the disney food blog

The Wait is Over! Disney Blog Carnival, 7th Edition!

AJ — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 04:39:36 +0000

DisMarks.com Logo

This is DisMarks’ biggest blog carnival EVER! It’s been exciting to watch this grow for the past few months, and it’s getting better every edition. Sit back, relax with a cup of coffee, and spend some time getting to know some new bloggers over on the Seventh Edition of the Disney Blog Carnival!

Topics this week include figuring out Your Disney Theme Park Personality, the legend of Humphrey the Bear at Wilderness Lodge, a look at Nighttime Activities at Animal Kingdom Lodge, thoughts about Golden Oak, and lots more!

Have more time? Check out the past editions, too! Here are links to the first , second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth carnivals.

Just head over to DisMarks to see dozens of articles about Disney from your favorite new and veteran Disney bloggers

I think it’s the perfect way to spend an hour during this lovely weekend, but don’t take my word for it!

What’s a Blog Carnival?

By the way, a blog carnival, in case you haven’t seen one before, is a collection of posts submitted from different bloggers on a similar topic. It often takes place weekly or monthly, like an online magazine.

DisMarks.com is a Disney-focused social news website where you can go vote for your favorite Disney articles and blog posts. They launched a brand new Disney Blog Carnival a couple of months ago, which is scheduled to occur about every three weeks — so stay tuned for even more great Disney articles all in one place.

If you’re a Disney webmaster and want to participate in the next Disney Blog Carnival, everyone is welcome. Submissions for the next carnival are due on July 14th, and you can submit your articles or blog posts right here.

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First Picture of Epcot’s Via Napoli Ovens

AJ — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:04:07 +0000

Disney social media director, Thomas Smith, treated twitter followers to a special treat when he twitpic’d a photo of the Via Napoli ovens during a test meal last night!

As you know, Via Napoli’s wood-burning ovens in the photo are named after the three active volcanoes in Italy –- Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli!

The restaurant will open to walk-in customers on Monday, and a media opening will be held on August 5th. The restaurant will continue to take walk-in customers only through September 10th. Grand opening festivities will be held on September 10th. Guests can make Via Napoli reservations for September 10th and later starting on August 6th. Call 407-WDW-DINE or check out DisneyWorld.com.

To see all of the Disney Food Blog coverage of Via Napoli, click here!

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Disneyland’s Blue Bayou

AJ — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:06:02 +0000

Ye come seekin’ adventure with salty ol’ pirates, eh? Sure you’ve come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open mates, and hold on tight. With both hands, if you please.

Ah, yes. We’re headed to the Blue Bayou. All jazzy New Orleans Square on the outside and dreaded pirates on the inside, these are some of the most coveted tables in Disneyland.

Atmosphere

Coming in from the busy New Orleans Square Royal Street outside (those little winding alleyways make it seriously congested in NOS!), Blue Bayou is like a hushed hive of activity. From the lobby, you can only catch a glimpse of shadows scurrying everywhere underneath the Chinese lanterns of the restaurant. The rest looks like sheer blackness — pitch dark.

From the Lobby Into the Restaurant

After giving your name to the reservations CM (hopefully you made an ADR — Blue Bayou is one of the only Disneyland restaurants for which a reservation is practically a necessity), take some time to peek around the lobby. Take in the incredible detailing of the walls, windows, and ceiling. Every inch of Disneyland is packed with intricate themeing.

Stained Glass Window Above Blue Bayou Door

Your Very Own Blue Bayou Gift Card

And while you’re waiting for your table, let the CM know that you’ll gladly wait for a table by the water. You might end up waiting for 45 minutes, but you’ll be glad you did. The difference between sitting closer to the door or kitchen vs. sitting by the water is substantial. Your experience will be completely different, and sitting by the water goes a long way to better integrate you into the theme of the restaurant.

Once you get inside and are shown to your table (seriously — bring a pen light — this place is d-a-r-k) let your eyes adjust as you take in the balconies of the buildings around you, the lanterns dotting the night “sky,” and the boats of eager pirate-lovers floating by.

