How to eat yourself sick in Disney, a step by step guide (UPDATE: 1/21 RAGLAN ROAD!)

[onelilspark]

Originally Posted by Destructsean

Thanks!

I would have to say no as well. And where? We're from the Bucks County area.

Blue Bell (Montgomery County.)

Bummer that the croissant pudding was dry! I LOVE it!

[Destructsean]

Originally Posted by onelilspark

Blue Bell (Montgomery County.)

Bummer that the croissant pudding was dry! I LOVE it!

That's not too far, I know the area.

Also, it wasn't terrible, it just benefited greatly from some syrup.

[CaliBear]

Blueberry croissant bread pudding and school bread are both on to-do snacks list for our upcoming trip too! Looking forward to your LC review as well. We're also doing lunch there.

[Tracerr00]

The croissant bread pudding was also on my to-do list so I'm sorry to hear that it was dry. We ate at CRT and my DD's stuffed french toast was dry too but it wasn't anything that butter and syrup couldn't fix! It's a good thing that you're creative (or your wife is creative I should say!).

The school bread looks and sounds awesome! I tried it once but didn't get to it until the next day so that was my own fault that it was a little dry. But I still enjoyed it and can only imagine what a fresh one must taste like!

[bluechic03]

Just caught up on everything! I seriously love the Pork Tenderloin at CG, super bummed they are closed for refurb during our upcoming trip! Last time we ate there we literally did eat ourselves sick...I seriously felt like we rolled outta there lol

[Destructsean]

We went to check in at Le Cellier, and were about 15 minutes early. I had checked in much earlier at all previous dining reservations (not with the intention to be seated earlier, but to just let the restaurant know we were there.) No problem, right? Wrong. We were told to leave and come back in five minutes. Really? Gah, let’s not let the initial awkwardness with the hostess sway my opinion, it was time to eat.



We spent a few minutes enjoying the beautiful area around the entrance of the restaurant..



ohhh...ahhh...

And after being allowed to check in, we made our way down to the main doors.



We were seated relatively shortly afterwards. Our first impressions? Not spectacular. This place was cramped, to say the least. I usually don’t listen to reviews of places that are loved and hated, and decide to form my own opinions, but here is a criticism that rings true. Our table for two could have accommodated just me easily, and I without a place to even lay a bag, I felt very crowded, right from the get go.

also, this place is DARK. Let me go ahead and apologize for the quality of my pictures here, because it was next to impossible to get good shots in this lighting.

We took some time to review the menu, and Christina just wasn’t thrilled (why a girl who LOVES steak didn’t just get the fliet, is beyond me..) I knew what I wanted before we stepped foot in the place, so we placed or order and waited. First, out came the bread basket.



This place does bread right. The pretzel breadstick? Divine. The other bread was grainy and warm, and it was all very, very tasty. It went perfectly with the beer cheese soup we both received as an appetizer.



I’m almost tempted to tell you that coming here just to dip that glorious bread into that glorious soup is worth it. ALMOST. It’s ridiculously delicious though.

Christina was having trouble deciding what she wanted to eat, and finally settled on two things. She ordered the side order portion of the baked macaroni and cheese:



And also the Spicy Chicken and Chipotle Sausage - with Roasted Corn Polenta and Sweet Onion Jam



While she didn’t really care for the chicken sausage, she absolutely HATED the mac and cheese, and I can’t fault her. It was..off. The cheese they used was a funky variation of the standard, and it was just an odd taste that didn’t couple with what one would think of when ordering macaroni and cheese. Trust me, for Christina not to eat ANYTHING with cheese in it, let alone mac and cheese, is bewildering. She ended up taking it to go, hoping she’d develop a taste for it later, but it just ended up in the garbage.

The Chicken sausage, I thought, was pretty good. She wasn’t thrilled. She ate most of it, but didn’t really enjoy too much. She isn’t a fan of sweeter food (which we noticed that most of the meals on the menu incorporated a sweet element) so she was kinda let down. The polenta though, in my opinion, was awesome. Much recommended.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t playing games. I wanted steak, and steak I would have. I ordered the Wild Mushroom Filet Mignon



Now, let me preface this with the fact that I DID share this with Christina, being the loving, chivalrous husband that I am. That being said, each bite of this meal was perfection in food form. It was one of the best steaks I’ve ever eaten. Cooked to a glorious medium rare, and served on a bed of delicious risotto, this was great. Christina agreed, and we both think this was the real stand out of the meal.

We finished up and decided to split an order of the Maple Creme Brulee



This is good. Real good. I’m a sucker for a good creme brulee, and this delivered.

Finishing up, I’ll sadly say this: This meal just wasn’t worth it. I really, really wanted it to be. I wanted to disagree with the nay sayers, as I so often do, but unfortunately, I’m going to side with those that don’t understand the “signature” status of this restaurant. The Filet was delicious, the desert was tasty, but the ambiance and seating left far too much to be desired, and nothing really blew our socks off. Compared to other signatures (California Grill, which I reviewed, and Jiko, which is coming,) it just wasn’t up to snuff.

I suppose that’s why after we left and began to explore the worlds, we felt the need to stop at Boulangerie Pâtisserie, and order the famous Napoleon.









Holy POOP! This thing was too much for words. Perfect blend of creamy and crispy, the filling was light, sweet, and exactly what we needed to perk us up after feeling a little underwhelmed after Le Cellier.

Well, that and a trip to Tutto Gusto for some RIDICULOUSLY overpriced wine.








To be honest, I don’t recall the types of wine we both got. I ordered a sweet red, and Christina ordered a sparkling something or other. They were tasty, but at around $10-12 a glass, they were NOT worth the few sips they provided. Bummer. At least walking around the Italy portion of Epcot is always a really nice treat.

We finished up our day at Epcot (trust me, it wasn’t our last...forshadowwwwinnngg) and we headed back to the hotel. After a trip to the grocery store, we found a trusty restaurant that we’ve grown to love here in the Philadelphia area. We ate off site that night. Next up, a quick dinner review of Tijuana Flats.

[Destructsean]

Sorry that these updates have been so few and far between. We've got A LOT more (this was from 12/6, and we didn't leave until 12/14!!) and I promise that I'll be more timely from here on out..

[Destructsean]

Later this night, we drove past something that made us do a double take. A Tijuana Flats!

Seriously? A Flats? On a Disney Vacation? We’re doing this..? Oh, we’re doing this.

I knew that Orlando was home to a few of these restaurants, but I didn’t realize the semi-chain Tex-Mex offering was this close to WDW. We were craving some cheesy goodness, so away we went.

I opted to go with the “pick two”



Which consisted of a chicken burrito, a chicken chimichanga, and a side of rice and beans (with a side of queso sauce, of course. This was no different than the same meal here in PA, and that’s to say, it was delicious. The Chimichanga’s at TF’s are ridiculously delicious. Healthy? Not a chance. Tasty? You bet. And that queso..that GLORIOUS queso..

Christina ordered the Chimichanga also, only her’s was a tad larger, since she ordered it as a stand alone.



No complaints from her end either. She’s always down for devouring Flats.

That’s it for today. Goodnight moon, tomorrow we wake for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

[Goofyluver]

Sometimes, you just need some fast-joint Mexican.

Even with the lighting, your pics of Le Cellier are still fabulous!

[autumnpalm]

Gotta agree with you about Le Cellier. I like it for various aspects such as the soup and filet but for us, there is just no way it can compete with other restaurants in the signature category.

[richnrobin]

Cant wait to hear the rest.....

[caa1277]

Just got caught up on your report. Great reviews so far! I have t agree with you about Le Cellier. We ate there for the first time on our last trip in 2011 and were not impressed at all. I was really looking forward to eating here after reading all of the awesome reviews and about how everyone really loved this place. For us, it was a great disappointment. I don't think we'll be going back any time soon. I don't get the whole signature dining experience either. but, to each their own I guess.

Now 'Ohana on the other hand......To. Die. For. If there was only one restaurant that I had to eat at at WDW, I would pick this place. Hands down. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE eating here. So much so, that on our last trip we ate twice there and we're eating twice there again in June when we go back. I can't wait for all of that gorgeous, delicious food. My mouth is drooling right now just thinking about it............Just 5 more months until I'm in heaven!

Looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip.

[emmysmommy]

Although I love Le Cellier, I can completely agree with you about the filet, soup, pretzel bread, and creme brulee being so awesome. I also agree that the resaurant is cramped, dark, and just doesn't feel like other signatures. I'm just a mushroom filet addict .... perhaps that's why I keep coming back.

I'll have to remember to add syrup when I eventually try the bread pudding at Sunshine Seasons.

[OurDogCisco]

Great reviews. I'm taking tons of notes for our trip in November. I can't wait to hear about Harry though.

[tweetylori]

LOVING your review and the pics! CONGRATS to you and your beautiful bride, you sound like an awesome couple!