We Ate, We Drank, We Conquered - An Aug/Sep '16 Dining Report - Complete 3/11

[amberpi]

I want to hang with you guys. Looks fun and delicious.

 

[MyNewDream012714]

Have lurked on the boards for awhile now and finally signed up...

Casey is adorable and I can only wish that I was that adventurous with my own food choices. Really enjoyed this dining report (and some of your others). Looking forward to following along!

 

[MamaMeggie]

Aye Aye Captain

By this time we hadn't eaten anything but a pretzel since around noon so we were some hungry, hungry, hippos! Too tired to wait for a table service we elected to stop in Captain Cooks so we could eat something while we unpacked.

Casey and I shared the Pulled Pork Nachos.

These are a mix of potato and wonton chips topped with onions, cheese, spicy mayo (which I got on the side), tomatoes, and pineapple salsa. These hit the proverbial its 10pm and I'm freakin' hungry spot though it wasn't very hot temperature wise. They did have great flavor though and were augmented by the nice and spicy mayo. And I loved the addition of the wonton chips which were nice and airy.

And lest you think I washed these down the water.

A good ole Michelob Ultra hit the spot!

Jason went with the Aloha Pork Sandwich

This is Pulled Pork on a Pineapple-Coconut Bun with Cheddar, Asian Slaw, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes. This had great flavor and the pork was very moist, though like mine it wasn't very hot temperature wise. Jason had the same chips on the side as mine and he loved them. It's nice when they go the extra mile to home make chips. He of course had an adult beverage too (think it was Red Strip) though I didn't get a photo.

Considering our bill was barely over $30 including alcohol this was a great late night spot. I'm not usually a huge counter service fan, but this was our second trip Captain Cooks and its been good both times. They need to figure out how to keep their food hot, but otherwise I'm sure we'll return.

Sorry for the lack of food in these posts, but I promise lots of goodness is on its way. Speaking of which, up next we dine with our forefathers.​

I'm so glad to see a good review for both of these at Capt Cook's. I think we'll be getting lunch here our first Poly day (although I'm hoping to get a tiki tiki cocktail to go with mine ).

 

[Niki Andiokno]

One day I want to do a progressive bar crawl/dinner through the the Swolphin. You had one of my favorite foods, Bluezoo Tuna Tartare. That is a really small portion. I highly suggest the full $18 appetizer. I know more cash, but a lot more delicious tuna.

I just might have to try the gnocchi at IL Mulino. I never liked gnocchi, but recently made them my myself with a creole cream sauce, and they weren't too bad. I always go for the same two dishes, either mushroom rigatoni (I know evil shrooms lol) or Ceria. Mike always gets the pork chop. Maybe I will branch out in May

 

[ArielSRL]

Definite winning. A little bribery never hurt anyone!

I have you to thank for the idea!

Hope you all love it as much as we did. And why do I think you'll try some white pizza and you're crew will be right there in cheese and pepperoni land

You already know us so well! LOL. Actually DH has pre-chosen the Piatti alla Parmigiana - Vitello...but I don't think that is all that adventurous either. It will probably be spaghetti for the boys.

Bribery and torture. The hallmarks of good parenting!

You know it! Haha.

 

[ArielSRL]

"Casey" Day Part Deux

Well it sounds like everyone had a great time! While we don't have an evening like this planned for our June 2017 trip...we will most likely try for one on our next family trip. My biggest issue is I have 2 children to pay for, plus whatever we do on our adventure, so I really have to work the budget! In any case, it looks like you guys had a wonderful adult-only gallivant and I enjoyed reading about it!

 

[cinderkelly]

Love that you guys got a date night. I think you are the bar crawl champs, at least in my book anyway! I kinda feel like the Swolfin doesn't get a whole lot of love on these boards, so it was nice to hear about some of the places you went there. It's cool that Casey loves Lilo's, awesome way to get rid of the kid for a while

Key West sounds amazing, I've never been, but it sounds like a really fun place.

I love gnocchi and all its pillowy goodness, I may have to put that on my bucket list for next time. Yum!

