Palo; Disney Cruise Line - Disney Dream

Champagne Brunch at Palo ... Even Better Than We Remembered!

When we hit our 90-day booking window I tried to snag a reservation for the two of us to enjoy Palo's fabulous champagne brunch, but this is one of the most difficult adults-only events to get into on the shorter Disney cruises since they are only held on days at sea. Once on board the Dream, Jay and I were able to secure a reservation at the last minute - they definitely hold tables for guests who can't obtain those on-line slots - and we readied our bellies for a hearty brunch the morning after a gluttonous dinner at Remy.

There is a $20 per person charge for brunch and it includes one complementary glass of champagne or a mimosa, and all the glorious food you can shovel down your gullet. We remembered our last Palo brunch from the Disney Magic being good but not outstanding ... the Palo staff on the Dream has really taken brunch to another level and we thought it was tremendous. There were plenty of breakfast options as well as lunch and dessert options - there was also a lovely selection of seafood.

I am just going to let the pictures speak for themselves ... I managed to get into the buffet area while it was actually empty! I've included a pretty through representation of the selection, but there were more items to choose from than I've shown - some things just didn't photograph well. The buffet pictures will be followed by some shots of our individual buffet choices and then some additional menu items we ordered. Not that anyone here will be surprised, but we were complete and shameless pigs!

It was ... the salmon mousse!


Caviar - yum! Needed creme fraiche.


Hummus Snails!


Melon and Prosciutto


Snow Crab


Ahi Tuna ... so good!


Shrimp Cocktail shooters


Smoked Salmon


Crab Claws


Breakfast breads


More breakfast breads


Breakfast offerings from the menu


Lunch offerings from the menu


Palo's famous pizzas


Panna Cotta


Various desserts


Still more desserts


View from our table ...


Ahhhh, the sea!


Ahhhh, the free booze!


My first plate


Jay's first plate


Jay's second plate


My second plate


Fabulous cocktail they let me order from Meridian!


Naked Eggs Benedict


Proper Eggs Benedict


Spicy Italian Sausage Pizza


Oysters Rockefeller


Parmesan and Smoked Salmon Pasta

Jake's American Bar; Royal Pacific Hotel, Orlando

Thanks for Televising the World Series, Jake; but Who Moved My Cheese???

On our first evening at Royal Pacific Jay and I were looking for a good place to cozy up and watch Game 1 of the World Series. Luckily Jake's American Bar was open from late afternoon until midnight and they had a surplus of flat screen televisions with which to mesmerize their guests. Jay and I initially planned to sit at the bar but it was already full, so the hostess gave us a table in the dining room right in front of a television ... it was like having our own private viewing party!

In case you're wondering, Jake's is located on the lower level of the Royal Pacific lobby - the menu features a variety of appetizers and sandwiches as well as a number of tropical themed cocktails. The most impressive drink offering was Mt. Kumuneyewanadrinkya, a 32-ounce beverage with rum, rum, rum, and flaming rum that I just couldn't convince the man to share with me no matter how much I begged. I'm a sucker for booze on fire coupled with a goofy name, but Jay insisted we save the really silly drinking for our upcoming cruise. I ordered a Caribbean Sunshine instead, which was made with Bacardi Orange Rum, Pomegranate Liqueur, Cranberry, and Orange juices. It was good - a well-balanced mix of sweet and sour that proved a nice finish to an evening of delicious and varied drinks.

Caribbean Sunshine


Jay ordered a Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale for two reasons ... one: Kona beer isn't available in Stinktown; and, two: real St. Louis Cardinals fans drink beer while watching their team play in the World Series!

Kona Fire Rock


Since this was our third food stop of the evening we decided to order light (for us), and Jay selected the Pork Sliders with Crunchy Slaw and Mango BBQ Sauce with an order of fries. He really enjoyed this and I thought it was pretty good, too. I really liked the fries which were well cooked and well seasoned.

Pork Sliders


I opted for the Grilled Cheese and Roasted Tomato Soup, one of my very favorite food combinations and oh-so-comforting on a chilly evening in Orlando. The soup was excellent and I had no reason to think otherwise of the mini-sandwedge until I took a bite. Initially I thought I'd bit into a wedge that hadn't been cheesed very well, but closer inspection revealed the horrible, awful truth.

