How much can a solo eat? A lot! April '18 Dining Report - COMPLETE! F&G Updated 6/21

[L_MD]

Hi everyone! I'm a little late but I was on my 2nd solo trip from April 9 - 16th, split-staying at POFQ and AKL Jambo.

As always, I spent a lot of time eating and drinking. I actually went over-budget due to too many Signature meals, but that just means I have more to report for you lovely folks!

Bear with me as I write this...I'll do my best to do a post a day so this doesn't drag out for weeks.


Day 1, 4/9: POFQ
Beignets: I realize I'm in the minority, but these are simply never good. Back in 2016 the ones I was served still had raw dough in the middle. The ones I had this time were fully-cooked, but they're just so bland (even with the powdered sugar) that they're simply not enjoyable.

Crispy fried chicken on a biscuit, with chips and macaroni salad: Another let down. At least the sauce was somewhat spicy (hard to find at WDW) but this was remarkably boring...macaroni salad was pretty bad too. Chips were chips.

Abita Amber from pool bar: I appreciate POFQ's stock of Abita beers. Pretty typical lager, lower alcohol. I like thick, dark, rich beers mostly...this was just to kill some time until my room was ready.

Day 1, 4/9: Disney Springs
Habanero Margarita from Dockside Margaritas: My 2nd time getting this and it was actually spicy this time! This place serves solid, tasty margaritas, and it's always my first stop.




Classic Poutine from Daily Poutine: Another return item for me. Huge portion, good mix of fries/gravy/cheese curds. Delicious. Not including a picture because my only pic has 3/4 of it gone.


Sunday Coffee pastry from Amorette's: Bailey's mousse, espresso mousse, and caramel sauce. This was decadent and more caramel-y than coffee-y. I enjoyed it, but not as much as an opera cake I got there in 2016.



Mad about Saffron martini from Paddlefish: This is already off the menu, I believe, but in case it comes back: blah. I love martinis...this was sickeningly sweet and syrupy. At $15, I was more than a bit annoyed and probably won't return to Paddlefish.



Morimotini and bao buns from Morimoto Asia: Well, it was a dry martini at least (vodka + sake) but I overestimated how much I like sake. I drank it all, and it was STRONG, but I can't say I enjoyed it. The pork bao buns were OK, but way too saucy. Another buy that wasn't worth the bill.



S'more from The Ganachery: AMAZING. Better than Amorette's, somehow! Yes, it's just a s'more. But the quality of the graham, the chocolate, the marshmallow...plus, it's huge. It's a sticky mess, but it's probably one of my favorite desserts/snacks in all of WDW.



Up next: Tuesday is always MK day!

 

[Raeven]

Following along!

Beignets: I realize I'm in the minority, but these are simply never good. Back in 2016 the ones I was served still had raw dough in the middle. The ones I had this time were fully-cooked, but they're just so bland (even with the powdered sugar) that they're simply not enjoyable.

I agree! I had one in 2016, and thought it was pretty bland.

Classic Poutine from Daily Poutine: Another return item for me. Huge portion, good mix of fries/gravy/cheese curds. Delicious.

Yes the poutine is sooo good

S'more from The Ganachery: AMAZING. Better than Amorette's, somehow! Yes, it's just a s'more. But the quality of the graham, the chocolate, the marshmallow...plus, it's huge. It's a sticky mess, but it's probably one of my favorite desserts/snacks in all of WDW.

Yum that sounds delicious

 

[auntfrannie]

I can never understand the popularity of beignets. To me they're just too messy. Plus my Grandmother used to make a Slovenian dessert that were similar called strabas and I didn't like those either.

 

[bluejasmine]

We also didn't enjoy the beignets we felt they had no taste except for the powder sugar if it wasn't for that it wouldn't have had any taste.

 

[suse66]

Joining in! Aren't solo trips the best? I am eager to hear what you thought of AKL. I stayed there last summer on my solo trip and loved it.

Sunday Coffee pastry from Amorette's: Bailey's mousse, espresso mousse, and caramel sauce. This was decadent and more caramel-y than coffee-y. I enjoyed it, but not as much as an opera cake I got there in 2016.

Mmmm! Must try this in August!

Habanero Margarita from Dockside Margaritas: My 2nd time getting this and it was actually spicy this time! This place serves solid, tasty margaritas, and it's always my first stop.

Sounds great! I will have to check them out!

