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

*This dining experience took place in July 2013.

Cape May Buffet stations getting set up before opening

You'll feel like you're at a real New England clam bake when you dine at Cape May Cafe. From the steamed clams, mussels, and crab legs to the steamed red potatoes and the fresh corn on the cob, you'll be treated to some delicious seafood fare. Cape May has remained of my staple favorite buffets for their variety and their plentiful gluten free & dairy free buffet options.The last time I dined at Cape May Cafe was well over a year ago. That visit proved to be disappointing compared to all of my other experiences there. The seafood was overcooked and the options weren't as exciting. Our family decided to give it a try, since it had been so long since most of us had dined there. My brother had been in recent months and had said that the quality was still very good.

Seating area

It's funny because we almost always get the same booth whenever we come to Cape May! And this time, we got the same booth. I think they should put our family's name on it! It is conveniently located to the buffet and means we don't have to go far to get our crab leg fix on!

The feasting begins as guests head to the buffet stations

Chef Allison assisted me on this trip, and she has helped me in the past. She's friendly and helpful and seems to be pretty knowledgeable about special diets. One thing I will say is that she wasn't very forthcoming about foods that I could have from the back. I knew the drill, but if I hadn't asked she might not have offered me rolls or made a salad in the back for me. The nice thing about this buffet is that there are plenty of gluten free & dairy free options--many of them conveniently located next to each other which always makes me feel more confident in cross contamination standards. I personally like to visit a buffet right at opening b/c I can get all my plates quickly and try to avoid that as much as possible and also arrange for the chefs to make me items in the back. Cape May though has so many options that I feel slightly less worried about getting sick.Probably the area that has the most potential for cross contamination is the salad area. They have a huge cheese board now (just stay away dairy free diners!) which is on a corner. They now have kalamata olive and roasted red pepper hummus (my weakness), and it's next to some baked or fried lavash. I grabbed that immediately when no one had looked like they'd gotten any which was good. I would have asked for it from the back otherwise b/c later I saw people slathering the hummus directly on their bread (ay yi!!). Some of the salads have dairy in them. They have balsamic glazed asparagus which is not dairy free b/c evidently the glaze had dairy in it. Bummer because I'm a huge asparagus fan. The peel and eat shrimp are safe, as is the seafood salad, and cocktail sauce. Neither of the salads are safe as is, but I always ask for the Cape May House salad to be prepared in the back. It's made with candied walnuts, cranberries, and an orange citrus vinaigrette and it's amazing! One of my favorites on property. Usually the soups aren't safe but they had a sausage kale soup that was made gluten & dairy free. Happy day!As far as the other buffet components go, stick to the far left side (you can get crab legs on both sides of the buffet) b/c almost everything is GF/DF all the way down the row. Crab legs, clams, mussels (in a sambuca sauce), steamed red potatoes, baked beans, on the cob, and chicken cacciatore were all safe. On the other side of the buffet, stick with the clams, crab legs, and vegetable medley. Pretty much everything else is a no-go (they put dairy in their paella). On the kids buffet, you can score some roasted chicken drumsticks. The carved beef is also safe. My strategy for buffet dining is to get all of my plates at once, which looks a little crazy but makes me feel more confident throughout the meal. Let's just say, I had a LOT of plates!

Cape May House Salad

Chef Allison brought out my salad and some GNI rolls. The salad was amazing as usual. Love the walnuts, love the cranberries, love the vinaigrette! The GNI rolls were really really tough (like overheated tough). But, I added tons of hummus to them and they tasted just fine.

GNI brand rolls

Up next was the soup. It was really good. Very flavorful and perfectly seasoned. I love kale so I enjoyed all the greens in this. The diced potatoes were also nicely cooked. The chorizo was a little too spicy for me to eat but the flavor it added to the broth was just perfect.

Sausage and Kale soup

Then it was onto the appetizer plate. I grabbed tons of peel and eat shrimp (my favorite) and some seafood salad. The peel and eat shrimp are now being prepared differently than they used to be. They now cook them in some type of seasoned water (taste slightly resembled old bay but very mild). They were excellent. I may or may not have gone back for seconds on these... :) The seafood salad was a huge winner. I loved the big pieces of crab, bay scallops, and shrimp. This also had some type of citrus marinade to it. Another one I may have gone back for seconds on! The other big win was the olive medley. Omigosh, these were amazing. I love olives and these were marinated perfectly. They kind of kicked the ones from Tangierine Cafe's butt!

From left to right: Peel and Eat Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce, Seafood Salad, Marinated Olives, Kalamata Olive & Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Then it was onto the crab and clams. Steamed to perfect and both quite delicious. Clarified butter for this is soooo overrated! You don't need the dairy!

Steamed deliciousness!

Up next, I went for the other buffet items

From left to right: Baked Beans, Steamed Red Potatoes, Roasted Chicken Drumstick, and Vegetable Medley

As you can imagine, I was getting pretty full by this time. But, I soldiered through! The food is so good, I couldn't pass it up. The baked beans I liked a lot. They could have been cooked a little longer but otherwise sweet and tasty (note these are not vegetarian friendly beans as they contain some type of pork). The red potatoes here are so good. Steamed to perfect and extra salty. The chicken drumstick was surprisingly flavorful. The vegetables? I'll be honest, they were a bit of disappointment. Very bland. I'd skip that the next time.

Remains of the day...Let's just say we ate a lot of crab and mussels!

By the time dessert rolled around, I was pretty sure I needed to be rolled out of the restaurant. I ate a shameless amount of food. But, it was all so good. Chef Allison had told me that they carried Babycakes desserts here, and that was music to my ears!! I knew they had their mini cupcakes in the quick service location at Beach Club but not at Cape May! She brought out a big platter of four mini cupcakes and two chocolate chip cookies. This was a welcome treat compared to the OMG It's Gluten & Dairy Free Cookie they usually serve (and that I don't really like). I ended up taking the cupcakes home because I couldn't even eat them I was so full. Of course, I managed to get the cookies in my tummy (yes, there's always room for a little dessert).

Mini cupcakes and cookies from Babycakes

As far as other allergies or special diets go, I'm not sure this would be a really great option for guests who are vegetarian or vegan but maybe they can prepare some dishes I'm not aware of. Also, if you have a fish or shellfish allergy, I would just avoid this restaurant. There seems to be a high risk of cross contamination from the buffet, so I'd either have them prepare all your items separately or just look for another restaurant.Overall, I found this be vastly improved for over a year ago. There are some new menu changes that are OK and some old ones that I miss (oh the sauteed cabbage and bacon), but in general I found the menu to be really good.I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10 for this visit, and I hope to visit again much sooner than one year later!

La Hacienda de San Angel -- Dinner -- Table Service -- World Showcase

*This dining review took place in July 2013 and includes a gluten free and yellow food coloring allergy review.

View of the Mexico Pavilion

Let's take a trip to La Hacienda de San Angel at the World Showcase in Epcot. With authentic food and decor, it's easy to think you've traveled to Mexico. La Hacienda de San Angel is a great option for guests who are gluten free & dairy free. As I discovered there are tons of choices and the menu is almost completely gluten free naturally! On this particular visit, I enjoyed the Pollo al Pastor, chips and salsa and other authentic accompaniments.When we arrived at the restaurant, we were surprised to see how quiet it was. The last time I went there (see my first review HERE) it was quite bustling. It was actually nice to have it be quiet and low-key. We were seated at a really nice table right by the windows. It had a terrific view of the World Showcase Lagoon! This would have been an awesome view for IllumiNations!Our server came over to discuss the menu options with us. I was also dining with another special diets diner. My friend is gluten free and also allergic to yellow food coloring. Both of us had dined at La Hacienda before, so we were looking forward to the meal and also felt comfortable that we knew the menu. Since this location is non-Disney owned the chefs do not come out and talk to you (something that can be a little bit of a bummer). Most of the servers are really knowledgeable and can help you with options, but be prepared to ask a lot of questions. And don't hesitate to ask for a chef or manager if you do not feel comfortable with your server's knowledge or suggestions. This location seems to be a decent one for gluten free diners, as everything on the menu is said to be gluten free (by both servers I've encountered) except the shrimp tacos which can be made gluten free by using corn shells and grilling the shrimp instead of frying them. We also double-checked again and the server said they use dedicated fryers for the chips. She also said both salsas were safe (which they said the last time I was there too).I decided to try the Pollo al Pastor dish which is Achiote marinated chicken served with roasted vegetables, beans and pineapple relish. My friends ordered the La Hacienda Parrillada which is the similar to the Del Mar platter that I ordered last time. It came with Mixed grill offering New York strip, chicken al pastor, chorizo and vegetables, served with beans and fresh salsas.First up were the chips and salsa. I'm a fan. I really like the salsa verde which isn't too spicy at all. The salsa roja has quite a kick (pretty sure it has chipotle in it), so I stayed away from that one.

Salsa and chips

Up next came our entrees. My chicken al pastor was sooooo delicious. The chicken was really nicely marinated and very tender. I am also a huge fan of squash and zucchini, so I loved having that as the veggie. And the pineapple relish/sauce was amazing. Sweet and spicy. Perfect with the chicken. I would say that it wasn't a huge portion by any means. It was a just right portion for me, especially after having the parrillada the last time.

Pollo al Pastor

The platter that my friends ordered was HUGE! Just as huge as the platter I had the last time with seafood. It's a lot for two people. In fact, they had leftovers of everything and were able to take them to-go.

La Hacienda parrillada

As you can see, it's a big meal. Overall, I'd say it was another hit for me. This is the 2nd time I've been there in the past two months, and I've really enjoyed it a lot. The only downside for me is that they don't take Tables in Wonderland which would be a nice thing, especially if you order a drink.

Orange Mango Fire Margarita on the rocks

This is definitely a nice gluten free friendly restaurant, and pretty good for dairy free diners too. I was able to get a lot of the options with the cheese and/or sour cream removed. I love that. In addition, if you are a vegetarian or vegan diner, there are some choices for you, and I believe they have a separate menu for those choices. Here's the listing that I saw:

• Empanadas de Queso - cheese empanadas served with rice and beans
• Tacos de Vegetales - grilled vegetables and queso fresco on flour tortillas, served with esquites (roasted corn)
• Ensalada de la Casa - spinach salad with queso fresco, tomatoes, pomegranate, pine nuts, and avocado, with mustard vinaigrette dressing
• Enchaladas de Vegetales - corn tortillas filled with vegetables, served with salsa verde, rice and beans 

I think you could easily remove the queso fresco and make thinks dairy free (with the exception of the empanandas). Additionally, blog reader Jenn notes that the rice made at La Hacienda is made with chicken stock. I would contact Special Diets in advance to see if vegetarian/vegan stock could be used as an alternative.Overall, I'd give this an 8 out of 10 for good service, great food and decent gluten free & dairy free offerings.

Boma -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge

*This dining experience took place in July 2013.

Boma: Flavors of Africa

Jambo and welcome to Boma: Flavors of Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge! It feels like it's been forever since I've been to this restaurant. Recently named in U.S.A. Today as the number one Theme Park Restaurant, it's no wonder why Boma consistently has ranked high on my list of favorites and a great option for gluten free, dairy free and other special diets diners. On this particular visit, we went for breakfast to enjoy the African-themed food.Our breakfast was really more like brunch, as we had a 10 a.m. reservation. When we arrived, we were quickly seated and found the restaurant to be very quiet considering it was 4th of July. Holidays can be a mixed bag at Disney--sometimes really busy and sometimes very quiet. Boma, was the latter. (On a side note, if you are a Tables in Wonderland card holder, 4th of July is a blackout day on the card, so you can't use it for discounts. Lesson learned first-hand. Always read the fine print!)

Nice quiet view by the window

Once seated our server brought over drinks including the famous Jungle Juice. From the recipe's I've seen, Jungle Juice is a combination of pineapple juice, mango juice (which is a prevalent flavor), orange juice, and lemonade. It is delicious--and very sweet! I can usually only muster a cup of it. I always get unsweetened ice tea, since I don't drink coffee anymore, but when I did, Boma was the place for coffee. The regular coffee is great, but if you want to have an extra treat, try the pressed pot coffee (it's an extra upcharge).After we got our drinks, Chef Chris (oh crazy Chef Chris!) came over to meet me. I don't go enough that he completely knows me, but I been there enough when he is that he recognizes that he's helped me before, which was the case this time. He asked if I needed him to walk the buffet with me, which of course is a no brainer, even if I have a good idea. If you ever meet Chef Chris, he's a bit of a jokester, so be prepared. Sometimes, he's kidding (like the millions of remarks about adding extra cheese to everything). I like a sense of humor, but not necessarily when it comes to my food prep!We walked the buffet, and pretty much everything was the same as usual. In terms of omelets, if you want a custom omelet the chef will make it in the back. I chose a ham and onion omelet. In addition, I asked for Allergy Mickey waffles (made on a dedicated waffle maker), donuts (Kinnikinnick) and muffins (Udi's blueberry) from the back. What can I say? I like carbs! From the buffet, the fruit station is safe, as is the carving station (except the Boma mustard--this has soy sauce in it), the veggie station is good (more on that later), the quinoa is also safe, and if you want gluten free oats, they carry Bob's Red Mill GF oats which are prepared specially in the back. The oatmeal on the buffet is not certified GF. You can have regular scrambled eggs, but I personally find that station to be heavily at risk for cross contamination and ask for eggs in the back. Potatoes, breakfast meats are also OK but do let the chef know if you are uncomfortable with any cross contamination risks.I also looked for some good vegan options, as I think Boma has a good variety for breakfast goers who are vegan or vegetarian. Here are some photos and a list of good choices that are vegan specific:

Completely vegan and vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, egg free & more!

First up is the veggie station:

• Grilled asparagus
• Chakalaka
• Pap (made with water)
• Grilled tomatoes

Fresh fruit

Fresh fruit station:

• Grapes
• Pineapple (my personal favorite)
• Honeydew
• Canteloupe

Hot Cereal Station: Vegan, Vegetarian, Not completely GF (ask for GF oats in the back)

Hot cereal station:

• Quiona (made with water)
• Oatmeal (made with water--not certified GF oats, ask for them to be made in the back)
• Raisins 

*ask for a brown sugar supplement for vegans (it might not be vegan) or for those worried about cross contamination.

Quinoa with brown sugar and raisins

I also didn't ask, but I'm betting that they have tofu on hand and could make a tofu scramble or something vegan friendly.Here's what I got as a gluten free & dairy free diner:

Carb plate!

First-up I got the Kinnickinick glazed donuts, the Udi's Blueberry muffin and allergy Mickey waffles. All yummy. The waffles weren't the best in terms of crispiness and texture, but hey, a Mickey waffle is a Mickey waffle, right?! I also had pure maple syrup for the waffle (no Earth Balance this time).

Care for some maple syrup with your omelet?

The ham & onion omelet was very un-hammy (is that a word?). They definitely skimped on the ham. Otherwise, it was a good omelet. A little overcooked but good.

Fresh fruit

The fruit was a great palate cleanser at the end of the meal and very good. Love their pineapple.

Buffet plate

For my buffet plate, I grabbed some meat from the carving station which was outstanding that day. The ham and turkey were flavorful and perfectly cooked. The turkey was really moist! The pap was great as usual, as were the breakfast potatoes. The asparagus was just so-so. It's not in season in Florida, so it's the "wimpy" asparagus. You can always tell really fresh asparagus from the not so fresh stuff. Still, the grill flavor is excellent with it.Overall, I ended up really stuff at my meal. I never go hungry at Boma, and what I love is that I can really enjoy a lot of great goodies. The buffet really lends itself to a lot of special diets, which is important. Plus, it's just plain delicious! For me, this is a solid 8 out of 10 for great food and service. U.S.A. definitely picked one of my favorite choices for great Disney food!

Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show -- Table Service -- Polynesian Resort

*This dining experience took place in June 2013.

This way to Luau Cove!

Talofa! That's "hello" in Samoan! It's one of the many things I learned from my first visit to the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (SoA) at the Polynesian Resort. As a first timer for any dinner show at Disney (can you believe that?!), I wasn't sure what to expect, so this was completely new territory for me as a Disney vacationer and a GF/DF diner. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the way Disney handled my food and the options that I had. It was also a really fun experience for the whole family.When I first found out that my family was booking the Spirit of Aloha dinner show, I really had no idea what to expect. I also didn't really find any other reviews out there for gluten & dairy free--other than people mentioned that they had been. So, I was really interested in seeing what they would have available. When we booked the reservation (we did it in person at the concierge desk at the Polynesian), they noted my special dietary needs. However, one thing they didn't mention was that I needed to contact Disney no later than 48 hours in advance. Thankfully, I had emailed the Special Diets Department and they let me know that I needed to let the SoA catering kitchen know ahead of time. They said I could call them or have them call me. Knowing how that can go, I had them call me by giving Special Diets my reservation information. Two days later, they called and we discussed the menu. Now, I will say, the CMs were very nice but unless you talk to a chef, they may or may not know all of the complete details for what you'll get for dinner. They noted that I needed to have gluten & dairy free items, but they really only knew much about the gluten free. They said that the chicken was marinated in gluten free soy sauce and that they had it available. They also noted that they would have rolls. They mentioned brownies but as I discovered when I arrived, the brownies are gluten free but not dairy free (I think they are the OMG It's Gluten Free brand). 

Keep walking past the marina to Luau Cove!

So, once we were set ahead of time, it was a matter of waiting. We made our reservations a week in advance which is pretty late considering, but we were OK with that. We also booked a category 3 which are essentially the "cheap seats in the back." Note if you are using the Disney Dining Plan (DDP), the dinner show will require 2 TS credits per person for Categories 2 and 3 only. For guests not using the DDP, tickets range from $73.99 to $58.99 per person for adults and $39.99 to $29.99 for children ages 3 to 9 depending on the seating category purchased. Categories are based on seating areas in the theater. Category 1 seating is located on the main floor and lower level. It offers a premium view and is also the closest to the performers. Category 2 also offers a small amount of main floor and lower level seating (located to the right and left of the Category 1 seating area). It also offers seating on the upper level with a direct view of the main floor and stage. Category 3 offers tables on both the lower and upper level that are to the extreme right and left of the stage. None of us personally felt the need to do the category 1 or 2 (at that time only 2 was available).

We were in a Category 3 seating area--in the far left, close to the SoA sign on this image.

Shows are held Tuesday through Saturday with shows at 5:15 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Pre-payment for the dinner show is required and includes all tax and gratuity. Refunds are given if cancellations are made 48 hours before the show. We chose the 8pm show because it had a Tables in Wonderland Discount. 20% off the entire bill including tax and gratuity. For us, we had a party of 5 in a Category 3 seating area and it cost:$314.95 with tax and gratuity. With a 20% discount it is $251.96. That’s a savings of $62.99 which is the cost of 1 ticket! So, it really pays to ask about discounts. Depending on the season, you can get Annual Passholder, Disney Vacation Club or even Disney Visa Card discounts in addition to TIW. It's not a bad deal!

 Another important thing to think about is the weather. If it's summer time or even winter--you'll want to check to see if they are going to cancel. They don't usually b/c the theater is covered, but still. Better to be safe than sorry. They do give you a full refund if they cancel for any reason. But then you have no reservations and that could be a tricky thing. We had rain that day but it had stopped thankfully by the time 8 pm came around.

 Before you go to the show, you get your tickets from the Concierge desk. Then you check in to the show 30 minutes prior to the show and dinner starting. We ended up there around 7:40 pm. After checking in, we ducked out of any photo opportunity (they do Photopass there--you've been warned!!) and waited. Then they start seating. You have assigned seating, so there's no need to bomb rush the front of the line. We saw a lot of people doing that thinking they'd get a better seat--yeah not so much. 

Seating area--we were all the way in the back.

Once you get find your seat, you'll notice that they have food already set up. And at our table, I noticed that there was a special section for me. You can always tell the special section when you see those GNI rolls! I had GF tamari (San-J), a salad with honey lime dressing (hallelujah, I missed this from Ohana!!) and two GNI rolls. My family's salad was segregated in another area (they had pasta salad and slaw, etc.)

Mine is the plate in the front.

The person who seated us was not our server, but they noted my allergy and explained that our server would bring the other items out. This was good. I forgot to mention that when we arrived, they actually walkie talkied the kitchen who told them I had a dietary restriction and then they stamped my ticket. Good that they check in even before you ask. But back to the food. I knew immediately that this was the true Honey Lime Dressing from Ohana. Oh how I've missed that honey lime dressing. It's seriously addicting. And yes, I have the recipe to make it at home :) I was so glad they were extra generous with it too. This meant dipping those poorly heated GNI rolls in lots of dressing. Yum!

Closeup of my salad, rolls, and tamari

Our server, Manny, came out and greeted us. He then talked about my dietary needs and explained that the kitchen had it all prepared on a separate plate. He also mentioned dessert which was going to be a fruit plate b/c of the dairy issue. He also took our drink orders and off he went. I will note, I've heard a lot of people say that their server wasn't very attentive or good on refills. Ours was the bomb! Manny kept our drinks rolling in (and only my brother ordered a specialty drink and that was later in the night) and offered refills on the food, so we had a great server.In the meantime, we were busily taking pictures and hanging out while some of the intro entertainment began. Here are some of the funny gems from the meal. My mom took a lot of the pics with my iPhone and it was pretty hilarious to see some of the ones that came out.

This is me, trying to explain how to use the iPhone!

So half of the family isn't looking!

Self-portrait...err not much better!

View of the stage

So onto the main dinner! Our food came out fairly quickly, I must say. I had a plate that had plain white rice, roasted chicken on the bone, BBQ pork ribs, pulled pork, and veggies. Then I had the GF tamari to add to the rice and such.

My dinner plate

As far as taste-wise, it actually wasn't bad at all! I still prefer Ohana when you get right down to it, but this really wasn't bad. I think it kind of gets a bad rap. I also know that they've changed the menu recently, so maybe things are improving for the better. The rice was actually cooked really well. Last time I had rice at Ohana it was really gummy. The veggies were also really good. They were really garlicky which is how I liked them! A little crunchier than I would have liked for my Crohn's but really good. The chicken was probably my favorite thing on the plate. It was really well cooked and super seasoned. Delicious!! I also like the pulled pork as my second favorite thing. The ribs? I could have done without those. Mine wasn't sauced like everyone else's so maybe the sauce helps, but I found them way too fatty and bland tasting. The rest of the table got those.For dessert, I got the fresh fruit plate, plus Manny brought out a sugar free fruit bar. It is sweetened with splenda though and I avoid artificial sweeteners so I shared that with the family. I personally loved the fruit though. I could eat pineapple for days and it was really ripe and delicious!! The grapes and strawberries were also good. Melon isn't my fave so I didn't really eat that much.

Fruit platter

Not my cup of tea, but at least nice they offered an alternative!

Once dinner is over the show begins. It's a little corny, but you expect that from Disney. It gets really cool once they start the traditional Hawaiian dancing. The best part was probably the fire dancers. And if you go at the 8pm show, it's even better because it looks really cool in the dark!!Meanwhile, my brother got himself a little coconut monkey friend that I thought I would share for those who like cocktails. If you order the Pele's Fire Punch, you can get a real honest to goodness coconut monkey!! that you get to take home!! Pretty cute, and efficient, they add a plastic cup with your drink in the monkey so he doesn't get all nasty! And I believe it doubles as a coin bank. Gotta hand it to Disney for the inventive marketing. My brother had been wanting one for a long time, so this was his opportunity at the bargain price of $18.95! My brother named is Manny in honor of our server...go figure!

Isn't he cute?!

When you're done with the dinner show, if you time it right, you can go right out on the beach and watch the MK fireworks. It's an amazing spot to watch them, if you've never done it.Overall, we had a really fun time and with the discount I think it wasn't a terrible price. To have a show and a meal, it wasn't really that bad. If you can have wine to drink, you can score with the unlimited wine refills (same with beer but that really is a GF no-no, and I don't think they had Redbridge--though I may have missed it). We talked about the DDP, and I don't think any of us would have wanted to part with two credits, so that would be something to consider. The show was definitely not 100% authentic, but it wasn't bad either. It was def. a Luau Disney style, but we still loved it.As far as the allergy accommodation, I was also surprised. Not only did I get a fair amount of food, but it also was pretty good. It definitely is important to follow through and contact them ahead of time; otherwise you might not be eating much or have limited options. Also, for vegans and vegetarians, I'm not sure what options would be open, but I would hope that they could accommodate by adding in some other interesting dishes with some protein sources like tofu. If anyone has been vegan or vegetarian, I'd love to hear what you got!Overall, I'd give this an 8 out of 10! I wouldn't expect everyone to like this but for our family, we enjoyed it.Have you been to the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show? How did it go for you?

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

*This dining experience took place in June 2013.

Entrance to Kona Cafe

Aloha yet again! As you can tell, I have a serious love for Kona Cafe. I recently stopped here with my mom and stepdad for breakfast, and as always Kona did not disappoint. I really thought about getting a different breakfast option that morning but wouldn't you know it, I ended up getting the same thing as always! Hey, you gotta stick with what's good, right?!

 After we arrived, we were greeted by Chef Amber (formally of Boma) who famously made me a GF/DF Bobotie (check HERE for the review from 2010). She had recently transferred to Kona, and I caught up with her on my last visit when Chef Brett introduced her (at lunch time). It's funny, you know when you go places a lot because the chefs start to know you. It's actually really a great thing because they usually know my special diets and what kinds of foods I usually order. When we started talking, she immediately said: "gluten and dairy free, right?" Love it!I decided to go for my traditional standby of a modified Big Kahuna. We got the eggs scrambled, ham and bacon (no sausage), breakfast potatoes, and allergy Mickey waffles with a side of Earth Balance and maple syrup. Yum!!When the food arrived, I saw Chef Amber had been EXTRA generous. I got 4 Mickey waffles. Holy smokes!! She actually came back out later and asked how things were, and I mentioned that she was really generous. Her rationale was that you normally get french toast and pancakes with the Big Kahuna, so you should get 4 waffles. I think I like her thinking!

That's a lot of Mickey waffles!!

We also got to talking about California Grill and how the chefs from CG are over at Kona right now. Chef Kevin who helped me on my recent dinner was a CG chef. I also asked her if she knew when they were opening back up. She said she thought it would be by late July or August sometime. Well, let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope that's true! I'd love to see it opened up before the fall.On a side note, the menus slightly changed in the past few months. Not really much to report in terms of entree choices, but the look is different.

 Overall, I have to say Kona Cafe remains a favorite breakfast spot. A solid 9 out of 10!

Brown Derby -- Table Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Hollywood Studios

*This dining experience took place in May 2013.

View from our booth...such a glamorous location!

Lights! Camera! Action! Welcome back to the glamorous Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant. This has become a recent favorite of mine, and I was happy to head back here again for their famous cobb salad. It was a perfect meal for a hot summer day.On this particular occasion, I brought my mom and stepdad with me as they had never been before. They also wanted to check out the cobb salad. Once seated, we waited for quite a long time (the longest I've ever waited in this location) for a server, let alone a chef. It was reasonably busy in there, but I'd been during busier times, so I was surprised at the lack of service. The server finally came over and said that he was waiting for the chef to come which is why he didn't come over. Not perhaps the best thing to do, considering it was hot and we sure could have used a beverage, but no matter. At least the chef came out promptly after that and we were in business! Since I knew what I wanted, there wasn't much discussion about the menu. I ordered the cobb salad with no blue cheese. The chef also asked me if I wanted to have the GNI brand rolls with olive oil. Since they know how to properly heat them at this location, I was happy to get them.

Back of the menu

While we waited for our drinks and rolls, we enjoyed looking around at the various caricatures. My mom was trying to find Lucille Ball (one of her favs), but we couldn't find her. It is really cool to see all of the unique decor and it really feels like you are sitting in an old Hollywood restaurant.

The chef was extra generous with the rolls that day, so I had a lot to eat. I've never turned down a carb! They are very good with the extra virgin olive oil and thankfully, they stay nice and warm.

I can eat a lot of bread, but I couldn't make it through 4 rolls!

Up next were our salads. Yum!! As usual, this was excellent. As someone with Crohn's disease, I often have to avoid or limit my amount of fresh fruits and veggies and salad especially. But, the great news is that because this is so finely chopped up, my stomach doesn't freak out when I eat it. That is excellent for me because I often crave salads and this one is one of my hands down favorites of all time. I love the avocado and the turkey and I especially love the dressing (which is naturally GF/DF!).

Delicious Cobb Salad

In addition to the cobb salad, the Brown Derby can also make lots of other great dishes gluten free & dairy free. It's a wonderful location for special diets. Overall, I can't say enough great things about this restaurant. It continues to be one of my favs. I really adore the salad and it's reasonably priced too ($15). In the future, I hope to come back and try out some of the other dishes and seeing what wonderful dishes the chefs can whip up! This is a great place for a special occasion too!A solid 8 out of 10 for this visit!

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

*This dining experience took place in May 2013.Mahalo to Kona Cafe for being one of my favorite places to eat on WDW property. It's one of my go-to places for breakfast and lunch; however, I rarely go for dinner. On this particular occasion, I had the pleasure of visiting with my friend Krista from Disneyways to grab a light meal.

Check out that view from the balcony by Kona!

We were greeted by Chef Kevin, who I have never met before. He was very friendly and helpful. Since he didn't know me, he didn't know I knew the "spiel" and most of the menu offerings, but I wanted to hear his take on things, so I sat back and listened. He told me a few items that would be easiest GF/DF. TheTeriyaki Style New York Strip is the best choice (personally, I don't eat steak so no go for me) and the Pan Asian Noodles were the second best choice (they use rice noodles for GF) and you get your choice of protein: tofu, chicken, shrimp. I thought about the noodle dish but then decided to ask if I could get sushi and a salad with protein added to it (this turned out NOT to be cost effective but more on that later).The sushi is made in-house and I've had it before, specifically the California Luau Roll. I decided I wanted that again (gotta love Cali Rolls that have no crab with a K!) which was still deemed safe. I'm sure they can make other rolls (blog readers have mentioned the cucumber roll), especially since the sushi folks from California Grill are currently over at Kona Island Sushi Bar! But, I stuck with the California Roll. I made sure to ask for GF soy sauce (that's important with sushi!!) and then I ordered the Kona Salad without the blue cheese. I realized later I should have opted for the Spinach Salad which sounded like it had more too it. Chef Kevin did say the Kona Salad was more plain...should have listened to him. I asked him if he could add some protein and I asked for shrimp.While we were waiting for our meals, Chef Kevin brought out the GNI rolls and some Earth Balance (and I didn't have to even ask for the EB--love that!). I will say, the rolls appeared to be heated well until I bit into one. This was the first time one was what I consider to be overheated meaning they were just a little tough/chewy. Well, you stick enough EB on it and it tasted ok to me.

GNI Brand Rolls & Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

I asked for both the salad and sushi to be served as an entree together. It was great to go back and forth between the two. It was also a nice light meal, which was much needed after a hot afternoon in the park--summer had officially arrived!The sushi was delicious as always. What I like about theirs is they use premium ingredients and I love the pineapple addition to the California Roll--it adds a nice bit of sweetness that marries well with the sweetness of the crab and the creaminess of the mayo and avocado. I also like the touch of sesame seeds on the outside. I admit, I'm not a big fan at all of fish roe and many California Rolls or sushi rolls in general have them, so I appreciate that it hasn't been added. I also love that I get GF soy sauce. Thank you San J Tamari! (that's the brand Kona uses) The sushi isn't the cheapest thing in the world $12.99 for the roll with 8 pieces. But it's also a great option as an appetizer or something to share.

California Luau Roll

My salad was good but it really seemed under-dressed--like a lot. It had a citrus vinaigrette but I'll be honest, I didn't taste it much. The smoked almonds in this salad were excellent (I picked through and ate a lot of them), the red onion was nice and the Asian pear was a delicate touch. It would actually be perfect with the blue cheese. The shrimp was very well cooked and very large. At least they weren't skimpy! They were nice although maybe in hindsight chicken would have played better with the ingredients in the salad.

Kona Salad with shrimp added on

I really should have gone for the Spinach Salad - with Heirloom tomatoes and duck prosciutto. It also had candied walnuts too. It came with a hoisin dressing which I did not clarify if I could have it or not (would need to be made with GF soy sauce) because I knew I didn't want to get it. But, maybe next time. The idea of duck prosciutto sounds interesting...

My dinner--love the cute chopsticks and the bowl behind the salad has the GF soy sauce in it!

Overall, I really enjoyed the dinner. It was a great light meal, perfect for summer. It also goes to show you that you can pick and choose and really make a meal out of various components rather just ordering an entree. The only downside was that I got upcharged for the protein - $7.00 so a salad & sushi cost $29 with tax and tip included. Had I ordered the noodle bowl, it would have been $16.99-$17.99 and around $20.00 with tax and tip. Whoops! I wouldn't do it all the time, but it was nice to have the option.I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10!

La Hacienda de San Angel -- Dinner -- Table Service -- World Showcase -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in May 2013.Nestled on the World Showcase Lagoon is La Hacienda de San Angel. A non-Disney owned restaurant, this location has been open for a couple of years now, and this was my first experience going here for dinner. I've long been wanting to head here but for some reason hadn't made it yet. I recently heard rave reviews about this from some friends, one of whom is gluten free, and so I decided to check it out ASAP.

View of La Hacienda & La Cantina de San Angel

I had reservations for this location during the Disney 24 hour event, which meant that the parks were exceptionally crowded. Holiday weekend + special event = Disney chaos! Luckily, Epcot wasn't as bad as other parks, and so we were very lucky we nabbed ADRs for La Hacienda. From the outside, we checked in and it didn't seem that busy (5:30 p.m.) but once we got into the main lobby area, we discovered it was swamped. Very busy. Luckily, we were seated quickly and were able to get settled in without waiting for long in the crowded lobby. What I love about this restaurant is the decor and ambiance. Everything is very spacious and big. My brother and I had a huge booth that offered a lot of space. Good thing because we got a lot of food!

Once seated our server Eduardo came by to greet us and take our drink orders. Now here is where things differ from a Disney owned restaurant. Instead of having a chef come out, Eduardo went over the menu with me. One thing I'll give him, he was actually fairly knowledgeable (like he blew most servers away with his knowledge). He said pretty much the majority of the menu was gluten free which was the easy part. The dairy was also not a big deal as they don't use a lot of dairy. Of course no queso, but I could have figured that out!! :)

My friends reported to me that only the salsa verde was safe and not the red salsa. So, I was surprised when he said both were OK. I mentioned to him that a friend had dined there semi-recently and said only the verde was safe. He said that it used to the be the only safe salsa but that they changed it and now both the red and green were safe. Since I knew the salsa at La Cantina is not safe, I opted to not eat the red salsa and only have the verde. (I'm paranoid what can I say?!) It's probably a good thing too because it had chipotle in it according to my brother and was spicy. Um no thanks. I like spicy but not THAT spicy. The salsa verde was a nice amount of spiciness with some tang to it from the tomatillos. Very good. Note that the chips here are not at all the same as the ones from La Cantina (no crazy dyes in them) and they are made in a dedicated fryer. Thank goodness. I would have been an unhappy camper without chips!

Chips & Salsa!

We decided to split the Parrillada (platter) De Mer (seafood) which is a mixed grill platter. It came with mahi mahi, scallops and shrimp. The other platter came with beef, chicken and chorizo which my friends ordered on their visit and said was excellent. Since I'm not a beef eater, I really wanted to go with the seafood option. It also comes with corn tortillas, black beans (which are normally topped with cheese but was removed for us) and rice (which I didn't eat--it was the one thing that didn't look appetizing to me but my brother said was quite good).

Black Beans

Rice

The platter was huge! I mean huge!!! It could have easily been shared by 3 people if they had added just a little bit of extra protein to it because the amount of veggies was ridiculous. And we ate a lot of them too! It came with grilled zucchini and squash and onions, as well as sweet corn with lime (this was awesome even though I only took a few bites--Crohns and corn do not mesh well). Lots of fresh lime was on the platter too for topping on the meats. The mahi mahi ended up being one of my favorites. I loved the chimichurri on top of it. So flavorful. And the fish was well cooked, not overcooked. The shrimp was good--nice seasoning and the scallops were also yummy. My brother thought they were a little underseasoned but they were fine to me. The veggies were all delicious. The black beans were also great fav, and I ended up dipping some of the leftover tortilla chips in them. They were also very generous with the corn tortillas. They brought us seconds which was good because they were a bit on the small side.

Parrillada De Mer

We opted for no dessert because we left way too much food even though we both porked out (and yes, we can both pack away the food!). I think it's just a very large portion for two people. I can see it is a very popular option too, as many people also orders the platters. Eduardo did mention that they had sorbet for dessert if I wanted it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this restaurant, and I plan on visiting again. I love that most of the menu is naturally gluten free, which means there are a lot of choices and a whole lot less chance of cross contamination. I would definitely come back again to eat here. Very good! I'd give this a 8 out of 10. It would be nice if the chefs came to the table and chatted with but I was pleasantly surprised by my server's knowledge.

Olivia's -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Old Key West

*This dining experience took place in May 2013.

 Put on your Jimmy Buffett and your best Key West inspired duds because it's another visit to Disney's Old Key West Resort and their table service restaurant, Olivia's. Having been to this restaurant many times, I'm always reminded why I enjoy the atmosphere of this location every time I visit. I love how casual and low-key it is. The relaxed vibe is why Old Key West is such a great place. I also like that they can accommodate me at Olivia's. On this visit, we actually stayed at OKW and decided to pop over for a late breakfast after the Disney 24 event. We were all quite tired from the previous day's festivities so this proved to be a perfect uncrowded location.

Menu outside of the restaurant

The last time I went to Kona Cafe, I was told that Chef Julie was now over at OKW and this visit I got a chance to see her. She's very nice and was very accommodating. The chef who assisted me at Good's Foods to Go the day before was also with her. Normally I get their Olivia's breakfast--basic eggs, breakfast meat, etc. however I really wanted something a little different that morning. So I asked Chef Julie if she could make a breakfast Cuban with no cheese and on GF bread. They have the Udi's sandwich bread there, so she said they could do a variation of it. The major changes were the switch of bread which was toasted rather than pressed and fruit instead of breakfast potatoes. Their breakfast potatoes here are loaded (and I mean LOADED) with dairy. Sometimes they'll make me plain potatoes but today they offered fruit. I was actually fine with that. I sort of pigged out the day before. Plus a breakfast Cuban seemed pretty filling.

View of the restaurant while waiting for our meal

When the Cuban came out, I was pleasantly surprised. I actually think I'd get this again over the Olivia's breakfast. What I liked about it was that they had ham and roast pork on it, scrambled eggs, and tomato. It was just a nice change of pace from some of the other breakfast items I tend to get. The fruit was OK. I really am not a melon fan and it seemed like I got an awful lot of it. Next time I will ask for specific fruits.

My breakfast Cuban and fruit!

In general, I wouldn't say that Olivia's food is super spectacular. It's never going to be my favorite place for breakfast, but it's not bad either. It's a basic place with moderately good food. I wish they had some better potato options handy but I think this particular breakfast didn't warrant potatoes. I do like the Key West inspired theming and the low-key vibe. I would definitely get this breakfast option again.Overall, I give this a solid 7 out of 10.

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

*This dining experience took place in May 2013.Aloha! I'm back at Disney's Polynesian Resort for a lunch at Kona Cafe. On this visit, I had every intentions of getting something new to try out, but after getting impaled by a torrential down pour of rain (I was soaking wet from head to toe), I decided not to tempt the meneheune or tiki gods and go for one of my standbys.

 Apologies for the lack of photos, but I was soaked to the gills and my iPhone was buried in plastic bags to protect it form the elements. (a girl's gotta save her phone!!)When we arrived (and after I settled in...), we were greeted by Chef Brett (who has now taken over from Chef Johnny, who's now at Ohana) and Chef Amber, who I immediately recognized from Boma. She once made me GF/DF Bobotie there (OMG it was fabulous!). If you missed it, here's the review (and yes, it was worth ordering in advance). I told Chef Brett what I'd like...Island Chicken Sandwich modified. They are still using the GNI buns. The onions they said they would caramelize, though I wish they'd have grilled them like the ones I got from Chef Johnny. I basically got the sandwich without cheese and the curry mango mayo on the side. Yep, I like to dip! I also went a little different by ordering half sweet potato fries and half regular fries. Funnily enough, as we talked Chef Amber said she remembered me from Boma. Yep, I have that effect on people :)When the food arrived, I noticed that the bacon was missing. My family said I should ask for bacon, but I was still pretty shell-shocked from the rain, so I opted not to ask. The grilled onions on the sandwich were a little undercooked as far as "caramelizing" them. Grilled definitely would have been better. The chicken was excellent as usual. And then there was the bun. Blech! Ok, now I really appreciate that GNI covers other allergens (like egg), but I really really wish they'd have Udi's as an alternative or at the very least learn how to heat the GNI buns properly. What happens is that if they are not heated correctly, they are very crumbly, dry and unpleasant. If they are heated correctly, they actually aren't half bad. Enough that I wouldn't complain! However, these were barely heated and quite unpleasant texturally. Thankfully, a dirty shoe would taste good if you added enough curry mango mayonnaise to it! The french fries were excellent both the regular and sweet potato. The sweet potato really works well with the curry mango mayo. I would say that in the future, I would do the half and half combination again, as it satisfied my cravings for both kinds of french fries.

Hey, where's the bacon?! Island Gluten Free Sandwich modified

Overall, there were a few hiccups in the meal, but in general the food was excellent as always. I never hesitate to visit Kona, especially for lunch. I will note that the menu was newly updated and had a few new items on it, as well as a new look to the menu itself. It's good to see a few updates.

As far as the meal, a solid 7 out of 10. If you're looking for a calm and inexpensive resort table service location, this is a great choice.

Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

*This dining experience took place in May 2013.This is just a brief updated review of breakfast from Kouzzina. I've posted quite a few reviews of Kouzzina recently (you can tell I'm a big fan!), so not much new to report here. Chef Brad took care of us this time, and he is always happy to customize as needed; however I went pretty basic.I really wanted the sweet potato hash, and I guess I wasn't paying attention that the American breakfast entree comes with "breakfast potatoes." I didn't ask for any special modification of the potatoes thinking they would be the sweet potato hash. I was pleased though with the potatoes I got--regular white potatoes with herbs and onions and peppers. Yum! I actually really enjoyed them--though I wouldn't order them every time (mostly depending on my stomach and Crohn's). I got the eggs scrambled and bacon. Nothing different there. I did add the Udi's white sandwich bread/toast with Earth Balance vegan margarine. I also got a side of Mickey waffles. I'm pretty sure I can't make a trip there without ordering them! lol

American breakfast entree

Mickey waffles with maple syrup & earth balance

On a side note, my family ordered the "Breakfast Skillet" and it looked REALLY good. My mom ordered it without cheese, and we all thought they could probably easily modify it for GF/DF. Essentially, it was the same potatoes I had with an omelet on top with peppers and onions (and cheese for those who can have it) and then garnished with an arugala salad. My family members really enjoyed it and said they would get it again. So, I'm thinking of asking to modify this the next time I'm there. Or get the sweet potato hash.One thing I know for sure, I'll be treated to a wonderful breakfast. Solid 9 out of 10 as usual. Great food, allergy accommodation and service.

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

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

Time warp!

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

These two hosts are some of my fav folks here

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

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

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

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

Now THIS is the sundae I'm looking for!

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

Here we go back in time...

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

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

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

Brownie sundae with a shot of syrup?

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

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

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

GNI brand rolls

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

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

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

Hot pot. Check out all that goodness!

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

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

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

Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

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

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

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

Look at all the allergy Mickey waffles!

Marscapone cheese, pecans, and honey for the waffles

Sweet potato hash!

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

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

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

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

Pappadums

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

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

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

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

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

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

*This dining experience took place in April 2013.

Entrance to Kona Cafe

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

Busiest I've seen Kona in a long time!

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

Behold, the Big Kahuna!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yum! Allergy friendly cornbread. Delish!

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

Ribs, chicken, baked beans

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

Rice, my plate with chicken, ribs, veggies

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

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

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

View of the Savannah outside the restaurant

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

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

Pappadums for two please!

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

Durban Chicken, Beef Short Ribs and Basmati Rice

Durban Chicken, Green Curry Shrimp and Basmati Rice

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

Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.

Entrance to Kouzzina

Boardwalk!

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

Breakfast #1

Breakfast #1

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

Hot tea

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

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

Breakfast #3 -- Mickey waffles were also much better

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

Yum!

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

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

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

Irish Step Dancing at Raglan Road

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

Omission beer

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

Onion rings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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