Dessert before Dinner: a trifecta of dining reports? Update 9/22 LTT COMPLETE!

[Cloe Colton]

I can't wait to get back to Narcoose's in September! I literally had never heard of Narcooses until I started watching vlogs/reading trip reports

 

[ariane37]

Oh, Ariane I always love your reports and by venturing to one of our favourite spots in Narcoossee's, you made my afternoon.

This made MY day when I read it Thank you for such kind words and I'm glad I brightened your day!

while I'm not a usually a devotee of cheesecake, that particular dessert looked just gorgeous

I do happen to be a cheesecake fan in general but Steve is not, he's just partial to this particular one

We have found that the best plan is to NOT try to get a spot on/near Main Street or the hub for the fireworks. Since they are 360 fireworks, you don't need to be straight on from the castle to enjoy. We usually stake out a spot near the bridge to tomorrowland, which they have CMs keeping semi-clear because it has to remain a walkway throughout.

We don't even watch regular MK fireworks from the hub or Main St. lol, we always watch from the bridge by 7DMT since the crowds aren't there and I don't care about the projections! So I wouldn't even attempt that. I will say I've considered booking the dessert party but IDK yet............

I can't wait to get back to Narcoose's in September! I literally had never heard of Narcooses until I started watching vlogs/reading trip reports

So funny it wasn't on our radar until it was! At one point we were just searching out new to us restaurants so I was reading all menus on allears and it sounded good. We went on an adults only trip, loved it, took the boys and it became a family favorite

 

[OasterP]

Love your report! First - I am incredibly jealous of your Epic Girls Trip plans!! I can't believe I somehow missed that - that's what I get for taking time away from the DIS. And that cheesecake....definitely on my list of things I would like to try!

 

[ariane37]

Guys I'm so freakin' excited, less than 30 days until I'm back in my Happy Place and this time I'm really going to be in my Happy Place!



It'll be my 3rd trip already this year but I'm super duper excited since May is the EPIC Girl's trip with so many of my DIS friends, some I've met already and can't wait to hang with again and others I'm anxiously waiting to meet for the first time. My friends at home know I've head DIS meets and think I'm weird enough because of it but they think I'm even weirder for going away with a big ol' bunch of 'em! Lots of new to me (and some for Steve) things scheduled for the May trip, some meals and events I'll talk about when the trip is closer. Sorry I keep bringing it up, usually I'll talk about upcoming trips in TR's I'm writing but currently I only have this one going!!

Trifecta Trip #2 (but really #3)
Happy Surprise Birthday To Me!
​

After our kind of last minute January trip I fully expected not to return to Disney until May, and I was OK with that. As OK as any of us are when we have to wait any amount of time or our next trip. So it was 100% a complete shock when around Feb. 8th Steve casually suggested we go for my birthday which is February 20th. Wait, what??? Well if you're asking!!!!!!!
Real quick we got my stepson on board to watch the boys and grabbed a room with my discount - POFQ so a moderate which is pretty different for us. We were leaving on President's Day, the 18th, for a short 3 night stay.
Normally we do prefer early flights but my stepson was finding out the gender of our grandchild the morning of the 18th and wanted us around for the "reveal" so we left late afternoon. BTW it's a BOY to go with our 9 month old granddaughter!!!! So we didn't arrive at French Quarter until about 9pm.
For this reason I didn't book anything for dinner; we were either going to just grab something at Sassagoula or go to DS if we didn't get in late. We took a Lyft from MCO and I don't think we'll ever ride ME again when we're together, so since we were at our resort about 40 minutes before we planned to be there we definitely were going to hit DS! But first we dropped our bags in our room. We had a pool view room as that's what was available with my discount. I would have been fine with a standard view but our view was neat!



We were starving so as soon as we dropped our bags we headed to the boat, which btw is so cool and one of the reasons we didn't mind staying here. We had a great ride down and on the way I debated booking House of Blues for dinner: it was 9:25 and there was a 9:50 ADR. But we were so hungry I was thinking if we got there early but weren't seated early, then had to wait to be served etc., a lounge/bar might be better.