 

[Mikka]

Your trip looks like so much fun! I love basically everywhere you've been, and the only reason I don't love the rest is because I have yet to go. Casey is adorable; I want to take her to Kimonos and have her model the sushi pics. You guys are so lucky (and awesome parenting) to have such a non-picky daughter! I hope your next trip is great, too!

 

[kastoney]

Your date night seems like a lot of fun. I think I would be all over Jason's drink and all of your food choices! You can keep all that gin to yourself .

You got it, I'll keep all the gin and the whiskey is all yours

I almost texted you last week and then I saw your beer post on FB I'm glad you guys had a great time!

You should have, I can only imagine the drunken response you would have gotten We definitely had a blast, though my liver is still recovering.

Yup, I gagged lol. I could see some of it in the picture of Jason before you mentioned what it was and, although I knew it couldn't be, my first thought was dog food

I figured you would And you are right on it does look like dog, or even cat, food for that matter. But it sure does taste good!

I think all good Italians think their meatballs and sauce are better than anywhere else. I still haven't found one that beats my Mama's!

Most may think it but your Mama and I of course know it

Since Steve is also a 2nd generation Italian, I'm totally asking him to make BOLOFNESS for us now. I can't wait to see what he comes up with......
Seriously though I almost tried the bolognese in Nov. but instead went with the same entree I'd had in Aug. since I loved it so much. But now I know I'll be safe getting bolofness next time

Let me know how Steve's Bolofness works out and better yet send some down this way. There can never be too much bolofness

We missed you! So exciting that you are headed back to WDW in short order. I bet the Keys were fantastic with the wonderfully warm weather we've been experiencing in the south this "winter"

Ahh gee thanks. Down to just 5 short days till we leave again. And compared to the 33 degree outside right now the Keys and Orlando weather is much appreciated

Fairly sure this is the raspberry ginger mojito. I have also fallen victim to the yummy description and also did not care for it.

Thanks for the assist. That totally sounds like something I would order and now I know that it is something I should avoid again.

My favorite local place does a great Bee's Knees which is always tasty so it's a bit disappointing that yours tasted like plastic. Sometimes I feel like when a bartender is unleashed with too many bitters and shrubs and tinctures and things they can come up with some unique but icky concoctions...

I'll have to be on the look out to try another one. This was only the 2nd or 3rd night for the bartender so he could have unleashed too much of just about anything in there.

Oh I LOVE bolognese and it is such a PITA to make at home (and never turns out how I'm expecting) I'm definitely adding Il Mulino to the list...

Oddly the best bolognese I've ever had was at Flying Fish 3 or 4 years ago now. I'm always on the look out for it to appear on their menu again. It's reached legendary status in our home.

My favorite bolognese is Marcella Hazan's original recipe. Her later version, in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, ups the veg more than I'd like and makes it sweeter. The original is beefy goodness. I quadruple it and often use some ground pork along with the ground chuck. Big batches take all day waiting for the liquids to reduce! It really shines with homemade pasta or in her lasagna recipe. She's bossy, reminding me of my Irish Grandma, but I have never regretted following her instructions! You really want to buy a brand like Pomi if yummy fresh ones aren't available. I've had good luck with D.O.P San Marzano in most of my red sauces.

https://www.hammertown.com/2013/10/marcella-hazans-meat-sauce/

Fun night out! My mom and I grabbed drinks at Blue Zoo and devoured the crab nachos. She still talks about them.

Awesome, thanks for the assist. I"ll have to try that out.

Really enjoying your reviews. Jason's Bear Republic beer reminded me of our trip to wine country when we ate at their brewpub in Healdsburg. Enjoy your trip next week.

Too funny we ate at their place in Healdsburg on our last trip out there a few years ago. Don't remember if it was good or not, all I remember is Jason posing with a big bear outside the restaurant

 

[kastoney]

I want to hang with you guys. Looks fun and delicious.

Come on down. We're leaving in just 5 days

Have lurked on the boards for awhile now and finally signed up...

Casey is adorable and I can only wish that I was that adventurous with my own food choices. Really enjoyed this dining report (and some of your others). Looking forward to following along!

So glad that you are enjoying. Hope to have another one started soon.

I'm so glad to see a good review for both of these at Capt Cook's. I think we'll be getting lunch here our first Poly day (although I'm hoping to get a tiki tiki cocktail to go with mine ).