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup


SOMEONE STOLE MY CHEESE!!!

This barely qualifies as toast, let alone grilled cheese


Jay and I looked at each other in disbelief. How does the kitchen forget to add cheese to a grilled cheese sandwich? Did the chef realize his mistake at the last minute but hope I wouldn't notice? I could see him in my mind's eye just after plating my food ... "Awww, crap! I forgot the cheese. Meh, send it anyway ... the customer will never know the difference!"

If that was truly the case - and I'm sure it wasn't - then the kitchen chose the wrong guest with which to play Now You Cheese It, Now You Don't.

We waved over our server, who was quite helpful and actually very embarrassed when he saw the inside of my "sandwich." He left the entire plate so that I could continue to enjoy my soup, but went back to the kitchen to inform the chef of our little problem and find me a proper grilled cheese.

He seemed to be gone for quite a long time, but I savored my soup and ate some of Jay's fries, and sipped my drink, and watched the game. We weren't really in any rush but after a while we both noticed that a new sandwich had yet to make an appearance.

"Maybe he forgot, too. At least that would be consistent with the kitchen staff."

"Nah," replied Jay. "They're all back at the grill eating your cheese and laughing."

Before I could respond our server arrived ... without a replacement sandwich.

He looked very uncomfortable and then he said, "The Chef said there was cheese on your sandwich and he's not going to send out another one."

I'm sure the expression on my face must have been priceless. I looked at Jay who looked at me and we both looked at my bread and then back at our server. "This is a joke, right? You can see as plainly as we can that there is no cheese on this bread."

He nodded. "I told him the bread was toasted but plain. He said the cheese evaporated while they were grilling the sandwich."

This time we did laugh.

I handed the platter with the sad, empty bread back to the poor serving guy and said, "Here. Take this back to the kitchen and ask the chef to bring it out to me and explain the invisi-cheese product he used to make this sandwich."

Apparently seeing is believing. Within ten minutes an entirely new grilled cheese sandwich, with cheese, arrived at the table. Sadly, the chef didn't make an appearance which I found a little disappointing. I really did want to hear about this amazing tasteless, evaporating cheese product that he was using.

The good news is that the second sandwich was actually very good; they must use a creamy cheese mixture that makes for an ooey-gooey delight when actually grilled in between two slices of bread. The taste reminded me a bit of boursin, and had a hint of garlic as well.

Finally - some cheese!


Our private television for the night


Jake's Lounge with live music


Despite Cheese-Gate, as we like to refer to it, Jason and I did return to Jake's on the last night of our stay ... again to watch the World Series. This time we were able to snag a couple of seats at the bar and struck up a friendly banter with a guy from Philadelphia who was still smarting from the loss his team suffered against ours in the Division Series earlier in October. We had an enjoyable couple of hours watching the game swing back and forth and the bartender was terrific that night - friendly and pouring with a really generous hand!

Ahhhh, the bar!


Jay stuck with beer for the evening but I decided to try a new drink. This time I opted for a Coral Crush: Malibu Coconut Rum, Peach Schnapps, Amaretto, Cranberry, Pineapple, and Orange Juices. It was good but a little sweeter than I wanted it to be. Luckily it came with a lot of ice, so I drank slowly while letting the ice water it down a bit.

Coral Crush


For game-time snacking we ordered a pizza to share - pepperoni, sausage, and ham. It looked better than it tasted ... it just wasn't very good in my opinion and served to reinforce that the culinary offerings at Jake's are really hit or miss. The drinks, however, are quite good!

Pepperoni, Sausage, Ham & Cheese Pizza


For any of you who might have followed Game 3 between Texas and St. Louis, you will no doubt understand why I felt the need to order some scotch to calm my nerves. By this time the score was 8-6 Cardinals and I could feel my blood pressure reaching dangerous levels. I chose the Balvenie, one our favorite single-malt scotches and look at the size of the pour our lovely bartender gave me! It was more than enough for Jay and me to share for a few innings - and it made heading back to our room to pack for the next leg of our vacation a little more enjoyable.

The Balvenie ... a most generous pour!


Final verdict: Jake's was OK in a pinch or for a quick snack at the bar but it wouldn't be our first or second choice given the other options that Royal Pacific has to offer. We did receive some great service there and really enjoyed the drink selection but the food left something to be desired. However, there is one thing about their food that's certain: we will never forget that invisi-cheese sandwich!

