Part One

BY MARY WARING

Our most recent trip to Orlando was different from previous vacations because we were meeting up with 23 family members and friends, ranging in age from 2 to 72. Our reunion had been in the works for over a year and overall I think it came off really well! (You can read my notes about things I've learned from the experience here.)

Everyone in the group stayed at Hotel Royal Plaza. Before they arrived, I think a few people had some misgivings about staying there (though they were thrilled by the fantastic group rate we got) because they had only stayed at Disney's resorts on previous visits to Walt Disney World. They were probably afraid they'd be disappointed. However, I don't think anyone was disappointed with the Royal Plaza - I heard lots of positive comments about the hotel all week, particularly about the service.

Our entire group was assigned to the 10th floor, and everyone (except for my husband Mike and I) had Deluxe Tower rooms. The Deluxe Tower rooms are bigger than any of Disney's resort hotel rooms and sleep up to five. At one end of these rooms is a small, semi-private sitting area with two chairs and a loveseat that pulls out to make a single bed. Several people in our group mentioned to me how much they enjoyed having that extra space, especially when traveling with kids. While the configuration of these rooms is not quite a suite, it is definitely better than a standard hotel room. The Deluxe Tower rooms also have large bathrooms with oversized tubs.

My husband and I had a one-bedroom suite. Hotel Royal Plaza doesn't have many of these and they are not set up for a family, but they are nice for a couple who will be entertaining others, as we were. The bedroom had a king bed with an overstuffed chair and ottoman, and an armoire containing a television set. Oddly, the ceiling over the bed was mirrored! Our families got a kick out of that and it was the subject of many jokes all week. Our nieces and nephews enjoyed jumping on the bed and watching themselves in the mirrors overhead.

The living area of our suite was large and included a sofa, two overstuffed chairs and an armoire with TV and minibar. Additionally there was a wet bar area at one end of the room, which was handy for entertaining. We could have requested a refrigerator, which would have been a nice addition to the wet bar, for a nominal extra charge (about $28 for the week) but we didn't have a great need for it. We had a pleasant view of the hotels across the street and we could also see Downtown Disney from our balcony.

Arrival Day

The majority of the group was driving from New Orleans and some had managed to drive straight through, arriving late Friday night or very early Saturday morning. The hotel was accommodating about letting them check in early for an additional night at the same group rate. Those of us who were traveling from the West Coast, and two of our nieces who were flying in from New Orleans, all arrived on the same Delta flight at about 6:00 on Saturday evening.

After a long wait for our luggage, we made a quick stop at National's Emerald Aisle to pick up our car. The best rental car deal I had found was using a National Product Rate Code that gave us a base rate of $169 a week for a fullsize car. I also used a Contract ID, which gave a small additional discount, plus a $15 off coupon from the Entertainment Book, producing a final rate of $185.82 including all taxes and fees. We chose a silver Buick Century, which was very roomy and comfortable for four people and their luggage. We were at the hotel by about 7:30 pm.

We arrived hungry, since Delta no longer serves any meals (unless you call pretzels a meal) on flights under 3 hours -- although I was flying cross-country, neither of the two segments were longer than 3 hours. Luckily we knew this and had brought some snacks along, but we were still starving. We had originally planned to go to the BoardWalk for dinner, but everyone was too tired and hungry. So after dropping our bags off in the hotel room, we headed downstairs to the hotel's Giraffe Café for dinner. It turned out that most of Mike's side of the family and their friends (about 13 people) were already there, and much table-hopping, hugging and chatting ensued.

Giraffe Cafe

I really have to applaud the wait staff at the Giraffe Cafe. They were extremely friendly and accommodating all week, and very tolerant of our group's antics. It was not at all unusual for the waiter to take an order from a certain table and, upon returning with the food, find completely different members of the group sitting there! To their credit, they always cheerfully got the food to the right people. Kudos.

This was the first time I had eaten dinner in the Giraffe. I had the Chicken Royal Plaza (or some such name), which was good and accompanied by a large serving of potatoes and stir-fried veggies. In general, over the course of our stay, I felt the food in this restaurant, while not gourmet, was average to good - similar to Cocos in selection and quality. The prices are reasonable and the portions very generous.

