Kona Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Polynesian

*This dining experience took place in April 2013.

Entrance to Kona Cafe

It's been a while since I've been to Kona Cafe for breakfast. If you've read other reviews on the blog, you'll probably know that I'm a huge breakfast fan and a huge fan of Kona for breakfast. It's the best for allergy friendly Mickey waffles. I stopped by for breakfast this morning by myself (one of my least favorite things to do is to eat out alone!) so I planned for a quick meal; however, I was greeted to a very very busy restaurant. I actually ended up waiting for a table for about 20 minutes. Crazy! I hadn't expected a Sunday to be so busy but maybe everyone was out for brunch. Who knows? My server said it was the busiest she'd seen in a long time as well, so I wasn't the only one noticing the crowds.

Busiest I've seen Kona in a long time!

Once I got seated, I was met by Chef Katrina. She's helped me at various Disney restaurants before, but I think she's been at Kona for a while (she once gave me regular butter and dairy in my eggs--eek!). Now that Chef Johnny is over at Ohana, she was taking care of me this time. I decided to be kind of boring and get one of my standard favorites. The Big Kahuna platter modified. It's a ton of food, which was good because I was 1) starving and 2) had to help my brother move into a new apartment. I needed to carb load!The Big Kahuna typically comes with eggs your way, bacon, sausage, and ham, breakfast potatoes, macadamia nut pancakes and french toast. I sub out the glutenous carbs with the allergy friendly Mickey waffles. Yum! I also opted for no sausage because it really upsets my stomach--which is a real shame because it's really really good. I got the ham and bacon though.

Behold, the Big Kahuna!

Overall, it was a really good breakfast. The bacon was different than it used to be--for the better! It wasn't that yucky stringy bacon they usually serve. This was meaty thick bacon. Very good. The ham was excellent as always and the scrambled eggs were your basic scrambled eggs. The breakfast potatoes have a spice mixture on them, and they are really good. Big fan of those. The Mickey waffles were also good, except for one of them (I got 3) which was kind of burnt. Thankfully, I had enough of my fill of the waffles with two and the rest of my meal.As usual, Kona put out a great breakfast. And the service there was excellent too. My server was really busy but she was very attentive (which doesn't always happen when you dine alone). I'm reminded why I enjoy breakfast here so much. I need to go more often :) A solid 9 out of 10 from me!

Whispering Canyon Cafe -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Wilderness Lodge

*This dining experience took place in April 2013.Hoooowdy! I'm back for another rootin' tootin' good time at Whispering Canyon Cafe. It's been a while since I visited last and one of the biggest reasons I wanted to head over this time was to check out the newly revamped dinner menu. I've been to lunch since the menu was revamped and you find find that review HERE. I also wanted to catch up with one of my favorite chefs on Disney property, Chef Williere. Words can't do him justice--he's just awesome!

 My family came with me for this meal, and we were all VERRRY hungry, having spent an afternoon moving my brother into his new apartment. Family style places are a great place to scarf down after a long day of moving boxes!Upon arrival, we all got ourselves some cool beverages. Really, we should have asked for the big Mason jars because let me tell you, we sure drank enough iced tea and soda. While getting our cool drinks, we looked over the menu. I knew that the entree choice was the family style platter. It gives you the choice of picking out 3 different meat choices including:

• Kansas City style Smoked Pork Ribs
• Herb-baked Chicken
• Hand-carved Oak-roasted Beef Strip Loin
• Citrus-crusted Market Fish
• Western-style sausage
• Pulled Pork

From the meats I remembered, I had a sense that the ribs were safe as was the chicken. For sides, you don't have to choose but you get:

• Seasonal Farm Fresh Vegetables 
• Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Cowboy-style Baked Beans
• Corn on the Cob 

Chef Williere came out, and we chatted. The restaurant was swamped so I can imagine how crazy the kitchen was, plus he was at a lot of tables to assist. Who knew Sunday was an oddly busy evening there. He went over the meat options and said everything was gluten free & dairy free, except the fish. This is due to the crust that they top the fish with. However, Chef Williere could make it plain without the crust. Our table went with the pulled pork, ribs, chicken and fish. As far as the sides, everything was safe except the mashed potatoes which had dairy in it. Aw bummer. I really really liked those herb crushed potatoes from the last time we had a skillet (before it became the platter) there. Instead my option was plain rice. Really, in the end I didn't need it because I had so much other food to eat. The good news was that they still have the allergy friendly cornbread--hallelujah!!!First up, came the cornbread. Yum. I got a nice big piece and I swear my family was eying my cornbread the whole time. I did give my family some samples, including my brother & sister-in-law who hadn't tried it before. They actually really liked the cornbread, saying it was more "cornmeal" flavored that the cake cornbread that they had. I should have asked for more :)

Yum! Allergy friendly cornbread. Delish!

The one thing I will say that I actually missed from the old "skillet" days was the salad. I really liked the salad with apple vinaigrette. It made for a nice refreshing appetizer before the big meal. But as long as the cornbread stays, I'll forgo the salad!!Then onto our platter. The meats, except the fish, were all on one platter. The corn and veggies were on another (all safe for me to eat). The beans and potatoes were in separate bowls, so I was able to easily avoid the potatoes.

Ribs, chicken, baked beans

Pulled Pork, ribs, chicken, corn, and green beans & carrots

Rice, my plate with chicken, ribs, veggies

So, I have to apologize for the lack of composed photos. I sort of realized I forgot pictures mid-way through the meal. Whoops. This is what happens when you are REALLY hungry. First up, the veggies. I don't eat corn on the cob--it's a Crohn's thing. Really messes my stomach up. But the family said this was good (and they ate it all). The green beans and carrots were good but very crunchy. Another Crohn's no-no. I tried a little bit didn't want to push it. The bbq baked beans are also a little firmer than you might expect from baked beans, but I do like the bbq flavor.I have to say, my favorite part was the meat. I know if you are vegan or vegetarian, they can offer you the quinoa cakes still but in reality this place is kind of a meat-lover's paradise and maybe not the best veggie choice. The pulled pork was actually my favorite because it had a nice smoky flavor (and it wasn't sauced--this is key in pulled pork). The ribs were good. I'm always on the fence with ribs, but I liked these. Still, they are a lot of work for little in the end in my opinion! I'm not a fan of messy eating :) The herb chicken was my second fave of the evening. I really enjoy the rosemary flavor on this. I ate a couple of pieces of this. The fish was also good. It was very fairly plain--some type of cod or tilapia seasoned with salt and pepper. But it was cooked properly. That's very much the key to good fish. (and something I constantly screw up at home). Chef Williere really loaded me up with food options, so I walked away from this meal stuffed.And then it was on to dessert. Last time I had a skillet, we had a really lovely chocolate cake that the bakery had specially made for us. This time, I was glad that Chef Williere had a lovely sorbet for me. It was one of those perfect palate cleansers at the end of the meal--not too heavy, light tasting  and yummy. It was raspberry sorbet, with a raspberry sauce, fresh berries. After seeing the dessert sampler my family got I think they were wishing they had the sorbet! They liked it but they were very very full.Overall, I liked the new platter. I admit, the old skillets tug at my Disney traditions and heartstrings. I miss them as much as I miss the lazy Susan skillets at Ohana. But, I do realize that change is good in restaurants in order to keep them fresh, current and vibrant. There are a few things I missed (like the salad) but overall, I think Chef Williere and the team have done an excellent job of updating the menu without losing the heart of Whispering Canyon Cafe. Most of the meats are the same, just a few changes here and there.I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10 and will definitely be back again to say hi to Chef Williere and the rest of the gang at Whispering Canyon Cafe!