Restaurant Themeing

Table Setting

Wide Shot of the Restaurant From the Water

That’s right — the restaurant is themed to have you in an outdoor courtyard next to a bayou, and those boats are actual Pirates of the Caribbean ride vehicles carrying your fellow theme park guests on their adventure! You’re part of the ride! See? I told you to sit by the water!

Pirates of the Caribbean Boat

Eats

When we ate at Blue Bayou, it took a while for us to stop staring at everything around us, but soon we turned our attention to the menu. The menu here is relatively short, but very interesting. Combining classic dishes and Cajun flair, just about every entree had a component I wanted to try (with accompaniments like “CousCous Macque Choux” and “citrus crawfish beurre blanc,” how could you not want to eat here?).

Menu -- Click for Larger Version

We took a long look and finally decided to order the Filet Mignon with bearnaise sauce and the Tesoro Island Chicken. Both came with Blue Bayou potatoes and seasonal vegetables. All entrees at the Blue Bayou are prefaced with either a “Cajun-inspired” salad or the delicious New Orleans gumbo that makes Disneyland’s New Orleans Square famous. Luckily, we were started with a basked of bread (always good to take the edge off…)

Bread Basket

The salad was nothing special (in our estimation), but the gumbo is to die for. Delicious. We order it whenever we can — Cafe Orleans, Blue Bayou…anywhere they’ll sell it. (I believe the Royal Street Verandah version is slightly different — can anyone corroborate?)

Cajun Inspired salad

Blue Bayou Gumbo

The entrees soon arrived and I was a bit…surprised. The steak looked good enough, but the chicken… well… the chicken looked like something I’d be served at a networking luncheon (and trust me, I’ve been to a lot of them). While it tasted fine, I hate to say that it was — in no way — worth the $27.99 I paid for it. As for sides, the Blue Bayou potatoes were decent, and the asparagus was less so. But the chicken was most definitely not what I was expecting.

Tesoro Chicken

The steak ended up being quite good — the bearnaise sauce adding a wonderful richness that we’d been anticipating. It was pricey ($36.99) and small, but we were very glad we ordered it. (Which is more than I can say for the chicken. Am I being a bit harsh here?)

Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce

(By the way, while we didn’t go to the Blue Bayou for lunch, and therefore couldn’t order the famous Monte Cristo, we did order it a few days later at Cafe Orleans. Stay tuned for that review soon.)

The relative antipathy toward our entrees was unfortunate. Most reviews of Blue Bayou are glowing when it comes to the food and I wanted mine to be the same. Alas, in the future, I’m getting something more interesting for my entree. Something with citrus crawfish buerre blanc.

But, we must move on, and dessert was next! I couldn’t contain my excitement to see the dessert menu, but I already knew what I was getting: the pirate ship dessert. I’d heard about it. I’d read about it. I’d seen pictures of it!!! I couldn’t wait. It was supposed to be a big, gooey cookie in the shape of a boat, topped with pirate masts and flags and sails… oh, I was bursting at the seams!!!

The menu finally arrived! I held it up to the table candle (’cause it’s so dark you can’t read anything in there — did I already mention that?) and….

It wasn’t there. The pirate ship dessert wasn’t on the menu. I asked the server — surely it was just a specialty dessert that they didn’t list. But, no; to my dismay, the dessert had been discontinued. Our server told us that the company that made the pirate masts couldn’t make them fast enough for the restaurant, so the dessert had been given the axe.

Hmm. I’ll let you make head or tails of that in your own time, but we weren’t convinced. Sadly, our wrath couldn’t bring the pirate ship dessert back, so we had to go ahead and order the chocolate mousse cake and the creme brulee.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

There was nothing wrong with either of these desserts. They look gorgeous in the photos, and they were delicious. Maybe it was just my emotional response to the chickens and pirate ships that made the desserts forgettable to me, but they were that: standard. Standardly delicious, but still standard.

Creme Brulee

If you’d like to see a photo of the pirate ship dessert — along with great pics of some other signature Blue Bayou desserts and the fabulous monte cristo sandwich — check out this Daveland Blog post!