Awesome, hope you all enjoy the Poly and Captain Cooks!!! Grab a cocktail from the pool bar and you'd have the perfect lunch.

One day I want to do a progressive bar crawl/dinner through the the Swolphin. You had one of my favorite foods, Bluezoo Tuna Tartare. That is a really small portion. I highly suggest the full $18 appetizer. I know more cash, but a lot more delicious tuna.

I just might have to try the gnocchi at IL Mulino. I never liked gnocchi, but recently made them my myself with a creole cream sauce, and they weren't too bad. I always go for the same two dishes, either mushroom rigatoni (I know evil shrooms lol) or Ceria. Mike always gets the pork chop. Maybe I will branch out in May

Yeah, we had no idea how small the apps were going to be. Lesson learned to get the full size versions next time.

You should definitely try the gnocchi. These were homemade and much different than the prepackaged ones most places use. Jason makes them at home too and once you've had them fresh you'll never want anything else.

You already know us so well! LOL. Actually DH has pre-chosen the Piatti alla Parmigiana - Vitello...but I don't think that is all that adventurous either. It will probably be spaghetti for the boys.

It's not pepperoni pizza so I'll give your hubby some bonus points for the veal. Good choice!

Well it sounds like everyone had a great time! While we don't have an evening like this planned for our June 2017 trip...we will most likely try for one on our next family trip. My biggest issue is I have 2 children to pay for, plus whatever we do on our adventure, so I really have to work the budget! In any case, it looks like you guys had a wonderful adult-only gallivant and I enjoyed reading about it!

Yeah, paying twice as much would make me think twice about doing the childcare. They do have an annual pass discount too, which does help.

Love that you guys got a date night. I think you are the bar crawl champs, at least in my book anyway! I kinda feel like the Swolfin doesn't get a whole lot of love on these boards, so it was nice to hear about some of the places you went there. It's cool that Casey loves Lilo's, awesome way to get rid of the kid for a while

Date nights are always fun. Planning on finally doing the crawl in DTD on the next trip so hopefully we can even up our championship status a little more. We want to hit 5 or 6 places so we'll see how we do.

Key West sounds amazing, I've never been, but it sounds like a really fun place

Amazing is the perfect word. Key West is truly my adult happy place. You relax pool or beachside all day, drink all night, and repeat!

I love gnocchi and all its pillowy goodness, I may have to put that on my bucket list for next time. Yum!

You and me both on the gnocchi. Pillowy goodness is the perfect description.

Your trip looks like so much fun! I love basically everywhere you've been, and the only reason I don't love the rest is because I have yet to go. Casey is adorable; I want to take her to Kimonos and have her model the sushi pics. You guys are so lucky (and awesome parenting) to have such a non-picky daughter! I hope your next trip is great, too!

Thanks, we definitely had a blast! Casey could totally be your sushi model.

 

[kastoney]

The Morning After

My crew was moving VERY slowly the next day and didn't get up until well after 9. Casey was still reeling from her big night out at Lilos and Jason, well you all can guess what he was reeling from. We didn't have any plans until evening that day so we took it slow and eventually strolled over to the Grand Floridian for breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe.

Jason started his breakfast with lots and lots of coffee and she who didn't outdo it last night went with this little beauty.

This was the standard Disney bloody mary, but it started the day off in only the best of ways.

For our entrees, Jason needed mass quantities of carbs to soak up all the whiskey in his belly so he made the very wise choice of their Buttermilk Pancakes.

These are topped with Roasted Pecans, Sun-dried Cranberries, and House-made Orange Butter and were delicious. I had major order envy.

Casey also went the pancake route and got Minnie's Grand Cake.

Sadly for Casey these were pancakes and not an actual cake before noon, but she was happy.

For me I tired and item I'd read good things about, the French Toast.

This is Brioche French Toast with Madagascar Vanilla Bean-Butter. I'm not always a big vanilla fan, but these were delicious. The french toast itself wasn't anything special, but the butter almost tasted like frosting or ice cream on top. My only complaint was the portion size was small. It only came with 3 half pieces and for a girl coming off of a night of drinking I most definitely needed more.

