A Girl's Gotta Eat, A Mar '17 Dining Review *7/6 Flower & Garden Booths Pt. 4*

JessRose

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Welcome all! I haven't done a dining review in a long, long, LONG time but I ate so much delicious food on my most recent trip, I felt the need to share it with all of you.

I'm Jessica. If you want to read all about my trip, you can follow my Trip Report (link in my signature). And if it's strictly food porn you're after (and I don't blame you), well, then you've come to the right place!

70336844-B3C6-46EC-97CB-EE420945A00D_zpshastwoem.jpg


This trip was a short one, only five days, and booked less than 90 days out. I was super surprised with what reservations I was able to secure on short notice and even more impressed with the food!

If there is one thing I can do really, really well...it's eat. I might be tiny, but I can put away some food and this trip was a great opportunity to do that!

I hope you'll join along for some food, wine and fun!
 
Day 1: Lunch/Dinner - Trader Sam's Grog Grotto

One of the dining experiences I was most looking forward to on this trip was Trader Sam's. I haven't been to Disney in 3 years, meaning this gem was still under construction on my last visit. I was absolutely FAMISHED from my travel day, and couldn't wait for us to get to Trader Sam's. We arrived just after 4 PM, and the place was already completely packed. We were lucky to snag 1 seat and some standing room at the bar. Everywhere else was already full. We were able to snag a spot at the island table before our food came.

Let me start by saying, if you're unfamiliar with this location and you're looking for a quiet or romantic place to grab a drink...this is not it. However, we loved the atmosphere here and had a blast. I wish we could have stayed longer!

The bar menu is primarily composed of rum, rum or rum. I was really looking forward to bringing home a souvenir Tiki Glass, but was disappointed to find out you couldn't order a specific drink (I wanted the punch) and request a different glass (I didn't want the Tiki Mug it came in). No worries, I decided to save the Tiki Glass for another trip, and both Emily and I ordered the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum - Pyrat XO Reserve Rum, Cream of Coconut, and pineapple and orange juices dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg $12.00

DSC_0004_zpsm5fb1ojy.jpg


It was prepared by our excellent bartender, Ohnalee (which I'm 84% sure I'm spelling incorrectly).

D0FAA831-4655-42C6-B9FC-3B2A4A396746_zpsf4wtuvto.jpg


We perused the menu, and decided to get a few dishes to share.
143B2124-859F-48CF-9E62-8565F4EE78F8_zpsbnaguls3.jpg


We started off with Pan-Fried Dumplings - with soy-sesame dipping sauce $8.49

DSC_0002_zpswpx8a4lf.jpg


These were fine. It's pretty hard to mess up a dumpling, and it's also pretty hard to make them 'wow' worthy. No complaints here, and we really liked the shredded carrots they were served over to add a little crunch to the dish.

Next up...Kahlua Pork Tacos - with cabbage and pickled vegetables $9.99

DSC_0003_zpsd2lus7vy.jpg


These were O.M.Good! I just realized looking at the picture now they were served with lime wedges, but they certainly didn't need them. I'm sure that would have made them even better though. The pork was delicious and the slaw and sweet/spicy mayo were amazing. These were awesome and neither of us would hesitate to order them again!

However, the real star of the show was...Headhunter Sushi Roll $14.99

The menu did not give any details, so we had to ask. It's a spicy tuna roll made with beet rice (which is basically rice cooked with beet juice) and tuna and salmon on the outside. It was served with a hibiscus soy and traditional wasabi/ginger.

Not only was this roll BEAUTIFUL,

DSC_0006_zpsvzqzjol5.jpg


But it was incredibly delicious. The fish was the freshest I've had, second only to that at California Grill. Ohnalee informed us the soy was on the sweeter side and to try it before going crazy with it. This is one of the few sushi rolls in my life I've eaten that didn't need any soy or wasabi to be considers incredible, but the sauce really enhanced and balanced it out. I could have eaten several of these! I was really unsure about the beet rice, but it was DELICIOUS. Even if you don't like beets themselves, you'll still like this!

