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happyfunball
08-14-2002, 04:27 PM
are there reviews online anywhere for this stuff? I poked around this site a little and didn't see anything..
curious about the quality of the various resturaunts and the live music offerings at Ralph Brenner's Jazz Kitchen and House of Blues..
are there online schedules for music and hours anywhere, as well? again, I looked around and didn't even find anything, not even on the offical disney site.

stan4d_steph
08-14-2002, 04:43 PM
For shows at the House of Blues, I would check out their website http://www.hob.com

Here's a link (http://www.hob.com/tickets/searchresults.asp?venid=143) to the schedule for upcoming shows.

happyfunball
08-14-2002, 04:47 PM
thanks..
doesn't look like they have anything scheduled for late october yet, which is when I'll be there..

Sheila
08-14-2002, 04:57 PM
Hey HFB,

If you scroll up to the top of this page and to the left, you'll see a link entitled "Reviews". Clicking on it will take you to our Review system which covers all of the various Disney themeparks.

Just drill down to the Disneyland Resort restaurant section and you'll find some reviews there.

HTH,
Sheila

happyfunball
08-14-2002, 05:06 PM
thanks.. I did poke around in there and saw that link and though it was only the ones inside the parks..

keep forgetting its all a "resort".. :)

this looks like the info I was looking for.

cstephens
08-15-2002, 01:02 AM
I've got reviews posted of various restaurants at the resort, including some in Downtown Disney. Go here (http://www.colddeadfish.net/dlrdining.html) for the list of reviews.

My favorites are Catal Restaurant (upstairs, dinner) and Napa Rose, in that order.

Sheila
08-15-2002, 11:19 AM
Originally posted by cstephens
I've got reviews posted of various restaurants at the resort, including some in Downtown Disney. Go here (http://www.colddeadfish.net/dlrdining.html) for the list of reviews.

My favorites are Catal Restaurant (upstairs, dinner) and Napa Rose, in that order.

:cough:MP Review System:cough:

:D :D :D :D

Wouldn't you looove entering some of those reviews in our database? Pretty please? ;)

Sheila

Techie7
08-15-2002, 06:50 PM
I will post a full review when I get a little more time. I will say watch out for Naples Pizzeria. I have had two bad experiences dining in the restaurant. Awful service, overpriced food, and a disappointed group of diners.

AVP
08-15-2002, 08:42 PM
Originally posted by Techie7
I will say watch out for Naples Pizzeria. I have had two bad experiences dining in the restaurant. Awful service, overpriced food, and a disappointed group of diners.

Oh, did they drop a bottle of balsamic vinegar on you, serve you a diet coke from a glass with a lipstick smear *and* charge you an extra $4.00 to order an entree without chicken too? :D

Oh, I forgot to mention the part where they cleared a basket of rolls from a table when the party left, took the rolls back into the kitchen, put them into a new basket, and served them to the next party.

AVP

Techie7
08-15-2002, 08:54 PM
Originally posted by AVP


Oh, did they drop a bottle of balsamic vinegar on you, serve you a diet coke from a glass with a lipstick smear *and* charge you an extra $4.00 to order an entree without chicken too? :D

AVP

Well lets just talk about this last trip. All of the soda was flat and had to be sent back. The pizza had next to no toppings at all (Esp. for the price tag). It took 3 bussers and 2 waiters 15min to get some red pepper flakes. A manager finally came out after we complained about the complete lack of service and quality. He preempted us and knew that the soda was flat and that the service and quality were not up to the "high standard" (I wonder if this ever existed). They then comped our pizza and invited us back. (Two times was enough for me to make up my mind. I might still try the take out as the price seems reasonable. I have just not been able to bring myself to help support this establishment.) While we finished our "meal" three tables around us sent back the food. Two sent back pizzas and ordered pasta while another table walked out. It makes me wonder how many horror stories people have of this establishment that is sooo close to the tram and park.

dasrock
08-16-2002, 12:35 AM
rain forest cafe was great! service was excellent, food was good and the martinis were better!
:p

cstephens
08-16-2002, 06:50 AM
Originally posted by Techie7
I will post a full review when I get a little more time. I will say watch out for Naples Pizzeria. I have had two bad experiences dining in the restaurant. Awful service, overpriced food, and a disappointed group of diners.

I've heard a number of bad reviews about Naples, including one from friends who I trust, and I've not had any desire to go there. I find it odd that it's part of the Patina group and yet, it's so much different than the wonderful experiences I've had at Catal, also part of the Patina group. I meant to ask our acquaintance at Catal about this but didn't get a chance to. Will have to do that next time.

iris
08-17-2002, 03:36 PM
As for the ESPN ZONE...We like to eat there for lots of reasons...

Sports, sports, sports...everywhere my family looked, there was sports! SCREENS-A-PLENTY! Kept the peace...tried to get 'em to eat @ THE RAINFOREST CAFE,but I was hopelessly vetoed!

Game room upstairs for my son...

