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

*This dining experience took place in September 2012.

Kona Cafe

Just a brief review from Kona Cafe with a new menu item that I tried. As many of you know from previous reviews of Kona, I discovered their Island Chicken Sandwich with the fabulous curry mango mayonnaise. This time though, I decided to do a little something different. I was actually craving stir fry or something with rice and soy sauce. Of course, I was really craving Ohana, so I was hoping that Kona could make something that would sort of satisfy the craving (nope, it can't compare to those grilled shrimp!!!).Chef Johnny, who helps me a lot there (and at this point doesn't even have to ask me my allergies, he just says, so what are you in the mood for today?) said he could whip up a stir fry and I asked for rice though I could have had rice noodles. He essentially made pan Asian noodle dish for me, but modified. I got chicken in it.The dish was very good, but spicier than I anticipated! The chicken was more sauteed than grilled, but I think I would have preferred the grilled chicken from the grille chicken sandwich in it. Yum, that would have been really good. I was also pleasantly surprised by the variety of veggies in this. Loved the cabbage and the broccoli (I think it was actually broccolini). Overall, very tasty. It was mostly a ginger/garlic based sauce, and I did ask for a side of GF soy sauce (they carry San-J there), which they were happy to provide. I personally love soy sauce, and the soy sauce in my opinion complimented this dish really well. The portion of this dish was also very generous and would make a great filling dinner (I had it for late lunch and didn't eat dinner that night!)

Chicken stir fry with sticky rice and gluten free soy sauce

I'd say this dish was a solid 8 out of 10, and I would definitely get again. I think I'd stick with the rice too, even though the options included rice noodles. Yum!

Boma -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- AKL

Boma: Flavors of Africa!

View of the seating area and buffet

*This review is from a dining experience that took place in August 2012.Jambo! Here's an updated review from Boma--one of my favorite breakfast spots. If you've listened to my podcast on breakfasts, you'll have heard a lot about this place. Here's an update on what I got this trip, and some reports on additions to their vendor products here.First off, I was greeted by Chef Chris, who helped me when I was there in May 2012. He's a bit of a jokester, but very nice. He walked me around the buffet and pointed out things that were safe. The roasted asparagus, grilled tomatoes, chakalaka, and pap are all in the same pod and were all safe this trip (sometimes they put dairy in the pap). The carving station I was allowed to have the ham, but not the corned beef (it has gluten/wheat in it). Quinoa is ok. Breakfast potatoes and breakfast meats are also ok. Fruit is ok, unless it has yogurt in it. There are two cereals that are safe, and they have soy milk if you want that. The chef said he would also make me an omelet in the back (I chose a ham omelet), Mickey waffles, and then he was going to look for the Kinnikinnick (one of our sponsors for the dessert party!) chocolate chip muffins and donuts. He thought the muffins were not in stock that day. He also said that they didn't carry the Udi's toast (bummer!) but they had the multigrain rolls. So here's what I ended up with:

Ham, grilled asparagus, pap, bacon, and breakfast potatoes

Fruit--grapes and pineapple

View of the bounty! Along with unsweetened iced tea and Jungle Juice (yum!)

Ham omelet, Kinnikinnick chocolate chip muffin and a Mickey waffle

I really enjoyed all of the foods and definitely did not leave hungry. I would have liked to have had some more Mickey waffles, but I'm sure I could have asked for more. Chef Chris also did bring me a Udi's roll to go and an OMG I can't believe it's GF/DF chocolate chip cookie.

Udi's dinner roll (One of our sponsors for the Dessert Party!)

 

 Overall, the meal was very good as usual. If you'd like to see some past reviews, you can check out my blog by searching for Boma. You'll find several more reviews here. I'd say a solid 8 out of 10 for this experience, and I'm curious to get in touch with them before my next visit. Chef Chris gave me his email and said he could whip up something special next time (hmmm,, gluten free/dairy free Bobotie?!)

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

Dinner at Sanaa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge-Kidani Village

*This review is from a dining experience that took place in August 2012.Ah, Sanaa...as many of you know, this is one of my favorite restaurants on property. I happen to love Indian food, and this place offers some amazing versions of Indian dishes. There have been some changes recently, well this past March to be more precise. Also, Chef Trish has recently come on board, having been at Boma before. She assisted me in my visit in May 2012, and we had just an amazing meal. She didn't disappoint this time either, and I'm thrilled that she is on board as a permanent member of the culinary team there. In fact, one of the reasons for the shift has to do with the Landscape of Flavor food court at Art of Animation, which I ate at on the same day. They have an entire tandoor section, including homemade naan, etc. Our server mentioned that because of Sanaa's expertise in this area, one of the chefs headed over there to work and train folks, hence the chef changes. It's great news for the Landscape of Flavors as they will get a great chef experience in Indian cuisine (and by the looks of it, it was pretty fabulous) and we also get to experience Sanaa with Chef Trish!One of the changes that Chef Trish mentioned this visit is the change in the Durban Chicken and addition of some newer dishes on the menu--including Butter Chicken, which is not safe for dairy allergies, but is gluten free. The Durban chicken is good, but I usually don't get it because it is really really spicy, and I like spice, but when my tongue is on fire for a while, I avoid it. However, Chef Trish said they changed/tweaked the recipe and made it more flavorful, still full of heat, but less painful. So, I decided I would try that along with one of my favorites, the green curry shrimp.But first, it was on to the appetizers! I love the bread service here. They give you poppadoms and choice of 3 dips. In this case, we were able to split the appetizer between me and my party, they got the naan breads and 3 dips and then I got my own 3 dip choices + poppadoms. Yum! I chose my favorite 3--the roasted red bell pepper hummus (omg to die for!), coriander chutney, and mango chutney. They have such depth of flavor and varying degrees of spiciness. I would say the coriander chutney is the most spicy out of the three.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Coriander Chutney

Poppadoms

I was still chowing down on our appetizer when the entrees came out. I was greeted by a wonderful aroma, and I was very excited to try out the new version of the Durban chicken. I was definitely not disappointed. Ok, I admit, I did still go through a lot of liquid while eating it, but man that stuff is delicious. I agreed with Chef Trish in that this version had more flavor and definitely less overall lasting burn from the heat of the peppers. So, my mouth wasn't on fire an hour after we left!! The shrimp with green curry is delicious--I'm actually very tempting to just get it alone the next time. If you like green curry, this is a winner.

Green curry shrimp, basmati rice, Durban chicken

Green Curry Shrimp--you can see the richness of spices in this

Durban chicken--spicy and delicious!

