Romance for Picky Eaters!

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Mon, 03/12/2012 - 12:48

drj898

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Romance for Picky Eaters!

Hi! I'll be in WDW, July 7th-13th with my girlfriend to surprise her for her birthday (I think I might propose too..). Anyway, she's a semi-picky eater. I mean she'll try most anything, but she usually just resorts to cheeseburgers, sandwiches, and home-type meals like meatloaf and chicken. I'm just looking at the signature menus and they're really awesome to me (who will eat anything), but to her..well..to be honest it seems really scary. I'm not really sure if she'd have a lot of options. I wanna give you guys an idea:

California Grill...here's the menu from the WDW website so you can see: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/media/wdw_nextgen/CoreCatalog/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/Media/InternetMediaType/Dining/CaliforniaGrill/california-grill-menu-dinner.pdf

--The flatbreads are definitely good. She'd eat all of em..except for maybe the chicken flatbread because it has figs, she'd be like ew, that's weird. lol.

--Sushi's a no-go for her without a doubt. If it doesn't have fish, then MAYBE.

--As far as first courses, salads are usually no good because she likes either no dressing, or very little Italian. And most of the TS and sig. restaurants at WDW have ingredients that would weird her out. Like anchovies or gouda.

--Anything seafood she wouldn't eat except for salmon or fried shrimp. But most other fish she'd probably try.

--Main course....the beef/bison options, she'd be reluctant to order because she's not a beef/steak type of girl, but she'd have it as a last resort. The fish...same thing. Pot pie she would not order. She'd either go for the chicken or the filet of beef.

I'm sorry this so long...I just figured this would be the place to ask. But...based on that info....what restaurants while at Epcot, DHS, BoardWalk (our resort), MK, and AK would be a good choice for us? I really want to have a nice romantic TS experience and stuff, but I want to make sure she'd enjoy her dinner.

Thank you so much!!

Mon, 03/12/2012 - 13:34

Mase

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Sounds like you need variety when it comes to your dining experience. I highly recommend Ohana. Choices for your food are amazing, and if you want to step out of your comfort zone a bit, it won't hurt because its all you can eat. You really can't go wrong with any place at Disney because they offer quite a bit. But from my experience... the places my family has liked the most have been the buffet/all you can eat style places like Ohana, Boma, Whispering Canyon (That would be a fun and interesting place to propose at!)

Edit...

I just read in another post of yours I believe that Ohana is out. But let me let you know... there are plenty of things other than meat to eat there. The noodles they have are just incredible. Salad is awesome. Off the top of my head I'm having issues... but while the meat is a big thing... there is plenty of other things offered.

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Mon, 03/12/2012 - 13:32

MicRac

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The Coral Reef at Epcot is very pretty inside and has some good choices on the menu that might not scare her. They also have the aquarium there. Tony's Town Square in the Magic Kingdom is Lady and the Tramp themed very romantic. They have Italian choices and I am sure she would be comfortable there. Yak and Yeti at Animal Kingdom is Asian style but has chicken and shrimp. I would think you guys would have fun at 50's prime time cafe or Sci-Fi at Hollywood Studios. I keep wanting to try Big River Grille and Brewery at Boardwalk Inn but haven't done it yet. They don't take reservations so you just walk up which is nice.

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Mon, 03/12/2012 - 20:39

J.P.

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Safe choices at Epcot could be one of the French restaurants (Chef de France or Bistro de Paris) or one of the Italian restaurants. The French restaurants seem to have many meals in which the plate items are separated. It's nice because if there's something you don't particularly like, it's easy to eat around.

Also remember, the restaurants are always willing to accommodate. I often get substitutions like salad dressing on the side, no sauce on a meal or sauce on the side, substituting one side dish with another, and asking the chef to omit ingredients in a dish.

So if your sweetie wants a chicken flatbread without figs and a salad without dressing, no problem!

Mon, 03/12/2012 - 20:46

Kristen K.

