Taste of Disney

I first must say that my previous experiences with Citricos have been rather “hit and miss”. The first two were definitely misses, with terrible service and just okay food. I actually might not have returned for a third, except that I went along with the Dec. 2013 DIS group which included Paula (smile4stamps) and her husband, Hunter. They are friendly with the chef at Citricos, so we were treated quite well and the meal was a definite hit. However, I was still a bit leery about dining here again…this time without my lucky charms (aka Paula & Hunter). Much to my relief, my worries turned out to be unfounded. But I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s back up and take it from the beginning.

I was seated close to the dessert station where the pastry chef was hard at work…

Loved this awesome view, but it made me hungry so I was happy when they brought me both the bread basket…

…and an Amuse Bouche.

The multi-grain bread is ok but I really like the other one, which has kalamata olives. As for the amuse bouche, unfortunately I don’t recall what it was and only wrote in my notes that it was good. From the photo, it looks like a soft cheese??

Anyway, it was then time to make my entree choice (I skipped the appetizers) from their November 2, 2014 menu…

I decided to play it safe and get the same entree as I had and enjoyed here last time…

Oak-grilled Rib-Eye Filet of Beef with Roasted Marble and Creamy Blue Cheese Potatoes with Amber Pepper and Sun-dried Tomato Relish

And I’m happy to report that it was even better this time. The steak was excellent, cooked to a perfect medium and well-seasoned. This was the best steak of this trip…far better than the ones I had at Flying Fish and Le Cellier and a notch better than my Yachtsman Steakhouse filet. And then there were the delicious blue cheese potatoes and the slightly sweet tomato relish topping. This entire entree receives my “All-around Excellent” stamp of approval.

Of course, after seeing so many of these wonderful desserts being made, I had to order one for myself…

Warm Chocolate-Banana Torte with Vanilla Ice Cream and Handcrafted Belgian Couverture Chocolate Crown

This is a chocolate lovers dream! So very rich and chocolatey. In lieu of the suggested port wine pairing or a glass of milk , I went with a French press pot of coffee…

(sorry for the blurry pic)

But in case you are not a fan of chocolate desserts, there were a half dozen others to choose from…

And as an added bonus, on my way out I stopped at the dessert station counter to take some photos. The chef there was so nice, and actually starting posing some of the desserts for me.

Lemon-scented Cheesecake with a blanket of White Chocolate Ganache

Tropical Fruit Creme Brulee with Mango and Assorted Berries

And last but not least, a dessert from the Kids’ menu…

White Chocolate Oreo “Mickey” Mousse

So overall this was a wonderful meal, with both great food and service. I would no longer be hesitant about dining at Citricos. Though the two of us got off to a bad start, we are now the best of friends.

Oh, and one more bonus pic. For those who might be interested. here was the posted menu for Victoria & Albert’s that night…