Originally Posted By MPierce I know this really belongs in the Dining section, but it gets so boring over there. The Yak and Yeti will be opening today. I bet Denise will have a review on it before to much longer. Anyway here's a link over to the Disboard with menu, and prices. Let me be the first one to point out that under Food/Dining it saids American. It might taste great, but I was kind of hoping for an authenic taste of Indian, and Nepalese cuisine. I hope they don't dumb this place down before it even opens. Surprisingly the prices do not seem over the top to me.
Originally Posted By MPierce You know that would have been a great post if only I had put the link in it. What a DUMMY! <a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=473" target="_blank">http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo /dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=473</a>
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo How dull, this is so similar to Epcot menues. I was hoping for spicier choices too.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 ^^Maybe so, but it's not dull compared to what's offered in restaurants where I live. I hope to go to Yak & Yeti next summer.
Originally Posted By jkayjs Thanks for the link MPierce. <<Food/Dining Type: American>> I'm guessing this is a typo as not much on this menu would fall under what I classify as American fare. Most of the food @ EPCOT is somewhat Americanized and is reported in many guides as such. So I'm sure this will be no different. I think there is a fair variety and some interesting items so we will definately give it a try before we label it. I hope to go when we are down in Dec. I'm sure by then there will be a gazillion reports but I may add my $.02 worth anyway.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<How dull, this is so similar to Epcot menues. I was hoping for spicier choices too.>> This is WDW. Where the typical guest thinks chicken on pizza is exotic and doesn't have a clue what a risotto is!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo It never used to be like thatthough Spirit. If I am going for an extended vacation, I want a variety of options. My gripe with WDW is not the cost of dining. Rather it is the decrease in variety, the difficulty in aquiring table service seats and some lowering of the food quality. If DL and DLP can offer variety and quality (at places where people do not stay as long), why can't WDW? Maybe because the main demographics are from the bible belt and mid west? Or is it simply cost cutting? I don't know.
Originally Posted By Brian Noble DL offers variety? Where? Let's see. There's Blue Bayou. Then Cafe Orleans (or, Blue Bayou's little brother). Carnation Cafe (blue plate specials.) A few of the trayslide places are at least modestly different, but mostly its Theme Park Standard. DCA used to be interesting, but now is down to a couple of things vaguely out of the ordinary, plus a lot of Theme Park Standard. The resorts have: good (but unadventurous) steakhouse and seafood restaurants in DLH; a "hotel standard" plus a great place in GCH; a "hotel standard" plus a mediocre japanese place in PP. DTD has a couple of pretty good places, and a lot of places you could find in your local mall. I guess I don't see Anaheim as being such a fine purveyor of quality and variety in dining.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I don't know, the number of restaurants may be less. But for quality dining variety, I find the Napa Rose, 55, Hook's Point, Storytellers, Yamibuki, Catal, Ralph Brennan's, the Vinyard Room, Trattoria, Blue Bayou, Tortilla Joe's, Naples, HOB offer great quality and variety. Goofy Kitchen is the best character meal we have eaten at in DL, WDW or DLP. So different strokes. WDW has Epcot going for it. Take Epcot out of the equation, and I really feel DL wins in the variety stakes.
Originally Posted By jkayjs dave if you mean with in walking distance I'll give you that. Most of the places you mentioned are outside the parks and I have been to many of them. <<Take Epcot out of the equation, and I really feel DL wins in the variety stakes.>> Again if you factor in all the resorts @ WDW there are quite a few very good and diverse restaurants. There is no argument that things have changed and not so much for the better in the parks as far as food offerings are concerned. But as I said I'll give Y&Y a chance before I form an opinion. <<Maybe because the main demographics are from the bible belt and mid west?>> Not sure what you're driving at but believe it or not we do have more than chicken fingers & fries in the midwest. I even know what risotto is.
Originally Posted By Brian Noble Dave, I'm afraid you and I disagree about the quality of some of those Anaheim locations. For example, Yamabuki wouldn't even be the best Japanese restaurant here in Flyover Country, Michigan---in part, because there are an awful lot of americanized dishes on the menu. It's one thing to dumb down a traditional dish for American palates---a sin that many WDW restaurants are guilty of. It's quite another to go off the reservation entirely. For example, I was unaware that Lobster Thermador was Japanese.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Ok, good points. I suppose I am very biased here, and I do give DAK props for trying. It's just my expectation was a little higher. I was really hoping to get a spicy fix other than Mexican at WDW. I didn't mean to be derogatory in any way either with my demographics point - it was a real question. Just like DLP offers a European slant on the food offerings, I wondered if that is why the differences. I just find Napa Rose to be the finest dining in the Disney empire. And also love the other DL offerings. Not to be too negative, I love the Californian Grill, Victoria and Alberts, Artist Point,and Jiko for nicer meals. Never had a bad meal in World Showcase (I LOVE EPCOT). And for family fare, I rate Boma, Whispering Canyon and Ohana. But the distances to travel to get an excellent meal is an issue. And if you stay at AKL, it is heaving with people filling up the great choices at the hotel. I suspect people who spent the day at DAK.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Ok, good points. I suppose I am very biased here, and I do give DAK props for trying. It's just my expectation was a little higher. I was really hoping to get a spicy fix other than Mexican at WDW. << Me too Dave. I'm certainly not criticizing the Yak and Yeti for having bad food. It just open, and I haven't eaten there yet. I was just hoping for something different. Something similar to Boma. They have some exotic food, but still manage to appeal to a lot of folks. That place is packed year round. To me that proves the menus do not have to be dumbed down.
Originally Posted By Brian Noble >>I just find Napa Rose to be the finest dining in the Disney empire.<< I might quibble with you, but I wouldn't go so far as to argue. NR is excellent.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I even know what risotto is.>> I knew you were truly special, Jackie!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Napa Rose is one of the finest restaurants I've been to anywhere and I have eaten myself around the World and the world. Granville's as it will always be known to me is quite good as are most of the places Dave mentioned. But I don't want to start comparing dining options resort to resort. WDW has some incredible dining ... I'd put places like V&A's, California Grill and Jiko up with some of the best anywhere ... on the planet. And there are great places just a notch below like Artist Point, Bistro de Paris, Brown Derby, Flying Fish, Narcoosee's, BlueZoo, Shula's, Yachtsman Steakhouse to name a few. And just below them are some wonderful, although hardly unique, locations like Le Cellier, Coral Reef, Tepan Edo, Tutto Italia, Marakesh and about another 5-6 places I can't recall. So WDW Dining can still be extrordinary or simply very good. But the dumbing down is happening ... not all over ... sometimes new chefs come in and improve things (Narcoosee's went from having like six entrees to about 14)... but there are some things that are just very tough to take ... like very little seafood (and NO lobster) at the Coral Reef, Tostitos branded bag chips and salsa at San Angel Inn (unforgiveable), more Americanized cuisine at Boma, all the amazing African choices removed from The Mara, the awful menu changes at 'Ohana etc ... I am looking forward to trying Yak and Yeti soon because I know whenever WDW opens a new resturant they put lots of effort into it, and it shows. Much like when a new chef takes over an existing location. And, yes, in many ways WDW Dining has been dumbed down for a largely Bible Belt, Midwestern small town palate ... but it's not a new phenomenon either. I recall an amazing fixings bar at the Backlot Express at the Studios in the early 90s -- everything from varities of peppers to pineapple to guacamole. I also recall how many people had a plain burger on a bun ... or maybe they'd go wild and have a slice of American cheese and a leaf of lettuce! I was about to add a nasty comment about the size of the average WDW guest and how that translates to food choice, but I won't ...
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Bible Belt - the area with the greatest concentration of southern baptists and dry counties in my experience.
Originally Posted By MPierce I do not agree that taste in food, and religion could equate to a persons food choice , other than forbidden foods by some religions, and a lack of experimentation due to limited choices in towns with a smaller population. It is merely a matter of taste. I like squirreil fried, and in a stew. I like elk, venison, alligator, and armadillo (though perhaps it could be dangerous), and opposum is'nt horrible, Are you a buffoon because you do not like them are have yet to experience or just flat don't want to try. There are plenty of choices at WDW for the non-daring, let's face it, it's all about a assembly line mine set, not an area of our country, and their dietary habbits. Some people from other countries do not like American food. How should we label them.