Sanaa -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Kidani Village

*This dining experience took place in March 2013 and includes a gluten free, dairy free, and soy free review in addition to my standard GF/DF review.

View of the Savannah outside the restaurant

 Sanaa means "work of art" and this restaurant certainly is a gorgeous setting for a meal. I love the African art pieces and the overall decor. It really sets the tone for a great and relaxing (ahh a rarity sometimes at Disney) atmosphere! You also can't beat the amazing view of the Savannah and of the animals outside your window. There's something magical about eating a meal with giraffes, zebras, and tommies out and about. Amazing!!As many of you know, this is one of my favorite restaurants on property. I love the Indian inspired food and after eating some really mediocre chicken curry at Rose & Crown recently, I REALLY appreciate the food served at Sanaa. If you don't think you'd be a fan of Indian food, I'd encourage you to give Sanaa a try. They really make some tasty and approachable dishes that appeal to all tastes.This trip I met up with a friend who also has food allergies: gluten, dairy, and soy. The great thing about Sanaa is that it's really terrific for food allergies--so many of the dishes are naturally gluten free and tons of them are also dairy free too!First up, we ordered the bread service--which we always get. It's soooo good. Well, I should say the dips are soooo good. I have a serious addiction problem to the red bell pepper hummus. Yep, it's bad. Chef Trish took care of us this trip, and she is fabulous. She was nice enough to give us a few extra dips since we had a table of 4 splitting it and since there were allergies involved. Yum! When she brought it out, she also brought out a dip I hadn't tried before: Coconut Chutney. At first, I thought it was for the non-allergy people at the table, but she said it was gluten, dairy, and soy free. Yum! A creamy coconutty dip sounded great to me. It was delicious--sweet and spicy at the same time. It had more of a kick than I anticipated, but the coconut milk in it really cooled things down. We also enjoyed a few of my favorites: Coriander chutney, Mango chutney and of course, the hummus. Needless to say, our table scarfed these down...not a drop left!!

Dips from the front: Coconut chutney, mango chutney, coriander chutney, and roasted red bell pepper hummus

Pappadums for two please!

For our entrees, I chose one of my standards: Durban Chicken and Green Curry Shrimp with Basmati Rice. Yum. My friend ordered the Durban Chicken and Beef Short Ribs with Basmati Rice. In fact, everyone at the table ordered Durban Chicken...can you see a pattern there? The Durban chicken is fabulous, but spicy, so not for everyone. I always make sure to have some extra drinks available because yes, it's got a bite to it. But it's so flavorful and delicious. But, if you're not a fan of heat/spice, you might want to pass on this one. However, I always order it with Green Curry Shrimp because it's coconut milk based and I use it to "cool down" the heat of the Durban. (i.e. I eat the spicy dish first and cool down with the milder one). Both are some of my favs. I also get the sustainable fish a lot, so if you look for milder dishes that are GF/DF, that is a great one.

Durban Chicken, Beef Short Ribs and Basmati Rice

Durban Chicken, Green Curry Shrimp and Basmati Rice

Since this meal was a late lunch we didn't opt to get dessert--we were all stuffed to the gills! As usual, we had a terrific meal with really tasty options. I'm reminded why Sanaa is not just a "work of art" visually but also culinary-wise as well. Truly delicious!A solid 9 out of 10!

Flame Tree BBQ -- Quick Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Animal Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.

Photo copyright http://kingdomhopping.blogspot.com

I'm a huge fan of BBQ--there's something about the smoke flavor that is just so good. Living in an apartment, I rarely get the opportunity to grill or smoke things myself, but visiting Flame Tree BBQ is a great substitute for the lack of a grill at my own place.On this particular trip, I made a quick visit to Flame Tree for a bite in between meals on a long day. I actually ended up splitting my pork sandwich with my mom so as not to be overly full later on. When I arrived, I notified the cashier that I needed to speak with a manager. The manager then brought me the ingredients binder to go over options. Normally, I would have taken a look at more options, but since I knew I wanted the BBQ pork sandwich, there wasn't much of a need to go over the binder. Interestingly enough, when I ordered the binder stated that the bun available was Udi's; however, when I received the bun it was the GNI brand bun. Weird. Disney really needs to get their info updated and also make sure the managers know what's available because she kept telling me it was Udi's. Yeah, I know Udi's and that is SOOOO not Udi's lol I also got grapes instead of the coleslaw mostly because I was not in the mood for it.

BBQ Pork Sandwich on a GNI brand bun and grapes

I will say that the sandwich was good, but the bun was not great. I don't think it was properly heated (the major downfall when it comes to GNI brand). I think you also get a smaller portion of meat because they try to size it to the GNI bun, which is puny! That was a bit of a bummer. However, I found the meat to still be quite good--very tasty. The grapes were a nice light snack for the day.I've heard some other reports from other Disney folks that the other BBQ like the chicken and ribs weren't as good for them on their most recent visits; they stated that the meat was quite dry. I'm hopeful that this was just a fluke and not a new standard, but I will def. try out the chicken next visit. Overall, it was an OK meal--not great but not terrible either.I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for a slightly mediocre experience.

Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.

Entrance to Kouzzina

Boardwalk!

This dining review is a mash-up of several trips to Kouzzina. I ate there not once, but three times in a week and 1/2 for breakfast. Yup, 3 times! I actually can't find the photos from the 2nd trip, so either I was so excited to have breakfast or I totally forgot. Whoops! But never fear, I still have 2 meals worth of photos.First up, is trip #1. I went there for my birthday celebration (my family surprised me). Chef Brad was the chef on duty. He's very good; in fact, I think he's one of my favs at Kouzzina. He's really good at customizing things for me. I decided I wasn't in a very big sweet potato mood, so I asked him if he could do plain potatoes with rosemary and garlic in it. This was no problem. So, I ordered scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, and subbed out bread for the Mickey waffles--which was used with Bob's Red Mill mix (if you recall the Namaste batter disaster, you'll note why this is important!) I also got bacon.

Breakfast #1

Breakfast #1

Everything was great this meal. I will say the Mickey waffles weren't very crispy, but they were still good. The potatoes tasted more like they had parsley in them, but they were also still good. One thing I got that I normally don't is the hot tea (Twinnings Decaffeinated English Breakfast). It was really chilly that day!

Hot tea

Trip #2 was more of the same. I got virtually the same breakfast items except I added the Udi's toast with Earth Balance in addition to the Mickey waffles. Hey, what can I say I like carbs! This time it was Chef Sergio who assisted me. I'm surprised he doesn't remember me as he was the poor chef during the Mickey Waffle Crisis.Trip #3 yep...more of the same. I actually tried to get Chef Brad (who was back again) to make me French Toast with Udi's but he said it falls apart too much to make it. Aw bummer! So, I ended up back at my old standby. Hey, you gotta stick with a good thing!

Breakfast #3--potatoes were crispier and tastier this time

Breakfast #3 -- Mickey waffles were also much better

I forgot to mention that on the 1st trip, Chef Brad gave me a couple of packages of Enjoy Life Foods Boom Boom Bars! Yeah! I love these things; they make a great sweet treat later in the day. 

Yum!

As you can tell, I really enjoy Kouzzina. I may not be overly adventurous on the breakfast choices, but I really like what I normally get. As always a great standby breakfast place on property. A solid 9 out of 10!

Raglan Road -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- Downtown Disney

*This dining experience took place in February 2013 and includes a gluten free & yellow food coloring review in addition to my gluten free/dairy free review.

