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

*These dining experiences took place in April & May 2013. This is a combined review of two dining experiences.

Time warp!

It's a blast from the past...50's Prime Time Cafe. It feels like I was just there hanging out with all of my favorite "cousins." Oh wait, I was just there not that long ago!! This review is a combination of two meals that I had in the past month at 50's PT. They are important to share because of what I was served that was different from my normal order of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. So here we go. Let's do the time warp again...

These two hosts are some of my fav folks here

On these particular trips, I contacted the chefs at 50's PT ahead of time to order the GF/DF/SF fried chicken and GF/DF mashed potatoes with GF/DF gravy as a part of the "Mom's Sampler" menu item. I had been told that the meatloaf was GF/DF and was a combination of pork and beef. Now I don't normally eat beef, so this was a gamble for me (beef and I don't get along too well). I normally eat like one hamburger or two a year, so this was going to probably be my threshold for a long time. But I really wanted to try it and was hopeful that it wouldn't settle too badly. I weirdly don't too as badly with ground pork, so I was hoping the mix would also deflect some of the potential tummy ache.Upon arrival, I was greeted by Chef Eddie who was very busy helping others, including a table next to us who hadn't noted their child's allergies and were having difficulty with the child finding anything they wanted. Poor kid only wanted Mickey waffles lol When I told him that I contacted them ahead of time he remarked, "Oh you're the lady!" Guess my reputation proceeds me :) He said he had everything ready and raring to go. When the dish came out, I noticed the pot roast was on it. (which normally comes with the Mom's Sampler) I didn't really think about it at first but then I remembered that some blog readers mentioned it was not safe. Yikes!! I think I had taken 2 very small bites before I remembered that. Uggh. I tried to flag down Chef Eddie but he was slammed, so I decided to email when I got home and eat nowhere near the pot roast just to be safe since I couldn't confirm it's safety. The fried chicken was definitely gluten free and the meatloaf was just ground meat from what I could tell. Also, I really REALLY disliked the meatloaf. Like, I won't ever order it again meatloaf. Yuck. It tasted like sausage! And not even good sausage. My stepdad is from Sweden and he said that they must use allspice in their recipe because that's what it tasted like to him. Either way, it wasn't a personal winner for me. I liked the texture of it though, but that is not a redeeming enough quality for me to order it again.

Mom's Sampler modified--note that the pot roast in the back is NOT gluten free.

The mashed potatoes were really good--and they gave me an extra portion (which I didn't eat half of anyways due to proximity of the pot roast)--I think they know I love the carbs! The veggies were also good and it was nice to have the green beans & carrots AND the collards (my favorite). On a side note, they somehow forgot my gravy which got brought to me a little later in the meal.For my dessert, I ordered the gluten free/dairy free brownie with rice dream and chocolate syrup. Only I got hot fudge sauce. Yup, I knew right away before I even ate it that it was hot fudge sauce. Yikes. So, I wasn't feeling overly confident with this meal, and 50's PT has always been exceptional with the allergy service.

This is NOT the sundae you are looking for--hot fudge city=not dairy free :(

Now THIS is the sundae I'm looking for!

Once I returned home, I contacted the restaurant and sure enough they should NOT have given me the pot roast. It contains trace amounts of gluten according to Chef Brandon (who's over at Hollywood & Vine now). He assured me that they would make sure this did not happen again. How scary. This is probably one of the first most blatant near glutenized moments I've ever had at Disney. I was glad I had some knowledge and only ended up with a slight stomach ache, but still--this could have been disastrous for someone else. It just goes to show that you can never be too vigilant and even when you think you are safe mistakes can happen. As I learned from my next visit, this was turning into a common theme....

Here we go back in time...

