1/10/15 1/10/15

Gasparilla Island Grill -- Dinner -- Quick Service -- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

*This dining experience took place in December 2014.Gasparailla Island Grill is located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on the first floor. If you've ever been to the Grand Floridian Cafe, which serves a nice breakfast, you'll find this quick service location nearby with a quick trip outside the building. I've been at this quick service restaurant a few times, but never really ordered dinner there. Our family wanted to check out the holiday decorations and also visit the famous gingerbread display at the resort, so it was the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat.The menu itself has some standard quick service offerings and a few unique items. One of the things that you don't always see at quick service locations is house-made chips. I was curious to see if these were going to be safe for gluten free diners.When I spoke to the manager, he said that much of the menu can be easily altered for gluten free diners but that many items were out for me as options because of the dairy. I ended up ordering the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich which came with grilled chicken, ham, cheese (mine was made without), lettuce, and a choice of house-made chips, fries or a cucumber salad. Of course, I got the house-made chips, since I was told they are made in a dedicated fryer.The manager gave me a table stand with a number on it for the table and said he'd bring it out to me when my food was ready. Meanwhile, I grabbed a beverage and relaxed in the comfy booths found in the restaurant.The sandwich itself was pretty good. It came on a Local Oven bun which was nicely toasted. The chicken was flavorful, and the ham added a nice variation. For me, the winner was the house-made chips. They were nice and thick and really tasty. I will definitely have to head back to Gasparilla Island Grill.Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Gasparilla Island Grill. I found the options for gluten free & dairy free diners to be good, and the manager who assisted me that day was really helpful.Have you been to Gasparilla Island Grill? What did you order there?

12/23/14 12/23/14

Biergarten — Dinner — Table Service — Epcot — World Showcase

*This dining experience took place in December 2014.Biergarten is one of those places that really transports you to another place when you dine there. The Oktoberfest setting, Oompah band and traditional fare make it an authentic setting for a meal. Last year, I dined at Biergarten for the very first time for lunch as a part of the Candlelight Processional meal package. My family enjoyed it a lot, and so I decided to go back this year with friends for the Candlelight Processional take 2! Upon arrival, as with our last visit, we were told that we had to check in at our reservation time (and no earlier) and that all of our party needed to be there. With friends coming in to meet up, we ended up being a few minutes past our scheduled ADR. Our party was fairly promptly seated with several other groups -- Biergarten seats communal style at big long tables, just like at Oktoberfest. Last year, my family felt a little awkward dining like this, and I recommend dining with a big group. It makes all the difference in the world!After we were seated, I was greeted by the same chef who assisted me last year. He took me around the buffet and showed me the various options. When I inquired about getting items from the back, he wasn't very keen noting that everything would be fine on the buffet. Normally, I prefer a mix of options - getting some from the back and a few safe items from the front; however, this chef was pretty clear when he said he wouldn't get me items - although he agreed (after I asked) to get me an Ener-G roll. Having dined at Biergarten before safely, I felt like I could keep an eye out for new platters and to ask the cast members at the buffet, who were much more amenable to getting new items for me.I ended up with a similar menagerie of items like last year - mostly meat based (gluten free vegans or vegetarians probably won't have a great amount of choices here). Bratwurst, "meatloaf" (literally a loaf of meats, roasted chicken, German potato salad, pickles, and coleslaw were among the items I grabbed. All of them were very good, and I tried to load up as much as I could when the fresh platters were coming out (which was frequent).The Ener-G rolls here were as dreadful as they were the year before. I honestly have no clue what they did to these because they were as hard as rocks. I had my friends test them out after I decided I wasn't eating them and they were shocked at how bad they were. I've had amazing versions of Ener-G rolls at places like the now closed Kouzzina, so I can't understand how this even happens. Note to self, do not get rolls from Biergarten again.While enjoying our dinner, we got a chance to catch the live entertainment -- aka the Oompah band! They play traditional holiday music and have a lot of fun and spirit. They are a blast to watch and a huge highlight of my Biergarten dining experience.For dessert, I was given an OMG It's Gluten Free cookie (and brownie - which I gave to friends since it contains dairy), and I also enjoyed the berry compote found on the buffet, which is delicious. I realized that somehow I didn't get a photo of this compote 2 years running. Apparently, I am always too full for photos by the end of the meal.Because of the time we were there, it was full dinner price which was not cheap ($50 as a part of the CP dinner package), and I would highly recommend dining for lunch and doing the early show for the Candlelight Processional. It's literally the same food at a much cheaper rate. Unfortunately, there was some cross contamination going on at this restaurant, and despite my efforts at trying to keep myself safe, I did get glutened. It has happened at Disney (even at buffets) only a handful of times -- literally, I can count the times on one hand from nearly 6 years of dining there gluten free and dairy free -- but it was a disappointing experience. I felt pretty miserable for several days afterwards and can't even think about eating at Biergarten again. Of course, we all take risks when we dine out with a special diet, but I would like to see the chefs at Biergraten step it up (or at least this particular chef). The lack of interest in providing safe options was pretty evident. I just hope that they can work to provide safer options and ensure minimized cross contamination risks. Next year, I will not be going to Biergarten for the Candlelight Processional dinner. It just isn't worth being sick or uncomfortable (or feeling like a huge nuisance to the chef). I'm thinking La Hacienda de San Angel will be a great choice -- they always make safe and delicious options for me!Have you been to Biergarten? What has been your experience?

12/8/14 12/8/14

Everything Pop -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Pop Century

*This dining experience took place in November 2014. It's been a while since I've dined at Everything Pop, Pop Century's quick service location. It hasn't been my favorite quick service breakfast spot on property but it's not my least favorite either. If you are staying at a value resort and are near to the Art of Animation, I highly recommend the visit to Landscape of Flavors which has terrific allergy Mickey waffles and great healthful options. On this particular visit, I dined at Everything Pop the day before the Food Allergy & Celiac Convention. With set-up happening that day, I definitely needed some fuel, and I am glad that Everything Pop could fill that void, at least for breakfast. Upon arrival, I headed to the shortest breakfast line and there told a cast member that I had special dietary needs. They then got the chef who came out fairly quickly. Having dined here before, I knew pretty much what I wanted. I ordered a variation of the Bounty Platter with scrambled eggs, bacon, and Udi's toast, dry. Unfortunately, they do not have dairy free potatoes and the chef didn't offer to make an alternative for me. Since I was in a hurry, I was fine with that. The chef brought out my platter which was piled high with eggs and bacon. He also added in a side of fruit for me, as well. Overall, the meal was fine. A bit bland, but basically the same as most quick service meals across the Disney property. Everything Pop is an easy standby and one I'll stop by whenever I stay at Pop Century (which isn't too often). If you're looking for an amazing quick service, I can highly recommend the Mara at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge! Have you been to Everything Pop? What do you recommend getting there?

12/4/14 12/4/14

Pepper Market -- Dinner -- Quick Service -- Coronado Springs Resort

*This dining experience took place in November 2014.Pepper Market at Disney's Coronado Springs is a fast casual location hailed as a quick service. On a previous visit, we had a server but on this particular visit during the Food Allergy & Celiac Convention, I stopped by later in the day 10 p.m. and found it to be like a traditional Disney quick service where you picked up your own meal items and paid at a cash register.The last time I visited Pepper Market was August 2013, and I found the food to be pretty unappetizing. Normally, I would have probably avoided this restaurant but with it being so late and the evening before FACCWDW, I really didn't have time to be too choosy.When I arrived, I saw a manager and a chef and let them know about my dietary needs. They were pretty aware that the Food Allergy & Celiac Convention was happening, and I'm glad they seemed to be a bit more at the ready than on my previous visit.I really wanted just plain allergy chicken tenders and fries and asked the chef if they had those on hand. He said they did have chicken tenders that were gluten free and dairy free (and used a dedicated fryer) and went to prepare them.When he returned, I was surprised to see a version that didn't look anything like the ones normally served on Disney property (here's a comprehensive list), and as I learned, because Coronado Springs restaurants are not Disney-owned, they carry completely different brands. I didn't learn which brand this was, unfortunately.Well, I can't say I loved these chicken tenders. They were just bland. They were plentiful which was evident from my huge plate but really were not at all as delicious as the ones from Columbia Harbour House (which I love). It wasn't a terrible choice but also not a great one either. Still, it was a vast improvement from the previous dish I ordered at Pepper Market.Overall, I still think Pepper Market is a pretty weak choice for meal options at Disney. I would likely only eat here if I were staying at Coronado Springs or try to find other options. I hear Maya Grill is great, and I found Las Ventanas to be reasonably good so my hope is the other locations are much better. For now, I'm going to continue to look for better options elsewhere.Have you been to Pepper Market? What did you think of this quick service location?