I can't believe after this meal I actually decided not to get dessert. I almost always get dessert at Sanaa, but I was a bit full especially after a late lunch at Art of Animation. No worries though...I left satisfied and full!Another solid 9 out of 10--this place is such a hidden gem, I almost don't want to tell everyone how good it is, so it doesn't end up packed! lol But seriously, this is a must do, especially if you like Indian food! 

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

Mugs of iced tea from Liberty Tree Tavern

Liberty Tree Tavern

Hear ye, hear ye! Here is my most recent review of Liberty Tree Tavern. This was my first time eating at Liberty Tree Tavern during the lunch time when they have an a-la-carte menu. Usually, I head to dinner for their Pilgrim's Feast of turkey, ham/pork loin, roast beef, mashed potatoes, veggies, and gluten free gravy! But this time, we decided to head their for lunch to check out the a-la-carte options, of course I ended up with the Pilgrim's Feast lunch version anyway, but at least I tried!Lunch seems a lot less crowded than dinner here. In fact, it was fairly slow (of course it was late afternoon), which was nice. It was a hot August day, so perhaps not the best choice for summer, but at least it was all filling food.The chef greeted me, and I had been debating between the Colony Salad (which sounded very good and easily modifiable) or the Pilgrim's Feast (i.e. turkey dinner) and I ended up not asking about the salad because I thought it might disturb my Crohn's a little (as many of us with Crohn's know sometimes cruciferous vegetables can be hurtful to the stomach). So, the chef really didn't give me options, I basically just asked if they had the dairy free mashed potatoes (they did) and the gluten free gravy (they did) and gluten free/dairy free Udi's rolls (they did) and then Earth Balance (another yes). So, it was all fairly simple. Since I'm well versed in what they offer, that made it easy, but if you haven't been here before definitely ask. This particular chef wasn't very forthcoming in info. He did offer to make me steamed veggies and some roasted veggies too. That seemed like a good idea since the roasted veggies might be more done (see my above statement about crunchy veggies).Well, I have to say, the food came out fast here! They must keep dairy free mashed potatoes and gluten free gravy on hand all the time because I didn't give them any real advance notice (i.e. I made the ADR the night before, but did note all allergies) and because of the swiftness with which the food came out.

 

GlutenFree/Dairy Free rolls from Udi's with Earth Balance vegan margarine

Pilgrim's Feast...i.e. turkey dinner!

Dairy free mashed potatoes, turkey, steamed carrots and green beans, and roasted veggies

Gluten free gravy! Best part of the meal!

The turkey dinner essentially tasted just the same as it always does here. Mild, filling, and homey. It's a great ode to turkey dinners. I miss stuffing/dressing, of course, but I make a good version at home, so it's not a huge loss. The mashed potatoes are OK here. I find them to be very under-seasoned most of the time. I wish they would at least add some more salt! The turkey is nice and moist. The steamed vegetables are ok. Nothing spectacular. The roasted veggies were actually very flavorful. I liked them a lot; the carrots were nice and roasted and mushy--the way my tummy likes them! However, the other roasted veggies were crunchy, so I mostly picked through to eat the carrots. The gravy is the best here. It's not overly seasoned, but I actually like the nice mild flavor of the brothy gravy. It makes for great dunking. Just add a little more salt and pepper and you're good to go. The rolls were good, though not my favorite Udi's product. Is it weird that I'd rather have one of their buns here instead? Of course, add Earth Balance and gravy and it pretty much didn't matter what the roll tasted like :)Overall, I found the meal to be OK. Nothing spectacular. Nothing to rave about, but good. I'm eating here for the Halloween and Christmas parties (it's my party go-to-place), although I'm highly tempted to try to get the new Be Our Guest Restaurant for the Christmas party when the ADRs open up!I'd say a 7 out of 10 for a solid and safe meal.

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

 Ah Kona...if you are a regular reader of the blog or you've listened to Episode 002 of my podcast, you know I'm a pretty big fan of Kona Cafe for breakfast! It has been a while since I've had my favorite entree here, the Big Kahuna! With gallbladder problems and then surgery, it was pretty difficult to eat a lot of fat or high portions of food. Yuck! But gallbladder free, the Big Kahuna is just A-OK with me.I was greeted by my regular chef (sorry I never seem to pay attention to his name) who knows me so well that we don't even have to do the standard "what allergies do you have, etc." He just knows. "Gluten and dairy" is pretty much his standard statement. So, I told him that I wanted the modified Big Kahuna with scrambled eggs and no sausage (love the sausage but it does not love me) and Mickey waffles in place of the pancakes and french toast. He was also going to add Earth Balance vegan margarine, which many places are starting to have--this is good (but note, not the soy free version).While waiting for our meal, the chef came back out and he asked if I wanted pancakes instead of Mickey waffles because they are now providing pancakes. I prefer the Mickey waffles to the allergy pancakes (even though it's the same batter), and he agreed. We also had a nice discussion about Kona having the best Mickey waffles on property (and he's heard others say the same) and he said it's partly because they of the varying uses of the mix on property. He said every restaurant does it just a little bit differently. They use Bob's Red Mill pancake and waffle mix with canola oil and rice milk. That's it. Other restaurants sometimes add things like honey to the mix, which I thought was interesting. It explains why some taste a little bit different (and that it's not just my imagination).After he left, I thought about it, and my mom actually suggested that I could do the pineapple macadamia nut pancakes in the future since they could now do pancakes. I thought that was a really good idea, so the next time I'm there, I'm going to ask the chef about it and see if we can test it out!Of course, the Big Kahuna was as good as ever. The breakfast potatoes are so good, with a wonderful seasoning on them. The ham is delicious--some of the best on property. And the Mickey waffles, as usual were excellent. Although, my mom and I both noted that they weren't as crispy as normal (and we had just been talking about it with the chef), which was odd. First time ever that has happened there. We think they needed to cook just a tad longer. Overall though still very good. I had Earth Balance vegan margarine too, but as you see in pictures, it was melted by the time it got to me (not a bad thing sometimes though!)

Big Kahuna!

Lots of Mickey Waffles!

Overall, another 9 out of 10 for Kona. It's always my go-to breakfast spot, and I was so happy to be back in my Big Kahuna groove!

9 out of 10 Menehune prefer Kona Cafe!