Irish Step Dancing at Raglan Road

Of all the Downtown Disney restaurants, this so far has been the one I've felt the most comfortable eating at GF/DF. It's only been a few months since I had been for the first time, but this was a great opportunity to go with other friends who hadn't been. I was also curious (and somewhat hopeful) that I could get something besides the fish & chips. My friend who is gluten free & also allergic to yellow food coloring was also looking forward to checking out the offerings.I will say that it gets busy here on a weekend evening! Our group had dinner slightly early (5pm) but it was still fairly full. We were seated in one of the back corners and not in the middle of the restaurant, which actually was a good thing because it gets a little loud in here with the live entertainment. I think if we had been in the middle of the dining room it would have been even harder to have a conversation. And don't worry if you think you'll miss the live entertainment--they will come to your area! We did get a chance to see the Irish step dancing up close as they do rotate areas.But on to the food and drink...the important stuff!! First up, we ordered drinks. I had planned on a hard cider since I'm not a huge fan of the Redbridge gluten free beer; however, the server mentioned that they had Omission Beer which I've been semi-curious about trying. On the one hand, I've been skeptical (it's a craft beer made using traditional ingredients but the gluten is removed during the process and tested to ensure there is no gluten), but also curious. I thought it might taste more like beer considering the process by which it's made. So I gambled and tried it. I was surprised. It tasted like beer! And I didn't get sick--thank goodness. I wasn't a huge fan of this particular lager and might try the pale ale, but I don't think Disney is serving that. The manager came out later and did mention to me that they've replaced the Redbridge with Omission which I was very surprised with. Now if they could just get New Planet Beer on the list, I'd be very happy (I love their raspberry ale!).

Omission beer

Next up were the food orders. As we found out, there didn't seem to be great options for either of us with food allergies. Mine was more limited because of the dairy and I was mostly relegated to a burger with no bun (and I don't eat beef) or fish and chips. I could have had a salad but as many of you  know those of us with Crohn's do not do well with lots of fresh veggies. Good thing I liked the fish and chips. My friend could have had Shepherd's Pie and a few other dishes in addition to the burger and fish and chips. Because of the concern with the yellow food coloring and some less than stellar accommodation for it, he ended up with a burger with no bun and fries. We also ordered some of the gluten free onion rings for an appetizer.

Onion rings

Close-up of the onion rings--look at those beauties!

The onion rings were better than they were the first time I had them--crunchy and the onions seemed more done to me. I do almost wish they had a sauce of some time (or some of that tartar sauce!). GF/DF sauce would be great (hint, hint Raglan Road).

Ha, this is what NOT to eat at Raglan Road--my friend's schnitzel complete with beer and malt vinegar--a GF/DF nightmare! lol But my friend said this was good.

Here's the GF/DF goodness--my fish and chips with that yummy tartar sauce

My fish and chips were good as usual. Again, I don't think they are really the best GF/DF fish and chips I've ever had (I have a local British pub who has dedicated fryers and fish and chips that kick this one's butt) but it's still a good solid GF/DF option. I really like the thick fries. But the thing that makes this dish for me is the tartar sauce. It's sooooo good. I love it. And I probably could have eaten a few dishes of it. Yum!

Cheeseburger minus the bun with steak fries and tomato relish on the side

My friend got the cheeseburger, which I didn't realize until I saw it that it had Irish bacon on it (more like Canadian bacon). It normally comes with a tomato relish, but my friend got it on the side which was a good thing too, I don't think he liked it). Overall, I think he enjoyed the burger itself--as far as burgers go it looked good. I think he was more excited about the french fries. If you're GF you can relate because we hardly ever get an opportunity to get safe fries!Overall, I'd say this was an OK experience. What they do have GF/DF is limited but at least it's good. I wish they had better options or maybe could accommodate a little better, but if I know I want something greasy this is my go-to place.I'd give this a 7 out of 10. What I had was good, but somewhat limited in options.

Kona Cafe -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Polynesian Resort

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.

Entrance to Kona

There are some restaurants on property that I go to entirely too much. Kona is probably one of them--mostly because now even the chefs and waistaff recognize me. Well at least they don't know me by name...yet! The chef does know me by allergy though. Hey, what can I say? When you find a good thing, you stick with it!Interestingly enough, I actually am not a big fan of dinner at Kona but I adore breakfast and lunch. Go figure. On this particular visit, I headed to Kona for lunch. When I arrived I was seated by the manager and I mentioned Chef Johnny who has taken care of me almost everytime I've been at Kona in the past 2 years. Turns out Chef Johnny was recently relocated to Ohana. The chefs on property rotate restaurants every 3 years or so, so I knew it was bound to happen. Chef Brandon was the new chef on duty.However, I was pleasantly surprised when Chef Johnny showed up at my table. Evidently the manager had let him know that I mentioned him specifically by name and so he came over. He said he would take care of my order from start to finish, as he was thrilled to see me. (I'm sure he got some brownie points with the manager!). I ordered what I've been getting there lately--the Island Chicken Sandwich. It's a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and curry mango mayonnaise. I ordered it minus the cheese and this time Chef Johnny offered to grill some onions for it--the first time I got them. I always get the curry mango mayonnaise on the side so I can put on the sandwich AND dip the fries in it. I love the curry mango mayo. It's awesome!Chef Johnny said they stopped getting the Udi's buns (oh sad day) and now only have the GNI brand buns. He said they really don't like them at all. Not only are they half the size but they are also extremely difficult to work with. Blech. I agree with him. However, if you put enough curry mango on a dirty shoe it would taste good, and this bun is the same!

Chicken sandwich with curry mango mayo on the side--where's the bun?! It's so small it's hidden.

Grilled onions--these were delicious

Big view of the bounty. Love this sandwich!

As usual, this sandwich was awesome. I will note that the chicken didn't seem to have that slight gingery taste to it anymore. I wonder if they don't marinade it at all now. It was still a nicely grilled piece of chicken breast. The bacon was also thick cut and tasty--not that wimpy bacon. The onions were a nice touch. I wish I would have ordered them before. I really loved the grill flavor. And of course, that curry mango mayo is beyond awesome. It makes the whole sandwich. I literally downed the entire cup between the sandwich and the fries. It's that good.

Meringues

Last up was a new treat: Meringues. Evidently it's new for the menu and safe for me to eat (pretty sure it's just mainly egg whites). Yum! Definitely a nice way to end the meal with something safe, sweet, and different than rice dream or a cookie. And it wasn't extra!Overall, I really love Kona for lunch. I like the variety of foods during this time and the island chicken sandwich? It's the best! I'm sad to see Chef Johnny move over to Kona, but I was glad he was able to help me on this visit.Next time it will be interesting to visit with a new chef!Overall, a good solid 9 out of 10!

Liberty Inn -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- World Showcase -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.There are many places in the World Showcase that I like to eat. For me, Liberty Inn wouldn't be my first choice, but surprisingly, one of my top choices for a good quick service meal. While I don't personally eat beef (so burgers are out for me), I do really enjoy the allergy friendly chicken tenders which Liberty Inn carries. It's not often that you can get safe chicken tenders out anywhere, so even though I would normally classify the fare at this location as a boring burgers and fries joint, this is the place I like to visit in Epcot for the chicken tenders.I have the file somewhere with the list of ingredients, but haven't been able to find it. I believe the coating is rice flour based, but the tenders themselves come in pre-packaged to the different locations. Some locations are able to fry them in dedicated fryers and others bake them. In the case of Liberty Inn, they bake both the tenders and the french fries so be prepared for a 20 minute wait.On this particular occasion, I stopped by because I knew I could eat them safely; it was late, and I had spent several hours getting my car towed to the Disney Car Care Center (long story, but I'm glad to know this auto shop is there!!). So I was in serious need of something substantial. As usual, the manager said she could make these but that it would take 20 minutes. Normally, I get a manager who's willing to bring them to me so I don't have to wait or come back, but it was relatively busy and this manager said I would need to come back or wait. I ended up going back to the table with some family & friends who were very surprised it actually took the 20 minutes.