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Just a note on that chicken flatbread... I had it last month and you can't really tell that there are figs. I probably wouldn't have eaten it if I had known, but one of my companions ordered it and I tried some. It was absolutely beautiful, one of the very bets things we had that evening.

Whispering Canyon has very down home type foods, but I'm not sure that I would consider it very romantic.

Mon, 03/12/2012 - 23:32

MrHub

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Okay, for what it is worth, here is a picture of that Bison dish with the truffle Mac & Cheese! It is OUT OF THIS WORLD!

Preview	Attachment	Size
	img_0920.jpg	1.33 MB

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Mon, 03/12/2012 - 23:39

MrHub

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Scrappy is a meat and potatoes type of girl too, but she can always find something she likes at any of the restaurants. I also would agree with Vettelover recommendation before about the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs Resort. It is a real hidden gem.

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Mon, 03/12/2012 - 23:59

honeymoonin

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I'm a very picky eater as well. We really liked Jiko. It sounds like the food are really fancy (which they are) and I was worried I wouldn't like anything. Alot of fish, duck, etc. They had a chicken dish called peri-peri chicken which was DELICIOUS! It's very romantic in there.

There's also a restaurant on the Boardwalk called Big River Grille. It's not romantic, but the food was really good. Lots of pastas, chicken, burgers.

I second the restaurants in World Showcase, like in Italy or Mexico or France.

But back to the original issue of her being picky. I was worried too. DH was looking at menus and drooling and I was getting nervous. I found, however, that they will omit things from a dish or make other things for you without a problem. I found myself trying some new things off his plates and really liking them. For example, we ordered the taste of Africa at Jiko. I had no idea what anything was but I tried it all and liked everything, a lot.

Tue, 03/13/2012 - 00:40

drj898

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Thanks! Saratoga is a lil far away...well..sort of lol. And honeymoonin, Jiko does look great but I chose Boma over it for our day at AK on Thurs. July 12th. A buffet is safer and cheaper .

MrHub: That bison and mac&cheese looks incredible. We'd both eat it, but since i'm a steak guy, i'd LOVE it.

In general though...as far as this trip goes, any category involved, I love love love advice given by girls. I mean, after all...I'm trying to please a girl here, and advice given by actual girls is the best!! PS: Thanks Kristen! lol

Thanks again!

Tue, 03/13/2012 - 02:16

Jess

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drj898 wrote:

Thanks! Saratoga is a lil far away...well..sort of lol. And honeymoonin, Jiko does look great but I chose Boma over it for our day at AK on Thurs. July 12th. A buffet is safer and cheaper .

MrHub: That bison and mac&cheese looks incredible. We'd both eat it, but since i'm a steak guy, i'd LOVE it.

In general though...as far as this trip goes, any category involved, I love love love advice given by girls. I mean, after all...I'm trying to please a girl here, and advice given by actual girls is the best!! PS: Thanks Kristen! lol

Thanks again!

I just wanted to make sure you know that Boma is at Animal Kingdom Lodge and not at the actual Animal Kingdom park. I think Mama Melrose at DHS would be a good choice for her to as long as she likes Italian. It's good italian food and it doesn't have to many bizarre things on the menu.

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Tue, 03/13/2012 - 13:39

emmaanne

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I am a VERY picky eater as well... but I second O'Hana.. the food there is amazing. And if she doesnt like steak/beef she can always just have the chicken, it was my favorite!

Also, the mexican resturaunt at Epcot, San Angel Inn, looked very romantic and you can't go wrong with mexican food =)

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Tue, 03/13/2012 - 14:16

drj898

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emmaanne wrote:

I am a VERY picky eater as well... but I second O'Hana.. the food there is amazing. And if she doesnt like steak/beef she can always just have the chicken, it was my favorite!