DSC_0001_zpsrmvt8sfl.jpg


Overall, we really enjoyed this and it was a great way to kick off the trip. I already can't wait to go back!
 


Bonus: Drinks Around the Monorail

After Trader Sam's, we had some time before we could head to Magic Kingdom for the Disney After Hours event. We decided to make good use of our time, and take a lap around the monorail for some cocktails.

Our first stop was Mizner's Lounge. When we arrived at the Grand Floridian we were greeted by the sounds of an orchestra, playing classic Disney songs. It was one of those extra magical touches that makes me love The Grand so much.

DSC_0018_zps3xpxdpfh.jpg


We made our way over to Mizner's lounge, which is directly across from where you enter from the monorail. We ordered a round of drinks - a Cosmo for Em and a margarita for me. They were both delicious and strong. I wish we would have known they brought the snack mix. We were so full from Trader Sam's that went entirely to waste.

268621E1-23B6-4DFA-9333-4C09601793D7_zpslxtt9m5r.jpg


After a great second round of drinks, we hopped aboard the monorail again and made our way to the Contemporary. I don't recall the name of the lounge we stopped at the Contemporary...but it was directly next to Chef Mickey's. At this point, we were getting pretty close to 7 PM. We jokingly asked the bar tender if we could take our drinks for the road, and to our surprise, he agreed.

I could not resist the opportunity to indulge in the elusive, Schofferhoffer grapefruit beer.

C8730E38-043E-42BB-B540-170C9A05C476_zpsorfu0eyo.jpg


Em ordered a jack and diet.

4ED63AB0-4E15-47B9-8DA7-A6C58DFBE912_zpsymso6bz1.jpg


I hope you enjoyed our drink tour around the monorail!

AA3F7683-0402-4204-A800-D9D80B5E6B6B_zpsgdagg6pc.jpg
 
So excited to follow along with this review! Monorail bar crawl is basically my dream that I need to make happen ASAP.
That's a bummer about the glasses/drink substitution at Trader Sam's! We were at the DL Trader Sam's and the bartender was totally cool with us substituting drinks with different souvenir glasses. I also think I prefer the food menu at DL better--but Trader Sam's at the Poly is still a must-do for our trip in June!
Looking forward to the rest of your reviews!
 


So excited to follow along with this review! Monorail bar crawl is basically my dream that I need to make happen ASAP.
That's a bummer about the glasses/drink substitution at Trader Sam's! We were at the DL Trader Sam's and the bartender was totally cool with us substituting drinks with different souvenir glasses. I also think I prefer the food menu at DL better--but Trader Sam's at the Poly is still a must-do for our trip in June!
Looking forward to the rest of your reviews!

I was bummed! I actually thought she was kidding at first and that it was part of the comedy routine. But nope, definitely serious. It wasn't like I was asking for the $50 glass. But anyway, next time I'll just get the glass I want instead of the drink I want!

Great start, and looking forward to the rest. I love some good food porn!

You have definitely come to the right place! Thanks for joining.
 
Wow! That is pretty!
We love monorail bar crawls. We head to the Citrico's Bar for our GF stop.

Oh man! We didn't even think about Citrico's! Do you know if they serve small plates there? That would be a GREAT option if they do.
 
Day 2 Lunch: Be Our Guest

I had skipped breakfast this morning, so had a serious case of hangry by the time I arrived for my reservation at Be Our Guest.

My last trip to BOG was three years ago, also for lunch, and it left a lot to be desired. I was super excited to give them another try and knew that I would absolutely love it as much as I wanted to. I had done pre-order before I arrived, so after a few minutes checking in, I was sent off to find a table.

Of course, I selected the ballroom, because it is where princesses belong.

DSC_0387_zpspvf2bwz8.jpg


I found a seat at a table by the windows, which was either the exact same table I sat at last time, or the one next to it...

DSC_0389_zpsxf0kvtlt.jpg


Due to not enjoying my meal here last time (I was also a vegetarian at the time), I decided to change things up entirely with my order. About two years ago I went back to the dark side (which is also the delicious side) of eating meat.