Overall

The atmosphere of this place is outstanding. Head in, get a table by the water, and you’ll be practically as steeped in Disneyland history as you can get. I can highly recommend Blue Bayou to any and all — especially if you can snag a lunch reservation and order that monte cristo.

For dinner, we were a little discouraged by the food quality, but, like I said, this was only one visit. I’ve read and heard many positive Blue Bayou reviews, so take my apathetic one with a grain of salt. Overall, this is must-do on your Disneyland trip.

And I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve been here! What did you order? Any suggestions or favorite items? Let me know in the comments below!

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Guest Review — Theme Park Throw Down: Counter Service

AJ — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:34:02 +0000

After long deliberation, Nick T. of Disney & Beyond has ranked the four Walt Disney World Theme Parks based on his interpretation of the quality of their counter service offerings! Every once in a while we like to stir things up on the Disney Food Blog, so we’d love to hear your opinion on the matter — did Nick get it right, or would you change some things around? Take it away, Nick!

Backlot Express

Just over a month ago, a friend and I, both avid readers of The Disney Food Blog, got into a debate about the best overall counter service options in Walt Disney World’s parks. What started as a fun, simple discussion quickly turned heated, and I started to wonder what the reaction would be if I shared my opinions with the world. Thanks to AJ, now I can. I’d simply like to rank, in my humble opinion, the four Disney World theme parks based on counter service offerings.

For this list, I have taken into account both food and atmosphere. The food part is obvious, but I take atmosphere into account because I feel that is what makes the experience uniquely Disney, and it can actually add to the dining experience. But enough of this chit chat, yak yak, and flim flam. Just refrain from hibernating and enjoy the show. (Some Disney Fudge to whoever is the first to recognize that line.)

ABC Commissary

4. Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Yes, I rank the park formerly known as Disney-MGM Studios as the worst overall in park counter service. Why? Well, to me, both the food selection and the atmosphere of the counter service restaurants in the park are quite…boring. Don’t get me wrong, they all fit the theme well, it is just that they don’t have that lively kick that the other three parks have.

The ABC Commissary is my least favorite counter service area in all of Walt Disney World. The menu is so plain, and the place itself doesn’t look like anything special. Backlot Express has a somewhat more interesting menu than The Commissary, and the props around the place make it more interesting to look at; but it still does not give that same sense of exploration as other counter service areas. The collection of Sunset Ranch Market certainly pushes DHS up in the food department, but it is not strong enough to push it up the rankings, especially with the competition it faces.

Nick’s Personal Preference: Though Sunset Ranch Market is the place to be if you want the best food options (you might be lucky enough to catch a Citizen of Hollywood performance), I enjoy heading to Backlot Express when the Jedi Training Academy is about to have a show. Get a seat outside and enjoy the entertainment.

Cosmic Ray's Bacon Double Cheeseburger with Fries

3. Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom has a lot of great options, which is what I like most about eating in this park. You can get a Hot Dog at Casey’s, Fish at the Columbia Harbor House, an Angus Burger at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn, or an entire selection of grub at Cosmic Ray’s. On top of the options, all of these places have a fantastic atmosphere to go along with the food. You can explore Pecos Bill’s and find all of the hidden references to the legends of the American past, or you can enjoy a Sonny Eclipse show with your dinner at Cosmic Ray’s.

The reason that WDW’s castle park does not rank higher on the list is that none of the food really stands out. Yes, it is all good and edible (thankfully), but there is not one single dish at any of the restaurants that is truly memorable. That is why I cannot rank it within the top two.

Nick’s Personal Preference: For food, Pecos Bill’s has an excellent selection of burgers and wraps. But one of my all time favorite things to do at any WDW counter service area is to head to Pinocchio Village Haus, find a seat beside the windows that overlooks it’s a small world, and wave to all the passengers as they embark on the happiest cruise that ever sailed.

Flame Tree Barbecue Ribs with Beans and Barbecue Sauce

2. Animal Kingdom

This is where we start to get the memorable dishes. Though Animal Kingdom doesn’t have the biggest selection of counter service options, it does have some of the best.

