California Grill
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Location:
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Contemporary Resort |
Reviewer's Name:
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J. Hickey |
Reviewer's Email Address:
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jonathan.hickey@bsh.com |
Date of Meal:
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January 29, 1998 |
Number of Guests at Your Table:
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2 |
Approximate Cost:
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$130 total + tip (included a bottle of
wine) |
Priority Seating / Reservations Comments:
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I requested priority seating for 2, 1
week prior to dining. I was staying on site, and didn't have any
problems with PS. I was looking for an 8:00 time, and took an 8:20
seating. |
Time of Wait:
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Arrived a few minutes early and waited
about 15 minutes. Upon arrival I requested a window table, and was
accommodated by friendly staff. Waiting at the bar is fun at the
California Grill. |
Food Review:
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Although all of the food is great, we
went with a primarily fish/sushi menu. Yoshi, the head sushi chef
is fantastic. We split Yoshi's sushi sampler, which includes a
variety of sushi, just right for 2. We split a salad (I forget
which one), and the kitchen had it prepared in separate plates
with no fuss. For a main course, I had the seared tuna, and it is
amazing. My wife had a grilled salmon with garlic mashed potatoes
and she loved it. The presentation of the food is beautiful, and
adds to the meal. All of the food is prepared to order, so it's
easy to ask for special requests, like 'no peas', or extra garlic,
or whatever. And usually, they will prepare anything (within
reason), even if it's not on the menu. One of the nice things
about the food, is that, unlike many gourmet restaurants, the
portions are large. They're not huge by any means, but they are
certainly filling and leave you feeling like you've gotten enough
to eat. |
Service Review:
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As usual, the service was fantastic.
Because the majority of the menu changes on a regular basis, it's
important for the staff to know the ingredients, cooking methods,
and food/wine pairing options. I have eaten all over WDW, and the
staff at the CA Grill is among the best (tied with Flying Fish).
My only minor gripe (and this has happened before at CA Grill) is
that I was constantly looking for a waiter or busboy to fill our
water glasses. We were having an expensive meal, with wine, so I
was surprised that we had to continually hunt someone down. Other
than that, service was great. |
Atmosphere Review:
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There is no more enjoyable
(non-character) combination of food/service/view/energy in all of
WDW than the CA Grill. Because of the tremendous view, exciting
open kitchen, upscale patrons, and busy, active staff, there is so
much to watch. I can sit back with a glass of wine and do nothing
but watch the action, or completely get lost in dinner with my
wife and not even notice the restaurant. The beauty of the CA
Grill is that you have the option of doing either. |
Other Comments:
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This one of those special restaurants
where you don't want the meal to end. It really is that enjoyable.
Thankfully, the staff didn't rush us to finish, and never has
during previous visits. After dinner, don't miss a walk on the
viewing deck for one of the best attractions in WDW! |
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