Just back Feb 7th-12th Quick Dining Review

AlexLovesCats

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 17, 2013
Just returned from a long weekend trip with just my DH and I and wanted to do a quick Dining review. Overall we really enjoyed our meals in Disney this trip :)

Tangerine Café (Lunch)- had lunch here on our first day, this was new for us this trip. We both ordered the Chicken and lamb platter and really enjoyed it. Good amount of food for the price and lots of flavor, it also was not crowded and we were able to get a nice table outside in the lovely Morocco pavilion. Would definitely eat here again.

Nomad Lounge- This was new for us this trip. We came here around 4ish to see if we could grab a table for a drink and an appetizer. We were lucky with our timing as we were able to grab one of the tables for two out on the deck. It was so peaceful sitting out there and we just loved the vibe of the place. We both had a Tiger lager(great beer from Singapore) and shared the Poke bowl which we loved. We were recently in Hawaii on our honeymoon and ate a good amount of different Poke bowls so we weren’t sure how this would compare but we were pleasantly surprised with how good this one was. We really enjoyed our time here!!!

Satuli Canteen (Dinner)- We are big Avatar fans and this was our first time in Pandora so we were really excited to eat dinner here. We LOVED it… the food… the atmosphere… the music…everything was great. We also ate a little after the dinner rush and closer to park closing time so it didn’t seem crowded at all and we had our choice of good tables. I had the marinated beef bowl with rice and beans and DH had the chili-garlic shrimp with noodles, both were equally delicious. DH also got a draft of the Hawkes Grog Ale, we were surprised to see it was green! But he enjoyed it.

Brown Derby Lounge(Lunch)- We had eaten here in the past so we knew to wait outside before the 12 oclock opening so we could grab a table outside. I had the Cobb Salad (smaller version) and Andouille crusted Shrimp & grits. Both were great, especially loved the shrimp and grits.. it was full of flavor. DH ordered the Grilled Wagyu Beef Burger from the regular Brown Derby menu, he was raving about it. Great experience sitting outside in this lounge people watching on a nice day.

Narcoosees(Dinner)- We had dinner here the past 2 trips and really enjoyed it so decided to come back again for dinner on this trip. We started with the slow poached and chilled shrimp appetizer, which was really good. However I think you only get a few shrimp with it..so it was good for the two of us but don’t think it would serve a larger group. It was served with fresh orange slices, which I would not have thought to pair with shrimp but it was a great combination. I had the twin lobster tails, and DH had the surf and turf with filet. Both entrees were very good. We also ordered the lemon and bacon Brussel sprouts as a side which I thought were just okay. I prefer Brussel sprouts to be roasted for a long time and on the crispy side and these weren’t that way, they were more firm. We shared the mango sorbet with berries as dessert and that was delicious and refreshing. We enjoyed watching Happily Ever After during our meal as well, and our waiter, Tom, was awesome! Overall, everything was really good, but the price for this meal was just so insanely high (I know we ordered a lot.. but still). I think we may skip it next time however and try a Signature place we haven’t tried before.

Also want to note we stopped in Minzers lounge in the main Grand Floridian building and had a drink before dinner and listened to the lobby band which was just lovely.

Kona Café(Lunch)- This was new for us this trip. We took the monorail from MK and had lunch here. We started with the crispy pork vegetable pot stickers which we both thought were delicious. Also… the pineapple bread with macadamia nut butter they serve here is SO good. I had to will myself to stop eating it. For entrees I ordered the Poke bowl and DH ordered two sushi rolls (Surf and Turf roll and Rainbow roll). My poke bowl was just okay, not bad… just not great. Not near as good as the one at Nomad lounge. And his sushi was also just OK.. rainbow roll was pretty good but Surf and turf roll tasted a little weird. The bread and the dumplings were definitely the stand outs of this lunch. Also I wasn’t aware this restaurant it basically in the lobby of the Polynesian… it has sort of a loud and chaotic environment. And it also could use a bit of a refresh to its décor, it seems a bit stuck in the 90s. I would probably return with kids but not for a meal just with DH and I.

Columbia Harbor House(Dinner)- We had dinner here, also a new place for us this trip. I ordered the Grilled salmon with rice and green beans and DH had the Fried Fish,Chicken and shrimp platter with mac and cheese. We found a quiet table upstairs to eat. I really loved my meal!! At this point in the trip I was craving something somewhat healthy and this salmon meal really hit the spot. The green beans were really really good. DH liked his too but I think after eating it was regretting getting so much fried food. We thought the mac and cheese here was just OK.

Sanaa(Lunch)- This is one of our must do’s for every trip and my DHs favorite for lunch. We started with the Indian style bread service as we always do and thought it was better than ever. It would be worth making the trip to Sanaa just to eat this and leave, it’s that good. For entrees, I had the sustainable fish and DH had the braised beef, cilantro coconut vegetables and basmati rice. Everything was great- the braised beef was especially good. Full of flavor and just delicious. We absolutely love our meal here every time and will definitely continue coming every trip.