12/3/14 12/3/14

Las Ventanas -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Coronado Springs Resort

*This dining experience took place in November 2014 and includes my gluten free & dairy free dining review along with a review that includes: gluten, corn, dairy, tomatoes, apples and peanuts. Disney's Coronado Springs Resort has several dining options available to guests, including Las Ventanas which opened earlier in 2014 as a table service location that serves breakfast and lunch. The restaurants at Coronado Springs are not owned and operated by Disney and therefore aren't my most favorite in terms of accommodations and offerings. However, I was able to safely dine at both Las Ventanas and Pepper Market while staying at Coronado Springs during the 2014 Food Allergy & Celiac Convention held at the convention center.Blog reader and friend Kathleen was at FACCWDW coordinating the teen area at the event. She did a fantastic job with the area and offered so many great resources for teens and college students. She's doing fantastic things at her college as a food allergy advocate and hosts her own blog at: http://soulfoodheals.com/. I was so thrilled when she and her mom invited me for breakfast on the morning after FACCWDW, because it gave us a time to chat and catch up. Kathleen and her mom totally had the same idea as I did by going to Las Ventanas as a quick service breakfast wasn't appealing to any of us. When we arrived, we let the server know that we had special dietary needs. He then brought out the manager on duty who went over some options with us. While I would have loved to have seen a Disney chef, I was glad that the manager spent some time to discuss options with us and to ensure safety. While the menu did note several dishes could be made gluten free (including steak and eggs, Huevos Divorciados, and Ventanas Breakfast) which was nice. Everyone at the table decided to go for the Ventanas Breakfast which seemed the easiest and best option for special diets. It came with two eggs any style, choice of peppered bacon or grilled ham, and green onion potatoes. The manager advised us that the potatoes were made with extra virgin olive oil and contained no dairy, and the eggs short of scrambled could be made dairy free (my guess is they have pre-packaged beaten eggs, though I am curious how they can't make scrambled eggs on the fly. Seems not that hard!). The manager also mentioned that they had gluten free bread, and both Kathleen and I wanted to see what brand so we could determine if it was safe to eat or not.The brand used was Hilltop Hearth and was certified gluten free. It was also dairy free. Here's a list of the ingredients from the box. Both of us ordered the toast dry, since they didn't have any non-dairy butter options.The breakfast itself was OK, nothing spectacular. I asked for my eggs to be cooked over-easy, but they were hard cooked, so someone missed that memo. I asked if I could have both pepper bacon and ham, and was served both. I love bacon, as you all know, so I was happy to see pepper bacon in a restaurant! The potatoes sadly were missing the scallions, but tasted OK. I can't say that I loved the bread served but it wasn't terrible either. It had a slight after taste, and I wonder if it was due to the chickpea flour or soy flour. Overall, I think the meal was OK - solid and at least safe. It wasn't as amazing as some of my favorite Disney restaurants, but it was a great option while staying at Coronado Springs. I also really enjoyed the company and found that to be the best part of my meal! Thanks to Kathleen and her mom for inviting me! I can't say that Las Ventanas will be in my regular rotation but I'd definitely go back again and see what other options might be available. Have you been to Las Ventanas? What did you think of the special dietary options there?

12/2/14 12/2/14

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

*This dining experience took place in November 2014.Liberty Tree Tavern located in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom is one of my family's favorite seasonal places to dine during the holidays. We almost always eat at this restaurant for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Something about the turkey dinner reminds us all of the holidays.On this particular visit, I was joined by blog reader Laurie as we enjoyed a meal before the Food Allergy & Celiac Convention held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort on November 22nd. It was the perfect meal in the few days before the event, as I needed all the fuel I could get while setting up and getting ready for guests.One of the things I love about Liberty Tree Tavern is the holiday decorations during the winter season. I love the Christmas trees with touches that are inspired by colonial times.Liberty Tree Tavern's menu is an all-you-care-to-eat feast that includes all the fixins' and have included dairy free mashed potatoes (upon request) and gluten free gravy for many years now.I also really adore the mugs that they serve dinner with (of course, I miss the days when the mugs were actual glass and not made of plastic).One thing that has always alluded me was stuffing. I crave that traditional stuffing every time I go there, and as I learned recently from Gluten Free in Orlando, they were now carrying a gluten free version. My hope was that it was also dairy free, and luckily I was not disappointed!We were greeted by Chef Alfonso, who said he would take good care of us. Laurie is just gluten free, but he asked if he could make the entire meal gluten free & dairy free and that worked for her (which was awesome).First up, came GNI brand rolls along with some Earth Balance vegan margarine. The rolls were heated well and tasted great with a bit of the Earth Balance.Next up came the house salad with strawberry vinaigrette. The last few times I've visited, I've found the dressing to be very underwhelming both in flavor and seasoning but this time I found it to be spot on. They had a huge container of it on the side, which was great for adding as much or as little as we wanted. As you can imagine, I was pretty excited about the prospect of stuffing. In fact, I think it was the thing I was looking forward to most! The meal came with turkey, roasted pork and roast beef, along with dairy free mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and sweet potatoes.The turkey is by far my favorite meat served at Liberty Tree. I like the roasted pork but do really miss the ham that they used to serve here. I never eat the roast beef, but Laurie said it was good. The mashed potatoes were excellent but the star along with the gluten free gravy was the stuffing. I'm a sucker for stuffing of all types, and this one was fantastic. Very moist and full of traditional stuffing flavor, it really made my meal complete.The steamed green beans were probably my least favorite dish, mostly because it's just plain steamed green beans. They're good, but really nothing special.The seasonal vegetable at Liberty Tree is always an interesting one. Sometimes it's great -- like sauteed squash and zucchini and sometimes it's not the best match for the locale - like sauteed broccoli rabe. This time, it was sweet potatoes in brown sugar.These were quite yummy, and I'm partial to sweet potatoes. They were a bit overcooked though and the texture was just slightly off. Overall though I found these to be a welcome addition, as the last few visits I haven't enjoyed the seasonal vegetable much (due to overseasoning or overcooking)After our main meal, Chef Alfonso came out and shared with us the recipe to his stuffing, which I'll share soon here on the site! It's made with Udi's Gluten Free Bread and classic stuffing ingredients. You could tell he was really proud and dedicated to making offerings that are safe for multiple special dietary needs.For dessert, Liberty Tree Tavern typically carries sorbet with fruit for gluten free and dairy free diners; however, Chef Alfonso said he was going to create something special for our meal. I was a bit surprised with with he came up with!For dessert, Chef Alfonso created something really unique and very nicely themed for the restaurant. It included homemade gluten free & dairy free waffles along with a cranberry compote and Tofutti ice cream. It was definitely a wow moment for the meal, as neither of us were expecting this kind of dessert.I really enjoyed the waffle which paired well with the cranberry compote. The compote was tart, as you would expect cranberries to be which combined with the ice cream was a great combo. Of course, despite being really full from the meal, I managed to make my way through almost all of my dessert. It was too great to pass up!Overall, I was really pleased with my visit to Liberty Tree Tavern and loved what Chef Alfonso is doing with the special dietary options. He really went above and beyond to make a great meal for us, and everything was really well prepared.The last few visits I've had, I've haven't enjoyed as much but this visit totally redeemed my love for Liberty Tree Tavern. It's a staple in my family's holiday traditions and I look forward to keeping it that for years to come.Have you been to Liberty Tree Tavern? Are you looking forward to trying the gluten free and dairy free stuffing?

