Taste of Disney

First I have to say that I originally planned to not have dinner on this night of my trip. I really wanted to have a relaxing evening in my room and take full advantage of all the great food and beverages offered in the Old Faithful Club lounge. But when I decided to attend the Party for the Senses featuring Disney chefs the night before, that left one of my favorite Disney restaurants without a place in my dining schedule. Not wanting to change any of my other dinner plans during my 6 night stay at the Wilderness Lodge, I had to eat my words and schedule a dinner for this night. I say that because on my last trip I had dinner plans on the one night that I stayed Club Level and afterwards said, “I will never do that again.” Well, you know what they say, NEVER say NEVER! And so that is how it came about that I had dinner on this night at Wilderness Lodge’s signature restaurant, Artist Point.

I was seated at a two top table just past the entrance to the restaurant. The table sat next to the glass windows which overlooked the hallway of the hotel…

In all my previous visits to Artist Point, I had always been seated in the main dining room area. So when I was not seated there this time, I was both a little surprised and disappointed. But I thought I would give this new location a try. So I tried it, but I didn’t like it. Next time if I’m seated there, I would ask to be moved to a table inside the main dining area.

For the sake of taking photos for this review, I took a look at the menu I was presented…

But I already knew exactly what I would order, the same appetizer and entree that I had ordered during all of my visits to Artist Point. But before the appetizer and entree, comes the delicious Artist Point sourdough bread along with butter topped with black sea salt and olive oil with fennel (in the small pitcher)…

It’s difficult not to eat more than one slice of this, especially when you are sitting there at the table by yourself with nothing else to do. But luckily my appetizer arrived quickly…

Artist Point’s Signature Smokey Portobello Soup topped with Roasted Shiitakes, Chive Oil, and Sourdough Croutons

And a close up…

In my photos, this looks a little pale in color but it did not taste any different than usual…which was wonderful. This was my fifth time having this soup and only once was it less than perfect. I had two gripes regarding the soup I was served during my March 2013 dinner at Artist Point…

First of all, this was way too salty. And then, as you may notice from the above photo, they temporarily changed their soup bowls…in effect, reducing the portion size but not the price. However, by the time I returned to Artist Point about a year later (April 2014) they had changed back to the larger rectangular bowls. I’m guessing they got a few complaints regarding the size of their not so “Soup”er Bowls.

Anyway, for my entree I again chose their signature dish…

Cedar Plank-Roasted King Salmon served with Sweet Potato Mash, House smoked Bacon, Autumn Vegetables, Rainbow Cauliflower and Apple Cider Gastrique

Not only did this version of their salmon entree sound incredible but when presented to me it looked so good that I took probably a dozen photos of my plate. Here are a couple more of those…

Unfortunately though, the salmon didn’t taste quite as good as it looked. I must admit though that the first few bites were delicious. Since I had taken some time to photograph my entree, I had only taken those first few delicious bites when my server came to the table to check on me. I assured him that everything was great, which it was at that point. But then when I had gotten closer to the center of my salmon filet, where it was the thickest, the meat was more raw than I could tolerate. Though I had gone with the chef’s recommendation of Medium Rare, just as I had always done before, this time part of my filet seemed to be on the rare side of medium rare. I did though enjoy both ends of my salmon, which combined with the sides, my soup, bread, and lounge appetizers, filled me up. By the time my server returned to the table to inquire about dessert, I knew I was too full to eat anymore salmon so I didn’t bother to complain. Although if he had commented about the large amount of uneaten salmon on my plate, I probably would have said something but nothing was said so I just let it go. I know there are some of you who would strongly disagree with my decision to remain silent when I was dissatisfied with an entree which cost $39.00. All I can say in my defense is that when a similar incident occurs at a meal later in my trip, I do speak up so I’m not completely hopeless in that regard…I guess.

While I did ask to see the dessert menu so that I could take a photo for my review, I didn’t order anything because I wanted to have room for the desserts they would have in the lounge later in the evening.

I will say though that not only was I tempted by my beloved berry cobbler but by all of the other desserts listed on this menu. They all sounded really good.

And so that completes my Artist Point dinner review. Unlike my last visit, this one was less than perfect. Last time everything was wonderful…the food, the quiet atmosphere, the service. Artist Point was one of my favorite meals of that trip, so good that it was elevated to among my Top 3 favorite Disney World restaurants along with California Grill and Flying Fish Cafe, Unfortunately, this time it didn’t quite live up to Top 3 status. But then again, neither did California Grill. So that just leaves Flying Fish Cafe, which will be visited later on in this trip. Will it break the trend? Stay tuned to find out. (And yes, I just solved one cliffhanger and presented you with another.)