S'more from The Ganachery: AMAZING. Better than Amorette's, somehow! Yes, it's just a s'more. But the quality of the graham, the chocolate, the marshmallow...plus, it's huge. It's a sticky mess, but it's probably one of my favorite desserts/snacks in all of WDW.

I haven't been here yet but will definitely have to check out those fab treats this summer.

 

[L_MD]

Following along!

Thank you for following along!

I can never understand the popularity of beignets. To me they're just too messy. Plus my Grandmother used to make a Slovenian dessert that were similar called strabas and I didn't like those either.

I'm sad they're so bland. Things like that are right up my alley, but these just don't do it for me.

We also didn't enjoy the beignets we felt they had no taste except for the powder sugar if it wasn't for that it wouldn't have had any taste.

Yeah, you need to get a huge bite of powdered sugar. That is, if it doesn't blow away first...

Joining in! Aren't solo trips the best? I am eager to hear what you thought of AKL. I stayed there last summer on my solo trip and loved it.

Solo trips ARE the best. So freeing. As to AKL, my first adult trip staying in a Deluxe, I really liked it and it was a great place to stay for me: balcony, great bar, amazing restaurants. However, I think I like French Quarter better. I prefer the more intimate feel and it just feels like home in a way AKL didn't.

 

[L_MD]

Hi everyone, time for day 2! It's always my Magic Kingdom day. However, I didn't actually eat much...looking at the day now it seems relatively light for me.

Edit: this isn't food, but every morning I enjoyed my breakfast with these guys...the frog fountain at POFQ. My happy place! This is at 5:55am when I was being crazy on my MK day.



Day 2, 4/10: Magic Kingdom

Skipper Canteen: I had two appetizers: the shu mai (little dumpling things) and the shiriki noodle salad. If this restaurant/these items ever go away, I will be very disappointed. The shu mai were really good, and I say that as a dumpling fan. The noodle salad was light with a ton of delicious, fresh veggies and a beautiful presentation. I'd so come here again.





Day 2: Polynesian
Lapu Lapu: I've had a drink from here but never a Lapu Lapu. Everyone around me was SUPER interested in my drink. Not my favorite tiki-inspired beverage, but it was strong and seemed to last forever.



Sashimi sampler from Kona Island: This wasn't worth the wait (I had to wait about 20 mins until 'dinner' started at Kona) and was pretty bad sushi. I'll stick with their coffee.


Day 2: POFQ
Gumbo from food court: Warm, tasty, and slightly spicy comfort food and a cup is pretty cheap. The best thing from the food court that I had during my trip.


Day 2: Epcot
Flower & Garden items: Just going to put these together. 2 alcohol items while waiting for Illuminations: the spiked Maple Popcorn shake from Northern Bloom and the spiked Watermelon Cucumber slushy. The kind CM gave the shake a VERY HEAVY pour of whiskey, but unfortunately that just made it taste like a cup of bad whiskey with stale popcorn on the top - I threw it away. The slushy was amazing, however- you could taste the watermelon and the gin and it all meshed very well.




Day 3 will be heavy on F&G stuff but I start getting into TS meals on Day 4, which I think will be much more interesting. Thanks for reading!

 

[WDWNan]

We stayed at POFQ during our January trip. I was so excited to try the GF beignets- and they tasted- like dough. I was so disappointed. My daughter tried the regular and felt the same.

Enjoying your report so far! looking forward to the next installments.

 

[suse66]

Solo trips ARE the best. So freeing. As to AKL, my first adult trip staying in a Deluxe, I really liked it and it was a great place to stay for me: balcony, great bar, amazing restaurants. However, I think I like French Quarter better. I prefer the more intimate feel and it just feels like home in a way AKL didn't.

Yes, the ability to do exactly what you want, when you want is wonderful! I'm glad you liked AKL, it certainly has lots of great amenities. That being said, there is always a resort that feels most like home to us and it sounds like you have found that in POFQ. Right now, my top two are AKL and YC but I am going back to the Poly this summer after an eight year absence so will see if it creeps up to the top spot again.

Day 2: Polynesian

Lapu Lapu: I've had a drink from here but never a Lapu Lapu. Everyone around me was SUPER interested in my drink. Not my favorite tiki-inspired beverage, but it was strong and seemed to last forever.

Sashimi sampler from Kona Island: This wasn't worth the wait (I had to wait about 20 mins until 'dinner' started at Kona) and was pretty bad sushi. I'll stick with their coffee.

