Why *can't* I live here? (no meat/ no wheat)

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Hello! This is my first trip to the world after giving up gluten in July (due to frequent migraines, neuropathy, and occasional tummy troubles). I haven't eaten meat in almost 14 years.

QS-
Colombia Harbour House
Sunshine Season
Pepper market
DHS
Friar's Nook
Pizzafari

TS-
Whispering Canyon
Turf Club
Olivia's
Boma
Crystal Palace
Tusker House (breakfast)
Tutto Italia
Rose and Crown


Anyway, we checked in at about noon and went to MK. Late lunch was at Columbia Harbour House where I used to love the lighthouse sandwich. This time I had (rice) Mac and cheese (Amy's?) with broccoli and a cookie. DH asked about the cookie twice "are you sure it's GF? How do you know". "Because the brand name is 'OMG it's Gluten Free!'" Lol. It was all ok.

Tonight we at at Whispering Canyon. For some reason, we haven't been here since our honeymoon in '01. DH and DD enjoyed their platter of ribs and roast chicken although we quickly realized that corn on the cob was a mistake for our 7 1/2 year old, missing two front teeth. Proof that DH liked the meal? he dove in and started eating and barely even touched his rum and coke. Lol. Chef sent out a special GF cornbread for me. Darker in colour but just as tasty as any I've ever had. Then I got the black quinoa cakes right off the regular menu. They had a sauce on them that was almost tzaziki and a side of "edamame salsa" edamame, corn, onion, a little tomato... I think. There was some frisse lettuce and basalmic vinaigrette in the middle, too. I ate every bite. It's been a while since I've had such a good meal... definitely not in a restaurant since July! I hope I can take some ideas home and improve my cooking but eating out around home seems like it's pretty much a lost cause. Oh yeah, we're on DDP so there's dessert. I got the caramel vanilla cheesecake (baked and served in a little jar) and DH got the apple cobbler- he thought *ahem* apple berry cobbler. We both got ours to go but he's not interested with the berries (looks yummy!) and when will I be able to eat mine? DD got sliced apples, also to go.

 

[Happy99]

If you have PF Changs near you they have a good selection of GF items

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

If you have PF Changs near you they have a good selection of GF items

My husband frequents one on his business trips and had told me that but the nearest one is about an hour. It is near ikea though, so when we have to go there, we'll go to PF Chang, too. I have had great luck with the local Chinese buffet. I get hibachi veggies with no seasoning then dish up some sticky rice. Then back at my table I add my own sauce of GF soy (hoisin) sauce and ginger. If the grill is cross contaminated (and I'm sure it is but they do a decent clean), it's not enough to trigger me. So glad I'm not true celiac, etc.

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Day 2
Dinner at Boma. Need I say more? Chef Bryan walked me though and I was most pleased that the carrot ginger soup if GF!

 

[Happy99]

thanks for posting your experience - I am not GF however have friends that are and this is helpful for them

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

thanks for posting your experience - I am not GF however have friends that are and this is helpful for them

You're welcome! I felt like every extra nugget of info I got was helpful.

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Day 3
We had light breakfast. Ok, maybe "light" is a bad term... I ate my left over cheesecake!

(I'm going to interrupt myself to explain that I dropped my iphone while in Anna and Elsa's line. I was sitting, it dropped 14", and landed on it's back but is badly cracked. Please excuse any typos- I can't always see them.)

Anyway, we headed to DHS. My all-time least favorite park for eating. I did see that Backlot express had GF bread so that was going to bd my plan but after the Beauty & Beast show, I directed my hungry family to Fairfax Fare. I had never really paid to much attention to that area and didn't notice the cluster of food stands surrounding the seating area. DH had some ribs that he enjoyed and DD got a box lunch- Jammie Sammie, baggie if carrots, baggie of apple slices, danimals yogurt, and cookie. It was a lot for her so I ate some of her carrots along with my apple and PB that I brought, then finished her yogurt and really didn't want a backlot sandwich any more. I did have some popcorn!

