After a couple false starts, it looks like I’m finally going through with it – returning to school for my bachelors degree. Finally! I’ve been out of high school for MANY years, and although I’ve attended college in the past, I never finished. Something or other always came up and got in the way of my finishing my education. Well, no more! I’m doing this for a couple reasons, but mostly for myself – to finish what I started and to get that degree!
Due to my work and home life schedule, I’m going back to school by way of online university. It’s going to be a challenge, I know, but I’m committed. I’m not really looking forward to the loss of what little free time I had. It’s going to take some pretty shrewd time management. I’m going to try and make regular updates to my blog….sort of a Julie/Julia thing, although not for the same reason.
I remember all too well how difficult it is to find time for recreational reading and writing while going to school….and that was when I was only going to school and didn’t hold a full-time job and part-time job. My goal is to try and set aside time not only for family functions, but free time for myself….for recreational reading and writing (in this blog).
Let the games begin!
The Outback Steakhouse is another great place to eat if you’re on a gluten-free diet. They have a rather extensive gluten-free menu. At this visit, we learned that the gluten-free menu is included as a part of their standard menu!
We had a call-ahead seating reservation for 6:30, but all of us were hungry at 5:30, so we headed over to the restaurant. We had a tough time finding a parking spot, especially since many spots were taken up with piles of snow because the snow plows had nowhere to put it all. They gave us a pager and we were told that it would be a 10-15 minute wait. We
Salad with Ranch Dressing (gluten-free)
only ended up waiting about 3 minutes!
We rarely order appetizers when we eat at Outback, but Rick & I almost always get a side salad. We both order our salads without croutons and dressings on the side. When they arrive at the table, Rick gives me his tomatoes and I give him my cucumbers. We almost always choose the same salad dressings – I like the Ranch dressing and Rick likes the Honey Mustard.
Fresh Bread & Butter (NOT gluten-free)
They also brought out the standard loaf of bread to the table – which always annoys me because I can’t eat any of it. It makes me miss the gluten-free bread that I was served when we ate at the Disney restaurants.
For his entree, Dad ordered the all-you-care-to-eat fish (tilapia), which he had never had before, but he had heard people talk about that type of fish. The first serving only included 5-6 pieces of the fish and smallish serving of fries. When the server came to see how we were enjoying our meal, Dad should have asked for more tilapia because he had quite a wait when the server returned and asked if he
Tilapia & Fries
wanted more fish. When they brought it out, they brought him two orders at the same time, so that was pretty decent.
Pork Tenderloin
Rick ordered something new from the menu – pork tenderloin. It was served with what the menu described a “sweet tangy glaze”. It came with steamed green beans and garlic mashed potatoes, but Rick substituted the garlic mashed for their french fries. The mean was delicious and something that he’d definitely order again. This item is on the gluten-free menu, although they say to avoid the crunchy crumb topping.
Alice Springs Chicken & Veggies (gluten-free)
I ordered the Alice Springs Chicken and steamed veggies with no seasoning. The Alice Springs Chicken at Outback is one of my favorite meals there. In the past, I ordered garlic mashed potatoes with the meal, but I’ve been calorie conscious lately, so the steamed veggies are a more healthy choice.
Outback also offers a flourless chocolate cake “Chocolate Thunder from Down Under”. I did not order this tonight, but I have had it in the past and it is FANTASTIC! By far, the best gluten-free dessert offering in town.
Chopped Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Garlic Toast (not Gluten-Free)
We’re at Denny’s for dinner. We found ourselves with no water in our apartment during the day today and they weren’t sure when it would be restored, so we checked into a motel. Dad and I routinely have breakfast at Denny’s, but we never eat any other meal there. They have a fairly large menu, although I am only familiar with the build-your-own Grand Slam as being gluten-free. I’ve tried eating the same items at another Denny’s in Detroit, but met with unfortunate consequences. Something wasn’t gluten-free, even though I thoroughly questioned the manager about ingredient listing and foods prepared on separate grills in the kitchen.
Fortunately, I never have any trouble with the Denny’s in our hometown. It’s a different crowd here in the evening than it is when Dad & I come here for breakfast. We’re here early enough in the evening to not catch the after-bar crowd, and that’s a good thing. Our server’s name was Katie and she did a great job of taking care of us and several others in her area.
Build-Your-Own Grand Slam (Gluten-Free)
Rick ordered the Mushroom Swiss Chopped Steak with green beans and hash browns. It came with garlic toast on this occasion, although on a later visit, it came with dinner rolls. He also ordered a Coke to drink. It was a very good meal! The portion was more than ample.