So, I went for this beauty...

DSC_0393_zpsckslepgs.jpg


Carved Prime Chuck Roast Beef Sandwich - served warm on a baguette with horseradish sour cream and Pomme Frites $16.99

So, this looked DELICIOUS. I tucked right into this and it was....seriously just bread and roast beef. Delicious roast beef, but plain roast beef nonetheless. Where was my delightful, and much needed, horseradish sour cream?? I flagged down a waiter who informed me that the horseradish sour cream was over by the drink station. Well...ok then. I made my way over to the drink station while I kept one eye on my stuff (not an easy task when dining alone) where I was told, yes, in fact, the mythical horseradish cream was there...except it was hidden away in a tiny fridge and had to be retrieved and removed from its container and placed in a ramekin (also hidden). So - that instruction would have been nice to have, as no reasonable person would otherwise assume a condiment listed on menu needed to be retrieved in this way.

I made my way back to my table and loaded on the horseradish cream. And dug back into my sandwich, and found that the horseradish was much more sour cream and not at all horseradish-y (a new word I just created). So my sandwich was a let-down.

The fries on the other hand (and I don't even like fries!) were delicious and I ate ALL of them.

For dessert, I chose this...

DSC_0397_zpswubjckmk.jpg


Lemon-Raspberry Cream Puff - filled with lemon custard (Gluten Free - No Sugar Added) $4.99

And the inside...

DSC_0398_zpspskt5ibw.jpg


So I love love LOVE lemon curd. And this stuff was AMAZING! The puff itself was on the dry side, but it had so much delicious, buttery lemon curd on the inside, that was forgiven. This was definitely a winner for me after I had been very disappointed with the amount of curd in my lemon meringue cupcake on my last visit. If I ever go back, this will be my go to dessert!
 
So my sandwich was a let-down.

I had a roast beef sandwich without the horseradish sauce because I don't like that, and Josh had a gluten free version, and we both didn't like it. We found it so disappointing. When we go back for lunch I'm either just getting soup or a turkey sandwich.
 
The fries on the other hand (and I don't even like fries!) were delicious and I ate ALL of them.

That totally sounds like me. Too bad that your entrée was disappointing, but that dessert looks SO GOOD! We have been for dinner before, and I hated the fact that almost every dessert was a cupcake, because I don't like cake. It's good to know this is good. The gluten free, no sugar added scared me away, so I got the very disappointing grey stuff hard-as-a-rock "brownie".
 
That totally sounds like me. Too bad that your entrée was disappointing, but that dessert looks SO GOOD! We have been for dinner before, and I hated the fact that almost every dessert was a cupcake, because I don't like cake. It's good to know this is good. The gluten free, no sugar added scared me away, so I got the very disappointing grey stuff hard-as-a-rock "brownie".

I actually LOVE cupcakes, but found theirs to be beyond disappointing last time. Total waste in my opinion. I was shocked by how much lemon curd was in there. Yum...wish I could have one right now.
 
Last edited:
Too bad your BOG meal was a bust. I LOVE thier turkey sandwhich and the Master's cupcake, although for me it's all about the icing and could care less for the actual "cake".
 
Too bad your BOG meal was a bust. I LOVE thier turkey sandwhich and the Master's cupcake, although for me it's all about the icing and could care less for the actual "cake".

I too was really bummed. I want to love this place SO much, but its just been pretty meh so far. For my next trip, I'll plan far enough in advance that we can snag a dinner reservation here and give that a try.
 
Oh my gosh! I had that sandwich about two years ago and I loved it. But I must say, $16.99 is pricy for a sandwich, especially when you have to go on a scavenger hunt to find its toppings! What the heck. I mean I get that it's a seat yourself quick service but why it no longer comes out in a ramekin or on the sandwich is so bizarre to me. That lemon cream puff does look delicious, though!
 
Oh man! We didn't even think about Citrico's! Do you know if they serve small plates there? That would be a GREAT option if they do.

We've had appetizers, they offer a menu. We find the bartenders lots of fun.
(And that lemon curd dessert looks amazing!)
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts


Top