Le Cellier (Dinner)- Also one of DHs must do’s for every trip. We started with two Fin Du Mondes (delicious Canadian beer- must try if you like beer and never tried it). And once we saw the description for the Beef Bourginone poutine fries we knew we had to try them as our appetizer (Fresh-cut French Fries, Gruyère cheese, Beef Bourguignon with Gravy, Garlic Aïoli, Truffle oil). And it was good, like closing your eyes and moaning while chewing good. For entrees DH ordered the Filet with mushroom risotto with a side of mushrooms.. and I was not super hungry so I ordered the cheddar soup and a side of the whiskey and maple glazed brussel sprouts. Let me start with his filet, it was amazing…perfectly cooked and melt in your mouth texture. Also the mushrooms were especially good! But my favorite part of this meal were the Brussel sprouts! If you are a fan of roasted, crispy Brussel sprouts you must go and order these. They were UNREAL… crispy with a hint of sweetness in the glaze… just perfect. I couldn’t stop raving about them. Between them and DHs filet and mushrooms I was in food heaven. The soup was a bit rich for my liking, I dipped the pretzel bread in it but actually didn’t end up eating all of it just because I was full and . Overall this was our best meal of the trip.

Boma(Breakfast)- The whole trip we just ate something quick in the room for breakfast so I wanted to end the trip with a good breakfast since DH is a fan of breakfast food. I heard good things about the Boma buffet so wanted to try it. I also didn’t realize this restaurant is pretty much in the lobby.. it also has a pretty loud/chaotic environment. We found a few things we liked on the buffet and ate a good amount but nothing especially stood out. I was also disappointed that they didn’t seem to offer bloody marys or mimosas or any good breakfast drinks (if they did we didn’t see a menu) – we would have enjoyed that on our final day. For the most part it just seemed like a typical Disney breakfast buffet other than the theming of the resort and a few items added in. For the two of us it ended up being $77 for breakfast. Just not worth it in my opinion. For future trips just DH and I... I think we’ll stick with breakfast in the room or I’d love to try one of the weekend brunches offered in Disney springs.

Also want to mention we got ice cream twice at Ample Hills Creamery on the Boardwalk and thought it was amazing!!!
 
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Glad to hear you enjoyed Le Cellier...I was afraid it was going downhill and my DD specifically asked to dine there on our upcoming trip. We’ve eaten there every family trip but we haven’t been as a family in four years and I was beginning to panic just a little. Nice to read a thumbs up! Thank you!
 
Thanks for the reviews! I haven't been to a few of the restaurants you reviewed so it was helpful since I'm looking to try some new places.
 


We started with two Fin Du Mondes (delicious Canadian beer- must try if you like beer and never tried it
You had me at this. :-) Thank you for recognizing this wonderful Quebecois beer.
Great review. You def hit some good spots. Tangierine Cafe and Columbia Harbor House are must do's.
 
Thank you for this review. We are planning on going to several of these places on our upcoming trip, so I'm glad to hear they were good!
 


Loved your reviews! We have been to some on your list except for Nomad Lounge, Satuli Canteen, Brown Derby Lounge, Narcoosees, and Columbia Harbor House. We are going to try and fit in Satuli Canteen on our trip in May. Maybe we will do what you did and go later in the evening for a late night snack (if we all share). Being from Boston I would never pay those prices for seafood at Narcoosees but I would love to go there just to try the cheesecake! But if there is a place to splurge on seafood, it would be Disney!
 
We also ordered the lemon and bacon Brussel sprouts as a side which I thought were just okay. I prefer Brussel sprouts to be roasted for a long time and on the crispy side and these weren’t that way, they were more firm.

When I read this, I was going to suggest you try the Brussels sprouts at Le Cellier but I see that's covered!


Boma(Breakfast)-
I was also disappointed that they didn’t seem to offer bloody marys or mimosas or any good breakfast drinks (if they did we didn’t see a menu) – we would have enjoyed that on our final day.

We weren't offered a drinks menu when we had brunch there last week but I automatically asked for a mimosa and they had them. Your choice of regular orange juice or the POG.
 
Thanks for your review! DH and I go back in May for F&G and our anniversary (May 4) and want a nice dinner that night. Thought about trying something new so I reserved Shula's but have never eaten there. We have eaten at Le Cellier in the past but it has been a few years. We still say that the filet there is the best steak we have ever had! Unfortunately I have read reviews recently that it is not as good so I was hesitant to book it. We have been to restaurants in the past that were upper scale and have shelled out big bucks for a nice filet but it didn't hold up to Le Cellier, what a let down. I am SO nervous that we will have the same feeling from Shula's and DH just wants to go back to Le Cellier - decisions decisions! Good to hear that Le Cellier is still as wonderful as we remember. We may end up changing it around. Thanks again and glad you had a fabulous trip!
 

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