While I'm on the subject of the Giraffe Café -- unless the breakfast buffet is included in your room rate or you are a huge eater, my advice would be to order off the menu at breakfast. The breakfast buffet is copious, but I thought the food quality was better when ordering a la carte. For instance, the orange juice on the buffet is from concentrate, but if you order it off the menu it's fresh squeezed. Surprisingly, I usually paid less for the a la carte breakfast than I would have for the buffet.

Party Time

After dinner that first night, people were starting to wander off toward their rooms and some of the adults were planning to head for the lounge in the hotel lobby. I had managed, in my usual klutzy way, to spill half of my dinner down the front of my shirt, so I went up to our suite. To my complete surprise and delight, I found a party waiting. While we were in the restaurant, the hotel had set up a welcome reception in our suite! They had left iced-down beer and soft drinks and a couple of bottles of wine. There was also a huge platter of cookies for the kids.

I made some calls and ran down to the lounge to get the group rounded up, and within a few minutes everyone had gathered for a casual get-together in the suite. It was a great way to kick the week's events off, and if I were planning another reunion, I would definitely include something like that. I wish I had thought of it myself, but luckily the management at Hotel Royal Plaza did it for me!

Epcot

On Sunday Mike and I decided to head to Epcot for a few hours with Mike's father, Bob, and Bob's lovely new lady friend, Carol. Bob has some difficulty with walking long distances, so I had originally planned to valet park at the Boardwalk Inn and take the boat to the International Gateway, which is a back entrance into the World Showcase section of Epcot. At the last minute I realized that the World Showcase was not yet open for the day (though we could have walked through it to Future World) and I thought it might be smarter to park in the Epcot parking lot and take the tram to the front of Epcot, since we would be closer to the open attractions that way.

Big mistake. Because the crowds were so low that it was possible to park relatively close to the entrance, Epcot was not running the parking lot trams. For able-bodied folks this didn't represent a huge amount of extra walking, but for those who walk with difficulty, it was tiring. We regretted that we hadn't brought Bob's disabled parking placard from home, as the disabled parking area would have been a bit closer. I took careful note of our parking row and section, because there is nothing worse than forgetting that!

It's a substantial walk even from the closest sections of the parking lot to the attractions at Future World. I had forgotten about the size of the entrance plaza, followed by the huge courtyard that contains those massive marble Leave a Legecy obelisks (does anyone else think it looks like a graveyard? I am not a fan of the Leave a Legacy area), followed by yet another large plaza where the Innovention Fountain is located. By the time we made it to The Living Seas, Bob was already pooped.

The Living Seas was quite enjoyable, as always. I especially enjoy the jellyfish and seahorse exhibits. We got to see a dolphin presentation where they showed how the dolphins are trained to come to the viewing windows. I found it very interesting and entertaining. Also, because the crowds were small, Mike finally got to try out the interactive deep-sea-diving suit. (In the past there have always been lots of kids waiting to try it, and he hated to jump into the line and make a child wait.)

Next we walked over to Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. As I had expected, Bob and Carol really enjoyed this attraction. I have taken many first-time Walt Disney World visitors to this show and they always love it. The 3-D technology is amazing and the special effects are really well done. Even after seeing Honey, I Shrunk the Audience a dozen times, I still enjoy it. If nothing else, it's fun to watch the other audience members react!

We checked out some of the amazing fountains around the Imagination Pavilion and then decided Bob was growing tired and it was time to have a little something to eat and head out of the park. We chose the Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room, since it is close to the International Gateway. I figured that way Bob could save quite a few steps by exiting through the International Gateway and taking the boat to Boardwalk Inn, where we would pick him up with the car.

Rose & Crown Pub

Since we were going to be having a seven-course meal at Victoria & Albert's that evening, we wanted to see if we could get something light in the pub, rather than eating a full lunch in the dining room. As we entered the pub, I asked the bartender if food was available there, and she said yes, we could order any of the starters from the dining room menu, plus several specials that were listed on a chalkboard, such as a salad, ham and cheese sandwich, a snack-sized portion of fish and chips, and a few other items.

We sat down and started talking. After about 10 minutes, no one had come to our table, and we realized there must be no table service. As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!" So I finally went to the bar and asked for a menu. I was kind of puzzled about why the bartender didn't offer me a menu when I first asked about food, but oh well. We decided on some items and went up to order them at the bar.

