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Small Barrels Magazine

Reviews of Fine Wines, Luxury Hotels and the Best Restaurants on Earth

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Shula’s Steak House – Walt Disney World

December 13, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

Shula's 22 oz. "Cowboy" Ribeye
Shula’s 22 oz. “Cowboy” Ribeye

Looking for an upscale steak house experience at Walt Disney World? Just like those ’72 Dolphins, we think that Shula’s at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort can’t be beat. Founded by legendary Miami Dolphins football coach Don Shula (with fantastic black and white photos of his team’s unparalleled 1972 season gracing the walls), this steak house offers excellent cuts of meat, great service, an awesome wine list, and an overall enjoyable experience. Like most Disney property restaurants, it’s family friendly, but also great for couples (we recommend booking a later dinner to enjoy a more laid back, romantic dinner).

Shula's Steak House - Still Celebrating the Perfect Season
Shula’s Steak House – Still Celebrating the Perfect Season

We began our meal with cocktails; a spot-on perfect martini with blue-cheese stuffed olives for him, and a spicy Bloody Mary for me (it wasn’t brunch, but I was in that kind of a mood!)

Cocktails at Shula's
Cocktails at Shula’s

We went with some classics, but Shula’s offers a nice selection of cocktails with their own signature twist (see above).

Shrimp Cocktail
Shrimp Cocktail

We then tucked into some rich, tasty treats. Shula’s menu is wonderfully ‘traditional steak house’, with appetizers like chilled jumbo shrimp cocktail, wedge and caesar salads, sides served family style.

Shula's Appetizers and Sides
Shula’s Appetizers and Sides

And as if we needed more to fill us up, the freshest, hottest, most tempting sourdough bread was served to get things going…

Wedge Salad - steakhouse classic
Wedge Salad – steakhouse classic
Caesar Salad - another classic
Caesar Salad – another classic
The one and only Shafer 2012
The one and only Shafer 2012
Shafer 2012 Hillside Select
Shafer 2012 Hillside Select

The award-winning wine list offers excellent choices. We went big with the Shafer 2012 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. As soon as it was uncorked and decanted, the air was quite literally filled with a rich, heady scent of dark fruit, promising opulent flavors – and it just kept opening and opening throughout our meal. The deep, dark color looked inviting in our glasses, and it was a treat to drink with our delicious steak entrees and rich sides.

Shula's Entrees
Shula’s Entrees
Filet Mignon at Shula's
Filet Mignon at Shula’s

Pictured just above is my 10 oz. filet mignon with bearnaise, along with asparagus and hollandaise. And you should see some lovely panko-crusted potatoes gratin – there’s a tiny scoop at the top of the plate (it was hard to restrain myself). For him – a 22oz “Cowboy” ribeye pictured at the top of the article.

Apple Crisp and Hagen Daas Ice Cream
Apple Crisp and Hagen Daas Ice Cream

Certain dessert selections had to be ordered in advance, like the scrumptious apple crisp we chose, served with Hagen Daas vanilla ice cream. A glass of Buffalo Trace bourbon sealed the evening.

Scotch, Whiskey, Bourbon Menu
Scotch, Whiskey, Bourbon Menu

Shula’s is a wonderful upscale steak house destination at Disney World. It allows you step out of the Disney flow for just a bit to enjoy a different ambience, while still having the top-notch service you expect from this magical place. We highly recommend it, and plan to be back!

For more information or to make reservations, visit www.shulassteakhouse.com

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Cabernet Sauvignon, fine dining Disney, shafer hillside select 2012, Steak, steak Disney world, traditional steak house, Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort

Review of 2013 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stardust Heaven- at the Post Hotel, Lake Louise, Alberta

January 16, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

Stardust Heaven 2013
Stardust Heaven 2013

We wanted a wine with a massive personality, and maximum impact. Can’t go wrong then choosing a California Cabernet Sauvignon with a name inspired by “Ziggy Stardust” and “Stairway to Heaven”.

Selected from the Post Hotel’s renowned wine cellar, this bottle of 2013 Stardust Heaven was a great way to toast the last evening of our Rocky Mountain holiday, and a great (if sometimes quirky) companion for the Tasting Menu in which we decided to indulge. If you’re not going to do a wine pairing experience, there will always be moments when food and wine clash just a little – so you might as well do as we did and make it a standout wine in its own right.

The 2013 Cliff Lede Stardust Heaven is just that – a standout characterized by an inky purple colour (for rock royalty?), bold blackberry and dark berry flavors, as well as earthy licorice notes.  And you’ve just got to love the spirit and the story behind it, and all the Cliff Lede “Rock Blocks” wines – the various vineyard blocks are named after class rock tunes by The Who, Pink Floyd, and in the case of our bottle here, Bowie and Zeppelin.

