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Disney Crone/Kid
08-20-2001, 02:42 PM
Our significant "ROUND"-number birthdays are coming up in about a month for my husband and me. So, I have the luxury of time to plan and make it a ultra-special Disney birthday date.


I would love to hear ANY AND ALL of your opinions/experiences of these three elegant, sit-down tablecloth restaurants.

I would also welcome any other suggestions that you might have to CELEBRATE TO THE UTMOST at Disney.

Thanks in advance.

Ralph Wiggum
08-20-2001, 03:10 PM
Dont know if you have DCA passes but Alvolon Cove is great!!

adriennek
08-20-2001, 06:35 PM
Of the three you've mentioned, I've heard lukewarm reviews of Mondavi, OK reviews of Blue Bayou, and raving, great reviews of Napa Rose. I'd pick Napa Rose from that list.

Adrienne K

disneyhead
08-20-2001, 07:32 PM
Avalon Cove is fantastic, but Napa Rose is as good and has a more intimate atmosphere. So for a special occasion I would have to chose Napa Rose. I doubt you would be disappointed with either.

FantasmicFan82
08-20-2001, 08:22 PM
Is the Napa Rose inside the hotel? in DCA? as always, i will warn that it may be a dumb question.

Morrigoon
08-20-2001, 08:37 PM
I know you didn't mention this one, but I really like Hook's Pointe at the DLH. But remember to save room for dessert... their chocolate souffle is divine!

disneyhead
08-20-2001, 08:46 PM
Originally posted by FantasmicFan82
Is the Napa Rose inside the hotel? in DCA? as always, i will warn that it may be a dumb question.

The Napa Rose restaurant is in the Grand Californian hotel.
There are no dumb questions.

KarenW2
08-20-2001, 11:05 PM
First off, Happy (whatever) Birthdays! Giving you a response on all three restaurants, I'll submit to you the following:

1. Blue Bayou - very small, VERY noisy, not intimate. It's been years since we've eaten there, since the last time we went there, we were very disappointed in the food and the very high price we paid for it.

2. Mondavi's Vineyard Room - this is our favorite restaurant in all of the Disneyland Resort! Great food & service. Their Lobster Gnocci is incredible! The menu changes seasonally and it's just a nice place to sit back & relax, over a nice dinner with a nice glass of wine. You can watch the Electrical Parade from a "window seat" table by the wall overlooking the parade route, if you plan it right. We go here every chance we get!

3. Napa Rose - we've eaten here twice. First time, we had requested a window table, but were refused, even tho there were tables available all the time we ate there! We had terrible service and a terrible table next to the register where all the wait staff had to come to pay checks & right in front of the kitchen, so it was a constant noisy place all night. We asked to be moved, but again were refused. Last time, we had a nice table NEAR the window, with a nice waiter named "Mickey" (no, he says, he doesn't sing or dance!) and a nice, not great, dinner. It may just depend on the night & the server. In my opinion, I think they are over-priced for what you get & the choices aren't that appealing to me.

If I had to pick one for my birthday, I'd pick Mondavi. Hope you guys have a great time!!

fredc
08-21-2001, 07:27 AM
No mention yet of my favorite resort restaurant which is Granvilles at the Disneyland hotel. I guess that High quality beef is not very "in" but it is still my all time favorite. Then a long time ago there was the Oak Room!!

80S ERA
08-21-2001, 07:34 AM
If you are looking for upscale dinning while at the DL resort, all mentioned have great atmosphere and fair - good food.

Don't forget to add Grandville's Steakhouse in the DL hotel to this list. I've ate there before for my birthday. Great atmosphere / service. The guest pampering is almost up to par with Club 33. For example, when you are seated, the "for-show-only" dishes and silverware are removed from your table for more practical dishes and silver. Also, I noticed that every time I stood up and left the table, a server had folded my napkin neatly before I returned!

adriennek
08-21-2001, 08:54 AM
If you're going to suggest restaurants besides the ones on the list, then I must insist that you consider Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen! YUMMMY.

The problem with people suggesting off the list is that you'll get a million different opinions. I, for one, cannot recommend Hook's Pointe-- I've never been that impressed with it. I enjoyed Granville's. But next week, for our anniversary (which was in July but ok, we're going out next week,) the special place we've chosen is Ralph Brennan's.

Adrienne K

cstephens
08-21-2001, 10:07 AM
For me, the choice would be Napa Rose, hands down. I've not been to the Vineyard Room, just the Terrace, but while I'd like to try the Vineyard Room sometime, I love Napa Rose. I've only been there once, with a group of friends for my birthday this year, but the food and the service were absolutely excellent. I'm trying to figure out when we can go again, and I'd also like to try the Sunday brunch.

The restaurant is in the Grand Californian, kinda next to Storyteller Cafe.

80S ERA
08-21-2001, 10:10 AM
Originally posted by adriennek
If you're going to suggest restaurants besides the ones on the list, then I must insist that you consider Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen! YUMMMY.


I second that YUMMY. Love the Roasted Duck and Jambalaya (mild, of course!).

Then again, everything tastes better after 2 Hurricane cocktails! ;)

mousecat
08-22-2001, 02:58 PM
We just took my parents-in-law to Napa Rose and it was divine. I would recommend asking for a table on the terrace. It is in the shade, the monorail passes by every few minutes, there are the screams from GRR, and you will feel very special. The wine list has got to be one of the better ones in Orange County and the service was excellent.

Napsto
08-22-2001, 03:25 PM
i love the view of the peak from inside the rose.

AVP
08-22-2001, 04:50 PM
Originally posted by Disney Crone/Kid
Our significant "ROUND"-number birthdays are coming up in about a month for my husband and me. So, I have the luxury of time to plan and make it a ultra-special Disney birthday date.

Happy Birthdays! I just did a round-number b-day myself, and you deserve to splurge


would love to hear ANY AND ALL of your opinions/experiences of these three elegant, sit-down tablecloth restaurants.
[/B]

Blue Bayou: If you've done it once, you've done it. If you haven't been there once, and you're looking to make a special event out of it, be sure to request a water-front table. IMHO, the further back you sit from the water, the less magical the atmosphere seems.

Vineyard Room: I love the food there, don't misunderstand. However, unless you and your hubby have nearly identical tastes in food, you might be in for an interesting night. The fixed-price menu requires everyone in the party to agree on the same items for each course. When we went, with our vegetarian friend, it was a real challenge to pick out a meal we could all enjoy. However, the food is so wonderful, it's potentially worth it. You might want to consider having lunch there, when the entire menu is a-la-carte. Don't worry about filling up - the portions were a little on the small side. (But did I mention that the food is incredible?)

Napa Rose: Currently my favorite restaurant, based on only one meal there. Karen, I am SO sorry you had a bad experience there - yours in truly the first one I have heard of.

If you and your hubby want a nice, romantic dinner, be sure to tell them when you make your reservation. If you're game for something a little more interactive, ask for the Chef's Table. You'll get to sit at a counter overlooking the kitchen, and watch the staff as they work. I'm facinated by professional kitchens, so I don't mind the noise and bustle of that location. If you want a quiet dinner, ask for table 39. (That's the "best seat" in the house, according to the hostess we spoke to last night)

Oh, and if you're just curious about the restaurant, go in and ask for a tour!

Adrienne VP

ErinW
08-26-2001, 09:04 PM
Just celebrated my anniversary with dinner at Napa Rose (fan-bloody-fantastic) and then reserved seats at the Gallery viewing of Fantasmic. Couldn't have been better. Must really rave about Napa Rose. It is absolutely perfect. Great staff, excellent food, lovely surroundings. Just great. Only wish you could get a real reservation instead of "priority seating". Strange really since we were told we could only get 5:30 (too early) or 8:00 (too late to make the Fantasmic show) but then arrived at 6:00 (babysitting problems) to find the restaurant only 1/4 full and more staff than customers. Whatever, it was great!

Have a blast

adriennek
08-28-2001, 05:02 PM
We went for our "romantic" anniversary dinner at Ralph Brennan's last night. To say our expectations weren't met is a HORRIBLE understatement.

Let me give you some background: to go out, I had to pump milk for my baby, arrange for a sitter who could handle both the baby and his very active brother, and save up some money in our family budget. This was a big deal for me. I got to put on nice clothes, my husband even put on some smelly cologne/after shave. (Parents will relate, I know it.)

So we got there and asked to be seated upstairs. We got put on the balcony: Sun in Kevin's eyes, competing sound systems: Ralph Brennan's Jazz music, DtD's loud rockish music, and Y Arriba's Salsa dance lessons. The smoke from people on the ground smoking outside of the restaurant made its way up to our table. (No flames, no debate, please, this was just an unpleasant part of my evening.) Then there was the family that they put at the table next to us. The girl in the chair one foot from mine was wearing no shoes, kneeling on the chair so her dirty feet were sticking out at me, and playing with one of those spray bottles with a fan top so it was spraying on me (needless to say, I said something to stop THAT.)

Last time we went, we were told "We like to make your meal here an experience." Well, this time, we ordered our cocktails and before they even came, the waiter was in our face wanting to take our order! He was PUSHY!

I live for Creme Brulee. Last time I was there, they were telling me how creme brulee was a specialty of Ralph Brennan's (but they had problems with it that night so we couldn't have any)-- that was one reason we ate there last night. Guess what? They don't even offer creme brulee on the menu.

I called the manager over when he was making his rounds and commented "Did you guys stop serving formal dinners? Last time we were here, we had a much more formal experience. I'm a bit disappointed." Do you know what he said? "Well, Mondays and Tuesdays are slow and we like to seat people on the balcony so that from outside the restaurant people can see lots of diners and it makes our restaurant look popular."

He said that.

We paid $100 for this "opportunity." (Kevin's cocktail was $12. 12 bucks.) We SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO did not get a $100 experience. My money and my time from my kids is far more precious than this. No way. We should've gone to Napa Rose. I won't make this mistake again, we can't afford to make mistakes like this.

Adrienne K

lisap
08-28-2001, 05:19 PM
Yech--how horrible for you. I really really feel your pain cause I know exactly what WE go through to get an evening out and we are not spending anywhere near 100.00 bucks for a meal.

If I were you I would write up a *polite* letter of complaint and send it to them listing everything as you did here. You might be surprised at the response. Eandcdad is the king of this--it's amazing what a literate, polite, yet intense look at a companies' flaws will get you ;)

Again, Yech. Very sorry.

cstephens
08-28-2001, 05:53 PM
Originally posted by adriennek
We went for our "romantic" anniversary dinner at Ralph Brennan's last night. To say our expectations weren't met is a HORRIBLE understatement.

What a shame that your dinner turned out to be so disappointing. It seems almost suicidal for the manager to have told you what he did.

Question for you - does this experience affect how you view the restaurant in general? I know you've previously raved about this place - will your responses be different now because of this experience? I've only been to Ralph Brennan's once, for Sunday brunch, and we really enjoyed it, and I was looking forward to having dinner there. I know that with familiar places, one bad experience won't prevent me from going back, but if I have a bad experience at a place that I'm not really familiar with, I'm not sure I'd give it another chance.

adriennek
08-28-2001, 07:36 PM
Originally posted by cstephens


What a shame that your dinner turned out to be so disappointing. It seems almost suicidal for the manager to have told you what he did.

Question for you - does this experience affect how you view the restaurant in general? I know you've previously raved about this place - will your responses be different now because of this experience? I've only been to Ralph Brennan's once, for Sunday brunch, and we really enjoyed it, and I was looking forward to having dinner there. I know that with familiar places, one bad experience won't prevent me from going back, but if I have a bad experience at a place that I'm not really familiar with, I'm not sure I'd give it another chance.

At this point, I won't be back for a very long time. If this were our DINK days (Double Income, No Kids,) I'd give it another chance. But it's not. We choose to be a single-income family and I'm not complaining about that one bit. I'm very happy to be able to afford the lifestyle we have on one income and I'm happy with that lifestyle.

However, the consequence of this decision we've made is that we have to make choices about how we priortize our financial budget as well as the time we spend away from our children (especially with an infant who exclusively breastfeeds. I'm not looking for a medal or to be a nursing evangelist, I'm just saying that at this time, my infant demands a lot of attention. It's the deal I signed up for when I got pregnant/a responsibility I accept happily.)

The next "big" occasion we'll have to go to dinner will be my husband's birthday (actually, the NEXT occasion is my birthday, but we've already made arrangements for that dinner.) Kevin suggested a restaurant that we know will be a more formal experience because we're not willing to take the gamble next time. I'm sure we'll try Brennan's again in the future, but it will be when we're willing to take the risk and we'll probably ask a lot of clarifying questions first: will we be seated in a formal setting? Do you offer creme brulee on your menu? ;) Etc.

Adrienne K

cstephens
08-29-2001, 10:22 AM
Originally posted by adriennek
The next "big" occasion we'll have to go to dinner will be my husband's birthday (actually, the NEXT occasion is my birthday, but we've already made arrangements for that dinner.) Kevin suggested a restaurant that we know will be a more formal experience because we're not willing to take the gamble next time. I'm sure we'll try Brennan's again in the future, but it will be when we're willing to take the risk and we'll probably ask a lot of clarifying questions first: will we be seated in a formal setting? Do you offer creme brulee on your menu? ;) Etc.

I think you've already tried it, but in case not, the upstairs Catal Restaurant is terrific, especially at night. And, they have creme brulee, three different flavors in separate little containers. The flavors change on a regular basis. Last time I was there, the waiter even brought out the blow torch and carmelized the tops in front of me right at the table. How happy was I....

cstephens
08-29-2001, 10:24 AM
Oh, and Soap Opera Bistro has a pretty good creme brulee too.

Nigel2
08-29-2001, 04:11 PM
I could never recomend the Mondovi resturant if your going to drink wine. Unfortunetly I have my mother's allergies to some types of booze, for example gin makes me turn red, and mondovi wine give me blinding headaches, which is odd since it isn't a cheap style wine, I always wondered why? I have had cheaper and more expensive wines of the same type yet I always get a blinding headache with Mondovi.

Sheila
08-29-2001, 04:27 PM
Originally posted by Nigel2
I could never recomend the Mondovi resturant if your going to drink wine. Unfortunetly I have my mother's allergies to some types of booze, for example gin makes me turn red, and mondovi wine give me blinding headaches, which is odd since it isn't a cheap style wine, I always wondered why? I have had cheaper and more expensive wines of the same type yet I always get a blinding headache with Mondovi.

There are two different answers here:
1. histamines
2. food additives

Histamines are present in red wines (those are the wee beasties that give you an allergic reaction). I believe there are also histamines (don't quote me) in white wine too but at a much lower level, so not as much allergic reaction.

Plus, do you have any allergies to mold? I know of some folks who can't eat any kind of cheese or wines because of this. They get horrible migraines if they mistakenly eat/drink this stuff.

Additionally, from what I've heard, French winemakers do not add certain food additives/chemicals to their wines. It's done "naturally". California wines do add food additives. So that's why people are more likely to experience hangovers on domestic wines than when they partake in French wines.

I wouldn't know what Mondavi puts in their wines but I think your physical reactions may be a combination of the two reasons above.

Perhaps a nice white French wine?? ;)

Sheila