Instead we went to our Disney Springs Happy Place, Jock Lindsey's!
Not only do Steve and I love it here but our boys do too. We started with our traditional Jock's drinks:

Cool-headed Monkey
Starr African Rum, Van Der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, fresh Lime Juice, Watermelon, and Pineapple Juice
Air Pirate's Mule
Knob Creek Disney Select Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon and fresh Lime Juice topped with Fever-Tree Ginger Beer



The fun monkey drink is mine and the only drink I've tried there in the 4 visits we've made because I love it! It's sweet so right up my alley but I don't think it's too sweet; I love the watermelon flavor. Steve is a big mule drinker although he prefers the traditional vodka mules so he asks for this with vodka instead of bourbon. Just multiply these drinks by 2 and that's what we had tonight

Obviously we were also going to eat which we've done here before too, and noticed some (delightful) additions to the menu! We started with this which was new since our November visit:

Doctor Astorga's Queso Fundido
A skillet of Melted Soft Cheeses topped with fresh Pico de Gallo served with Warm Flour and Corn Tortilla Chips



I'm going to be honest here and say I'm not 100% sure this is what we ordered? It's possible they've changed this again since February because I swear it wasn't Fundido we ordered. I kind of hope it was though because this was awesome, the chips were light and crunchy and the dip was perfect. We at all of this and almost forgot we had more coming....
For me that "more" were these. The boys and Steve all had these back in November and while they enjoyed them I hadn't even tried a bite:

Snakebite Sliders
Reggie's favorite snack! Three Gourmet Beef Sliders with Tomato-Bacon Jam, House-made Pickles, Shredded Lettuce, and Cheese


And an inside view albeit kind of blurry:


I thought these would be good but I was totally not ready for how freakin' amazing these were! They were like butter. I swear, it was like eating a tender filet and that bacon jam was out of this world. I think I said to Steve "OMG these are delicious" about 10x and I really wanted to order more! However I'd eaten more than half of the queso chips and dip and was feeling kind of full.

It was such a nice night out (we were sitting outside) right along the water; January was freezing and while I did put my jacket on I think it was maybe 70 out. Steve had ordered this other new to the menu dish:

Lomo Saltado Peruvian Flank Steak
Thinly Sliced Grilled Flank Steak with Piquillo Peppers, Pickled Onions, and Crispy Potatoes with Tamari-Lime Dressing and Yellow Pepper Aïoli



Not only did this sound good to him, he saw it go by to another couple tables before his came and he was drooling. With good reason too because he loved it, the meat was super tender and all the accompaniments went together perfectly.

So 2 drinks each and what amounts to an app and a "small plate" each for a kind of late night dinner; you'd think we were done right? But you'd be wrong! Steve also saw something else float by us to other tables and thought we should end our night with it:

Old World Pizza of San Marco
Deep-Dish Pizza topped with fresh Tomato Sauce, sweet Basil, melted Provolone, and Pepperoni (Plain Cheese Pizza available upon request)




Honestly I wasn't in to trying any because I was full and thought "it's just pizza". But then I saw Steve's face as he kept biting in to it and tried coercing me into a bite - he succeeded. I think I only had 2 bites because seriously I was almost to the point of being sickeningly full but man, this was obscenely delicious too! Crispy with just the right amount of spice and cheese. We would order EVERYTHING again and we will continue to return time and time again.

We left around 11 and took the boat back to French Quarter. It was cool to see the treehouses at SSR during the boat ride! I took pictures but sadly they didn't come out, I don't think it's often you get a glimpse of those. So another successful trip to Jock Lindsey's and a successful start to our February/my birthday trip!

 

[ariane37]

Love your report! First - I am incredibly jealous of your Epic Girls Trip plans!! I can't believe I somehow missed that - that's what I get for taking time away from the DIS. And that cheesecake....definitely on my list of things I would like to try!

Hello and I'm glad you're here and enjoying it so far I'm super excited about our Girl's Trip! When it was first brought up I wasn't sure it would happen, or that it would be more than like 5 or 6 of us. But we're like 2 bus loads now!!! It's weird how DIS friends become "real" friends, but all our friends get that way because we share something in common, right?

The Narcoossee's cheesecake is one of those deserts I'd always see talked about here and decided I HAD to try and I've never regretted it. Well except when I get on the scale lol!

 

[jakenjess]

That food at Jock Lindsey's looks fantastic! Adding it to the list for next time

 

[missjackiemcg]

We have yet to visit Jock Lindsay's but your pics make me think we would love it there. We literally NEVER make our way to eat at DS. It's been several years and the only place I can think of that we've eaten is Planet Hollywood. :eyeroll: Though we did try the food trucks when they made their first appearance, and we loved those!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Your lunch at Mario and Enzo's looks really good. One of our favorite things about staying at POR is taking the boat to Disney Springs. We also have had one great lunch at Jock Lindsay's Hangar Bar and one not so good one. The first time we had those delicious sliders and we were looking forward to having them the second time. But it seems as if they reduced the food options for lunch and they weren't available. The queso dip was delicious. I think we need to go t here for the dinner menu because it looks really good.