Flame Tree Barbecue has to be considered not only the best counter service option in Animal Kingdom, but one of the absolute best in the entire resort. As the name suggests, the Barbeque options here are to die for and are not-to-be-missed. The design of Flame Tree, that of Predator vs. Prey, is intriguing to look at. Pizzafari also shares the animal design, and the murals that focus on animals in hiding are absolutely wonderful. Anandapur Local Cafe brings out the unique, international flavor of Asia; and this park’s burger joint, Restaurantosaurus, has more hidden gags than one can find in a single trip. The only thing that this park lacks in counter service is a true African flair.

Nick’s Personal Preference: No doubt, Flame Tree for both food and atmosphere. I always try to get a spot by the river. Nothing better than Barbeque on the Waterfront.

Sunshine Seasons Mongolian Beef with Noodles and Rice

1. Epcot

Oh, where do I begin with Epcot? I guess we’ll start in Future World with Sunshine Seasons, which certainly can be argued as the best counter service in all of Disney World. Honestly, I don’t eat here much (more on why later), but I know that this menu offers a wide variety of excellent dishes and it is a place I’ve wanted to try before. However, I can never bring myself to eat there. Why? Because no trip to Disney World is complete without having lunch and dinner in the World Showcase!

The food options in World Showcase alone blow away anything that any other park can offer. Not only is the food selection fantastic, most of it is unique to Epcot. You can’t find UK’s Fish and Chips or Japan’s Sushi, or Germany’s Brats, or China’s Egg Rolls, or Mexico’s tacos anywhere else, and all of them are fantastic.

Sommerfest Bratwurst with Sauerkraut

If you want just a traditional burger, you could head to my favorite burger place in all of WDW, Liberty Inn. This is all before even mentioning that the beautiful and realistic atmosphere of the countries makes eating the local grub so much more enjoyable. All of this together is why I think Epcot runs away with the counter service title.

Nick’s Personal Preference: No trip to Walt Disney World is complete without having some Fish and Chips while listening to British Invasion. I also love to take in a Brat while soaking in the wonderful old time feel of Germany.

So that’s my take on Walt Disney World’s counter service options. Agree or disagree? Leave a comment and let me know!

Thanks, Nick! I appreciate your taking the time to share these opinions with us here at The Disney Food Blog! I’m looking forward to a lively discussion!

Feel free to contact Nick @DisneyandBeyond on Twitter.

Note: Check out our readers’ picks for best Counter Service restaurants in the WDW Theme Parks here!

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Spotlight on South Korea

AJ — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:39:23 +0000

Disney just released this cool Gene Duncan photo of the Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork and Kimchee Slaw, which you can find at this year’s brand new South Korea booth during the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

South Korea Booth Lettuce Wrap

For more photos of the food available at this year’s festival, check out our individual pages dedicated to the International Marketplace booths around the World Showcase! You can see photos of this year’s menu items from Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Germany, and more!

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“The Best Thing I Ever Ate in Disney!” Entrees

AJ — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:39:35 +0000

Here’s the next post in our series based on the Food Network’s (very cool) show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. As many of you know, due to some keen suggestions from readers we’re splitting our series up into different sections: breakfast, appetizers & side dishes, snacks & drinks, entrees (lunch & dinner), and desserts.

Today, we’re taking a look at entrees! I’ve done my favorite brand of informal polling (i.e. posted questions on twitter and facebook ) to find out others’ experiences of the “Best Thing They Ever Ate” in Disney parks and resorts.

The following are the answers received from our readers about their favorite main courses and entrees! If your favorites aren’t here, please add them in the comments section below!

Steaks

It’s no secret that Disney World does steak well. You’ve seen my votes for Five Best Steaks in Disney World, and a lot of these made the list in our poll as well! Here are the top contenders according to our facebook and twitter readers:

Le Cellier Prime Rib

Le Cellier:

BBQ Filet Mignon: This steak, recently pulled from the menu, was the restaurant’s signature filet served with cream cheese mashed potatoes and doused in barbecue sauce.
Filet Mignon with Mushroom Risotto: The current incarnation of the filet is this version. Situated on a bed of delicious mushroom risotto and covered in a white truffle-herb butter sauce.
Prime Rib: Currently served salt-crusted with Yukon potatoes and horseradish cream sauce, this is definitely a favorite.
Mushroom-Stuffed Filet: Not to be confused with the mushroom risotto filet, this stuffed version is long-past and no longer on the menu. But it was mentioned a few times, so it gets a spot on the list!