My next visit fared a little better, but still had some bumps in the visit that made me want to wait for a while before I go back again. Once again I emailed beforehand confirming that I really only wanted the chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. Forget that other stuff! This time I wanted to stick with what was tried and true.I was once again greeted by Chef Eddie. This time, he said that they were ready for me, but then he asked if I really wanted mashed potatoes. Uh-oh, I see where this is going...someone didn't get the potatoes ready. He said that it's not so much that they didn't have them ready but that I should really try something different. huh? He said he could still make the potatoes but that it would take some time and didn't I really want to try something like the sweet potato mash that they have with their seasonal fish? Sigh. Now, I'm not really that picky so rather than go in circles with him (which we sort of did), I said fine. But really...mashed sweet potatoes with coconut milk doesn't seem like it would go w/fried chicken and collard greens, but maybe it's just me?! He actually wanted me to try the broccolini too which I opposed. I really love those collards and didn't want to miss out. Some of the discussion that he and I had is actually why I email ahead of time. If you know you want the fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy, it's easier for everyone involved to notify them ahead of time. But clearly, they just forgot it because it did take a while (more than normal) to get the food.

GF/DF fried chicken, collard greens and mashed white sweet potatoes with coconut milk

While we were waiting, Chef Eddie actually came back and asked if I still wanted gravy. Now, for the life of me I can't figure out why they would have gone to the trouble of making gravy and not the potatoes. But never mind--too little too late. Once the dinner came out I dug in. The chicken was delicious as usual. The one good thing is that he did give me two chicken breasts which was great. The collards were excellent as well. Now onto the sweet potatoes. Now don't get me wrong--they were very good. They would have been excellent with the new seasonal fish dish (mahi mahi) but for the rest of the meal--a little weird. I gave my family samples to try and they mostly liked the flavor but everyone said it did not go well with fried chicken. Yep, that's why I ordered mashed potatoes ahead of time!Then it was on to dessert. I ordered the same thing as the time before--the allergy brownie sundae. But this time, I made sure to specify no hot fudge sauce and told the server why and to make sure they didn't do the same thing as the time before. I truly had thought the time before was that our server must had put the fudge on (b/c she was very frazzled) and that it wouldn't happen this time, but now I'm convinced it was a kitchen issue because sure enough....hot fudge. Sighs...what is going on with my 50's PT?! Well, back to the kitchen it went. And when it came out, I had extra syrup. I guess they really wanted to prove a point that it was syrup! lol

Brownie sundae with a shot of syrup?

Overall, I was pretty disappointed with both of these dining experiences primarily because someone could have gotten extremely sick. Had I consumed more than two bites of pot roast I would have been violently ill and probably out of commission for days. As it was my stomach was a disaster for a day or two though at least I was functional. On top of that the dairy consumption would have been equally bad and life threatening for someone highly allergic. What concerns me is that the hot fudge situation happened twice. Once I could have chocked it up to user error, but twice? That's a pattern of non-allergy attention. I understand that the kitchens are busy and that it happens. But I try to do due diligence by contacting them ahead of time to help make their lives and mine easier. This just was a little bit of a back slide for me with 50's PT.On a side note, I saw Chef Frank as I left and I wish I had had a chance to work with him. He's always been really great and I haven't had any problems when he's handled my meals. Chef Eddie seems like a really nice guy and he seemed like he wanted to try to accommodate but someone there were too many errors to make me feel overly confident in him right now.I plan on waiting a few months before I head back there to try it again. I think I need a break and hopefully, in the meantime they will improve their procedures so nothing like this happens again.Normally, I'd give this a 9 out of 10, but these two experiences were about a 6 for me in terms of major issues.What have your experiences at 50's Prime Time been?

Sunshine Seasons -- Quick Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- The Land -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in April 2013.

Sunshine Seasons offers a variety of foods

Sunshine Seasons is located in the Land pavilion at Epcot. As the quick service location here, it offers a tremendous variety of fresh and seasonal foods that will appeal to most folks. It is also known as being particularly friendly for special diets. If you are gluten free & dairy free, the grill station offers the most comprehensive variety of choices. I'll be honest, I don't try to venture into the other areas on the menu, so for me, the grill station is where it's at. I have heard reviews from other guests who have enjoyed the tuna (modified to be served without the noodles) and salads.The grill station often rotates it's choices--but it's usually some type of chicken, some type of pork and then some type of fish. If you've seen some of my older reviews, I have liked some of the dishes and some I've been thrilled when they rotated off (ughh that succotash was so gross). I had been really loving the seasonal fish with green beans and potatoes and was hoping to get it this trip--only to find they've modified it some.