Our food was delivered to our table fairly quickly and the starters were certainly substantial enough for a light lunch. Carol had a fruit and cheese plate ($5.99), I had a smoked salmon plate ($6.79) and Mike had a nice dish of mushrooms with sherry cream sauce garnished with a small puff pastry ($5.79). Bob ordered the ham and cheese sandwich (about $6.99), which was the only minor disappointment. He had expected a British-style sandwich (buttered bread, thin slices of ham and cheese) and it turned out to be more like an American-style sub sandwich.

The food was good, fresh and reasonably priced. Mike was happy because he was able to order Stella Artois lager and Boddington's ale! Buying a light meal at the pub turned out to be a great deal compared with the meals in the dining room - we paid only $27.29 for our lunch for four, not counting drinks (by comparison, entrees in the dining room range from $9.99 to $13.99 at lunch).

Finding the Car

After lunch, my day turned into an "I Love Lucy" episode. I decided to go and get the car so that Mike could stay and chat with his dad (and enjoy another beer). Carol came along with me because she wanted to stretch her legs. Before we left, Mike suggested that I take my rain jacket, but I looked out at the bright, overcast sky and said "oh, I won't need that."

The sun continued to shine and Carol and I had a nice chat as we sauntered back up to Future World and out toward the front entrance of Epcot. I freely admit that I am easily distracted when I'm gabbing … I walked us the wrong way and suddenly realized we were almost at Test Track. Oops. We doubled back and went out the front gates of the park. Again we were chatting and somehow I thought we needed to bear left … and again we had gone the wrong way. I suddenly realized we were near the bus stops. At this point I was annoyed with myself - haven't I been to Epcot at least twenty times?

We headed back to the entrance plaza and I realized I had been thrown off by the fact that the trams weren't running. The path to the parking lot isn't really marked, because normally you walk straight out of the park and get on a tram that takes you to various points in the lot.

Finally we were going the right way. Just as we emerged from under the monorail and stepped out into the parking lot, it started to sprinkle. I wasn't worried - I knew exactly which row and section we had parked in, after all, and I knew it couldn't be all that far away. But as we walked along, I didn't see any signs for our section.

It started to actually rain a little - luckily the rain was warm, so I didn't mind it, even though I was just wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Carol had her rain jacket in her backpack. After a few minutes she pulled it on. We kept walking. Still no sign of our parking section.

It rained a little harder. I was starting to get kind of wet, but no big deal. Finally we saw a Cast Member out in the parking lot and asked where our section was located. It was way off on one side and we had to walk through another section to get there. I didn't remember walking that far in the morning!

Halfway to our section, it started to pour. I mean really pour. In seconds I looked like someone had dumped a big bucket of water over my head. We started to laugh (thank goodness Carol has a sense of humor!) and hurried a little faster.

We got to the right section and row. Now to find the car. I had my keys in my hand and I felt confident that I knew exactly where we had parked. I knew we had a silver fullsize car with a big trunk. I was pretty sure it was an Oldsmobile or a Buick.

It was really dumping down now. Water was running into my eyes and I couldn't see very well. I was quite sure we were parked about halfway down the row. We passed a silver Buick but I didn't even give it a glance because it was only four cars from the front of the row. We continued down the row and found a silver Oldsmobile. Not ours. We found a gold Buick. Not ours. Maybe we were one row over?

The wind kicked up and the rain started to spray into my face as it was blown horizontally. I was utterly wet to the skin and laughing slightly hysterically at this point. We went up the next row and didn't find our car.

Okay, back to the original row. This time I looked more closely at the silver Buick four cars from the end, although I really didn't think it was ours.

It was ours.

We climbed into the car, thoroughly soaking the seats, and headed out of the parking lot. By the time we were back on the main road, the rain had stopped and the sun was out. When we arrived at the guard gate for Boardwalk Inn, I half expected the guard to turn me away because I looked so bedraggled. But when I said I was picking someone up in front of the hotel, he just waved me through.

Mike and his dad were standing under the portico, dry as a bone. For the rest of the week Mike ribbed me about how they had enjoyed another beer and then taken a leisurely trip to the Boardwalk Inn, completely under cover the entire time.

Sometimes I really hate my husband.

Meanwhile, that day most of rest of the family used the Downtown Disney hotels' bus system to get to Animal Kingdom. That evening I was hearing some grumbling about the bus system, because they felt they had waited a long time for the buses and they had a grumpy driver. However, the next day they got a friendly driver who explained the system: the buses run every half-hour, so you can time your arrival at the bus stop to reduce your wait time. After that I started hearing that everyone thought the bus service was just fine. Even though everyone had a car, most of the people with school age children used the buses every day.