Whoops I forgot to take a picture before I began eating!

Once I got the tenders, I was very excited. When you're tired, stressed and hungry, a simple thing like an allergy friendly chicken tender is a bright spot! They were, of course, very hot, but good. I prefer them fried, but they are still very delicious baked. The fries were also quite good. Note I didn't have any sauces, but rather some ketchup for the fries. A lot of the sauces have gluten in them, so I usually steer clear (especially since a manager once tried to tell me something was safe when it was labeled not).Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of the tenders here. The only slight complaint (and not really a complaint more of a convenience wish) was that the manager wasn't very willing to bring them over or notify me when they were done. After a long day that would have been appreciated.I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10!

Rose & Crown -- Table Service -- Dinner -- World Showcase -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.

View from my seat of the World Showcase Lagoon

It's been a few years since I've been to the Rose & Crown at the UK Pavilion at Epcot. This visit was entirely by accident due to some car troubles & an extended stay at WDW while my car was fixed (or not as it eventually turned out, but that's not a food related story!!). I ended up getting an ADR last minute at Rose & Crown, as it sounded like a much better option than some of the others available in the World Showcase at the time (I was staying at the Boardwalk, so I wanted something semi-close). My last experience there was good, so I thought it the perfect time to check it out again.I was seated outside on the second level before the water, so I had a lovely view of the World Showcase Lagoon. I was seated in a slightly weird location as I was by myself, but overall, it was a pleasant location mostly due to the nice weather and view.

Side view from my table

 When the chef arrived, he seemed very familiar to me. I was pretty sure that he'd assisted me at another restaurant. His name was Chef Brian, and he was very nice. First, he went over the options for appetizers (good thing too, I was starving having not had anything since breakfast and it being 6pm). He said the Mary & the Lads (i.e. shrimp cocktail) was safe with no modifications, as was the Roasted Sea Scallops appetizer. The salad was ok with the removal of the blue cheese. I ended up with the Mary & the Lads, as shrimp cocktail sounded fab.

Mary & the Lads

As far as appetizers go, this one was delicious. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and the sauce was not the typical cocktail sauce, but rather a spicy bloody Mary sauce. It was really good and something different. The salad was micro-greens and frisee tossed with a light vinaigrette, very simple. It went really well with the shrimp.In between the entree and the appetizer, I was brought some rolls. They were the GNI brand rolls, but interestingly enough they were in the packaging--a first for me. This gave me a chance to see what "allergens" it supposedly covers. According to the package it's gluten, dairy, soy, egg, corn. My only complaint is that from what I know about the company, they produce these rolls in plants that have nuts and dairy. So, I'm not sure about the cross-contamination standards. If anyone knows, I'd love to find out more about them! Taste-wise, at least they were heated this time so the texture was more appealing.

GNI brand rolls--at least they were heated properly

Allergens listed on the package but no ingredients

For my entree, I had the choice of Fish & Chips (which I had just had a few nights earlier at Raglan Road) and the Chicken Curry. There were several others, but these were the two that appealed to me. I ended up getting the curry figuring that the British pavilion should at least have good curry (when I spent a month in the UK in college I lived on!!); however, I was fairly disappointed. It wasn't the worst curry I've had but it wasn't the best either. Certainly nothing like Sanaa (which I love!!). I should have gone with the Fish & Chips! The sauce was very concentrated, almost like tomato paste and tasted mostly like tomato paste. The curry flavor was not very strong. The vegetables were slightly crunchy--well some of them were crunchy and some not. Very strange. I guess someone's mise en place skills needed some work in the kitchen! The chicken was the best part. It was very very tender and quite flavorful (about the only thing that tasted of curry). I don't think I'd get this one again. The poppadum was great but I'm not sure they could screw up something that probably came in pre-packaged!

Chicken Curry--Not the best

I'd really be curious to try the fish & chips here. I know they used potato & corn starch in the batter. Sounded different and interesting compared to the one at Raglan Road. I opted for no dessert as the only option was sorbet.Overall, I liked the Rose & Crown. I think I just made a poor decision on the entree, but I can imagine the other dishes are quite good. I definitely should have gone with my gut on this one. I'd go back again but just try a different entree.An 8 out of 10.

Boma -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- AKL

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.

Relaxing on the balcony of my room at the AKL before breakfast

It feels like ages since I've been to Boma for breakfast. In truth, it's probably been around 6 months I would guess. It's not often that I go to buffets for breakfast unless it's a special occasion or rare treat. With some friends visiting from out-of-town and me staying at the resort for the weekend, it was a great chance to visit one of my fav buffets on property.

Seating area in Boma

 I hadn't contacted anyone ahead of time, but I was wondering if Chef Chris would be working (as he is who helped out my last visit). He's a bit of a goofball, but he does a nice job at providing allergy friendly service. And sure enough, it was Chef Chris who was there. I kicked myself for not emailing him ahead of time because I could have gotten some allergy friendly Bobotie (a fav of mine), but no worries, there is PLENTY of food to eat there.

Grill station

 As far as changes to the buffet, there really didn't seem to be any, except the missing grilled asparagus. NOOOO! One of my favorite items there. Evidently they aren't serving it on the buffet as it is very expensive right now. However, Chef Chris made me an omelet with asparagus in it which was very nice of him. Omelets need to be prepared in the back by the chefs and he made one with ham and asparagus. In terms of other items made in the back, he also prepared the allergy friendly Mickey waffles and they also now have the Udi's toast (thank goodness!). They also have Earth Balance, so that was a nice treat. You know I love my carbs in the morning :) I also asked about muffins, hoping they'd have a Kinnikinnick muffin for me, but alas they did not. I was given some OMG It's Gluten Free brand chocolate chip cookies to take with me for the road (not my favorite). In general, the omelet was OK. I can see why asparagus isn't being used. It was very woody tasting (and I love asparagus). The omelet itself was also overcooked. The toast was good. The Mickey waffles were just OK. The taste is just fine, but I just wish they could get them a little crunchier :)

Ham & Asparagus omelet & Udi's Toast

Mickey waffles, maple syrup, and Earth Balance

In terms of the buffet itself, here's what I had on the buffet, I was able to get fresh fruit, breakfast meats (I went with bacon), breakfast potatoes, ham (the corned beef is not safe), quinoa, pap (aka grits) and stewed veggies. If you are GF, you can request GF certified oats now, but you have to have it prepared in the back because they don't prepare the special oats unless by request due to cost. Great to know they are now carrying them! (I believe they used Bob's Red Mill brand).

Bacon, ham, pap, & breakfast potatoes

The jungle juice is also a safe option, and no trip to Boma is complete without it! (sorry I forgot to take a pic).Overall, Boma remains a consistently solid breakfast location. The chefs are always willing to help out and to make things in the back. Sure I didn't love every item this trip, but it certainly wouldn't deter me from visiting again. I think they were just really busy, hence the overcooked omelet. Otherwise, everything was fab. If you like breakfast with a unique flare, this is a great place to visit!I'd give this a 8 out of 10 for solid food & service. A must-do for my family!

