Is it just me, or are the Be Our Guest menus NOT appealing at all?

[meekoman]

Wow, I guess I didn't expect to get flamed just saying that the lunch menu was more appealing to me. I don't remember saying anything about it being too fancy. It just wasn't the type of things I prefer to eat. With the addition of this place, it'll free up resies at Cinderella Castle.

 

[MickeyPeace]

Judging from all of the comments about frou-frou (which is a dumbed down phrase for pretentious I guess?) I would get my hands on that menu asap, wait six months until they swap out the "fancy stuff" for burgers and chicken tenders and sell that sucker on Ebay! The current menu is going to be gold for collectors.

 

[luv]

Judging from all of the comments about frou-frou (which is a dumbed down phrase for pretentious I guess?) I would get my hands on that menu asap, wait six months until they swap out the "fancy stuff" for burgers and chicken tenders and sell that sucker on Ebay! The current menu is going to be gold for collectors.

"Frou-frou" is not a synonym for "pretentious."

Frou-frou here is the food equivalent of an Easter dress with lots of ruffles, ribbons and lace. Frou-frou things aren't bad, per se...they just aren't everyone's cup of tea.

"Pretentious" is acting all pompous when you're really full of crap. In this case, saying that the food is "scented", as if all food cooked with spices don't have a scent. It's pretending something.

Some people like frou-frou stuff. When I was young, I liked frou-frou dresses...but that was the style back then, too.

Some people are even impressed by pretentious stuff...or think that, for some reason, they ought to be, so they pretend to be - more pretension, lol. "Oh, scented food! How lovely!" Pretentious. Disney isn't the first to use the "scented" thing, but it's just silliness. IMO.

 

[wdwmomof3]

I'm in agreement with you. I really wanted to like this place because Beauty & the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies. But after reading the menu about 6 times, I couldn't find one thing I could even just settle for in order to go, let alone get excited about. We will be skipping it.

Everyone has different tastes...I'm sure some will adore it, but it's not for me.

I feel the same way. I looked several times but there was nothing that me or my kids would eat so we are going to pass.

 

[MickeyPeace]

"Frou-frou" is not a synonym for "pretentious."

Frou-frou here is the food equivalent of an Easter dress with lots of ruffles, ribbons and lace. Frou-frou things aren't bad, per se...they just aren't everyone's cup of tea.

"Pretentious" is acting all pompous when you're really full of crap. In this case, saying that the food is "scented", as if all food cooked with spices don't have a scent. It's pretending something.

Some people like frou-frou stuff. When I was young, I liked frou-frou dresses...but that was the style back then, too.

Some people are even impressed by pretentious stuff...or think that, for some reason, they ought to be, so they pretend to be - more pretension, lol. "Oh, scented food! How lovely!" Pretentious. Disney isn't the first to use the "scented" thing, but it's just silliness. IMO.

Got it thanks. I guess in this case it means that the food is frilly or fit for Versailles? As someone else said in this thread, basically it's meat and potatoes. It will just be hard for some people to pronounce who have had no experience with basic French cuisine or the French language. I heard Lou Mongello on his podcast try to pronounce a few of the menu items and fail miserably. I'm guessing the average guest will as well. Sadly, I predict a menu change very quickly after it's rolled out. Or at least a change of description of what each dish is into simple English.
From what I understand, Le Cellier has some menu items in French and has no problem. We'll see what happens.

 

[real mad hatter]

I know where your coming from.The A'La Carte looks very how cab I say it,Oo La La.But in keeping with French cuisine they will have their fans.Personally Iam not a lover of French food.Italian,Indian,Cantonese,Thai,Greek,Cajun,yes,but French no.

 

[Silver Figment]

I'm with you on the menu. I would try it but nothing on the meno sounded all that great to me.

 

[Phonedave]

"Frou-frou" is not a synonym for "pretentious."

Frou-frou here is the food equivalent of an Easter dress with lots of ruffles, ribbons and lace. Frou-frou things aren't bad, per se...they just aren't everyone's cup of tea.

"Pretentious" is acting all pompous when you're really full of crap. In this case, saying that the food is "scented", as if all food cooked with spices don't have a scent. It's pretending something.

Some people like frou-frou stuff. When I was young, I liked frou-frou dresses...but that was the style back then, too.

Some people are even impressed by pretentious stuff...or think that, for some reason, they ought to be, so they pretend to be - more pretension, lol. "Oh, scented food! How lovely!" Pretentious. Disney isn't the first to use the "scented" thing, but it's just silliness. IMO.

Scented food has been around for a long long long time - nobody ever thought to call it that. A simple case - beer. When you make beer, you add hops in two stages. Your first go in for the long boil, it allows the bittering oils to be released. Then, during the last minute of so of the boil, you add ..... wait for it ..... aroma hops. They don't boil long enough to provide any sort of bittering flavor, but their aromatic oils get released and cause that citrusy aroma indicitive of hops.