Kouzzina -- Table Service -- Breakfast -- Boardwalk

Entrance to Kouzzina by Cat Cora

Another view of Kouzzina

*This review is from July 2012.Kouzzina is one of my favorite table service breakfasts. I love the food, the ambiance, and the location. It's nicely situated between both Epcot and Hollywood Studios, which makes it a nice way to start a day of touring.I must admit, I don't really try anything exotic here, but the breakfast I get is so solid and tasty, that I don't really want to veer too much off the path. However, I have in the past had allergy friendly Mickey waffles with honey and pecans; that was nice. Usually, I get a modified version of "The American;" this means, eggs (scrambled for me), bacon, and breakfast potatoes. Sometimes I like the house breakfast potatoes, which are composed of regular potatoes and sweet potatoes with red peppers and onions and sometimes I just request plain breakfast potatoes. This trip, I went with plain potatoes. They were tasty, could have used a wee bit more seasoning, but overall very good. The eggs are always amazing here, as they use extra virgin olive oil in them (and a very high grade Greek evoo). Kouzzina happens to also have some of the best bacon on property. Yum!I always get allergy friendly Mickey waffles with regular maple syrup. This time though, the chef asked me if I wanted to also get some gluten free/dairy free toast. Say what?! Toast!? This was a first for me at Kouzzina. I was ecstatic. Yes, please with toast. I also asked if they had Earth Balance vegan margarine. They did (the regular version, not the soy free). Hurrah! The toast did not disappoint. I love, love, love Udi's bread. The only downside is that I ended up paying extra for the Mickey waffles, and usually, I don't. But, I was ok with it because the toast was so amazing.

Modified version of "The American." The Udi's toast was awesome.

Here's a close-up of my toast with Earth Balance vegan margarine

I have to say that the Mickey waffles and toast were the highlight (yes, I admit it, I love bread type carbs). I actually was so full that I had about a 1/4 of one piece of toast left, and my mom tried it. She's still talking about that toast! She said she actually preferred it to the regular non-allergy friendly toast. What a testament that this bread is tasty for all palates.

Allergy friendly Mickey waffles

As usual, Kouzzina is a solid meal, and it remains one of my standard restaurants. I missed seeing Chef George this time (he's always really nice), but I'm sure I'll be back there soon. Another solid 9 out of 10.

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

Welcome home! 50's Prime Time Cafe is just like mom's house...

*This review is from July 2012Here we are again for another review of 50's Prime Time Cafe. I love this place; the atmosphere and the hijinks are always great. In fact, I look forward to visiting with Cousin Tom and the rest of the delightfully in-character crew at 50's PT. It doesn't hurt that the food here is pretty good too. Nice homey, old fashioned 50's - 60's food with a modern flare (no jello molds here!). While I have tried other items on the menu, the main reason I head to 50's PT is for the one and only gluten/dairy (and soy free, likely egg and nut free too) fried chicken, dairy free mashed potatoes, and the brownie sundaes! They also carry dairy free milkshakes here too, but I'm usually too full to add that to my order!For this trip, I had emailed Chef Williere Justin who used to work at 50's PT (and always made sure we had a great meal); however, I found out he had moved to Whispering Canyon Cafe (see my July 2012 review of WCC--it was excellent!), but the great thing is that he got in touch with Chef Brandon who is at 50's PT.Working with Chef Brandon, I was able to work out what I wanted. I made sure to request gravy this time, because I've only ever had it one time (and I had not requested it).When we arrived at the restaurant, we sat and enjoyed the retro vibe (although I must say vinyl/pleather chairs and really hot humid Florida weather do not mix!) and I noticed that a seating ticket came up and a chef came out and spent a lot of time with the hostess going over it. Hmmm....ten bucks says that has to do with me! Yep, I was right. The chef was waiting for me and said he'd let us settle in to the table and then he'd come over to go over the food.

Retro seating and decor

Once seated, Chef Ivan came back out to speak with me. Wow, they were prepared! He had a stack, and I mean a stack of stapled correspondence from me to them. Too funny. He said that he was ready for me; he went over the ingredients with me, which was nice. He explained that this was the first time he was making it, and he wanted to make sure it turned out well. The chicken uses rice flour and the mashed potatoes (which are AMAZING) are made with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, little bit of water, pepper. The greens were sauteed in evoo and also had bacon in them. Then the gravy he used rice flour to thicken it. This all sounded good to me. We also discussed the brownie for dessert, and he said that the brownie was still safe (they make it in-house) and they could do chocolate or vanilla tofutti. Naturally, I went with chocolate. The only odd part was that he asked me if M&Ms are ok. I had to remind them that they have dairy in it, which he said he forgot about. They said the sprinkles would be ok and that the popcorn doesn't have anything related to dairy or gluten in it. (For those who don't know, the traditional "Dad's brownie sundae" comes loaded with whipped cream, sprinkles, ice cream, M&M's, and a caramel corn of some sort.)The food came out pretty quickly. My mom and stedpad also had the non-allergy friend chicken meal, so there was a lot of fried chicken at our table. Yum! Mine came out on completely different dish-ware and also had a place marker that said "Allergy" on it. I've never seen any other WDW restaurant do this, and I really like it because it allows for less confusion (in the past I've been brought regular non-allergy friendly fried chicken b/c they weren't marked). It would be nice to see this in other restaurants in the future. It's also nice that they use different dishes because that is another way to distinguish a special diets meal.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free/Soy Free awesomeness--fried chicken, mashed potatoes, greens, and gravy!

After they brought the food out, the chef did come back to check on me to see how it was. It was excellent. Although, I think it might have been a tad greasier than I've had in the past, it was still really good. Moist and tender and the fried chicken crust was amazing. The mashed potatoes here are something spectacular. Seriously! In my humble opinion, these are consistently the best mashed potatoes on property. So flavorful and rich. Whispering Canyon Cafe's are a close second. The ones at Liberty Tree Tavern are also good, but they don't have the depth of flavor that they do here. I need to find out exactly what they do to these potatoes to make them so darn good. My attempts with evoo haven't turned out quite as well. The greens were also good here. Anything that involves bacon is A-OK with me. I personally like them cooked down more, but that's me. I grew up on mushy greens and green beans, etc. Then we get to the gravy. Yum! I liked the gravy I got here the first time better, but this one reminded me of my mom's chicken gravy. It was almost identical. I had her taste it, and she even agreed. So, it was nice to have something taste so familiar. Double Yum!

Close-up of the chicken with potatoes and greens. That's a lot of chicken!

Close-up of the chicken gravy. Yeah, I ate the whole thing...

I didn't quite make it to the "Clean Plate" club...that was a lot of food!

Sarah's awesome gluten free/dairy free brownie sundae. Delish!

Then it was on to dessert. The chef prepared a great sundae (and another nice touch that the allergy market was on it. It was also in a different type of dish than the traditional sundae). I didn't really eat the popcorn (doesn't always settle well with me), but I scarfed the rest down. Somehow, it doesn't matter how full I am here, I can always make room for dessert. Well...that happens a lot at WDW!

Our Cousin Janice was singing "Happy Birthday" to my stepdad...she was a hoot!