California Grill Filet of Beef

California Grill: The Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon from California Grill was mentioned several times! This dish is served differently every time I order it, because Cali Grill strives to serve market-fresh produce. You never know what veggies you’re going to get!

Honorable Mentions:
While these steaks were only mentioned a few times, they still deserve a spot in the list!

Jiko Filet Mignon with Macaroni and Cheese and Red Wine Sauce

Oak-Grilled Steak at Spoodles: While it was clearly a favorite of many, Spoodles was replaced last year by Kouzzina by Cat Cora, a restaurant with more Greek influences, but that still incorporates the classic Mediterranean feel of Spoodles
Filet Mignon at Yachtsman Steakhouse: If you know me at all, you know I’ll eat just about anything Yachtsman Steakhouse puts in front if me. The filet is delicious.
Filet with Macaroni and Cheese and Red Wine Sauce at Jiko: Another favorite. This dish is rich upon rich.
Maple-Glazed Rib Eye at Kona Cafe: Kona has worked its way up into the upper-echelons of steaks in WDW!

Seafood

We had a nice variety of seafood dishes mentioned on the poll! A couple are classics, but I’ll bet you’ve never even heard of the others. Flying Fish Cafe was the clear winner in this category.

Tagine

Narragansett Bay Rhode Island “Rhody Royal” Mussels at Flying Fish Cafe: While technically an appetizer, these can be ordered as a meal. Served with Fennel, Chiles, Pesto Crema, and Grilled Sourdough, you’ll almost be able to hear the ocean.
Mogador Fish Tagine at Restaurant Marrakesh: This marinated fish dish with olives, lemon, potatoes, green peppers, and chermula sauce will truly introduce you to Moroccan dining. Not sure what a tagine is? Check out this tagine post!
“Potato-Wrapped” Red Snapper at Flying Fish Cafe: This signature dish served with Leek Fondue, Veal Glace, Red Wine and Cassis Butter is a classic at Flying Fish Cafe. Highly recommended!
Pan-Seared King Salmon Cakes at Liberty Tree Tavern: This relatively new dish is served with Mixed Greens in a Sherry Vinaigrette. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard folks sing its praises!

Liberty Tree Tavern Thanksgiving Dinner

Poultry

Ah yes, the white meat! Here are a few of our readers’ favorites in this category:

Thanksgiving Dinner at liberty tree tavern: For those who crave Thanksgiving Dinner year-round, this is a great spot to get your fix. Book a dinner meal at Liberty Tree Tavern and get all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving!
Turkey Legs: Found throughout Walt Disney World, turkey legs are huge — in both physical size and cult following!
Rotisserie Chicken at Wolfgang Puck Express: This has always been one of my favorite counter service entrees in Disney World. I don’t know how they do it so well, but this is one delicious chicken.

Bobotie

Miscellaneous Entrees

Finally, here are a few of the dishes that didn’t fit into one of our three categories above. (Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough veggie dishes to create a category.) I’m loving the creativity!

Bobotie at Boma: Bobotie is a South African dish made from minced meat and baked with an egg-based “crust” on top. Click here to learn more about Bobotie and other African dishes at Boma.
Lamb at Restaurant Marrakesh: A staple in Moroccan cooking, this lamb entree is served, of course, with rice.
Pork Tenderloin at Hollywood Brown Derby: Served with white cheddar mustard spaetzle, swiss chard, onion relish, and cider jus, this dish is absolutely outstanding. I can almost taste it now.

Pork Tenderloin Entree

Pot Roast at 50s Prime Time Cafe: This is the quintessential classic, but delicious dish. If you loved your Mom’s pot roast as a kid, this will bring the memories back.
Alligator Sausage at Coral Reef: OK, I’ve never had this, and I don’t know that I ever will, but it’s a pretty cool mention. I’ll admit, this only got one vote, but it was too interesting to take off the list!