11/7/14 11/7/14

Animator's Palate -- Dinner -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.When it came to regular rotational dining on my recent Disney Dream cruise, my mom and I chose not to dine at any except Animator's Palate for the majority of our cruise, as we wanted to take advantage of the adult dining locations Palo and Remy. We did request ahead of time that our rotational dining include Animator's Palate on our last night, and luckily, that request came through!We were looking forward to Animator's Palate more for the atmosphere than the food but were curious to see how the rotational dining option would fare. We were also curious about the seating arrangements since we'd spent the majority of our cruise dining solo at our meal tables. When we were seated we found out we were at a table for 4 and that our dinner table mates were another mother daughter pair. Our assistant server, server, and head server were hilarious as they were like, "oh you finally showed up!" and were actually all very lovely and accommodating. They were well aware of my dietary needs and said they'd be taking good care of me.The decor in Animator's Palate is cute, with lots of fun and whimsical touches. Animator's Palate is on all of the Disney Cruise Line ships and each has a distinct theme. The Disney Dream's is Finding Nemo. Super cute!The Animator's Palate menu actually lists gluten free and dairy free options, which was interesting. I noted the shrimp salad said it wasn't dairy free, and when I asked about it they said it was because of the egg (which is not really dairy). So, if you think you're interested in a dish, let your server know because it might actually be safe or easily modified. First up, my server brought me Ener-G rolls. They weren't heated that well, but smothered in extra virgin olive oil, I was able to eat a bit of them. First up, I ordered the roasted red bell pepper salad with zucchini and red onion salad served in a balsamic vinaigrette. This was my least favorite part of my meal. The salad was super bland and the dressing did not even remotely resemble a balsamic vinaigrette (there was not hint of balsamic at all). It said it came with cilantro but I could see or taste any. Next time, I'd look for something else as a starter.Next up, I ordered the shrimp salad with cucumber, red onion and hard boiled egg. It wasn't at all what I had envisioned but I actually really loved this. The shrimp was marinated in dill (which I love) and the dish reminded me of Scandinavian shrimp salad (if you don't know what I'm talking about, visit an Ikea cafeteria!) It wasn't minced or small, so it was rather like a chop salad but tasty. If you don't like cucumber or red onion, probably not the dish for you.For my entree, I chose the snapper with scallops, crushed potatoes and a salsa verde. This dish was OK but not great. I liked the snapper, the asparagus, the lone scallop and the sauce. However, the dish was totally not as described. This salsa verde did not resemble any salsa verde I've ever had...um, to begin with folks salsa verde is green. Hence the verde point for those who speak Spanish! The crushed potatoes were actually mashed potatoes and they omitted the dairy for me. I wouldn't say it was a terrible dish just needs a different description.For my dessert, I was told they had a chocolate cake for me. The lighting on this photo is bad, but it was nicely presented. It came with Hershey's chocolate syrup. I had heard that the chocolate cake might also be sugar free, but when I asked they couldn't tell me for sure. It wasn't a bad chocolate cake and satisfied me at the end of the meal. I think they might have used Namaste mix for the cake.Overall, I can't say that I loved Animator's Plate or was wowed by the food. However, it was filling and fairly tasty. Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando also noted that on her review from the Disney Dream. We also dined here on debarkation day for breakfast, so stay tuned for that review! Have you been to Animator's Palate? What did you order when you dined there?

11/7/14 11/7/14

Animator's Palate -- Dinner -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.When it came to regular rotational dining on my recent Disney Dream cruise, my mom and I chose not to dine at any except Animator's Palate for the majority of our cruise, as we wanted to take advantage of the adult dining locations Palo and Remy. We did request ahead of time that our rotational dining include Animator's Palate on our last night, and luckily, that request came through!We were looking forward to Animator's Palate more for the atmosphere than the food but were curious to see how the rotational dining option would fare. We were also curious about the seating arrangements since we'd spent the majority of our cruise dining solo at our meal tables. When we were seated we found out we were at a table for 4 and that our dinner table mates were another mother daughter pair. Our assistant server, server, and head server were hilarious as they were like, "oh you finally showed up!" and were actually all very lovely and accommodating. They were well aware of my dietary needs and said they'd be taking good care of me.The decor in Animator's Palate is cute, with lots of fun and whimsical touches. Animator's Palate is on all of the Disney Cruise Line ships and each has a distinct theme. The Disney Dream's is Finding Nemo. Super cute!The Animator's Palate menu actually lists gluten free and dairy free options, which was interesting. I noted the shrimp salad said it wasn't dairy free, and when I asked about it they said it was because of the egg (which is not really dairy). So, if you think you're interested in a dish, let your server know because it might actually be safe or easily modified. First up, my server brought me Ener-G rolls. They weren't heated that well, but smothered in extra virgin olive oil, I was able to eat a bit of them. First up, I ordered the roasted red bell pepper salad with zucchini and red onion salad served in a balsamic vinaigrette. This was my least favorite part of my meal. The salad was super bland and the dressing did not even remotely resemble a balsamic vinaigrette (there was not hint of balsamic at all). It said it came with cilantro but I could see or taste any. Next time, I'd look for something else as a starter.Next up, I ordered the shrimp salad with cucumber, red onion and hard boiled egg. It wasn't at all what I had envisioned but I actually really loved this. The shrimp was marinated in dill (which I love) and the dish reminded me of Scandinavian shrimp salad (if you don't know what I'm talking about, visit an Ikea cafeteria!) It wasn't minced or small, so it was rather like a chop salad but tasty. If you don't like cucumber or red onion, probably not the dish for you.For my entree, I chose the snapper with scallops, crushed potatoes and a salsa verde. This dish was OK but not great. I liked the snapper, the asparagus, the lone scallop and the sauce. However, the dish was totally not as described. This salsa verde did not resemble any salsa verde I've ever had...um, to begin with folks salsa verde is green. Hence the verde point for those who speak Spanish! The crushed potatoes were actually mashed potatoes and they omitted the dairy for me. I wouldn't say it was a terrible dish just needs a different description.For my dessert, I was told they had a chocolate cake for me. The lighting on this photo is bad, but it was nicely presented. It came with Hershey's chocolate syrup. I had heard that the chocolate cake might also be sugar free, but when I asked they couldn't tell me for sure. It wasn't a bad chocolate cake and satisfied me at the end of the meal. I think they might have used Namaste mix for the cake.Overall, I can't say that I loved Animator's Plate or was wowed by the food. However, it was filling and fairly tasty. Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando also noted that on her review from the Disney Dream. We also dined here on debarkation day for breakfast, so stay tuned for that review! Have you been to Animator's Palate? What did you order when you dined there?