Overall, I had a really good experience at 50's Prime Time Cafe. Chef Ivan was very kind and very attentive to make sure that everything was done just right. Just remember whenever you go someplace to be mindful of ingredients and ask if you think the offering doesn't sound safe. (i.e. M&M's on a sundae here is a no go for dairy free folks).I can't wait to head back again...another solid 9 out of 10. Love the ambiance, the staff interaction, and of course the food!!! Definitely a continued must-do for me.

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

**This dining experience took place in July 2012.Aloha! As you all know, I love Kona Cafe at Disney's Polynesian Resort. I can't help it. Their allergy friendly Mickey waffles call my name! It's been a while since I've had my Kona Cafe Mickey waffle fix, so I decided this was the place to head to on my day trip to WDW.First up was a ham omelet (hold the cheese), and the chef subbed out the potatoes and biscuit for Mickey waffles. Normally, I would have asked for more Mickey waffles, but I knew I was having an early dinner at Whispering Canyon. The ham omelet was good, but I actually think in the future I will get what I normally do which is scrambled eggs and ham on the side. Their grilled ham is delicious, and I preferred that over the more shredded version in the omelet (though it's likely just the same ham).Overall, another great meal at Kona.

Close-up of those incredible allergy friendly Mickey waffles!

Ham Omelet and Mickey waffles...yum!

 

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

Yeehaw! This was quite a meal!

**This dining experience took place July 2012.Howdy! Who's ready for a rootin' tootin' review of Whispering Canyon Cafe?! I know I'm sure ready to head back here for another meal. Yum! I haven't eaten here for dinner since 2003 (and that was pre-allergies), so I was looking forward to this meal. On top of that, I had been in contact with Chef Williere Justin, formerly of 50's Prime Time (and who many of you know has provided some really amazing experiences and darn good GF/DF fried chicken there) who is now at Whispering Canyon Cafe. I will say that there are a few chefs on WDW's property that I will follow from restaurant to restaurant because they are that good. Chef Williere might just possibly be my favorite of all chefs on WDW property. His dedication to providing safe and tasty dining experiences for guests is unparalleled. In fact, there was another guest there with allergies at the same time was so happy, our server said she must have hugged Chef Williere for 5 minutes! He's that good! So, I was very excited about this meal. We had been in contact prior to my visit, and I knew I was able to get GF/DF cornbread, and that there would be a chocolate cake made. Wahoo! Cornbread and chocolate cake sounded A-OK to me!Upon arrival, we were greeted almost immediately by Chef Williere who said he was ready for us. He just confirmed that we were having the lunch skillet (a slightly, and only slightly because it's huge, smaller version of the dinner skillet) with cornbread. He also said that he had the bakery make me a special cake. Yum! I was excited. We were also greeted by our server Jeffro, who Chef Williere said was just great. We were off to a good start!Now for those of you unfamiliar with Whispering Canyon Cafe, you should know that there are lots of fun hijinks that happen here. The chefs kid around a lot and tend to be "surly." Just ask for some extra ketchup some time. You'll see what I mean! :)We really didn't have much time at all to wait for food, which was good because we were hungry! Chef Williere brought out two huge pieces of GF/DF cornbread. Wow, it looked good!

GF/DF Cornbread! So good my family kept trying to eat it!

The cornbread was extremely moist (which those of us who bake GF/DF know that can be sometimes difficult) and delicious. It was dense and almost cake-like. The taste was phenomenal. I gave my family some to sample (they had regular gluteny cornbread), and they loved it. In fact, later they asked for some more because they liked it so much.Next up was the coleslaw. This was not mayonnaise based, so it was nice and light. But, be warned it had a slight kick to it. So, if you don't like spicy food, just keep that in mind. Still, it was extremely good.

Coleslaw

Up next, was the mammoth skillet that we were served. Mammoth is an understatement. Jeffro told us to make sure to make room, and he sure wasn't kidding! Wowie! Initially, I made the assumption that I would be brought a separate skillet; that usually happens at most restaurants, so I didn't dig in immediately. I asked our server, and he said, no the whole skillet was safe. Wow. That was pretty amazing because that never happens, not even at WDW. But, we could all share. I loved this. The skillet consisted of: BBQ pork ribs, chicken, and sausage, baked beans, garlic smashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. That's a lot of food.

A mighty skillet filled with GF/DF goodness!

My first plate consisted of chicken, ribs, potatoes, and beans. OMG. So good. The chicken was very good and moist. It tasted like it had some rosemary in it. The beans were also very good, nice BBQ flavor. Then there were the ribs. Those were a surprise, because I'm always on the fence with ribs. I either love them or hate them. These were of the love kind. Very smoky and tasty. Then there were the potatoes. Those were to-die for. I ate about 3 servings of the potatoes...seriously.

Round one of my meal...there were several!

So between the cornbread and the skillet, I was one full girl. But, we knew there was cake coming. Oh boy was there cake coming. I was talking to Jeffro, our server, at the time, but my stepdad and mom said that Chef Williere peeked out from the kitchen and gave the thumbs up signal to see if we were ready for dessert. Yep, we were! And what a surprise dessert it was! Chef said that he had the baker make a special chocolate cake. It was so amazing. The most artful and special looking GF/DF cake I've ever had on property (and the most tasty, I must say). It was also pretty huge! The cake consisted of chocolate cake, strawberry jam layered in the cake, and a strawberry jam layer on the top of the cake with white frosting and fresh strawberries. I'm still not sure how I packed all the food away or made space for the cake, but I did. It was so amazing. My family was raving about how good it was and how it did not at all taste like a "special diets" dessert.

Full view of the gorgeous cake.

Close-up view of the cake top

Cake serving. Yum!

I am telling you, when I need a special occasions cake, I'm contacting their bakery again. They have officially blown any other WDW bakery out of the park. Divine! Luckily, we were able to take the cake home with us; otherwise we would not have been able to eat the whole thing (and admittedly, I ate some for breakfast the next day!).A word about special cake orders. These have varying costs, and you can arrange this ahead of time with the bakery or chefs at the various restaurants and hotels. Typically, desserts at restaurants are usually gf/df non-dairy ice cream, cookies, house-made brownies, and sorbets. So, this was a specially prepared cake. So, if you want something like this, you'll want to contact the restaurant ahead of time and consider that there will likely be an additional cost incurred. Restaurants are also now able to order cakes from Babycakes at Downtown Disney if you prefer.Overall, I can't say enough good things about this experience from the servers to Chef Williere and his amazing staff, my whole family was blown away by this meal.Definitely a 10 out of 10! Run don't walk to this restaurant and expect a really great meal. Hijinks definitely included :)

The Wave -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Contemporary

Entrance Podium Sign at the Wave

I've been to the Wave once with food allergies, around the time they first opened. As you'll see in my previous review, the meal was ok, nothing special. One of my friends recently recommended the Wave to me, as they told me they had received gluten free, dairy free, and soy free sweet potato pancakes. For that, I was willing to make another trip to the Wave.

