It was difficult enough to think about a last meal in New Orleans. We have so many great restaurants. Add a first meal of the rest of your life into the mix and I ended up spending a lot of time looking at menus and thinking about what I really wanted from my last meal/first meal.

I knew that for my last meal in New Orleans I wanted something that was quintessentially New Orleans. There are lots of options for that modifier. How dressed up do you want to get? How much money do you want to spend? Do you want one last meal at your favorite restaurant? I eventually made a decision, fortunately I made one in time to get a reservation at the restaurant that says “New Orleans” to me.

On Wednesday night I’ll be having dinner at K-Paul’s. http://www.chefpaul.com/kpaul There isn’t a single restaurant in town that says New Orleans and good bye like K-Paul’s. Chef Paul Prudhomme is a household name–I bet you can find his spice mixes in your local grocery store. Paul started his rise to stardom as the Executive Chef at Commander’s Palace. He and his late wife, K opened K-Paul’s in 1979. It used to be a bunch of picnic tables and crazy waiters. Today you get a real table, and get to sit by yourself, in his Chartres St restaurant. I thought about going to Antoine’s http://www.antoines.com/ It’s the oldest fine dining establishment in the city. However, I didn’t want to have to get really dressed before driving. I thought about having dinner at  Stella!  http://restaurantstella.com/ It’s the top Zagat rated restaurant in town. Then I realized I’d rather have that $300 in my pocket. Plus Stella! is no fun if you can’t do the wine paring. As it turns out I’m really looking forward to Turtle Soup and Fried Green Tomatoes at K-Paul’s. (If anyone in the New Orleans are would like to join me for my last dinner–drop me a line–I’m dining alone).

Then I starting thinking about my first meal. I got lots of great suggestions from my last blog about The First Meal of the Rest of Your Life. California Grill would be a great place for a special dinner. Citricos is my favorite place to have a special dinner. I love the wine list at Jiko. I love the view at Narcoossee’s. I love the menu at Hollywood Brown Derby and I love the idea of Hollywood and new beginnings. I love Yachtsman. I’ve never had a better steak. I hate Le Cellier–they can’t cook a steak properly.

I made a very different choice for my first meal. I went with Home.  What says Home to you? The restaurant that says Home to me is Liberty Tree Tavern. I realize that this wasn’t even mentioned in my blog comments. I was looking for ideas not taking a poll for my first meal. I ended up making a reservation for 7ish on my first night in town. I could have made reservations at Cali Grill or Jiko, but for me that very first meal needed to be in the Magic Kingdom and it needed to be in time to be able to see Wishes at 10pm. Those are the things that I decided were super important for the first meal of the rest of my life!

So thanks to the PassPorter who made me realize that my first meal was about ME! And thanks to all of you who are reading my blog. And thanks to everyone in New Orleans who has impacted my life. I’m almost ready and life in Orlando is about to start for me!

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Jennifer and Sara just did a PassPorter Podcast (If you aren’t listening you should be!) on the best places to get a drink in Walt Disney World. I’m going to share my five best places to get a drink at Walt Disney World, but my choices have a slightly different bent to them. I cannot argue that Mizner’s Lounge or any of their other choices are not great places to grab a drink. My choices are completely based on the staff serving your drinks and the unique qualities that some of the bars at Walt Disney World have. There are tons of great drink choices in Walt Disney World. However, there are some very special bartenders that I’ve run across in the past few years. At least from my perspective, the person pouring my drink is just as important as the cocktail in front of me. I’m sad to tell you that this post will have very few photos, but you’ll get to meet some very special cast members, even though I don’t know some of their names.

My first spot to get a great drink is the Belle Vue Lounge at the Boardwalk. The lounge itself is very cozy and the bar is very small. I believe there are only about six seats at the bar. There are a few tables and couches in the lounge area, but if I can’t get a seat at the bar I keep walking. Every time I walk in the bartender working there remembers me, which is amazing considering how many people they see over the course of a year, I believe the gentleman I see every time I’m there is named Allen. The bartenders at the Belle Vue are experts in classic cocktails. It might be the one place you can order a Grasshopper on property and not have the bartender look at you funny. That, by the way, is my favorite cocktail to order there. Sadly the cocktail list is the same as at every other resort hotel bar. The bartenders there were working on their own cocktail list, but management decided to go with the standard list. The environment resembles a game room in an old seaside resort and I just cannot get over how wonderful the experience is when you sit down for a drink.

My next favorite place to have a drink at Walt Disney World is La Cava del Tequila. Everyone knows that I love margaritas and this is the best place to get one. The folks who run the Mexican Pavilion have brought in tequila specialists and have created great margarita menus at the restaurants, but the ones in the tiny bar in the Mexican Pavilion are just better. They are super pricey at about $12 a piece, but the care that goes into crafting them is worth it. There is also a fantastic tequila selection, if you’d like to try sipping on one. They also serve some small snack items. I believe the menu used to be larger, but now consists mostly of chips and dips. I used to plan PassPorter meets at the margarita stand outside Mexico. I now plan meets inside at the tequila bar. The environment is very cozy and there are great tables for sharing a drink and having some conversation. You can get your margarita to go if you are getting ready to watch Illuminations. I’ve also found this a great spot to hide out and people watch, especially on colder nights!

Next on my list is Victoria Falls. This spot holds a special place in my heart because every time I’ve been to Victoria Falls the bartenders have all been from the fine state of Louisiana. However, that isn’t my only reason for including it. The reason I think it is one of the best places to get a drink in all of Walt Disney World is because of the wine and beer list. They do offer the regular resort cocktail list, but they also offer a list that is primarily South African wines and beers. As far as I can tell it is the only hotel bar, besides the one at Wilderness Lodge to offer a regional list. I love South African wines and this is always a stop for me, even if I’m not staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. They offer wine varietals that are specific to South Africa like Chenin Blanc and Pinotage. They also carry the African beer Tusker. The bartenders here really know their stuff. I love hearing about the new things they’ve added since my last visit. I’m also going to offer a plug for the wine tasting that is offered at Jiko on Wednesday afternoons. A mere $25 buys you three different tastings as well as cheese and fruit plates and a bit of wine education. Call Jiko for more information.

There can be no argument on my next choice, because they have the best by the glass wine list in all of Walt Disney World and some of the most inventive cocktails on property as well. I absolutely love going up to California Grill to have a glass of wine or a cocktail and an appetizer. They have a fabulous wine list that represents the best wineries in California–which you can get by the glass. They also have a cocktail menu that isn’t the standard resort cocktail menu. If you time your drinks right, and they will actually let you go up to CG just to have a drink, you might be able to see Wishes from the bar. The best place to sit, however, isn’t at the main bar, it’s a the sushi bar. If you are very lucky you will get to watch their sushi specialist, Yoshi, crafting wonderful plates of eats. I highly advise that you sample some, if you happen to score one of these coveted stools. My absolute favorite thing to do is to order a glass (okay a bottle!) of champagne right before Wishes and take my glass out to the balcony viewing area to watch the show. Keep in mind that there are two viewing areas and if the one off of the main dining room is packed, there may not be anyone on the second platform closer to the private dining rooms. I know that I’ve watched Christmas Wishes in the rain with my glass of bubbly and tears streaming down my face, and been the only one out there. (It was raining!) It could be a life changing event!

You might be surprised by my last choice. My absolute favorite place to have a drink on all of Walt Disney World property is at the pool bar at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The afternoon bartenders there have become a regular fixture on my trips to WDW, even if I’m not staying at AKL. I stop in to see Bob and Patty no matter where I am staying. These two bartenders have remembered me through five years of trips. It doesn’t matter if I don’t make it back there for a year or so, both of them greet me warmly and by my name! I love spending an afternoon relaxing, getting in and out of the hot tub and sitting with a beverage at the bar. It’s one of my favorite ways to spend a lazy afternoon and I always meet great people while sitting there. Patty has been trying to get me to come work with her for a few years! I’m not going to work for Disney, but I am taking the plunge and moving to Orlando next week. One of my first stops will be to see Patty–as soon as I can figure out what day she works. I know that Disney doesn’t allow pool hopping for regular guests–but all is forgiven if you are just going to have a drink.

What are your favorite places in Walt Disney World to have drinks? Why? Is it the drink itself? Is it the ambiance? Is it the friendly staff? Let me know!

I’m sure you’ve all heard that old saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Well I’ve made some big life changes lately and I’m moving to Orlando. What does that mean for you, my dear readers? It means a couple of things. I’ll be able to attend some of the special events that are designed for Orlando locals. These include Tables in Wonderland dinners, wine dinners at Jiko, and some of the specialty dinners like last year’s Haunted Mansion Room for One More Dinner. It also means that I’ll be able to try out new menus as they change, rather than waiting for my next trip. I’ll be able to go to new restaurants as they are opening. I’ll be able to provide more up to date reviews and information for all of you.

This brings me to a big decision. My very first day in Orlando will be May 31st and so that I have some comfort in making a big change, I’m staying my first night at the Villas Wilderness Lodge. My obsession with food and drink in general is well known. Dining at Disney has become a big part of my life. It’s not only writing this blog, but making dining decisions has been the biggest part of planning my Disney vacations for a long time. I understand that for many of you, where you are staying and what you are going to see at the parks is the first thing that you plan. The first, and most often changed part of my planning, is where I’m going to eat. I take polls. I obsess. I ask lots of questions and spend hours pouring over changes in menu items.  Ultimately, I’ve had a lot of wonderful meals, even if I am sometimes overly critical of the food and staff.

I’m looking as the very first meal I eat on my very first night in Orlando as The First Meal of the Rest of My Life. So I’m reaching out to you. Where would you have that very first meal? It might not sound all that important, but my obsession with food and all things Disney come together in my love of Disney Dining. I have now eaten in all but two of the sit down restaurants at the parks and resorts. The two I haven’t been too really just don’t appeal to me very much: Boatwright’s and Hollywood and Vine. I promise I’ll get to them eventually. I haven’t conquered all of Downtown Disney yet, but I’m working on that too.

So I’m asking you. Where would you have the first meal of the rest of your life? And perhaps more important, why would you choose this location? Is there a restaurant that is particularly special for you? Or a restaurant that, to you, represents the beginning of a journey? I’ll, of course, listen to all of your thoughts, but I can tell you that there are three locations that are off the table for me. I’m not going to go to Victoria and Albert’s by myself. That is an experience I think is better shared with someone else. Two other Signature Restaurants have been sour experiences for me in the past few months: Artist Point is one and Bistro de Paris is the other. I’m looking forward to trying them again in the future, but I know that they aren’t the spot for this very important first meal. I also highly doubt that I could get a reservation at Le Cellier at this late date.

I can’t wait to hear what everyone else would do! I’ll be posting back again soon to let you know what I’ve decided and of course a write up of my first meal will follow!

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On my most recent trip to the World, I dined solo at Akershus Royal Banquet hall. I checked in early and was hoping to get seated before my dining time because I had plans to meet friends after dinner. Unfortunately, I was herded into a corral full of people waiting to be seated. The waiting area for Akershus is in full sun with no where to sit down. I really wish they would go to a beeper system so that we could wander the Norway Pavilion while waiting for our names to be called. It might improve the sales at the nearby shops. (It would also help if the nearby shops were a little more affordable.)

Family name after family name was called, until it was exactly time for my Advance Dining Reservation. Then I waited five more minutes for my last name to be called. The mood in the waiting corral was not so pleasant. There were lots of unhappy princesses. The youngsters didn’t understand what or why they were waiting out in the sun in a very small space.

Me and Belle!

I entered the restaurant after my name was called and was handed a small slip with my name on it. I held onto the small slip as I was ushered into another, thankfully smaller, line. There were three families ahead of me waiting to get photos with the hostess of the meal: Belle. I’m not exactly sure why Belle is the hostess of the meal in Norway. She’s French! There isn’t a Norwegian Disney Princess, so the logic of this meal defies all explanation! I’m going to guess that the Norwegian restaurant wasn’t getting enough traffic, so Disney decided to turn it into a character meal with Princesses. The demand is certainly high enough! I eventually got to meet Belle. She asked me where my Beast was, and I had to tell her that I had left him at home. I only waited for the photo because the Photopass Photo from this meal is included in the cost of your meal. This is the photo taken with my camera. The ones from the Photopass Photag are actually a little better.

I was seated almost immediately after my photo session with Belle. I noticed as I walked through the room that there were no tables for two in the entire restaurant. This explained my long wait outside. I had figured that if I checked in early I would be seated early. I couldn’t see much demand for solo diners or even parties of two at Akershus. Apparently I was correct. They don’t even have tables for parties of one or two.    There are tons of tables for four and lots of tables for parties of five or six. I wonder if it wouldn’t make sense for this restaurant to have some tables for two that could easily be pushed together to accommodate a party of four, but pull apart for solo or twosome diners.

Salad Bar choices

I immediately headed to the salad bar after being greeted by my server, who was wonderful throughout the meal. I was a little disappointed by the choices offered on the salad bar. Almost all of the offerings were mayo based salads like chicken, shrimp, potato and pasta. There was a lovely beet and apple salad that was fantastic. Grilled asparagus was another tasty offering. The cold cuts on the bar were just basic cold cut ham and salami. There were three types of cheese as well: swiss, munster, and a Norwegian offering that despite being authentic was almost inedible. The peel and eat shrimp on the bar were so small that they were not worth the effort to actually peel and eat them. I did really enjoy the rolls that were available: crunchy on the outside and nice and soft in the middle. I also really liked the white zin vinaigrette salad dressing that was available for the regular mixed green salad.

Almost immediately after I returned to my table from the “salad” bar the first princess arrived at my table. Snow While was more than nice to me and we had a short conversation, but she was eager to move on to the table next to mine that had several younger princesses at it. The same was true for Aurora. I have to say that the quality of face characters at this meal wasn’t quite up to par. I sort of felt like the “second team” had showed up for my dinner that night. Snow, Aurora, and Cindy didn’t really look like they were supposed to.

Fungus

My entreé arrived in between visits from Snow and Aurora and I was less than pleased. What could have been a wonderful dish was swimming in truffle oil. I really like mushrooms and so I ordered the veggie offering of mushroom stuffed ravioli with parmesan cream. This dish was so rich that I only finished a couple of bites of it before having it taken away. Thankfully my glass of wine cut the richness a little bit and I was able to consume enough to count as an actual meal. It looks really good doesn’t it? Right up until you notice that it’s swimming in oil and it isn’t just regular olive oil, but truffle oil, which is very over powering!

I had planned this meal for two reasons! First reason was that I had never met Princess Ariel! The second was that I’m trying to dine at every single restaurant on property. I’m very close. There is only one restaurant I haven’t been to yet. You can leave your guesses in the comment section.

Well all of the downsides to this meal were saved by a Cast Member and a Princess. I struck up an conversation with the Cast Member who was in charge of making sure that every Princess got to every table. I was a little weepy during the meal because I was thinking about Cam, Luke and Stefanie and how they were doing. I told their story to the CM in charge of Princesses and she shared with me that she was in fact a Breast Cancer Survivor and Disney was her life line. The CM spent a long time talking to me, as she must have known I was feeling a bit down. When Ariel arrived at my table, the CM in charge of Princesses made me tell the story I had told her and I got a huge hug from Ariel and lots of pixies for the Matthews Family.

My dessert and Ariel arrived at the same time and at that moment my whole meal turned around. Ariel spent a lot of time with me, posing for pictures and taking a video for me. Plus dessert. Dessert at Akershus is wonderful. They bring out a trio of selections that includes a chocolate cake, rice pudding and a puff pastry with mascarpone cheese and strawberries. The chocolate cake and the puff pastry are great, but I’m a sucker for rice pudding and this was the real deal. It was amazingly creamy and firm at the same time and I wish I could eat it every day!

I have to say, that while my meal at Akershus was not great, the Cast Members, both my server and the CM in charge of Princesses, made my meal worth every penny. I would not hesitate to book another meal at Akershus, although I think I will try breakfast next!