would probably get an extra side dish or 2 to split as well, and maybe an app. I know the boys would love it there, and I have seen pics of the restaurant. It looks very nice, but not stuffy! Part of me kind of wishes we would have gone there instead of Le Cellier, but then I think to myself...I was so curious about Le Cellier and even though we don't see all the hype it gets, we still did enjoy the dinner there and I'm glad we tried it. Plenty of trips ahead of us to go to signature restaurants!

 

[BecBennett]

I can't see your pics anymore it says your bandwidth has been exceeded

 

[franandaj]

We ate at the Yachtsman last September and split the scallops, lobster bisque, Rib Eye, Cheese and some incredibly decadent dessert. It was perfect for two. I totally understand because we try to eat 3oz portions of meat at home. I try to stick to a 1300-1500 calorie diet (imposed by my Dr. during CA F&W last May), it actually works out pretty good (lost almost 20 lbs), but at Disney I have to say we don't worry about stuff. However, we ride scooters, so we don't work off all the extra weight like those who walk do!

Loving your reviews, I've eaten at a lot of the places you're reviewing and totally agree. Kouzzina has gotten a bad rap for a really great restaurant, and I LOVE Cat Cora, she is the best!

 

[bangzoom6877]

I can't see your pics anymore it says your bandwidth has been exceeded

Yes, you are correct...Photo Bucket emailed me and said that as of August 27th (this coming Friday), my photos will be up and running again. It's frustrating because I really wanted to post my review of #1 already, but I will have to wait a few more days. Sorry!

We ate at the Yachtsman last September and split the scallops, lobster bisque, Rib Eye, Cheese and some incredibly decadent dessert. It was perfect for two. I totally understand because we try to eat 3oz portions of meat at home. I try to stick to a 1300-1500 calorie diet (imposed by my Dr. during CA F&W last May), it actually works out pretty good (lost almost 20 lbs), but at Disney I have to say we don't worry about stuff. However, we ride scooters, so we don't work off all the extra weight like those who walk do!

Loving your reviews, I've eaten at a lot of the places you're reviewing and totally agree. Kouzzina has gotten a bad rap for a really great restaurant, and I LOVE Cat Cora, she is the best!

Sounds like a great meal you had at Yachtsman.

Congratulations on your weight loss!! Good for you for listening to your doctor. Most people do not do that. It takes a lot of willpower to stick to a healthy diet nowadays, since it is so easy to eat junky with fattening food widely available everywhere you turn. Portion control is the hardest, since restaurants tend to give portions that are way too big for one person for a meal. There are many chain restaurants I avoid (most of them actually) because they give large portions of fatty food loaded with sodium and calories, and I find the quality to be very poor. I would rather pay the same money for a normal size portion of good quality food than a huge portion of low quality food. It kills me when people complain about how the cruise lines cut down their portion sizes through the years. I can attest to that, my first cruise was 20 years ago and they definitely gave larger portions back then, but you can ask for more of whatever you want and all of it is complimentary. Again, I would rather the quality stay good and portions smaller than have the quality deteriorate just to have a huge portion.

Yes, Kouzzina was a fantastic restaurant!! Reviews are very subjective, including mine of course. I know I have had something positive to say about every restaurant we went to, but many people would disagree with my choices. As you can probably tell, DH and I like different types of foods, and we love ethnic foods. I can't spend my whole vacation eating burgers and fries, even though I love those too. We like variety, and there are many people out there who don't, they just want what they normally eat at home and that's fine. I think that's why some of the restaurants in Epcot's WS get poor reviews. They have foods people are not used to, and not everyone likes to venture from their norm.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Hi everyone! I'm still here!!

In 2 more days, I will be able to post my #1 restaurant! According to Photo Bucket, my pics will be visible again on Friday, so I have just been holding off until then so I can tempt you with more food porn!

In the mean time, I remember that one of you had asked me for the Tandoori Chicken recipe that the server gave me at Sanaa. Well, I'm making it tonight!! So, I dug the recipe out yesterday (it was still in my waist-pack from the trip! ), marinated the chicken yesterday and I will be cooking it tonight! Here's the recipe, for Tandoori Chicken from Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Villas, Kidani Village:

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
3 lemons
2 pounds plain yogurt
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. canola oil

Method of Preparation:

For the yogurt marinade and dipping sauce:
1. Lightly toast the cumin, paprika, turmeric in a dry pan on low heat; do not allow spices to burn. Remove toasted spices from pan and set aside to cool.
2. Squeeze lemon juice into a large mixing bowl, removing all seeds.
3. To the same mixing bowl, add yogurt, chickpea flour, chili powder, cayenne pepper and the toasted spices from step 1 above and mix well.
4. Set aside 1/4 of the marinade for use as dipping sauce. The remaining 3/4 will be used to marinate the chicken.