Menu from the Wave

I recently had the opportunity to visit. One of the new additions was the option of the breakfast buffet. This meant you could order off the menu or choose the buffet. The chef kindly took me through the buffet to tell me what was safe and also checked to see if they could make the sweet potato pancakes. The trick with them is that the sweet potato puree may have already been used for the day on the regular non special diets pancake batter. If they have extra (or if you give them enough notice), they will make the sweet potato pancakes for special diets guests. Unfortunately, they were out that day (it was close to 10:30 am, so nearly the end of breakfast), but I was able to get gluten free/dairy free pancakes.The chef then made my eggs in the back and also offered me cinnamon raisin toast and/or blueberry muffins. I chose the cinnamon raisin bread. I haven't had any since going GF/DF over 3 years ago!

Buffet pods

Fresh Fruit from the Buffet

Bacon and breakfast potatoes

Of the few items I could have directly from the buffet were the fresh fruit (which was far away from other gluten/dairy items) and breakfast potatoes and bacon. I found the breakfast potatoes to be quite tasty. They had red peppers in them but were not too spicy. The bacon was the standard WDW bacon. The fruit was actually very fresh and very tasty. I was impressed with that.

Scrambled eggs with GF/DF Cinnamon Raisin Toast

GF/DF Pancakes with Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

The chef brought out scrambled eggs, GF/DF cinnamon raisin toast, and GF/DF pancakes with Earth Balance Vegan Margarine. The eggs were good, but it was the cinnamon raisin toast that wowed me. It was the Udi's brand bread, and it was very, very good. Good enough that I went home and bought some (sorry, I'm shameless when it comes to consuming good bread. If it's good, I'll buy a ton of it!). The GF/DF pancakes were also very good. It was interesting because I found them to taste almost exactly like the Mickey waffles. I think they must use the same mix. I was also excited because they brought me Earth Balance vegan margarine. Great on the pancakes and on the toast!

Full View of the Spread

View of the Restaurant

Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised with the Wave. I liked the option to order off the menu or choose the buffet. I found the additional options for GF/DF to be quite nice. I truly enjoyed the cinnamon raisin bread and the pancakes. I'm really hoping to head back here to try to get the sweet potato pancakes soon!I would give it a solid 8 out of 10. Can't wait to check out some of the other offerings from this restaurant.

**This dining experience took place in June 2012.

Turf Club Bar and Grill -- Table Service -- Lunch -- Saratoga Springs

One of the two entrances to the Turf Club Bar and Grill at Saratoga Springs Resort

I've had quite a few people recommend Saratoga Springs' table service restaurant Turf Club Bar and Grill. Everyone I've received the recommendations from have told me how wonderful this restaurant is at accommodating special diets. For me, I've never been likely because I have felt it was off the beaten path, and I've also never stayed on a vacation at this resort. But, I really wanted to try something different on my way back from MCO airport, so I decided to check it out.

Open air patio seating is readily available

One of the first things I noticed about this restaurant is its options for outdoor seating. Although I opted to stay indoors due to the heat, I thought this would be a perfect place to have a leisurely lunch or dinner on a cooler day. It has spectacular views of the lake and of Downtown Disney.

Indoor seating. Very club-like atmosphere.

Lunch menu. I ordered the GF/DF modified "Crispy Chicken Breast Sandwich"

After being seated inside, I was greeted by the chef, who went over the menu with me. He said there were a lot of options, and he was correct. I was pretty pleased that I had such a variety of entrees to choose from. Appetizer-wise, there wasn't really anything short of salad that was gluten free and dairy free. He did mention the buffalo chicken dip is gluten free, but contains butter (so those of you who are strictly GF can enjoy this). For entrees, all of the burgers were good. The chef said he could do a modified GF/DF version of the shrimp scampi pasta. The crispy chicken breast sandwich could actually be made with the crispy coating. (yes, I was sold on this one!). The Reuben sandwich was ok, as was the barbeque pork tenderloin sandwich. There were a few other options, but I sort of tuned them out once I heard the crispy chicken was safe! I ordered mine without the goat cheese or the rosemary focaccia. Instead it came on a Udi's roll (I still am obsessed with these. Thank you Udi's for making these!). I also got the french fries.

Crispy Chicken Breast Sandwich on a GF/DF roll and minus the cheese with fries

Close up of the crispy chicken breast sandwich. Yum!

I must say, this sandwich was to-die for! As you can see, it was quite large. I actually had to cut it in half to eat it. The GF/DF coating was actually very crispy, as well as being very tasty. My only slight suggestion was to add a little more salt to the breading, but otherwise, it did an excellent job of creating that crispy chicken sandwich taste and texture. I don't think I've actually had a sandwich like this since going GF/DF over 3 years ago (chicken tenders don't quite count). It was fantastic. The balsamic marinated onions and tomatoes were very good. I loved this. The arugula was a nice touch for the choice of greens, mixing well with the balsamic dressing. Believe me, I scarfed this down. The fries were good. Nothing spectacular, just plain old good french fries. Next time, I might try the homemade chips. I know the slaw they had was not mayonnaise based, and the server mentioned that it was a sweeter slaw. Not sure I'd do that, but it might be a good option, if you like slaw.

Mango sorbet with fresh fruit

I also decided to get dessert. The sorbet flavor that day was mango. The chef said they would add some fresh fruit. I like the mango sorbet a lot. It's something different than the traditional raspberry, which I get a lot. Although there wasn't a lot of fruit accompanying the sorbet, it was all very fresh and very tasty.Overall, I was pretty impressed with this restaurant. They really did seem to have a lot of GF/DF options. I was especially impressed considering that my lunch was a walk-in, having not made an ADR. So, this is a great option regardless of advanced notice (but definitely make an ADR whenever possible). I didn't get to meet Chef Ron, who I've heard a lot about, but the other chef on duty was fabulous.Definitely a solid 9 out of 10 for excellent options and service.

**This dining experience took place in June 2012. 

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

**This dining experience took place in May 2012. 

 

Just a quick update post on Kona Cafe. Thought I'd show a slight variation of offerings there. I recently had gallbladder surgery and prior to the surgery I needed to watch the fat content. Eggs really weren't working well for me (at least not the yolks). So, I was able to order egg whites which worked out really well. Of course, I had to have some Mickey waffles, even if my tummy wasn't too happy later. We ended up doing the "eggs your way" menu choice and subbed the biscuit for mickey waffles. I had grilled ham too. Yum!