Now, this is by no means an exhaustive list of the delicious entrees and main courses available in Disney restaurants and counter-service spots — it’s just a snap-shot list from a few of our readers! If you didn’t get a chance to chime in with your favorite, please add to the list in our comments section below! Have you had a not-to-be-missed entree in Disney? Let us know your “Best Thing I Ever Ate in Disney!”

And stay tuned next time for the continuation of the series with the “The Best Thing I Ever Ate in Disney!”: Desserts!

For other posts in this series, check out these links:
The Five Best Things I Ate in Disneyland
The Best Thing I Ever Ate at Disney!: Breakfast
The Best Thing I Ever Ate at Disney!: Appetizers and Side Dishes
The Best Thing I Ever Ate at Disney!: Snacks & Drinks

Photo Credits:
Le Cellier Prime Rib: Steph_in_MA via Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza Flickr Pool
Jiko Filet With Mac and Cheese: Thanks again to Morgan and Jeff Rooks for this incredible photo
Liberty Tree Tavern Dinner: C Relacion via Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza Flickr Pool

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RIP Figaro Fries

AJ — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:17:55 +0000

Well, it’s happened. Sold for so many years at Magic Kingdom’s Pinocchio’s Village Haus, topped expertly with cheese, lettuce, ranch dressing, and tomatoes and desired by many, Figaro Fries lived a good life.

Figaro Fries

It was touch-and-go there at the end. Even after they were discontinued from the menu, Figaro Fries held on, coming back again and again for limited times. However, it seems as though this time, our delicious friends are gone for good.

Now, I know we could take this time to mourn, but instead, let’s be thankful for what we still have. (One thing we’ve learned about Disney restaurants is that they’re always changing; as Pocahontas says — you can’t step in the same river twice (that was her, right?).) So let’s take today to celebrate our crispy, salty, oily, and cheesy cravings for french fries by honoring what we’ve got left!

The Newspaper Chip
Thanks to Rose & Crown and the Yorkshire County Fish Shop, we’re still good to go on the chips-served-in-fake-newsprint!

Rose and Crown Newspaper Chips

Yorkshire County Fish Shop Newspaper Chip

The Waffle Fry
Found at T-Rex in Downtown Disney, the waffle fry offers consolation with seasonings and ideal texture. The surface area means maximum ketchupage.

The T-Rex Waffle Fry

“Pommes Frites” Fries
While I feel lucky to be situated in the middle of the country, equidistant from Disneyland and Disney World, I sometimes envy my West Coast friends who get to be close to these Pommes Frites all the time. The garlic-y and cheese-y goodness of the frites, the spicy, rich taste of the cajun remoulade — it’s indescribable. While I’ll miss the Figaro Fries, I might fall off the planet if these disappear…

Cafe Orleans Pommes Frites

Le Poutine
For those missing the “things piled on top of fries” element of Figaro Fries, consider ordering the Poutine at Le Cellier (see note below). While you’ll surely be missing the tomatoes, lettuce, and Ranch, maybe the gravy will make up for it…

Poutine from Le Cellier

Editor’s Note: OK, I KNOW my Canadian buddies don’t like this picture, but it’s the only one I have, so you’re going to have to deal with it! To my knowledge, Le Cellier has switched to white cheese curds, and, of course, the gravy usually comes on TOP of the frites. Here’s a photo of the real thing, which I think the dish now better approximates.

The “Good Old Fries”
It’s nice to know we can always drown our sorrows in these crispy, straight-from-the-oil Beaches and Cream french fries. They’re dusted with seasonings and served in ample portions, because, as we know, more is always better.

Beaches and Cream Burger and Fries

“Caution: Hot Cheese” Fries
These fries drowned in cheese are sure to take your mind off of Figaro Fries — at least for a while. I got these at an All Star Resort, but you can make your own anywhere you see the “Caution: Hot Cheese” sign on property.

Cheese Fries at All Star Movies

Add chili and it might get even better…

Chili Cheese Fries

Alas…
While it looks like we’ve had to say goodbye to our Figaro Fries, I leave you with one last option for remembrance: make your own. Many of the counter-service spots in WDW have fixin’s bars, yes? Shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, tomatoes, ranch dressing, bacon, anything you’d like… perhaps you can even get a little more creative and go for the Widow Maker Fries!

