For those who think the DCL food is "meh" - The DIS Discussion Forums

es45 · 11-10-2009, 11:21 AM

What do you think of Palo?

kcashner · 11-10-2009, 11:26 AM

Palo is wonderful.

JohnO · 11-10-2009, 11:41 AM

Palo is fantastic

KSandbergFL · 11-10-2009, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by es45

What do you think of Palo?

My wife and I are somewhat "food snobs". She is not a pro, but does follow the "Jacque Pepin method" and cooks dishes at home that could put many chefs to shame. We have a hard time finding restaurants we like, because (in our opinion) my wife cooks way better versions at home.

That being said... we found the food at Palo's to be prepared and presented well, a noticeable level above the food in the regular dining rooms. However, it doesn't approach the flavor/quality we expected... there was no "wow, this is so good I think I died and went to heaven" moment for us.

My personal opinion is that it's because no open flames are allowed upon a cruise ship. Some dishes just can't be prepared "right" unless they are cooked over an open flame. Can an item truly be labeled as "grilled" if it wasn't cooked over a nice big fire?

I would love to hear from a professional chef on the matter.... how does gas versus electric/convection affect your ability to cook?

On the positive side - the ambience and service at Palo's are EXCELLENT. You will certainly enjoy your dinner there.

TifffanyD · 11-10-2009, 12:04 PM

I do like the dining room food and I thought Palo was very good. But I agree with PP that I didn't get the WOW factor that others have spoken of. I think I expected more. The pizza was very good, my entree was a special that was very good, and dessert was pretty to very good. But nothing was super FANTASTIC. Oh and the bread was kind of "meh". Service was great! But I love the main dining rooms too and missed them

Selket · 11-10-2009, 12:32 PM

The way people go on about it I was expecting something substantially different than what I've had in the dining rooms on DCL but .... it really wasn't all that awesome. The service was OK but not a "wow" there either.

The price isn't bad for a nice adult dinner but I really wouldn't do it for the amazing awesome food - which is not amazing or awesome - IMHO.

safetymom · 11-10-2009, 01:12 PM

I have done Palo several times trying to get the experience that many on here report. Still haven't had it. We are done trying the dinner. We did enjoy the brunch.

Think it is overhyped here on the DIS. I have had better dining experiences elsewhere.

MouseMomx2 · 11-10-2009, 01:13 PM

We are among those that like the food in the main dining rooms, but Palo just didn't wow us. In fact, we have agreed that we'll skip it on future sailings. We'll still do Palo Brunch, but dinner was just nothing special to us. Again, it was fine...just (as others have said) no Wow factor.

sharen24 · 11-10-2009, 01:27 PM

We had an excellent experience at Palo. We ordered a bottle of Far Niente and allowed our server to surprise us with a customized meal taylored to our wine. Unfortunately, that server is no longer on the Magic

.

Kim&Chris · 11-10-2009, 01:30 PM

Palo's food is exceptional, compared to the dining rooms. I've never had anything at Palo that wasn't delicious, but we no longer put Palo on our "must do" list.

disneypolybride2008 · 11-10-2009, 01:37 PM

i had the best filet ever at Palo, it was sooo tender even with being well done and not a speck of fat! wonderful!!!

cseca · 11-10-2009, 01:45 PM

I had both brunch and dinner Palo. Have to say that I like brunch much better than dinner. Mostly because of their Stollen(sp?) bread. It is in 1 word... AWESOME...
I still dream about it every now and then. The sad part is that they only have it in Palo during brunch... sigh...

I hope they have it on Dream. I am craving it so badly....

clten · 11-10-2009, 01:53 PM

We were never blown away by Palo for either dinner or brunch. Like others have posted, we think it has been overhyped here. However, we did think it was a step above what is served in the dining rooms. That being said, with the food in the main dining rooms getting a bit better in the last year or so, we are giving Palo another shot (we never like the pirate menu, so this is a better option.)

branv · 11-10-2009, 02:03 PM

I really didn't think much of the main dining food, but we enjoyed Palo. If I were paying regular prices for it, I would call it a solid 3* (though our first visit was better than our second. I ordered scallops and shrimp on our last visit and found them to be on the wrong side of fishy tasting). But let's be fair, the big thing about it is that for $30+tip you can eat respectably prepared food and A LOT of it. I think that's what I think of when I ooh and ahh over Palo. But if Palo were in the real world, I'd feel like I overpaid if I paid more than $75 for two people each eating an app, entree and dessert.