Great, attentive service...

And, like dasrock, I have a fondness for martinis! ;) Just what I need in the middle of a loooooong day!

Yup...a bit on the expensive side, but well worth the rest, relaxation AND revitalizing power of the martini!:D

3IAlienKid
08-17-2002, 06:43 PM
Originally posted by Techie7
I will say watch out for Naples Pizzaria. I have had two bad experiences...

I've read a lot of bad things about the place, but my wife and I seem to be the exception. We've both been pretty pleased w/ the three times we've been there (and we can both be pretty critical of restaurants). We both really liked our pasta and pizza dishes and thought that generally the service was good and pretty friendly (I guess we didn't see them reusing the dinner rolls :eek: ). I will say our food was served late on one occasion. It wasn't so late we got angry and decided to complain or mention it, but our waitress seemed to notice too and apologized and later brought us a free dessert.

Wizard69
08-17-2002, 09:23 PM
My favorites are Ralph Brennans, Rainforest Cafe and ESPN Zone. Oh yeah and the pretzel dogs at Wetzel's! I wanna try Catal. The food looked good from what I saw people eating.

I have also heard alot of bad things about Naples.

CarlieB
08-18-2002, 03:14 PM
On our recent trip (a couple of weeks ago - sigh) we ate at the Uva bar & Ralph Brennans, both of which I'd recommend.
The Uva bar was nice because you can sit outside & people-watch. The food was good (pretty much what they have at Catal I think, but maybe a bit less pricey) and they have a nice winelist. Beers were a tad expensive at $6 a bottle (I kept thinking: "That's NZ$13!!!) but hey, it was fun:-)
Ralph Brennans was fantastic. Our group of 4 decamped there because of the shocking service we got at the House of Blues bar, and we were not disappointed. The service was great & the food was delicious. Again, we sat on the balcony and it was a lovely atmosphere. I would definitely go back:-)

animegirllover
08-24-2002, 09:08 AM
Wetzel's Pretzels was really great!

Disney Crone/Kid
08-24-2002, 12:20 PM
Originally posted by cstephens
I've got reviews posted of various restaurants at the resort, including some in Downtown Disney. Go here (http://www.colddeadfish.net/dlrdining.html) for the list of reviews.

My favorites are Catal Restaurant (upstairs, dinner) and Napa Rose, in that order.

I just read your well-written, detailed reviews of Catal at your website (http://www.colddeadfish.net/dlrdining.html), a veritable fount of information.

Thanks to you, we've picked tonight's dining experience for ourselves and our family, visiting from Maui. Catal (upstairs), it shall be.

We'll ask for Ryan and balcony seating, and try the Osso Bucco (mmmmm, with truffle oil!) and the creme brulee trio, too.

Your generous sharing of your restaurant experiences is much appreciated, and as this quick note will attest, most influential! Keep up your excellent writing. I'm reading (and savoring) every one of your words.

blusilva
08-24-2002, 01:29 PM
Ate at La Brea Bakery last night. It took them 20 minutes to bring bread and drinks and another 50 minutes to get the food to the table. I ordered the special, which was penne pasta with white shrimp and a tomato sauce with arugala. It was a la carte and extremely overpriced at $12.50.

I won't be eating there again.

MichelleC
08-24-2002, 04:58 PM
I saw all of the negative reviews on Naples and was somewhat surprised. We went last Sunday night and had a nice dinner. I would only compare it to Macaroni Grill quality wise (a little pricier) but I expect to pay a little more being at DTD. We fortunately had good food and good service. They also had one of our favorite wines. Makes me glad I didn't see this thread before we went. I may have skipped it.

I do think we will try Catal next time.

We loved Ralph Brennans and ESPN Zone. Rainforest Cafe was a nice meal as well.

LubDatMouse
08-24-2002, 05:17 PM
Rainforest Cafe .. always good (and I agree whole heartedly about the martinis .. heheheheh)

House of Blues puts on a killer Gospel Brunch on Sundays - the music has always been superb - and the cornbread is to die for!

Techie7
08-25-2002, 09:57 AM
Well I decided to try the walk up window at Napels even after my two bad dining experiences inside the restauraunt (BLAH). I felt the price was very competitive with the parks and was much cheaper then going inside Naples and ordering. It was a large slice of Pizza and a Med Drink (Same size as DLR) for $5.00. Pizza Port is around $6 for Pizza and $2.50 for a drink. I thought the pizza was good while BELLEH5 felt it was a little too greasey (I will agree that it was but then I am the person who loves fried food that is rolled in suger :D ). Either way we both felt it was a good deal price wise.

cstephens
08-25-2002, 11:00 PM
Originally posted by Disney Crone/Kid
I just read your well-written, detailed reviews of Catal at your website (http://www.colddeadfish.net/dlrdining.html), a veritable fount of information.

Your generous sharing of your restaurant experiences is much appreciated, and as this quick note will attest, most influential! Keep up your excellent writing. I'm reading (and savoring) every one of your words.