I ordered the Grand Slam (Build Your Own) with 2 sausage, 2 bacon, 2 eggs over easy, hash browns and a Coke. Whenever I order my meal at Denny’s, I always ask the server to make sure that it’s served hot. There has been a tendency in the past to receive your plate and it’s only warm. On this particular visit, it arrived piping hot.
No room for dessert, although I honestly don’t know what dessert would be gluten-free. Since I primarily visit Denny’s for breakfast, there’s no need to worry about the dessert choices.
Lemonade
We LOVE Uno Chicago Bar & Grill in Brookfield, Wisconsin. We dine there at least twice a month. During the Christmas holiday, they had an offer
where you’d receive a $5 voucher for future service (after 1/1/10) for every $25 Uno’s gift card that you purchase, so we bought two!
Our server’s name was Pete and he came by shortly after we were seated and took our drink order. Uno’s only serves Pepsi products, unfortunately, so that’s what Rick ordered. We both prefer Coca Cola products. I ordered a lemonade, although it tends to be very tart at Uno’s. Once the ice melts a bit, it’s a perfect blend of sweet and tart. The raspberry lemonade, on the other hand, is very sweet – too much so, in my humble opinion. Sometimes, it’s not any less sweet when the ice melts.
We love coming here. Even during prime time on a Friday or Saturday, we never have to wait long – yet, they’re busy. Tonight, it’s not that busy. Tomorrow (New Year’s eve) might be a different story.
We had an Entertainment Book coupon for a free appetizer with the purchase of 2 entrees.
Cheese Sticks (not GF)
And here is my only complaint – Uno’s no longer offers gluten-free appetizers! They used to have these pork drumsticks, but no more. They do have soups, but for me, that’s more a meal. So, in order to make use of the coupon, Rick ordered cheese sticks. He said that they were very tasty. I would have loved to sample one – they were my favorite appetizer back when I could eat such things.
Chicken Thumb Platter with Fries (not gluten-free)
For his entree, Rick ordered the Chicken Thumb Platter with French Fries. This is something that he routinely orders – it’s one of his favorite meals at Uno’s. It was just as enjoyable as ever, he reported.
I ordered the baked stuffed chicken with steamed broccoli. I also ordered a house salad, no croutons and ranch dressing on the side. Within the last couple of months, Uno’s has added more gluten-free salad dressings – yay! They used to only offer balsamic vinaigrette, not my favorite. It’s always nice to have choices!
Gluten-Free House Salad with Ranch Dressing
The salad was very crisp and cold – mixed greens with a wedge of tomato and cucumber. The dressing came in a small cold container and it poured easily over the salad. The chicken was delicious! It was stuffed with spinach, feta, and tomatoes. The broccoli came with a lemon wedge and was steamed well (no crunch).
Gluten-Free Baked stuffed Chicken with Broccoli
We had to wait a bit for our server to bring boxes and our check. Unfortunately, he didn’t take the appetizer off the bill, but we didn’t realize it until he had run our gift card and charge card. Rick had to bring it up to the front and a manager had to correct it.
Overall, though, it was an excellent meal. The part at the end with the check was just a simple mistake, and I certainly wouldn’t grade them badly for it. Uno’s provides an excellent variety of gluten-free foods, and it’s always an enjoyable night out for us.
We saved the best for last! Le Cellier Steakhouse in Canada of Epcot’s World Showcase is a very popular restaurant. When I phoned in 3 months 
in advance for reservations, I was only able to get in at Le Cellier on our last night at Disney. We were very lucky! Not everyone is able to obtain a reservation there.
Gluten-Free Tapioca Rolls
We arrived relatively early for our 7:00 p.m. reservation. It was raining, so we were lucky to stake a spot up by the door, under the overhang. While we waited, we saw MANY people approach the podium to ask if there were any available seats (without a reservation) – no, there were not. There was an unfortunate incident involving a loud-speaking woman who tried to bluff her way in, saying she had a 7pm reservation when it was actually set for 8:10 p.m. The gal that the podium handled it beautifully. The loud-speaking woman (and her suspiciously silent husband) were told that they could check them in at 7pm, but that they would not be seated until 8:10 p.m. She did not like that, and she stomped off, her silent husband trailing behind.