For those who haven't been GFC is a great breakfast option. You really don't need a reservation and they serve up some really good food (and of course bloody marys). With our tables in wonderland card we saved $10.15 bringing our total to $147.

After breakfast we cruised on over to MK for a while. We visited with some good ol' bears from the country, hung out with 999 ghosts, and even met a boy who refused to grow up.

Casey was very exited to tell him about her encounter with Captain Hook the day prior.

From there we made a stop by Casey's name sake

Before we braved all that is the terrifying goofy roller coaster.


We went back to the hotel after that and got someone a much needed nap while Casey and I chilled at the pool for a while.

Up next, hurricanes, tornados, and Narcoosee's ​

 

[kastoney]

Food, Wine, and Hurricane Hermine

By the time evening rolled around we had the Hurricane Hermine setting her eyes in on us. This was nothing compared to the threat Hurricane Matthew would bring in a few weeks, but gave us some pause about going out for the evening. Ultimately we decided to go for it. In a bit of foreshadowing 5 months later, I think my shoes are still wet

For dinner we were again at GF and enjoying what has become a favorite of ours, Narcoossee's. Now while a favorite I also complain a lot about it because their wine list, to say it bluntly, sucks and their menu doesn't turn over very often. The later is a bit of a blessing too though, because they have two of my most favorite disney entrees.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We started with their bread and butter.


Nothing over the top, but solid.

To drink Jason went with a little drink called hair of the dog (aka more rye whiskey) and I tried a Watermelon and Vodka drink.

I don't recall the name of this, but it was very good and refreshing as it was impressively made with fresh squeezed watermelon juice.

For an app we got a favorite of ours, the Crispy Rhode Island Calamari

This is fried calamari with a Peppadew-Banana Pepper-Olive Relish and Tomato Coulis. While I was a little disappointed this was all rings and no legs, it was simultaneously crispy and tender. The relish and sauce went wonderfully with it and added a bit of a punch, but weren't too spicy so Casey could indulge.

For entrees Jason got what I had ordered last time (and is one of the 2 aforementioned favorites) the Pan Seared Georges Bank Day Boat Scallops.

This is Trofie Pasta with Sultana Raisins, Marcona Almonds, and Herb Crème with Grilled Wild Mushrooms, Lemon-Thyme-Mustard Jus, and Arugula. As it was last time, this dish is perfect (sans the mushrooms of course). The pasta is more like a spatzel and it is the perfect accompaniment to the cream sauce and perfectly executed scallops. The raisins, almonds, and arugula add some great texture and it all comes together, you guessed it, perfectly! Jason declared this his best meal so far.

Casey and I shared the Wild Caught Shrimp and Garganelli Pasta.

This is Wild Gulf Shrimp, Savoy Spinach, Oven-roasted Tomatoes, Basil Pistou, Comté Cheese, and Chardonnay-Garlic Cream. As this was I think my third time having this dish, I guess you can say I like it. The chardonnay garlic sauce is rich and decadent and it pairs nicely with the acidity from the tomatoes and earthy spinach. The shrimp were the epitome of freshness. I also ordered an Argentinian Sauvignon Black to go with it that was a bit too sugary, but better than some of my other wine adventures there. We'll certainly be at Narcoossee's next week and chances are pretty good this will be in my belly yet again.

Because our meal wasn't decadent enough, we also got a side of the best Mac in Cheese on Property.

This is Torchio Pasta, Butter-poached Lobster, Fennel, Sweet Onion, and Manchego Cheese. Creamy, lobsstery, cheesey, 'nuf said!

Sadly we were too full for the amazing almond cheese cake so we pulled out the white flag. As always, Narcoossee's was a real winer. Amazing seafood, great service, and even better $33.65 in Tables in Wonderland savings. Taking our total up to $180.

After dinner we ventured over to MK for some modeling on main street

and with a couple of princesses



From there we cruised through space

And I finally learned where a ride camera was.

Then it was on to the pooper, which quite literally pooped my little girl out.


