Beaches & Cream Soda Shop -- Snack -- Table Service -- Beach Club
*This dining experience took place in March 2015. 
Located in Disney's Beach Club Resort is Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. This ice cream parlor reminds me of those classic 1950s ice cream and soda shops -- complete with hamburgers & fries, milkshakes and amazing sundaes (and let's not forget the infamous Kitchen Sink - a gigantic serving for four of literally every sundae item the restaurant has). It's been a while since I've dined at Beaches & Cream, in fact my last review here on the blog was from 2011. That was when I discovered the awesomeness that is the Beaches & Cream peanut butter sauce! 
Beaches & Cream has two options for ice cream goers. The first is the traditional table service where you can order ice cream treats and a savory items like burgers and fries. The second is a quick service counter style, located directly next to the table service seating area and accessible by a separate door. This place is pretty darn busy, and it used to be that you could only get walk-ups to dine here. That's right, no ADRs! Luckily, that has now changed and you can make reservations to enjoy a visit here. 
On this particular occasion, we actually did not have a reservation but stopped by to see if we could get a walk-in. Luckily, we were able to get counter seating which was terrific. Before we were even seated, I notified the hostess of my special dietary needs, and she marked our ticket with "allergy." Once seated, the manager came out to discuss options for me. Since I love the peanut butter sauce, I asked if I could have a modified version of the No Way Jose ice cream sundae. She said not a problem, and offered me a choice of Tofutti (which they have in chocolate and vanilla) and Rice Dream (in vanilla only). The No Way Jose typically comes with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, so I opted for the Tofutti. When you order special diets sundaes or food at Beaches and Cream, they will prepare it entirely in the back to avoid cross contamination. Watching the servers make sundaes at the counter, I can definitely attest to the high level of cross contamination that posed there. 
After a fairly minimal wait, I was brought out a huge sundae. I was not prepared for the size of this thing! Tons of non-dairy ice cream smothered with peanut butter sauce, chocolate syrup and chocolate chips was the way to go. I'm fairly certain I didn't speak for a good 15 minutes while I ate this sundae. If you like peanut butter and chocolate this is the combo to get.*Note: A blog reader mentioned that they were told the chocolate chips were not safe to consume for dairy free special diets; however, I was told by the manager that the chocolate chips only contained soy (likely soy lecithin). I didn't feel sick afterwards, so I'm hopeful that these are indeed a safe option! The manager did not include the peanut butter morsels on my sundae, which did contain dairy (same with the whipped cream).Overall, I had a great sundae at Beaches and Cream. It's a great go-to sundae stop, and they do have a large variety of options for toppings. I'm looking forward to going back again in the summertime when I need a sweet (and cool) treat!Have you been to Beaches and Cream? What did you order when you dined there?
Cape May Cafe -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Beach Club
*This dining experience took place in August 2014.
When it comes to a seafood buffet, Cape May Cafe located at Disney's Beach Club Resort has some of the best and most gluten free (and dairy free) friendly options around. it's a veritable feast of crab legs, clams, mussels, and more. It's also a family favorite, and we go every year in July/August to celebrate my stepdad's birthday. Amazingly, I hadn't been since the previous year's birthday celebration, so it was great to go back for a visit. We always try to get a Cape May Cafe ADR for 5 p.m., right when the restaurant opens. Cape May is very popular so it can often get very busy, very quickly here. I also personally prefer dining there earlier, so I can feel less stressed about cross-contamination while enjoying the buffet (and not getting every item from the back - though I do still get quite a few from the kitchen). On this particular visit, we noticed that Cape May now has little menus available at the check-in station. 
Our family always sits at the benches near the restaurant while we wait. We love watching the restaurant set-up and getting excited for the meal! 
Typically, we get seated near the front of the restaurant, but this time we were in the back. This was fine, though I have to say, our family much prefers the booths to tables because the tables were really closely placed together, making it difficult to get in and out.Upon being seated, I was greeted by the chef. He then took me around to the buffet to go over the options. The menu seems to be relatively the same as it was last year. Though, I have to admit, I certainly do miss the braised cabbage and bacon they used to have the menu...too bad this can't make a comeback! My game plan at Cape May Cafe was to have the chef bring me some items from the back while I loaded up on items in the front. I may look a bit like a food hoarder when I dine here. I think I had 4 plates at my seat after all was said and done. I just feel better getting all my food at once, but that's a personal preference and buffet strategy. 
First up were the peel and eat shrimp with cocktail sauce and marinated olives. These are some of my favorites. I will say the peel and eat shrimp weren't as good as I remember them being but the olives were outstanding! 