Finnegan's Bar & Grill; Universal Studios, Orlando, FL

That'll Do Pub; That'll Do.

All the times over the years that Jay and I have been to Universal Studios we somehow never managed to eat in one of the park's restaurants. I'm not really sure why ... poor planning on my part or bad press about Universal's food options, but either way we were determined to try something new on this visit. We've been big fans of Raglan Road since it opened in Downtown Disney back in 2006 and are equally fond of The Rose and Crown Pub over at Epcot, so Finnegan's seemed like a good place for us to grab some mid-day grub while conducting an informal, boozy comparison.

The pub is located in the New York section of the studios - very close to the Mummy Returns ride. We wandered in around noon on a Friday afternoon and decided to sit at the bar for our meal, rather than in the dining room. Finnegan's wasn't busy when we arrived, although activity seemed to pick up as the afternoon wore on. Jay and I had the bar to ourselves for the most part and were fortunate to land a terrific bartender as well - she took great care of us and was a lot of fun.

What's that? You want us to drink you?


Wheel of Fortune a la Irish Pub


Dining Room


I decided to order the flight of beer samplers, which included five, 4-ounce beer cocktails and a souvenir shot glass to boot! From left to right in the picture below I received a Black & Tan (Guinness and Bass), Irish Shandy (Bass and Sprite), Golden (Harp and Bass), Black Velvet (Guinness and Cider), and a Snakebite (Harp and Cider). These were all quite good but I enjoyed the Black Velvet the best - the Guinness and the cider complemented each other really well. Jay contented himself with a Black and Tan and multiple sips from my sampler.

Beer sampler


Black and Tan


We had to try Finnegan's Scotch Eggs, so we split that as an appetizer, and we also shared an order of Cornish Pastis. Scotch Eggs, which are hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage and then deep fried, are something we don't eat often thanks to their artery-clogging properties. These were acceptable but we have had better at Rose and Crown and at a local Scottish place here in Stinktown. They were served with an apple-beet salad that was surprisingly tasty. The Cornish Pasty appetizer included four small pastries stuffed with seasoned ground beef, potatoes, and carrots - they were flaky and flavorful and we liked them a lot. If I could only choose one to order on our next visit I would definitely pick the Cornish Pasty.

Scotch Eggs


Cornish Pasty


My lunch entree had to be the fish and chips and I was pleasantly surprised, not only by the taste but by the portion size. As much as I like the food at Raglan Road, their version of fish and chips is usually one piece of fish and a smattering of fries. This was priced much more reasonably and included more delicious, crispy fish nuggets than I could hope to eat on my own.

Fish and Chips


Jason opted for Finnegan's Bangers and Mash - country pork and beef sausage served on garlic mashed potatoes with root vegetables. This is one of Jay's favorite pub dishes to order and while he liked it, he said that he would still give the edge to the Bangers and Mash over at Rose and Crown.

Bangers and Mash


All in all we enjoyed our lunch at Finnegan's and thought the experience good enough that we would visit again on a future trip. Of the three establishments, we still place Raglan Road at the top of the list due to the high quality of their menu and the fact that Kevin Dundon is their celebrity chef poster-boy. The man can cook ... and he's cute, too! Finnegan's and Rose and Crown are more evenly matched in our opinion; there are far more menu options to choose from at Finnegan's than there are at Rose and Crown, but food quality and presentation at Rose and Crown may have a slight edge, depending on the day.

Don't rely on our opinion in this battle of the theme park pubs ... get out there and do your own research and have some fun while you're at it. Just remember to have something other than a Disney Visa on hand when you try to pay your bill at Finnegan's, or your bartender may threaten you with kitchen duty for the remainder of the day!

Orchid Court Sushi Bar; Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando

Tasty Tasty Fishies and Some Mighty Fine Drinks are Waiting for You at Orchid Court!

Jay and I were jonesin for sushi all month, but since we knew that a trip to Orlando was looming we decided to forgo Stinktown's best offering and wait for the real deal in Florida. Orchid Court Sushi has received some terrific reviews so we were primed for a great meal when we arrived at the lounge promptly at five o'clock. They only serve sushi in the evenings and they have some great happy hour specials between 5PM and 6PM, so get there early to take advantage!