I always enjoy the Lapu Lapu. It is the official Disney drink for my DH and I. Totally agree with you on the Kona Island sushi, I've had better sushi from my local grocery store.

spiked Watermelon Cucumber slushy.

Yum! I tried that slushy at F&G in 2015 and really enjoyed it as well.

 

[L_MD]

Enjoying your report so far! looking forward to the next installments.

Thank you!

Yes, the ability to do exactly what you want, when you want is wonderful! I'm glad you liked AKL, it certainly has lots of great amenities. That being said, there is always a resort that feels most like home to us and it sounds like you have found that in POFQ. Right now, my top two are AKL and YC but I am going back to the Poly this summer after an eight year absence so will see if it creeps up to the top spot again.

I always enjoy the Lapu Lapu. It is the official Disney drink for my DH and I. Totally agree with you on the Kona Island sushi, I've had better sushi from my local grocery store.

I stayed at the Poly once a long time ago (when they had the huge waterfall thing in the lobby) and I would again if it weren't for that price. Let us know if it gets the top spot!

 

[L_MD]

Day 3's up and I'll be faster on Day 4!

Day 3, 4/11: Flower & Garden food
Since the fest is either over or almost over, I won't spend much time on this. I will say that my favorite item of the fest was the Tropical Mousse Cake and the Tart Mango Cart ale from La Isla Fresca. It was the first thing I had and I feel so dumb for not getting it again. The cake was a perfect blend of fruity and tart and had a great mouthfeel. The beer surprised me: I'm a fan of dark dark toasty malty beers, but this was well-rounded. Slight fruit flavor, not overpowering, and didn't have any weird off-flavors I sometimes get in beers like this. Enjoyable and drinkable. Luckily I've found the beer around here recently so I did get to enjoy it one more time. And hey, I found you can add pictures!



Everything else I had ranged from the delicious:

• Honey Marscapone cheesecake from Honey Bee-stro (I also am kicking myself for only getting this once)
  
• Scallops from Northern Bloom (perfectly cooked! The veggies were delish!)
• Warm Wild Berry Buckle from The Berry Basket (warm cake, tart berries, cold ice cream...so good)

To the OK:

• Potato and Cheddar biscuit with smoked salmon tartare (tasty but too lemony)
  
• Violet lemonade from Pineapple Promenade (immediate ice cream headache, and it was mostly gimmicky)
  
• La vie en rose slushy from Fleur de Lys (it's pretty, but the everyday slushies from France are just as good)
  
• Tomato tart from Fleur de Lys (I liked the inside but the crust was hard as a rock)

To the bad:

• Pineapple Mana Wheat ale from Pineapple Promenade (I took a chance because I liked the mango one so much: this was grossly sweet)
• Chilaquiles from Jardin de Fiestas (I would have loved it if the tortilla chips had been crunch, but I abhor soggy bread products)

Day 3, 4/11: Wilderness Lodge
I went to WL after a midday break since I wanted to see the Electrical Water Pageant, one of my faves. I got there about an hour early so I was able to hit up Territory Lounge and get a cupcake I had been craving: Campfire Cupcake!

First up: Kentucky Mule (bourbon, lime, agave, ginger beer). A nice alternative to a Moscow Mule. It was tasty and refreshing, and I got to drink it by one of the upper floor fireplaces so I was very happy.




And the campfire cupcake, eaten on the dock while waiting for EWP to start. SUPER PRECIOUS and absolutely delicious. Marshmallow icing, 'dirt' on top, and filled with marshmallow. I'm not a big fan of marshmallow honestly but this thing came together so well and I'd so eat it again.




I'll see you shortly for Day 4!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Great reviews and some different places for us.
Off to POR for first time next trip and sure I will walk over to POFQ one day to judge beignets.

 

[Raeven]

Honey Marscapone cheesecake from Honey Bee-stro (I also am kicking myself for only getting this once)

I loved the cheesecake too

And the campfire cupcake, eaten on the dock while waiting for EWP to start. SUPER PRECIOUS and absolutely delicious. Marshmallow icing, 'dirt' on top, and filled with marshmallow. I'm not a big fan of marshmallow honestly but this thing came together so well and I'd so eat it again.

That's so cool looking!

 

[L_MD]

Great reviews and some different places for us.
Off to POR for first time next trip and sure I will walk over to POFQ one day to judge beignets.

Let me know what you think!

I loved the cheesecake too

Yes, so delicious- and I loved the sparkly looking honey.