Tangierine Cafe -- Quick Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Morocco -- World Showcase -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.

 Any time I visit the Moroccan pavilion at Epcot, I feel like I'm transported to another world. It has a lovely authentic vibe. I love trying new things here, and I love Moroccan food. I especially love hummus and olives of any type.Unfortunately, on my last trip, I didn't have many options, but I really wanted to see if they had changed in the past year.When I first entered, I let the cashier know that I needed to see a chef or manager. Interestingly enough, they brought a chef. It was a very interesting experience, as he did not interact with me at all. The cashier told him that I couldn't gluten or dairy (which he translated in Arabic). The chef then told him basically what I could have. This was very different from the last visit, where they gave me a binder with ingredients. Thankfully, I have a good working knowledge of Moroccan & Middle Eastern food, because I knew that hummus is naturally safe. The chef said I should order the Shawarma Platter with chicken, hummus, olives, lentil salad, and GF/DF bread. Seemed easy enough for me.The wait did take quite a while, mostly because they had to get the bread around. Interestingly enough, the bread was not GNI or Udi's. The only other place I've encountered this specific bread was at Be Our Guest Restaurant, but I was not able to determine what the brand is.

Shawarma Platter modified

Overall, I found this to be very good. In fact, I wish they would have had this option the last visit (I had the meatballs the last time, which are no longer on the menu). The chicken was a little spicy and very tender. The hummus was excellent, as usual. Unfortunately, the bread was kind of styrofoamy. It had a really weird texture that almost reminded me of the Ener-G rolls. It might have been better if it was warmer, but overall I wasn't a big fan. The olives were awesome--I could have eaten a ton of these. The lentil salad was OK. Probably the thing I liked the least on the plate, but it was still very good.I really enjoyed this meal here. Thankfully, I didn't get sick, but if you are concerned about ingredients, I would definitely speak up to ask for a binder.I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for good food, but lackluster allergy interaction/experience.

Ohana -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Polynesian

*This dining experience took place in February 2013 and includes a gluten free & dairy free review as well as a gluten free & yellow food coloring review.

 Ohana means family, and this is a great place to visit with your family & friends which is exactly what I did for my birthday celebration. I hadn't been since May 2012, so it had been quite a while since my last visit so I was excited to head back.

 

Meats are grilled on an open flame! Delicious!

View of the grill area

Upon being seated, we were told (as usual) that the chef would come to the table. One of my friends at the meal is also gluten free and is allergic to yellow food coloring, so this would be a first to see how inclusive the typical offerings I get would be. (See previous reviews for gluten, dairy, and soy free as I have another friend who has been able to eat with me there successfully)First up, I will note that we had a bit of a chaotic meal, in that they usually don't bring anything out until the chef comes, but they did bring out salad & such while we were talking to him. I was so looking forward to the honey lime dressing & salad that Ohana normally has, but I was surprised to see a new salad. Turns out they have a new chef and they are trying out a new menu. Ugggg. Why mess with a good thing?! The new salad was another vinaigrette with greens and diced papaya & mango. The dressing was a papaya mango dressing. I was able to eat this, but to be safe the chef gave my friend a salad with balsamic vinaigrette (and ended up bringing me one too! That's too too much salad for a person with Crohn's, but nice of him to think of me).  I will say, I liked the new salad but I really missed the honey lime. It was good, but the original salad was much better in my opinion. The side salad with the balsamic vinaigrette was so-so. I found it to be an unbalanced dressing (very tangy).

New salad, papaya mango dressing with diced papaya & mango

On a non-allergy related note, I will mention that the other big change to the menu was the removal of the sauces for the appetizers & meats. They used to have 3 sauces and now they only have a peanut sauce (which has changed recipes). The group was a bit bummed to see the lack of sauces. For allergies, we still were able to get the safe Teriyaki & sweet & sour sauces.

Side salad with balsamic vinaigrette

The chef also brought the GNI brand rolls out to us. Blech. These were particularly bad, as they didn't heat them properly and they were very crumbly and dry. Not a big fan of these in general, but these were really not so good. Not even Earth Balance could save them!!

GNI brand rolls. I wish we had a tastier option.

Next up were the chicken wings. Thank goodness these weren't changed!! And also thank goodness my friend could eat these. Hurrah! These were tasty as usual.

Chicken wings with sides of sweet & sour sauce and teriyaki sauce

I will mention that in the midst of all of these we were being brought over the beef (which I don't eat and my friend said was too rare for his taste--and my mom's too!) and shrimp. I really love the shrimp, so I was happy to scarf them down. Only bummer...a few were still a bit raw! Yikes!! Just an excuse to get more thought right?! Somehow I forgot to take a pic of them though. Whoops!Then the chef brought out the safely cooked chicken & pork with rice and veggies. I liked that they grilled the meats in the back--usually they are pan fried--that was a nice touch! The rice was not very good. It was gummy and overcooked. Not quite sticky rice and not like regular rice. Of course, if you put enough sauce on anything it will taste ok. The veggies were also nice. Usually I just get broccoli & carrots, so this was a good change. Overall, I found the main part of the meal to be OK, not quite as good as I have had in the past.

Other than the gummy rice, everything was great on this plate.

I mentioned before that they seemed a little scattered at Ohana that night. I found the waitstaff to be a little overwhelmed and the chef was REALLY hard to get a hold of. My friend wanted more chicken wings, and they misinterpreted it and gave him grilled chicken. I found the meal to just feel a little more frazzled than usual, which is weird because I didn't think they were that busy comparatively.For dessert, we both got a tower of Rice Dream non-dairy ice cream (my poor friend always gets stuck with the non-dairy when he's with me!), Enjoy Life chocolate chip cookies, chocolate syrup, and berries. I found this to be much improved over the OMG It's Gluten Free brand items (which I'm not a huge fan of).

View #1 of dessert!

View #2!

Overall, I had mixed feelings about Ohana this trip. I really love this place so much that it's been a staple for my family over the years; however, I was a bit bummed by some of the new changes and the general experience this particular trip. I know change is important in restaurants, but I will definitely miss the honey lime dressing if they choose to replace it permanently. Hopefully, they'll listen to guest feedback to determine what the right choices will be for the menu. In terms of service, I'm sure we hit a bad night so I won't fault them and not visit again because of it, but I do hope the next experience is a little bit more like what I normally experience there. Perhaps with the new menu changes things are a little more chaotic than usual.I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for this trip. Still solid, but could have been a better experience overall.

50's Prime Time Cafe -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- Hollywood Studios

*This dining experience took place in January 2013.

Take a trip back in time at 50's Prime Time Cafe

There are a few restaurants at Walt Disney World that tug at my heart-strings. They have nostalgia written all over them, and 50's Prime Time is one of those restaurants. It feels like Walt Disney would just walk in and order the same fried chicken and a few Mouseketeers might join him! It's kitschy and in a good kind of way. The staff also has some great hijinks, but it's not overwhelming that you don't enjoy your meal. On top of that, they have real honest to goodness gluten free & dairy free fried chicken for goodness sakes! And dairy free mashed potatoes...and gravy! Yep, it's a real winner for me. Sure, it's not the kind of culinary food to write home about, but it's good ole' hearty old fashioned comfort food. And that's a good thing, especially when you're GF/DF. It's hard to come by when eating out!I try to head here every few months or so, and this time I brought some friends with me. It's nice to bring friends who've never been before, because I get to share the GF/DF fried chicken love! It's a beautiful thing! :)

Hang out in the living room while you wait for a table

One of my friends who came to dinner is gluten free & can't have yellow food coloring (on a side note, it's pretty amazing how much yellow food coloring is in a lot of processed food! Gross!), so I contacted the restaurant ahead of time and let the chefs know that we were coming, what our allergies/intolerances were, and that we wanted the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy. While, I know folks who have gotten the fried chicken as a walk-in, I do highly recommend getting a hold of them (through WDW Special Diets Department) ahead of time, just so your wait is a little shorter. Plus, I like to ask for gravy because the meal is complete with gravy! I will say that on this particular trip, my gluten free only friend was also served the dairy free mashed potatoes, but I think that he liked them! They also gave him the Rice Dream ice cream but more on that later...For my fried chicken, I asked for the greens to accompany the dish (the normal veggie for that dish, even the non-allergy version). I love a good collard green, especially one with bacon in it (bacon can seriously make a dirty shoe taste good!). My friend got the green beans & carrots (which I've had before and are good).