Our last FP of the night was for the mine train and as we entered our phones (and everyone elses) started beeping incessantly as it reported a tornado in the area and told us to take cover. The cast members didn't seem to be too bothered by it, so we took cover the best way we could think


As we got off the mine train a drop or two of rain fell from the skies and within about 10 second a drop turned into torrential downpour. We ran to the closest thing we could find, the arches in Fantasyland where the stepsisters meet. We attempted to stay dry but the wind was so crazy the rain was blowing from every direction. Knowing staying dry was futile we fought the wind to get our ponchos on and tried to head out.

I say tried because we only got a few feet before we were met with the streets of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland filled with what was at least 6-8 inches of water. I had never seen rain come down this hard, this fast, and it was evident MK was not equipped to drain at that speed. We eventually waded over to Tomorrowland Terrance and tried to cut through there, but we were met by a cast member who insisted we couldn't go through because of a "private" event (aka the dessert party). I was mortified and let him know how much. To put a dessert party over the safety of guests was insane to me.

We eventually made our way toward main street and were shocked when the fireworks started going off. So soaking wet, standing in several inches of water, what better to do than enjoy the best fireworks view we'd ever had.




Casey couldn't make it all the way through so we left mid wishes and joined all our soaked brethren on the monorail. Sadly this turned into a cluster too as we got stopped for about 20 minutes just shy of the transportation center. Another train was having issues, but being stuck in the middle of the monrail with the wind and rain pelting and shaking the train was not the most pleasant of experiences. Thankfully for no apparent reason the driver kept coming over the speaker just repeating his name. "Bob" "Bob" 'Bob" No idea what that was about but we had lots of fun at Bob's expense the rest of the week.

Sorry for the long update, but I wanted to share our "harrowing" tale. To give you an idea of what we were dealing with here is a picture from the next morning.


Up next, hurricane, schermicane I need a bloody mary!
​

 

[Dis_Yoda]

And that was just an outer band of the storm! I bet the monorail was a scary experience - I'm shocked they were running it if there was a tornado in the area to be honest.

Florida in Thunderstorms are no joke!

Glad you made it home safely!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I remember hearing about this, we had left a couple days before this one and we came back two days after Matthew, so we had good timing for once. The pub crawl at Swolphin looks fun, it is nice to see a review from some of the areas there, don't see many. Narcossess looks delicious. I love love scallops, shrimp, and calamari so very jealous. The thunderstorms can flood Fantasyland very quickly, no dry shoes after that. Bob, Bob, what the ****, very funny!

 

[Uncranky Donald]

"Bob, Bob, Bob" Where the heck is Bob?!!! Lol, this is so funny!! Loving your TR!!

 

[Sailormoon2]

All caught up!! Fantastic, as always, and now I have even more dinning ideas for January!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

I cannot believe they went ahead with Wishes in the pouring rain!

Thankfully for no apparent reason the driver kept coming over the speaker just repeating his name. "Bob" "Bob" 'Bob" No idea what that was about but we had lots of fun at Bob's expense the rest of the week.

LOL! That is so random, I would have been dying laughing. That is, when I wasn't panicking about being trapped in the Monorail in the middle of a crazy storm!

 

[MamaMeggie]

I feel like your DR is a safe place to ask this purely hypothetical question: if a person happened to order a giant cocktail at the Poly with lunch and didn't finish it, could that person pour the rest into his refillable dining plan mug and stroll around MK with it that afternoon?

 

[ariane37]

I feel like your DR is a safe place to ask this purely hypothetical question: if a person happened to order a giant cocktail at the Poly with lunch and didn't finish it, could that person pour the rest into his refillable dining plan mug and stroll around MK with it that afternoon?

Gee, what makes you think Kari would know the answer to this

 

[ariane37]

Grand Floridian for breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe.

I've thought about this a few times but never gotten there. Yours is the 2nd report on breakfast I've seen lately

This is Brioche French Toast with Madagascar Vanilla Bean-Butter. I'm not always a big vanilla fan, but these were delicious. The french toast itself wasn't anything special, but the butter almost tasted like frosting or ice cream on top

Mmm, it sounds delish! But would you pick this over the Wave breakfast buffet?

Then it was on to the pooper, which quite literally pooped my little girl out.

this picture is I'm not sure if I like this or your Space Mountain stinky face picture better