Thanks for the nice words!


Thanks to you, we've picked tonight's dining experience for ourselves and our family, visiting from Maui. Catal (upstairs), it shall be.

We'll ask for Ryan and balcony seating, and try the Osso Bucco (mmmmm, with truffle oil!) and the creme brulee trio, too.

Hmmm, from your posting date, I think it means you had dinner there on Saturday night, which if that's the case, meant Ryan wasn't working that night. Bummer.

Regardless, I'd love to hear how the dinner went!

Disney Crone/Kid
08-26-2002, 11:59 AM
Originally posted by cstephens


Thanks for the nice words!

Those words were hardly gush. Rather, well-deserved ones, as you will read...



Posted by cstephens


Hmmm, from your posting date, I think it means you had dinner there on Saturday night, which if that's the case, meant Ryan wasn't working that night. Bummer.

Yes, Saturday, just after the 5 o'clock hour, found us disembarking from the tram into a vast sea of people. Saturday in The Park is not for the lonely.

Amazingly in that teeming mass, we discerned Nick Moreles and his brother briskly walking in the direction of DTD. So briskly, there was no chance to say more than a telepathed hello. Nick is right; for brothers, they are astoundingly different phenotypes. What they had in common was their heads forward, determined gait.

I was fully expecting a long line at CATAL -- the long line that has repeatedly deterred us in the past. Last month, we got close, but we were so hungry that we settled on the UVA BAR, which turned out to be more than a consolation prize, as the tapas were delicious; the drinks, perfectly cool and refreshing on a hot, summer night.

I was so wrong in my expectations this day: There was NO LINE at CATAL. Walking up to the nice man at the door, we were promptly directed to that ample stairway that -- finally -- led us up to the upper recesses.

Timing is the key, as within 15 minutes, the line was as long as it always is on a Saturday.

That space at the top of the stairs is cavernous, yet filled with the warm, intimate ambience, indeed reminiscent, of Catalonia, Spain. As you recommended, I requested Ryan and the balcony. My disappointment over Ryan not working on Saturday was short-lived, as we were led to a table on the balcony with a full-view of the bustling promenade below.

And Michael.

I caught my husband's hint of recognition as he caught sight of Michael, which prompted me to look at him, too. Although we had not seen him for over a year, we placed him as the waiter that impressed us over at the now-history Wolfgang Puck's Avalon Cove. His professional demeanor (formal but personable) and finesse that is only acquired with years of experience in fine dining were memorable.

We could see that it delighted him that he was so well-remembered, as we recounted details he had shared with us then, including that his Italian parents had a restaurant in upstate New York, which explained his experienced, unruffled manner, his faint New Yawk accent and that East Coast aplomb which is unfortunately sometimes mistaken for aloofness.

Michael was attentive, anticipating our needs and wants without being over-solicitous. His service was prompt and smooth. Seamless. Michael greatly enhanced our dining experience.

CATAL is fortunate to have Ryan and Michael. They know how to please their clientele. And do. So pleased, that we write about them here.


Posted by cstephens

Regardless, I'd love to hear how the dinner went!

A few weeks ago, I would have said that BRENNAN's upstairs was my favorite DTD restaurant, but CATAL eclipsed it with its flavorful cuisine. My husband had the halibut, which was delectably moist and soft. My sis enjoyed the Saturday special, which was an ample-sized, finely roasted Prime Rib. My niece -- not a big eater with vegetarian leanings-- surprised us with the eager consumption of her tenderly grilled filet mignon. .

Me, I took your advice and thoroughly enjoyed the Osso Buco, that was magnificently cooked, absolutely falling off the bone, and glistening with flavor. The only thing lacking was a tiny marrow fork, but I managed to suck it all in just fine without one.

[To those who haven't tried it: "Osso buco" means bones with holes or hollow bones and it is the marrow in those veal shank bones that has the special taste - a bit like swallowing fresh shucked oysters.]

Of course, the ultimate criterion in my book is: Was it a MEMORABLE dining experience? Long after the memories of the good eats are gone, will it be remembered with fondness? My sister and I love to recall shared memories of our childhood, and I'd love to recall this night with her in the years to come.

I think this night fit the bill.

Thank you, Cindy!

cstephens
08-26-2002, 01:31 PM
Originally posted by Disney Crone/Kid
Me, I took your advice and thoroughly enjoyed the Osso Buco, that was magnificently cooked, absolutely falling off the bone, and glistening with flavor. The only thing lacking was a tiny marrow fork, but I managed to suck it all in just fine without one.

Yes, I did rather enjoy the dish quite a bit as well. So did you have dessert?


Originally posted by Disney Crone/Kid
I think this night fit the bill.

Thank you, Cindy!

You're very welcome, and I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner. Maybe on your next visit, it will be on a night when Ryan is working.

It was great to read about your dinner. We're going back in a few weeks, to celebrate the birthday of a friend.