Disney’s Victoria and Albert’s – Big Decision

Raymond and I are planning a quick trip to Disney World for the Food & Wine Festival this year.  We’re going the weekend before my birthday which made Raymond start to think about planning something special to celebrate, I guess, because he asked me if I wanted to go to Victoria and Albert’s.  Yes!  Wait!  Maybe.  I don’t know, to be honest.  I’m pretty decisive, but this one’s got me waffling.  Do I want to find out first hand exactly what it’s like to dine in a restaurant that’s received AAA’s Five Diamond Award (every year since 2000) and is currently ranked by Trip Advisor as the #2 restaurant in Orlando?  Do I?

Disney’s Victoria and Albert’s – Big DecisionCalifornia Grill won out over Victoria and Albert's for our 25th anniversary

Back in 2014 when we celebrated our 25th anniversary sans kids at Disney World, Raymond suggested Victoria and Albert’s then too.  I chose California Grill instead.  I can’t pinpoint my hesitation for not jumping on board with this idea.  If I put my thoughts on it here, maybe you will help me make a final decision?  WHY is this even difficult?  Poor Raymond’s been asking me, “Well?” with eyebrows raised every few days.  I guess it’s pretty clear which way he hopes I decide.Dressed up for Dinner at Remy. Would Victoria and Albert's be as good?

The closest we’ve come to a Victoria and Albert’s experience was when we dined at Remy on the Disney Dream.  Multiple courses, haute cuisine, excellent wine, impeccable service.  We loved both dinner and brunch.  Certainly Victoria and Albert’s would be similar…better maybe.  Chef Hunnel from Victoria and Albert’s is responsible for half of the menu items served at Remy.Dish served at Remy. Would Victoria and Albert's be similar?

IF we were to book a reservation at Victoria and Albert’s, I understand we’d have three options:

The Dining Room Sounds like the most economical and low frills experience.  That’s unflattering and selling it short and I’m sure it’s beyond amazing, but The Dining Room is the most basic option.  We can choose a 7- or 10-course meal and add wine pairings for a hefty upcharge.  While the restaurant’s menu changes daily, I found this example of the 7-course experience.

Queen Victoria’s Room – This room only seats eight and only offers a 10-course meal.  For wine enthusiasts like us, this experience sounds mighty tempting.

“Behind closed doors, elegant, intimate Queen Victoria’s Room seats just eight guests for a ten-course dinner with French gueridon service and wine pairings exclusive to the private room. Guests learn how chef and sommelier work together to identify the chemistry of each amazing dish paired with the perfect vintage.” – Victoria and Albert’s website.

Chef’s Table  – What if, by some miracle, two seats were available for the date we wanted to go?  As the most expensive option of all, this experience would also be exceptionally appealing to me since I love to cook and am not afraid to try new recipes and food prep techniques…the stuff I could learn!  I could see this leading to bankruptcy via Williams Sonoma by uncovering previously unknown kitchen gadget needs.  Culinary foam is all the rage and there’s a tool for that.  Bet I could make some awesome desserts with a kitchen torch.  Victoria and Albert’s Chef’s Table…a double-edged sword.

I found this Touring Plans article that includes pricing, so now I know what kind of investment this potential dinner will require.  Yikes!  (I know…This from the woman who recently dropped $250 per person for the Wild Africa Trek, but it was for Christmas!)  I though our Remy dinner was crazy expensive (about $400, everything included) and we didn’t even have the wine pairings (just ordered a single bottle).  Is my hesitation simply due to the fear that plunking down possibly $1000 or more for a single meal would be insane?  I’m all for experiences and happy memories, but oh, the stuff I could do with $1000!

Yes, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime type of thing.  Yes, I’ll have a fancy romantic dinner out with my favorite person.  I’m sure many people wish their spouse would ask them to have dinner at Victoria and Albert’s and I should (and do) consider myself extremely fortunate.  But I’m still undecided!

Please, if you’ve been to Victoria and Albert’s or if you’re dreaming of someday going, jump on in here and help a girl out!  Worth it?  Waste of money?  Best pros and cons you can offer would be very much appreciated!

Disney World’s Best Signature Dining

There are so many Walt Disney World restaurants to choose from!  Frequent visitors, like our family, develop a passion for certain snacks, an emotional attachment to a few quick-service places, and we’re downright territorial about our table service favorites!

Let’s talk about Disney’s Signature Dining.  If you’re going to splurge on a meal either out-of-pocket or by burning two table service dining credits on the Disney Dining Plan, it’s important to choose wisely!  While we haven’t quite made it to all the finest dining Disney has to offer (I’m looking at you, Victoria and Albert’s), we’ve tried a good many and have indeed developed enough of a fondness for a few to do what we can to squeeze them into our budgets for both time and money as often as we can.Signature Dining - Yachtsman Steakhouse

For those of you with little ones, fully enjoying a Signature Dining experience can be challenging.  You know you kids best and whether or not they’d like to sit in a fancy restaurant for a lengthy meal.  This is Disney World so signature restaurants are kid-friendly, but they are not as fun as character dining (like at Tusker House or Chef Mickey) or some places with funny servers (think Whispering Canyon Café or 50’s Prime Time Café) and cool themes (Sci-Fi Dine In Theater).  These places also tend to have more “adult” foods on the kids’ menu.  The list I’ve put together here is mainly geared towards families with older children and groups of adults.  If you’ve got something to celebrate, like an anniversary or graduation, signature dining is the way to go!