While we do miss what we once loved, life is about moving on, my friends. What french fries are YOU looking forward to on your next trip to a Disney Park?

Figaro Fries photo via JackSkellington101 on flickr — creative commons

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Whispering Canyon Cafe Dinner Review

AJ — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:07:53 +0000

Wilderness Lodge’s Whispering Canyon Cafe is the kind of place that earns strong opinions from guests. Sometimes positive; sometimes negative.

Me? I love it. Bottomless milkshakes, bottomless skillets of grub, bottomless horses… . Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.

Atmosphere

Tucked into the left-hand side of the lobby at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Whispering Canyon Cafe is a massive, wood-ensconced restaurant where cowboys still fight Indians (look at the back of your chair and see which side you’re on), napkins are re-purposed bandanas, your server is your fellow pioneer, and nobody stands on ceremony.

Table Setting

If this place has anything, it’s atmosphere (read more here). If it’s the kind of atmosphere that appeals to you, hilarity ensues. There’s even a warning on the menu:

But what they don’t mention is that Whispering Canyon Cafe has bad service. No…wait. Not “bad” service. More like “irreverent” service.

WCC servers are “on the range” with you, and they don’t really have the patience for pomp and circumstance. For instance, your cell phone call might be interrupted by a server insisting that it’s rude to take a call at dinner; you might end up a little embarrassed when the server announces that your credit card didn’t quite cover the meal and could anyone help out?; you might be made to take your own Lone Ranger hobby horse tour around the restaurant; you might end up with a pitcher of soda pop the size of Rhode Island on your table; or your tween son might be sung to by every tween daughter in the restaurant. Anything can happen.

My favorite experience was getting a “fastpass to the bathroom” after I drank a few pitchers of Diet Coke at my meal

And the kids will have a blast. “Horse” races on (bottomless, of course) hobby horses are a well-loved activity:

Prepping for a Horse Race

But my favorite kids’ activity at the restaurant is the “pledge.” Kids are asked to stand up, raise their right hand, and repeat a few promises. Of course, these include “staying up as late as I can,” and “never, EVER, going to Universal Studios.”

WCC Antics

By the way, most likely, your straws will be thrown at you:

And for those of you who have heard some mumblings about ketchup at this restaurant you can see a picture on this post! I won’t tell you what happens (spoilers-be-gone!), but feel free to contact me for the info.

Eats

(This post is about dinner, but if you’re interested in breakfast food, check out this Whispering Canyon Cafe Breakfast review.)

The main offering on the dinner menu is the all-you-can-eat skillet. For dinner ($26.99 per adult), this includes:

Smoked Pork Ribs
Pulled Pork
Oven-roasted Chicken
Beef Brisket
Mashed Potatoes
Cowboy Beans
Corn on the Cob
Mixed Greens Salad with Apple Vinaigrette
Coleslaw
Fresh-baked Cornbread

I find the skillet grub to be quite satisfying! The cornbread and pork ribs are usually my favorite, but, like at ‘Ohana, there’s a different “winner” in the meat department every time.

All-You-Can-Eat Skillet at Whispering Canyon Cafe

Salad

Coleslaw

Cornbread

The kids’ portions are quite generous:

Kids' Plate at Whispering Canyon Cafe

The menu has al la carte items as well, including Pork Loin, Pot Roast, Meatloaf, Trout, Rib-Eye, and Chicken Penne Pasta. There’s a full menu of appetizers, too, including Barbecue Pork Spring Rolls, Western Chips and Dip, and Spinach and Pear Salad, among others.

Desserts showcase S’mores Cheesecake, Pecan Pie, and Apple-Caramel Pie, along with dessert drinks.

Of course, one thing that everyone raves about — and they’re only available at this restaurant as far as I know — are the bottomless milkshakes! They come in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Bottomless Milkshake

To see links to the full WCC menus, discount information, and more, see our Whispering Canyon Cafe page.

