California Grill, Dinner, 09-25-08
Reservation time for 8:15pm
This way we could get seated before wishes started... that was the plan and it worked out quite well.
We arrived pretty much right on time, and were taken directly up to the restaurant where we had about a 15 minute wait, I think we would have been seated right away but we requested a window seat.
The Bread
I remember that we ate the bread and enjoyed it, but can't remember much about it because we enjoyed the rest of the meal so much ... this just didn't stick out as wow.
Appetizers or Should I Say SUSHI, SUSHI, SUSHI !!!
DD
Big Bang Roll $19.00
This is what I originally ordered but JoJo and I switched apps, after she took the first bite of her sushi, she found it to be a bit too spicy.... No problem for me, the great thing about sushi is there is lots of pieces for the table to taste test so I still got some of this. She was much happier with this selection and had it gobbled up pretty quick!
DW
Double-Crunch Rainbow Roll - Cobia, Salmon, Tuna, Tempura Crunch and Tobikko $19
Definitely the favorite sushi selection of the ones we tried, they were all very good, but this one gets top honors! I will be ordering this the next time! Mary has not had a history of being a big sushi fan, but this dish was gone before we could blink... I am not sure she took a breath, and now she wants sushi all the time!
ME
Yellowfin Tuna Three Ways - Poki, Tartare, and Tataki. - $20.00
Again, this was what JoJo ordered but we traded, no problem really for me, because I was considering this one any way and I like virtually all sushi. I enjoyed this one very much, a very good helping of each style and all very good! If you are not a fan of raw fish... do not order this one!
Entrees
DW & ME
Oak-fired Filet of Beef - Served with Boniato mashed potatoes, sauteed haricot vert, and teriyaki BBQ sauce. - $41.00
Our single most favorite piece of beef on property! JoJo enjoyed her dish very much but was wishing that the rare occasion she chose fish instead of steak that she would have got the steak! Tender and Delicious!!! I could not get enough of the sauce that came with it.
DD
Pan-Roasted Grouper Fillet - Served with olive oil crushed potatoes, cipollini onions, and red wine butter sauce. - $33.00
As I already said she liked the steak very much, but she was very happy with this selection as well.
Desserts
DD
Chocolate Temptation (No Sugar Added) - Chocolate Pyramid with chocolate gelato, berry compote, and chocolate hazelnut crunch $10.00
She enjoyed this dessert but did not care for the hazelnut crunch that came with it, I was more than happy to enjoy this part for her!
DW
Valrhona Chocolate Cake and Apricots Warm Chocolate Cake with Molten Center, House-made Apricot Ice Cream and Apricot Sauce $10
A very good combination! The Molten center cake ...yum, yum, yum!
ME
Peachy Keen: Peach Cheesecake, Bellini "Bubble Tea", Spiced Tea Cake with Vanilla Creme Glace $10
This was a really good dessert if you are a fan of peaches and I do like them, just not from a can! The Cheesecake and the the Tea Cake were wonderful, and the Bubble Tea... very unique, it is not what I would call tea and it had round things with a chewy texture floating around in it that were about the size of a blueberry and with the size of the straw they came right up through it. I would order this again without hesitation.
Beverages
DD Soda $2.19
DW Ice Tea $2.19
ME Harmony Hot Tea $5.95
Beverage $ 10.33
Food $ 218.00
3% Service Charge $ 6.85
Tax $ 14.85
Total $ 250.03
***(note: here is that 3% service charge again. I guess it is something that is charged by Contemporary Resort restaurants?)
Service
We were disappointed with the service here. Our server was very slow about coming to our table, and brought our dinners to us just as Wishes was beginning, I think we were the only ones who had food brought to them during this time. He was very nice but seemed to be very distracted by something? Our experience with the service was not great but please do not let this be a decision maker for you, because we will be returning and giving service another chance, as we really enjoyed our meal here.
Atmosphere
A nice place. You check in at a desk on one floor then you are taken to the restaurant on an elevator that is dedicated to the California Grill. You are then greeted upon exiting the elevator and given a pager, you can then check out the observation deck while waiting or have a drink in the lounge area (the lounge area is hard to differ from the rest of the restaurant. This was our first time there and we were surprised at how loud it was, we kind of expected it to be a more quiet and elegant setting, but it didn't live up to that. Aside from it being loud, we really enjoyed it. The observation deck was very nice to get a beautiful view of the MK and the surrounding area! We requested a window seat which was wonderful, and the view of Wishes from our seat was tops!!!! The restaurant is set up in one big open floor plan, no separation between the waiting area, the bar area, and there is an open kitchen.... this accounts for the higher sound levels. The restrooms were pleasant and clean. If you are looking to host a group, there are some rooms that are set aside for this purpose, we had a look at them and thought they were very nice. They are totally separate from the main dining area and totally private, there was a wedding reception in one and a business meeting in the other.
Food
I cannot say enough about the food!!! It was delicious!!!! We can't wait to have more!! The sushi was to die for, some of the best I have ever had! The presentation of all the food was absolutely wonderful! Everything was served at the right temperatures for the dishes, and all orders came exactly as requested.... the filet could not have been any better, my single favorite piece of meat on property!!
Overall
A very nice and enjoyable experience! Yes, the service could have been better, but we will look past that since everything else was so great! We are definitely planning a return trip here! I would suggest this for a nice meal, with a view to impress! Not my top choice for romance due to the sound level, but Romance could be easily found here with the great food and atmosphere, especially during Wishes and the observation deck has the beautiful view! A fairly family friendly place, there were several younger children there during our visit. I wouldn't feel comfortable here unless I dressed up just a bit...... formal not required but average theme park attire was 100% absent. Our meal took about 2 hours from arrival to departure, I think that this is the average time for this restaurant, but you could probably get in and out much faster, especially if skipping a course along the way, and not being fussy about where you sit.