I had a late lunch at Le Cellier on this day. I headed to Canada and checked in with the CM at the top of the path to the restaurant. This seemed to be a much smoother process then waiting in any kind of line at the "official" check-in desk. It took her about 15 seconds to find me and then she sent me to the main entrance to wait. Less than 5 minutes later, my name was called and I was seated.
I'm not very picky about where I get seated, but I probably had one of the worst seats in the place! They put me at the very first table at the entrance of the dining room. If I had sat with my back to the dining room I would have seen a continuous stream of people walking into the place. Instead, I sat facing the dining room and got to watch everybody else eat and all the waiters come out of the kitchen - not so bad since I was alone, but if I were with someone it would have been a less than ideal table.
My server, Ali, was TOTALLY over the top. She was just way too happy for her own good. She was a nice girl though and I really enjoyed her, but probably would have enjoyed her more if she took it down from 11 to 10!
Le Cellier is a pretty loud restaurant and I don't hear well so I did my best to try and catch what she was saying and I figured out that she was trying to take my drink order, recommending a certain martini - the Pink Bikini Martini! When I ordered it she was very surprised as it seems that men order it almost exclusively when she recommends it. It was basically a cosmo type of martini but made with pink lemonade instead of cranberry. Right up my alley!
***An explanation about the photos - the restaurant was dark and there were many many people so I refrained from using the flash***
The bread came quickly and Ali explained what each one represented and I have now totally forgotten! I started with the pretzel bread but it was pretty dark and had way too much salt on it (I'm not a fan of salt). I think I ended up mostly eating the multigrain.
I started with the Cheddar Cheese soup - I had been looking forward to this since my last trip to Le Cellier in 2007! It was as good as I remembered, but a little spicier than I remembered - but not in a bad way.
While I waited for my entree to come, I watched a special show that I was sure was being put on for my benefit. A woman and her husband were having their anniversary lunch and this woman must have sent back her steak (I think the NY Strip) about 5 times. Not even exaggerating. Each time it wasn't cooked enough. She was very apologetic, but I just couldn't help thinking that you shouldn't be coming to a steakhouse if you are just there to eat a burnt piece of meat. She would have enjoyed the steak served at 'Ohana the night I ate there! Eventually the manager came over to talk with them and the woman went on and on about how they come to Disney all the time and how she was not sure about eating here but thought it would be okay, etc. The manager went way above and beyond and comped her steak as well as giving them a free dessert and champagne for their anniversary. I was kind of irritated by that - it wasn't anything the kitchen did, this woman was just beyond picky and never should have ordered a steak in the first place!!
Anyway....on to my entree. I wanted Filet, but I asked if I could have it with creamed spinach instead of the risotto. My server said there would be an upcharge and the creamed spinach would come separately, was that ok? I said it was and then she asked if I still wanted the risotto with my steak. I passed since I thought it would be too much starch but I assumed that I'd still get the mushrooms and sauce, just no risotto.
Well - I got my entree and I was wrong!!! My steak was totally plain. I figured that they thought I was ordering it without the mushrooms like so many do, but I just really wanted creamed spinach rather than risotto. No big deal though. The steak was a perfectly cooked medium rare and the creamed spinach came in a huge skillet on the side. It was covered in delicious cheese. I ended up scooping a good portion of it over to my steak plate and made my own dish which was delicious.
The creamed spinach really pushed me over the edge...it was so good but it was too rich and I could not even come close to finishing it.
I did manage to save some room for dessert though
Ali came by and took my order and I told her that I would cap off my predictable Le Cellier meal (cheese soup and filet) with the appropriate dessert - Maple Creme Brulee. Now, I really don't know why I ordered this. I guess I wanted to give creme brulee another chance and I love maple, but ack. I really didn't enjoy it. The taste was fine, but it was nothing special at all.
Le Cellier will always be on my list of repeat restaurants but I do have a couple lessons learned:
If you are making a side substitute, make sure you ask to still have the sauce that comes with the entree and no more creme brulee!!!!!!!
Its sounds like they really helped make the meal special for you
You're right about her being a little hyper. She's like that though. Always happy... maybe a little too much sometimes. But hey, she's just trying to make you smile 
Okay, I'll go back and read the rest.... 
I think she told me about that day with the lady sending back her steak so many times. I hate people like that. You know when a person isn't a real steak eater when they're THAT picky....