Mike and I often drove to the parks for various reasons, but we did use the buses a few times and thought they were much nicer than Disney's, with padded seats all facing in the direction of travel, and video monitors running informational videos about Walt Disney World.

The Spa at Saratoga Springs

I had a 2:00 appointment on Sunday for a massage at the Spa at Saratoga Springs (formerly Disney Institute). Since we were living it up by having dinner at the oh-so-elegant Victoria & Albert's that evening, I had figured it only made sense to spoil myself even further and get myself into vacation mode with a little pampering.

The reservationist had suggested arriving at 1:30 to allow time for steam room or sauna, shower, facility tour and general relaxation before the massage. Instead, because of my crazy parking lot experience, I was racing to make it to Saratoga Springs by 2:00.

I frantically drove us back to Hotel Royal Plaza and sprinted through the lobby and up the elevator, dripping as I went. Luckily I had showered that morning, because I didn't have time to shower again… who am I kidding, I had already had two baths that day! It was all I could do to yank those sopping clothes off. They were so wet they clung to me like glue.

I quickly pulled on some dry clothes, ran a comb through my wet hair, and raced back out to the car… only to realize the car seat was terribly wet. Oh well, no choice but to sit and get wet again - there was no time to run in and get a towel.

I was at Saratoga Springs in five minutes (luckily it's just around the corner from the hotel) and was quickly waved through the guard gate.

We stayed at the Disney Institute a couple of years ago, so I was curious to see what changes are happening as Disney transforms the resort to a new Disney Vacation Club (DVC) property. There really wasn't a lot to see at this point. All of the buildings have six-foot fabric fencing around them (which you can see through) and nothing much has been demolished yet, except for the amphitheater that used to be located in the midst of the central buildings (where the classrooms, lobby and restaurant were).

The spa is all the way around the back of this central area, so you get a pretty good view of the whole property on the way in and out. It's a little depressing to see everything closed down (I loved the Disney Institute) but I have seen drawings of the Saratoga Springs concept and I know it will be beautiful when it is finished.

I parked and ran from the car into the spa, feeling really silly since my whole back and backside were totally wet again. Luckily the Cast Members at the check-in desk were kind enough to pretend they didn't notice, and they were not at all concerned about the fact that I hadn't arrived early. I started to relax slightly.

They collected my payment at this point. I took advantage of the 15% discount offered to Disney Club members, which made the total cost for a 50-minute massage $92.70 including the prepaid 18% gratuity. An attendant took me upstairs to show me the lounge and waiting area. Then I was taken downstairs and shown the hot tub, steam room and saunas, which seemed nice (things were kind of a blur at this point). I was given a key for a locker and a pair of heavy plastic spa sandals.

The locker room is very attractively decorated (there is a glass-fronted display locker containing Minnie's clothing, which is quite amusing) and has two private dressing areas at one side, plus the usual benches where you can sit and remove your shoes, etc. My locker contained a very large spa robe (at least a size 3X - plenty of fabric there, so no worries about modesty). I quickly undressed, donned my robe and sandals, and headed upstairs to wait for my masseuse.

The massage was excellent and really helped to undo the tension that had been created by the craziness in the Epcot parking lot earlier! I have had many massages over the years and it is the ultimate luxury. If you have never had a full-body massage, you really must try it sometime. The experience is very relaxing and all of the things people fear (that it will be embarrassing or that they will be exposed, for instance) are nothing to worry about. Massage therapists are very professional. You dress and undress when they are out of the room and all of your "naughty bits" are fully covered at all times during the treatment.

I showered to remove the massage oil and then used the mirrored vanity area on one side of the locker room. There is seating for several people. Hair dryers, cotton and cotton swabs, disposable combs and other such necessities are provided so that you can put yourself back together after you shower. It was fortunate for me that this area was so well-equipped, since I had raced out of the hotel without any basic necessities at all!

On the way out of the spa I checked out the workout facilities, which are spacious and feature the latest Cybex and cardio equipment, plus an indoor pool. You are given all-day access to the whole facility if you book a spa treatment -- unfortunately my schedule was too tight to allow me to take advantage of this.

Overall I felt my experience at the Spa at Saratoga Springs was quite a bit better than at the Grand Floridian Spa, which I visited in 2000 and found disappointing. I am told that Saratoga Springs is actually operated by Disney, while the Grand Floridian facility is operated under contract. I thought it showed in the attitudes of the staff. I would definitely use the Saratoga Springs spa again.

The only bad part of the experience was having to put my wet clothes back on, get in my wet car and drive back to the hotel!

Victoria & Albert's

Mike and I had eaten at the Chef's Table at Victoria & Albert's (the most elegant and expensive restaurant on Disney property, located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort) on our honeymoon in 2000. It was a wonderful, totally memorable experience and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves gourmet cuisine and is interested in going "behind the scenes" of a restaurant kitchen.

The Chef's Table is located in a corner of V&A's kitchen, where you can watch what's happening and interact with the kitchen staff. You still have two servers ("Victoria" and "Albert") at the Chef's Table, as you would in the main dining room, but instead of selecting from a set menu, the Chef consults with you about your likes and dislikes, and then he creates a special meal just for you. In our experience, you get to taste pretty much everything on the menu during the course of an evening at the Chef's Table.

This time, however, we would be eating with Mike's dad, Bob, and his lady friend, Carol, in the main dining room of V&A's. We were eager to see how this new experience would compare with our Chef's Table memories.

We chose the first seating, at 6:30, because dining at V&As is a drawn-out affair that can take two or more hours. Of course we dressed up (jackets are required for men) and needless to say we took Bob's car, since ours was still really wet inside. We used the valet parking at the Grand Floridian, which is free when dining at V&A's. I believe it is the only Disney restaurant that validates parking. It feels a bit odd walking into the hotel in all your finery as the guests arriving from the theme parks jog past you in their shorts, but the incongruity is kind of fun.

We arrived about 10 minutes early and oddly enough, considering that this was the first seating of the evening, we were told our table wasn't ready. The host asked us to please wait outside the restaurant at a table in the lobby that is shared by V&A's and Citricos. Bob was formerly an executive with a major cruise line and also managed some exclusive dining establishments in New Orleans, so he's quite particular about restaurant service. He mentioned that he was underwhelmed by this welcome, and I must say I was a little put off by it myself. Fortunately we didn't wait long -- maybe 5 minutes -- and then the maitre d' ushered us to our table.

Since we had eaten in the kitchen on our first visit, we hadn't really had an opportunity to experience the lovely atmosphere V&A's offers. The main room is circular, with pillars every few feet that effectively divide the space, creating a quiet, intimate atmosphere. At the center of the room is an enormous, stunning floral display. A harpist plays unobtrusively throughout the evening. The tables are set with linen, fine china and crystal.

I must say that Mike and I have dined in some of the top restaurants in the United States, and V&A's has perhaps the most outstanding table presentation and overall atmosphere I've experienced anywhere. That is saying something!

It's unfortunate that the service, on this evening, was not completely up to standard. We had a waiter ("Albert") but we never had a "Victoria" at any point during the evening, which may account for it. Maybe someone on the waitstaff didn't show up. Also, there was a large private group in a separate room that evening and it seemed that a great number of staff were required to service that group.

In any case, we were seated and then left alone for quite some time - probably at least 10 minutes - without being offered drinks or menus. We were not in a hurry, of course, and we were enjoying our conversation, so this wasn't too upsetting. However, at no point were we ever offered cocktails, which is rather odd.

Eventually our "Albert" brought us the menus. V&A's menus are personalized and enclosed in shiny black covers printed with a tapestry pattern inside. They are intended to be taken home as keepsakes.

Then we were left for a long time to decide on our selections - and we needed it, in all honesty, because everything sounded outstanding. The menu changes daily and is seven courses, priced at $85 per guest. Each course has a suggested wine pairing. You can purchase the complete flight of pairings for $42 (which we did when we dined at the Chef's Table) or order selections from the pairings (which is what we did this time). You can also select other wines, or no wines at all.