 

[L_MD]

Day 4, 4/12: POFQ

Always wanted to try a catfish po'boy from here. The fish was good and the sauce was actually sort-of-spicy, but there was way too much bread. There's still a few other things on the menu I'd like to try, but it was mostly a disappointment.




Day 4, 4/12: Hollywood Studios
Carrot cake cookie! Went to HS solely to get this which I've heard so much about. Totally worth it. Delicious and huge. Next time I'm going to try that Butterfinger cupcake that everyone loves.




Day 4, 4/12: Flying Fish
I could talk about this restaurant and this meal forever. Hands down the best one of the trip and probably my best restaurant experience ever. I haven't had any bad experiences as a solo diner, per say, but they do tend to place you in less-than-ideal locations and certain servers are clearly more interested in the 6-person-party tab versus a solo. But my server (I feel so bad I forget his name) was phenomenal, made me feel super welcome, and had a lot of good recommendations.

Started out with their old fashioned cocktail- strong and tasty. It lasted me the whole meal.


For my appetizers I got the Kurobuta Pork Belly and the salmon crudo. Both were stellar. The pork belly was the best I've ever had and it melted in my mouth. The crudo was fairly simple but had so many cool accents and flavors going on that it was a pleasure to eat.


My main dish was the Hokkaido Scallop Garganelli pasta. I really wanted scallops and this did not disappoint. They were perfectly cooked and pretty large. I thought the pasta and the accompanying sauce was a little too simple (they called it a savory tomato sauce) but it was tasty and didn't overwhelm the flavors of the scallops and shrimp.


I was going to get a different dessert, but my waiter strongly recommended the 'Blueberries, Lime and Sea Shells - Mascarpone Cream, Blueberry-Lime Compote, Hibiscus Meringue, Rye Bourbon Caramel.' GREAT. The main part was cheesecake, but a really light one. The other little things around the dish (meringue, lime tasting things, edible flowers, some short bread crumbles) elevated this from a regular to dessert to more of an arty-gastronomic thing. Really good.

I finished off with their Flying Fish exclusive coffee. Including it so you can see how precious the silverware is.



Amazing dinner. Will absolutely return again. Thanks for reading and I'll have Day 5 up soon.

 

[suse66]

Your Flower and Garden offerings sound great!

Carrot cake cookie! Went to HS solely to get this which I've heard so much about. Totally worth it. Delicious and huge. Next time I'm going to try that Butterfinger cupcake that everyone loves.

This is a must do for me every trip! So good!

I was going to get a different dessert, but my waiter strongly recommended the 'Blueberries, Lime and Sea Shells - Mascarpone Cream, Blueberry-Lime Compote, Hibiscus Meringue, Rye Bourbon Caramel.' GREAT. The main part was cheesecake, but a really light one. The other little things around the dish (meringue, lime tasting things, edible flowers, some short bread crumbles) elevated this from a regular to dessert to more of an arty-gastronomic thing. Really good.

Beautiful!

My main dish was the Hokkaido Scallop Garganelli pasta. I really wanted scallops and this did not disappoint. They were perfectly cooked and pretty large. I thought the pasta and the accompanying sauce was a little too simple (they called it a savory tomato sauce) but it was tasty and didn't overwhelm the flavors of the scallops and shrimp.

This looks great too. How nice that you had such a personable and knowledgeable server. It makes such a difference, especially when dining on your own.

 

[auntfrannie]

Glad you enjoyed FF. It's always been top of the repeat list for me.

 

[nycdisneygal]

Thanks for the reviews. Have been thinking of trying FF....

 

[L_MD]

This looks great too. How nice that you had such a personable and knowledgeable server. It makes such a difference, especially when dining on your own.

It really makes a world of difference to have a good server, which you'll see in my upcoming Day 5 post...

Glad you enjoyed FF. It's always been top of the repeat list for me.

Yeah. I'd love to do CA Grill for dinner on my October trip, but I booked Flying Fish too in case I don't find a better time!

Thanks for the reviews. Have been thinking of trying FF....

Super highly recommended!

 

[L_MD]

Day 5, 4/13: Animal Kingdom (non-Pandora)

Finally my Animal Kingdom day! This was my first time at this park (skipped it on my 2016 trip) and I loved it. I didn't get all of the snacks I wanted because that's just impossible, but I made a good dent in things.