We have eaten at Narcoossee's twice. The first time we had the most delicious romaine salad ever. Like your salad, it was one of the best ones we ever had. We also had the cheesecake and it was as good as everyone said it was. We saw the fireworks from DHS the first time there and saw the castle lighting ceremony that they have at Christmastime on our second visit. It isn't our favorite place due to the noise. But they do have good food.

Your May trip sounds like a lot of fun and I wish I could go, too. But that is one of my busy times of work when I can't get away. We'll be at the WL at the end of August and can't wait to get back t here again, especially with the $99 CL add on.

 

[MinnieWebster]

That food looks so good! And your drink sounds really good too

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Doctor Astorga's Queso Fundido
A skillet of Melted Soft Cheeses topped with fresh Pico de Gallo served with Warm Flour and Corn Tortilla Chips

Ok, so you know how I feel about the Hangar Bar. Joe and I absolutely LOVE it and make it a point to try to get there every trip. And seriously, this quseo is one of my favs!!! Those sliders look amazing and I may have to try them next month. Can you believe it's next month already!!!!

 

[Cloe Colton]

I think me and DH got the exact same drinks when we went to Jock Lindsays! The Cool Headed Monkey definitely feels like a good bang for your buck!

We need to go back and try some of the food since we only did drinks, that dip and the sliders looked so good!

 

[Smilelea]

So jealous about your upcoming trip!

We loved our very brief stay at POFQ a year ago. The boat to DS was a definite draw.

Your meal at Jock Lindsays has me adding it to a "try in the future" list.

 

[ariane37]

That food at Jock Lindsey's looks fantastic! Adding it to the list for next time

Awesome I hope you enjoy it! There are a few bars/lounges we really really enjoy and this is close to #1

We have yet to visit Jock Lindsay's but your pics make me think we would love it there. We literally NEVER make our way to eat at DS. It's been several years and the only place I can think of that we've eaten is Planet Hollywood.

I know it's hard to fit DS in especially when traveling with kids And there are still quite a few restaurants that DON'T interest us, but Jock's is just so good!

Your lunch at Mario and Enzo's looks really good. One of our favorite things about staying at POR is taking the boat to Disney Springs.

It was a pleasant surprise and we'll return Wondering if we'll plan it for our NYE trip but I haven't gotten quite that far in planning other than Chris's picks!

The first time we had those delicious sliders and we were looking forward to having them the second time. But it seems as if they reduced the food options for lunch and they weren't available. The queso dip was delicious. I think we need to go t here for the dinner menu because it looks really good.

They do seem to change up the menu a little more frequently than other WDW restaurants which on the one hand is good, but on the other......they used to have these tater tots the kids (and Steve) loved but they were gone in Feb.

We have eaten at Narcoossee's twice. The first time we had the most delicious romaine salad ever. Like your salad, it was one of the best ones we ever had. We also had the cheesecake and it was as good as everyone said it was. We saw the fireworks from DHS the first time there and saw the castle lighting ceremony that they have at Christmastime on our second visit. It isn't our favorite place due to the noise. But they do have good food.

You're right it gets noisy, it tends to be a signature that kids are at often? Which is fine Citricos on the other hand is always nice and quiet! But since we've never had a bad meal we'll continue to go and I do appreciate being able to watch the fireworks without being smooshed in with tons of other people

We'll be at the WL at the end of August and can't wait to get back t here again, especially with the $99 CL add on.

Lucky! I cannot wait to be there next month and also luckily in Oct. Sadly I don't think we'll be there at all over the summer unless we sneak in a quick July 4th trip so I have to soak everything in come May!

That food looks so good! And your drink sounds really good too

It was all delicious as was everything all the other times we visited! You should try it!

 

[ariane37]

Ok, so you know how I feel about the Hangar Bar. Joe and I absolutely LOVE it and make it a point to try to get there every trip

I was thinking of you when I wrote the review lol

Those sliders look amazing and I may have to try them next month.

Definitely!

Can you believe it's next month already!!!

I know It's going to be here before we know it!