We were seated at 7:05 p.m. in the New Brunswick section, the original territory of Canada. Our server’s name was Amanda. Chef Joe recommended the Filet Mignon which is what we both ordered. He said that he could alter any entree and mix and match the sides. Le Cellier has a nice selection of entrees on their menu:
- New York Strip Steak topped with bercy Butter served with Gruyere Yukon Potato Gratin
- Salt-crusted Prime Rib with Roasted Yukon Potatoes finished with Au Jus and Horseradish Cream Sauce
- Coffee-rubbed Kansas City Strip Steak with Hazelnut Butter and Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Spice-crusted Pork Chop with Rosemary Polenta and Endive-Citrus Salad
- Sauteed Potato Gnocchi with Grilled Eggplant, Cherry Tomatoes, Pesto Broth, and Parmesan Cheese
- King Salmon Two Ways – Pan seared with Hoisin Barbeque and Citrus-poached with Coconut Soubise
- “Le Cellier” Mushroom Filet Mignon served with Wild Mushroom Risotto and finished with White Truffle-Herb Butter Sauce
Filet Mignon & Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Veal T-Bone with Black Bread “Panzanella” Salad and Banyuls Vinaigrette
- Pan-seared Scallops with Artichokes, Golden Beets, Salsify, Capers, and Lemon-Brown Butter Sauce
Maple Creme Brulee
They brought Rick’s very obviously not gluten-free bread out to the table first, and it looked fabulous! Three large bread sticks – sourdough, pretzel and multigrain. It was kind of a let-down to be brought gluten-free tapioca rolls after that breadstick display, but I was still thrilled to be brought any sort of bread before a meal in a restaurant that I got over it.
My filet mignon was served with the cream cheese mashed potatoes. I hate to think how many calories were in that meal. It was superb! As I say, we saved the best meal for last!
Chocolate "Moose" (NOT gluten-free)
I wanted to order the very popular Chocolate “Moose” for dessert, but Chef Joe said that the chocolate mousse is rolled in Oreo cookies and that he didn’t have the gluten-free version of the cookies. He said that he could bring out the chocolate mousse plain, without the cookies and the Maple Leaf Antlers, but I decided to go with the Maple Creme Brulee. I’d only had creme brulee once before and although I liked it, it tasted even better at Le Cellier.
Rick ordered the Chocolate “Moose” – I just had to see it! He said that it tasted delicious! And although all of the other photos in our gluten-free dining reviews are of gluten-free food, I’m including a photo of the mousse here…it truly is a work of art!
This was our last full day at Disney, so it seems fitting that we would save the best for last. We stopped in to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in the Magic Kingdom for lunch. It’s a rather large restaurant, but very busy. There is more than one order station, so we weren’t sure which line to get in to in order to speak to the manager. We ended up standing in the “chicken” line because I knew I wanted to order the rotisserie chicken. The manager allowed Rick’s burger order to be taken at the same counter.
At first, they were going to make Rick’s hamburger bun gluten-free, misunderstanding who needed the gluten-free meal. It made me a bit nervous about whether or not my meal was actually GF, so I asked the manager (Mimin); he assured me that it was.
Rick’s meal came up well before mine, so he went off to find a place to sit. He was more than half finished with his meal before mine came out. But, it was well worth the wait! Look at this delicious meal! Had I known that I would be served this much food for lunch, I would have skipped breakfast (pancakes at Port Orleans Riverside). So, I did what I had to do….stuffed myself!
GF Rotisserie Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans
It was the best rotisserie chicken that I’d ever had! The mashed potatoes and green beans (my favorite veggie) were very good, too! I’m not sure, but I think that the potatoes were real potatoes and not from a mix. This would explain the long wait for the meal, but again, well worth it!
Gluten-Free Brownie
As this was a counter service meal, I was allowed to have a dessert. My only choice was a French Meadows Bakery gluten-free brownie. Fortunately, it was pre-packaged, so I could take it with me. I didn’t have any room for dessert, thanks to the terrific lunch!
Saratoga Springs Resort is laid out a bit differently than we expected, and the bus does not stop at the Turf Club Bar and Grill, although we passed it. It took us 10 minutes to locate the restaurant. I think that it must be more conveniently placed for the benefit of guests staying at Saratoga Springs rather than outside visitors.
