The Food Was Not Undelicious: May 25-June 1, 2007!! Completed - Post #794

[BriarRosie]

I have been thinking this every since she wrote it, but foolishly thought no one else would remember. BOOM shakalakala.... Sorry, I'm just so excited to find someone else who knew!

Hehehe. I'm glad I was able to provide the Muppets reference for you.
BOOM! Chaka...Laka... (or shakalaka, whatever it is)

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

How in the name did I miss this one? Great reviews! Me and DBF are big Simpsons fans too - love your Dr Nick signature!

 

[CampbellScot]

Loving this!!! I had to laugh when I was reading about Raglan Road. My family is from Ireland and I grew up eating Irish food...and can I just say that in Ireland the food never tasted as good as it does at Raglan Road! My Uncle Euin ate at Raglan Road with us one year and said "These people don't let the spices go stale do they?" Which was in reference to the fact that he grew up eating food that wasn't salted or spiced in any way...bland and not very good. Not that you can't find good food in Ireland, but it just never tastes as good as it does at Raglan Road!

Can't wait to hear about Artist Point!!!

 

[oybolshoi]

Bravo! Another great installment!!


Why yes, yes he did

Thank you very much! And I love the picture of Pal Mickey - nothing funnier than a vacation mascot torn between two drinks.

Wow, I miss a day & have so much to catch up on!!

Why oh why did they mess with the vanilla bean icecream at Jiko?!!!! We had that same dessert, the brownies were yummy but a bit dry, but the icecream more than made up for it! No lavender at all at that time, just super vanilla beanish!!! He did tell us it was made "in house" at Jiko, so I guess the chef felt the need to explore lavender!!

Hi Shovan! Now you know how I feel...I miss a day or two and I have a lot to catch up on too!

I would have much preferred a true vanilla ice cream with the cake, or as previously stated amarula or amaretto would have been tasty. A coffee flavored ice cream would also have worked well, in my opinion (for what that's worth!). I wonder if the chefs are using lavender right now because of the spring / summer menu changeovers? I'm sure some people will really enjoy it, but it wasn't to my taste at all.

That's a good idea! Hmmm.....

Go for it, Erica - you know you want to!

Seriously....what IS the deal with your other leg??? Beautiful dress, though!

Thanks and I was trying to "pose" for the camera so I could look svelte...obviously I need some practice!

Um, no thank you! Who wants to look at the live version of what they're eating???

I'll re-state my earlier point...since Jiko doesn't serve rhino, giraffe, or wildebeest why do people have an issue with a savannah view at dinner? I think it would be lovely to watch the animals roaming while we're having dinner...especially around sunset.

Dining at Coral Reef with that massive aquarium never seems to bother anyone so why would this? Just wondering...

I am loving your dining review. Thanks so much for all the time and creativity you put into it.

Denise

Thanks for reading Denise, I'm glad you like it. I know I'm probably taking too long to do this, but I like telling the stories that go along with the food - just trying to have some fun.

Brenda, might I say that you have phenomenal posture? Especially given your missing leg... Poor Smithie. Left below.

Seriously -- your pic made me sit up straighter at my desk.

Well thanks for the compliment - I usually only have good posture in pictures...the rest of the time I'm a sloucher (and a slacker!).

Oh, and Cowboy (not to be confused with Cowboy Grimace, but rather Cowboy the Dog, re: my avatar) is absolutely over the moon that you noticed his new picture. He says hello to HP.

HP says 'meow" right back at ya. I love the avatar - it's just the cutest picture! And since you brought it up, how is Cowboy Grimace these days?

I am officially a fan of anything called "Chaka-Laka".

Thanks to the mention of the words "Cheese Plate", I may now have to look into Jiko, too!

I'm going to have to ask someone what chaka-laka means...I suppose I could just google it but that would require effort.

If you and your friends are doing the dining plan in October you could use two TS credits to eat dinner at Jiko one night. Their cheese plate on the night we had dinner included five selections, which is pretty good for the $14 pricetag.

I didn't even notice your missing leg until everyone else pointed it out. Now I join the rest with wonderment. Did you want us to not notice your cleavage this time?

What cleavage? Unless I'm hunched over getting ready to eat ice cream I barely have cleavage.

Now that's funny.

I agree!

My guess is "Jones".....

A good guess - I think I still prefer Wesson.

Your leg is no longer part of the System. Your leg is above the System. Over it. Beyond it. It's "them." It's "they." We are the Legs in Black.

Now this had me laughing myself silly...

I second this too.

Well, someone around here deserves a tag... Boom Chaka-Laka sounds like a good one to me!

Don't let them make you feel bad, Brenda, about your missing leg--I know you're just doing the Hollywood red carpet pose!!

You win the other $62 prize!!! not a guarantee...

It's true...I just turned my hips too much and bye-bye leg!

I loved the review of Jiko! I had never really considered it as somewhere we'd like to eat, but those scallops are to die for! I'm with everybody else about the lavender ice cream ! It's been mentioned in different menus on here and I just didn't get it, so thanks for the heads up!

It took a while for me to get comfortable with the idea of dining at Jiko, but I'm glad we did. Seriously thinking about going back again in October to give it another try.

Beware the lavender ice cream...that's all I can say. Although I'm open to differing opinions - if someone here has tried it and liked it please feel free to share your thoughts.

I can't fault you for loving the Chaka-Laka but I find that I'm more a fan of the Boom-Chaka-Laka

That's exactly what I was thinking! Stripes, baby!

I just started this food report brenda and of course it's great. I love the anniversary surprise. My DH surprised me like that May 22 when we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary down in Virginia Beach. He had roses, champagne, flutes,candy and a gift certificate for breakfast delivered to our jacuzzi suite on the beach. Gotta love romantics.

Happy Anniversary to you and your DH - 25 years is a wonderful accomplishment! And how sweet of him to surprise you like that...

Keep up the good work on the report, can't wait to read more.

Thanks for reading!

Ok, I haven't read this entire post yet cuz I just had to stop and question you about the banana situation. First of all, do you have a picture of said bananas? By your description it almost sounds like you bought plantains. Ever had plantains before? Not that I'm questioning your gastronomiic experience, I'm just sayin'. That's just weird that after several days they didn't ripen. Plaintains in their green state take quite a while to start to turn yellow. They can be eaten green by slicing then seasoning them with garlic and salt and frying them. If you wait for them to ripen you can also fry them sans garlic and salt and they carmelize and are oh so yummy! Now you got me craving plantains.

Hi Castillo Mom! I checked with the hubby about this because I wouldn't know the difference between the two. He says he picked up bananas at the store and that they were very clearly marked. Oh well, no big deal but it did make for a funny story.

I've never tried plantains before but your cooking methods sound really yummy! I may have to break down and give them a try. Jason has eaten them before and he told me that they're really good if cooked appropriately (whatever that means).

Thanks for reading!

 

[oybolshoi]

Now when DH asks who the %@*& is Brenda? I can respond: the one legged girl who shows her girls for ice cream.

I didn't notice the one leggedness either!

If you were to go back and read my Argle-Bargle (which is ridiculously long, unfinished, and very silly) you would amend your statement to include that I am also the girl who shouts out to the world that her husband likes her pantsless!

ohhh jiko made me soooooo home sick for Animal Kingdom Lodge, my favourite hotel. I am having pangs of homesick pain here.

Love your pretty dress with the pink ribbon as the sash, so girly. Glad your sneaker feet didn't show though. lol

Hi Cass! Ooooh, that's right - I forgot how much you love the AK. Everybody, if you're looking for a really good trippie that includes the platinum plan, read Cass's report in her signature. She put together an incredible trip!

It is a girly-dress, isn't it? I should wear it to afternoon tea some day.

I'm just curious..well about the one leg...but mostly..Did you ask someone to come into your room to take a pic of you two? Did you have a tripod and if so...great job. Yummy pictures..thank you. KIM

Our camera has a timer function, so the hubby just uses me as a focal point when he sets up the camera and then sets the timer so we have enough time to "pose." No tripod either - the vacation homes have a breakfast bar and we just set the camera up there. It usually works really well.

Hi Brenda! Happy Belated Anniversary! Loving your report so far... I definitely want to check out your other ones! Great job. You've made me really want to try Raglan Road, when before I really never considered it. Everything sounds wonderful so far, can't wait to read more!

Hi there! Thanks for reading and for the anniversary wishes. I know there are some people who've had less than stellar experiences at RR, but we've been really pleased with both of our visits. If you do try it I hope you have a great time!

Am guessing the ice cream man much prefers to see Brenda "coming out" to buy ice cream than Jason when he turns into their street and also may go along way in explaining why the said man comes on the hour every hour in thier street too....

Jay is the ice cream man at our house - no competition allowed! Uh oh...was that too much information for everyone?

Hey Brenda! I wandered over here from the Restaurant Board V&A thread you posted on and found your amazing DR thread! I *only* got to page 7, and just had to respond... I also have IBD (UC for me) a post cancer gift, and although I don't get long remissions, I do enjoy them!

Hi there and thanks for stopping by to take a read - I hope you enjoy your time here...I'm not known for being brief!

So sorry to hear about your UC - that's a bummer for you, especially if your remissions aren't very long. It sounds like you have a great attitude though, and I hope your doctor keeps exploring treatment options - I've been reading about some very promising drugs that are available.

And yeah, I could totally accidentally walk into the men's room, I may have already, but I have an awful memory... I overthink my trip planning, including restaurants. I was embarrassed to learn that Disney actually keeps track of your ADRs and cancellations, so sometimes I book with my home phone, sometimes with my celly #... just to throw them off.

My memory is starting to go too, so don't feel bad! And I didn't know Disney kept track of the cancellations. I bet they're wondering why I keep making and then cancelling ADRs at BlueZoo!

I'm leaving next week for WDW, and am totally psyched about the trip, but it's the trip after that, my dreamy magical supercalifragilistic surprise (my kids don't know it yet) pixie dust extravaganza that is filling my thoughts. We'll be celebrating our 18th anniversary, and we're some of those lucky ducks that were sent a blizzard of pixie dust and upgraded from Pop to a 1BR at SSR during Free Dining! After many, many trips, my hubby has seen the light and we now have our very first APs and a DDE card to go with it. I love love love the surprise treats you ordered from Disney, I think I must surprise hubby with that champagne basket! Oh yes, and I have procured our very first, but hopefully not last, ressie to Victoria & Albert's...! I had booked dinner at the Turf Club at 8:30 for our first night since we fly in at 7:00, but I'm seriously rethinking it (not really your fault, it doesn't take much!) and might just have to switch to Raglan Road...

Nice to meet you, glad I found your thread! Looking forward to reading more!

Wow! Well have a great June trip and happy early anniversary on your second trip - that sounds like it will be lovely! Congrats on the upgrade - SSR is a lovely place to stay. We haven't eaten at the Turf Club but I think their menu is really limited - I'd switch it and go have dinner at Raglan Road or House of Blues if it was me. Oh, and Victoria and Albert's is to die for! This review will inlcude their Chef's Table, but the other dining review I did does include a dining room review from October 2006 if you have time to take a look at it.

Chaka-Laka?! That almost made me spit out my soy milk. Jiko sounds interesting...just as long as I can get something relatively plain, which doesn't involve steak because I can't eat that. I definitely know the parental units would like it.

Thanks so much Brenda!

Kiki

Hi Kiki! You may be the first person ever on the DIS to spew soy milk - congratulations! Check out the menu section here on the DIS and look at Jiko's menu - that will help you figure out if there's anything available that you can eat. That's what I had to do.

I keep thinking of the movie Stripes where the recruits are going to the parade, singing:

BOOM SHAKALAKALAKA, BOOM SHAKALAKALAKA

That's the fact, Jack!

That's exactly what I thought when I first saw it on the menu!

The steak and mac and cheese looks really good, despite the fact that it's not overly African.

Not a bit African, are they? That's probably why I ended up ordering it...and the steak was very good. Would have preferred taters instead of mac and cheese, but perhaps that's the midwestern girl in me rearing her head.

Enjoying your reports - and thanks so much for posting the picture of the sampler at Raglan Road. We had it after a great meal and everything was so delish! It was our favorite dessert all week.

Actually it was your last report that changed my mind about Raglan Road - Your report sounded so good and so much fun! we had an awesome meal (and loved the beer samplers) and great night. A similar thing happened to us. We checked in thinking we would have a 20-30 min wait and they wanted to take us right away. We said we would like to wait alittle so we would be there when the music started and we wanted to see the band. She said - ok because the seat we have you at was off in a side room and said just wait a few minutes. About 20 minutes later we're beeped they say, you the one that wanted to see the band? Yup - thats us and they proceeded to sit us front and center. Not to take over your trip report but check us out!

We were afraid it would be too loud (especially for my parents) but it was great! Looking forward to more reviews and photos.

Thanks for reading - glad to know the RR recommendation worked out well for you! What a great picture - you guys ended up with a prime table! And was that dessert sampler divine or what? When I saw it on the menu I practically started doing a jig!!

Hi Brenda, I have been reading one of your other reports and realized I was missing your food report!! How can I work when I have so much catching up to do???

I'm looking forward to all of the reviews. I may be changing some of my ADR's for December after reading yours.

Martha

Hi Martha, thanks for reading! My suggestion is to stop working altogether - it's more fun to DIS and plan vacation!

Both your meals from JIKO looked delicious Brenda! I've always been a little shy about the menu at Jiko's myself since I suffer from IBS but I guess there are things I could try. The scallops look delicious and are one of my favorite things to order out!

Hi there! I would suggest that you go over their menu with a fine-toothed comb and then decide if you can handle their food. Jay said his scallops were terrific but they were spicy. If spice and heat don't bother you then I think you should go for it!

Yes, slave to fashion and all that. I had an adventure trying to get to the EEE event at Epcot. It involved pouring rain, giving a total stranger (woman at Pop Century in her bathing suit) $20 to run to Everything Pop to buy me an umbrella (which she did, amazingly enough), walking through said rain in fancy dress and heels to the bus stop. Once we were at the outside Guest Relations at Epcot, it wasn't terrible to be in the heels. We were driven to the backstage area to World Showplace, no walking through Epcot. If I have another "nice" dress event, I have shoes with low, low heels that are easier on the feet.

I actually made Jay carry a backpack with my heels and an evening wrap and all kinds of other crap - one of the fringe benefits of being married is having a second person around to carry stuff for you.

I can't believe that woman actually did that for you, but how great that she did!

I did have an intentionally "take it easy" stay at AKL a few years ago. I was treating myself to concierge, and I wanted to enjoy the resort. Friends of mine were staying there, too. Some shared with me, and the others shared another room. At one point, three of us decided to break out the Haunted Mansion Clue game that my friend bought during that trip. We sat at a table in the concierge lounge around 3pm, and we played the game for 3 hours. Of course it was nice to be able to get some tea, and later the concierge snackables they serve as appetizers. Yum. That was a relaxing weekend!

Sounds like a great time!

I never knew that quiet sitting area was only an elevator ride away. I'm going to have to look for that, now. Michelle's tip was awesome.

Another great trip report for anyone looking for one: check out Mlills Christmas trippie from 2006. She's another one who planned an incredible trip for her family.

I thought maybe the new restaurant at the Kidani Villas will have a meal with a view.

That would be very cool - I guess we'll just have to see how the construction unfolds.

"Muppets Treasure Island". Miss Piggy's grand entrance. Pay attention to the chant of the natives.

Haven't seen it.

Why not just pour the Amarula over the vanilla ice cream?

That's going to be an experiment here at home, I think!

I have been thinking this every since she wrote it, but foolishly thought no one else would remember. BOOM shakalakala.... Sorry, I'm just so excited to find someone else who knew!

Hehehe. I'm glad I was able to provide the Muppets reference for you.
BOOM! Chaka...Laka... (or shakalaka, whatever it is)

And that's what makes this so much fun!!

How in the name did I miss this one? Great reviews! Me and DBF are big Simpsons fans too - love your Dr Nick signature!

Well now you're here; better late than never, right? Thanks for reading - I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. And another Simpsons fan? Woo Hoo!!!!!

Mlill was kind enough to provide the Dr. Nick for me a few months ago. Thanks again Michelle!

Loving this!!! I had to laugh when I was reading about Raglan Road. My family is from Ireland and I grew up eating Irish food...and can I just say that in Ireland the food never tasted as good as it does at Raglan Road! My Uncle Euin ate at Raglan Road with us one year and said "These people don't let the spices go stale do they?" Which was in reference to the fact that he grew up eating food that wasn't salted or spiced in any way...bland and not very good. Not that you can't find good food in Ireland, but it just never tastes as good as it does at Raglan Road!

Can't wait to hear about Artist Point!!!

Thanks for reading! That's too funny - I had no idea that traditional Irish food was bland. At least now we'll be prepared when we finally do make it to Ireland (some day).

BTW - if you do order the anniversary basket please come back and let us know how you and your DH liked it!

 

[allyphoe]

I'm going to have to ask someone what chaka-laka means...I suppose I could just google it but that would require effort.

Besides, that's what your loyal readers are for!
http://kitschnzinc.blogspot.com/2005/02/chakalaka.html (complete with recipe!)

 

[wilma-bride]

You've all got it wrong - Chaka Laka is from Walk the Dinosaur.

Boom, boom, chaka laka laka boom - boom, boom, chaka laka boom, boom

I walked the dinosaur, I walked the dinosa-aur

Open the door, get on the floor, everybody walk the dinosaur

 

[cmp1111]

You've all got it wrong - Chaka Laka is from Walk the Dinosaur.

Boom, boom, chaka laka laka boom - boom, boom, chaka laka boom, boom

I walked the dinosaur, I walked the dinosa-aur

Open the door, get on the floor, everybody walk the dinosaur

Thanks for putting THAT in my brain!

 

[YCFAN]

I am loving this review but I have an awful confession to make......I did it too!! I can't believe it but during our December trip I went in the wrong bathroom at Raglan Road. I wasn't as fortunate as you though to realize right away what was going on. I went in the stall and when I came out there was a man standing in the bathroom just staring at me. My first thought was, what is he doing in the ladies room?!? I then noticed the urinals hanging on the wall and very coolly walked out the door. I was so embarassed! How could I have done this? Now I'm beginning to think that maybe there is some sort of optical illusion set up to trick unsuspecting females into the mens' room at RR. I love this restaurant and have been twice before. Now I absolutely MUST go back and try to figure this out.

 

[D&R love Disney]

Brenda I'm loving your report once again! I too do the pose but I've never lost a leg LOL.

Why ruin good old vanilla with lavender YUCK! Granted, I can't stand the smell of it.

 

[lawyergirl]

We did have great service at Jiko to go along with the yummy food. November, huh? Does this mean I finally will get a chance to read your dining reviews?

While I could do without the blue cheese I do like me some goat cheese.

I could do some dining reviews from last year's trip. I posted all of our pics in the food porn thread (live) but I didn't get around to doing a full report. Mea culpa... My pics were pretty frickin' fantastic, tho, if I do say so myself (And oh! Looks like I do!! ). We're talking the full buffet line at Boma, in order!!

But this time, I promise PROMISE PROMISE that I will be doing a TR (or at least a dining report).

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Brenda, the food from Jiko looks soooooooo good. I was supposed to go there a couple trips back but we ended up not making our ADR. I was so mad. Next time I'm there I am going to have to try it. Great pictures, they have me drooling over here. Why is there no drooling smiley?

 

[oybolshoi]

Sunday, May 27th - It's not Quite Breakfast; It's not Quite Lunch, but It Comes With a Slice of Cantaloupe at the End.

**Disclaimer** I have few pretty pictures to share with you in this installment. Not only were cameras frowned upon for this event, the concert hall was very dim and the few food pictures we tried to take did not turn out well. I will understand completely if you choose to skip this segment and return for a more picture-laden installment, the next of which will include breakfast at Kona Cafe and dinner at Flying Fish.**

House of Blues - Gospel Brunch

Jay and I are big fans of House of Blues - they have great food to go along with great music. To be quite honest, those were the real reasons we decided to attend the brunch in the first place. Not that it matters, but Jay and I are two of the least religious people you'll never meet. He's a self-proclaimed heretic who turned his back on his religious upbringing and I'm a heathen who's never been shown the light. For people who supposedly have no moral compass I think we're refreshingly ethical.

At any rate, we fully recognize the irony of our attending a Gospel Brunch, but just because we're not religious people doesn't mean we can't appreciate the music and spirit of those who are. And we've heard wonderful things about this event in Orlando. For those of you interested in attending some time, you must purchase your tickets from the HoB box office. I actually called and reserved our tickets about three months in advance. And heads up - there are AAA and DVC discounts available so that you can buy tickets for less than the advertised price.

Before leaving the resort to walk over to Downtown Disney, look what we found...

Spongebob Surprise!!

We really enjoyed our Sunday morning stroll over to the House of Blues, which is located across from DisneyQuest on the DTD West Side. The restaurant offers two seatings for brunch: 10:30AM and 1:00PM. We opted for the first seating because it just doesn't seem like brunch to us if we eat it in the afternoon.

A couple of random pictures of the HoB - These are of the outside of the restaurant where they serve lunch and dinner. The brunch is held in the concert hall, directly adjacent to the restaurant. This HoB is actually a very large establishment - we've seen some that are quite small compared with this one. If you look at the second picture you'll see a grouping of a sculpted scrap metal band - pretty cool, aren't they?

We had to wait about 15 minutes before being allowed entry to the concert hall. In true Disney fashion everyone dutifully formed a line without being asked, but the joke was on us. We all had assigned seating so it didn't matter when we entered the venue - we were guaranteed a table. House of Blues where were you last October and could you please speak with the Epcot F&W event planners???

For some reason I thought I'd heard that each attendee was allowed one free adult breakfast beverage, but I was wrong. We had to pay $3 apeice for a Bloody Mary and a Mimosa. Well, what else were we supposed to do while we were just standing around waiting for the doors to open?

Jay enjoys a Bloody Mary...and my Mimosa!

For the first time in my life I tried a Bloody Mary, and...how do I say this? It was vile. To each his own, but I have no interest in drinking a glass of V8 spiked with Tobasco sauce. I'll stick with the Mimosa. Actually what I would have really liked was a nice glass of brandy milk punch - now that's some breakfast drinking good times!

Here are the tickets - look, with our discount we only paid $26.50; not too shabby.

How appropriate - we're going to be seated in the pit!

We weren't just seated in the pit, we were right next to the stage. And we weren't just right next to the stage, we were sitting next to the stairs that led up to the center of the stage. At first we were concerned that we wouldn't be able to see or that it might be too loud, but our table, which we shared with six other people, was a great place to watch the show.

Once we were shown to our table it was time to check out the buffet. I can't remember everything that was available but it was a lot. I lifted the current buffet menu from the HoB Orlando web site just to give you an idea of how plentiful and varied the selections were.

Fresh Pastries
Croissants
Muffins
Cinnamon Buns
Assorted Fresh Fruit
Cooked Chilled Prawns with Cocktail Sauce
Ceasar Salad
Field Greens with Spiced Pecans with blue cheese crumbles and tomato shallot vinaigrette
Broccoli Salad w/Crispy Bacon
Creole Potato and Asparagus Salad
Scrambled Eggs
Roast Potatoes
Cheese Grits
Bacon and Sausage
Biscuits and Country Gravy
Homemade Waffles
Made to Order Omelette Station
BBQ Chicken
Creole Chicken Jambalaya
Cornmeal Crusted Catfish
Delta Red Beans & Rice
Macaroni & Cheese
Turnip Greens
Fresh Baked Corn Muffins
Roast Top Round of Beef
Honey Baked Ham
Apple Cobbler
White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding
Key Lime Pie
Pecan Squares
Cheesecake
Chocolate Walnut Brownies

I stuck with the breakfast items for the most part, although I had to suck down some shrimp (I loves me the shrimp!). I'm sure I sound repetitive but the food was excellent - they even had an omlette station set up so that people could have super-duper custom made egg mountains that took up an entire plate. Jason sampled a bit of everything and agreed with me - the food was two-thumbs-up-tasty!

For the first 45 minutes or so there's no show at all - people are given plenty of time to visit the buffet and enjoy their food selections.

We got to see Apostle J.L. Cash and Praise on the day we attended brunch - they were incredible. If I remember correctly all the members of this group are from the same family and they all had absolutely magnificent voices. It was also very moving to see how deeply affected some guests were by the performance. All in all it was a very welcoming and joyful atmosphere and we really had a great time just taking it in.

Near the end of the show they asked people who were celebrating May birthdays to stand up, so with a little help from our tablemates I made Jay vacate his chair. But then they asked people who were celebrating May anniversaries to stand up, too. Guess who got evicted from her chair?

I thought it was just going to be one of those "round of applause" type moments, but instead all of the celebrants were asked to join the group on stage for the last song of the show. If we'd been seated in the back we would have just slunk off into the darkness and no one would have noticed, but when seated next to the stage that is not an option.

And so, the final irony of the morning was that Jay and I ended up on stage with about 30 other guests having a great old time to a religious song that just kept going and going and going. I really wish we had a picture of that.

For anyone who's considered giving this event a try, I highly recommend it at least once. The food was great, the service was friendly, and the music was terrific. The group gave a truly joyful and welcoming performance and I'm glad we had a chance to experience it.

Food footnote for the rest of the day: we ate dinner at Casey's at the MK around 8PM after canceling a reservation for Wolfgang Puck's Dining room. We just weren't hungry and felt like Wolfie's menu was a bit too limited and a tad too pricey. We were quite happy with the hotdogs and cheesefries, of which we took no pictures...again. D'OH!

Thanks for reading - next up will be breakfast at the Kona and dinner at Flying Fish!

 

[S.Poppins]

Alright Brenda, I finally made it over here! You are already on like page 20!!! I am so overwhelmed! I only have 2 more weeks in this class. Maybe then I can play catch up. I think baseball will be over then too. Of course in July I start summer camps for jr. high and youth. Oh well, maybe August..... Your first installment was great and the sundaes looked fabulous! I had a Snappy Turtle today - stress-reliever!!! My DH wrecked my new car today. He hydroplaned and hit a sign. He and DD are fine, but my car has a large dent and is driving funny. I think I am destined to drive a car with a dent...

 

[oybolshoi]

Besides, that's what your loyal readers are for!
http://kitschnzinc.blogspot.com/2005/02/chakalaka.html (complete with recipe!)

Excellent! Thanks so much - Jason will be very pleased.

You've all got it wrong - Chaka Laka is from Walk the Dinosaur.

Boom, boom, chaka laka laka boom - boom, boom, chaka laka boom, boom

I walked the dinosaur, I walked the dinosa-aur

Open the door, get on the floor, everybody walk the dinosaur

I could have done without that... Now I'm flashing back to high school.

Thanks for putting THAT in my brain!

Ditto!!

I am loving this review but I have an awful confession to make......I did it too!! I can't believe it but during our December trip I went in the wrong bathroom at Raglan Road. I wasn't as fortunate as you though to realize right away what was going on. I went in the stall and when I came out there was a man standing in the bathroom just staring at me. My first thought was, what is he doing in the ladies room?!? I then noticed the urinals hanging on the wall and very coolly walked out the door. I was so embarassed! How could I have done this? Now I'm beginning to think that maybe there is some sort of optical illusion set up to trick unsuspecting females into the mens' room at RR. I love this restaurant and have been twice before. Now I absolutely MUST go back and try to figure this out.