Also, the mexican resturaunt at Epcot, San Angel Inn, looked very romantic and you can't go wrong with mexican food =)

Perfect...advice from girls who are picky eaters! Can we have like a mini chat from now til I place all my ADR's?!? I love you guys! Okay so....emmaanne: I wanna go grab an ADR at Ohana...I'll do it tonight, thanks! As far as Mexican food goes, she's a megafan of Mexican. So i'll probably wind up doing San Angel @ Epcot at some point through our trip. I mean it doesn't have to be during an Epcot day...we'll be staying at Boardwalk Inn, so we'll be within walking distance to the World Showcase anyway.

Jess: I know Boma is at AKL....I was trying to pick between that and Jiko and figured Boma would be cheaper, and with more options since it's a buffet. My only concern was transportation back to the Boardwalk Inn. (Which I asked on another thread lol) I figured eating TS meals at resorts rather than parks would be much quieter and relaxing. Plus we'll get to look around other deluxe resorts for future visits!! Especially Wilderness & Animal Kingdom Lodges...those were 2nd and 3rd choices behind Boardwalk!

Thanks so much everyone!

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 23:34

drj898

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Any other tips?

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 23:40

RobynPrincess

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I am yet another fussy girl I love the pizza in Via Napoli, I havent eaten in any signature restaurants yet *sob*

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Thu, 03/15/2012 - 00:53

drj898

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RobynPrincess wrote:

I am yet another fussy girl I love the pizza in Via Napoli, I havent eaten in any signature restaurants yet *sob*

Okay picky girl, what about other places in Epcot? Like the more extravagant'ish places like both French restaurants and Le Cellier? Have you eaten there? I'm curious about other TS restaurants within WDW parks/resorts that are right under signature since you haven't eaten in any of those.

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 01:22

Bella

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Hmm..LeCellier is wonderful but might woog her out with some of the descriptions.

A great place would be 50's Prime Time in Hollywood Studios. It's meatloaf, fried chicken and LOTS of fun! You might also like Big River Brew Works..That's actually at Boardwalk.

Rose and Crown might be good too..in Epcot. They have a great surf and turf (Steak and Fried Shrimp..they call them Prawns but it's shrimp).

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Thu, 03/15/2012 - 05:05

drj898

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Bella wrote:

Hmm..LeCellier is wonderful but might woog her out with some of the descriptions.

A great place would be 50's Prime Time in Hollywood Studios. It's meatloaf, fried chicken and LOTS of fun! You might also like Big River Brew Works..That's actually at Boardwalk.

Rose and Crown might be good too..in Epcot. They have a great surf and turf (Steak and Fried Shrimp..they call them Prawns but it's shrimp).

Thanks Bella. Few things:

1) I was kinda planning on 50's Prime Time at DHS....i've been there before and I'm about 99% sure she'd love it. Food AND ambiance. I think it may wind up being a lunch thing though, even though I'm kinda planning on NO table service for lunch on any given day.

2) That's great to hear about Rose & Crown. I was just trying to find a place to eat for dinner at/around Epcot for the first full day there.

3) I'm looking for a steak place because I want to treat myself lol. I'm a huge huge steak fan, and I'm trying to decide between Yachtsman, Le Cellier, and Shula's. All 3 are within walking distance from our resort (BWI).

Thanks again!

PS: Food update! I've made ADR's for:

-Raglan Road in DTD for dinner
-Cape May in BC for character breakfast
-Tutto Italia in Epcot for dinner
-California Grill in Contempo for her birthday dinner
-Tusker House in AK for character breakfast
-Boma in AKL for dinner buffet

What does everyone think about those places? Will the food in Boma intimidate her/freak her out? I figured Boma would be the better decision with more options as a buffet, rather than Jiko with menus.

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 11:48

Vettelover

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drj898 wrote:

3) I'm looking for a steak place because I want to treat myself lol. I'm a huge huge steak fan, and I'm trying to decide between Yachtsman, Le Cellier, and Shula's. All 3 are within walking distance from our resort (BWI).

I rank those as Shula's is in first place with the Yachtsman a close but definite second and LeCellier falling to a distant third, especially with all the low rankings that LeCellier is getting these days.
Sorry Lecellier, I have had many a good meal there but it seems to have gone to their head.

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Thu, 03/15/2012 - 12:52

Kris1971

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My husband is a big steak eater and believe it or not, he had one of his favorite steaks at the Coral Reef in Epcot. Not exactly a steak restaurant, but the ambiance is really cool.

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Thu, 03/15/2012 - 13:31

Kristen K.

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I adore the Yachtsman, it's beautiful and romantic with great food.

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 14:09

drj898

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Kris1971 wrote:

My husband is a big steak eater and believe it or not, he had one of his favorite steaks at the Coral Reef in Epcot. Not exactly a steak restaurant, but the ambiance is really cool.

I've had my favorite steaks at non-steakhouses lol. It's funny you said that.

I JUST got off the phone with Disney dining. I booked Fantasmic w/ Mama Melrose to add to the mix. For some reason on the calendar when trying to book online, from July onwards, it was grey'ed out. So the dates weren't clickable. So I thought I'd call... the girl who helped me said all those days are empty, there's no reason it shouldn't be available for reservations. Weird. Anyway, that's the plan.

What are some of the top TS restaurants in DHS? What types of experiences with food, positive or negative, do you guys have with any TS places there? Any huge recommendations?

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 14:48

scrappy

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Looks like we are all picky eaters. I will not touch, sea food or fish of any kind. I also do not want any "funky" kind of stuff in my food. For that reason we have never done Boma for dinner. That one just scares me. WE do plan on giving it a try in May. However, I did do an ADR for lunch that day also so if I am not a fan of it I will already be full enough not to care.
I do love the Brown Derby in DHS though. The cobb salad is yummy and the filets are one of my favorites. I like both 50 Prime Time Cafe and the Sci Fi Drive In.
I pretty much stick with steak for most of my meals while in Disney. My favorites are California Grill, Flying Fish and the Brown Derby and pretty much in that order.

Thu, 03/15/2012 - 16:50

RobynPrincess

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drj898 wrote:

RobynPrincess wrote:
I am yet another fussy girl I love the pizza in Via Napoli, I havent eaten in any signature restaurants yet *sob*

Okay picky girl, what about other places in Epcot? Like the more extravagant'ish places like both French restaurants and Le Cellier? Have you eaten there? I'm curious about other TS restaurants within WDW parks/resorts that are right under signature since you haven't eaten in any of those.

Well I didnt like the menu in french place and havent been too fussed on le cellier either LOL

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Thu, 03/15/2012 - 21:57

drj898

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scrappy wrote:

Looks like we are all picky eaters. I will not touch, sea food or fish of any kind. I also do not want any "funky" kind of stuff in my food. For that reason we have never done Boma for dinner. That one just scares me. WE do plan on giving it a try in May. However, I did do an ADR for lunch that day also so if I am not a fan of it I will already be full enough not to care.
I do love the Brown Derby in DHS though. The cobb salad is yummy and the filets are one of my favorites. I like both 50 Prime Time Cafe and the Sci Fi Drive In.
I pretty much stick with steak for most of my meals while in Disney. My favorites are California Grill, Flying Fish and the Brown Derby and pretty much in that order.

Yeah...looks like I can turn to you and Robyn for all this picky-eater conversation/advice lol.

My girlfriend won't touch any shellfish outside of fried shrimp, and most fish outside of salmon (I was successful convincing her to try it last summer). Also...the Brown Derby cobb salad that you love would also be out. She doesn't eat bleu cheese or avocado. But hey....all the restaurants, TS & Signature, all have menus that you can edit and ask for stuff on the side as well as substitutions so we'll deal with that when the time comes.

Also...you mentioning how scared you are of Boma sort of made me scared! Although, my girlfriend isn't scared of spice...its that sharp bleu cheese flavor, or fishy flavor that she HATES. Also...creamy/milky flavor she hates too. She only drinks skim milk because that fatty cream flavor isn't there. And she doesn't eat yogurt, or any creamy salad dressings. But like I said, she's not afraid of spices. We eat Indian food like once a month or so. Even so though...I'm a little scared of bringing her to Boma. Think I should switch to Jiko? I really want to check out AKL, its grounds, the ambiance, and the food!

Fri, 03/16/2012 - 05:07

Jess

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Hubby is a big steak person and he had the best steak ever at the Captain's Grille.....the only downside to that place is that the service was really crappy....I'm not sure if it's always that way or just a coincidence but just wanted you to be aware of that. As far as Boma goes I don't think you should change your reservation....They don't have any seafood stuff there i think except for maybe a seafood stew...and if you say she likes the spiced meats they have alot of different ones to choose from plus lots of other good things....they also have a kid friendly section on the buffet with fries and chicken fingers....so if all else fails she can have that...LOL

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Fri, 03/16/2012 - 12:52

drj898

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Jess wrote:

Hubby is a big steak person and he had the best steak ever at the Captain's Grille.....the only downside to that place is that the service was really crappy....I'm not sure if it's always that way or just a coincidence but just wanted you to be aware of that. As far as Boma goes I don't think you should change your reservation....They don't have any seafood stuff there i think except for maybe a seafood stew...and if you say she likes the spiced meats they have alot of different ones to choose from plus lots of other good things....they also have a kid friendly section on the buffet with fries and chicken fingers....so if all else fails she can have that...LOL

You're the best! (well, 2nd behind my girlfriend lol) Thank you!

I have another friend of mine who is suggesting I make that night Ohana. I really wanted to try Ohana, but that'd be sooo awkward and out of the way. We'd go from spending the day in AK, all the way up to Poly for dinner, then back to BWI for bed. But maybe!!

Fri, 03/16/2012 - 18:18

Jessi5989

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drj898 wrote:

I have another friend of mine who is suggesting I make that night Ohana. I really wanted to try Ohana, but that'd be sooo awkward and out of the way. We'd go from spending the day in AK, all the way up to Poly for dinner, then back to BWI for bed. But maybe!!

As much as I love AK, I have to admit, there's just not a TON to do there. you guys would have plenty of time to do the whole park and still be done with plenty of time to get to the Poly. You might even have time to go back to your resort before dinner.

Also, I'm a super picky eater. But like I've said before, even I could find something to eat at any restaurant we have ever gone to. Its really not as bad as you think. And she may branch out and try some new things and really like them, like I did! Another place you may want to think about is Boatwrights at Port Orleans Riverside. We just ate there a few days ago and it was delicious. She could definitely find some stuff to eat there.

Sat, 03/17/2012 - 23:19

Ollie

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I travel with a semi picky eater and Cali Grill, Jiko, and Ohana all had items that greatly pleased Ms. Pickiness. And don't hesitate to ask for some adjustments. Good luck!

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Mon, 03/19/2012 - 20:20

Kristen K.

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drj898 wrote:

We eat Indian food like once a month or so. Even so though...I'm a little scared of bringing her to Boma. Think I should switch to Jiko? I really want to check out AKL, its grounds, the ambiance, and the food!

Ah ha!!! How about Sanaa? It's located at Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village, and it's menu is based off of Indian/African flavors. They don't dumb it down either, and if you like spice, you can ask the kitchen to kick it up a little for more authentic taste. The atmosphere is lovely for lunch or dinner, and it's only 1 Table Service Credit on the Dining Plan.

The Menu Can be found Here:
http://allears.net/menu/menu_sanaad.htm
You can read about it Here:
http://www.aklresort.com/content/have-you-eaten-sanaa
And Here:
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/sanaa/
And even Here:
http://www.dvcmom.com/2011/10/lunch-at-sanaa.html

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Romance for Picky Eaters!