Here is the menu for that evening (select one from each course):

Amuse Bouche (this was a single shrimp with a salsa-style sauce)
Drappier "Carte-D'Or", Brut NV
*****
Wild King Salmon "3 ways" with Braised Oriental Napa Cabbage
Pipers Brook Reisling 2000 Tasmania

Smoked Buffalo Tenderloin with Hearts of Palm and Apple Salad
Villa Cafaggio Chianti Classico, Tuscany 2000

Iranian Karabarun Golden Osetra Caviar ($35 upcharge for ½ oz, $70 for 1 oz)

Iranian Beluga Caviar ($65 upcharge for ½ oz, $130 for 1 oz)
*****
Venison Tenderloin with Pickled Fennel and Baby Spinach
Pinot Blanc Lucien Albrect, Alsace 2000

Diver Scallop with Artichokes and Blood Orange Sauce
Savennieres "Les Lables" Domain Des Baumard Loire 1998

Foie Gras Saute with Pineapple Papaya, Sauterne Jelly ($15 upcharge)
*****
Chicken Consomme

Roasted Red Pepper Cream
*****
Virginia Black Bass "Oscar" with Lump Crab and Asparagus
Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay "Russian River Ranches", Sonoma 2001

Prosciutto Wrapped Guinea Fowl with Goat Cheese Gnocchi
Hartford Pinot Noir, Sonoma 2000

Mushroom and Truffle Stuffed Colorado Lamb with Wild Mushroom Risotto
Rioja Bodegas Breton "Lorinon", Spain 1998

Grilled Prime Filet with Sweet Onion Puree and Burgundy Reduction
Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot "Canoe Ridge Estate", Columbia Valley 2000
*****
Humboldt Fog with Quince-Kumquat Chutney
Ferreira Tawney, Porto

Sorbet Terrine with Glazed Seasonal Fruits
*****
Brachetto d'Acqui Banfi "Rosa Regale", Piedmont 2001
Pyramid of Tanzani Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries
Green Apple Mousse Tart with Calvados Caramel Sauce
Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Souffle
Caramelized Banana Gateau
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
Grand Marnier Souffle
Campbells Muscat, Rutherglen NV
*****
Coffee, Tea and Friandise

When "Albert" reappeared, we were required to order the entire meal at once, from appetizer right through dessert. Very few fine restaurants do this (with the exception of asking patrons to order soufflés at the beginning of the meal because they require extra time) so we were a little surprised. The other odd thing was that our "Albert" did not ask for a wine order. We had to make a point of volunteering our selections. I was starting to wonder if he was morally opposed to alcohol or something.

But enough about the service, because any negatives in that regard were much outweighed by the meal itself. All of the food was absolutely excellent and beautifully presented. I won't take you through the entire menu, but I will mention a few items that were especially outstanding or unusual.

I ordered a half-ounce portion of the osetra caviar, which was presented in the traditional way, in a caviar server over ice, with a mother-of-pearl spoon and the usual accompaniments (grated egg, toast points, etc.) for those who like them. I prefer just to eat it from the spoon, with champagne - I ordered the Drappier Brut. I love caviar and this was some of the best osetra I've tasted.

Mike had the foie gras and it was well worth the extra $15 upcharge. He gave me a bite and it was all I could do to keep from snatching it away from him! Fortunately I had the diver scallop, which was luscious and silky, with a buttery citrus sauce, and Mike couldn't steal any because he's allergic!

Carol and Mike both ordered the guinea fowl. They loved it, but I didn't care that much for the bite I tried - it seemed a bit dry, which is not unusual for game birds. Bob and I had the lamb, which was absolutely delicious and redolent of truffles.

The cheese course featured Humboldt Fog, one of our favorites. It is an American handcrafted goat cheese, very rich and lavish, with an ashy light grey mold on the exterior (which is edible). Mike and I both ordered it and we were in a glassy-eyed state of satisfaction afterward.

My Grand Marnier soufflé was excellent - slightly crusty outside, perfectly light and airy inside, with an intense flavor and a rich sauce. I didn't care much for Mike's green apple mousse tart, which seemed overly sweet.

The coffee at V&A's is prepared at the table in an elaborate vacuum brewing apparatus that is entertaining to watch. It produces very good coffee, too. Coffee is accompanied by "friandise," little sweetmeats and chocolates. After a seven-course meal, this is shades of "just a wafer-thin mint," for those familiar with Monty Python's film The Meaning of Life. (If you don't know the film, I won't spoil your appetite by describing the scene to which I'm referring!) Seriously, though, the courses at V&A's are all fairly small, so we didn't go out of the restaurant feeling bloated - just perfectly satisfied.

Overall, even with the slight lapses in the service (which were really fairly minor, but disappointing), we had an amazing meal at V&A's. As an exceptional special occasion, it was worth the $518 we paid for four (plus tip), but it's not the sort of thing we will do frequently -- we won't indulge again for a few years.

On to Part Two!

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