Hmmmm....I'm also beginning to wonder if they're messing with our minds at Raglan Road. Maybe they do it on purpose and there's a betting pool in the kitchen each night.. "How many women walk into the men's room by mistake?"

Winner take all!

Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing - I couldn't help but laugh.

Brenda I'm loving your report once again! I too do the pose but I've never lost a leg LOL.

I lose a leg in a lot of pictures on this trip - I guess I was trying too hard. Thanks for stopping by to take a read.

Why ruin good old vanilla with lavender YUCK! Granted, I can't stand the smell of it.

I love the smell of lavender but I'm with you on the ice cream.

I could do some dining reviews from last year's trip. I posted all of our pics in the food porn thread (live) but I didn't get around to doing a full report. Mea culpa... My pics were pretty frickin' fantastic, tho, if I do say so myself (And oh! Looks like I do!! ). We're talking the full buffet line at Boma, in order!!

But this time, I promise PROMISE PROMISE that I will be doing a TR (or at least a dining report).

I probably saw some of your pictures without even realizing they were yours - it's tough to keep up with that thread! I'm going to be looking for that TR or food porn from you later this year...already looking forward to it!

Brenda, the food from Jiko looks soooooooo good. I was supposed to go there a couple trips back but we ended up not making our ADR. I was so mad. Next time I'm there I am going to have to try it. Great pictures, they have me drooling over here. Why is there no drooling smiley?

Thank you! You must go back to Jiko - based on what I recall from your dining report I think you'd really enjoy it. And I totally agree about the need for a droolie icon.

BTW, in case I haven't already said it, I love your HP signature. Those are gorgeous shots of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

 

[oybolshoi]

Alright Brenda, I finally made it over here! You are already on like page 20!!! I am so overwhelmed! I only have 2 more weeks in this class. Maybe then I can play catch up. I think baseball will be over then too. Of course in July I start summer camps for jr. high and youth. Oh well, maybe August.....

Hi Stacy! I'm a little overwhelmed too - I haven't done that many reviews yet but this thread is out of control!

Don't worry about it - you'll catch up when you can (but don't drink while you read - I've been told that I need to attach a spew-warning for readers).

Your first installment was great and the sundaes looked fabulous! I had a Snappy Turtle today - stress-reliever!!! My DH wrecked my new car today. He hydroplaned and hit a sign. He and DD are fine, but my car has a large dent and is driving funny. I think I am destined to drive a car with a dent...

Thanks for reading - I wish I was eating that sundae right now, oh yes I do.

Mmmm...snappy turtle...do you think it's possible to order that without nuts?

I'm so sorry to hear about your car but very relieved that your family is safe and sound. I hope everything works out OK.

Hey, did you ever decide if you were going to take a Disney Cruise?

 

[lynninpa]

You have most definitely peaked my interest in the House of Blues Gospel Brunch! This is the first I have really heard about it. Thanks for the cool review!

 

[rentayenta]

Awesome but mmmmmmmmmm, I lurve me a good spicy Bloody Mary! Guess little drinkie guy looks like he's having a pint of Guinness.

 

[disneyjunebug]

I'm sooooo glad you made it to HoB! It is one of my favs and I always try to make it to the Brunch whenever I am near one -- Vegas, New Orleans, Orlando, etc. The food is always good and the music is even better!

Looking forward to more! I'll be up lots with little sleep for a few days. DS had his tonsils and adnoids taken out and tubes put in today. He HATES the pain medicine, and I have to squirt almost twice as much into his mouth to get him his needed dose. And I have to do this every 4 hours, so Life will be interesting for a while. I need more food porn!!!

 

[wilma-bride]

I think yours is the first positive review I've read of HoB brunch Brenda - usually the complaint is there is not enough time to eat. Doesn't sound like you had that problem Great review - you'll be pleased to know that, despite the lack of pictures, I stayed loyal to your food report - there were pictures of alcohol and that's good for me