Tapioca Rolls & Butter
They have a rather large menu at the Turf Club. Chef Glenn said that all the appetizers could be modified to be gluten-free with the exception of the Tomato Bisque and the Onion Rings. We were on the Disney Dining Plan that did not include appetizers, otherwise I would have given one a try…especially the Crab Cake. Those are difficult to find gluten-free at the restaurants that I dine at back home. Available gluten-free (or modified to be gluten-free) appetizers include:
- Crab Cake with Sweet mango Salsa and Chipotle Mayonnaise
- Fried Calamari with Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise and spicy Marinara Sauces
- Mixed Greens Sald with Citrus Viniagrette
- Caesar Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing and Celery Sticks (usually Blue Cheese Dressing is not gluten-free)
Penne Pasta with Grilled Chicken
Chef Glenn said that any of the Entrees could be modified to be gluten-free. The steaks would be prepared without the glazes. Available entrees from the menu include:
- Grilled Tuna with Yukon Gold Potatoes, Frisee and Roasted Garlic Nage
- Grilled New York Strip topped with Blue Cheese, Portobello Mushrooms, served with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
- Angus Chuck Cheeseburger topped with cheddar and Applewood Smoked Bacon served with Vegetable Slaw or French Fries
- Penne Pasta with Shrimp with Artichokes, Spinach, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Olives and Garlic (you can also substitute the shrimp for grilled chicken (my choice) or as a vegetarian entree.
- Spiced Salmon Salad on tossed Arugula with Vine-ripened Tomatoes, Applewood Smoked Bacon, and Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise
- Prime Rib with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
- Mint-crusted Lamb Chops with Honey-Dijon Glaze and Smoked Gouda Polenta
- Roasted Free-Range Chicken Breast served with Shiitake Mushroom Risotto and Sweet-and-Sour Cherry Glaze
- Pork Tenderloin with Red Onion Jam, Balsamic Glaze, with Yukon Gold Potatoes, Frisee, and Roasted Garlic Nage
Prior to the entree, I was served tapioca rolls and a salted butter. Having bread served at a meal is a double-edged sword for me. While it was fabulous to be served bread just like any other dining patron, I didn’t want to eat all of the bread so as to save room for the upcoming excellent entrees!
I had the Penne Pasta with Grilled Chicken and it was delicious! At home, I never cook with rice pasta because I don’t feel that it cooks as evenly, and it’s a bit tougher in texture. The rice pasta with this meal, though, was well prepared. The artichokes and garlic, and the chicken, of course, really added to this excellent meal. Again I say, there is no way I could be a vegetarian.
Gluten-Free Brownies & Ice Cream
For dessert, the only option was the gluten-free brownie, which was fine, but I was looking for just a bit more, especially after the flourless chocolate cake that I had had at Mama Melrose’s. So, I asked if I could have Edy’s vanilla ice cream with the brownie and when it came out, it was artistically displayed and very tasty!
The Turf Club is a fairly large restaurant and themed with dark woods. We were seated near the windows overlooking a patio area that was overlooking a body of water. There were many families seated around us, which is what you’d expect of a resort restaurant. There weren’t any bathrooms in the restaurant, though. To get to one, we had to go back out to Artist Pointe and near the resort lobby. I don’t think they expect many outsiders to come to their restaurant.
You really should be in good physical shape before you go to Disney, especially if you expect to visit all four of the parks and one of the two waterparks. I was 3 months into my weight loss program when we visited, and although I was more fit than before I started my diet, I wasn’t in the shape that I should have been. This resulted in my not being able to run and keep up with my husband as we tried to make it to the bus stop before it pulled away from the curb.
We calculated that it was 1/2 a mile walk from our room to the bus stop at the front of the resort. There’s no particular rhyme or reason to when a bus will arrive for any one of the parks, so sometimes it’s just luck that you’ll arrive at the bus stop just before the bus you want pulls up.
One day, we were heading to the bus stop to head into Downtown Disney. We were still 1/8 of a mile from the stop when we saw the Downtown Disney bus making its approach. Rick ran on ahead to the bus stop (he’s a runner and in great shape, so he had no problem making it to the stop). He asked the driver to wait for me, and I’m sure the driver turned in his seat to see me straggling behind. Fortunately, there weren’t a lot of people waiting for that particular bus, so the driver agreed to wait. I practically fell into the bus, gasping for breath, managing to thank the dear man for waiting.
At Blizzard Beach, one of the attractions had no waiting time….we just had to climb 127 steps to get to the top. We went on this ride 3 times in a row. Winded on the 1st go, a woman at the top asked how many steps there were – 127, I wheezily reported. The guy she was with, though, had a different number – he said there were 160+ steps. I figured that I must have blacked out and missed the other 40+ steps. But, on the 2nd and 3rd go, I recounted the steps and still counted 127.