Though I'm weird -- I prefer the dinner to the brunch. I dunno, guess I'm just blessed to have had some amazing brunches that weren't that much more expensive than Palo.

NancyIL · 11-10-2009, 02:07 PM

I thought the food in the dining room was fine, and I enjoyed brunch at Palo - but I don't feel the need to eat at Palo again.

11-10-2009, 11:21 AM	#1
es45 DIS Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Morrisville, NC Posts: 1,394	For those who think the DCL food is "meh" What do you think of Palo? __________________ Elizabeth Last edited by es45; 11-10-2009 at 11:32 AM.

11-10-2009, 11:41 AM	#3
JohnO Mouseketeer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Summerville, SC ( 392 Mi from WDW) Posts: 466	Palo is fantastic __________________ WDW & DCL Sept. 09 Trip Report 1977 - Disneyland, 1989 - Disneyland, 1994 - WDW All Star Sports, 1995 - WDW Old Key West, 1998 - WDW Holiday Inn Maingate, 1999 - WDW Off Property, 2006 - WDW All Star Movies 2/8 -2/16, 2007 - WDW Pop Century 2/4 - 2/14, 2007- WDW All Star Music 9/11 - 9/17, 2008 - WDW All Star Movies 10/27 - 10/30, 2008 - DCL Disney Wonder 10/20 - 11/2, 2009 - WDW All Star Movies 9/21 - 9/27, 2009 - DCL Disney Wonder 9/27 - 10/1, 2010- WDW Off Prop 4/23 - 4/25, 2010 7nt Estrn Cruise Disney Magic10/23 - 10/30, WDW CSR 10/30 - 11/2, 2012- WDW POR 1/8 - 1/15

11-10-2009, 12:04 PM	#5
TifffanyD Tifff Too Close Boo Boo Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Tampa, FL - an hourish from the mouse! Posts: 6,426	I do like the dining room food and I thought Palo was very good. But I agree with PP that I didn't get the WOW factor that others have spoken of. I think I expected more. The pizza was very good, my entree was a special that was very good, and dessert was pretty to very good. But nothing was super FANTASTIC. Oh and the bread was kind of "meh". Service was great! But I love the main dining rooms too and missed them __________________ To Aulani and Beyond - A Hawaiian Pre and Post Trip Report Coming up: Aulani & NCL Pride of America (6/7-21/13), Disneyland - VGC in Fall 2013 (Nov 2-9), RCCL Freedom of the Seas in the Ben & Jerry 'Sweet' (1/26/14-2/2/14), *hoping for* London in Summer 2014, DCL Magic Southern Caribbean (10/11-18/2014)

11-10-2009, 12:32 PM	#6
Selket Yes I AM being whiney about not getting a postcard! I will measure, nest, lift and squeeze Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: MD, USA Posts: 3,326	The way people go on about it I was expecting something substantially different than what I've had in the dining rooms on DCL but .... it really wasn't all that awesome. The service was OK but not a "wow" there either. The price isn't bad for a nice adult dinner but I really wouldn't do it for the amazing awesome food - which is not amazing or awesome - IMHO. __________________ Carol G. Off-site lots; POFQ 2000, AKL 2003, CR and CSR 2005, POR 2006, CSR and ASMu 2007; POFQ & CR (MK view!) 2008; CSR & BC 2009, CSR & POFQ 2011, POR 2012, AAR & CSR 2013 DCL: Oct Western, 2007, Sept. 28, 2008 Western; Universal: HRH, 2010

11-10-2009, 01:27 PM	#9
sharen24 DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 986	We had an excellent experience at Palo. We ordered a bottle of Far Niente and allowed our server to surprise us with a customized meal taylored to our wine. Unfortunately, that server is no longer on the Magic.

11-10-2009, 11:26 AM	#2
kcashner DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 33,275	Palo is wonderful.