One of my hands down favorite things at Cape May Cafe is the Cape May Salad. Made with cranberries, candied walnuts, and a citrus vinaigrette, it's so delicious. The regular version of the salad comes with blue cheese, so if you ask the chef, they will make you your own version. I highly recommend this too! I have to say, this version was probably the most overdressed version I've ever had, which was disappointing. But still, very good.I also asked for hummus from the back, and the chef brought GNI rolls to accompany the hummus. I preferred the Kalamata olive hummus over the roasted red pepper hummus, as I think the version from Sanaa is much better. As you know, I'm a condiment queen, and I do enjoy a good dip! 
The star of Cape May Cafe is the seafood, and the crab legs and steamed clams are always high on my list. Both were good, though the clams were a little overcooked. Still, that won't stop me from eating a good hearty plate filled with them. 
I also got a plate that included BBQ ribs (pork), steamed potatoes, paella, green beans, and roasted chicken. The paella was my hands down favorite. It wasn't particularly authentic but it tasted really great. The seafood was also cooked well, which made it even better. The ribs were also another hit for me -- not overly sauced but seasoned well. I always love their roast chicken legs found on the kids buffet. Super flavorful and moist. 
The chef also brought me a piece of salmon from the kitchen along with some sautéed broccoli rabe. The salmon was fabulously seasoned and well cooked. This was the surprise favorite for me after the paella. Sadly, the broccoli rabe was completely overcooked and the garlic and shallots served with it were burnt. This was the only thing I thought was really disappointing at the meal. 
Amazingly, I somehow made room for dessert after all that food, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Cape May Cafe was still serving Babycakes NYC products. After the storefront for Babycakes closed last year, many restaurants stopped carrying their desserts, so I wasn't sure what would be available to me. But now, I'm happy to report that both the donuts and the mini brownie cupcakes are available. For a full location of Babycakes NYC spots, check out reference sheet for it. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Cape May Cafe. Some of the dishes weren't as great as they have been in the past, but in general the food remains consistent and delicious. It's still a family tradition and favorite that fits in perfectly with the summertime! I'd give this visit a 7 out of 10. Have you dined at Cape May Cafe? What is your favorite meal: breakfast or dinner?
Captain's Grille -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Yacht Club
*This dining experience took place in March 2014.
Ahoy matey's! The nautical theme of Captain's Grille may make you want to say "Shiver me timbers" but you won't feel "out to sea" with the atmosphere and food offerings of this table service. Sure, I can't help myself with the sea-inspired references but really this is a nice option for guests looking for breakfast near the Epcot resort area.On this particular occasion, we stopped by for an early breakfast as we were headed to Epcot for the Flower & Garden Festival that day. We wanted to get a good meal in us before we spent the day touring. It's been a while since we've been to Captain's Grille, and I will say that it's not usually my first choice for a breakfast option. However, it sure fits the bill nicely when we go. I really love the quiet atmosphere here. It's always so calm and relaxing. One of my favorite things about it really.
The restaurant has a breakfast buffet and also an a la carte option. I had the breakfast buffet back in January 2013 but this time I decided to just get something off the menu. The chef here was really eager and nice. He gave me some suggestions, and I decided to go for a custom omelet with ham, onions, and asparagus (one of my favorite veggies) along with some Udi's toast and Earth Balance. Nothing too crazy but filling and tasty.
My toast was great as always. I gotta admit, I really love Udi's white sandwich bread. It's just homey and nostalgic for me. I also like the texture a lot - just reminds me of glutenous filled bread. The Earth Balance vegan margarine is my go-to. I use it at home and in all of my cooking & baking when it calls for butter. This stuff is amazing, and I'm always glad when a Disney restaurant carries it. Never underestimate the power of butter flavor!
I have to say, I love it when I get breakfast potatoes that are just a bit different, and these definitely were. They included shredded potatoes, sweet potatoes (my favorite) and onions with salt and pepper. My only complaint was that the onions were a little raw but otherwise, these were really good. You can't screw up a breakfast potato that much in my opinion. The omelet would have been great except for two things: 1) It was overcooked and 2) they only gave me the ends of the asparagus.Overcooked eggs are a personal pet peeve and the omelet was too badly overcooked but enough that I could tell. The thing that was really disappointing was the asparagus. Who gives you asparagus with only the ends?! The tips are the best part! It's really a good thing I like asparagus because I could still eat my omelet missing tips or not. Note to self...ask about that next time.Overall, despite the weirdness with asparagus, I really enjoyed the breakfast. The combination of all of my breakfast options made it a really tasty meal. My family, who don't have special diets, really enjoyed both the buffet and the a la carte options. We all said we'd go back again as an alternative breakfast place. I'd give this a solid 7 out of 10 for good service, great atmosphere and decent offerings. I'd bump it up to an 8 if they gave me asparagus tips!! I also want to pop by here sometime for dinner, especially after hearing about their gluten free angel food cake!Have you dined at Captain's Grille? What did you think of this restaurant?