So, ladies and gentlemen, do yourselves a favor and get into shape before you get to DisneyWorld. You’ll be glad that you are are when you can run 1/8th of a mile to the bus stop or climb 127 steps three times in a row without blacking out.
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano
Mama Melrose’s is a beautifully decorated Italian restaurant in Hollywood Studios. I had heard that they accommodate the gluten-free diner, and that is certainly true! Chef Josh told me that all of their menu items can be modified! They would use rice pasta or substitute for the roux. Their menu is quite extensive, so this was the first time since being diagnosed as a celiac that I could choose ANYTHING on the menu – and it was an Italian restaurant!! It boggled the mind.
Gluten-Free Tapioca Rolls & Olive Oil
Entrees to choose from include:
- Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Risotto, fresh Vegetables, and topped with marsala Sauce
- Spaghetti Fra Diavolo with clams, Mussels, Calamari, and Shrimp tossed in a spicy Marinara Sauce
- Charred Sirloin Steak topped with Gorgonzola Butter on Roasted Red Pepper Polenta and Grilled Vegetables with a Red Wine Reduction
- Penne alla Vodka with pancetta and Sweet Onion finished with Tomato Basil Sauce, Cream, Vodka, and Pecorino Romano
- Spicy Italian Sausage with Rigatoni Pasta, Peppers, Onions, and Tomato-Basil Sauce topped with Caprino Cheese
- Wood-grilled Tuna basted with a Sun-dried Tomato Pesto served on Grilled Vegetables
- Chicken Pipette – Wood-grilled Chicken over Pipette Pasta tossed with Artichokes, Peas, Roasted Peppers, and Sweet Onions in a Basil Four-Cheese Cream Sauce
- Oven-baked Chicken alla Parmigiana over Spaghetti
- Eggplant napoleon
- There are also 4 different flatbread menu items, but I wonder how they could have been adapted to be gluten-free?
Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan
I chose to have the Oven-Baked Chicken alla Parmigiana over Spaghetti. It had been many years since I’d had chicken parm, so I had forgotten that the chicken is breaded. Chef Josh made that gluten-free, too, rather than just not breading it. It was an excellent meal! They brought out gluten-free tapioca rolls. That’s something I’d never get tired of….being served gluten-free bread with a meal in a restaurant.
Gluten-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake
Saving the best for last….for dessert I was offered either ice cream or a flourless chocolate cake. Naturally, I chose the flourless chocolate cake, and wow! It was excellent and beautifully presented.
Without a doubt, we will definitely revisit Mama Melrose’s on our return trip to DisneyWorld. No question about it!
We took the bus from our resort to Hollywood Studios for dinner at Mama Melrose’s. We were sitting on the bus near a woman and her 4 children and they were having a conversation that we couldn’t help but overhear.
It was 6:00 p.m. and they were apparently running late for a show at Hollywood Studios that started at 6:45 p.m. Mom was yelling at one of the children, blaming them for how late they were running. “You just had to go into the pool one more time!” she berated him. Rick & I exchanged glances and I remember thinking, just who is the parent here?
Then, she told the kids that in order to make it to the 6:45 p.m. show, they would be expected to keep up with her as she would be running as soon as they got off the bus. Too bad for the 4-year-old, I guess, who probably couldn’t run as fast as the others.
This reminded me of something that happened on the Lazy River at Blizzard Beach that day. Rick & I were floating along in a double tube and a little boy of 3 or 4 years old was temporarily separated from his mother on the river. He was in one of those kiddie tubes with the center filled in.
He got a wild-eyed look as if he thought if he lost sight of his mother, he’d never see her again. Rick pushed his tube around ours and toward his mother’s tube. The wild-eyed look in his eyes dimmed a bit, but it was still there.
A little later, Rick started laughing and saying to me that the mother might have said to the kid “see you back at the car!” as she paddled away and out of sight. Better yet, he said, perhaps she would say “See you back at the resort – hope you remember which resort, must less the room number”.
My husband, ladies & gentlemen. Still, it got a laugh from me. He’s really not a mean person…just dramatizing what might give the child reason to have such a wild look in his young eyes.
During the time that we were at DisneyWorld, we saw an awful lot of children struggling to keep up with their parents. There were plenty of children in strollers but there were quite a few children running as fast as their short little legs would carry them, struggling to keep up. Rick & I discussed the fact that when we were kids, we weren’t pushed around in strollers….we were expected to keep up, too. I don’t recall my parents shouting at us, though, if we couldn’t keep up. Nor do I recall being blamed if we were running late because they had let us go into the pool one more time before we left.
Times have changed.