Started out with this tasty thing from Kusafiri Bakery: Hot Breakfast Wrap (egg, spinach, sausage, goat cheese). This was filling and was a great price...$6.79 looks like. The eggs were a bit watery but I'd get this again- good amounts of non-egg stuff!




Then I decided I wanted a drink from the Dawa Bar. This is the African Bloody Mary: Snow Leopard Vodka, Loaded Bloody Mary Mix, and Spicy African Berbere Sauce, and Candied Bacon. Everything about this was really tasty, even the candied bacon placed unceremoniously on top. And it was actually moderately spicy, too! I'll definitely head back to this place to try other drinks.



One last thing that I HAD to try that I had obsessed about for months. I love buffalo chicken. I love chips. So I HAD to get the Buffalo Chicken Chips from Trilo-Bites. It pains me to say this, but this was a one and done for me. The chicken was good, but the raw arugula really interfered. Wilted a bit would have been better. It's a shame, because the chips and the chicken and even the blue cheese dressing was really good. But it did not live up to my (admittedly hugely high) expectations.


4/13, Day 5: Pandora

So, I DID go to Satu'li Canteen but somehow didn't take a picture. I had a hearty salad bowl with chicken and charred green onion viniagrette. The hearty salad was tasty with kale and stuff and I thought it all went very well with the viniagrette. I also did Mobile Order for the first time...my food was ready in about 2 minutes and I bypassed a fairly long line. Score! I'll totally be back.

Also stopped at Pongu Pongu for a Night Blossom. Huge line, took forever, and this was just WAY too sweet for me. It was a bit tart, but I really can't stand sickly sweet drinks like this. I had about 1/4 before I threw it away. One of the disadvantages of being a solo tripper.


Day 5, 4/13: Tiffins
This is the part of the review that I don't really want to write because it was a huge let-down. I have read literally nothing but good things about Tiffins and I thought for sure it would be my favorite restaurant. The experience was less-than-stellar, and I can't even totally articulate why. My server, whose name was something new-agey (Sunshine? Nirvana?) was part of the problem. I felt like I was just a # to get out of the door to her. Not enthusiastic, barely smiled, seemed to question my choice in beverage and not in a helpful way, and was just generally dismissive. Plus, it was absolutely freezing cold in the restaurant.

Moving on to the food. It just was nowhere near as good as I was hoping. Started with a beer flight and the charcuterie board. The only beer worthwhile was the Kungaloosh. The charcuterie was good, but not really memorable. And I love charcuterie. I can't tell you what anything on that board is other than the honey in the back.



Then for my entree I got the Pork Belly Ramen. I should say that this restaurant would have been saved if I had gotten a different entree, and I'm not sure why I went with this. At the last moment I knew I didn't want a huge plate of meat (like the venison or filet) so I got this. And...it sucked. The prevailing flavor was 'salt' and I've honestly had 20x better ramen in my mid-sized city for a fraction of the price. It looks presentable, but the noodles were weird in texture and nothing came together.



Since I was doing a RoL package I did get desert, though, the South African Chocolate Ganache. Hugely chocolatey but not memorable. I think this is a theme with restaurant desserts: pretty, but forgettable.


So, yeah. I'm probably the only person on these boards with a negative review of Tiffins, but after not being impressed with the food or the service I don't think I'll be returning. This one hit me hard.

Day 5, 4/13: Nomad Lounge

After Tiffins I still had time to kill before RoL so I thought I'd soothe my feelings with a drink from Nomad Lounge, another highly hyped place in my mind. No outside seats...OK, fine. So I sat at the freezing cold bar. The bartender was great- friendly and quick to get my order. I got the Spice Trader Classic: Hayman's Old Tom Gin, Dolin Vermouth Blanc, Lemon Juice, and Strawberries topped with Soda Water. I love gin, but this was (again, sorry for the broken record) a disappointment. It had barely any flavor...not even gin. Too much soda water maybe? I was also seated in a bad place and there were really annoying patrons who kept pushing on the back of my bar stool. I eventually gave them a polite 'look and smile'...to which they apologized, stopped...but right before they left they SHOVED it once more, certainly no accident.

Long story short: it wasn't my evening! However, I will go back to Nomad Lounge because there's about 20 other drinks I want. I'll go early, get a spot outside, and try some different drinks and maybe a few small bites.




OK everyone, thanks for reading. 3 more days left on my trip! Next post is Saturday, my Animal Kingdom Lodge day which includes Boma and Jiko!