11/7/14 11/7/14

Cookie's BBQ -- Lunch -- Castaway Cay -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014Castaway Cay is Disney's private island, and when you sail on a Disney Cruise Line that is near it, you will get a full day to enjoy this amazing location. It was the highlight of my trip, and I admit, I could have stayed here forever. It was so much fun to rest and relax and enjoy the crystal blue waters. Even as a Florida resident who has access to amazing beaches, I was pretty blown away by the water at Castaway Cay.One of the things to note at Castaway Cay is that it has 3 dining options - Cookie's BBQ, Cookie's Too BBQ, and the Serenity Bay BBQ. Serenity Bay is the adults only beach, and a welcome place to get away from it all. So it was nice to see that they had an adults only restaurant available there. After an early breakfast at Cabanas, my mom and I got off the ship bright and early around 8:30 a.m. We were one of the first folks off the ship and decided to take advantage of that by taking lots of photos and meandering. My mom and I took a leisurely stroll from the dock to Serenity Bay (fair warning, it's a hike). Along the way we took photos of the various meal locations (among other things). We planned on dining at the adults only restaurant since it was easily located at Serenity Bay. We spent much of the morning at the beach and when the time came for lunch we headed to the Serenity Bay BBQ. I spoke with a cast member there who said they could make up some options but that they recommended we go to one of the other two dining locations as they would be better equipped to handle my requests. First up, we went to Cookie's Too BBQ which was closer than Cookie's BBQ. When we got there the cast member I spoke to told me that they were unable to accommodate there at all (versus Serenity Bay which said they could offer me stuff just reduced options). They told me to head along to Cookie's BBQ for special diets accommodations. Let's just say my mom and I worked off our food that day! Cookie's BBQ is an open air buffet with a lot of great BBQ type food. I spoke with a cast member who got the manager on duty. They went over some of the options with me that included, mahi mahi, roasted chicken, and burgers. They said they had gluten free and dairy free buns on hand. Unfortunately, they told me the ribs were not gluten free. That's a bummer since I had heard about them from Gluten Free in Orlando. I was told they contained soy sauce. While I waited for my plate to be made, I also grabbed a bag of Lay's plain potato chips which are gluten free. I also caught up with my friends who as luck would have it were dining at the same time and had pre-ordered their food. Unfortunately, they lost my friends pre-order but somehow had her daughter's. After seeing the pre-order, I was glad I ordered food when I got there. Plain chicken is not particularly a highlight for me culinary-wise.You'll notice that her plate was from Animator's Palate, as that is where they dined the night before. I was pleased to get my plate which was huge. I had a generous portion of Mahi Mahi, Roasted Chicken, and a Burger. The mahi mahi was OK. It wasn't my favorite but it wasn't bad either. The burger was also nothing amazing, but it was good. I did not enjoy the bun, as it was rather dry and not very heated. In hindsight, I'd just get a burger, no bun with all the fixins'. The roasted chicken was the absolute star of this meal. It was insanely delicious! Note to self, skip the mahi and order extra chicken next time!Cookie's BBQ also has a huge fresh fruit station, which was awesome! In this photo, they are still setting it up, but during lunch they were carving fresh pineapple and papaya among other things. It was the perfect light dessert, and I loaded up on freshly cut pineapple slices. Delicious! If you're just gluten free, you'll have access to soft serve ice cream too, which I'm told is safe.Overall, despite being shuffled to three locations, I really enjoyed the lunch at Cookie's BBQ. The roasted chicken was so amazing, and I will definitely be getting it again on my next cruise. Next time, I might gamble with the Serenity Bay BBQ, as it looked like the menu was mostly the same. I can always go for a burger with no bun! Have you been to Castaway Cay? What did you get at Cookie's BBQ?

11/7/14 11/7/14

Cookie's BBQ -- Lunch -- Castaway Cay -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014Castaway Cay is Disney's private island, and when you sail on a Disney Cruise Line that is near it, you will get a full day to enjoy this amazing location. It was the highlight of my trip, and I admit, I could have stayed here forever. It was so much fun to rest and relax and enjoy the crystal blue waters. Even as a Florida resident who has access to amazing beaches, I was pretty blown away by the water at Castaway Cay.One of the things to note at Castaway Cay is that it has 3 dining options - Cookie's BBQ, Cookie's Too BBQ, and the Serenity Bay BBQ. Serenity Bay is the adults only beach, and a welcome place to get away from it all. So it was nice to see that they had an adults only restaurant available there. After an early breakfast at Cabanas, my mom and I got off the ship bright and early around 8:30 a.m. We were one of the first folks off the ship and decided to take advantage of that by taking lots of photos and meandering. My mom and I took a leisurely stroll from the dock to Serenity Bay (fair warning, it's a hike). Along the way we took photos of the various meal locations (among other things). We planned on dining at the adults only restaurant since it was easily located at Serenity Bay. We spent much of the morning at the beach and when the time came for lunch we headed to the Serenity Bay BBQ. I spoke with a cast member there who said they could make up some options but that they recommended we go to one of the other two dining locations as they would be better equipped to handle my requests. First up, we went to Cookie's Too BBQ which was closer than Cookie's BBQ. When we got there the cast member I spoke to told me that they were unable to accommodate there at all (versus Serenity Bay which said they could offer me stuff just reduced options). They told me to head along to Cookie's BBQ for special diets accommodations. Let's just say my mom and I worked off our food that day! Cookie's BBQ is an open air buffet with a lot of great BBQ type food. I spoke with a cast member who got the manager on duty. They went over some of the options with me that included, mahi mahi, roasted chicken, and burgers. They said they had gluten free and dairy free buns on hand. Unfortunately, they told me the ribs were not gluten free. That's a bummer since I had heard about them from Gluten Free in Orlando. I was told they contained soy sauce. While I waited for my plate to be made, I also grabbed a bag of Lay's plain potato chips which are gluten free. I also caught up with my friends who as luck would have it were dining at the same time and had pre-ordered their food. Unfortunately, they lost my friends pre-order but somehow had her daughter's. After seeing the pre-order, I was glad I ordered food when I got there. Plain chicken is not particularly a highlight for me culinary-wise.You'll notice that her plate was from Animator's Palate, as that is where they dined the night before. I was pleased to get my plate which was huge. I had a generous portion of Mahi Mahi, Roasted Chicken, and a Burger. The mahi mahi was OK. It wasn't my favorite but it wasn't bad either. The burger was also nothing amazing, but it was good. I did not enjoy the bun, as it was rather dry and not very heated. In hindsight, I'd just get a burger, no bun with all the fixins'. The roasted chicken was the absolute star of this meal. It was insanely delicious! Note to self, skip the mahi and order extra chicken next time!Cookie's BBQ also has a huge fresh fruit station, which was awesome! In this photo, they are still setting it up, but during lunch they were carving fresh pineapple and papaya among other things. It was the perfect light dessert, and I loaded up on freshly cut pineapple slices. Delicious! If you're just gluten free, you'll have access to soft serve ice cream too, which I'm told is safe.Overall, despite being shuffled to three locations, I really enjoyed the lunch at Cookie's BBQ. The roasted chicken was so amazing, and I will definitely be getting it again on my next cruise. Next time, I might gamble with the Serenity Bay BBQ, as it looked like the menu was mostly the same. I can always go for a burger with no bun! Have you been to Castaway Cay? What did you get at Cookie's BBQ?

11/5/14 11/5/14

Cabanas -- Breakfast -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.Cabanas is the Disney Dream's main buffet serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. While I had dined here on embarkation day, I didn't find it to be my personal favorite on the cruise ship. I much preferred Enchanted Garden for embarkation lunch or Royal Palace for breakfast and lunch a la carte.However, on our Castaway Cay day we wanted to be off the ship bright and early (around 8:30 a.m.) to really enjoy the full day at Castaway Cay. This meant that our best option was Cabanas for dining early. The restaurant opens at 7 a.m. with a continental breakfast and begins serving full breakfast at 7:30 a.m. We got there just around 7:30 so good timing on our part.I made sure to ask a cast member for a head server who could assist with special dietary needs and was greeted by Dogan who helped me at Cabanas on day 1 but whom I'd also seen at other restaurants. He immediately greeted me by name and knew my special dietary needs. It's kind of great how the cast members start to know you throughout your trip!I told him that I was interested in the gluten free and dairy free pancakes as I'd had some killer ones at Royal Palace the day before. I also asked for ham and scrambled eggs. Dogan asked me if I wanted any muffins or donuts, and I said that I'd like one of each (I ended up with more than that though). I was told they had blueberry and chocolate chip muffins on hand.My mom and I decided to sit out on the deck since we had docked at Castaway Cay and it was a gorgeous morning. I let Dogan know where I would be and off I went to grab some beverages and enjoy the amazing view.For my drinks, I grabbed some water and some apple juice. I like the variety of juices available at Cabanas.I'm not gonna lie, the wait was a bit long for breakfast. Dogan said he thought it would come out fairly quickly but it was probably 20 minutes, which in the grand scheme of things isn't long, but sure feels long when others are eating (and my mom finished her meal before I got mine).My scrambled eggs for breakfast were perfectly fine. Nothing exciting but tasty. The breakfast ham was a bit thin and reminded me of deli ham. I kind of joked that if you put the ham and egg on a gluten free English muffin, you'd have an egg McMuffin going on. That's what the flavors reminded me of.Unfortunately, the silver dollar pancakes were the worst part of my breakfast. They were just dreadful. Not at all like the light and airy (and crispy) version I had at Royal Palace the day before. These were tough and almost dead-baked inside. I gave my mom a bite and she agreed that they were not good at all. She had also tried the ones at Royal Palace and said that they were terrific. These were not.Dogan brought me two of each of the muffins and donuts. These were Kinnikinnick brand and definitely staples I enjoy and love. I would have loved a chocolate chip muffin (my favorite!) but the blueberry are good too. I loved the vanilla glazed donuts. Pretty sure I ate both of those. Put Kinnikinnick donuts in front of me and I will eat them!Overall, I found Cabanas to be an adequate breakfast but not my favorite by any means. Next time, I'd just wait until one of the a la carte options opens and head to Castaway Cay just a little later. It was very quiet at Serenity Bay until around 11 a.m. so, even leaving an hour later would be totally worth it to eat at the a la carte meal. Cabanas was also quite busy early in the morning, so if you dine here, plan ahead!Have you dined at Cabanas on the Disney Dream? What did you think of it?

11/5/14 11/5/14

Cabanas -- Breakfast -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.Cabanas is the Disney Dream's main buffet serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. While I had dined here on embarkation day, I didn't find it to be my personal favorite on the cruise ship. I much preferred Enchanted Garden for embarkation lunch or Royal Palace for breakfast and lunch a la carte.However, on our Castaway Cay day we wanted to be off the ship bright and early (around 8:30 a.m.) to really enjoy the full day at Castaway Cay. This meant that our best option was Cabanas for dining early. The restaurant opens at 7 a.m. with a continental breakfast and begins serving full breakfast at 7:30 a.m. We got there just around 7:30 so good timing on our part.I made sure to ask a cast member for a head server who could assist with special dietary needs and was greeted by Dogan who helped me at Cabanas on day 1 but whom I'd also seen at other restaurants. He immediately greeted me by name and knew my special dietary needs. It's kind of great how the cast members start to know you throughout your trip!I told him that I was interested in the gluten free and dairy free pancakes as I'd had some killer ones at Royal Palace the day before. I also asked for ham and scrambled eggs. Dogan asked me if I wanted any muffins or donuts, and I said that I'd like one of each (I ended up with more than that though). I was told they had blueberry and chocolate chip muffins on hand.My mom and I decided to sit out on the deck since we had docked at Castaway Cay and it was a gorgeous morning. I let Dogan know where I would be and off I went to grab some beverages and enjoy the amazing view.For my drinks, I grabbed some water and some apple juice. I like the variety of juices available at Cabanas.I'm not gonna lie, the wait was a bit long for breakfast. Dogan said he thought it would come out fairly quickly but it was probably 20 minutes, which in the grand scheme of things isn't long, but sure feels long when others are eating (and my mom finished her meal before I got mine).My scrambled eggs for breakfast were perfectly fine. Nothing exciting but tasty. The breakfast ham was a bit thin and reminded me of deli ham. I kind of joked that if you put the ham and egg on a gluten free English muffin, you'd have an egg McMuffin going on. That's what the flavors reminded me of.Unfortunately, the silver dollar pancakes were the worst part of my breakfast. They were just dreadful. Not at all like the light and airy (and crispy) version I had at Royal Palace the day before. These were tough and almost dead-baked inside. I gave my mom a bite and she agreed that they were not good at all. She had also tried the ones at Royal Palace and said that they were terrific. These were not.Dogan brought me two of each of the muffins and donuts. These were Kinnikinnick brand and definitely staples I enjoy and love. I would have loved a chocolate chip muffin (my favorite!) but the blueberry are good too. I loved the vanilla glazed donuts. Pretty sure I ate both of those. Put Kinnikinnick donuts in front of me and I will eat them!Overall, I found Cabanas to be an adequate breakfast but not my favorite by any means. Next time, I'd just wait until one of the a la carte options opens and head to Castaway Cay just a little later. It was very quiet at Serenity Bay until around 11 a.m. so, even leaving an hour later would be totally worth it to eat at the a la carte meal. Cabanas was also quite busy early in the morning, so if you dine here, plan ahead!Have you dined at Cabanas on the Disney Dream? What did you think of it?

11/4/14 11/4/14

Palo -- Dinner -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.Palo is the Disney Dream's second adult dining location. With an upcharge of $25 per person, it offers an adults only dining experience at a reasonable price. While my dining experience at Remy was decadent, it's not someplace I would dine on every cruise (I consider it a special occasion restaurant). Palo is one I would dine at every night if I could.Our regular rotational meal that night was slated for the Enchanted Garden. I'm a bit bummed we did miss dining here, as we only visited once during the embarkation lunch, but after dining at Palo, I'm not too sad. It was terrific! Palo's culinary theme is Italian, and while I didn't love the decor (it's a little too 80s Italian for me), the food was fantastic. When we arrived, we were directed to the Meridian Lounge (shared with Remy) and met up with my friends who were dining at Palo for the second night in a row (it's that good!). We enjoyed chatting with them for a bit and then were seated in Palo with a lovely window view. Our server Andrea was the highlight in service for our trip. She made the meal exceptional and really did a terrific job at making us feel comfortable and welcome. She went over the menu with us, noting that the restaurant was aware of my special dietary needs. Up first, were brought an antipasti cart - table-side. The only thing I couldn't eat was the parmesan cheese, so we had a heaping plate of marinated olives, red bell peppers, artichokes, prosciutto, and other cure meats. This was the best pre-course treat. My mom and I both raved and said we could eat this at every meal. I was also brought my favorite bread of the trip - Udi's Gluten Free pizza crust topped with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and fresh basil. It was heated and cut into wedges and was oh so delicious. I actually topped the bread with some of the antipasti which was delicious. While we enjoyed this, Andrea went over options for us. She had some recommendations for me that might be good choices. I opted for the cioppino as my starter and two entrees - the seafood risotto and the scallops with barlotti beans. The second entree was to be shared with my mom, as we learned this trick from our friends who said it worked great at their previous Palo meals. Before our appetizers, we were served a lemon sorbet as a palate cleanser. This was so fresh and light. I could eat this kind of sorbet all the time! The cioppino was a huge dish considering it was a starter. With a rich tomato broth and a variety of seafood in it, it was a great way to start the meal. I wouldn't say it was the best cioppino I've ever had, but it was quite good.My our entrees, I dove into the scallops first so that my mom could have the other half. I will say, this was my least favorite dish of the entire cruise. If you like fennel this would be your thing. I found the fennel entirely too overwhelming and the scallop & barlotti bean combination to be odd. The beans were more al dente than I would have preferred. They were nothing like the decadent and rich version I had at Ravello (which I adored). My mom also did not like this dish, so I'm glad we got it as a dish to split.My main course was the seafood risotto, which they had to modify some for me. I probably should have opted for something else, as I was missing the zucchini that came with it (which I really wanted). Despite that, the dish was very good. If you like seafood, it was filled to the brim with it. From mussels to scallops, calamari, and shrimp -- there was no shortage in this dish. At this point, I was very full and assumed my dessert option would be sorbet. However, I was pleasantly surprised when Andrea said they had an almond orange cake available to me. Cake?! Well, you know those were the magic words to me. Rarely do I get a dessert that is non brownie or sorbet based, so I was thrilled. And I was not disappointed. This dessert was beyond amazing. It was made with almond flour, so it was rather dense almost like a pound cake. The rich flavor of the almond and oranges blended together nicely. The cake itself wasn't very sweet but had some powdered sugar on top to add a touch of sweetness. On the side, I had fresh raspberries and orange segments which were perfect accompaniments. I liked this cake so much, I actually asked if I could have one to go. Palo doesn't have containers or bags, but they kindly plated up a new dessert for me after our meal was complete and gave me silverware so I could take it back to the room. How cool is that?Andrea also brought us another dessert - the strawberry basil sorbet with fresh fruit. This was so delicious too! It reminded me of the raspberry mint sorbet that I used to love at Sanaa. Dessert here blew Remy away!After our meal, we were given a digestif (after dinner palate cleanser) of prosecco and lemon sorbet. This was another winner at Palo. Overall, my mom and I both loved our meal at Palo (she had some amazing courses - pro tip - get the Palo signature steak dish if you like steak; you won't be sorry) and agreed that we wouldn't hesitate to go back again. For the upcharge, food quality, service, and ambiance, we thought it couldn't be beat. We actually said we'd eat here twice on a 3-4 day cruise because it was that good. I'm dying to try out brunch at Palo especially after reading reviews from my friends Sarah at Eating WDW and Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando! Have you been to Palo? What did you think of it?

11/4/14 11/4/14

Palo -- Dinner -- Disney Dream 2014

10/29/14 10/29/14

Royal Palace -- Lunch -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.Dining at the Royal Palace on the Disney Dream was perhaps my most favorite for breakfast and lunch of the cruise. Located on deck 3, this restaurant was a la carte for both breakfast and lunch when we dined there on day 2 of our cruise.Having dined at Royal Palace for breakfast earlier that day, I was familiar with the set-up and how the ordering would work here a la carte. In fact, the team actually remembered me from breakfast when we came in for lunch later in the day after our Nassau excursion.After having such a decadent dining day on day 1 with two lunches at Cabanas and at Enchanted Garden along with our 3 hour dinner at Remy, both my mom and I knew we needed to eat a little lighter on day 2.We were glad to see that the menu had some lighter options, including several salads. When our server asked what I was interested in, I asked if the assorted seafood sample for an appetizer was OK. For my entree, I requested the lemon chicken salad, and for dessert I ordered the citrus fruit cocktail that was on the appetizer section of the menu. I was in luck as none of my entrees needed modification for gluten free and dairy free.The assorted seafood sampler was very similar to the options available at the buffets on embarkation day with a crab claw and shrimp. The shrimp here was slightly seasoned which was very nice (and much better than plain peel and eat shrimp). I really enjoyed the bay scallops which were marinated in citrus. These were nice and sweet. The crab claw was good, though it could have used a sauce. Though it doesn't look all that appetizing, I loved the lemon chicken salad. With fresh papaya (yum!) and chicken marinated in coconut milk and lemongrass, the flavors were fresh and light. The salad was topped with a vinaigrette.Funnily enough, the chef did ask the server to ask me if coconut milk was OK for me to consume. It sometimes cracks me up when people assume coconut milk is milk because it has the the word milk in it. As one friend put it, "that would be a very interesting kind of cow if it produced coconut milk." If I had dined at Royal Palace again on the trip, I would have definitely ordered this entree salad. It was delicious! For dessert, I had the fruit cocktail salad. This was super weird. My mom and I both ordered it and neither one of us got the almonds that the dish claimed to have in it. The only mint was a small sprig on the top of the cup. It was literally a bowl of grapefruit segments and a couple of orange segments. I can't have grapefruit, due to medication, so I skipped this dish once I realized what was in it. To me, this was just not a citrus cocktail salad!Overall, my mom and I really enjoyed Royal Palace for lunch. We thought it was the perfect mid-day meal, especially since we had Palo reservations that night. We both said we'd love to go back to Royal Palace and have lunch again on our next Disney Cruise (and yes, we're already planning).Have you been on the Disney Dream? What did you think of Royal Palace?

10/29/14 10/29/14

Royal Palace -- Lunch -- Disney Dream 2014

10/27/14 10/27/14

Royal Palace -- Breakfast -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.Royal Palace located on deck 3 of the Disney Dream is one of the ship's regular rotational dining locations. Inspired by classic Disney films like Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast, Royal Palace serves French-inspired, continental cuisine fit for a king or queen for breakfast, lunch and dinner.My mom and I stopped at Royal Palace for both breakfast and lunch on day 2 of our Disney Dream cruise. Both meals were a la carte. For breakfast, we were seated at our own table and found the restaurant to be fairly quiet. It opened at 8:00 a.m., and we arrived shortly after the opening. (Note: on day 3 of our cruise, they opened at 8:30 a.m.) This was my favorite breakfast of the trip, both for my meal and the ambiance. The breakfast menu itself was fairly lengthy with options that included, yogurt, fruit, hot cereals, cold cereals, sweets (pancakes and waffles) and savory dishes. I was told by my server and many folks prior to my cruise that the ship could make allergy pancakes and had Van's waffles on-hand. Our server took our drink orders, while we looked over the menu. I got unsweetened iced tea and apple juice. Day 2 was our Nassau, Bahamas day and with an excursion planned, I knew I wanted a hearty breakfast.Since I did not pre-order my breakfast, having dined at Remy and not my regular rotational dining the night before, I consulted with my server and the head server Robert. Pre-ordering is not required for meals, though some servers suggested it to help speed along your meal process. I never pre-ordered any meal (and I actually tried a couple of times but my servers said it was not necessary) and didn't find it to be too cumbersome or too long of a wait. I decided to order the Express breakfast entree which is basically the same as the American entree at most Disney World restaurants. It contains eggs, breakfast meat and potatoes. I also asked for a side of allergy pancakes on the side. The breakfast entree that was brought out to me was huge. And extremely generous with the breakfast meat. I was not able to get the breakfast potatoes as they were hash browns that contained gluten, so the team doubled up on other portions of my entree to make up for the potatoes. I wouldn't say this entree was anything special. The scrambled eggs were good, as was the ham. I wasn't too keen on the breakfast sausage and the bacon served is the same stringy bacon you get at Disney World quick service breakfast. It was filling though, and I definitely did not go hungry.The star of my breakfast were the gluten free dairy free pancakes. These were delicious. Whoever cooked these did a stellar job. They were crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked. I think they used Bob's Red Mill pancake mix for the base. My only complaint? The server poured the maple syrup for me, and I could have used more! This girl loves maple syrup! Out of all of the breakfasts I had on the Disney Dream, this was my favorite. I thought they cooked the allergy pancakes the best, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. We tried to go here again on day 3 but they opened later, and we had Castaway Cay to explore! I also dined here for lunch on the same day and had another good meal here, so stay tuned for that review! I never did get to eat dinner here, but I heard many guests say that this restaurant was their favorite rotational dining dinner.Have you been on the Disney Dream? Did you eat at Royal Palace?