Overall

I’ve had great meals and I’ve had “dud” meals at WCC. Some servers are really fantastic at their job, are great actors, and know how to observe your family and play their role perfectly. Others aren’t so great at the acting, but are trying hard! (The servers here have a very difficult job. They basically need to intuit the mood of everyone at the table and deliver their “show” accordingly. It can be very tough when half the folks are ready for fun and half the folks are feeling less rowdy. Be clear, up front, with how you’d like your meal experience. It’ll be better for everyone involved! ) This is not a restaurant that you can prepare for; you could have any of a variety of experiences here.

The food, however, is uniformly decent if you’re a barbecue fan. You’re not getting 4-star here, but you’ll have edible grub and plenty of it. While I’ve always ordered the skillet in this restaurant, I’ve heard great reviews of the a la carte entrees as well.

I can’t stress enough: if you’d like to take part in the restaurant’s “antics,” go for prime meal time during breakfast or dinner. If you’d like to try the food, but avoid the crazy, go for lunch. FYI: according to my impromptu Facebook poll, breakfast “goings-on” aren’t as rowdy as those at dinner. (The fewer people in the restaurant, the less rowdy it gets — in my experience).

Now, I’d LOVE to hear what you guys think of Whispering Canyon Cafe! Did you love it? Did you hate it? Great food? Horrible food? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks again to Brett Young for letting me raid his recent photo stash!

As always, thanks to the Wilderness Lodge Site for the use of their photos!

Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to:

2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Pins Sneak Peek

AJ — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:00:02 +0000

Global Disney Pinvestigation has posed a sneak peek at pins that will be available starting October 1st commemorating the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

Just Two of the Many 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Pins

Here are a couple of the limited edition pins, and one will be a passholder exclusive.

To see the official 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival pin, along with other limited release and limited edition pins created for the Festival, head on over to Global Disney Pinvestigation! He also has other sneak peek pin news, including the new Holiday Vinylmation series (I like the candy cane one, but that’s no surprise…).

Click this link for more information about the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to:

Disney Food Post Round-Up: July 25, 2010

AJ — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 03:32:27 +0000

Happy Sunday, everyone! Here’s the latest food news from this week:

Via Napoli reservations information is now available!
The 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Guide and Map are ready for perusal!
Disney parks welcome a Meatball and Beer bar and a Crepes and Funnel Cake Sticks stand!
Disneyland and Disney World 2011 Food and Wine Festival dates are available!

And thanks to Global Disney Pinvestigation for writing about our WDW Foodie Fest this week!

We’re starting this week’s Round-Up a little differently! I’m excited to showcase some pics of the upcoming restaurants in Epcot — La Hacienda de San Angel and Via Napoli!

First off, thanks to Eric Walker for this awesome pic of the newly painted Hacienda de San Angel!

Hacienda de San Angel

And thanks to Epcot Explorer for these fantastic photos of the newly revealed Via Napoli!

Via Napoli 1

Via Napoli 2

Via Napoli 3

Hoperatives has a great resource page on beers in Disney World, including varieties and prices and sorted by theme park and resort!

Craft Beer Restaurant Blog has a commentary about the beers on the menu for the 2010 Epcot Food & Wine Festival. Great read!

Mousesavers highlights some incredible deals from restaurant.com — we’re talking discounts on discounts for House of Blues and Swan & Dolphin restaurants! (Thanks to Studios Central for the FYI on restaurant.com!)

Main Street Gazette sampled and reviewed nearly every flavor of Wonderland Tea. Fantastic article!

The Disney Chick makes an old Food and Wine Festival favorite — Beef Bites with Chocolate and Red Wine Sauce!

The Disney Blog shares his review of the new meatball sliders and beer bar at Portobello in Disney World’s Downtown Disney.

Zannaland wonders which Disney candy fits your mood?

The Makin’ Memories Blog shows us Part I of her Tables in Wonderland Great Movie Ride dinner experience!

Studios Central moseys on over to Hoop Dee Doo Revue!

A Taste of Disney makes ‘Ohana Bread Pudding with Bananas Foster Sauce.

Eating (And Drinking) Around the World has a bone to pick with those bartender robots in the Space Mountain exit area!

Disney Parks Blog talks about one of my favorite desserts — Key Lime Pie!

Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to: