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Old 18 Jan 19, 06:29 PM  
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Originally Posted by Pez01 View Post
yippeee I'm so happy that you have returned with another food report/trippie... last year's was my winner of 2018.. bring it on...
Hey thanks, it helped that you had most of the same bookings the next day Looking forward to sharing some tips for the solo-ish traveller this time!
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DLP, EuropaPark & Efteling Roadtrip (2019) 3 parks, which is best?
The Prisoner of Vineland Mall (2019) Orlando passion, romance and fine dining...ok so it's mainly eating
Scream if you want to go Fatter! (2018) This report contains images some dieters may find distressing!
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Old 21 Jan 19, 10:37 PM  
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- Previously at Universal

To my shame the thread has been light on food lust so far. Well last time out, Summer 2018 we spent three nights at Universal and enjoyed the following dining experiences. Click through for reviews if you so choose

Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous
the view of Seuss SkyTrain is simply incredible,
and the food, well the food it’s just about edible


Kitchen team at Cafe Stoo-pendous


Antojito’s - Decent meal here and the mariachi band is a fun addition, with free chips and salsa 3 of us ate pretty well here for $56. Not impossible we’ll add this one back in later.


Margaritaville (and Voodoo Doughnut) - Food and drink still okay, staff appeared seriously unhappy on our visit. The volcano nachos are great fun to share (or solo if you’re a Porker!). And what can I say about VD that isn’t already the stuff of legend
Volcano Nachos (mountain!)


Bice - Fancy Italian meal, excellent in parts but inconsistent and didn’t quite deliver in line with the high prices (a little below most Disney signatures IMHO)

Octopus Gigliato


We also had remarkably good quick service pizza at Volcano Bay, it may have sat under lights half the morning but it was glorious, 100x better than Via Napoli managed given 2 attempts


Hard Rock Hotel Pool Bar - Cocktails and a menu like a cutdown Hard Rock Cafe = happy us


Bob Marley’s (and Coldstone Creamery) - Often overlooked, we enjoyed Bob's
Coldstone Creamery is great too

A quick breakfast at Cinnabon with DD led me to the conclusion that if one of these opened next to my work they’d need to fit wider security gates. I will be going back there for lovely cinnamon rolls, Cinnabon iced coffee and their sausage and cheese muffin oh yes I will I will not be eating that at breakfast then going straight onto Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit again oh no I will not


Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast - The theming irritated me at some fundamental level. In the interests of full disclosure I was having issues with a hipster at work at the time and this may have affected my judgement.

Consider the Freakshake


Of these we’re only definitely going to go back to Voodoo Doughnut and Cinnabon plus a meal at Texas de Brazil (which was phenomenal quality and value last time). Also we’re planning a meal at a favourite from earlier trips, the great little Steak ‘n’ Shake (where I now have to get the garlic steakburger recommended by caitlinsmummy) plus some lovely drive thru at every opportunity!

Harry loved the new catering options at Hogwarts


Universal then was but a brief trip at the end of the holiday which was mainly a Disney trip. This time the whole holiday is only 6 nights but it’s all Universal and I intend to make the most of it with a short but sweet report loaded with the good stuff
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Dining & Trip Reports:
50 Shades of Beige (2022) xxl rated food
DLP, EuropaPark & Efteling Roadtrip (2019) 3 parks, which is best?
The Prisoner of Vineland Mall (2019) Orlando passion, romance and fine dining...ok so it's mainly eating
Scream if you want to go Fatter! (2018) This report contains images some dieters may find distressing!
The 12 Days of Easter (2015) Rumoured to contain up to one good joke. Let me know if you find it

Edited at 04:58 PM.
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Old 21 Jan 19, 11:15 PM  
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Good reminder post. I just went back and read your review of Antojito’s. Ds has been pouring over the Universal menus and had suggested this. It looks like those fajitas would be perfect for our trip with my super fussy eater friend and ds, I'll be looking out for the ones with the steak marinated in tequila now.
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Old 21 Jan 19, 11:27 PM  
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We are trying Texas de Brazil this year after your review - looks right up our street 😊
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Old 22 Jan 19, 08:47 AM  
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Originally Posted by Rescuer View Post
Good reminder post. I just went back and read your review of Antojito’s. Ds has been pouring over the Universal menus and had suggested this. It looks like those fajitas would be perfect for our trip with my super fussy eater friend and ds, I'll be looking out for the ones with the steak marinated in tequila now.
A table with a good view of the band adds another level to it. Don't get me wrong the food isn't outstanding but it was a reasonable price and we found it better than many US reviews suggest. I have a feeling its because good Mexican is easier to find there than UK (the opposite of the Indian food situation). Tequila marinaded skirt steak fajitas were definitely the way to go with free chips little reason to order an appetiser too


Originally Posted by Pez01 View Post
We are trying Texas de Brazil this year after your review - looks right up our street 😊
You and your DD will love love love it I'm sure. And don't miss out on the salad bar, it's the best I've ever seen including loads of stuff you might like even if you're not salad lovers

Enjoy!
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Dining & Trip Reports:
50 Shades of Beige (2022) xxl rated food
DLP, EuropaPark & Efteling Roadtrip (2019) 3 parks, which is best?
The Prisoner of Vineland Mall (2019) Orlando passion, romance and fine dining...ok so it's mainly eating
Scream if you want to go Fatter! (2018) This report contains images some dieters may find distressing!
The 12 Days of Easter (2015) Rumoured to contain up to one good joke. Let me know if you find it
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Old 22 Jan 19, 09:36 AM  
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Originally Posted by theCMG View Post
A table with a good view of the band adds another level to it. Don't get me wrong the food isn't outstanding but it was a reasonable price and we found it better than many US reviews suggest. I have a feeling its because good Mexican is easier to find there than UK (the opposite of the Indian food situation). Tequila marinaded skirt steak fajitas were definitely the way to go with free chips little reason to order an appetiser too


Enjoy!
Thanks. Ds is easy to please but my friend is a tad more fussy but enjoys Mexican. This combined with the fact it is meant to be s more budget trip means we might well stray from some of our favourites and this sounds like it fits the bill.
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Old 22 Jan 19, 07:31 PM  
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Originally Posted by Rescuer View Post
Thanks. Ds is easy to please but my friend is a tad more fussy but enjoys Mexican. This combined with the fact it is meant to be s more budget trip means we might well stray from some of our favourites and this sounds like it fits the bill.
Could be a good option, would your friend be into Caribbean food? We also liked Bob Marley's. I'm trying to be good on budget too, bought the BA flight option with no meal or baggage, will miss the case more than the food!
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Old 22 Jan 19, 11:28 PM  
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Originally Posted by theCMG View Post
Could be a good option, would your friend be into Caribbean food? We also liked Bob Marley's. I'm trying to be good on budget too, bought the BA flight option with no meal or baggage, will miss the case more than the food!
Thanks for the recommendation. I will show her the menu.
I agree the food won’t be much of a loss on the BA flight.
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Old 25 Jan 19, 09:10 AM  
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Added our pre-travel day restaurant and will share some thoughts on why we're eating where over the weekend
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Dining & Trip Reports:
50 Shades of Beige (2022) xxl rated food
DLP, EuropaPark & Efteling Roadtrip (2019) 3 parks, which is best?
The Prisoner of Vineland Mall (2019) Orlando passion, romance and fine dining...ok so it's mainly eating
Scream if you want to go Fatter! (2018) This report contains images some dieters may find distressing!
The 12 Days of Easter (2015) Rumoured to contain up to one good joke. Let me know if you find it
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Old 27 Jan 19, 07:29 PM  
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Restaurants and why we picked them: Pt 1 (Pre-Travel & Travel)

So the dining plans look like this at the moment.

The Ivy Brasserie (Pre-Travel day)
Wagamama, Gatwick Airport (Travel)
BA ClubWorld (DW) / Snacks (HP) (Travel)
Arby’s (Travel)

Cinnabon
Panda Express
Vivo Italian Kitchen
Voodoo Doughnut
Cowfish
Islands Dining Room
NBC Grill and Brew
Simpsons/Cletus Chicken Shack
Three Broomsticks
Longhorn Steakhouse
Cheesecake Factory
Eddie V's Prime Seafood
Benihana
Steak n Shake
Texas de Brazil

Freedom from the tyranny of nights wrestling with Disney ADRs (ADR = Another Dreary Ritual?) is a good thing, the unavoidable shortness of the list from a 6 day holiday is not

Pre-travel day we’ll have my folks over in their house-sitting capacity and will head out somewhere in Surrey or Sussex. Current thought is the Ivy Brasserie in Cobham where we’ve had good experiences before. It’s one of several less flash spin-offs of The Ivy in London serving classic British and brasserie type food at prices that are ok for the area.

DF loves this place and would probably never leave if he had the choice The bar is often shambolic and the car park not worth attempting but the food has always been good so it’s the most likely.

They did a great job with the interior IMO

Travel day and I need to get well fed before I get on the plane because while one of us is travelling business class with work, one of us (me) has a sub @£270 BA sale ‘basic’ flight. This means I’m hand baggage only DW will check my case. The ticket does not entitle me to any food or drink, arguably a benefit after the meal they served last time
Looked like the flag of an unhappy nation...


This meal also reminded me of the greatest ever airline meal review.

I’m also not allowed a number two and the cabin crew are entitled to strike me with the trolley once per service. Still, £270 All of this means that unless DW can smuggle me into the lounge I need to get a good early lunch and pick up snacks and drinks. Current favourite for brunch is Wagamama. I hadn’t eaten at one of these for ages before our last trip and while my kedgeree was over-spiced, DD’s duck dish was awesome

Duck donburi (tender, shredded duck in a spicy teriyaki sauce. mixed with carrots, mangetout, sweet potato and red onion on a bed of sticky white rice and topped with a crispy fried egg, cucumber and spring onions. served with a side of kimchee)

After that I will pick up some snacks, I’d like to pretend it’ll be a superfood salad and a bottle of coconut water but in reality 2 for 1 diet coke, McCoy’s and a bag of Tangfastics is more likely This is Harry Porker after all. I can live in hope of illicit business class snacks while in the air.

When we arrive it should be late afternoon, DW will have hopefully again shared her business class meal pics and I will be committed to finding a drive-thru.

Fancy trying something different this time, current thought is to give Arby’s a go. Haven’t been in a long time but I love large sandwiches and their hat logo so it may be worth a small detour past our hotel to pick up one of these. Ruling Subway out too.


Three cheese roast beef

Nuff said

Universal and other Orlando picks to follow when I get the chance
__________________
Dining & Trip Reports:
50 Shades of Beige (2022) xxl rated food
DLP, EuropaPark & Efteling Roadtrip (2019) 3 parks, which is best?
The Prisoner of Vineland Mall (2019) Orlando passion, romance and fine dining...ok so it's mainly eating
Scream if you want to go Fatter! (2018) This report contains images some dieters may find distressing!
The 12 Days of Easter (2015) Rumoured to contain up to one good joke. Let me know if you find it

Edited at 07:34 PM.
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