I think me and DH got the exact same drinks when we went to Jock Lindsays! The Cool Headed Monkey definitely feels like a good bang for your buck!

One of these days I'm going to buy the monkey head cup lol! I'm also buying a Jock's t shirt on my next visit for sure I don't buy my t-shirts lightly, I only advertise when I really love something or somewhere and Jock's fits the bill!

We loved our very brief stay at POFQ a year ago. The boat to DS was a definite draw.

I was a bit bummed we could only get a mod with my discount but it was extremely short notice. It had been 6 years since our last stay there and when we got there we were both pleasantly surprised and super pleased with the whole resort! I would absolutely stay there again.

Your meal at Jock Lindsays has me adding it to a "try in the future" list.

Yes do it! And it's really fine for kids too

 

[disneyAndi14]

Oh my you have me sold hook line and sinker on Jock Lindsey’s. We have walked through but never tried it. Again adult trips so much more interesting than eating with a picky 19yo vegetarian. Who by the way is no where near an adult, even though her age suggests it!

All of your small plates looks so delicious and who doesn’t love staying at FQ and the boat ride, winner! Great first night!

 

[Tracy161]

OMG your food looked SO amazing. It's not even 9am, but I could absolutely eat that pizza right now!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

I was thinking of you when I wrote the review lol

Joe and I have to find time to stop there for a drink...Hopefully getting our AP's won't take that long and we can pop in there first. Because in my opinion, Hanger Bar would be a great place to start our Disney vaca...

BTW, I feel so rude...CONGRATS on your second grandchild being a boy!!! How cool to have one of each!!! When is he due???

 

[wdwnut61]

Steve casually suggested we go for my birthday

Best DH ever!

POFQ so a moderate which is pretty different for us

I'm glad you got to try POFQ. We love it for the compactness and now with queen beds. The best part is the boat to DS
.

We took a Lyft from MCO

After waiting an hour to even get on a bus last month I'm seriously considering an Uber.

we headed to the boat, which btw is so cool and one of the reasons we didn't mind staying here

Agreed

Instead we went to our Disney Springs Happy Place, Jock Lindsey's!

We love this place too great food and

Snakebite Sliders

These are amazing

It was cool to see the treehouses at SSR during the boat ride!

Its such a pretty and relaxing ride

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

I Ann late but I am here! Oh my stars! You had some great meals. I am probably gross too because I have an affinity for Disney scrambled eggs. I don’t know how they are always so fluffy but I like them. Morimoto and Maria and Enzos are on my radar for next year! So many great options and Citricos is a favorite too! I always thought Restaurant Marrakesh was a hidden gem. We have really enjoyed our experience there. I can’t wait to follow along with you!

And I want a Bloody Mary snack combo now. It’s sunday brunch time as I read this so I am in!

 

[kastoney]

So pull up a chair, grab a drink, and feel free to follow along on whatever reviews I decide to post! Happy to have you along!

I've got my drink in hand and I'm so ready for this! But in the future remember its drinks before dinner not dessert

This restaurant is just gorgeous!!!

Yum!!! Dumplings are one of my favorite food groups and these are right up there. Side note we went into the city yesterday and ate at a Jose Andres (Jaleo guy) Asian/Peruvian fusion restaurant. I had no less than 3 types of dumplings and they were all divine.

So this clearly isn't a half rack but I can't seem to find the dish under apps or small plates on the current menu?? I'm hoping the Disney website menu is just plain WRONG because it would not be RIGHT to remove these in any way! I do not eat ribs. I never really liked them, I don't like getting messy when I eat. I just never got into them. However hearing so much about the ribs here and since Steve likes them I wanted to give them a try, and it's probably the best decision I've made since having kids!!! You cannot go here and not get ribs; I guess if you're a vegetarian I'll forgive you. These are fall of the bone, tender as all get out, spiced incredibly delicious meats. That chili glaze

Not sure if I'd classify these as the best decision I've made since having kids (that distinction goes to buying a back-up liver on the open market) but they are absolutely amazing. I think we got the half rack when we were there but the aforementioned "best decision kid" ate most of them.

Although I don't eat seafood I do normally like crab rangoons, but these were a bit too "krab-y" for me. I guess I'm more of a Crab girl than a Krab girl........but the outside was nice and crispy, the inside smooth, the apricot sweet chili sauce delicious.

Yum! And these too. You got all my favs.

Speaking of favs!!! This was pure heaven. Looks like they replaced it with a similar version (but maybe with shrimp) but I never got a chance to try it.