The lounge is located directly off the lobby and is surrounded on three sides by windows, so it's filled with natural light that makes it feel both warm and welcoming. Seating is first come, first serve, and once I spotted a small covered area with cushions and comfy pillows I made a beeline for it because I'm all about the plush!

The Bar ... always stop here first!


Orchid Court Sushi Lounge


Needs More Fish!


Jay lounges in the sushi pagoda


A girl, and a drink, and a sushi couch ...


We ordered drinks from the bar to start the first vacation meal off right, and Jay selected the Naturally Hot: Reposado Tequila muddled with cherry tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, jalapenos, and fresh lime juice. He enjoyed this but said it could have been hotter - the jalapenos lent it a little kick but not enough to warrant the name which he said should have been "Just Warm."

Naturally Hot, just like the hubba!


I chose the Rose Sidecar which was made with Hennessy VS Cognac, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and homemade rose petal syrup. I loved this drink! It was strong and perfectly blended and went down oh-so-smoothly. These drinks, by the way, were the Lowe's Resort specialty cocktails - they had an entire book to choose from with all kinds of really interesting and delicious sounding drinks from their various world-wide resorts. The Orchid Court also has a specialty cocktail menu of drinks but we never made it to those ... just gives us another reason to pay them a repeat visit!

Rose Sidecar


Aside from a bowl of Miso Soup, everything we ordered was from the happy hour menu. Jason ate most of the soup but I did have a few sips and thought it was pretty good, although I could still taste the shrooms lurking in the bowl.

Miso Soup


There were six, four-piece sushi rolls to choose from on the happy hour menu, and we selected four of them: Spicy Tuna (with sesame, chimi pepper, and avocado); Mexican (shrimp tempura, avocado, jalapeno, spicy mayo, and cucumber); Spicy Salmon (with sesame, chimi pepper, and cucumber); and California (snow crab, Japanese mayo, cucumber, and avocado). These were all quite good, and some of them had a definite kick. I personally enjoyed the California and Spicy Tuna rolls the most and really liked that they used real crab meat in the CA roll.

Sushi Rolls - yum!


Happy hour also includes specials on Nigiri and Sashimi, so we ordered four pieces each of tuna and salmon nigiri and two pieces of Octopus nigiri. It was all beautiful and fresh and delicious!

Nigiri plate


My first plate ...


We had to order a second round of drinks before heading out into the wilds of Citywalk, so this time Jay selected The Park Avenue, made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, vermouth, and a dash of butters with a drowning, drunken cherry. This was one of the best Manhattans we've had in a long time, and certainly the best of the trip!

The Park Avenue


My second drink choice was the Garden Cooler - Hendrick's Gin and Elderflower Liqueur muddled with kiwi and cucumber and topped with apple and lime juice. This was wonderfully refreshing and packed a powerful punch - it was a great way to end the first of many snack stops during the evening.

Garden Cooler


Jay and I had every intention of returning to Orchid Court for another visit before leaving on our cruise, but there were so many other places we wanted to try that it just didn't happen. And to be completely honest, we did try on Saturday night because we wanted some good drinks and tasty snacks to keep us company while watching Game 3 of the World Series but they were only televising college football and we were outvoted by a group of sadly misguided, bad beer-swilling hotel guests.

Sports-viewing angst aside, Orchid Court absolutely lived up to the hype and served up some terrific sushi and creative, powerful drinks. It's a hidden gem that deserves to be discovered!

Scape American Bistro; St. Louis, MO

Scape Without the Goat ... Plenty of Good Food for All!

For a last minute dinner selection before the Wynton Marsalis concert last night, Jason and I lucked into a real gem located in the Central West End. Scape has been open for business since 2007, and specializes in an approachable yet sophisticated menu that blends classic and modern favorites using seasonal ingredients. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable with soft brown and copper colors predominating. Floor to ceiling windows look out on Maryland Plaza and its historic fountain from the front of the dining room, while more windows provide a view of the restaurant's lush Courtyard Bar in the rear of the establishment.

We were seated immediately and focused like a laser beam on Scape's cocktail menu - it was an excruciatingly long week for both of us and we were in dire need of liquid refreshment! Jason chose The BIG Negroni, which was a blend of gin, campari, and sweet vermouth served on the rocks. I opted for The Intern: rye whiskey, dubonnet, and St. Germain with an orange twist. My drink was terrific, if just a little too sweet - I would have preferred more whiskey but it was really well made and had a lovely overall flavor. Jason truly enjoyed his negroni, but to enhance the bitterness of the campari he asked me to quickly stir his drink a few times with my finger.