Disney World’s Best Signature Dining

In The Resorts

Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge) – Hands down this is our favorite Signature Dining Experience, but it’s not for everyone!  Jiko is best enjoyed by diners with adventurous palates.  That’s not to say that picky eaters won’t find something to love, but it may take a little creative work with the cooperative servers and chefs.  We’re game (see what I did there?) for trying exotic dishes made with wild boar or buffalo.  We welcome new flavors from African-spiced dishes of all kinds.  Options like pork and lamb shanks, beef short ribs, scallops, halibut, lobster, and vegetarian dishes make up the creative menu.  We have never been disappointed.  The wine list is as fantastic as the food.

California Grill (Disney’s Contemporary Resort) – The food’s good, but the setting is great!  The view from the top of the Contemporary Resort is fantastic and at sunset it’s downright awesome!  The California-inspired menu is broad and boasts a great selection of sushi along with other, many very complex, dishes.  Service is excellent and compared to Citricos and Narcoossee’s at the Grand Floridian (also signature), California Grill manages to seem extra special.  No matter what time you have dinner, you’ll be welcome to stay (or return) and enjoy Wishes (Magic Kingdom’s fireworks spectacular) from the restaurant’s outdoor viewing area.  We celebrated our 25th anniversary at California Grill and our experience was wonderful.

Flying Fish (Disney’s Boardwalk) – Recently renovated and with a new chef, Flying Fish has an awesome location (a short walk from Epcot) and has been very popular in the past.  One of our best vacation meal memories is of dinner at the Flying Fish.  Disney's Flying Fish Cafe ExteriorI don’t know firsthand how the restaurant’s new version compares to the old, but our next Flying Fish dinner is just days away.  The new menu looks fantastic (albeit expensive!) and it may well be worth two dining credits.  I’ll let you know how it goes!

Yachtsman Steakhouse (Yacht Club) – A solid choice for steak-lovers, Yachtsman’s proximity to Epcot makes it a stellar alternative to Le Cellier in World Showcase’s Canada Pavilion.  Good service, solid menu, and the butcher/meat viewing area is cool!  We thought the atmosphere a bit more laid back than some of the other signature restaurants and that complimented, rather than detracted from, the overall experience to us.  If you’re not a steak fan, there are better places to eat.  If you love a good steak, I found even the smallest one on the menu (6-ounce Black Angus Filet) to be perfectly cooked, tender, and delicious.

In The Parks

Tiffins (Animal Kingdom) – As I mentioned in the review I did recently, this place is probably not for picky, non-adventurous eaters.  If you love Animal Kingdom for the incredible theming and you want to feel like you’re eating in an exotic far away place with amazing service, consider Tiffins.  It can be a bit expensive, but is very special, so worth it in my opinion (at least once).  The menu is extraordinary and the beer and wine lists are carefully cultivated and unique.  While all signature dining restaurants try to offer exceptional service in a special atmosphere, Tiffins succeeds in a way few others manage.The Hollywood Brown Derby / Disney's Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Brown Derby (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) – While this may be our least favorite of the group I’ve listed here today, it’s worth mentioning.  The Derby has many devoted fans and it offers a wonderful respite from park noise and crowds.  The atmosphere is very cool and the menu offers a good variety.  The Cobb Salad is famous as is the Grapefruit Cake dessert.  If you’re on the dining plan, don’t waste two table service credits here.  If you want a nice meal at a low-ish price for signature dining and/or want the best meal in the Studios, give the Hollywood Brown Derby a try.

What did I miss?  Do you have a favorite signature restaurant that didn’t make our list?

 

Disney at Home – Duplicating Recipes

The Wave EntrancePart of (I should really say much of) our Disney vacation happiness is about the food.  Favorite restaurants, favorite dishes, trying new places – oh, boy, do we love to eat at Walt Disney World!  What’s best about all this dining is when a particular dish really surprises us.

Disney at Home – Duplicating Recipes

Last December when Raymond and I were on our post-Christmas R&R, I booked dinner at The Wave (Contemporary Resort) for our last night.  I knew we’d be tired and want to be close to our room at Bay Lake Tower.  We’d never eaten in The Wave before, but had enjoyed snacks and cocktails in the lounge more than once.  We knew the food would be good and were looking forward to the relaxing atmosphere.The Wave Menu

As expected, we were exhausted, but had been having a fantastic trip.  We arrived for our last dinner practically sleeping on our feet.  If you’ve never been to The Wave before, it’s a lot like being in a cellar – no windows, cozy if a bit dark.  The service is absolutely top notch.  We ordered soup for an appetizer and, if I remember correctly, we both ordered fish for our entrees.  I’m positive we ordered a bottle of wine from the cocktail menu.The Wave Menu Cover

The soup was a most pleasant surprise and made the entire meal for us.  In fact, it was one of the most delicious soups we’d ever had.  The ultimate comfort food – creamy soup full of sausage, gnocchi, and spinach.  As we were exchanging Mmmmmm’s, I made the offhanded comment that I could probably recreate this amazing deliciousness at home.  We enjoyed the rest of our dinner, made the short walk back to Bay Lake Tower and crashed.  The next morning we headed for home.