Later, we went to Epcot via international Gatewdy and headed around world showcase. I really didn't find anything I wantdv as a snack and was feeling like a nosh. I miss crépes, and middle eastern pastries!

For dinner, we went to The Tuff Club. I wasn't sure what to expect. As a vegetarian, I'm not much of a steakhouse girl, but DH reports that the steak was good and DD ate well from her grilled chicken, rice, broccoli, and grapes.
Another friendly chef came to the table (where were these friendly chefs when I was a waitress? I wonder if these guys scream a lot, too, because I can't imagine it!). Anyway, after considering a dish with polenta and maybe asparagus, I ended up choosing the pasta on the menu made with rice pasta. The creamy sacucr was light and yummy. There was some zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach mixed in. Prior to my meal, they brought me two warmed up GF rolls and delish maple butter. The tolls were fine. (I generally consider my GF breads to be either "awful" or "fine". WCC cornbread was a rare exception)
For dessert, I had the pot de crème and savor end every bite. There were raspberries on top.., I think... My daughter scarfed them up

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Day 4
Another laid back in room breakfast followed by a day in Epcot. We had lunch as Sundhine Seasons which we've long enjoyed off being a good QS value on the dining plan.
Here, I had some issues. My first choice would have been eating in morocco. I just wasn't too sure. I saw a man in Disney Look street clothes and name tag and assumed he was a manager. I asked about an allergy menu and he said there isn't one (I do believe that every QS place has a binder). He did suggest some GF foods (mostly meat containing) and suggested I request a chef from behind the counter for more questions. It seemed like too much effort for any of is yo pit into a QS meal and I wanted to eat with my family not after them so I played it safe and had rice and black beans and a side of green beans as he suggested... I think there was meant to be chicken with the rice and beans. The servers were a bit confused by me. Odd because I've always found vegetarian meals easy there. It was all tasty, though.

Dinner (Tutto Italia) to be posted later.

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Tutto Italia was good. I was a bit worried about how things would work out, if they would be as accommodating as other Disney restaurants. I had GF pasta with carbonara sauce that was just fine. Nothing especially special but good. Before dinner was served, they brought me assorted GF breads- white, cinnamon raisin, and bread with pear juice. For dessert I had chocolate Panna cotta with cherries and sampled my daughter's chocolate gelato. By the way she had pasta with sauce and meatballs on the side and loved her meatballs- usually we have to coax and plead! DH loved his cannoli- I'm excited to see him find a sweet he enjoys (his mother is Italian- how had he never had a cannoli?)

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Tues
We had a sit down lunch for a change. At Crystal Palace. Usually we have breakfast here and I gotta admit- I miss cheesy potatoes. We're not eating at Akershus this trip either and I wish I could make a last minute ADR. Love me some breakfast cheesy potatoes! Anyway, the chef helped me through the buffet. Many things are GF, including some beans with GF soy and tamarind sauce. Unfortunately, many things have meats in them! I still managed to stuff myself. I was offered an in-house made flour-less brownie but, who has room after the flan??

For a light supper, I headed to Friars Nook in Fantasy Land. Keep in mind that it was Christmas Eve and the kingdom was pretty crowded. I did NOT want to be holding up myself or anyone else by ordering through a manager. Friars was a sure thing. The line was actually shorter than my Feb trip (by far, is it a lunch vs dinner thing?). I ordered the chips and veggies with hummus. The chips are falafel chips- GMO free corn, and "one or more beans:
Fava, garbanzo, black, pinto". Very tasty plain or with hummus. DD loved them, too. I'll have to buy them at home! Veggies were baby carrots, cukes, and a couple grape tomatoes. The carrots and cukes were crispy and good.