For the chicken:
1. Trim chicken thighs to remove all excess fat and pieces of bone. Cut the cleaned meat into quarters and season liberally with salt and pepper. Add the yogurt marinade to the chicken, mix well to thoroughly coat and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Pre-hear broiler in oven,line a cookie sheet or baking pan with foil and lightly grease using a pastry brush or paper towl with canola oil to prevent chicken from sticking.
3. Remove chicken from marinade and allow excess liquid to drain. Spread chicken pieces evenly and broil for 10 minutes or until nicely browned, watch closely to prevent burning. Carefully remove chicken from oven and turn each piece over and return to oven to brown other side. The chicken will be done when browned on the outside and at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature is reached using a probe-type thermometer.
4. Serve with Basmati rice or Indian style flat bread and the reserved yogurt marinade for dipping.

Chef's note: Be very careful when broiling because of extreme hight heat, use a kitchen towel or oven mitt when handling hot pans, (never a wet one) to prevent steam burns.

And there you have it! I made a few changes though:
1. I used bottled lemon juice, and I kept tasting the yogurt-spice mixture until it resembled what I had at Sanaa...and it sure did!
2. The only places I know of that sell chickpea flour are Indian markets, and unfortunately, we don't have a store of this type near my house. I looked online and discovered how to make chickpea flour. You drain and rinse a can of chickpeas (I used low sodium), then dry them with paper towels. Then, you put them on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the oven at 250 degrees for 2-3 hours. I did mine for 3 hours (I kept checking after 2 hours). Then, you put them either in a blender or food processor and process until it becomes a flour. This worked very well and gave me more flour than needed!
3. I didn't have cumin in the house (my fault, I thought I did but I was wrong), so I used coriander instead. The yogurt marinade still tasted like the one I had at Sanaa!
4. I used the cayenne pepper to taste, so I don't know exactly how much I used. I don't like things too spicy, but I like them with a medium spice. That's what I did, I made it so it has a medium spice to it.

My chicken is marinating in the fridge right now, since yesterday! I mixed everything together in a mixing bowl, then transferred it to a large ziplock bag for marinating in the fridge.

I'm serving my chicken with a brown rice/wild rice blend, broccoli (just for me, DH doesn't touch broccoli and will have salad instead!) and whole wheat Naan that I found at my grocery store! Of course I will heat the Naan in the oven first!!

I will let you guys know how this comes out! But, if the yogurt mixture is any indication, this is going to be a very good dinner! Thank goodness I made enough for leftovers tomorrow!

The boys won't eat this so I am making them grilled cheese sandwiches with broccoli and corn (at their request!).

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Chickpea flour! I've never heard of that ingredient until now. It makes sense though! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Chickpea flour! I've never heard of that ingredient until now. It makes sense though! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

My pleasure!

I had never heard of chickpea flour, but it gives a nice, subtle nutty flavor to the yogurt mixture, and it really compliments the spices!

 

[Leshaface]

Have you ever seen Princess Bride?...."I hate wait"...Lol!

Sorry, just thought of that line when thinking about your pics!!! I consider myself a pretty patient person but when it comes to Disney AND Food, forget about it!

Thanks for the recipe! I'll def have to try that sometime!!!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Have you ever seen Princess Bride?...."I hate wait"...Lol!

Sorry, just thought of that line when thinking about your pics!!! I consider myself a pretty patient person but when it comes to Disney AND Food, forget about it!

Thanks for the recipe! I'll def have to try that sometime!!!

Yes, DH and I both LOVE Princess Bride!! One of our all-time faves!!

The tandoori chicken was a great success!! DH is happy we have leftovers, and he's generally not a leftover person! The Naan I bought was good, but not as good as at Sanaa! Of course, I bought whole grain Naan to make it a bit healthier. It was still delicious! I definitely recommend making this dish, and it's so easy!

I'm pretty impatient when it comes to Disney, or any vacation for that matter. I was SOOOOO excited to be under the 11-month mark for our cruise! (Look at my ticker below!) I'm already doing tons of research for that vacation, but I'm still on the DIS all the time. We go back to work on September 7th, so I won't have as much time for the DIS or Cruise Critic, but I will still be here! I will always make time!

