Author Archives: Doug

Victoria and Albert’s Queen Victoria Room

Disney’s Queen Victoria Room at Victoria and Albert’s wants to be the best, most overlooked restaurant in the country. Or maybe that’s what visitors of Victoria and Albert’s want to believe. After all, it’s really expensive. And it’s hard to get reservations. And the chef has been on a short list of possible nominees for a regional James Beard Award. So, where is the disconnect?

If your not a Disneyphile, you need to know that Walt Disney World in Florida has several excellent restaurants. Victoria and Albert’s is marketed as the best of those restaurants. The Queen Victoria Room is the inner sanctum of V&A’s where the most personalized service is given and the menu is limited to an expanded tasting menu. It is also the only Disney establishment that forbids children. So it has to be totally awesome, right?

First, we have to address the price. It is the most expensive meal we have ever eaten. There is only one way to rationalize this: Disney World is expensive, and some would say, about 20% overpriced for everything. The fact that V&A is more expensive than Le Bernadin, yet begs that it is unfair to compare it to New York restaurants can quickly be compensated by a completely rational (albeit fictitious) 20% discount.

There are only four tables in the Queen Victoria Room. It’s quiet. Maybe too quiet as we initially felt like we had to speak in a whisper so as not to disturb the other diners. Later the wine kicked in and to hell with the others who all looked like they were on their 20th anniversary.

Our servers, a man and a woman (not named Victoria and Albert) were the only people to serve the table. They were very pleasant and attentive. And this is where we encounter the first reason they have no Michelin stars: We have found that in the fine dining world there is a kind of shorthand used when serving food to people who know food. At V&A, every little thing is explained with an unnecessary bit of pomp and circumstance.

In Disney’s defense, we understand what they are up against. There are a lot of people who look to Disney to guide them though new experiences. To a large extent, Disney is travel without travel. Sanitized versions of foreign countries. Adventure without risk. If your experience with dining out is limited but you are intent on jumping into the deep end, this is your place.

One thing they got right: purse stools. Little ottomans for your handbag. Ruth gives this a big thumbs-up, declaring that all restaurants should have dedicated furniture to keep your purse discretely within reach. Sadly we learned that not every table is allocated a purse stool. Some are relegated to using a purse hook.

The food, however, is really good. With its basis in French, the cuisine also pulls from Asia and America. Each course was perfectly cooked and the pacing of the meal was good.

The flavors are not adventurous, but they did have some nice combinations. The chef leans toward comforting rather than surprising. Chicken liver pâté, Lamb and curry, salmon and soy. Nice cuts of meat with rich sauces. The presentation is pretty and simple. No molecular gastronomy. No French Laundry-esque play on words. Thankfully, it is also not based on Victorian era British food.

Service is unique in that the waitstaff is given a table-side task for almost every course. At times, this presents a nice opportunity to speak with the servers and learn more about the food or the operation of the restaurant. Unfortunately, the responsibilities of our waiter were limited to some fairly mundane tasks: warming croutons, shaving bonito, shaving truffles, and pouring sauces. The interaction seemed forced, as if, because it’s Disney we must include a bit of showmanship. A little bit is good. Knowing when to stop is what separates great restaurants from Victoria & Albert’s.

Our menu:

Soft-poached Quail Egg with German Caviar
Chicken Liver Pâté
Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Siberian Caviar
Porcini Mushroom Cappuccino
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut, Reims

Maine Lobster with Herb Aioli and Miniature Greens
Michel Redde “Les Tuilieres” Sancerre, Loire 2010

Cold “Smoked” Niman Ranch Lamb with Fuji Apple and Curry Dressing
Grans-Fassian Piesporter Kabinett Riesling, Mosel 2009

Sake-Soy Marinated Alaskan King Salmon with Bok Choy and Soy Beans
Kanbara “Bride of the Fox” Gohyakumangoku Junmai Ginjo, Nigata

Poulet Rouge “Oscar” with Alaskan King Crab and California Asparagus
Domaine de la Solitude Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhone 2010

Marcho Farms Veal Tenderloin with Truffle Bread Pudding
Hartford Court Land’s End Vineyards Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2007

Australian Kobe-Style Beef Tenderloin with Smoked Garlic-Potato Puree
Mollydooker The Maitre D’ Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia 2009

Peruvian Chocolate Cylinder with Elder Flower Sauce
Chocolate and Navan Bubble

Beringer Bowl Weekend

Team Tyrannicide completed the Beringer Bowl overnight ocean race from Marblehead to Provincetown in just over 14 hours last Friday. Not a fast race  by any stretch of the imagination, but we completed the race unlike 7 other boats.