And then we spent about 20 minutes trying to get a good selfie. A younger couple came up and offered us some tips; thanks younger couple, we will never again attempt a selfie in public

OH please, please, please can Steve take selfies of all of us in May. I love the bloody mary mustache look.

Wild Mushroom Risotto, Aged Parmesan, Truffle Shavings and Zinfandel Reduction (V)

I've still never forgiven you for going all mushroom on me

this time it was emptier so not only did we talk, he lubed me up with his lotion and massaged me:

Nothing like a good lube job in the middle of Disney World!!!

Steve doesn't really like champagne but takes a few sips because he doesn't want to seem ungrateful, and then we artfully pour his into my glass When Rony delivered the champagne he noted that I was wearing black pants, so he swapped my white napkin out for a black one. He always checks this and it's one of the things I love best about him AND the restaurant!

You guys really hit the jackpot with him! We had an amazing guy similar to him at Jiko on our last trip that I can't wait to request again.

This was out of this WORLD!! OMG I wanted another bowl!!

Who are you

Maine Lobster Risotto
Black Truffle, Parsnip, Pine Nuts, Lobster Emulsion, Carnaroli Risotto

Steve gets the best order award. Look at the size of that truffle. I would have been licking my plate.

Pulled Pork Nachos
topped with Onions, Cheese, Spicy Mayo, Tomatoes and Pineapple Salsa

Can you believe we talked through the Poly about 10 times and never got these? I was sadly never hungry enough for them.

I know the meat doesn't look that bad but unfortunately it was. It was almost as dry as my bastilla

That does not look good at all. We did Merrakesh once and after that it was definitely Merradon't. We've had some not so great luck too with playing it by ear but thankfully its also led us to some wonderful places and more importantly no schedule!

As we got ready for our day I munched on what remained of our 2 Magic Bars:

We are so having one of these for breakfast every day!

At the time I thought this was close to the best prosciutto I'd ever had but that changed on our Feb. trip It was delicious though!

Oh you must tell me where this was. Proscuitto is one of my other food groups! I'm made of dumplings, prosciutto, artichokes, cheese, and wine

we grabbed DEEZ NUTZ:

And this is why I love you

I was eagerly awaiting our entrees as I'd been dreaming of mine since making the reservation. I saw this a couple years ago on one of @kastoney's reports and while she had it with shrimp I get it either with just pasta or as I did this time, with chicken:

Wild Caught Shrimp and Campanelle Pasta
Wild Gulf Shrimp, Savoy Spinach, Oven-roasted Tomatoes, Basil Pistou, Comté Cheese, Chardonnay-Garlic Cream. Also available with Sautéed Chicken

So glad you had this and they could do chicken in it for you. We haven't been to Narcoossee's in several trips and its long overdue. This is one of my all time fav Disney foods.

This can't be the first time you guys have seen this right? Because I think it's like, the most famous dessert in the World! One taste is like biting in to heaven Have you ever had a Good Humor Toasted Almond Bar? That's exactly what this tastes like! I don't know if they make those any more but I used to get those from the ice cream man lol. My family didn't realize or understand my obsession with this dessert right away but now both Chris and Steve are hooked.

And another reason to get back to Narcoossee's. Definitely the best dessert on property.

Guys I'm so freakin' excited, less than 30 days until I'm back in my Happy Place and this time I'm really going to be in my Happy Place!

And with your "happy" girl. If happy really just means tipsy

My friends at home know I've head DIS meets and think I'm weird enough because of it but they think I'm even weirder for going away with a big ol' bunch of 'em!

My friends would think its so weird I haven't even told them!

The fun monkey drink is mine and the only drink I've tried there in the 4 visits we've made because I love it! It's sweet so right up my alley but I don't think it's too sweet; I love the watermelon flavor. Steve is a big mule drinker although he prefers the traditional vodka mules so he asks for this with vodka instead of bourbon. Just multiply these drinks by 2 and that's what we had tonight

Nothing says vacation like a drink in a monkey head!

I thought these would be good but I was totally not ready for how freakin' amazing these were! They were like butter. I swear, it was like eating a tender filet and that bacon jam was out of this world. I think I said to Steve "OMG these are delicious" about 10x and I really wanted to order more! However I'd eaten more than half of the queso chips and dip and was feeling kind of full.

Wow, who knew Jocks had good food. We've only ever done drinks there.