Scrambled egg whites, ham, and Mickey waffles!

Sanaa -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Kidani Village -- AKL

Entrance and menus

Sanaa has become one of my most favorite restaurants on WDW property. I love the variety of food, the ability eat flavorful, exotic dishes, and that it is extremely affordable. To me, it's a hidden gem at WDW. Located at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village, Sanaa is a blend of Indian & African inspired flavors.In my most recent visits (May 2012), I noticed several new changes that have occurred on the menu and at the restaurant itself. To begin with, they now have special diets menus for gluten and dairy allergies/intolerances. In both instances that I went, I received a gluten free menu, and then the chef either went over the dairy free variations or the server brought me the dairy free menu, and we mixed and matched the options.

New Gluten Free Menu at Sanaa

I like that they are now adding special menus to the restaurant. Restaurants like Jiko already do this, and it's nice to have a menu already mostly catered to your needs.There are also some menu changes--Butter chicken (a no no for dairy) is now on the menu and the chicken with cherries/fruit that my friend ordered once does not appear to be on the menu any longer either. Overall, the menu remains mostly the same (slight price increases also were noted).For both of my visits in May, I split the bread service/dip sampler with my non-GF dinner guests. They bring poppadoms for me (on a separate plate) and the remainder of the bread service to the other guest. On our first visit, Chef Trish really was amazing. The bread service typically comes with three sauces. She was kind enough to allow us to try most of the dips  available. A few (like cucumber raita and tamarind) were off limits for me, but they were brought out for the other guest. That was ok by me because I still had most of the other dips to try. My favorite still by far is the roasted red bell pepper hummus. It's spicy and addicting! Both visits, I devoured that dip. I also like the coriander chutney. Yum! The mango chutney is also very nice--fruity and spicy at the same time. I didn't try the garlic chutney but my brother raved about it.

Dip sampler--two of the six were not dairy free/gluten free

Dip sampler on another visit, this is the amount you typically get. Notice there are 2 of the red pepper hummus!

 On both visits, I also got the sustainable fish. It's one of my favorites; however, they have been tweaking the recipe. The changes to me, are not as favorable, but that's a personal preference. I personally loved the curry broth with the onions, zucchini, and squash. Now, the sauce is composed of fennel, tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, and onions (among others). I find the broth to still be lovely, but the curry flavor seems slightly more subdued likely due to the strong flavor of the fennel (which I don't really like). I love the asparagus addition though. Yum! The first time, I believe the fish was tile-fish and the second time, I believe, it was flounder. Both were very nice pieces of fish. I also asked for the dinner portion, which was the addition of shrimp and scallops. I love that version. So good. The only slight issue I had is that it seemed that they weren't as generous with the shrimp and scallops as they used to be. Still, it's a great deal for the price and very fresh.

Version #1

Version #2

On one occasion, I did get dessert (boy was I stuffed by the end). The same as in the past, the trio of sorbets. This included a coconut sorbet, mango sorbet, and my ultimate favorite raspberry mint sorbet. OMG so amazing. Note that the picture has chocolate sauce on the raspberry mint sorbet. Unfortunately, they had to bring me a second one, as this one had dairy filled chocolate sauce on it.

Sorbet sampler

Overall, I always have high praise for Sanaa. It's a shame that it's not as well-known, especially considering how amazing the food is. The ambiance (animals right outside the window! Giraffes, zebras! Oh my!), the coziness, and the overall experience is top notch. I always give this a solid 9 out of 10, although it nearly edges into a 10 for me at the end of the day.Make this a stop on your next visit!

**These dining experiences took place in April and May 2012.

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

This report is a mash-up--one of what I received at Liberty Tree Tavern in October 2011 just before the vendor changes and one in December 2011 just after the changes. I suspect when I go back again for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (yes, it's my tradition to go there for the parties), it might be different again. The only difference was the rolls. Essentially, they said they were changing and the rolls they were changing to were not dairy free (they were gluten free), but they said they had a few Ener-G rolls left, so they gave me some in December before they ran out. Other than the note about the rolls by the chef, everything else was the same.I like Liberty Tree Tavern a lot. I actually kind of miss the character meal days when the characters got into the theme of things (especially at the Halloween party!) and when the CMs called your party by your name and location, "Here ye, Here ye...now seating the Smith party from the great state of Michigan!" But I digress. I still like it for it's hominess and the fact that they actually have mashed potatoes and gravy. I love gravy!

Salad with strawberry vinaigrette

I also love their salad dressing. There salad is probably one of my top favorite salads on property (Ohana's honey lime dressing and Cape May's salad with citrus vinaigrette, cranberries, and candied walnuts are my other top favs). I just love the strawberry vinaigrette! Of course, I always have to watch out as far as portions on fresh salad (because of my Crohn's) but I always sample some. Yum!

Ener-G Rolls with Earth Balance (not Soy Free version) prior to vendor change

I admit, now that I'm used to the Udi's rolls, I'm spoiled. I don't ever want to go back to the Ener-G rolls days. I feel bad because I know that Udi's rolls have eggs in them and can't accommodate to everyone. But they taste so darn good. I love them (and buy them at home now). The problem that I've had with Ener-G rolls is that they kind of turn into hockey pucks after they cool down. You really have to eat them warm or they are kinda yucky.

Turkey, pork tenderloin with a cranberry compote, green beans and cauliflower (mashed potatoes are somewhere under there)

The thing I like about Liberty Tree is that the meal is always comforting, homey food. I like the mashed potatoes here (and the gravy!) and the roast turkey. They used to have ham, but now that has been replaced with pork tenderloin. I actually preferred the ham, but that's just me. I really didn't like the cranberry compote. Yuck. Sorry, just not my thing.

Raspberry sorbet with fruit

Dessert at Liberty Tree consists of raspberry sorbet with fruit. This has been the same for the past three years. I actually like it a lot. It's refreshing. And I usually eat too much turkey, so I can go for the sorbet by the end.Liberty Tree Tavern is a really consistent restaurant. I will be curious to see if they offer Udi's rolls there when I go in September for the Halloween party. Stay tuned....A solid 8 out of 10 for this one for consistency and accommodation of food allergies (but bring back the ham guys!!!)