No dessert there- we had to save plenty if room for the Dessert Party! That went well. I didn't see my reservation slip that they print- I think I told them about the GF needs but no one said anything at check in. I would have piped up but I knew I was really there for the crème brûlée. I did see a chef carrying a plate for someone. Crème brûlée and mango shooters were good. Choc strawberries were good but the berries weren't as luscious as last time. That's only in Mother Nature's control. The strawberry ice cream sauce was delish. At the end, we grabbed some cocoa to go and made it out of the park by the "secret" door that leads to Chapeau.
Side note- there are pros and cons to Dec 24 Dessert Party. On one hand, if you're going to be there that day, it's THE way to get a good view without camping out at goodness knows what time. The sea if people between us and the castle was staggering. On the other hand, the noodle station had been open and there was a huge crowd if people up there on the terraces behind us. The back passage leading out toward The Plaza was jam lacked and not moving. This meant two things to us- 1. Many people were trying to use the 3 stall restroom in the noodle station. No one (from any group of people) could access the 20 stall rest room st the bottom if the ramp. 2. It seemed to volatile for my comfort. Some people pushed their way past a petite cast member into the party area snd were pushed back by some guests who wanted to help her (witnessed by DH). By the dessert set up, a man holding a child about 18-24 mos climbed right over the rail, through some landscaping, into the party. At first I was annoyed at him, briefly worried about his child who looked lethargic at first glance, then annoyed as I realized she looked fine, just sleepy and he had no business cutting through. A woman with him started yelling at another cast member. It was all rather uncomfortable. So, dessert party on busy nights? YMMV. Use your best judgement.

 

[Couchy]

Thanks for taking the time to post your reviews... I am enjoying reading what worked for your specific needs

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Thanks for taking the time to post your reviews... I am enjoying reading what worked for your specific needs

I'm glad someone is finding this useful. I'm not as fancy a trip reporter as some people but I hope I can help. I find TS restaurants to be pretty easy but there isn't a lot of good info about QS. We'll get to my breakdown soon...

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Day 6- Christmas Day I made breakfast ADRs today at Tusker House. So strange that this was our only breakfast and one of only 2 character meals- usually there are more of both!

Chef Marylin walked me around the buffet and offered some additional GF products- whole grain toast (Udis or Rudy's, I think) Cinnamon doughnuts, and waffles. It's been so long since I've had a doughnut that I pounced on the offer and also asked for a waffle. I filled my plate with frittata, potato, root veggies (or was that at Boma?) scrambled egg, and sweet potato with cinnamon, raisins, and coconut. I also got a fried plantain. I had seconds on the frittata and spicy potatoes. The sweet potato mix was tasty but very sweet. My waffle and syrup was good also. Unfortunately, I discovered I'm not crazy about plantain. (I thought I had that before?) and I didn't care for the doughnut. Looking back, it was a dumb choice. I'm a fan of the Krispy Kreme and there's no way GF could even come close! This was cakey, like Entemann's (if that's national?) a little dry. It was wrapped in parchment and heated and I've heard that some people like them. Just not for me. If course, I filled up in jungle juice, too. Did I mention that that is available at Boma for dinner? You just have to ask! It's not just for breakfast.

Dinner was at Olivia's. DH got the Prime Rib and wasn't too happy with it. I got their pasta meal with no seafood and GF pasta. It was pretty good, nothing especially spectacular. I got the flourless chocolate cake to go and ate it about an hour later. It was quite yummy!

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Day 7 No ADRs today QS at Pepper Market. I had a veggie omelette, served with salsa, that was good and served with seasoned potatoes. At the hostess station, there is a card with allergy guidelines- ask for a chef, no guarantees about cross contamination, etc. you can write your allergy in the space there but there was no specific info. I'm not positive that those potatoes were GF. It's very possible that they weren't but i had no bad effects.