New changes on the menu

The fish has changed from mahi mahi to salmon and the pork is now more bbq inspired. The chicken has some new topping. When I spoke to the chef, he said everything at the station at this time is gluten free (including the sauces) which is great. Two of the sides were not dairy free--the mashed potatoes I knew and expected, but now the green beans have butter in them. Bummer!I ended up getting the slow roasted pork with the bbq sauce on the side (which turned out to be a good thing) and roasted potatoes instead of the mashed potatoes.

Slow roasted pork (that wasn't quite so tender)

I wish this dish would have had a veggie component; it felt like it was missing something. The roasted potatoes were nicely cooked, I believe they were yukon golds, which I love. They have great depth of flavor. The pork chop was a nice thick portion; however, it was grossly overcooked. Like almost shoe leather consistency. I've had the pork chop in the past, and it has been fine, but this was pretty bad. I did make it through the pork chop (thankfully with all my teeth intact!) but I would hesitate to get it again. It just seemed like it got way too overcooked and sat too long. The bbq sauce that came with it was not my favorite. It was very vinegary. I personally like a more ketchupy bbq sauce (if that makes any sense), so this was not for me.  Good thing I got it on the side.In general, Sunshine Seasons is a great choice for quick service meals at Epcot. It's Disney owned so they do a nice job with handling everything. I just didn't like the seasonal changes or the overcooked meat on the dish I got. I'll still go back--and probably try the fish again.On a side note, this location has a nice little special diets section, although they moved it close to the grill section away from the other areas, so it's a little hidden. I also think they scaled back on the variety of items they had.

Grill station and the special diets items--you can see how far off the beaten path they are

I would encourage you to visit Sunshine Seasons for something more than just burgers and fries. They offer a decent meal that is seasonal and delicious. A solid 8 out of 10 for me in general; this experience was more like a 6 out 10 because of the tough pork chop.Have you been to Sunshine Seasons before? What do you recommend?

Artist Point -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Wilderness Lodge

*This dining experience took place in April 2013. It also includes a gluten free & yellow food coloring review.I recently asked blog readers for recommendations for a signature location (and one I hadn't been to in a while) and Artist Point was heads and tails above the rest. And Chef Williere over at Wilderness Lodge has also been recommending that I visit, so I took their advice and made an ADR. The last time I visited was 3 years ago, so I was looking forward to a great meal.I admit, I was bad on this visit and somehow spaced taking photos. Blame it on my afternoon tasting filled with desserts--I was sort of in a sugar coma by that point. But, if you're interested in a great detailed review of the decor, I would recommend heading over to the Disney Food Blog for a good review.On this particular visit, I was hoping to catch up with Chef Matt, whom I'd met a few ago through Chef Williere while dining at Whispering Canyon Cafe. We were greeted by Chef Marco, who was kind but not as helpful as I would have anticipated for the caliber of restaurant. Nothing wrong with his interaction per se, but I didn't feel like he was really up for customizing dishes, which I definitely expect at a signature location. After going over the options, I asked if Chef Matt was around to say hi. I feel badly because I don't think he was thrilled with me because he never did come back--Chef Matt ended up taking care of things.When Chef Matt came out, he was willing to do more customization but I think we were all losing steam from the day, so we all ended up with simple dishes. I ordered the appetizer salad that came with blackberries, sunflower seed granola, and ice wine vinaigrette and for my entree I ordered the hot pot which came with crab, shrimp, mussels and pork belly. My friend who is GF and yellow food coloring actually ordered the salad because he's not a big beef eater or seafood lover. The chicken was not gluten free, but they did offer to make him plain chicken  if he wanted. He ended up just ordering the salad as an entree. My other friend who doesn't have food allergies got the salmon which I almost ordered--looked delicious.First up at the table were the rolls. Sorry to say, this restaurant did not at all know how to heat them up. And yes, GNI brand rolls need to be heated properly or they are nasty. It was even worse because the last time my friends were here for Valentine's Day, they had to send the rolls back 3 times because they were frozen. Seriously. So, they were at least not frozen this time. But yes, they needed some heating assistance. Mine was served with extra virgin olive oil that had turmeric in it and my friend got butter with some type of sea salt on it. The oil was fantastic. The only thing that could have made it better was the proper heating of the rolls.