10/27/14 10/27/14

Royal Palace -- Breakfast -- Disney Dream 2014

10/26/14 10/26/14

Remy -- Dinner -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.As a first time Disney Cruise Line vacationer, I knew that I wanted to take advantage of the adult dining experiences available to guests on board the ship. These include Palo (which I also dined at) and Remy. Both adults only dining experiences are available for guests to book in advance (which we did) or while on the cruise (if still available). Each restaurant comes with an "upcharge" per person -- Palo is $25 per person and Remy is an extravagant $75.Because it was my first cruise, and I'm a foodie, I knew I wanted to dine at Remy. I had read amazing reviews of Remy from my friend Sarah at Eating WDW and Dawn from Mouse Chow. I also knew that Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando had dined there and said it was one of the best meals she's ever had. Well, that sold me right there! Remy is French inspired - taking it's name from the Pixar film Ratatouille. It's fine dining at its best with luxurious courses and decadent cuisine. Essentially, this is the Disney Cruise Line's version of Victoria & Albert's. Our meal took a full 3 hours, and this review will be pretty lengthy! If you're the drinking sort, now's the time to pour yourself a glass of wine for this review read!We ended up dining at Remy on our embarkation day. With a reservation at 6 p.m., my mom and I packed our dress clothes in our carry on's just in case our luggage arrived in our stateroom late. Remy's dress code is fairly fancy (cocktail dresses and pantsuits), and in hindsight we would have been better off dining there on day two or three of our cruise so that we felt less rushed on day one.After we gussied up, we made our way to Remy, located on deck 12 (and a bit of a challenge to find the first time!). The lobby area of Remy is shared with the other adult dining, along with the Meridian Lounge. While we waited for our table, we sat in the lounge (meeting up with our friends who were dining at Palo that evening), taking in all the views and ambiance.The head server of Remy, David, came to seat us. We were both blown away by the elegant decor and refined look of the restaurant. The touches from Ratatouille were subtle and charming. We had an amazing view of the ocean from our table.The restaurant knew of my special dietary needs ahead of time and were well prepared for me, noting right away that they knew I was gluten free and dairy free and not to worry as they had lots of options available for my meal. This was one of those touches that both Remy and Palo had and that I really appreciated about the adult dining experiences.Our server Andre came to our table to prepare the cocktail "Collette" table-side. It's Remy's signature cocktail and is brought complimentary to your table as a welcome to the restaurant. Made with Taittinger Champagne and pear vodka, then garnished with fresh raspberry, dried apricot, and mint leaf, it looks and sounds sumptuous. Andre said that they would make me a safe version (interestingly, the dried apricot contains gluten). Essentially, I had champagne with a few garnishes. It was delicious!As we enjoyed our cocktail, Andre went over the menu at Remy. Remy's menu was created by Chef Arnaud Lallement, a Michelin 3-star chef whose famed restaurant is located outside of Reims, France, and Chef Scott Hunnel from award-winning Victoria & Albert's at Walt Disney World Resort. So when I say it's decadent, I'm definitely not kidding.The menu features a la carte options and two tasting menus created by both chefs - Saveur created by Chef Arnaud and Gout created by Chef Scott. You are able to mix and match, creating your own menu or choosing the prix fixe menus as is.Andre suggested that they combine both of these menus for me, with most of my options coming from Saveur with a few chosen from Gout. All of Andre's suggestions sounded great to me, except the duck. I'm not a huge duck fan, so I was skeptical. However, I told him I would give it a try, being adventurous. My mom also chose to mix and match tastings.Before our first course, we were treated to an amuse-bouche (bite-size hors d'œuvre). Remy is famous for their tomato soup cube amuse-bouche. I figured as a gluten free and dairy free diner that this one would be off-limits for me. And when our server brought out two of them to our table, I assumed this was a mistake. However, I was beyond thrilled when they told me that the restaurant had a special version for me using gluten free breadcrumbs.The server suggested we let it cool for 1-2 minutes, then place it in our mouth allowing it to melt without chewing (and FYI, don't bite down on it; you will have tomato soup explosion in your mouth - most unpleasant!).Dawn from Mouse Chow likened this to a Willy Wonka-esque experience and that is the perfect way to describe it. It literally exploded tomato soup in your mouth. Such a crazy and delicious experience. Starting the meal off with this certainly put our meal on a high note (bonus points to Remy for using gluten free breadcrumbs)Next up was our bread course. My mom enjoyed a variety of delicious breads, while I was served an Ener-G roll. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't do anything to this, except heat it up, as Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando had an amazing version of the bread when she dined there. I will give the team bonus points for providing me with non-dairy butter. Adding coarse sea salt to the non-dairy butter made the Ener-G roll more palatable.Before our traditional tasting courses began, we were also treated to Remy's version of Ratatouille. My mom's version came with olive oil gelato which looked amazing. Mine came with a cherry tomato and some additional garnishes. This dish was light and fresh and the seasonings were perfectly balanced.My first dish was the tomato tarte. At first glance, it's beautiful but doesn't look like anything particularly special; however, it's the accompaniment that really brings the dish to a magical (and another Willy Wonka-esque) experience.Served with a glass of "essence," this cold broth was the key to unlocking this dish's unique flavors. I was instructed to take a sip of this cold broth first, then take a bit of the tomato dish presented to me. Repeating these steps would create a unique tasting and bring all of the components together.Now, I have to say the broth was out of this world. The amount of rich flavor in this was beyond compare. Adding the bites of tomato and tomato puree created another dimension and a taste I couldn't quite put my finger on. Andre said most people say it reminds them of deconstructed gazpacho, and I immediately recognized that familiar taste as soon as he mentioned this. This dish and the amuse-bouche were my most memorable dishes of the meal, creativity and taste.Up next came the lobster with chermoula. My mother had this as her first course, and she raved about it, so I was glad this came as a second course for me. The lobster was light and sweet and the chermoula was spicy and robust. Combined together, it made for a really flavorful course.Both my mother and I both had black cod as our next course. My mom is not a fish eater but she likes cod, so this seemed a good fit for her. I adore all fish, so I was happy to have a very seafood heavy tasting. Served with parsnips and a clam jus (mine made dairy free), this dish was excellent. It had a lot of earthy, umami flavors to it, particularly from the clam jus. The parsnips were divine. The cod itself was like butter, falling apart very easily.Now, this is where our meal took a slight turn. My mom found something in her fish that was both unpleasant and unappetizing (not a bone). While I won't go into too many specifics (suffice it to say, it was not particularly pleasant), the restaurant did take both of our plates away, bringing us a substitute course for the cod. It's a shame because the cod was delicious, though on the upside I was given what turned out to be my favorite course of the night.My substitute course was halibut served with a pea puree and a pea sauce. The halibut itself was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The pea puree and the pea sauce were the stars of this dish filled with intense pea flavor and containing a touch of brightness from lemon juice. The radish was a nice accompaniment, but for me, this dish was all about the peas. This dish was perfection.My last meat course was the duck. Served with fennel, oranges and sweet potatoes; it was reminiscent of duck a l'Orange. I'm not a huge fennel fan, but this was very subtle. The orange sauce and orange segments were delicious and paired well with the duck. The duck itself was well cooked and didn't taste as gamey as I often find duck. The sweet potatoes were bananas good, and I wished there would have been more on my plate.While I would say this was probably my least favorite dish of the meal, it was still expertly prepared and quite delicious. I'm just not a duck person.The next course was a cheese course. Sadly, I was not able to enjoy this one. I was surprised the restaurant didn't bring me something else as a palate cleanser to enjoy while my mom ate her cheese course (which she said was amazing). It's a bit of a bummer to be served an empty plate! Not that I was hungry, but it would have been nice to see that added touch.For my dessert course, I was served a fresh fruit salad. It was beautifully garnished with edible gold leaf and flowers. However, I didn't find this to be anything spectacular. The diced fruit was dressed with a bit of juice and black pepper. It was pleasant and a nice palate cleanser but I would have loved to have been given something decadent like my mom's chocolate dessert.The next evening we dined at Palo, and they made me a spectacular dessert that wasn't as pretty as this one but blew it away with taste.Next up was a candy course. My mom was served a huge platter of chocolates and other candies. Because of not being able to have dairy, I was brought 2 homemade marshmallows and 2 homemade lollypops. I was glad to see that I had these as options, though I would have loved to have been given a few more marshmallows to make up for the fact that I couldn't eat the chocolates. The marshmallows were delicious, and I could have eaten about a dozen of them, easy.During this course, I also ordered tea. They had several loose-leaf teas to choose from including the Monkey Picked Oolong which is what I chose. It was fresh and earthy and the perfect accompaniment to the sweet marshmallows. My mom chose coffee and said it was the best coffee she had on the ship.As our 3 hour meal came to a close, we were presented with roses and a box of chocolates for my mom. This is another one of those touches that I'd love to see Remy extend to those who have special dietary needs. It would have been lovely to take a box of marshmallows back to my stateroom with me.Overall, despite one hiccup in the meal, we found Remy to be an outstanding restaurant and an amazing experience. The food was beyond compare and the service was exemplary. I was impressed by how they handled my special diets and found the meal to be a once in a lifetime experience spent with my mom. I wouldn't say that I would dine at Remy on every cruise (certainly not at $75 a person) but it's a wonderful spot for a special occasion.For adult dining at a more reasonable price, I highly recommend Palo, and will be reviewing it here on the site, as well.I'm so glad I went to Remy and look forward to going back there again. I'd love to try the brunch sometime, as I've heard it's amazing. Have you been to Remy on the Disney Dream? What did you think of your experience there?