The Intern and the BIG Negroni


We settled on three different appetizers to begin our meal - there were so many tasty options to consider that it would have been impossible for two hawgs like Jason and me to choose just one. We started with Seared Diver Scallops in butternut squash and cauliflower puree and these were just fabulous - two big meaty scallops cooked perfectly and nestled in a colorful bed of tasty vegetable mush. I could have happily ordered two more servings and called it dinner!

Because Jay loves oysters and doesn't often have a chance to indulge in them, I encouraged him to order Scape's seafood appetizer special: East & West Coast Oysters featuring creatures from Vancouver and New Brunswick. He said they were terrific; when I asked if he could discern a difference between the two oyster variations, he told me that the west coast oysters had a brinier flavor than those from New Brunswick.

Our final shared appetizer was the Ahi Tuna Tacos, which were served in deconstructed fashion with fresh guacamole and house made baked corn shells. We loved the presentation and thought this was fun and tasty. I did have a slight quibble with this dish because one of corn shells was way too chewy to be enjoyable, but the others were perfectly crunchy so overall it was still a huge hit and we'd definitely order it again.

Seared Diver Scallops


East and West Coast Oysters


Ahi Tuna Tacos


I struggled with my entree choice, not really knowing exactly what it was I wanted, and finally settled on the Classic Steak Frite: Dry-aged Flat Iron Steak with Cognac-Peppercorn Sauce and Handcut Fries. My first mistake was ordering steak and my second was forgetting to ask that the sauce be served on the side. The meat was cooked to perfection but I took one bite and promptly gagged as a result of the excessive salt in the sauce and in the steak seasoning. Even Jason agreed that all he could taste was salt, and he's nowhere near as picky as I am when it comes to things like this.

Fortunately, the manager happened to stop by on her walk around the dining room and she asked how our meal was and I told her the sauce was over-salted. She was as kind as could be and offered to bring me a new entree with sauce on the side. The second attempt was better, but we decided that the rub used on the meat was too salty as well, and when combined with the peppercorn sauce it created a dining experience a la' Blue Zoo Dead Sea Pasta, Circa 2009.

Classic Steak Frite


Jason opted for Scape's Thai Chli Glazed King Salmon served with Soy-Ginger Pork Potstickers, and Blueberry-Plum and Hot Mustard Dipping Sauces. He said this was really good - well cooked and tender with great flavor that wasn't overly spicy. I tried some of his potstickers and thought they were delicious ... and I don't usually like potstickers, so that should tell you something!

Thai Chili Glazed Salmon


We actually ordered a second round of drinks right before our entrees showed up - Jason chose a California Bee Sting which was made with Absolut Grapefruit Vodka, Chile Infused Honey, and Fresh Orange, Lemon, and Lime Juices. I went with a Refreshing Cucumber Press: Grey Goose Pear Vodka, St. Germain, Muddled Cucumber, Lemon Juice, and Soda. Both drinks were quite good, but we agreed that our first round had been slightly more enjoyable and slightly more booze-infused.

Cucumber Press & California Bee Sting


While dessert was not something we'd planned to order, as soon as I saw that one of the options was a chocolate cigar, all bets were off! The Romeo Y Julieta is a hand rolled dark chocolate cookie cigar with chocolate mousse at each end. It was served with our choice of house made gelato and we selected salted caramel. The presentation alone made this worth ordering - it was served in an ashtray! Luckily it tasted nothing like tobacco; it was fabulous and so much fun to eat.

Romeo Y Julieta


Overall we were very pleased with our experience at Scape. The steak frite was the only misstep in an otherwise excellent meal and the staff was very accommodating - their professionalism and friendliness, coupled with tasty and creative cuisine, cemented our resolve to pay the restaurant another visit. As an additional courtesy that was not expected or needed, but certainly much appreciated, the manager comped dessert for us to apologize for my steak frite issue. It's obvious that Scape takes a lot of pride in their cuisine and their service - we think it's a real gem that deserves more attention from the local dining scene and suggest you check it out for yourselves some day!