GNI brand rolls

Next I got my salad (and this is the same salad my friend ordered for his entree), so both of our thoughts on this are listed here. It was a very refreshing salad. Mine was modified to remove the Manchego cheese, but was on my friend's salad. I loved that cheese pre-dairy free days, so I can imagine it paired quite well with the dressing, berries, and granola. Note that the granola on it was really not what you would think of as traditional granola. It was sunflower seeds, egg whites, and honey mixed and baked. It was delicious. The ice wine dressing was really nice and delicate and played well with the greens, berries, and granola. The two things that we both noticed about the dish: 1) it needed more granola! (yep, we really liked it) and 2) it felt really underdressed in terms of the vinaigrette--just a bit more of the dressing and it would have been perfect.

Salad--the sunflower "granola" was out of this world!

Then on to the entrees. This was really the star of the meal. I ordered the hot pot which had crab, shrimp, mussels, coconut milk, and rice..oh yeah and crispy pork belly. This was insane! It was actually the perfect meal for me that night--light, filling, and heavily protein based. The mussels were cooked to order and perfectly cooked (hard to do sometimes), the crab was tender and the shrimp was full-head on shrimp. That means TONS of flavor. Of course, I can't do the creole/cajun suck the heads part but I appreciate the flavor that it imparts the dish. The sauce was very light and flavorful. Had some great fresh herbs in it and the coconut milk was perfect in terms of flavor. They included fresh limes and that was an excellent touch--the lime juice definitely added to the flavor of the dish. And then the pork belly. THE BEST PART OF THIS DISH. Ok, sorry for the all caps, but I just had to shout out how good it was. The pork belly was perfectly cooked and offered the best salty bite to the dish. Seriously, I'm still craving that pork belly.

Hot pot. Check out all that goodness!

Just for those who are interested, here's a non-allergy dish, though the salmon could be made GF. Looked amazing.

*Note this is NOT allergy safe--the salmon can be made GF/DF though--not the sides.

We all opted for no dessert--we were over desserts at that point (and yes, for those interested the dessert tasting was for the upcoming special diets dessert party--more details to come!). It sounded like the were willing to customize something, but I definitely wasn't feeling it--and we got spoiled by Disney's catered events.Overall, I was extremely pleased with my meal at Artist Point. I found the quality of the food to be exceptional--though there were a few things I'd like to see the restaurant work on. They need to learn how to cook those rolls better. Such good accompaniments shouldn't go to waste on poorly heated GF carbs! The other slight criticism I have is that they didn't seem to be willing to customize as much as some other signature dining locations are. Brown Derby, California Grill, Jiko, Narcoosee's..they have all gone above and beyond to work with me (Brown Derby made homemade truffle mayo for goodness sakes!). I had a lot of choices because I enjoy seafood but for those who aren't in to seafood or beef, this might not be a great location.In general though I found the food to be excellent and the service was impeccable. Our server was on top of all of our beverages, dishes, silverware, etc. In that respect, they excelled above many restaurants. Additionally, the atmosphere is relaxing and gorgeous. I personally love the arts & crafts style, so I found it to be very appealing.I certainly wouldn't hesitate to visit again--that hot pot is now on my favorite dish list! I'd give this an 8 out of 10 due to the poor rolls and semi-lacking customization. But overall, would highly recommend this location.

Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

*This dining experience took place in April 2013. It includes my gluten free & dairy free review and an egg free review.Here we are back at Kouzzina. I think I have a shameful addiction of eating breakfast at this location. It's bad! On this particular visit, I met up with some Disney blogger friends and it was great to see how much they love Kouzzina too! Great company and great food. How can you wrong?! As a shameless plug, you should definitely visit their pages: Sarah over at Running at Disney & Amanda over at Disney Every Day.And now back to our regularly scheduled food blogging... What I love about Kouzzina is that the food is always so solid. No worries of getting one good meal one time and a bad meal the next. Their breakfast always is excellent. On this trip, Chef Sergio was on duty. Bless that man. He's so good with the allergies and very willing to accommodate--and he's also the poor chef who was on duty the day of the worst allergy Mickey waffles in history (yes, that really happened). So, he REALLY remembers me lol Luckily, they have been making the waffles with Bob's Red Mill ever since, so they remain the tried and true Mickey waffles for me. I think he still feels bad that those waffles on that past trip tasted so bad.For my part, I ordered my standby entree--The American--modified. I got scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes. I actually wanted the sweet potato hash this trip just without the red peppers, but I ended up with plain potatoes. I didn't mind so much but I was def. in a sweet potato hash mood. I'll just have to let them know more explicitly next time that that's what I want. I also subbed out toast for a Mickey waffle. Yum!