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11-10-2009, 01:12 PM	#7
safetymom Have will travel ABD trips = clothes optional Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Now living near the parks! Posts: 41,880	I have done Palo several times trying to get the experience that many on here report. Still haven't had it. We are done trying the dinner. We did enjoy the brunch. Think it is overhyped here on the DIS. I have had better dining experiences elsewhere.

11-10-2009, 01:13 PM	#8
MouseMomx2 DIS Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,340	We are among those that like the food in the main dining rooms, but Palo just didn't wow us. In fact, we have agreed that we'll skip it on future sailings. We'll still do Palo Brunch, but dinner was just nothing special to us. Again, it was fine...just (as others have said) no Wow factor.

11-10-2009, 01:30 PM	#10
Kim&Chris dreaming of relaxing & soaking up the warm sun at Serenity Bay.... Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,390	Palo's food is exceptional, compared to the dining rooms. I've never had anything at Palo that wasn't delicious, but we no longer put Palo on our "must do" list. __________________ 10/98 CSR (first Disney trip for Kim&Chris) // 11/00 CBR (our Honeymoon!) // 11/01 ASMovies & OKW for MNSSHP // 12/02 Poly for MVMCP! // 03/04 Pop Century & OKW, then 10/04 OKW (fun in the sun!!) // 01/06 OKW for Disney Marathon, then 05/06 CR & DCL Magic, then 10/06 CBR & OKW // 05/07 BCV then DCL Wonder, then 12/07 OKW for a pre-Christmas vacation! // 6/08 Wonder Double Dip!, then 12/08 Wonder 3-day! // 5/09 R&R at our home, OKW // 10/09 - a "do-over" vacation (prior one rained out) at CBR // 05/10 5-day Wonder Double Dip! // 10/10 - Back Home for a few days // 12/10 - A last minute trip to SSR! // 05/11 - 5-day Double Dip on the Disney Dream!! // 11-2011 WDW plus three days on the Dream! // 5/12 - 4 nites on the Magic! Welcome to the Walt Disney World Express Monorail, your highway in the sky to the Magic Kingdom! For those of you standing, please hold on to the handrails and stand clear of the doors. For the comfort of others, no smoking please!

11-10-2009, 01:37 PM	#11
disneypolybride2008 DIS Veteran Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,706	i had the best filet ever at Palo, it was sooo tender even with being well done and not a speck of fat! wonderful!!! __________________

11-10-2009, 01:45 PM	#12
cseca My legs are wimpy but my will is stronger... Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: MI Posts: 4,855	I had both brunch and dinner Palo. Have to say that I like brunch much better than dinner. Mostly because of their Stollen(sp?) bread. It is in 1 word... AWESOME... I still dream about it every now and then. The sad part is that they only have it in Palo during brunch... sigh... I hope they have it on Dream. I am craving it so badly....

11-10-2009, 01:53 PM	#13
clten DIS Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,540	We were never blown away by Palo for either dinner or brunch. Like others have posted, we think it has been overhyped here. However, we did think it was a step above what is served in the dining rooms. That being said, with the food in the main dining rooms getting a bit better in the last year or so, we are giving Palo another shot (we never like the pirate menu, so this is a better option.)

11-10-2009, 02:03 PM	#14
branv The safety feature in my parents van was floor to ceiling shag carpet If your clothes are cute enough, you can be forgiven for sensible shoes Join Date: May 2005 Location: TX Posts: 3,573	I really didn't think much of the main dining food, but we enjoyed Palo. If I were paying regular prices for it, I would call it a solid 3* (though our first visit was better than our second. I ordered scallops and shrimp on our last visit and found them to be on the wrong side of fishy tasting). But let's be fair, the big thing about it is that for $30+tip you can eat respectably prepared food and A LOT of it. I think that's what I think of when I ooh and ahh over Palo. But if Palo were in the real world, I'd feel like I overpaid if I paid more than $75 for two people each eating an app, entree and dessert. Though I'm weird -- I prefer the dinner to the brunch. I dunno, guess I'm just blessed to have had some amazing brunches that weren't that much more expensive than Palo.

11-10-2009, 02:07 PM	#15
NancyIL DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 1999 Posts: 22,785	I thought the food in the dining room was fine, and I enjoyed brunch at Palo - but I don't feel the need to eat at Palo again.

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