Ruth took a 400mm lens out to Marblehead and shot the race from land. She then took the ferry to Provincetown and joined us for the sail back Sunday where John raises the asymmetrical spinnaker for the first time.

As the pictures depict, Captain John  seriously considered setting the old, falling to pieces jib. Even after reinforcements were made with duct tape, the Jolly Roger continued to loom large, casting a sense of foreboding. The new jib was set after pulling the numbers off minutes before the start.

Le Bernardin

Eating at Le Bernardin has been a goal for some time. After eating at the French Laundry, we felt the need to compare our experience against another Michelin 3-star rated restaurant. People have said that the French Laundry is the best in the country, but does that mean other 3-star establishments are inferior? It seemed unlikely, but it may be the case that we waited too long to try Le Bernardin.

Le Bernardin has gone though some changes in decor recently. Most notably, they opened up the dining room such that connects with the bar. While this is likely to provide a more inviting space to get a drink, we found it distracting. It might have been the plan to make the restaurant more lively and modern looking, but it seemed incongruous with the formal brigade-style service.

The dining room is (when looking from the bar end to the back) a very pleasant environment to dine. Rich, yet understated, it offers a generous amount of space between tables and is never loud. But while the room is very nice, we found that the staff never really went away. The servers maintain their quarter and are very attentive because the are right there. Right there.

We arrived early, 5:15 with the intention of getting in the Chef’s tasting menu before catching a show. We were assured that they could do it. At 7:30 we were out the door and walking to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. The pacing of the meal was spot on. Apparently this was not their first rodeo.

Le Bernardin is known for seafood, and we’ve got to say, it is fantastic. Not that they are the most inventive; although, they take from a variety of European and Asian cuisines. Simply, each course is perfectly cooked. The consistency is really what they are all about. Fish is difficult to cook and they can do seven courses in less than two hours and each one is perfect.

The wine pairings were also really good. Le Bernardin has an extensive wine list and it was clear that they had put some thought into each course. We were surprised by several parings, which is exactly why we let them pick the wine.

We took some pictures, but as frequently is the case, we starting eating before deciding to do so. Here is our meal:

Lobster and Mushroom “Cappuccino”


CAVIAR – TARTARE
Leaping Waters Beef, Langoustine and Osetra Caviar Tartare Black Pepper-Vodka, Crème Fraîche, Pomme Gaufrette
Dom Pérignon – Moët & Chandon 2000


LOBSTER
Warm Lobster “Carpaccio”; Ruby Red Grapefruit and Heart of Palm,Verjus Sabayon
Vouvray Sec, Domaine Huet ‘Le Haut Lieu’, Loire, France 2010


OCTOPUS
Charred Octopus “a la plancha”; Green Olive and Black Garlic Emulsion, Sundried Tomato Sauce Vierge
Albarino, Trico, Rias Baixas, Spain 2009


SEA MEDLEY
Shellfish Medley; Yuzu Scented Custard, Smoked Bonito Broth
Yuki no Bosha, Yamahai Jumai, Akita


ARCTIC CHAR
“Ultra-Rare” Arctic Char; Truffled Peas and Favas, Butter Lettuce-Tarragon Emulsion
Sauvignon Blanc, Floreado, Cantina Andrian, Alto Adige 2010


MONKFISH
Roasted Monkfish; Wilted Mustard Greens-Daikon “Sandwich”, Adobo Sauce
Pinot Noir, Duijn ‘Jannin’, Baden, Germany 2008


RASPBERRY-ROSE
Lychee Gelée, Rose Emulsion, Raspberry Sorbet
Côteaux de Layon, Chaume, Château, Soucherie, Loire 2007


CHOCOLATE PEANUT
Madagascan Chocolate Ganache, Peanut Mousse, Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Château La Rame-Reserve, Saint Croix du Mont 2001