My chicken with the dairy free mashed potatoes, gluten free gravy (yum), and greens

My friend's chicken with the green beans & carrots

I will say that this was not the best version of the fried chicken I've had (maybe because I was too busy chit-chatting and I ate my chicken when it wasn't as hot), but it was still heads & tails above any GF/DF fried chicken I've had before. Yum! I would have liked to see a larger portion of the mashed potatoes, but then they have really good potatoes!For dessert, we both went with the brownie sundae because of the famous in-house made allergy brownie that they have (one of my favs). The chef said that many of the chefs actually prefer it to the regular house-made brownie (yep, it's that good). I think there might have been a slight mishap though because my guest (again who is just gluten free) got the same dairy free ice cream as me (Rice Dream), which neither of us were expecting. Still, he said the Rice Dream was actually not bad at all, so it was cool to know that (my taste buds have totally changed with dairy free, and I love Rice Dream). So, we're still not sure if the regular ice cream has a gluten or yellow food coloring issue or they just made them both GF/DF so as to not mix things up. Either way, I think we were all satisfied with the meal.

GF/DF brownie sundae

Love the 50's decor

If you get the chance to visit 50's Prime Time, I highly recommend it. It's a good ole' standby for me, and where else can you get decent (and safe) fried chicken?!As usual a solid 9 out of 10 for me. An oldy, but a goody!

Captain's Grille -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Yacht Club

*This dining experience took place in January 2013.

Entrance to Captain's Grille at Disney's Yacht Club Resort

I always love trying new restaurants at Walt Disney World. Even though I go to WDW a lot, I still haven't eaten at every restaurant on property, so it's always nice when I get to check out a new location. On this particular trip, I was heading to Hollywood Studios and I wanted to go to someplace close to the park. For someplace different, we decided to head to Captain's Grille, since it was centrally located.When we arrived, we noticed the restaurant was a bit quiet (8:30am), but we liked that. In fact, the quiet, calm location that day made for a nice meal. I like finding quieter locations for those days I'm not wanting a calmer experience (I admit, I have to psych myself up for morning character meals!). In looking at the menu, it seemed we had a variety of choices from a breakfast buffet ($18.99) to a la carte items.

Interior of Captain's Grille

When the chef arrived at the table, he asked more about what I wanted. The only thing he offered to make was the allergy friendly Mickey waffles. He said they use Bob's Red Mill mix, so I asked for those. I also inquired about Udi's toast (which they had) and Earth Balance (they also had). The eggs he would make in the back because the buffet eggs all had dairy in them. I asked about muffins and he said that they could add a breakfast muffin (they make them in house). So, ultimately, I decided on a "buffet" style option in which I had everything made in the back, except the breakfast meats which the chef said were safe on the buffet (and thankfully, located all next to each other) and the fruit.

Fresh fruit

First up was the fruit. I really enjoyed this, as it tasted really fresh. It's strawberry season here in Florida, so it was nice to see these. The pineapple was also really good.

Chocolate, banana & spice muffins

Next up were the muffins. I only asked for 1 muffin, so I was surprised to see 3 come to the table. That's a lot of muffins! Interestingly enough, they were made with Namaste mix (which was the base for the desserts at the 1st Annual Special Diets Dessert Party). The chocolate muffin tasted like chocolate cake (who says you can't have dessert for breakfast?!), the spice muffins was the Namaste spice cake mix (I make it at home, so I recognized it immediately), but the real winner for me was the banana muffin. This was a great breakfast item. Of course, they probably try to keep these very allergy friendly but I would love to have this version with nuts in it.

Next up was the most disappointing part of the meal--the Mickey waffles. Now, I've only had one other experience where the Mickey waffles were really bad, so I was really surprised to have this experience. It wasn't the taste that was bad, but the texture/density. If you're a baker you will relate to this--it was like they were dead-baked. They were extremely dense and dry. I think they used too little liquid and too much pancake mix. Yuck. I shared them with my family and they also agreed--taste was fine, texture was weird. I did eat one, but I couldn't eat the second one--I just found the texture to be very unappealing. Not sure I'd get these again here, not with the muffin option. They did mention that they can also make pancakes, so I wonder if they would be more appealing texture wise than the waffles.

Udi's toast, scrambled eggs, Earth Balance vegan margarine

I also had the plate of eggs with toast & Earth Balance. The eggs weren't anything to write home about. Boring basic scrambled eggs, underseasoned. The toast was really toasted, which was OK by me, but if you have preferences on toast level, you might want to tell the chef.

Breakfast meats

Lastly were the breakfast meats. Ham, turkey sausage and bacon. The turkey sausage was like a smoked sausage/kielbasa. It was nice to see some variety at breakfast--they also had turkey bacon. The bacon was the normal Disney stringy bacon. The ham was not my favorite. It was a sweet slice ham (I prefer a more savory/salty ham) and dry.Overall, I would come back to Captain's Grille, but perhaps only order a la carte and not the buffet. I've had much better buffet experiences that included more variety and better quality food in my opinion. That's not to say this wasn't a decent breakfast, it was. But, it was more mediocre compared to some of my favorite restaurants on property. I would come back again but it wouldn't probably be my first choice of breakfast locations. I'd be curious to give it a try for dinner or lunch sometime.A 7 out of 10 for the experience. Nothing special, but a pleasant atmosphere. Pass on the Mickey waffles.

Dole Whips -- New Ingredients -- Snacks -- Magic Kingdom

Thanks to a blog reader for sending me this information.It would appear that the much loved Dole Whips which had been labeled gluten free and lactose free, but not dairy free (as it contained sodium caseinate) are now being labeled as dairy free/vegan. I haven't been to the Magic Kingdom to check this first-hand, but a list of ingredients from Precision Foods Group and the Dole website list the ingredients as such. For those curious, the food starch listed is from corn according to a rep from Precision Foods Group. So, unless Disney is adding in dairy to the mix (which is not that likely since we know they were lactose free before), these are probably going to be a new dairy free item.Thanks to another reader, here is a picture of the ingredients for Dole Whips taken at Aloha Isle as of January 4, 2013:

Thanks to David Dixon over at Magical Tours for this photo!