 

[Leshaface]

Yes, DH and I both LOVE Princess Bride!! One of our all-time faves!!

The tandoori chicken was a great success!! DH is happy we have leftovers, and he's generally not a leftover person! The Naan I bought was good, but not as good as at Sanaa! Of course, I bought whole grain Naan to make it a bit healthier. It was still delicious! I definitely recommend making this dish, and it's so easy!

I'm pretty impatient when it comes to Disney, or any vacation for that matter. I was SOOOOO excited to be under the 11-month mark for our cruise! (Look at my ticker below!) I'm already doing tons of research for that vacation, but I'm still on the DIS all the time. We go back to work on September 7th, so I won't have as much time for the DIS or Cruise Critic, but I will still be here! I will always make time!

Omgosh that's right! I forgot about your cruise! Wow already coming up in 10 months! Not too far away...lucky!

Wow barely Sept 7th? DH has already been teaching since July 26th! Can't believe it's already gonna be September! Crazy! I'm so glad though..i HATE, absolutely DESPISE Summer!!!! I don't like being hot, I hate thinking I have to workout extra hard if I want to wear shorts, and I HATE summer clothes. I'm not comfortable in them and I can never coordinate clothes as great as I can for Winter. So i'm so stoked that September is just around the corner, nearing Fall!

BTW, our house closes this weekend!!!

 

[franandaj]

That Tandoori Chicken sounds really good!

I was going to ask about the chickpea flour, thanks for telling us about that. I make some lamb seekh kebabs and have always just used AP flour since it was such a little amount. I might have to try the recipe for when we have Indian Dinner night.

This might interest you if you like Indian Food or any other types (which obviously you do since you ate at so many great places!) I don't know where you live, but I read on a NY friend's Facebook post that they are planning on building a Trader Joes on Staten Island. They're a CA chain of FANTASTIC foods, they have a lot of their own packaged fresh, frozen and canned goods that are healthy, tasty and sometimes exotic. I cheat for Indian Dinner by purchasing their Naan bread, and a couple of already made dishes like Daal, Saag Paneer and Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce. If you live anywhere near Staten Island, I'm sure you would love this place. Anyone else in CA or the west could probably attest to what a great place to shop TJ's is!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Omgosh that's right! I forgot about your cruise! Wow already coming up in 10 months! Not too far away...lucky!

Wow barely Sept 7th? DH has already been teaching since July 26th! Can't believe it's already gonna be September! Crazy! I'm so glad though..i HATE, absolutely DESPISE Summer!!!! I don't like being hot, I hate thinking I have to workout extra hard if I want to wear shorts, and I HATE summer clothes. I'm not comfortable in them and I can never coordinate clothes as great as I can for Winter. So i'm so stoked that September is just around the corner, nearing Fall!

BTW, our house closes this weekend!!!

Wait a minute...your house closes this weekend? I never knew there was a house...was this mentioned on your review thread when I was away perhaps? That's fantastic though!!!

We go back to school pretty late here in the Northeast. In the south, they went back a couple of weeks ago already (I have a friend who lives in Georgia and is already looking forward to Labor Day weekend, whereas I am dreading it since I enjoyed being home with the boys for the summer!). But we end our school year June 28th every year, unless the 28th falls on a Thursday, Friday or the weekend. Our union contract is complicated!

I love the Fall too! Not for the school year starting, but because I love the Fall weather and the holidays. Our anniversary is November 18th (9 years coming up!). We decided to get married in the Fall since we both love the weather, it's not hot, it's not too cold. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving!! Of course, it's just like me to love a holiday that completely revolves around FOOD!!!

I don't even mind the winter, or the snow so much. I can't stand when it gets icy outside though. You know, the kind of weather you can't even walk in, let alone drive! It is kind of nice having 4 seasons...always a change in store whether we are complaining it's too hot or too cold out! When people complain in February that it's enough already, they can't wait for it to warm up, I remind them that in a few months we will be complaining about the heat!

I do look forward to starting fresh at work every school year though, and to meeting the students. Also love seeing my colleagues again and catching up. I work with a very nice group of people, and I know that is very lucky!

 

[bangzoom6877]

That Tandoori Chicken sounds really good!

I was going to ask about the chickpea flour, thanks for telling us about that. I make some lamb seekh kebabs and have always just used AP flour since it was such a little amount. I might have to try the recipe for when we have Indian Dinner night.