That is just one example. How you taste and perceive food has to do with a lot more than just taste - texture, presentation, temperature, and yes even aroma all play a role. Durians taste like vanilla custard (or so I am told) but smell like rotting flesh. Makes for an interesting fruit.


-dave

 

[The Incredible Schmulk]

I like the menus. I do think that they are a little underwhelming, in that there could be a couple dishes for both lunch and dinner that are a bit more adventurous, but it's a pretty good attempt at a diverse menu inside of the gates of the Magic Kingdom.

I'm particularly intrigued by the braised pork dish at lunch and the salmon in leek fondue and the ratatouille for dinner. I am not encouraged by the huge popularity of the place right now, though. We will probably be staying away from the restaurant until our trip in late 2013.

 

[disneygirl76]

I'm thinking I could well be in a very tiny minority on this, but in looking over the Be Our Guest restaurant menus for lunch and dinner.....there doesn't appear to anything on them that I would eat. I have no doubt, though, that it may well become a favorite place for many, possibly even becoming the "Le Cellier" of the Magic Kingdom. I will be popping in at BoG to check out the results of all the planning and construction, but personally, I'll be sticking with Cosmic Ray's or Pecos Bill's for food. Am I alone in thinking their menus don't hold any appeal?

I don't disagree. I can't decide if I am just not thrilled by it or I was just expecting more b/c of the hype around it. What I can't get over - is that this is not a character meet and greet. I get not doing the character dining but you would think, its Beasts Castle, he would be there??? With Belle! I don't get it. I will dine there some time, both CS and TS, to say that I have but I don't think it is going to be a fave. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[The Incredible Schmulk]

I don't disagree. I can't decide if I am just not thrilled by it or I was just expecting more b/c of the hype around it. What I can't get over - is that this is not a character meet and greet. I get not doing the character dining but you would think, its Beasts Castle, he would be there??? With Belle! I don't get it. I will dine there some time, both CS and TS, to say that I have but I don't think it is going to be a fave. I hope I'm wrong.

I don't think I can adequately explain my approval of Disney not making this restaurant a character dining experience. There isn't a single good table service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. This is their attempt at finally creating a viable in-park option for all ages and touring styles, for everyone. It's certainly not signature level amazing, at least not yet, but it's actually a place at which I would make a reservation. Currently, we always leave the park for dinner. If this were a character meal, I would still be doing so without hesitation. At least now, there's something within the gates that gives me pause.

 

[dopeylover]

I agree it isn't for everyone, but neither is the Teppan Edo, Jiko, Chefs de France etc. I can also understand the disappointment when you are looking forward to something, and then see nothing you like!

As for me, I love it! I think it's a welcome change to what I have seen at Magic Kingdom in the past. I used to just eat Quick Service at MK b/c I never saw anything I liked enough, or was different enough to use a table service, but I definitely will next trip! I think it's a fun way to get your kids to try something new in a fun environment.

 

[dopeylover]

But I also agree I cannot believe there isn't even 1 meal with characters!

 

[EvilQueen-T]

I think they are trying to make it sound fancy just because it is supposed to be French inspired for Beauty and the Beast and all that. But I think most would eat the entrees here.


Thyme-scented Pork Rack Chop - with au gratin pasta, seasonal vegetables and red wine au jus
*translation: pork chops with macand cheese and a side of veggies

Rotisserie Rock Hen - with roasted fingerling potatoes and seasonal vegetables
*translation: roasted chicken with potatoes and veggies

Pan-seared Salmon on Leek Fondue - served with creamy saffron-crushed potatoes
*translation: salmon with a cheesy oniony sauce with saffron potatoes (okay...the saffron might be too fancy here, but you could get the fingerling potatoes instead)

Grilled Strip Steak - with garlic butter spread and pommes frites
*translation: steak with fries

Sauteed Shrimp and Scallops - with sauteed mushrooms, carrots, and baby spinach served in puff pastry with creamy lobster sauce
*translation: fancy chicken potpie,but obviously with seafood instead of chicken

Ratatouille Confit Byaldi - oven-baked zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and caramelized onions sliced and layered with Quinoa served with bell pepper salsa
*translation:roasted veggies and quinoa, which is kind of like an earthy tasting pasta

I'm not wowed by the menu, but there are definitely things I would eat. Once it opens and we can see pics of the food it might make it more appealing too.

Please not that the translations are nothing official. It is my take on the menu and how I would explain it to some of my not-so-adventurous family members.

roflol...i basically have to do the same kind of "translations" for my sister and granddaughter when i book signature venues.

 

[wolf359]

I don't think I can adequately explain my approval of Disney not making this restaurant a character dining experience. There isn't a single good table service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. This is their attempt at finally creating a viable in-park option for all ages and touring styles, for everyone. It's certainly not signature level amazing, at least not yet, but it's actually a place at which I would make a reservation. Currently, we always leave the park for dinner. If this were a character meal, I would still be doing so without hesitation. At least now, there's something within the gates that gives me pause.

ABSOLUTELY! I enjoy breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table if we're going with first-timer friends, but overall I avoid character dining like the plague. Having a (non signature!) restaurant that is well themed but not character dining is a big plus and something the Magic Kingdom has been needing for a long time. I really hope WDWPrince is wrong about the coming dumbing of the menu but I won't be surprised if it happens. I hope I get a chance to eat there before the rib and chicken combo plate and Angus cheeseburgers take over...

 

[JohnLocke]

Can anyone really explain to me how the lunch time ordering is going to work? I know it's CS, but will all the dining rooms be open? Or just a few?

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Can anyone really explain to me how the lunch time ordering is going to work? I know it's CS, but will all the dining rooms be open? Or just a few?

I think that will likely vary depending on crowd levels.

 

[Monkee Girl]

To the OP: I know what you are trying to say. I am a very picky eater as well and though I am getting more adventurous as I get older I still like to know what I am eating. If something sounds too frou-frou (even though it may not be) it will be harder for me to try it and I don't like being forced to try something If I am not ready.

I think making the menu sound so 'authentic' is scaring away potential customers. It's the same as in Epcot's France. Before I went there for the first time I feared I wouldn't be able to eat anything on the menu. But once I learned the basic food (I love my steaks) I was good to go. So to me, keep the menu but I would 'dumb down' the description just a little bit; if it is steak and fries, call it that...though I think who ever decided steak and french fries was a good combo was off their rocker....Or keep the fancy name (since this is fine dining in an enchanted castle) but give us better descriptions.

I understand what the others are saying: something different, upscale, un-quick service type food. That's great! I am so glad we have another fine dining selection. But if this is the ONLY description we get: "Thyme-scented Pork Rack Chop - with au gratin pasta, seasonal vegetables and red wine au jus," I am going to say to myself: What the heck is "Au Gratin?" and "what is Au jus?" it makes people nervous and I think basically, that is what the start of this thread is about.

Anyway, my take aside, I would not worry so much about the food. This restaurant will be like every other Disney restaurant. You go for the ambiance and the food is kind of a bonus. And they are very accommodating; the servers will help you find something, I am sure. Try it once and if you don't like it, at least you can say you gave it a shot.

Good luck!

 

[Phonedave]

if it is steak and fries, call it that...though I think who ever decided steak and french fries was a good combo was off their rocker....Or keep the fancy name (since this is fine dining in an enchanted castle) but give us better descriptions.



What the heck is "Au Gratin?" and "what is Au jus?" it makes people nervous and I think basically, that is what the start of this thread is about.

Steak with fries - or steak frites - is classic Frence brassire food. It's what you eat after going out drinking - like a dollar slice or a burge and fries here. They have "dumbed it down" because they are using a strip steak. The classic steak frites uses a hangar steak, which in French is called an onglet. I doubt many WDW people have heard of hanger steak, let alone onglet. If they were to ask, and the server said it is called that because it 'hangs' from the diaphram, well that leaves more for me.

Not to be a knock on you, because as you said, some people just stay the straight and narrow path when it comes to food, but Au Gratin and Au Jus are pretty well ingrained in the American venacular. Heck, Betty Crocker makes boxed Potatoes Au Gratin and McCormics makes packets of Au Jus powedered mix - available with all the other mainstream food in the supermarket. It is not as if they are offering anything sous vide, a term many people will not know (expecialy since unless you invest some big bucks, you can't do it at home)

I think WDW got the menu right in this case. It is no so far off the beaten path as to scare off most people, but it may required people to think a little, and it also accomidates those who are looking at a better dining option that "chicken parm" and "turkey with all the trimmings" when they are in WDW.

-dave

 

[princessmommy]

You're not alone. The first time I saw it, I thought, "frou-frou, possibly pretentious."

I am very eager to have a meal there, being a BatB fan, as well as a park fan. I'm not excited about the menu, but it looks like I can at least find something to eat, which is not the case at, say, Brown Derby. Well, Brown Derby lets me order off the kid menu, so I can eat there, but I prefer to avoid it when possible, KWIM?

But there are people who like frou-frou and the MK has nothing for them now. I hope, for their sake, that it is frou-frou without pretention. There are plenty of other places to eat, God knows.

And NO grey stuff!!! Wth?! I was sure it would be there. Couldn't wait to see it on the menu!

Totally agree about the grey stuff!!!! After all it's delicious!!!