QS at Pizzafari. Yesterday at Tusker House, Chef Marilyn explained a bit about how they are trying to make QS with allergies more efficient. I did notice some menu boards posted for allergies but I didn't see anything a Pizzafari. All the same, I had read that there was a GF cheese pizza. They called for a manager or chef when I asked for it but despite having seen several of both while waiting in line, it took quite a while for someone to come out and when she did, I was the second allergy person for her to meet with. I did appreciate that I could get the veggie toppings added to the cheese flatbread and a substitution of carrots for the caesar salad. The pizza was ok. I've had better, I've had worse.

QS (fail!) at DHS. Epic fail. The closest I came to crying on our trip. We saw the Osbourne lights then headed over toward Fantasmic! We arrived just minutes after they filled the theatre for the first show- plenty if time to get in line for the second. DH decided to eat at Rosie's in the same cluster as Fairfax. DD got the power pack/ bento at Fairfax again. I made a choice after what I thought was careful deliberation- looked at menus and spent about 10 minutes reading GF alternatives online (alternatives are listed but regular items that are GF are not. It makes it tough to figure out IMO) So I ordered the salad at Fairfax- it sounded like a taco salad and sounded good. So I took it to the table where my family was eating- my DD was eating, DH was done. I sat down and looked at it- I somehow missed the part in the description where it warned me that chili (meat!) would be poured over it. Ugh. I won't eat meat but I feel guilty just ordering and tossing it. Not to mention, I just wasted a credit and didn't even get a desert. So I decided to walk across the park to Backlot express to check out the GF bread listed on the alternatives list. Could they make me a veg sandwich?? NO! By the time I got there, they closed down that restaurant. What? I had no idea. So I headed back towards F! keeping an eye out but didn't see anything else. I had already had a popcorn snack. I'm back to hating this park for QS! So I got into the F! line hungry and way, way back from my family. DH was convinced that I wouldn't get in or meet up but of course, I did. Still, I didn't enjoy the stress of him being stressed while I was hungry. (Also, I nearly attacked a passive aggressive loudmouthed drama queen and her drama queen friend in line. Don't mess with a hungry woman who is trying to be as courteous as possible!)

Once reunited with my family in F! they ran to the restrooms and came back with a cheese and fruit plate. I remembered this from before. 3 pieces of yummy rosemary bread that I passed on. 3 assorted chocolate covered strawberries, 3 chunks of Brie, some green apple, a bunch of grapes, a piece of cheddar. Ok. So here's where I show my picky side. I'm sure my mood made it worse. I simply don't like brie. I try it from time to time... But... No. The piece if cheddar under it 1) tasted like brie and 2) was frozen. The whole plate was frozen. I get making things ahead but maybe let it thaw first? It was a chilly night...it took a long time to thaw enough to eat. In fact, by the time I ate it, we were back under the Osbourne lights! I don't even want to know what DH paid!
Shoulda stuck with the apple and peanut butter or cheese and homemade gf crackers from our room!

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

QS at pepper market
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Rose and Crown
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[gobo2]

Did you say homemade gf crackers?

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Did you say homemade gf crackers?

Lol. Yes, I did. It suddenly occurred to me that making crackers can't be that much harder than cookies, right? They were ok for a first try. I used this recipe http://theprettybee.com/2013/10/easy-gluten-free-cracker-recipe.html
With actual butter, more water than called for (it seemed too dry to roll) and fresh rosemary. (Glad I used it since I forgot to move my rosemary over with the other plants for my friend to water and it died while we were gone)
I didn't roll the dough thin enough though so my crackers were more dense than chewy. I'll keep working on it.

Speaking of crackers- the chef at Boma asked if I liked hummus so he brought out a plate with my own little bowls of each hummus on the buffet and some home made papadum. It was very crispy and good. I loved one hummus (white bean), liked one (sun dried tomato), and disliked the third (black olive- I should have noted to ask for that to be left off. I'm just not an olive fan)
Another restaurant had that papadum... Oh! I just remembered- Rose and Crown.