In terms of cross-contamination for the mix, they post the following on their site:Vegan Statement: The ingredients used in this product do not contain dairy, therefore, the product is considered dairy free. The Rabbinical guidelines classify this product to be kosher-dairy. Allergen control and sanitation procedures are in place and are strictly followed. In addition, this product does not contain any animal based ingredients.Allergens: None – Based on FDA FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004) “Big 8” allergens.It also looks like the Pineapple and Orange flavors are now completely dairy free, but the vanilla one still has casein in it.Here are the product sheets for all three flavors of Dole Whips:

• Pineapple
• Orange
• Vanilla

Remember there are cross contamination risks at Aloha Isle (where Dole Whips are served) as they also serve vanilla Dole Whips with casein in them. So even if Dole Whips are safe, it's best to proceed with caution. According to reports from another blog reader, Aloha Isle machines do have separate nozzle/dispensers for each flavor.If anyone hears anymore info on this before I do, feel free to email me at gfdf.wdw@gmail.com so that I can update the post!I have long been wanting to eat Dole Whips again (they were a Disney must-do pre-food intolerances), and it would be great to see these be potentially safe and on the must-do list again. At this time it looks like there is some potential for this to be safer for those of us who can't have dairy.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe -- Table Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Downtown Disney

*This dining experience took place in December 2012.

Interior Wolfgang Puck Cafe

There are those experiences that remind me just how much I appreciate WDW owned restaurants and chefs. The level of accommodation and willingness to customize dishes make WDW owned restaurants in a class all by themselves and their chefs are rock stars in my opinion. Unfortunately, Wolfgang Puck Cafe, a non-Disney owned restaurant, did not even come close to meeting these expectations I've come to know and love at WDW. It's unfortunate too because I would have thought they would be able to customize and work with me like some of the other DTD restaurants like Raglan Road (a gluten free haven!) or even have some good options like its counterpart Wolfgang Puck Express. Lesson learned--this is not a restaurant for me and I should stick with Raglan Road, Cooke's of Dublin or Babycakes or stear clear of DTD restaurants altogether.I know that some of folks may have had great experiences at this location, and perhaps in the future I'll try it again, but it will be a while. A long while. I think my biggest disappointment was that there were very little options for gluten free/dairy free (gluten free is a little easier but not much).When we arrived, we were actually seated by a manager (it was a slower time of day too) and he said the chef would come out to talk to me. The chef I met wasn't overly enthused. Not one appetizer was deemed safe and almost all of the entrees were out. He said I could have GF pasta, but generally I avoid it at restaurants having been cross contaminated by it more times than I can count (and since it wasn't a Disney owned restaurants, I didn't want to take a chance). I was also concerned because he kept telling me Alfredo sauce was safe for dairy free. Yikes!!! That's like the worse sauce possible for dairy free. No way Jose! Basically, after a lot of talking, the only thing we could agree that would be safe would be salads. Unfortunately, I have to be really careful with salad because of Crohn's disease, so I was not too keen on this. I was half on the fence of just leaving and going somewhere else, but decided to try to order it with extra protein and not eat as many of the greens.So weird thing, the cobb salad dressing was not safe, nor was any other salad dressing according to the chef. He told me I could have oil and vinegar. It always surprises me when chefs can't whip up a salad dressing. Um, guys it's the easiest thing to do in about 5 minutes! But I digress. So we went with the cobb salad with no blue cheese but extra protein and oil and vinegar. Not exactly what I wanted to order and at $15 it was not a very cheap or very filling salad even with the extra protein. Plus, I'd had the cobb salad from Brown Derby this past month and it put this one to shame. Same price, tons of flavor and toppings (I adored the avocado puree) and an actual cobb salad dressing! Plus it was chopped so finely that it was much easier for me to digest (a win for me with a salad). The one from Wolfgang Puck was very chunky and even with extra protein was very minimal in its amount of toppings. It felt like something you would order at a fast food restaurant. Not at all what I expected from this restaurant.

Not the best salad I've ever had

Overall, I would not come back here. I had hopes that because of their location at Disney that they might be more accommodating, but it didn't work out for me on this visit. It was disappointing, but a real lesson learned. I give this a 4 out of 10.

Sanaa -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge -- Kidani Village

*This dining experience took place in December 2012.

Entrance to Sanaa -- One of my Fav Restaurants on Property!

This is a brief review of Sanaa. The menu items don't seem to have changed since my last visit in August 2012 and you can tell I really like certain dishes there. I ordered the exact same thing on my previous visit! The great thing about this visit was that I got to check out the holiday decorations at Kidani Village. I love seeing all of the resort specific decor.

Gorgeous holiday decorations

Upon being seated, we were greeted by a chef I've not seen before at Sanaa. He seemed rather nice, but not as excited to be assisting me in the food choices. Luckily, I knew what I wanted so it wasn't too difficult for either of us, though I do wish he had been a bit more enthusiastic.I ordered the bread service appetizer with the gluteny breads served separately to my family and the poppadums (made from lentils) served to me separately. We also ordered some of the safe sauces for me: Coriander Chutney, Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus (my hands down fav) and Mango Chutney. I really enjoy these three sauces, the hummus especially. The hummus is actually a favorite of the whole family and often gets scarfed down almost immediately. The coriander chutney has a lovely earthy taste to it, and slightly spicy. The mango chutney is surprisingly sweet and spicy, though not overpowering in its spiciness. Definitely all winners.

Poppadums, Mango Chutney, Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, Coriander Chutney

For my entree I ordered the Durban Chicken & Green Curry Shrimp with the Basmati rice. At my last trip, Chef Trish said that they changed the Durban chicken recipe to make it have more depth of flavor and less intense burning spiciness. I used to order this infrequently because it was actually so spicy for me that I could still feel my mouth burning after the meal!! I will say that this is still a fairly spicy dish, but the spicy burn is less intense and easily quenched by another milder dish or a drink. I always order the green curry shrimp for this reason. The coconut milk easily quells any spiciness from the Durban chicken. Plus, it's just plain delicious!! This is probably my favorite dish at the restaurant. Yum.

Green curry shrimp, basmati rice, and Durban chicken. This is a photo from 8/12; I was so hungry I forgot to take a pic this trip!

Overall, Sanaa is always one of my favorite places to go. It's some of the best Indian food, and just plain terrific in general. I love the restaurant ambiance as well. Where else can you see zebras and giraffes while eating dinner?!Another solid 9 out of 10! Always a favorite and always a delicious meal.

Liberty Tree Tavern -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in December 2012.This is a brief, updated review of Liberty Tree Tavern. You can read more detailed reviews from dinner September 2012 or lunch August 2012.

Lobby of Liberty Tree Tavern decorated for the holidays

As many of you know, I often visit Liberty Tree Tavern for the seasonal holiday parties. It's my "go-to" location for dinner before the Halloween & Christmas parties. It's become sort of a tradition, and I've been coming here for almost 10 years! I actually kind of miss the days when it used to be a character meal and the characters got "dressed up" for Halloween!I do still love the Christmas decorations they have in the lobby--especially the trees and the gingerbread village. Too cute!

Holiday trees in Liberty Tree Tavern

For our yearly visit to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, we headed to an early dinner. I must say, this year was quite a bit less busy, so that made for a nice low-key dinner. Nothing seemed to change from the meal offerings, except for the vegetables. The last trip (in September 2012), they offered a really tasty sauteed squash. I really enjoyed this one a lot (so much so that I chose to it this over the steamed green beans and cauliflower) and I was hoping that they would have this one again. Alas, they had changed up the veggie offerings. The chef told me that they had roasted root vegetables and sauteed broccoli rabe. I enjoy both of these, so I was hopeful they would be really good. However, I was met with crunchy roasted veggies and extremely (beyond normal) bitter broccoli rabe. I think it was actually burnt, as the garlic tasted burnt. Not a big hit. Thankfully, there were other meal options available so I didn't go hungry.They served GNI brand rolls, and in the past they were not heated well here and became very crumbly and mealy. This time, they were properly heated (and much more soft) and were ok with the Earth Balance vegan margarine.