Fast forward about at week and Raymond says, “Hey!  Weren’t you going to try to make that soup?”.  Yes!  I had planned on that and I made my grocery list right then and there.  I’ve cooked Disney dishes at home before, but always found a recipe online to use.  This time I didn’t even search for a recipe, I made it up as I went.  How hard could it be?The Wave Soup Recreation in Progress

Turns out not really hard at all.  I stared by browning spicy Italian sausage which I drained and set aside.  While the sausage was browning (I added red pepper flakes to make it spicier), I defrosted, squeezed dry, and food-processed a package of frozen spinach (the food processing part was a total waste of time).  After that I whipped up a simple roux of butter and flour.  Then I stirred in a healthy amount of both chicken broth and real live honest to goodness cream.The Wave Soup Recreation Begins

I added the spinach and sausage and one store-bought package of gnocchi to the pot and let it all cook together for about half an hour.  This gave the gnocchi time to become soft and all the flavors to blend together.  While all that was going on, I toasted up some garlic bread as an accompaniment.  The original version from The Wave had a crunchy toasted cheese topping which I’ll try to recreate in the future.The Wave Soup IngredientsThe Wave Soup Recreated

While the soups didn’t look exactly the same, the flavors were nearly identical.  I was very proud of my soup!  I will most definitely be making it again as soon as the weather starts to cool off a little in the fall.

Have you made a Disney dish at home?  What’s your favorite Disney recipe?

The Time We Almost Ate at Spice Road Table

Spice Road Table TableA few weeks ago, Raymond and I found ourselves in Epcot, in need of a snack, and with a bit of time on our hands.  Circumstances like these always make me want to try something new!

The Time We Almost Ate at Spice Road Table

We were enjoying a leisurely stroll through World Showcase.  We’d just left our friend Nick (yes, the Disney Musings and Disney Exchange Nick) as he headed off to meet friends in the Mexico Pavilion.  I realized I was hungry and we had quite a bit of time before our Il Mulino (in the Swan) reservation.  We needed something light – I immediately thought about the small plates at Spice Road Table and how we’d never eaten there.  We could sit and relax for a while enjoying this Morocco pavilion eatery’s prime location on the World Showcase Lagoon.  We’d heard mixed reviews (many negative), but we were willing to be open-minded.  We are pretty easy to please and were only after a snack.Spice Road Table Dining Area

We approached the podium inside the entrance and I asked how long the wait would be.  I couldn’t see much of the dining area, but there appeared to be open tables.  The host said there would be no wait and we where promptly shown to a table near the water.  We opened our menus and began discussing what we would order to share.  The weather was great and we loved our table’s location.Spice Road Table ViewNormally, at this point, we’d expect a server to stop by and ask about beverages.  If they’re busy, they’d stop by to let us know that they’ll be right back.  There were hardly any other diners around us.  We talked over our options and decided on the  Hummus and Imported Olives with Cornichons and Zaatar Pita Bread ($10) and the Brie Fondue – Baked Brie with Rosemary Croutons ($10), we’d also planned to order cocktails.  We were ready!  We were hungry!Spice Road Table Menu2 Spice Road Table Menu1Spice Road Table Menu

At one point during this time, we noticed a group of several women we believed to be servers congregated near the entrance to this patio dining area engaged in quiet discussion.  Certain they were deciding which tables needed attention and by whom each party would be assisted, we felt certain our order would be taken in short order.

Here’s where being married for almost 27 years comes into play.  We made small talk.  I took a few pictures.  Then Raymond gave me a look that spoke volumes…This look clearly asked, “How long are we going to wait for a server?”  I, of course, was already prepared with my answer, “We’ve been here 7 minutes, let’s give them 3 more.”  Seriously, on the nearly empty dining patio, guests shouldn’t have to wait more than 10 minutes to be greeted by a server.

We sat in companionable silence – Raymond with an amused look on his face as he watched me try to surreptitiously check my watch a time or two.  Finally, I burst out laughing and we got up and left.  We weren’t mad, just surprised and a little disappointed (we wanted something to EAT!).  No one spoke to us or even seemed to notice our departure.  We ended up in the Japan pavilion’s Katsura Grill where we shared sushi and drank sake and enjoyed being together at Walt Disney World. Katsura Grill - Sushi and Sake

As for Spice Road Table?  There are too many other places to eat for us to try that one again anytime soon.

Have you eaten at Spice Road Table?  How did your experience compare to ours?