We enjoyed every morsel of the tasting menu, described below, but we don’t apologize for letting Stardust Heaven strut its stuff across the stage and literally steal the show…

Here’s a run down of the fabulous menu (even if it did play back up at times as we sipped our wine…):

Tasting Menu October 8, 2018
Tasting Menu October 8, 2018

Last day of vacation, so we went out with a bang, knowing we were in for the Post’s generous portions and intriguing flavors. We’ve sampled several tasting menus crafted by Chef Hans Sauter in the past – this was one of our favourites.

Duck Breast with Maple Whiskey Ice Cream
Duck Breast with Maple Whiskey Ice Cream

Delicate slices of smoked duck breast served with a whiskey ice cream began the feast. It looked gorgeous and the duck was perfect. The ice cream was not perhaps my favourite, but I could appreciate the composition of flavors with the whiskey being a nice match for the smoked meat.



Tiger Prawns on Avocado Quesadilla
Tiger Prawns on Avocado Quesadilla

The prawns on the other hand look fairly simple, but the dish was a standout – really, really delicious. Tender and meaty, the prawns’ terrific flavor was beautifully enhanced by the thyme vinaigrette. And the tender, toasty quesadilla with creamy avocado made the dish complete. Easily our favourite course!

Pork Tenderloin and Tagliatelle
Pork Tenderloin and Tagliatelle

The main course was the pork tenderloin and tagliatelle with a rich and creamy porcini mushroom sauce. This is a plate to satisfy a cold-weather craving.  I consider this dish “vintage Post Hotel” with its hearty sauce and tender, buttery homemade noodles. While this particular pork tenderloin and tagliatelle dish doesn’t generally appear on the menu, if you’re looking for something similar choose either the veal tenderloin with creamy morel sauce on homemade Spinach fettuccini, or the beef tenderloin “stroganoff” with homemade egg tagliatelle (both dishes have been regular features at the Post for years – with good cause).

Another view of a scrumptious take on a cheese course!
Goat Cheese Mousseline with Plum Compote

This dish – the Goat Cheese Mousseline with Plum Compote – was an unexpected treat. A tangy, creamy, savory dollop of cheese mixed and melded gorgeously with a deeply-flavored plum compote. If I hadn’t been so full, and if there wasn’t an actual dessert course to come, I would have had two. Delish!

Goat Cheese Mousseline with Plum Compote

Yes, there was dessert – a rich, moist carrot cake thickly laden with cream cheese icing (the reason to eat carrot cake?) – and this is the second time in recent posts that I’ve neglected to grab a photo. My reason is a pretty good one, I think. It was basically the last evening the Post Hotel’s dining room would be open before the five-week closure between Canadian Thanksgiving and ski season. We noticed another couple- fellow port aficionados- nearby. It seemed natural to pull our chairs together, and toast a beautiful meal in a beautiful place together. So, no photo, but great conversation.

A massive wine, a tasty, multi-course feast and lovely new friends – great end to a great vacation!

For more information on dining at the Post Hotel or to view a dinner menu, please visit www.posthotel.com

Filed Under: Hotel Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, Wine Reviews Tagged With: 2013 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stardust Heaven, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chef Hans Sauter, Cliff Lede, fine dining Lake Louise, Lede Family Wines, Post Hotel Dining, Stardust Heaven 2013, tasting menu

David Arthur Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Elevation 1147 2001

January 11, 2009 By colin Leave a Comment

This was a rare find, so CARPE DIEM! Incredibly big and bold, this deep, richly coloured red wine was over the top and wonderful for it. We ordered this fine, rich bottle at Delmonico Steakhouse, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant in the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas. What an outstanding pairing for a classic steak dinner! Wine Spectator gives it 96 points, accurately describing it as “a remarkably rich and expressive young wine”. Highly recommended, if you can find it!



Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: 2001, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, David Arthur, Elevation 1147, Napa Valley

Chateau Lynch Bages 1990

May 11, 2003 By colin Leave a Comment

Sitting under some of Picasso’s original artwork at the Picasso restaurant in the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, it was hard not to feel generally in awe. However, we are quite sure that even in humbler surroundings, we would remain impressed by Chateau Lynch Bages 1990. This Bordeaux wine from the Pauillac region was sophisticated and refined, yet strikingly rich and full in taste.The colour was impressively deep, and even the nose was itself quite “delicious”! Wine Spectator gives this abundantly deserving wine an excellent score of 95. Parker,  rates this wine an impressive 94. For those who love Bordeaux, this is a gorgeous choice.



Filed Under: Wine Reviews Tagged With: 1990, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau Lynch Bages, France, Merlot, Pauillac

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