GNI brand rolls & Earth Balance

The salad was the traditional tossed salad with the house strawberry vinaigrette. I will say the last few times the dressing has seemed a bit bland and not as strong in terms of the strawberry flavor.

Salad with strawberry vinaigrette

The main entrees with roasted turkey, roasted pork and roast beef are all quite good. I never eat the beef, but I found the turkey and pork to still be quite tasty this visit. The dairy free mashed potatoes were also another staple that I enjoy. And of course, the gravy is gluten free and also very good. In fact, our table asked for only GF gravy because my family prefers it to the "regular" gravy.

Can you tell I like gravy?!

Dessert was the standard raspberry sorbet with fresh fruit. Nothing spectacular, but no complaints either.

Raspberry sorbet

Overall, I find Liberty Tree Tavern to be an OK meal. It's filling, but not the best meal I've had on property. I do feel like the quality is starting to slip a bit, unfortunately, and I do hope that in the future, they will improve the veggie choices (sorry guys but broccoli rabe with turkey dinner?!). I'll still visit here for the holiday parties, but probably won't make any other ADRs until next year's parties.I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for ability to accommodate, but lackluster food.

Contempo Cafe -- Quick Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Contemporary

*This dining experience took place in December 2012.

Contempo Cafe Entrance

Just a quick review of Contempo Cafe. My family and I popped by here to split a lunch before our early dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern. As per usual, I asked for the manager and planned on ordering a plain chicken sandwich. I was hoping to add the yummy remoulade sauce that came with the mahi mahi sandwich (one of my fav sandwiches there) to dip my fries in; however, I was met with bad news. The tartar sauce (as they refer to it) now has sour cream in it. So, sadly, no sauce for me. I ended up ordering just plain chicken sandwich and french fries (we ordered an extra side too to split). Nothing too spectacular.

View of Contempo Cafe seating area

 It's been a while since I've had the chicken sandwich here, and I wasn't too keen on the herb marinade. It was just so-so. I actually preferred the chicken the way it used to be a long time ago and I almost wished I had ordered the allergy friendly chicken tenders. Since I was splitting the sandwich, the others in my party ate it with toppings from the toppings bar (I never get items from toppings bar for fear of cross contamination, but rather ask for the items in the back from the manager).

Chicken sandwich (plain) on Udi's bread with two sides of fries

Overall, this was an OK meal. Nothing special for a quick snack, but satisfying enough to stave off any hunger for the day. It's also a very convenient location when staying at the Contemporary, so despite this experience, it's one of my standbys when staying at Bay Lake Towers.I'd give this experience a 7 out of 10.

Love the small touches, even in the recycling bins!

Chef Mickey's -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Contemporary

*This dining experience took place in December 2012.

Entrance to Chef Mickey's!

Wave your napkins in the air! It's time to celebrate with Chef Mickey and the gang! It's hard to believe it's been over a year and 1/2 since I've been to Chef Mickey's! My family and I decided to visit the morning after our annual Mickey's Very Merry Christmas trip. We always stay at Bay Lake Towers, our home resort in DVC. It makes for a much more relaxing night, not having to worry about a bus. I love that walk back in the evening. And even better...I get to enjoy the Contemporary, one of my fav resorts. It's classic Disney World! I love the monorail whizzing by and the hubub of the resort. It's so much fun to enjoy a meal at Chef Mickey's too. Makes for great atmosphere.

Quiet location in the far back of Chef Mickey's. Yep, everyone looks rather tired!

This trip, we had a very early reservation (considering we were up until 1am!) at 7:30am! I've never actually been to Chef Mickey's that early, so I wondered how "busy" it would be. I've often waited in very long lines to check in. However, on this trip, it was very quite (yep, no one else wants to be up that early either!), and I kind of wished I had worn some PJs! We were quickly ushered in and took our mandatory photo in front of the Chef Mickey's statue and giant plate (your family will be greeted by a Photopass cast member at your table with the photos, which you can purchase for around $30 and includes an 8x10 photo and some wallet photos--at 7:30am, we politely passed on that!). Then we were immediately seated. How's that for early morning service?! The chef was also standing there, and he said he'd be right over.

Why, it's Chef Mickey himself signing autographs!

 Once seated, we ordered drinks, and then the Chef came by. He was really great. Of course, I managed to forget his name (I think it was Brian?)--too early! He took me around the buffet and showed me some of the options. There were I would say an OK amount of options. Fresh fruit, smoked salmon, eggs on the buffet did not have dairy, potatoes, breakfast meat, corned beef hash were all ok. The chef was very good though because he said that if I were uncomfortable with any cross contamination, he would make anything I wanted in the back. This I really appreciated because not every buffet offers this willingly. Luckily, since it was so early and a lot of the safe items were located next to each other, I went with a few things on the buffet. Chef also said he could make me allergy friendly Mickey waffles (hurrah!) and that they had Udi's bread for toast, muffins (blueberry Kinnikinnick brand). I asked about Earth Balance, but he said they didn't have any. He did offer Smart Balance, which I declined, but he went back and looked at the ingredients and said he thought they were safe (it's vegan). I tried a little bit of it, but not much. I much prefer the Earth Balance. This tasted less 'buttery' than EB. The Mickey waffles were Bob's Red Mill (my fav!) and pretty good. Not quite as crispy, as I would like, but still tasty. I love Udi's toast, and was so excited to see it there. The Kinnikinnick muffins are good, though I prefer their chocolate chip muffins (what can I say, I like chocolate muffins in the morning!!).

Udi's Toast, Bob's Red Mill Mickey waffles, Kinnikinnick blueberry muffin, and Smart Balance

Now onto the buffet items. I would say the food was OK. The eggs were actually overcooked (you know how eggs get that brown coating on them when they get overcooked, yep, they had it). I added some chopped ham from the toppings, but I would have much preferred an omelet (ohhh Boma omelets are the best!!!). The bacon was the typical stringy bacon you see at most locations at Disney restaurants. The corned beef has was interesting. I wouldn't say bad or good, just OK. Certainly not the kind of hash I'm used too. I also don't normally eat beef, so I got a very small amount of this. This was like having potatoes with slices of pastrami in it. Not the finely ground chopped hash I usually associate with this dish. Definitely an unusual dish. My favorite thing on the buffet were the breakfast potatoes. These were really yummy and nicely seasoned and a little spicy. Nothing overpowering but very good.

Items off the buffet

Buffet pods

Of course, the characters are the big thing at Chef Mickey, and we sure made the round of characters. We got to see all of them: Chef Mickey, Donald, Pluto, Goofy (who I like more than Chef Mickey, sorry Mickey!!!), and Minnie. As bleary eyed as I was that morning, I opted for no pics, but the characters still got a lot of love from my stepdad who had never been to Chef Mickey's before and got to take pics with ALL of the characters! Lucky him!Overall, I like Chef Mickey's for the atmosphere, but for food, it's so-so. I will give the Chefs credit for being flexible and willing to help out. But the food itself was very cafeteria tasting and certainly not up to the caliber I expect for $30 per person (yes, $30 per person--it's price has gone up since last I payed out of pocket!!). I would probably only come back for a special request from friends or family or if I were to score free dining. I'd much rather spend $22 and head to Boma for their breakfast. Still, it's a great place for families to visit, and a fun overall experience even if the food isn't all that great. It's one of those visit every few years or so for me personally.I'd give it a 7 out of 10 for great service and dietary accommodation but lackluster food.

Entrance & Exit to Chef Mickey's!