10/26/14 10/26/14

Remy -- Dinner -- Disney Dream 2014

*This dining experience took place in October 2014.As a first time Disney Cruise Line vacationer, I knew that I wanted to take advantage of the adult dining experiences available to guests on board the ship. These include Palo (which I also dined at) and Remy. Both adults only dining experiences are available for guests to book in advance (which we did) or while on the cruise (if still available). Each restaurant comes with an "upcharge" per person -- Palo is $25 per person and Remy is an extravagant $75.Because it was my first cruise, and I'm a foodie, I knew I wanted to dine at Remy. I had read amazing reviews of Remy from my friend Sarah at Eating WDW and Dawn from Mouse Chow. I also knew that Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando had dined there and said it was one of the best meals she's ever had. Well, that sold me right there! Remy is French inspired - taking it's name from the Pixar film Ratatouille. It's fine dining at its best with luxurious courses and decadent cuisine. Essentially, this is the Disney Cruise Line's version of Victoria & Albert's. Our meal took a full 3 hours, and this review will be pretty lengthy! If you're the drinking sort, now's the time to pour yourself a glass of wine for this review read!We ended up dining at Remy on our embarkation day. With a reservation at 6 p.m., my mom and I packed our dress clothes in our carry on's just in case our luggage arrived in our stateroom late. Remy's dress code is fairly fancy (cocktail dresses and pantsuits), and in hindsight we would have been better off dining there on day two or three of our cruise so that we felt less rushed on day one.After we gussied up, we made our way to Remy, located on deck 12 (and a bit of a challenge to find the first time!). The lobby area of Remy is shared with the other adult dining, along with the Meridian Lounge. While we waited for our table, we sat in the lounge (meeting up with our friends who were dining at Palo that evening), taking in all the views and ambiance.The head server of Remy, David, came to seat us. We were both blown away by the elegant decor and refined look of the restaurant. The touches from Ratatouille were subtle and charming. We had an amazing view of the ocean from our table.The restaurant knew of my special dietary needs ahead of time and were well prepared for me, noting right away that they knew I was gluten free and dairy free and not to worry as they had lots of options available for my meal. This was one of those touches that both Remy and Palo had and that I really appreciated about the adult dining experiences.Our server Andre came to our table to prepare the cocktail "Collette" table-side. It's Remy's signature cocktail and is brought complimentary to your table as a welcome to the restaurant. Made with Taittinger Champagne and pear vodka, then garnished with fresh raspberry, dried apricot, and mint leaf, it looks and sounds sumptuous. Andre said that they would make me a safe version (interestingly, the dried apricot contains gluten). Essentially, I had champagne with a few garnishes. It was delicious!As we enjoyed our cocktail, Andre went over the menu at Remy. Remy's menu was created by Chef Arnaud Lallement, a Michelin 3-star chef whose famed restaurant is located outside of Reims, France, and Chef Scott Hunnel from award-winning Victoria & Albert's at Walt Disney World Resort. So when I say it's decadent, I'm definitely not kidding.The menu features a la carte options and two tasting menus created by both chefs - Saveur created by Chef Arnaud and Gout created by Chef Scott. You are able to mix and match, creating your own menu or choosing the prix fixe menus as is.Andre suggested that they combine both of these menus for me, with most of my options coming from Saveur with a few chosen from Gout. All of Andre's suggestions sounded great to me, except the duck. I'm not a huge duck fan, so I was skeptical. However, I told him I would give it a try, being adventurous. My mom also chose to mix and match tastings.Before our first course, we were treated to an amuse-bouche (bite-size hors d'œuvre). Remy is famous for their tomato soup cube amuse-bouche. I figured as a gluten free and dairy free diner that this one would be off-limits for me. And when our server brought out two of them to our table, I assumed this was a mistake. However, I was beyond thrilled when they told me that the restaurant had a special version for me using gluten free breadcrumbs.The server suggested we let it cool for 1-2 minutes, then place it in our mouth allowing it to melt without chewing (and FYI, don't bite down on it; you will have tomato soup explosion in your mouth - most unpleasant!).Dawn from Mouse Chow likened this to a Willy Wonka-esque experience and that is the perfect way to describe it. It literally exploded tomato soup in your mouth. Such a crazy and delicious experience. Starting the meal off with this certainly put our meal on a high note (bonus points to Remy for using gluten free breadcrumbs)Next up was our bread course. My mom enjoyed a variety of delicious breads, while I was served an Ener-G roll. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't do anything to this, except heat it up, as Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando had an amazing version of the bread when she dined there. I will give the team bonus points for providing me with non-dairy butter. Adding coarse sea salt to the non-dairy butter made the Ener-G roll more palatable.Before our traditional tasting courses began, we were also treated to Remy's version of Ratatouille. My mom's version came with olive oil gelato which looked amazing. Mine came with a cherry tomato and some additional garnishes. This dish was light and fresh and the seasonings were perfectly balanced.My first dish was the tomato tarte. At first glance, it's beautiful but doesn't look like anything particularly special; however, it's the accompaniment that really brings the dish to a magical (and another Willy Wonka-esque) experience.Served with a glass of "essence," this cold broth was the key to unlocking this dish's unique flavors. I was instructed to take a sip of this cold broth first, then take a bit of the tomato dish presented to me. Repeating these steps would create a unique tasting and bring all of the components together.Now, I have to say the broth was out of this world. The amount of rich flavor in this was beyond compare. Adding the bites of tomato and tomato puree created another dimension and a taste I couldn't quite put my finger on. Andre said most people say it reminds them of deconstructed gazpacho, and I immediately recognized that familiar taste as soon as he mentioned this. This dish and the amuse-bouche were my most memorable dishes of the meal, creativity and taste.Up next came the lobster with chermoula. My mother had this as her first course, and she raved about it, so I was glad this came as a second course for me. The lobster was light and sweet and the chermoula was spicy and robust. Combined together, it made for a really flavorful course.Both my mother and I both had black cod as our next course. My mom is not a fish eater but she likes cod, so this seemed a good fit for her. I adore all fish, so I was happy to have a very seafood heavy tasting. Served with parsnips and a clam jus (mine made dairy free), this dish was excellent. It had a lot of earthy, umami flavors to it, particularly from the clam jus. The parsnips were divine. The cod itself was like butter, falling apart very easily.Now, this is where our meal took a slight turn. My mom found something in her fish that was both unpleasant and unappetizing (not a bone). While I won't go into too many specifics (suffice it to say, it was not particularly pleasant), the restaurant did take both of our plates away, bringing us a substitute course for the cod. It's a shame because the cod was delicious, though on the upside I was given what turned out to be my favorite course of the night.My substitute course was halibut served with a pea puree and a pea sauce. The halibut itself was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The pea puree and the pea sauce were the stars of this dish filled with intense pea flavor and containing a touch of brightness from lemon juice. The radish was a nice accompaniment, but for me, this dish was all about the peas. This dish was perfection.My last meat course was the duck. Served with fennel, oranges and sweet potatoes; it was reminiscent of duck a l'Orange. I'm not a huge fennel fan, but this was very subtle. The orange sauce and orange segments were delicious and paired well with the duck. The duck itself was well cooked and didn't taste as gamey as I often find duck. The sweet potatoes were bananas good, and I wished there would have been more on my plate.While I would say this was probably my least favorite dish of the meal, it was still expertly prepared and quite delicious. I'm just not a duck person.The next course was a cheese course. Sadly, I was not able to enjoy this one. I was surprised the restaurant didn't bring me something else as a palate cleanser to enjoy while my mom ate her cheese course (which she said was amazing). It's a bit of a bummer to be served an empty plate! Not that I was hungry, but it would have been nice to see that added touch.For my dessert course, I was served a fresh fruit salad. It was beautifully garnished with edible gold leaf and flowers. However, I didn't find this to be anything spectacular. The diced fruit was dressed with a bit of juice and black pepper. It was pleasant and a nice palate cleanser but I would have loved to have been given something decadent like my mom's chocolate dessert.The next evening we dined at Palo, and they made me a spectacular dessert that wasn't as pretty as this one but blew it away with taste.Next up was a candy course. My mom was served a huge platter of chocolates and other candies. Because of not being able to have dairy, I was brought 2 homemade marshmallows and 2 homemade lollypops. I was glad to see that I had these as options, though I would have loved to have been given a few more marshmallows to make up for the fact that I couldn't eat the chocolates. The marshmallows were delicious, and I could have eaten about a dozen of them, easy.During this course, I also ordered tea. They had several loose-leaf teas to choose from including the Monkey Picked Oolong which is what I chose. It was fresh and earthy and the perfect accompaniment to the sweet marshmallows. My mom chose coffee and said it was the best coffee she had on the ship.As our 3 hour meal came to a close, we were presented with roses and a box of chocolates for my mom. This is another one of those touches that I'd love to see Remy extend to those who have special dietary needs. It would have been lovely to take a box of marshmallows back to my stateroom with me.Overall, despite one hiccup in the meal, we found Remy to be an outstanding restaurant and an amazing experience. The food was beyond compare and the service was exemplary. I was impressed by how they handled my special diets and found the meal to be a once in a lifetime experience spent with my mom. I wouldn't say that I would dine at Remy on every cruise (certainly not at $75 a person) but it's a wonderful spot for a special occasion.For adult dining at a more reasonable price, I highly recommend Palo, and will be reviewing it here on the site, as well.I'm so glad I went to Remy and look forward to going back there again. I'd love to try the brunch sometime, as I've heard it's amazing. Have you been to Remy on the Disney Dream? What did you think of your experience there?

Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW