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mikala
05-04-2002, 08:30 PM
We normally eat once in the park during our day visit, like Hollywood & Dine or Taste Pilots (something quick), and would also like to go to a restaurant in DCA.

What is the old Avalon Cove like now that Puck pulled out? Or any great places down in the wharf? Or is the best choice Soap Opera Bistro? Opinions are appreciated.

Gotta get my planning straight, only 2 weeks left. HOORAY!!!!

Uncle Dick
05-04-2002, 10:24 PM
The MousePad crew ate at the Wine Country Trattoria a couple of weeks ago. It was my first experience at a table service restaurant in DCA and I was impressed by the food. Both the Italian meat sandwich and the soup of the day were quite tasty. I did find the portions a bit skimpy for the price, but then I'm a big guy, and I like to eat a lot.

You can check out this page (http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/restaurant/2_dl/dl_restaurant.htm) for reader submitted reviews of some Disneyland Resort restaurants, including the Soap Opera Bistro.

tjrj
05-05-2002, 06:26 AM
In terms of setting, my husband & I really enjoyed the wine country restaurant. Don't think the kids cared one way or another. The Pacific Wharf has absolutely awesome clam chowder.

Not Afraid
05-05-2002, 08:27 AM
The Trattoria is my absolute fav. Anyplace that you can get a good salad wins high marks from me, plus the Italian meat sandwich is to die for (and I'm not a big ham lover).

I wasn't impressed with SOB. It was good food but, for the price, I expected better.

I also enjoy sitting on the bar/patio of Avalon Cove. Order a selection of appetizers - a hearty meal and your choice of beverage and enjoy the birds-eye view.

lilblckrncloud
05-05-2002, 11:25 AM
I never ate at the Avalon Cove when it was Wolfgang Puck's, so I can't say how it compares, but I can tell you what was like about a month ago when I went there last. There was a set price (I think it is something like $19.99) for a whole meal, including a bread basket, your choice of soup or salad (I always get the salad but I have been told that both soup choices - chicken noodle and French onion - are delicious), main dish (I love the meatloaf and white cheddar mashed potatoes, but there are also pastas, hamburger, seafood, etc.), dessert (all very good) and bottomless drink (soda or iced tea - alcohol is extra). I was very impressed with it, but you should be aware that the characters come around and interact with the guests while they are eating. My husband gets annoyed with them, which just makes them pick on him even more and cracks up the rest of us at the table, so that is a plus for me, but I know that is not everyone's cup of tea.

Overall, I recommend it. The price is reasonable, the food quality is good, the atmosphere is very cute, the theme is fun and the service is ok.

mikala
05-05-2002, 04:31 PM
Thanks so much for such great recommendations. Nothing better than getting them from those who enjoyed the place so much.

Princess Mikala...

MonorailMan
05-05-2002, 05:20 PM
Originally posted by lilblckrncloud
(I think it is something like $19.99)

That's cheap, Is that the kids price????

lilblckrncloud
05-05-2002, 05:37 PM
Originally posted by MonorailMan
That's cheap, Is that the kids price????
No, I think the kid's price was even cheaper! It is a great deal! :D

cameraman
05-05-2002, 08:36 PM
mc donalds ha I would say pacific warf hands down

cstephens
05-05-2002, 09:02 PM
My favorite would have to be Soap Opera Bistro. I've eaten there four times, and I've never had a bad experience. Avalon Cove is ok but not like it used to be. Avalon Cove Bar (here's a review: http://www.colddeadfish.net/avaloncovebar020902.html) is definitely just a shadow of what it used to be, but there are a couple things I like there. I've eaten at Wine Country Trattoria once and while it was good, I found the prices to be a little high for the portions given. Shrimp Louie Salad at the Pacific Wharf Cafe is something I have quite often. I like Farmer's Market, but they never seem to be open anymore...




/cs

MonorailMan
05-06-2002, 07:00 AM
Originally posted by lilblckrncloud

No, I think the kid's price was even cheaper! It is a great deal! :D

Sounds like I'll have to have dinner by myself next trip. :)

(I enjoy a dinner by myself every year or so.) :)

justagrrl
05-06-2002, 07:18 AM
Love the sourdough bakery bread bowl apple chicken salad thing-y....and then go have a cocktail up at the Cove Bar in the evening with the lights reflecting on the water. Niiiiice...and tasty too.

...although hubby is partial to the mexican food place so....

KarenW2
05-06-2002, 09:02 AM
All things considered, with the restaurants the way they are now, our favorite place to eat, in terms of good service, good portions and good price, hand's down, is Storyteller's Cafe at the GC! :D Lots of fun choices and their raspberry lemonade is the BEST on a hot day!! Nice place to sit and relax while you eat, and you can get in & out of the park to get there very easily.

Since I'm mentioning GC, our experience with Napa Rose was not great, either time we went there. :( REALLY horrible service the first time we ate there, better the second, but too expensive for the choices given. If we're going to spend that much on dinner, we'll go to The Hobbit, in Orange, and have a REALLY wonderful dinner!!

White Water Snacks has real food, as well as pre-packaged stuff. Especially fun to get drinks and food, while sitting out at the pool, during your stay at the hotel, but you can eat in, as a non-hotel guest as well! I was pretty impressed with the burger & fries I got when I was there. They cook to order and are cheaper than the park places too!! :D

As far as those only in DCA, we've been to H&D, disappointed with the choices & high prices for what you get, SOB was too high for what we got the two times we went there, food was not good and the "entertainment" was non-existent. :(

Pacific Wharf has the BEST clam chowder soup bowls :D, skip the teriyaki bowls at Lucky Fortune Cookery, as they were way too salty & way too much sauce for the food! :( I threw mine in the trash, before I realized I probably could've brought it back & gotten a refund.