My lone Mickey waffle--he looks so sad all by himself!

Overall, I don't have anything bad to say about my entree. It was great as usual.Sarah over at RAD can't have eggs, and she sent over the pics of her breakfast (I admit, I'm kind of jealous--hers looked better than mine I think!). She ordered a plate of allergy Mickey waffles (which they sub out for the regular waffle) with all of the normal fixins' on the side (pecans, honey and marscapone cheese). On the side is smart because that stuff is sooo sweet (my mom regularly gets the marscapone cheese on the side). She also got a side of the sweet potato hash and her waffle came with bacon. I really wished I had ordered the regular version instead of making the request of no peppers. Looked delish!

Look at all the allergy Mickey waffles!

Marscapone cheese, pecans, and honey for the waffles

Sweet potato hash!

If you're GF/DF like me, you'll note that all of the items above are safe EXCEPT the marscapone cheese. I've actually ordered the waffles with just pecans and honey before and I often get the hash. Great to know these items easily cover several allergens. :)As usual, Kouzzina proves itself to be one of my fav locations for breakfast on property. Solid 9 out of 10!

Sanaa -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- AKL

*This dining experience took place in April 2013.I feel like it's a bit of an end of an era as I write this post. I just dined at Sanaa the other night and found out that the menu is being completely revamped, so I've officially had my last taste of some of my favorite Sanaa dishes. On the one hand it's exciting to hear about the new changes, but it's also kind of sad because I've been such a fan of the Sanaa menu. Ahhh, times are changin'! More about the new menu at the end of this post, but first up...a look at my favs as I experienced them on my last visit with this menu. (*note: Eating at WDW has a menu update with pics on their blog!)

 Sanaa is one of my favorite restaurants at Disney property. It's not for everyone. Some of the flavors may be spicy for some but for me, it's one of my all time favs. Plus, I love the relaxing atmosphere. On this trip, I was greeted by Chef Jake (who has helped me quite a few times). Our group ordered the Bread Service, as usual. I got the lentil pappadums and the rest of the group got the other breads (sorry I never actually pay attention to them more than there's naan bread). For dips, we ordered most of our favorites: red bell pepper hummus, coriander chutney, mango chutney and then we also ordered a new fav the coconut chutney and my brother got the sambal. Yikes, was that ever spicy. Like, spicy enough I wouldn't eat more than a bite of it.

Pappadums

Dips--watch out the one of the bottom left, the chili sambal...spicy and NOT in a good way!

For my entree, I ordered what I got on my last trip--the Durban chicken and green curry shrimp with the Basmati rice. Soooo good. I was glad I chose it, especially after Chef Jake told me about the new menu. I must say, whoever was making the Durban chicken that night was heavy handed with the spice. It was EXTRA spicy that night. Thank goodness I got the green curry shrimp or my mouth would not have cooled down.

My last of the Durban chicken and green curry shrimp...

So now onto that new menu I was talking about...you didn't think I'd leave you hanging did you?! :) Chef Jake said the menu is being completely revamped. He didn't go into all of the details, but he did say the only one of the slow cooked dishes that is staying is the butter chicken--and that's the newest addition from last year! Gone is Durban chicken. Gone green curry shrimp. Can you tell I'm bummed? He said the sustainable fish dish will be completely re-worked and different. He said the tandoori items on the menu will be completely revamped too. He said they are adding a Bison dish, so for you fans of red meat--this might be a great dish. He didn't say what the rest of the changes were, but that they would be very interesting.While I'm bummed, I am glad to see some changes and a revitalized menu. It is important to have change in the menus. For my part, I'm excited to see and taste the new menu items and I can't wait to share them with you. If you go in the next week, you'll get to see that new menu in place. (*note: Eating at WDW has a menu update with pics on their blog!)

What do you think about the new changes? Are you excited? Bummed? My biggest hope is that the menu continues to be gluten and dairy free friendly!A solid 9 out of 10 but stay tuned for a new review.

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.