**These dining experiences took place in October and December 2011.

50's Prime Time -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Hollywood Studios

I love 50's Prime Time. I love gluten free/dairy free fried chicken. I dream about it!!! So good. 50's Prime Time has been one of those places that I have become very spoiled with such a wonderful meal. I always contact them ahead of time, so that they can make sure to make the gluten free/dairy free fried chicken and dairy free mashed potatoes (my favorite on property by the way!). Yum!Sometimes, I get green beans and carrots and other times the collard greens with bacon (depends on my mood). I've only received gluten free gravy once...but I wish I could get it more often. That gravy was divine. Here's an example of the standard allergy friendly fried chicken:

Gluten free/dairy free fried chicken with olive oil mashed potatoes and veggies

House made brownie with rice dream

It's a lot of food! I usually have to give myself time for dessert, but I usually manage :) They have a house made brownie (thank goodness, there is still a brownie that I can eat on property) with rice dream and sometimes syrup. Just depends on the chef and day (and how full I am).I recently went (May 2012) with an ADR but no contact ahead of time regarding the allergies. I was just curious how they would handle things, especially since I was not really wanting fried chicken at the time. When the chef came out, he said that he could do several of the options including the blue plate special (which was some type of pork chops with an apple chutney of some type). I opted for the Boneless Pork Tenderloin. It normally comes with mashed potatoes (which I really really wanted), but they said they could do a brown rice. Boring, but I decided to try it. I also got green beans and carrots.

Boneless Pork Tenderloin with rice and veggies

When the entree arrived, it had a nice marker in it that noted allergy. That was the first time I'd seen that, and I appreciated that. That made it fairly clear that it was for me. I hadn't asked for mushrooms, but they arrived on my plate (I think some variation of mushrooms were on the regular dish). I am not a big mushroom fan, so I gave these to my mom, who really liked them. The boneless pork tenderloins were good. Tender, flavorful, nothing fancy though. I like their veggies there. The brown rice had cranberries in it. Not bad, gave it a little bit of a zing. But, I still would have liked to have had the mashed potatoes. Oh well.For dessert, I got the same house made brownie with rice dream and chocolate syrup; however, the server brought it too me with the m&m's on them, which are not safe! eek!!! They were all around the dish, not really on the brownie or the ice cream, so I gambled and had my mom give me a clean spoon and gave her all of the offending areas. I didn't get sick, so that was good. I think it was just a miscommunication and the server seemed a bit new.Overall, I love 50's Prime Time. Even when I didn't give any notice, I still found the food to be pretty good. Next time though, I'm going to plan ahead and make sure to ask for mashed potatoes!Also, don't forget to have a good time while you're there.....I love the 50's PT hijinks. I was once there with a friend who was so full from the meal that he joked he couldn't possibly eat anything for dessert except for water. Well, don't say things too loudly...Our Cousin Tom (one of my favorite servers) brought out a big o'le bowl of water for his dessert. Too funny!

50's PT always gets a solid 9 out of 10 from me. Love, love, love this place. Just make sure you contact them ahead of time (by contacting WDW Special Diets), and they will be able to accommodate you beautifully.

**These dining experiences took place in the summer of 2011 and May 2012.

Ohana -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Polynesian

**This dining experience took place in July 2011.

 

Ohana is one of my hands down favorite restaurants of all time at WDW. It's the best. I loved it before food allergies and I love it with food allergies. It's amazing. The attention to special diets is really great, and the food is so tasty! But, I've always had dinner here, never breakfast. This past July (2011), I decided to give it a whirl and see if it lived up to the dinner's standards.

Fruit platter

Overall, I would say it did! If you like character meals, this is a good one. It's busy, but the kids seem to get a lot of character interaction in. It's also big enough that you don't feel overwhelmed by characters (at some character meals, like 1900 PF, I feel like I'm being constantly inundated with characters). And it's Ohana! I love the vibe there.Essentially, I got very similar food choices to Kona. The exception was a fruit platter, which I really enjoyed. I love grapes and pineapple, so I scarfed those down! My travel companions got a roll and bread platter which they liked.For my main breakfast, I got scrambled eggs, bacon, mickey waffles, and breakfast potatoes. Essentially, they really all tasted the same as Kona (in my opinion). I might have had ham in the platter, but I don't remember. I actually said something to the chef about the Mickey Waffles and he said that Kona got their Mickey waffles from their side of the kitchen. Interesting. Hadn't heard that before. Either way, they are my favorite Mickey waffles on property...to die for!!I would definitely go to breakfast at Ohana again.  For me, I prefer Kona Cafe just because I like the calm quiet vibe and the food is the same as Ohana. I would go to Ohana if I wanted to do a character meal or had a special occasion for sure!I'd give it a solid 9 out of 10!

Breakfast platter...Mickey Waffles a plenty!

Kona Cafe -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Polynesian

California Luau Roll from Kona Island Sushi Bar

Many of you probably already  know my obsession with Kona Cafe. I adore the breakfast here, and I really like the lunch too. However, I've never been a huge fan of dinner. Maybe it's the choices of dishes? I went once pre-allergies and was a bit underwhelmed by it. (of course, it has never deterred me from going to breakfast here!) But, it has been several years, and I wanted to give Kona Cafe another shot for dinner.One of my biggest wishes was to get some sushi. I emailed them ahead of time, so I knew that I could get something gluten and dairy free; however, I wasn't sure if they'd let me order it from Kona Cafe (instead of going to the sushi bar). I was very excited that this was indeed ok. I ordered the California Luau Roll which was crab, avocado, pineapple. Yum! I will admit the pineapple was an interesting twist, but overall, it was pretty darn tasty! My favorite sushi on property is still at California Grill, but this was a great option too.For my entree, I ordered the shrimp and scallops. The shrimp were supposed to be panko crusted, but both the proteins were grilled for me. They came with sticky rice and ponzu and spicy guava passion fruit sauce. The wasabi cream was not on the entree. Overall, I found it ok. Shrimp and scallops were great. Loved the rice. I just didn't really like the sauces much. The spicy sauce didn't appeal to me much, and I ended up eating around it. Pretty basic entree, good but nothing spectacular.

Shrimp and scallops with sticky rice

Overall, I'd like to see the menu get changed up a bit here for dinner. The lunch menu was recently changed, and I really enjoy the menu choices for lunch. Breakfast, of course, is spectacular! I would walk not run to this place for dinner, but I give Kona Cafe a 9 out of 10 for their dedication to handling food allergies.

**This dining experience took place in the summer 2011.

Ohana -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Polynesian

*Note: This review is from summer 2011, and the dessert offerings (i.e. gluten free / dairy free brownie) are no longer available.Just thought I'd give you another one of my Ohana reviews. Especially because lately, I've been able to get the shrimp from the BBQ! And they are my favorite...oh are they my favorite. I could eat them for days....but I digress. Onto the rest of the review...