Avalon Cove was great under Wolfie, a bit pricey, but the new version is annoying with the characters. Wish they had non-character seating for adults. Food was OK, but not great. The chocolate cake was a big disappointment. Very dry.

Went to the 2.0 version of the Vineyard Room for the first time, a couple weeks ago, because of the PAP discount, and were very disappointed to see it isn't as wonderful as it was under Mondavi! :( The original restaurant had the best service & food in the park, so we didn't mind the higher price tag. Now, the dinners are MORE expensive than under Mondavi, and the food isn't nearly as good! The only good idea they came up with, was changing the menu to be that each person can order separately. Haven't tried the other restaurant there. Not sure we will.

Hope this helps and that you have a great time, wherever you decide to eat!

WDWalways
05-07-2002, 01:06 PM
Are the characters there for EVERY meal?? I planned on going for lunch -- which also brings me to the $19.99 per person rate was for what meal?? How many options of meals do you get?? Thanks!!

lilblckrncloud
05-07-2002, 05:52 PM
I haven't gone to the new Avalon Cove for lunch, but I have eaten there 3 times for dinner and the characters were there every time. They just sort of mill around saying hi and stuff, and then every once in a while a song starts playing and they pull out a bunch of sea shell shaped instruments and have the kids follow them around the restaurant for the duration of the song, dancing all over the place. It's super cute and I enjoyed it... I can't say the same for my husband tho! ;)

Iceman
05-08-2002, 07:23 AM
He's not super-cute and you don't enjoy him? ;)

ricksfca
05-08-2002, 07:37 AM
I ate at the Vineyard Room twice when it was under Mondavi and enjoyed both times very much. The food was equal to what you'd get at most restaurants in Napa (although the portions at DCA were larger...for the theme park crowd). Also, on hot days, the restaurant is at least 10 degrees cooler than down below. And if you time it right, you can see the Eureka parade from up there while you sip your wine.

I haven't gone back since Mondavi left but heard it isn't the same food or service-wise. I'll probably go back for lunch sometime and order something safe (like a salad) and check out other people's reactions to their food as well as look over the wait staff.

Either way, I love wine with my meal, so I'll probably head back there soon.

mikala
05-08-2002, 05:06 PM
Does Avalon Cove require a reservation?

I go in 9 days....woo hooooooo

lilblckrncloud
05-08-2002, 08:07 PM
Originally posted by Iceman
He's not super-cute and you don't enjoy him? ;)
LOL... yes, yes, sorry. To clarify, my husband is extremely cute and I enjoy him tremendously. Unfortunately, he does not find the characters as cute as I do. He did put on quite a show with Pluto last time - he started to pick up his butter knife when Pluto "licked" him, so Pluto grabbed a plate and pretended to defend himself. It was so hilarious. I really feel like the characters add a lot to the Avalon Cove, but I do realize it's not for everyone!

And, no, you do not need reservations there, but I do think they are available. I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated.

cstephens
05-09-2002, 06:42 AM
Originally posted by mikala
Does Avalon Cove require a reservation?

It's not required, but I'd definitely recommend it. It doesn't hurt to have one. If you're going on a weekday, it might not be as big a deal, but on a weekend, it would probably be helpful. The one time I've been there since the change, the walk-up wait time was about an hour, so having a reservation was nice.

justagrrl
05-09-2002, 08:30 AM
Originally posted by cstephens

If you're going on a weekday, it might not be as big a deal, but on a weekend, it would probably be helpful.

Is it even open during the week? Seems like I read it was only open on weekends now? Although this may have changed with it getting closer to summer?

(my memory is really hazy about some things lately. :rolleyes: )

cstephens
05-09-2002, 11:06 AM
Hmm, I haven't heard that it's not open on weekdays, but then, I'm not up on all of that. Best way to get that info is to call Disney directly.

hbquikcomjamesl
05-09-2002, 12:38 PM
My choice would be SOB. If I'm in DCA around a mealtime, and it's open.

When AC was under Wolfgang, I took one look at the menu, and saw very little that I'd recognize as even being edible, and prices that made SOB seem cheap. I've looked at AC once or twice since Wolfgang pulled out; it seems like an improvement, except that the menu seems a bit limited.

The only times I've looked at the winery restaurant, it seemed a bit overpriced and too upscale for my poultry-or-prime-rib palate.

So far, I still see nothing like the great "comfort food palaces" of Disneyland (e.g., The French Market, the OLD BUFFETERIA VERSION of the Plaza Inn, &c.), although based on the reports of others, and my perusal of the menu, the new AC may be getting close. And there seems to be even less "comfort food" available in DTD.

supercarrie
05-09-2002, 07:37 PM
In the bread basket at Avalon Cove, do they have pretzel bread? Someone told me they did, like the bread at Le Cellier at Epcot at WDW...

just wondering.

lilblckrncloud
05-09-2002, 10:19 PM
Originally posted by supercarrie
In the bread basket at Avalon Cove, do they have pretzel bread? Someone told me they did, like the bread at Le Cellier at Epcot at WDW...

The first time I ate there it was pretzel bread with dipping sauces, but the last two times it was just sour dough from the Boudin bakery. The last time it was rock hard and kinda stale, too... that was the only part of the meal I didn't enjoy. :(