This might interest you if you like Indian Food or any other types (which obviously you do since you ate at so many great places!) I don't know where you live, but I read on a NY friend's Facebook post that they are planning on building a Trader Joes on Staten Island. They're a CA chain of FANTASTIC foods, they have a lot of their own packaged fresh, frozen and canned goods that are healthy, tasty and sometimes exotic. I cheat for Indian Dinner by purchasing their Naan bread, and a couple of already made dishes like Daal, Saag Paneer and Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce. If you live anywhere near Staten Island, I'm sure you would love this place. Anyone else in CA or the west could probably attest to what a great place to shop TJ's is!

I have heard if Trader Joe!! I live about 15 minutes from the bridge that takes me to Staten Island, but the toll is $11. We only pay the toll going into Staten Island, but still, crazy right? In NYC we're used to it, but I remember when it was $6 for that bridge and people thought it was a lot!

It really depends on where it is in Staten Island. There is a minor league baseball team, the Staten Island Yankees (yes, affiliated with my beloved NY Yankees!!), and their stadium is basically right over the bridge so when we go to games there it is very close. But there are parts of Staten Island that are closer to New Jersey, and it could take me a good 45 minutes to an hour to get there, depending on traffic.

I know there is also Trader Joe on Long Island, my aunt goes there. But that is also 45 minutes to an hour from my house. I wish we had one in Brooklyn, but then again, Brooklyn is so big that sometimes I can drive an hour and STILL be in Brooklyn (without traffic)!

 

[Leshaface]

Wait a minute...your house closes this weekend? I never knew there was a house...was this mentioned on your review thread when I was away perhaps? That's fantastic though!!!

We go back to school pretty late here in the Northeast. In the south, they went back a couple of weeks ago already (I have a friend who lives in Georgia and is already looking forward to Labor Day weekend, whereas I am dreading it since I enjoyed being home with the boys for the summer!). But we end our school year June 28th every year, unless the 28th falls on a Thursday, Friday or the weekend. Our union contract is complicated!

I love the Fall too! Not for the school year starting, but because I love the Fall weather and the holidays. Our anniversary is November 18th (9 years coming up!). We decided to get married in the Fall since we both love the weather, it's not hot, it's not too cold. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving!! Of course, it's just like me to love a holiday that completely revolves around FOOD!!!

I don't even mind the winter, or the snow so much. I can't stand when it gets icy outside though. You know, the kind of weather you can't even walk in, let alone drive! It is kind of nice having 4 seasons...always a change in store whether we are complaining it's too hot or too cold out! When people complain in February that it's enough already, they can't wait for it to warm up, I remind them that in a few months we will be complaining about the heat!

I do look forward to starting fresh at work every school year though, and to meeting the students. Also love seeing my colleagues again and catching up. I work with a very nice group of people, and I know that is very lucky!

No the thread got closed before I was able to tell anyone...

So we started looking over a month ago, and voila, our dream house appeared to us! It's a brand new house that was built back in Jan 2010, the owners backed out, and it sat there for months. The house itself is really nice and in a great location 4 bd/2 bath, however, the agent said over at the community said no one wanted to purchase it because there was a sitting room and a connecting formal dining room, that know one could 'picture' how to set up (there was a model in home in another town about 20 mins from here that had this type of floorplan, and you really do have to look at the model home to see how to set up this 'awkward' room) No one went to look at the model home. We did however! And it was gorgeous! We knew we had to have it! We signed loan docs Monday evening, did the second walk-through this morning, so I should be hearing something tomorrow!!

Sorry, wasn't trying to leave you out of what was going on, but didn't think it would be appropriate to hijack your thread with my going-ons.

No joke about the holidays and food...I bake up a STORM during the Fall and Winter...it just feels right! Thanksgiving is wonderful! The past few years, in addition to the leftover turkey we get from my family dinner, I make an extra 10 pound turkey for me, DH and my mom, so we can have stuffing, turkey, and cranberry sandwiches!!! Yummy!!!! Obsessed with turkey sandwiches! Christmas, I'm always excited for my nanie's (Grandmother) homemade enchiladas and tamales....uggggghhhhh I literally, no joke, gain an extra 10 to 15 pounds in between Thanksgiving and the New Year...I drop it fairly quickly though. That's the part that sucks!

I've been meaning to ask you, how's the Chalean going for ya? Are you still working out?!