Skillet with steamed white rice, broccoli, carrots and snow peas, grilled chicken skewers and cellophane noodles

Ohana is one of my favorite restaurants. Who doesn't love grilled meats? And the ambiance? Forget about it! It's amazing. I love the family style meal and the overall vibe. Once I had to go gluten and dairy free, I was worried about food offerings. Would I be able to eat anything? But, it's been one of the best for food allergies. Things have changed and evolved over the past few years and so this review is pre-Nov. 2011 vendor changes. The only real change that I noticed after 11/11 was the switch from the above pictured bowl (no more noodles) to a more scaled back version (still it's a lot of food!). The last two times I've had to ask for grilled chicken skewers, because they tell you that the beef and shrimp are the two safe meats from the grill. I don't eat beef, so I always ask for chicken (I didn't once assuming I'd get the same bowl above, but didn't--lesson learned). It's not that they don't want to do it; they have all been very happy to, but I believe more that maybe they are cutting back? Too much waste? Hmm, who knows. In any event, make sure you ask if you want chicken skewers (or any other kind).Of course, the salad with the honey lime dressing is safe as usual. Love this. I can't usually eat too much salad because of the Crohn's disease, but I always have just a little here. That dressing is to die for! The chicken wings are also great. I usually don't eat all of mine, because there is just so much food! Essentially, they are the same wings as the rest of the party except they don't have the sauce (i.e. they only have the dry rub). I do know that both the salad and wings are gluten, dairy, and soy free (have been several times with someone who has a soy allergy).

Chicken wings, minus the sticky sauce. They are still quite delicious (and messy)!

One of my favorites in this meal are the shrimp. See I told you I'd get back to them? They are so delicious. I loved the grilled flavor and the sauce. I can eat a LOT of these (once I only had shrimp to eat and had about 25-30 of them, no joke! And that included the rest of my meal--still not sure where my stomach stored it all that meal). They are just the best!

SHRIMP!!!

It's amazing that after all this food, I somehow have room for dessert, but I seem to...everytime! I was really loving what I was getting for a while, which was the French Meadow gluten free/dairy free brownie, rice dream, nestle syrup, and cherry on top sundae. Yum! That's what I got this trip. But, they no longer serve this brownie since they switched vendors. The OMG I can't believe it's Gluten Free brand has dairy in it and no longer in the options. I've been getting the OMG gf/df chocolate chip cookie with rice dream, etc. Not quite as good, but ok.

Brownie sundae...I miss these!

This is a gluten, dairy, and soy free variation.

On this trip, I was with a friend who's GF/DF and soy free. This is what he got. I can't remember short of the lack of brownie what the other modifications were. The "ice cream" might be different than what I got; I can't recall. The last time I was with him, I know he had sorbet instead of this (that post-vendor change).Overall, I can't say enough great things about Ohana. I always feel like family here! 9 out of 10!

1900 Park Fare -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian

**This dining experience took place in summer 2011.

 

Chef brought out a bounty of food--all prepared in the kitchen, not off the buffet

 

I admit, while I like character meals, I have to be in the mood for a character breakfast. I get a little cranky before I get food in the morning; sorry Mickey, but it's true. However, I have been wanting to try out 1900 Park Fare for breakfast for a while. (I've eaten dinner here pre-allergies).One of the biggest things that I noticed at this breakfast is that there were not that many items that I could eat straight from the buffet. Meaning it was either filled with gluten or dairy (or both). I could have items from the carving station (like ham, which I love) or fruit. Otherwise, everything else was off limits. The chef said he would make everything in the back for me. I asked for scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, and of course, Mickey waffles! (yes, you are probably all well aware of my Mickey waffle obsession).Overall, the food was good. Nothing special; just basic breakfast food. Except the bacon. OMG it was rockin'! Kouzzina is the other restaurant that I really like the bacon. It's not that greasy puny type that you often get; this was very meaty delicious bacon. My family even were jealous (yep, they got the other kind of bacon). I wondered why the difference in the bacon, but I didn't argue. It was too good. They were a wee stingy on the Mickey waffles, but no big deal, I did have a lot of food to eat.

Ham from the buffet carving station. Very good!

In general, I would give this restaurant a 8 out of 10. Food was good and plentiful (and safe). If you like character meals or have kids, they'll love this one!

Me and Winnie the Pooh--No rumbly tummies here!

Cape May Cafe -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Beach Club

**This dining experience took place in May 2012.

 

*New menu changes at Cape May Cafe have taken place recently (since I was there in February).

New shrimp salad (was ok), some sadly overcooked clams, and roasted yukon golds (yum)

As many of you know, I love Cape May Cafe. I love that there are a lot of options for me here. The one problem I've always had is cross contamination at buffets, but the chefs here are always willing to make me something in the back (including very tasty and usually very large portions of fish).My brother came to visit, and he wanted to check out Cape May for the crab legs (they are delicious!). When we arrived, I could tell there were some changes on the buffet. Some of the changes are ok, but most I was a little bummed about.First up, no more peel and eat shrimp. WHAT!? I love peel and eat shrimp, so I was pretty bummed about this one. They had a tropical shrimp salad/ceviche type dish in its place. It was ok. A little heavy on the peppers imo. Next up, no spicy cabbage....WHAT!? One of my favorite dishes--spicy cabbage with bacon. What could be better? But, alas...the cabbage is gone. On to the baked chicken (had some sort of spice rub on it)....gone too...SAY WHAT?! Three of my favorite things--gone. They didn't really have any chicken substitute that I remember, except for the plain drumsticks on the children's buffet side. Yep, I was pretty bummed. They also changed out the potatoes from baby reds to baby yukon golds. Those were good still. I love yukon golds, so this change wasn't so bad. They've changed their mussel sides and now they have a beef stew (which my mom said was ok, but not great). The stew was supposed to be safe, but I don't eat beef, so I didn't try it.

Udi's Gluten Free/Dairy Free Rolls with Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

I will say, that overall, it was still a good dinner, but I found the changes to be disappointing. The chef did make me some fish from the back--it was salmon. The last several times I've gone, I've had sea bass, which I found better than the salmon. The one good change was the addition of the udi's rolls with Earth Balance vegan margarine. This was great. It was disappointing for those who can't have these rolls as there is no substitute, but I was glad to have them. 

Pan Sauteed Salmon--Pretty Good--And a Large Portion to Boot!

Dessert was still the OMG...I can't believe it's gluten and dairy free cookie (btw, chefs need to heat these up--they are so much better that way--they're pretty hard to eat when they are rock hard) with rice dream. Nothing specactular.

Dessert--GF/DF Cookie (needed to be reheated) and Rice Dream with Fruit

Overall, I'm demoting Cape May down to a 6 for now. The clams were seriously overcooked (in multiple batches too) and the changes for me, weren't that great. I still like this place a lot, but I think we'll wait for a while before we go again. For now, it's probably off my regular circuit of restaurants. Bummer!